Far North Classroom

three part cards

akcelia — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 01:46:56 +0000

I’d like to apologise for not keeping up on this site for so long. Things got busy, there were some changes and events in my life…but I HAVE been thinking about the site and what I want to do.
I’m going to start with materials I have created for students in my class and at my school. Most of these are for intermediate (9-12 year olds), but one set I created to put in my parent volunteer time for my daughter’s kindergarten class. Those are the three-part cards, briefly explained below.
I also want to start posting recipes that I like. I’ll try to post the source as much as possible. Recipes are because I really like to cook (no joke!) and enjoy trying new foods. I also use recipes as cursive handwriting lessons which students copy into notebooks. Then a small group of students cooks once a week, so we can all sample the food. By the end of the first quarter, each student has had a chance to cook at least once. There are lots of hands-on activities involved, and it is great one-on-one time with kids.
I am a Montessori teacher in the public school system. After a lesson, one activity for students is called three part cards. These cards are matching sets: a picture, a label, and information. The teacher codes the back of the cards for easy checking, or can also make a booklet of the three parts lined up on one page.
I have spent the last few years creating three part cards for a variety of subject areas–the intertidal zones of Alaskan shores, Alaska studies, Birds and Mammals of Kenai Fjords National Parks—are the titles at the top of my head. I’ll start posting them this week, as PDFs, so feel free to print them for your use.
The cards are a great follow-up to lessons, good independent exploration, great for small group and individual independent work.
I try to check for student understanding once the cards have been laid out (checking the coding I put on the back, like each card in the 3 card set has an “A’ on the back, the next three have a “B”, and so on). There is usually another assignment as well, like answering teacher prepared questions or writing a summary paragraph of information.
So tomorrow I’ll sweat through my first PDF posting, and continue adding to the page as much as possible.

Forgive our construction!

Helen — Sat, 03 Mar 2007 03:23:46 +0000

Welcome to Far North Classroom, a blog about science and nature for teachers and students (whether in school or out.) I’m the moderator, Helen O’Harra, a 4-5-6 grade teacher at Denali Montessori in Anchorage Alaska.

We’re still in the process of building this site and getting things arranged properly. (It’s like I’m stuck in that late August week before school starts ) So the site will be changing with stuff moving around. But I’m starting to post ideas, observations and lessons.

And you can too! Simply register as an author and publish your nifty teaching ideas.

Thanks!

Helen

Weathering the weather

Helen — Thu, 01 Mar 2007 21:36:03 +0000

The sky is still clear, the sun is pouring in through the windows in the classroom, and we have a unique vantage point up here on the second floor. We can see the 20-35 mph wind carry streams of blowing snow off the roof, scour it across the playground, and blast it through the street. The flags out on the flagpole are flapping like crazy. And the kids are going crazy–”Indoor recess!” “No snowshoe school today?!” But with a -34 wind chill, we thought it best to stay inside.

The ravens are having fun. Chilly winds don’t bother them. They are soaring and looping on the gusts. It’s like they are riding invisible rollercoasters out there. Swoop, roll. dive, climb…

I wonder what the other birds are doing?

Spring is in the Air

admin — Wed, 28 Feb 2007 20:32:48 +0000

This morning I heard a chickadee singing to the world. I think he was announcing his territory. His song was clear in the cold air. Although it is the last day of February, with the increase in light in both the morning and evening, we can all tell the planet is turning back towards the sun. And it feels GOOD!

You can track spring moving north through animal migration at Journey North, a web site that lets teachers and students log on and see the northward progress. You can post your own observations on line as well. It is a great link for geography, science and writing. There are lots of lesson plans and links as well.

Check it out, and then post a blog about what you think!

Soap Bubbles and Freezing Weather

admin — Mon, 26 Feb 2007 00:21:23 +0000

It’s been so cold this winter, sometimes forcing everybody to stay indoors and even skip recess. But here’s a neat trick that you can do only when it drops below zero.

When there is a cold snap here in Anchorage, I take my class outside and blow bubbles. It is best at Minus 10 or below, because you can see the bubbles freeze right in front of your eyes.

(more…)