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Brain friendly strategies for engaging students and scaffolding learning in thematic units

Kristin Dahl - AFLA 2018

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Deep appreciation and thanks to:

  • Angie Nishimura, East Anc HS
  • Natalie Moten, ASD - English Learners
  • Tina Hargaden, Mike Peto & Brett Chonko - W & D, Academic Language, CALP
  • Annabelle Allen “La maestra loca” - Brain Breaks
  • Amy Lenord - Language Ladder, Debates, Visuals w academic structural words
  • Bill Van Patten - weekly podcast: https://www.classroomtapas.com/talkinl2
  • Stephen Krashen
  • Organizers of AFLA this year and for the past 21 years
  • AK teachers who have shared and collaborated with others over the years
  • AK teachers who come to AFLA & are part of this community!
  • So many more amazing teachers and researchers!!

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Helpful links Page #1:

  • CI in 30 minutes/week: This book is a great way to dip your toes in these CI activities. There are currently 4 different 30 minute activities to try out. These are activities you can repeat as they are open eneded. And more will be added roughly each week as the year progresses its on sale for cheap until the “book” is finished, so now is a great time to buy! https://ci-liftoff.teachable.com/p/ci-in-thirty-minutes-a-week
  • The book with detailed explanations of BICS activities (One Word Images - OWI) and classroom management for a year has 2 titles, but exactly the same content (The CALP manual is still in development):

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Helpful links Page #2:

  • If you would like more in-depth training, upcoming winter training events are listed here, and a few of the big summer trainings are already listed too. This is where I signed up for last summers Cascadia Conference in Portland https://ciliftoff.wildapricot.org/events
  • Here is a FB Live video of Tina’s presentation at a conference this Sunday am - includes intro to OWI: https://www.facebook.com/tina.hargaden/videos/10215003092262611/

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Helpful links Page #3: Blogs

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Helpful links Page #4: Blogs - thematic

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Helpful links Page 4

  • Facebook groups:
  • Blogs - share and discuss - for free! - see Page 3
  • TPT - $$
  • YouTube - see MODELS of teaching - Personalized PD - when you need it
    • CI Liftoff
    • Teachers post videos of themselves teaching a certain lesson or type of activity

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Still have questions? Contact me at:

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BICS & CALP

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BICS & CALP

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BICS & CALP

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STAR Cycle of Instruction

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Thematic Hooks: Thematic Card Talk Tina Hargaden

Have kids make a nametag for the unit where they draw something related to the general topic. Pick up a 1-2 at a time to discuss with the class and get them into and interesting discussion on the theme and ideas they already have on the topic. Follow up with Write & Discuss (more info on W&D later in this presentatinon):

  • Something in the solar system (they draw planets, stars, UFOs, the moon, etc)
  • Favorite places (to go in town, in AK, to go on vacation, to travel outside of the us, etc)
  • Professions that interest you
  • 3 things you would definitely pack for a trip outside of the US (aside from your your passport)
  • Your favorite class

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STAR Cycle of Instruction

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Thematic Hooks: Exploration Report Tina Hargaden

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Thematic Hooks: Exploration Report Tina Hargaden

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Thematic Hooks: Upper levels - Las noticias

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Thematic Hooks: Authentic listening/reading Señora Chase

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Thematic Hooks: Authentic listening/reading Señora Chase

  • How to find listening and reading that is comprehensible?
    • In Spanish:
      • Señor Jordan’s STORIES
      • ConjuguemosTube
      • Dreaming in Spanish
      • UT Austin Proficiency videos
      • News - try BBC Mundo - or any news that they are already familiar with
      • There are many more resources, clearly. Here is a list with a few:
        • http://bit.ly/profedahl Listening & Reading (select this page)
    • In French:
      • Alice Ayel

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Brain Breaks & Movement Anabelle Allen “La Maestra Loca”

Short and long brain breaks. 5 seconds to 5 minutes.

  1. TPR - super fast. Stand up. Sit down. Stand up fast. Sit down slowly.
  2. Stand up and sit down fast. (2 second response)
  3. Stand up, high five (chócala) (x times) and sit down fast. (5 seconds)
  4. Vary with whatevever commands are fun and fast. Then transition back to lesson. These are 5 second brain breaks. Use frequently. Train for speed.
  5. RPS. (Piedra Papel Tijeras ¡Dale!) (1-2-3-¡Dale!) (add this to #3)
  6. RPS evolución: egg, chicken, dinosaur, dragon, ____, CHAMPION!
  7. RPS train: losers put hands one winners’ sholders and follow them chanting their name until then end of the game, winners keep playing with other winners.
  8. https://lamaestralocablog.com/tag/brain-breaks/

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Making Authentic Text Approachable

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Making Authentic Text Approachable

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STAR Cycle of Instruction

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Sentence Strip Poems

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Sentence Strip Poems Reading, writing, presenting out loud and artistically Natalie Moten

Making Authentic Text Approachable

A non-fiction reading activity for any sort of article that becomes a poem and ends with art:

    • An informative article about any topic.
    • Create a poem using ONLY expressions from the text.
      1. Putting academic language in students hands and mouths - as they use only that vocabulary to create a poetic interpretation of the ideas in the article
    • Do w poetry slam style presentation of the new poem, as a group
    • Create a final product: Make a piece of art with watercolor and include the text of the poem on this art.
    • Hang art and create a gallery on the topic(s) in the articles.

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Sentence Strip Poems Reading, writing, presenting out loud and artistically Natalie Moten

A non-fiction reading activity for any sort of article that becomes a poem and ends with art:

    • Read and comprehend an article (1 as a class, or 1 per group) + any other typical compreh. actiities
    • Return to small groups (4-5). Every member individually underline 3-4 key sentences that grabbed them
    • Each member writes each sentence on a strip of paper from a roll of calculator paper, and tape each sentence to their group wall area. It’s ok to if several individuals picked some of the same sentences, as that will allow for poetic repetition.
    • Then the group will start tearing words and phrases from the sentences. They will start to reorganize those words and phrases together on the wall to create a group poem.

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Sentence Strip Poems

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Sentence Strip Poems Reading, writing, presenting out loud and artistically

A non-fiction reading activity for any sort of article that becomes a poem and ends with art:

    • As the poem creation starts to wind down, groups will decide how they will present/read the poem dramatically to the class: (what parts will everyone say, what lines go to just 1 or 2 people, etc) and they should rehearse a bit.
    • BEfore class ends, all groups will present their poem to the class as they stand next to the poem on the wall.
    • Once they poem is finished and groups have rehearsed, individuals will make an artistic rendition of their group poem on paper with watercolors (for art) and markers or pens to write the poem.

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Sentence Strip Poems Reading, writing, presenting out loud and artistically

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Classroom management: Pro Tip Tina Hargaden

  • Heart. Talk about hearts. Regularly. Communicating with your heart. Applauding with your heart. Letting the language into your heart, so it can easily reach your mouth in the future when you want to speak.

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Sentence Strip Poems Reading, writing, presenting out loud and artistically

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Sentence Strip Poems Reading, writing, presenting out loud and artistically

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Classroom management: Pro Tip Tina Hargaden

  • Make the kids shine. Talk about things that make kids feel important. Find ways to get the class to applaud, praise and thank individual kids regularly. Many times a day. EVERY day! And look for ways to have the class wildly applaud EVERY SINGLE KID. The trouble makers. The kids that sit in the corner and never get recognized. The geeks. The sad kids. EVERY ONE!

  • One hint: Never accept mediocre applause. From day one. From the first time you have kids applaud (for the card you picked, for someone speaking in the TL- even a little bit, for that potential troublemaker who you just learned loves to play xxx, or for the most mundanely ridiculous thing). Make sure it is a tremendous, heartfelt applause.

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Thematic Vocabulary Development Angie Nishimura

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Thematic Vocabulary Development Angie Nishimura

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Thematic Vocabulary Development Angie Nishimura

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Thematic Vocabulary Development Angie Nishimura

  • Make a handout/ppt with the Unit Theme in the center, and 4 sub-topics in each of the 4 quadrants
  • Have students brainstorm in groups (they should include words they know in spanish and important words they don’t know yet).
  • Groups share back to the class and a master class list is created as students add words that are important to them to their personal list
  • Make wall displays for each them with word clouds of the most important vocab for each quatrant.
  • Leave up for the unit.
  • Optional: print out a master list for the class - or put one on the class website

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Thematic Vocabulary Development Angie Nishimura

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Thematic Vocabulary Development Angie Nishimura

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Música - canción - ¡Vamos a cantar!

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Brain Breaks & Movement

Short and long brain breaks. 5 seconds to 5 minutes.

Music sing-a-longs - Sing songs together with or without videos:

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Daily Write & Discuss: 2 levels Tina Hargaden

Write and Discuss - Key activity

  • A Daily In Class Group Summary of Something Discussed in Class that Day, preferably information about or created by the students: weekend chat, new story, cultural information, or ???
  • Teacher writes (on board, under Doc Camera, one projected computer screen
  • Class does NOT write during this activity
  • About 6-8 sentences.
  • Class suggests what to write. Teacher will help get ideas flowing by prompting - perhaps the first word or two of most sentences. Teacher will “transcribe” what the class suggests, but help the class put their ideas in a more structured format.

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Daily Write & Discuss: Write and Discuss

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Classroom management: ProTips

  • Make the kids shine by (after learning this info in the TL in class discussions):
    1. WRITING about kids in W&D,
    2. putting info about kids on short “quizzes” in the TL(Who celebrated their bday in class this week? Who ran in the X-C regionals this weekend? Who’s mom just came back from her tour of duty?)
    3. including info about kids in Activities like the “Mysterious Person” (same as quizzes, but it’s not a quiz - just project the ?s on the board and have kids respond)
  • Early on teach kids how to say “Good luck!” and “Congratulations!” and “I’m so sorry” and “Poor thing” and “What a bummer!” (as well as other rejoinders)
  • By doing these 2 things you show kids:
    • They count. They all matter.
    • How to show other people that they matter.

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Daily Write & Discuss: Write and Discuss

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Brain Breaks & Movement Anabelle Allen “La Maestra Loca”

Short and long brain breaks. 5 seconds to 5 minutes.

  • Class selfie -15 seconds
  • Mannequin challenge - sudden or give kids a 30 sec warning

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Classroom management: Pro Tip Tina Hargaden

  • Make the kids shine. Talk about things that make kids feel important. Find ways to get the class to applaud, praise and thank individual kids regularly. Many times a day. EVERY day! And look for ways to have the class wildly applaud EVERY SINGLE KID. The trouble makers. The kids that sit in the corner and never get recognized. The geeks. The sad kids. EVERY ONE!

  • One hint: Never accept mediocre applause. From day one. From the first time you have kids applaud (for the card you picked, for someone speaking in the TL- even a little bit, for that potential troublemaker who you just learned loves to play xxx, or for the most mundanely ridiculous thing). Make sure it is a tremendous, heartfelt applause.

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STAR Cycle of Instruction

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Daily Write & Discuss: Write and Discuss

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Daily Write & Discuss: Write and Discuss

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Daily Write & Discuss: 2 levels Tina Hargaden

Write and Discuss- Key activity

  • Class suggests what to write. Teacher will help get ideas flowing by prompting - perhaps the first word or two of most sentences. Teacher will “transcribe” what the class suggests, but help the class put their ideas in a more structured or academic format.
  • Teacher will repeat/rephrase student suggestions, regularly adding vocabulary or word order choices for the class to pick from:
    • She is talented or extremely talented?
    • 1st hour’s story or Our class’ amazing story
    • Finally, As you can see, or In conclusion?
    • But or However?

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Daily Write & Discuss: 2 levels Tina Hargaden

Write and Discuss- Key activity

  • Do not try to include EVERYTHING the class discussed. Just model writing a nice paragraph for about 5-10 minutes.
  • After you finish, then (or another day):
    • Chorally read the summary together.
    • Translate the summary together.
    • Repeat in pairs.
    • Move to the back of the room (but leave summary visible) and start a short discussion about the content of the summary, with comprehension questions as well as new side questions about related info)
    • Students copy the summary and/or write a translation of it.
    • Have absent kids copy and translate the summary to get some of the info and input they missed

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Brain Breaks & Movement

Short and long brain breaks. 5 seconds to 5 minutes.

Musical transitions:

Ellen Schrager - sells them on TPT individually or in sets.

All profits go to the individuals in Venezuela: musicians who write & record the music and tech folks who make the videos

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Daily Write & Discuss: 2 levels Tina Hargaden

Write and Discuss- HAND organizer - advanced

  • For upper levels, when you are discussing content, use the W&D to model paragraphing with topic sentences, linking words and conclusions. You can even post an image of a hand with an opener near the thumb, 3 linking words on the middle 3 fingers, and a conclusion expression near the pinky.
  • Also, for upper levels you can help students learn how to add more specific vocabulary and build more complex sentences.
  • Maple syrup in Quebec W&D w Tina Hargaden (watch 3 min)

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Daily Write & Discuss: 2 levels Tina Hargaden

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Daily Write & Discuss: Class Yearbook Brett Chonko Nishimura

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STAR Cycle of Instruction

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Output Coaching for Kids

TOPE (SP) or TOME (Fr) - easy acronym

T - Todo en español / Tout en francais - all in TL

O - Organizado / Organizé (organizede means: 1) use linking words & 2) multipart sentences - Why, where, when, with whom, how, etc)

P - Palabras variadas / M - Mots variés (varied vocab: new and old, avoid repetition)

E - Elaboración / Elaboration - keep writing or talking. Give more details, give a 2nd example, or just say more!

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Classroom management: ProTips

  • One sneaky way to make kids shine is to hire kids for many different jobs. (clock watcher, window opener, button smasher, lights person, door person, schedule changer, HR, etc) This way you get a little help in class, and the kids that are hired get opportunities to be thanked, praised and recognized for their amazing contributions to the class!
  • Hire a count down person to get the class ready to listen again quickly:
    • Raises hand high and counts down with fingers and out loud: 5 - 4 - 3 - 2 - 1 (shhh!)
  • Hire a class artist!

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Describe & Compare OWI - One Word Images

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Brain Breaks & Movement Tina Hargaden (& Mike Peto)

Short and long brain breaks. 5 seconds to 5 minutes.

  • Key verb/vocab actions refocus trick (show me “look”, show me “helps”, show me “wants”, show me “window”, show me “elephant”, show me “look”)
  • Turn and tell your neighbor what you understood about XX (in English).
  • Turn and use TL to tell your neighbor 3-5 things we just learned/discussed. For example, “tell your neighbor something 3 different people did this weekend”
  • “Harnessing a Running Horse” (this is from Mike Peto) In situations when English erupts into the room, but it is on-task talk among students who are simply interested in the conversation, one strategy is to pretend that you really WANTED them to talk about whatever it is that they are discussing. I say, "Ooh, turn and tell a partner in English what we are learning about X. Go!" Then use the attention signal or countdown after 1 minute and you are back on track.

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STAR Cycle of Instruction

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Describe & Compare Tina Hargaden, Ben Slavic & Mike Peto

OWI - One Word Images

  • Present your class with an empty space (on top of a chair in the middle of the room) and guide them to SEE and IMAGINE an amazing invisible creature unlike anything they have ever seen or heard of before
  • Guide the class with a series of questions as they describe this creature and bring it to life: what is it? Big or small? What color(s)? Nice or mean? Happy or sad? Why? Name? etc...
  • Hire a class artist to draw a BIG poster size rendition of this creature, to be revealed in full color (you should hire a 2nd artist to help with the coloring) after the class has finished creating this creature

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Describe & Compare Tina Hargaden, Ben Slavic & Mike Peto

OWI - One Word Images

  • Write & Discuss the creature
  • Reveal the creature and discuss and admire. And PRAISE the amazingly talented artists!
  • Post in classroom
  • Use later in stories. These are now part of your class culture.
  • Some creatures get sidekicks right away. If they do, you get to start comparing as soon as they are created. Awesome! If not, later you can compare different creatures but putting their drawings side by side.

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Visual Support for Pres and Disc of New Info

New Topic Intro with an Image or video

  • Find an information rich image online such as a map or a photo
  • Ask a question to have students activate some prior experience or knowledge of the topic. Share and discuss with Comparative vocab
  • Display image and discuss academically.
  • https://youtu.be/68MA8Xzlpxk?t=1252
  • W & D.

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Visual Support for Pres and Disc of New Info

New Topic Intro with an Image or video

Mike Peto’s “Maravillas latinoamericanas” on TPT. Steps 1-4 = 20 min https://mygenerationofpolyglots.com/2018/10/04/introducing-las-maravillas-small-doses-of-target-language-culture-for-a-student-centered-classroom/

  1. Show a photo from the topic & discuss in TL (picture talk)
  2. Show a video clip (add Comprehensible subtitles first or do movie talk)
  3. Read a comprehensible text summary of the video
  4. Write and Discuss - facilate a summary of the video written together as a class.
  5. Kids copy the W&D
  6. Quiz later in the week

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Describe & Compare Tina Hargaden, Ben Slavic & Mike Peto

Cultural photo comparisons - thematic

  • https://www.slideshare.net/DavidMainwood/compare-and-contrast-photos
  • Find 2 photos about your current theme. If possible, one should be from US culture, and the other from the TL culture: classrooms, school schedules, lunches, national celebrations, houses, etc.
  • Complete a VENN with kids or have them do it on their own if they are ready to do so in TL
  • Do a Write and Discuss comparison paragraph. This time you will use linking words that show comparisons.

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Describe & Compare Tina Hargaden, Ben Slavic & Mike Peto

Cultural photo comparisons - thematic

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Describe & Compare Tina Hargaden, Ben Slavic & Mike Peto

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Brain Breaks & Movement Anabelle Allen “La Maestra Loca”

Short and long brain breaks. 5 seconds to 5 minutes.

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Visual Lectures

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STAR Cycle of Instruction

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Visual Lectures

W & D

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Visual Support for Pres and Disc of New Info

Visual Lectures

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Brain Breaks & Movement

Short and long brain breaks. 5 seconds to 5 minutes. MUSIC to MOVE!

  • Videos with actions: http://bit.ly/BailaConLaClase
    • Just dance or Zumba videos
    • How do dance XXX (cultural dance or line dance)
      • PRO TIP: find videos with teenagers dancing the dance! ie: Caballo Dorado
    • Viral dances in the TL such as: Tiburón bebe (baby shark)
    • Celebrities teaching the dance routines in their videos or pop music with easy to follow dance routines
    • Locura de Marzo (March madness) make a bracket w 16 songs. Kids vote on a bracket a day until you get 1 champion song!. Or join Señor Ashby’s online version each year - well organized and your kids vote online.
    • Or just play some energetic popular TL music (without the video) and have kids follow your AMAZING dance moves - and/or let them lead.

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Tech tool to practice or assess speaking T

FlipGrid - Can be added to Canvas

  • Free. Students record short (15 sec -5 min) videos that are saved to the FlipGrid website or can be added to Canvas. So all the videos are immediately accessible in 1 location for easy access.
  • Can be recorded with Chromebooks, computers, ipads, or phones.
  • Fun as students can add stickers to their initial photo page.
  • Students can record simultaneously or separately. Easy makeups for absent kids.
  • https://flipgrid.com/+e5h4n3e

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Visual Support for Pres and Disc of New Info T

Visual Lectures -Comparative Input Chart

  • Find an information rich visual online that compares 2 similar things
  • Alternatively, find 2 separate images with labels that you can juxtapose
  • Project it/them and trace IN PENCEL the image (and the labels). This is a PICTORAL form of a VENN diagram.
  • Present and discuss this info with the class. AS you do, use colored markers to “reveal” the image and labels, bit by bit as you introduce them to the class.
  • Discuss & compare
  • W & D as a comparison.

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STAR Cycle of Instruction

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Brain Breaks & Movement - classic

Short and long brain breaks. 5 seconds to 5 minutes.

  • Line up by…. height, birthday, first letter of first name, time you woke up today. Then stay in this location and everyone has a new partner.
  • Get in a group with all the people who share: the same favorite color, have the same length of hair, the same # of siblings, etc. Find a partner in this group for next activity.
  • Opinion movement: 4 corners or 2 sides of room: you read statements and the kids move to a location to show their answer- Agree/Disagree; Like, Love, I don’t care, Hate; Good Idea / Bad Idea; I have never / I have done...

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Brain Breaks & Movement-ProTip for classic stuff

Easy Peasy “Speed Dating” setup so each kid talks to everyone present.

Like inside/outside circle, but this video shows how to do a rotation where every kid will eventually talk to every other kid present in class that day. Just in case you’ve ever tried to figure this out (especially helpful for smaller classes), Jaime Farrell Edwards has the answer:

http://bit.ly/NeedEveryoneToSpeakToEveryone

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Asking & Answering ?s Question Ladders

Sra Shaw's Question Ladders

  1. A list of thematic questions & that helps kids understand, answer & create questions
  2. Kids read the ?s and translate to English
  3. Kids write English translation
  4. Kids write an answer in Spanish
  5. Kids change 1 variable in the ? and write the new questions
  6. Kids write an answer to the new question

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Asking & Answering ?s Question Ladders

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Asking & Answering ?s The “Question Game”

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Asking & Answering ?s The “Question Game”

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Asking & Answering ?s The “Question Game”

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Debates with Question Ladders

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Debates with Question Ladders

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Debates / Socratic Seminars

  • oral assessment where the students create and develop the conversation.
  • Discussing a class novel (Houdini), a film (Coco or Living on a dollar a day) or an essential question (Is it worthwhile to ban all plastics from our daily lives?)
  • Students should prepare questions and possible answers and rebuttals first.
    • Question ladders
    • Research - read articles, watch videos
    • Mini-discussions- indepth work with 1-2 key aspects of a topic -
  • Grading strategies
    • Points for answering a question
    • Answering with details or explanation or examples
    • Responding to a question and staying on that question,
    • Repeating an idea in other words and then adding to, qualifying, or challening it
    • Explaining agreement or disagreement
    • Posing a new question at an appropriate time
    • Drawing in folks who haven’t spoken yet

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STAR Cycle of Instruction

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Key ideas

    • Write and Discuss regularly
    • Use photos, videos, card talk, class opinions, calendars, & students’ lives to introduce topics
    • Authentic texts: Change font & spacing, add photos to make kid friendly
    • Sentence Strip Poem project
    • Make the kids the topic of W & D regularly
    • Follow up the W & D with Reading, and discussing further, perhaps with actors to bring certain sections to life
    • Oral or written quiz, reading or listening activities, copy into notebooks (record for kids to review & for makeups)

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Key ideas

    • Hooks, Input, and Thematic development
      • Group brainstorms and bulletin boards
      • Exploration reports
      • Visual lectures and Visual comparison lectures
      • Maravillas culturales - photo, movie, read summary, W&D
      • OWI & stories