Please read on for Project Based Learning (PBL) planning help for middle school teachers! Try these powerful strategies for creating deep learning experiences for your students! Applicable for grades third on up!
We all know how important read aloud time is to our students’ academic development. It has great benefits but, with time constraints in our already busy day, it's hard to find the right book at the right moment.
And... if I DO find myself with five or ten minutes to spare... do I have an extra book waiting at my fingertips? Not usually!
Missed Opportunities - Several times a year, I encountered books in my collection that I missed introducing while the time was right. Seasonal books had to wait until the following year and the books that were just right for introducing a skill or concept? Well… I could still read them but I lost that timely moment, when the book is the “magic” of a lesson.
Stacks of books - In my classroom there were always piles of books sitting on a table waiting to be read, and often getting in the way of other projects, or getting covered with a project and forgotten about!
Book Lists - These are a great idea, but I find them easy to forget to update when I add new books to my collection.
Then… last July, I had an idea for the easiest, most reliable solution to my problem, so far — a book bag!
I know! It sounds too simple, but it works!
I bought myself a heavy-duty book bag; the kind made for REAL stacks of books! (It was on sale and stylish, as well!) Each week, I gather books from my library that are seasonal, assorted genres, chapter and picture, related to a theme, concept or skill, or just fun and not to be missed! Some are in my plans, others are not.
Then, at a moment's notice, I can open my special book bag, which hangs on my chair near the carpet area, and pull out a book that has been specifically chosen as important for that week. My spontaneous read aloud time no longer feels rushed or haphazard!
Here are some books that are or have recently been in my bag:
We all know how important read aloud time is to our students’ academic development. It has great benefits but, with time constraints in our already busy day, it's hard to find the right book at the right moment.
And... if I DO find myself with five or ten minutes to spare... do I have an extra book waiting at my fingertips? Not usually!
Missed Opportunities - Several times a year, I encountered books in my collection that I missed introducing while the time was right. Seasonal books had to wait until the following year and the books that were just right for introducing a skill or concept? Well… I could still read them but I lost that timely moment, when the book is the “magic” of a lesson.
Stacks of books - In my classroom there were always piles of books sitting on a table waiting to be read, and often getting in the way of other projects, or getting covered with a project and forgotten about!
Book Lists - These are a great idea, but I find them easy to forget to update when I add new books to my collection.
Then… last July, I had an idea for the easiest, most reliable solution to my problem, so far — a book bag!
I know! It sounds too simple, but it works!
I bought myself a heavy-duty book bag; the kind made for REAL stacks of books! (It was on sale and stylish, as well!) Each week, I gather books from my library that are seasonal, assorted genres, chapter and picture, related to a theme, concept or skill, or just fun and not to be missed! Some are in my plans, others are not.
Then, at a moment's notice, I can open my special book bag, which hangs on my chair near the carpet area, and pull out a book that has been specifically chosen as important for that week. My spontaneous read aloud time no longer feels rushed or haphazard!
Here are some books that are or have recently been in my bag: