Candler's Classroom Connections News

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To thank my subscribers, I'll be giving away a $50 TeachersPayTeachers gift certificate in July. Sign up now and look for details in an upcoming newsletter. I'm waiting until July to give everyone plenty of time to subscribe and make sure their newsletter subscription is active. To sign up, just click this subscription form link and enter your email address. I suggest using your home email address because many school servers block newsletter-type emails. Or if texting is easier, you can text CCC to 42828 and then confirm when you receive a message in return. That's it! If you want to learn more before you subscribe, visit my Candler's Classroom Connections page.

Have You Stopped Receiving Newsletters?
If you think you are already signed up but aren't sure if you are still on the subscriber list, please take a moment to verify your subscription. On June 8th, I removed over 25,000 "non-working" email addresses from my database, and it's possible yours might have been removed accidentally.

How can you tell if your email address was removed? Check your inbox to see if you receive the email shown on the right. It was sent out on June 8th, and if you did not receive it, then you are no longer on my list. Check your spam folders just to be sure.

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I enjoy writing Candler's Classroom Connections because it's a chance to share helpful teaching tips and strategies with educators. I hope you enjoy reading it and find it to be useful! If you do, please forward it to a friend!

Gearing Up for Next Generation Science

Guest blog post by Wendy Goldfein and Cheryl Nelson

As part of the Next Generation Science Standards, elementary teachers will teach engineering.

Really??? I’m not an engineer!

The problem solving skills, communication, perseverance and teamwork that students will learn while participating in these lessons have been identified as necessary skills for the 21st century worker.

I'll just let someone else handle it. Our Advanced Academic teacher does some of those lessons with our advanced students.

By applying the math and science skills they are learning in the classroom to solve real life engineering problems, all students will see why it is necessary to learn these subjects.

Are you kidding me? I have trouble getting my students to read on grade level and perform basic computation. My plate is full!! Just when am I supposed to fit this into my day?

Sound familiar? Many elementary teachers across the country, faced with new mandates to include engineering in their curriculum, are experiencing the same anxiety. However, it is entirely possible to integrate engineering into your classroom, even if you have an inclusive classroom with special populations. Engineering does not have to be an “add-on” to what you are already teaching. Rather, it requires you to look at what you are already teaching through a STEM lens and find the opportunity for an engineering experience.

How to Integrate Engineering Lessons into the Curriculum
Integration into science lessons are the obvious first choices, but you will be amazed at the number of engineering concepts that can easily be integrated into history, literature, and math.

In literature, students could be challenged to:

• Design a house that can’t be knocked down by a tornado for the Wizard of OZ.
• Create a zip line for Peter Pan.
• Plan a prototype for a new castle for Cinderella.

All can be accomplished using every day materials such as cardboard, hair dryers, fishing line, and recycled paper towels rolls in an elementary classroom.

In math, assign students to:

• Produce an index card roller coaster that requires right angles.
• Build a spaghetti tower that must reach a certain height.
• Develop a catapult made out of paint stirrers that launches “angry peeps” to a specified distance.

Engineering provides an opportunity for students to apply their mathematical concepts in an engaging project for even the most reluctant student.

And in social studies:

• Construct a suitcase for colonists to Jamestown out of recycled cardboard that will meet certain dimensions and hold a specific weight.
• Build a shelter outside for a small animal using only those materials that you find on the playground such as grass, rocks, and twigs in order to replicate an early settler’s choices.

Engineering adds a new dynamic to a history lesson and enables students to comprehend the challenges faced by people from another time period.

Ok, I follow the logic and that sounds great. But I still don’t have time to redo all of my lesson plans to include engineering. 

Engineering Resources for Elementary Teachers
Luckily, you don’t have to recreate the wheel and invent your own design briefs and materials. There are plenty of resources available to bring engineering into all of your subjects and new ones are being added daily.

• Engineering is Elementary by the Museum of Science in Boston offers a comprehensive program with teacher guides and kits of materials. 
• Design Squad at PBS has a wide variety of STEM lessons for grades 4-8
• eGFI – For Teachers maintains a comprehensive list of lessons for grades k-12
• CEE – Children’s Engineering Educators LLC has free design briefs and activities

Engineering in the elementary classroom is here to stay as a crucial part of the STEM equation. Obviously not every child exposed to engineering will become an engineer. However, the skills of collaboration, communication, and problem solving obtained from these real life lessons will eventually allow students to take their place in the 21st century workplace. Fueled by a business world concerned that they won’t be able to meet the future demand for such workers, this initiative has the support of the White House, state legislatures, and local school boards. It has become a national priority thought necessary to keep the United States competitive in the global market. Elementary teachers will play a crucial role in planting the seeds of enthusiasm for engineering concepts with children.

Wendy Goldfein and Cheryl Nelson teach 4th grade and have spent the past three years developing an engineering program at their school. They have presented their model for children’s engineering at the Atlantic City NSTA STEM Conference, the San Antonio NSTA Science Conference, and many other state and national conferences. They recently launched Get Caught Engineering, a website and blog that provides ideas, lessons, and resources for elementary teachers. Click to read their article, "Family Style Engineering," which appeared in Science and Children magazine. You can reach Wendy and Cheryl at getcaughtengineering@gmail.com or via their Get Caught Engineering Facebook page. Be sure to leave them a comment here to tell them what you think about their engineering ideas!

Multiple Intelligence Theory for Kids

I'm guessing that you're familiar with Dr. Howard Gardner’s Multiple Intelligence Theory, but have you thought about teaching your students about these concepts and the many ways they are smart? You might wonder why anyone would attempt to fit this into an already packed curriculum, but after you read this blog post, I’m hoping you’ll decide to give it a try.

Multiple Intelligence Theory suggests that IQ is not one-dimensional and can't be described by a single number. Dr. Gardner proposed that there are at least eight different types of intelligence, each one with a corresponding area in the brain. He used terms like “mathematical-logical,” “bodily-kinesthetic,” and “visual-spatial” to describe these intelligences, but many educators have adopted the more kid-friendly terms shown above. My students really enjoyed learning about the “eight kinds of smart,” and this knowledge helped everyone appreciate each other’s strengths, especially when working in cooperative learning teams.

Free MI Survey and Video Tutorial
When I set out to teach my students the basics of MI theory, I faced a problem. Most Multiple Intelligence Surveys were long and difficult to read, especially for elementary students. I looked for a survey that was short and included common activities that kids do, but I couldn’t find one anywhere. So - you guessed it – I created my own! It’s not research-based, but enough kids have used it over the years for me to feel confident in saying that it’s an effective tool when presented as a fun activity rather than as a scientific assessment. The survey is pretty easy to administer, but because it appears complicated, I created a slidecast video tutorial that explains exactly what to do and where to find additional resources on this topic. Both the survey and the video are free resources on the Multiple Intelligences page on my website.

Step-by-Step MI Lessons
In addition to the survey, I spent years developing a series of interactive lessons to help my students understand each of the eight kinds of smart. A few years ago, I decided to write an ebook to share my resources with others. Teaching Multiple Intelligence Theory: Step-by-Step Lessons for the Intermediate Grades includes engaging, cooperative learning activities for students to help them learn about all the ways they are smart. You can preview the entire ebook online from my TeachersPayTeachers store.

If you still have a few weeks of school left with your students, this would be a great time to test out the survey and some of the activities. If you are already out, you'll find this kid-friendly Multiple Intelligences survey to be an excellent way to start off the new school year. It will help your new students identify their own strengths and it will help you get to know them better. Teaching your students how people are smart in many ways can be very empowering, and most students enjoy the process of discovering how they learn best.

Laura Candler

3 Easy Ways to Wrap up the School Year

Guest Blog post by Krystal Mills

I know that some of you lucky-ducky teachers have finished for the year already, or are close to it. I, myself, have a solid month left in the classroom. Don't feel too bad for me - we don't go back to class until September! Regardless, if you're like me, it's time to reflect back on the year that was, and maybe even look ahead a little toward next year.

So much has happened this year and my students have grown in so many ways, as I'm sure yours have. I encourage you to make time for a discussion with your students about what each of them has learned this year. What do they know now that they didn't know before? It'll make for an interesting conversation at the very least, and will provide the platform needed for you to try any of the three ideas I have for you below.

Three easy (and low prep) ideas to incorporate into your class as you wrap up your school year!

1) "Our Quilt of Knowledge"

Give each of your students a square of paper and have them write one or more things on the square that they are glad to have learned this year. It doesn't have to be academic! It could be sports related, extracurricular, social, behavioral or a life lesson. Students could also draw a little something on their square, color it with markers and/or make a border around their square to make it a little special.

Then, take the squares and arrange them to create a "Quilt of Knowledge". Laminate, if possible, and make sure to show next year's group at "Back to School Time" all of the exciting things that they will learn in their new grade. This would be a perfect "Back to School" bulletin board idea!

2) "A Little Advice for Surviving Grade ___..."
After reflecting back on the year that was, have your students write a short "advice column" to next year's class. Advice should be practical things for the new students - things that your current students wish that they would have been told.

Be sure to take the best "advice columns" and share them with your new class in the fall as a bit of an ice breaker activity. Again, this could make a great display for your new students next year. Two birds - one stone!

3) "A Simple Simile"
After students have had a chance to talk about their year, have them create a simile comparing their school year to something either positive or negative (it's more entertaining to have a mixture of both). Of course, you may have to review what similes are, but it's always fun to see how students have viewed their year. There are always a few sourpusses - that's to be expected. Most students, however, will remember the fun times, the many things that they have learned and compare their year to something positive.

Examples:
"Grade five was like a roller coaster ride - ups and downs, but mostly just fun!"
"Grade six was like making a really hard jigsaw puzzle, it took a whole year and it wasn't easy, but I finally got all of the pieces in the right places."

Similes could be written on to poster board and laminated, again, looking toward next year's students.

I hope that you have had a fabulous year with your students and that you've learned as much as you've taught! I know I have, as I always do. To those of you still finishing up the year (like me) hang in there - I can see the light!

Krystal Mills is a Grade 7 teacher in Prince Edward Island. She is the author of the Lessons From The Middle blog where she shares lessons from the classroom, and occasionally from her life as a mom of two young boys. The goal of this Canadian teacher blog is to share middle school lessons, activities and ideas from her classroom and to collaborate with the wonderful online community of teachers out there as well!

TpT Tornado Relief Efforts

Pledging My Memorial Day Earnings

Last week when the tornadoes ripped through Moore, Oklahoma, I was visiting family in California. I hadn't been watching the news, so I had no idea what had happened until it was all over. In the airport on the way home, I started seeing the footage from the disaster area and I was absolutely stunned at the destruction. How could such a thing be possible? Two years ago my hometown was slammed with devastating tornadoes that left a path of destruction for miles, but it was nothing like the storm Oklahoma experienced. My heart aches for the teachers and students in the schools that were hit, as well as all of those affected by that storm.

Yesterday I learned that TpT sellers were putting together a huge collaborative fundraiser to raise money for the tornado victims. As a part of this project, a number of sellers are donating all or part of their profits from their May 27th sales to the Red Cross or other organizations assisting with the recovery effort.

I was touched by these efforts, and I'd like to join in by donating 100% of the profits from my TpT sales on Memorial Day to the relief efforts. You can visit my TeachersPayTeacher store and stock up on items you need for next year, knowing that your money will be going directly to help the tornado victims in Moore, Oklahoma. It's a win-win! Here are three of my most popular titles, and they are all available in digital format in my TpT store. Whether you purchase something small or this entire bundle, ALL of the money you spend will be donated.

By the way, Donna at the Math Coaches Corner is hosting a linky party of stores that are donating all or part of their proceeds to the relief effort tomorrow. After the event is over, she's compiling a list of the total funds collected and donated through TpT sellers in the linky. Please hop over to her blog and take a look at the other stores that are participating. Together we really can make a difference!