Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Literacy Games




Lyrics Training is an easy and fun method to learn and improve your foreign languages skills like English, through the music videos and typing the lyrics of the songs.
http://www.lyricstraining.com/


Headline Clues from Michigan State University is a great activity. In the game, you’re shown the lead paragraph, but letters from two words in the headline are missing. Players have to use clues in the first paragraph to identify what the missing words should be. As you play the online version, you can ask for clues. One of the great things about using this game is that students can create their own with pen and paper and have classmates try to figure out the answers, as well as giving them clues if needed.


Wordmaster is from the BBC. In it, you’re shown a sentence with a word missing (indicated by a blank). Then you have to click on an on-screen keyboard to type the correct word “hangman” style. You can ask for clues, and you’re competing against the clock. You can also choose various levels of difficulty, and the game has thousands of words. And after you’ve either guessed the correct word or the timer is up, you can have the sentence read to you.


Free Rice is the “granddaddy” of “cause-related” games. If you choose the correct definition of the word, the next word you’re given is “harder.” If you answer incorrectly, the next word is supposed to be “easier.” In addition, for every word you get correct, ten grains of rice are donated to an international aid agency. A year-and-a-half ago, the BBC published a story quoting United Nations’ officials as saying the game has generated enough funds to feed 50,000 for a day at that time. Free Rice recently expanded its game and now has questions related to grammar, geography, art, foreign language and math, too (Yes, I know, this doesn’t teach the words in context, but because they have questions in all the categories, it’s so fun, and it’s for a good cause, are all reasons why I added it to this list.

Thursday, January 6, 2011

California State Symbols



Click on this link below to take a quiz on facts about California:

http://homeschooling.about.com/cs/quizcentral/l/blquizcalif.htm

To review for the quiz before you take it...read the information below:
State Name: California
State Nickname: The Golden State

State Capital: Sacramento
State Governor: Jerry Brown
State Abbreviation: Calif.

2 letter Postal Code: CA
Area: 158,693 square miles
Date Entered the Union: Sept. 9, 1850

State #: 31
Borders: Oregon, Nevada, Arizona, Pacific Ocean

Flag Meaning: California became a Republic, independent from Mexico, on June 14, 1846. The grizzly bear was a symbol of great strength while the lone star made reference to the lone Star of Texas. The flag was adopted in 1911.

Number of U.S. Representatives: 53

State Motto: Eureka (I have found it)

State Flower: Golden Poppy

State Bird: Valley Quail

State Song: "I Love You, California"

State Tree: Redwood

State Mammal: California Grizzly Bear

State Reptile: Desert Tortoise

State Butterfly: California Dogface

State Fish: California Golden Trout

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

What If........



If all the books in the entire world disappeared EXCEPT one and you got to choose which one survived......

What book would you choose?

Why did you choose that book?

Coraline- The Beginning







1. Why is Coraline frustrated with her real parents in the beginning of the graphic novel?

2. What do you think the rats are important?

3. How did Coraline feel when she found out she had another mother and father in the flat next door?

4. How would you feel if you were Coraline?

Monday, November 15, 2010

Historical Look at Graphic Novels

Graphic Novels from Chris Kowalski on Vimeo.



Discussion Questions:

1) Imagine that your parents have never read a graphic novel. What are some reading strategies that you would have to teach them so they could be successful reading a graphic novel?

2) Graphic novels can be used to help understand the mythical struggle of a "Hero's Journey". What character (do not pick Chirhiro) from a graphic novel that you have read goes through a "Hero's Journey"? What happened to them in their journey?

3) If we were to create a class graphic novel using the Greek Myths for our story line- which greek myth would you like us to make into a graphic novel? Why would you like us to make this myth?

Thursday, November 4, 2010

Spirited Away Trailer



How did Chihiro change on her "Hero's Journey"?

What was your favorite scene in the movie?

Monday, November 1, 2010

Long Division Video

Watch on the video below and then answer the question:



1. How would you explain "long division" to one of the 2nd graders at SDGVA?