Create Papel Picado in Google Slides

Celebrate Día de los Muertos with Applied Digital Skills

Teachers - celebrate Día de los Muertos with the new Applied Digital Skills lesson Create Papel Picado in Google Slides. In this lesson, students can learn about the holiday tradition and create a digital version of the Mexican folk art, papel picado.

Jason Reynolds Live Stream Event

The Jason Reynolds live stream event is Tuesday 10/18 at 1pm. 

The topic is "Learn What Makes You Strong" Reynolds' new novel, Stuntboy, in the Meantime, is about a boy who finds his inner strength by helping others shine. You can see/show the trailer for his new book here:
https://youtu.be/Dfy2a0lcmTM

Find out more here:
https://info.flip.com/events/jason-reynolds.html

Funky Chaucer reboot

I stumbled across this article today from a few years ago:

Funky Chaucer reboot by Patience Agbabi due for April launch

The award-winning poet's modern take on the Canterbury Tales to come complete with ladettes, rappers and self-help gurus

I was wondering if there might be any videos of this, and found a few including this one. I don't know if it includes anything that is verboten - given how bawdy the Canterbury Tales can be, it's hard to say and I didn't watch it all the way. But this or something similar might be of interest to you for this unit.
Patience Agbabi - Prologue to the Canterbury Tales, The Slam Remix

If you'd like me to dig around some more, let me know. I just don't want to spend time on it if it's not of use! But it could be useful/interesting to show the Canterbury Tales continued relevance.

Spirited musical based on A Christmas Carol

Ryan Reynolds, Will Ferrell dance through the streets of Boston in ‘Spirited’ trailer
The movie musical based on "A Christmas Carol" was filmed in the Boston area in 2021. “Spirited” will open in theaters Nov. 11 before streaming on Apple TV+ on Nov. 18.

Note that it's rated PG-13 so if you were interested in showing to students you would need parent permission slips.

Misinformation Swirls in Non-English Languages Ahead of Midterms

I've been concerned about misinformation and disinformation with all of our students, but like a lot of things, it may disproportionately affect people who engage with the internet in other languages than English:

Misinformation Swirls in Non-English Languages Ahead of Midterms

If you are interested in working with me on any lessons where I can co-teach or help you knit in digital literacy skills with your students, I'd love to do that. I've done a lot with digital literacy the past few years, including a graduate certificate program a couple of years ago and teaching digital literacy to BMS students in a class last year and the year before.

World Mental Health Day resources

Today (Oct. 10) is World Mental Health Day. How fortuitous we have a day off for it!

You may find this In Rhythm with Nature YouTube playlist useful for some peaceful sounds and videos to play in the classroom or you can even do some more directed breathing exercises with it.

Google's Keyword blog says:In Rhythm Of Nature is a digital wellbeing experience inspired by the Carl Linnaeus Flower Clock. Linneaus was a renowned 18th century botanist and taxonomist who developed a modern system to identify, name, and classify living things. His unique garden designs captured the natural circadian rhythms of different plants that would open and close their blooms in relation to the time of the day. In Rhythm With Nature aims to establish an intimate connection between humans and nature through a series of beautifully crafted breathing exercises timed by the flowers opening and closing. Essentially you are breathing with flowers that open according to your time of the day.

Read more here

Sounding Out a Better Way to Teach Reading

Article in the NY Times today that may be of interest

Sounding Out a Better Way to Teach Reading
Schools are returning to phonics and other evidence-based literacy methods, and already there are signs that the switch is paying off in improved scores.

American Ideals Virtual Field Trip

Explore America’s Unique History of Civic Engagement

Immerse students in the process of democracy! Show a new generation how leadership, communication, and informed action unite people for the greater good with the American Ideals Virtual Field Trip.

Cool Science Artwork Competition

We are excited to announce the 11th annual Cool Science Artwork Competition. Please share this invitation with parents, teachers, mentors, community members, and students who are interested in the arts and/or sciences. This year’s deadline is January 13, 2023.

Cool Science
Cool Science is a free and public art competition held each fall for all K-12 artists. Cool Science is a collaboration between the UMass Lowell, UMass Boston, Massachusetts College of Art and Design, University of Kansas, and Kansas City Art Institute. In 2019, Cool Science received a National Science Foundation grant that helped it expand the project beyond Massachusetts to Kansas, Missouri, and Southern New Hampshire.

Challenge Questions
This year, we are asking young artists to answer one of the following challenge questions with a visual work of art:

• How might your experience with extreme temperatures be different from kids in other places around the world?
• Draw someone who is getting ready for flooding where you live.
• Draw a public transportation system (like buses & trains) that keeps working in a severe storm.

Competition Winners
During this winter, we will select the best entries for display on public buses in 2023. The honorees will be recognized at our art exhibit celebrations next year.


To Learn More
For further information about the contest, please visit: https://www.coolscience.net/artwork-guidelines-rules
You can also join our community on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Youtube. You can also visit our website for further information about the program (www.coolscience.net).

Live Stream with Lauren Tarshis - I Survived Author

We did a nice live stream event with Stephen Curry that's run by Flip through Microsoft Teams today with a 5th grade team and the kids seemed to really enjoy it.

There's a live stream event coming up in November that could be a good one for a grade 6 team - it's with Lauren Tarshis, who writes the I Survived books. Find out more about it here:
https://info.flip.com/events/wellington-avalanche.html

I have already signed up for it and would be happy to host a 6th grade team for it. It's on Thursday, November 10 from 1-1:30. Your kids are on team until 1:25, so they would maybe be a few minutes late to their GA. You would just have to bring them down here and stay with them but I'll do the space and tech setup.

If more than one team is interested, I can do a drawing. And if you want to do it in the classroom, it's do-able, I can show you what you'll need to do to set it up. It's not hard, but it uses a program we don't use here much (Teams).

Catherine, Called Birdy movie

I didn't realize they've made a movie out of the first book by Karen Cushman (who also wrote the Midwife's Apprentice).

It's coming out Oct. 7 and will be on Amazon Prime

It covers a similar period of time to the Midwife's Apprentice and might be of interest for some comparisons? It is PG-13. FYI

Trailer:
https://youtu.be/fPiztxYR9sU

How an Eighth-Grade Civics Class Helped Reverse the Last Conviction in the Salem Witch Trials

From NY Times Learning - you may find this interesting/useful

Lesson Plan: How an Eighth-Grade Civics Class Helped Reverse the Last Conviction in the Salem Witch Trials
Students will learn about the power of civic action to achieve justice — even 329 years later. Then, they will propose their own plan to rectify a wrong in their own community.

This actually happened in North Andover, just up the road!

Tiny Memoir Contest for Students

This may be of interest to you -- either as a contest, or just as an activity/lesson.

The New York Times has a Tiny Memoir Contest for Students. They invite teenagers to tell a true story about a meaningful life experience in just 100 words. Contest dates: Sept. 14 to Oct. 12.

To help, they have a step-by-step guide full of advice that is grounded in 25 excellent 100-word mentor texts.

If your students actually want to enter, they must be a student ages 13 to 19 in middle school or high school to participate, and all students must have parent or guardian permission to enter. Please see the F.A.Q. section for additional eligibility details

Public radio archive of Latinx, Hispanic and Spanish-language programs

TadioWorld: AAPB Releases Resources to Honor Hispanic Heritage. "To honor Hispanic Heritage Month, the American Archive of Public Broadcasting (AAPB) is releasing a selection of documentaries, interviews and other archival material for stations to air. The resources highlight the AAPB’s archive of Latinx, Hispanic and Spanish-language programs created by public radio broadcasters for radio and television. The material includes more than 8,000 newly added broadcasts from Linea Abierta, the only nationally-aired, Spanish-language, public radio call-in show."

Hamilton Education Program Online

The Hamilton Education Program Online provides students, teachers, and parents with the opportunity to explore America’s Founding Era and shows students how to use that knowledge to create and perform their own narrative in the form of a song, rap, spoken word, or scene.

Students who create a performance piece are eligible for our national competition and lottery—now open for submissions. Here are the details:

• We will select a total of 20 winners—10 performances chosen by our judging panel and 10 performances chosen at random.
• This program is open to both school and—new in 2022—at-home submissions.
• Up to 3 submissions per parent or teacher are allowed.
• Winners will be invited to New York City for an all-expenses-paid, full-day theater experience, including a performance of Hamilton, in Spring 2023.
• Submissions are open to all students in grades 6-12.
• Deadline to submit performances: December 16, 2022.

To help them in their journey, the program features expert advice from Lin-Manuel Miranda, the cast of Hamilton, and the Gilder Lehrman Institute’s master teachers on how to research, create, and perform their own original performance piece.

Ready to get started? Visit this page to create a free account and please email if you have any questions

Steph Curry Livestream Event

I have signed up for this 30 minute event for kids with NBA Superstar Stephen Curry that will be held over Microsoft Teams from 1-1:30 Eastern Time on Tuesday, October 4.
I'd like to host one 5th grade team in the library for this event. If more than one team is interested, I'll do a drawing.

I have purchased 3 copies of Stephen Curry's new inspirational picture book, "I have a superpower" (spoiler alert: he puts his heart into what he does) that I will give away to students on the participating team.

The participating team can also submit questions in advance through Flip and get a chance to win a poster and be featured in the event. See below for more details.

Translating "Hamilton" into German

This was fascinating!

Six Lyrics That Show Why ‘Hamilton’ Is Tough to Translate

Ideas for Building Community

10 Ideas for Building Community at the Start of the School Year

Inspired by lighthearted New York Times features from across sections, these exercises can help students get to know one another.

• Make something with just six items (plus a wild card).
• Debate the silly, or discuss the serious.
• Ask “What’s Going On In This Picture?” with your own photos.
• Play Wordle.
• Describe your Sunday routine.
• List 10 things you can’t live without.
• Compile a playlist.
• Explain a unique skill.
• Debate some Social Q’s.
• Discuss the books you love — or loathe.

Constitution Day & Citizenship Day is 9/17

 Constitution Day & Citizenship Day is on 9/17 so many schools will celebrate it on 9/16.

Technically, "Each educational institution that receives Federal funds for a fiscal year is required to hold an educational program about the U.S. Constitution for its students." - Commemorating Constitution Day and Citizenship Day - US Dept. of Education

The Smithsonian has some good (and free) resources to recommend if you are interested.

You may also want to check the National Constitution Center https://constitutioncenter.org/

and the National Archives Constitution Day

https://www.archives.gov/news/topics/constitution-day

Google Classroom Cleanup & Setup

If you are starting to set up your Google Classrooms (and let's be honest, maybe also clean up the old ones from past years...), this presentation may be helpful. I updated it last year, but I just used most of the steps myself and they all seemed to work pretty well!

If you just want a quick checklist (with some links to more resources on page 2), try this