Would you like a Chairless Desk? Bell ringer activity

 WOULD YOU LIKE A STAND-UP DESK?
 Do you like to sit in a chair at a desk at school? Some schools are testing a new type of desk...minus a chair! Schools in both a Texas elementary school and New Jersey elementary school have experimented with  chair-less desks. Schools in  Great Britain and Australia are also testing whether such desks might encourage learning and help fight obesity. The test desks had a sensor that recorded the amount of steps the students took and thus, the amount of calories they burned up while at the desks during the lessons. About 100-800 calories were burned a day. Studies suggest there is less fidgeting and more focus on lessons with stand-up desks. Stools are available if a student needs to sit for a bit.  What do you think of such desks?
1. Would a stand-up desk make you more alert?
2. Do you think younger kids or older kids would best adapt to such stand-up desks?
3. Can you think of any positive aspects of a stand-up desk?
4. Can you think of any negative aspects of a stand-up desk?

Personally, at about $500 per stand-up desk, I'd prefer the money used for school supplies and more classroom teachers!

Gail
http://www.pinterest.com/gailhennessey/gails-tpt-store-social-studies-emporiumand-more/

Photograph from:mynews13.com

Pay it Forward!

Paying it forward. A few years ago there was a movie with Kevin Spacey, Helen Hunt and Haley Joel Osment, called Pay it Forward. The idea was a young boy, as part of a school project, started a chain reaction by doing an act of kindness for a stranger.

A few months ago, my mom passed away. She asked that we do an act of kindness in her memory if we wished to do something to remember her.  I recently began taking piano lessons again after more than 40 years. It has brought me such joy!  It got me thinking. My mom and dad gave me a wonderful gift of piano lessons when I was a little girl. This might be a great way to “pay it forward” and do something in my mom’s memory.  I contacted my piano teacher with my idea. Did he have any students whose parents might be finding it a struggle to give their children the give of music,especially with the holidays soon upon us? If,so, I wanted to pay for their lessons. He did have such a family and I am now passing on a random act of kindness to strangers. I think my mom would have really liked this. I hope that the two children will in turn, try to think of something they can do to “pay it forward” to someone else.

What can kids do as random acts of kindness?
Maybe, it might be donating a pair of winter gloves or a hat to someone who might be in need with the winter months coming.You can purchase both at most $1 stores.  It doesn't have to involve money. Maybe, a child could offer to sit with a new student at lunchtime so they don’t feel alone in a new school. A child could put a smiley face on a student’s desk that may be having a bad day.It might be helping to review for a quiz with another student or helping them organize their notebooks for a particular subject. It might be offering to do something for an elderly neighbor.

What  ideas might you have to suggest which kids could do to “pay it forward”? With anti-bullying month in October, this might be a helpful list to compile and, an activity to promote with your students!

Interesting piece of historical trivia: Ben Franklin did a "pay it forward" to a person named Benjamin Webb. The year was 1784 and Franklin gave some money to Webb. Franklin told Webb that he didn't want the money repaid but instead, use the money to help someone else out at some point.

Gail
http://www.gailhennessey.com
http://www.pinterest.com/gailhennessey/gails-tpt-store-social-studies-emporiumand-more/

Speak Up to Bullying!

During September 29-October 3rd, kids and adults are being encouraged to join the “I Speak Up” campaign sponsored by the Cartoon Network. It is the annual challenge to stand up to bullying. It is hoped that one million people will to make a video stating just three words, “I Speak Up” and upload their recordings to their site. Go to http://www.cartoonnetwork.com/tv_shows/promotion_landing_page/stopbullying/index.html to learn more. National Bullying Prevention Month is in October but should be practiced every day of the year.

Discussion Questions:

What is your definition of a bully?  What are some examples of bullying?

Why do you think some people are bullies?

If you see someone being bullied, what could YOU do?

If YOU are being bullied, what could YOU do?

Have you ever been bullied? How did you feel? What did you do?

Have YOU ever bullied someone else? Have you ever been asked by others to join them in bullying someone else? How did you react to this?

Using Literature to discuss the issue of bullying:

Read the story, the Ugly Duckling to start a discussion on bullying. Best Children's Books

Another story to read is Goose Girl by the Brothers Grimm. Find the story

at this link:Best Children's Book(Goose Girl)

Still another story is Cinderella.Find the story online at this link:Together We Teach

There are also many contemporary books that deal with bullying. Here is a small sampling for elementary and middle school student.

The Berenstain Bears and the Bully by Stan Berenstain

Blubber by Judy Blume

The Hundred Dresses by Eleanor Estes

Thank you, Mr. Falker by Patricia Polacco

Bullies Are a Pain in the Brain by Trevor Romain and Elizabeth Vedick.

The Bully from the Black Lagoon by Mike Thaler with Jared Lee.

My Secret Bully by Trudy Ludwig

Roxie and the Hooligans by Phillis Reynolds Naylor 

Find more books on bullying and read summaries at this link: 

Story Lovers(Lists Bullying Stories)

Read and listen to a short story about bullying online at this link:

My Young Child.Org(Ramone Sticks Up for Himself)

Newspapers in Education. Comic book story about bullying might lead to a good follow up discussion.

ANTI-BULLYING TITLES FOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL COUNSELORS: Click here:Counselor Resources

I have compiled lots of resources for classroom teachers to use on this topic. Go to this link: http://gailhennessey.com/index.shtml?bullyingresources.html

Bully Free Graffiti Art is from  ncpc.org

The dedication to get an education displayed by these young teens is amazing!

How do you get to school? Do you walk , ride a bike or take a bus? Approximately 60 students in a rural village in India's Gujarat state, walk and WADE across a river each day to get to and from their high school! There isn't any public transportation and there isn't a bridge for them to cross the river. Their village is located across the Heran River from  the Utavali High School. The river is about 50 ft across. After making the river crossing wading across shoulder deep waters, the students still have another three mile walk before they start their school day! The only other way is to walk almost 16 miles to avoid the river crossing.  Students carry their books, homework and dry clothes in plastic bags or containers. After a day at school, the students repeat the journey home.



Think of three words to describe these students.

Do you think you could do this every day? Why or why not?

What do you think is the reason they go through such effort to get to school?

Pretend you are one of these students and write a diary entry about one day you went to school. What do you talk about? What did you see? How did you feel,etc.?



Gail

Photograph from: http://www.nbcnews.com/news/education/

Happy 200th Birthday to The Star Spangled Banner! September 14, 2014, is the 200th anniversary of Francis Scott Key's writing of the poem which became our national anthem, The Star Spangled Banner.

Fun Facts:
• Francis Scott Key wrote the words to his poem in pencil!

• There was a huge rainstorm the night before the battle. The flag, made of 500 pounds of cotton was taken down and a substitute storm flag raised. After the battle, the larger flag went back up.

• There were 15 stars on the flag at the time of the War of 1812!

• The flag was sewn by Mary Young Pickersgill, her daughter Caroline Pickersgill(13) and nieces, Eliza Young(13) and Margaret Young (15). An African American indentured servant, Grace Wisher(13), also helped create the flag.

• About 61% of Americans admit they don’t know all the words to the national anthem(the first verse) and only 39% know the words after, “Whose broad stripes and bright stars”! Do you?

• The Star Spangled Banner is one of few national anthems that do not mention the name of the country in its lyrics!

• There are only 14 stars(of the 15) left on the flag that flew at Fort McHenry. The missing flag star was given away as a souvenir and its location is not known. 

Use this web quest to learn about Francis Scott Key, the national anthem and the war of 1812. There are nine web questions, 9 comprehension/thought questions, fun facts and extension activities.   http://edworldexchange.com/?q=product/francis-scott-key-star-spangled-banner-webquest/239890871

Gail
http://www.gailhennessey.com

Hmmm, What do you Think?

Here is a possible bell-ringing activity:

Albert Einstein once said, "Imagination is more important than knowledge."  What do you think about his quote?  

Is better to have a creative mind that thinks about possibilities or a mind full of information that can make possibilities into reality?

Gail

Who Owns a Monkey Selfie?

YOU be the judge!

Selfies, everyone seems to be taking them these days…even monkeys. And, a big legal fight is going on over just WHO owns a particular monkey selfie.

A wildlife photographer taking pictures of black macaques on the island of Indonesia had his camera swiped by one of the monkeys he was photographing.The monkey took lots and lots of pictures, with its selfie being remarkably clear.  The monkey selfie went viral over the internet and one site, Wikipedia, posted the photograph without the photographer’s permission.  

The website says that the selfie was in the public domain and not owned by the photographer. The reasoning that non-humans have no rights to ownership. The photographer says the black macaque used his camera, so the photograph belongs to him. Perhaps, the photograph is that of the monkey that took the photograph?  If you were the judge deciding this case, how would you rule and why?

Gail

http://www.gailhennessey.com

http://www.pinterest.com/gailhennessey/gails-tpt-store-social-studies-emporiumand-more/

NOTE: Photograph from brisbanetimes.com.au