Get Your Students Talking with Say Something Cards
Say Something cards can be printed on various colors of card stock paper, cut out, and assembled with binder rings; or they can be printed on half sheets of paper and be glued in an interactive notebook.
When I used these with my 7th grade ELA students, I had them focus on one card/category at a time. When they were able to have a discussion one category at a time, I gave them the half-sheet to put in their interactive notebooks. This allows them to have easy access to conversation stems even when we weren't specifically participating in a Say Something activity.
At Nolan Ryan JH, all math teachers have a poster sized Say Something chart in their classrooms to allow students to have quick and easy access to the sentence stems.
Quick Write Sentence Stems
At the end of a lesson on supranationalistic organizations, Mr. Marchand at AHS had his students complete a quick write and provided sentence stems to facilitate the writing.
Planning a Group Presentation
Mrs. Wigginton's history class at AJH planned and performed human freeze-frame slide shows depicting some notable heroes of the TX Revolution. This group of 4 students is planning their slides and how they will silently pose in their freeze-frame slides.
Presenting Human Freeze Frame Slides to the Class
These 4 students let the class know who they represented in their freeze-frame slides by putting their names/descriptions on their shirts. (Juan Seguin, an Anglo soldier, and two Mexican soldiers) While groups presented, the other students wrote their guesses of what was being depicted. After the groups performed, the teacher and class discussed what each group of slides represented.
Working it out in Math
Kevin Macias at RPJH had students practice combining like terms with a game where students roll dice. Whatever number they rolled was the number of terms they drew from the envelope. Then, they had to combine and simplify like terms.
Math Word Wall with Visuals
Mr. Macias also has several words walls around his room. Notice the pictures that are incorporated within the words to depict what they mean.
History Anchor Charts
Take at look at some of the anchor charts in Mr. Hargrove's history class at RPJH. The pictures, organization, color, and clear explanations help students remember and connect academic vocabulary.
Total Physical Response
Ms. Wilson is helping her math students differentiate between vertical and horizontal using Total Physical Response (TPR).
Drawing a Life-Size Digestive System
Students in Tina Choudhury's class at SCHS are drawing a digestive system inside of this life-size model.
Digestive System T-Shirts
Mr. Wells' class at FJH made life-size digestive systems on t-shirts. These are two great examples of making science come to life with student created visuals!
Science Stations
Mrs. Medina at HJH has her students learning about dominant and recessive traits through stations. The stations during this class period were: Discover It!, Read It!, Watch It!, and Research It! In this picture students were learning about attached and detached earlobes. Which type do you have?
Demonstrating Moon Phases
Joanne Light, Science IC at RPJH, demonstrates how students can simulate the lunar cycle with a hula hoop, ping pong balls, and a flashlight.
Sentence Stems to Prove Thoughts with Text Evidence
Ms. Ferguson, ELA teacher at NRJH, has a "Prove it!" bulletin board with stems to help students justify their answers verbally or in writing.
Using Content to Randomize
Rene Kidder, Science IC at NRJH, labels her students' desks with elements from the periodic table to help her with randomization. She calls out different parts of an element, and the students have to recognize the element to know if they are being called on. Great content and academic language practice!
See Run Do Activity
Serena Brown, math teacher at FJH, posted math images in the hallway. She assigned students to groups of 3. The seer went to the hall to see the image. The runner listened to the seer describe the image and then ran to the doer to repeat the description. The doer sat at a desk and drew what was described. All of the students were using academic vocabulary to describe what was on the original image. There was lots of great academic talk during this activity!
Seidlitz Education Trainings
Seidlitz Education has several trainings in Houston that may interest in you. Every time I attend a training conducted by a Seidlitz Education trainer, I return with more knowledge and strategies to share with Alvin ISD educators. You will not be disappointed!
We had a great group of ESL teachers attend the Pathways training at the beginning of December. (See the picture on the right!)
Campuses will be responsible for the cost of the training and the sub for any teacher who attends.
The following trainings are in Houston.
January 12, 2018
Pathways to Greatness for ELL Newcomers (suggested for ESL and content area teachers who have any newcomer ELLs) Registration Fee: $195
February 22, 2018
ELLs in TX: What Administrators Need to Know (suggested for campus administrators) Registration Fee: $195
March 21, 2018
Using Tech to Boost Achievement of ELLs (suggested for teachers, administrators, ESL support staff) Registration Fee: $205
Explore our Google Drive folder!
Click this link to view resources we have compiled for Alvin ISD Secondary SI and ESL teachers: SI Secondary Teacher Resources.
Lauren Skeen
Secondary ELL Instructional Specialist
East Side Secondary Campuses: AHS, AJH, HJH, FJH, ADAPT, ASSETS
lskeen@alvinisd.net, 281-245-2401
Ashley Gomez
Secondary ELL Instructional Specialist
West Side Secondary Campuses: MHS, SCHS, RPJH, NRJH, MJH
amgomez@alvinisd.net, 281-245-3866