Happy Cranberry Day!

It's hard to believe we are half way through November already! Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and I wanted to share a few resources.

The Great Thanksgiving Listen from StoryCorps & Google

StoryCorps and the Great Thanksgiving Listen is something that I shared with you this time last year. This is where teachers ask students to interview elder family members this Thanksgiving, in an attempt to really get to know their story.  Dave Isay of StoryCorps won the 2015 TED Prize, and tells about his message of "I exist" in this TED Talk. If you follow this link, you will have access to an Educator's Toolkit giving you more directions, and some questioning ideas.  I would love it if you or your students would be willing to share your stories. 

Vanderhoop, J. (2002). Cranberry Day: A Wampanoag harvest celebration. Acquinnah, MA: Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) Education Dept.

Another great resource that touches on the story of the first Thanksgiving is the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head's page, which tells about thanksgiving (notice the lower case "t") from the Wampanoag tribe's perspective.  Don't miss this!  I truly LEARNED about perspectives of this holiday (such as Cranberry Day) that I hadn't known about before.   

Image Courtesy Wisconsin State Journal

Of course I wouldn't write a blog post without giving you some math!  How Frozen Is Your Turkey? is one of my favorite lessons that I developed during a math group from a few years ago.  It guides the learner through choosing, thawing and cooking a turkey, and is based on a handout that was distributed in one of Cornell Cooperative Extension's presentations in my class.  It's interesting how algebraic functions are so embedded in preparing a holiday meal.  

Enjoy these resources, and, as always, please let me know how they went.  Please comment below with questions or ideas for using them in the classroom. 

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Would you like more resources?  Visit the Hudson Valley RAEN website to find tons of great news and resources!

Who Owns the White House?

In case you've been hiding under a rock for a while, you probably know that the Presidential election is on Tuesday, November 8, 2016.  Hopefully your students are registered and ready to vote in this (ahem) historic election.  Below is a link that will take you to a page where students can look up their polling place if they're not sure where to vote.  

A big discussion is sure to be about the Electoral College this coming week.  I was lucky enough to get my C-Span Electoral College Map Poster in time for this year's election, which is displayed at the Truman Moon School. 

2016 C-Span Electoral College Map

Features of this poster include:

• State electoral votes that reflect the 2010 census. 
• State abbreviations for easy identification. 
• States' electoral numbers color-coded to reflect the 2012 election results. 
• Locations of the 2016 Republican and democratic Conventions 
• The history of the election results since 1900 including electoral and popular votes 
• Inset maps showing the electoral results since 1992 
• Asterisks denoting Maine and Nebrasks as district method states instead of winner-take-all

With the map, you and your students can discover the number of electoral votes assigned to each state, analyze the 2012 results, trace trends in Electoral College history (can you find the non-red/blue state, and why was it a different color?), and make informed predictions about the 2016 race. You can also use related resources on the C-SPAN Classroom website to help students branch out and make further connections as your study the campaign and election process in depth. C-Span has created a great collection of resources, so it's definitely worth clicking the link. I think a fun idea would be to have students make predictions about which states will be red or blue, and keep track if they are correct. This is a great year to do this, as it is not a traditional election.

Be sure to include instruction about the other races taking place, especially in our legislative branch. We tend to minimize these roles when it is Presidential election time and they are so very important. VOTE!!!

What other topics are you teaching in your classroom this week? Daylight savings? Black Friday? Comment with lesson ideas or to let me know if you need resources. Also, remember that I am available to come to your classroom to give you a fresh set of ideas and resources.

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Would you like more resources?  Visit the Hudson Valley RAEN website to find tons of great news and resources!

To everything, there is a season.

Hello everyone, it's officially autumn!!!  This is an exciting time to live in the northeast because of pumpkins, sweater weather, apple picking, and, of course, our beautiful foliage.  

This is a very teachable moment for our students to learn why the seasons change and what is happening to cause those beautiful colors. 

Here is a link to a Fall Foliage Map that predicts changing of leaves.  ESL students can slide along the map (or even look at a printout of the map on different dates) and write down a statement about what is happening to the map in different areas.   What does the map say about the foliage right now?  This is also a good opportunity to write about past, present and future tenses.  

https://smokymountains.com/fall-foliage-map/

For our HSE students, photosynthesis is an important concept on the TASC Science test.  The same web page (https://smokymountains.com/fall-foliage-map/) provides helpful information about what is happening to make leaves appear different colors.  

Students can research temperature and graph temperature and leaf changes, and try to find a relationship between the two.  They can also try to find why certain areas change at a faster rate than others.  For those students who need a little extra, they can research years past and try to find out if there are any big differences over the years.  

After I watched the presidential debate last night, I thought I should be bringing up the topic for our classes to think about.  The best content I could pick out to relate coincidentally is related to this post:  climate change.  What do students think about climate change?  Do they know what it is?  Do they think it's a "hoax perpetrated by the Chinese," (as Clinton accused Trump of saying during last night's debate)?  Is there evidence to suggest that climate change is real?  

Remember to refer to the CUNY HSE Curriculum Framework for ideas on which topics can help build the foundation to teach topics like climate change.   

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Would you like more resources?  Visit the Hudson Valley RAEN website to find tons of great news and resources!

Happy New School Year (Recap of Staff Development with resources)

(Well, for some of you, the school year started back in July.)

So far, I think we are off to a good start after Friday's Staff Development Day.  

We received quite a bit in our folders, including the new ISRF (They are calling it ISRF 2017) forms and the 2017 ISRF supplement.  Click here for instructions that go along with the new forms.   If you click the links, it will take you to the forms.  

Probably a little more exciting, are the curriculum resources that we talked about. 

For HSE teachers (I'm still getting used to that label!), The CUNY HSE Curriculum Framework is AWESOME!  Please click and look through it and let me know if you have questions, what you think of it, if and when you use it, and WHEN I can come and do a lesson with you.  (Don't forget to look at the videos of some of the lessons.)  Even though the curriculum comes with so many great resources, it is a work in progress and just a framework for you to build lessons upon. 

 

This picture was clipped from the the discussion webinar of the Science Item Specifications.  The entired recording is available at CollectEDNY by clicking here, along with resources and lesson ideas. This one is NOT to be missed!!!  Feel free to look through the TASC Test Item Specifications and get an idea about the design and content of the test.

For teachers of ESL, remember that all of your students should be tested using BEST Plus 2.0.  If you still need 2.0, let me know and I can help you get set up.  Also, I came across a wonderful list of resources!!!  It is located at http://esolhelp.pbworks.com/w/page/54294320/FrontPage - no explanation necessary.  They are all great resources!  

 (Trailer from We Are New York)

Also, take a look at the We are New York Curriculum that CUNY has created.  How does it relate to OUR AREA?  There are magazine articles, vocabulary, comics and more to go with the videos. 

Lastly, keep in mind that both Lit Zones (Middletown and Newburgh) will be having job fairs coming up in October, which is exciting news.  Emma and Enrique will be getting more info about this to you soon.  HSE teachers: Marie has been busy sending out beautiful invitations to graduation, which is coming up on Wednesday, October 26.  Remember that HSE teachers are expected to attend, so students should be warned that HSE classes won't be held that night. 

I know this was a lot to take in, but it's all exciting, and there is much more to come.  Let me know when I can come into your classroom to help you with anything.    

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Would you like more resources?  Visit the Hudson Valley RAEN website to find tons of great news and resources!

Happy New Year, everyone!  Or should I say, "Appy New Year" because I've been asked to find out everyone's favorite app.  If you REPLY TO THIS BLOG BELOW with your favorite app and follow my blog, I'll come visit you with a prize!!  If you need help doing this, let me know through email.  I hope your first week back went well.  So far 2016 has been a cold wake up call that winter has FINALLY arrived :-)

As promised, here are some ESL resources for you to enjoy:

My absolute favorite is Duolingo.  I can get lost in this app, admittedly.  It allows you to choose and practice a language via reading, writing, and speaking. This is not just for ESL students!  It can help you learn Spanish (Don't we all want to know how to speak Spanish? I do!). 

Your Spanish-speaking (or any other language) students can change the language setting so that instructions are presented in their native language. 

Here's an intro: 

As always, please let me know if you have used this, and give me some feedback in the comments below.  




Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is approaching.  Remind your students that that Dr. King's life was spent serving others.  In order for this service to continue, the "long weekend" would be best spent completing service projects in the community.

Habitat for Humanity in Newburgh is having the MLK Day of Service:
125 Washington St. Newburgh

Monday, January 18, 8 am - 12:30 pm
(4.5 hours)

Come out on your day off and spend it with Habitat helping your community. We will be working during the morning and complementary lunch will be served to all volunteers at 12:30!
Meet up at 125 Washington Street.  The work for the day will be pouring a concrete slab in the 'catacombs' (a work & storage area in our building).  Please dress for the weather and wear clothes you don't mind getting dirty. Closed-toed shoes are required, boots are best.

There are some other opportunities (included activities that include children) offered through Habitat for Humanity that you can access on the Habitat for Humanity of Greater Newburgh Website.

Habitat for Humanity Middletown also has some service projects available.  Please let me know if you need more information.



I wish you and your students a healthy and happy 2016!  Don't forget to post a reply to THIS BLOG BELOW to get a prize!

Have you looked to see what the Hudson Valley RAEN has to say recently?  Andy always posts the lastest news and resources. 

Happy December

Hello Everyone and Happy December!

Hour of Code

This week's blog is just in time to tell you about Hour of Code coming up next week.  Hour of Code is an exciting opportunity to show our students how easy coding is, and that they are probably already good at it.  Hour of Code has been embraced by many of our favorites like Khan Academy and Edutopia, but the Hour of Code site supplies ready-made activites that are very much plug-and-play.  You don't even need a computer.  The activities can be done with a phone or iPad, or even on paper!  As the video will explain, it requires minimal prep and no prior experience. 

Here are some basics on how to host an Hour of Code:

If you don't feel comfortable to run an Hour of Code, try the activities for yourself.  Send me some feedback on what you thought of them!


Furry Family

On the topic of Life Science, Heredity, and Punnett squares, your students will get it in no time when you have them play the Furry Family Punnett Square game by Vitallab.  Students will be challenged with determining genotypes and phenotypes of baby bunnies and chart them in a Punnett square.  It really is fun, and pairs well with our Common Core Achieve Science chapters.

Here's an overview video, but the lovely horn music that you will experience on the actual site appears to be muted:

Enjoy, and don't forget to post any feedback about what you liked and didn't like about the resources I've shared.

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For more resources and to keep up to date with the latest news that affects all of us directly, be sure to visit the Hudson Valley RAEN website.

*Tip:  Notice that some words are a different color than the rest?  They are links that you can click on that will take you to the pages mentioned in the blog. Just click on them and they will take you to a different website. 

Welcome to my blog!

Hello teachers!

I am creating this blog to try to share some of the resources I come across with you in hopes that you will try it out in your classroom.  Some of you are pros, and some need a little guidance.  That's okay!  I can help. 

This week, I attended the Common Core Math Developers conference in Albany.  The conference was through some work by CUNY to try to develop a working curriculum for Adult Ed.  Staff Developers throughout the region attended, and it was insightful to see so many who share the same struggles we have in our area.   I have so many exciting things to share with you.  If any of you would like me to come into your classroom and share some lessons on functions, please let me know and we can set up a date.  Functions are an important item on the new TASC test, and I have lessons to share with you.

At the conference, we had some fun exploring an app called Kahoot.  Kahoot allows students to join a gameshow-like atmosphere and compete against each other.  It allows you to share a code with your students that they can type into their smartphone or other device.  There are lists of questions already loaded, but you can created your own.  If anyone tries it out, please enter a comment below and let us know what you thought.

Another timely idea I want to share is StoryCorps.  They are currently working on the Great Thanksgiving Listen. This is where teachers ask students to interview elder family members this Thanksgiving, in an attempt to really get to know their story.  Here is Robin Roberts of Good Morning America explaining the project.  If you follow this link, you will have access to an Educator's Toolkit giving you more directions.  I would love it if you or your students would be willing to share. 

I'm excited to share my experiences with you, and I will send updates once a week.  Please let me know if there are any topics you are in need of resources for, and I'll try to do some digging and will share my findings. 

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Sherri