Maybe it’s January’s blustery winds, but this month we’ve seen a flurry of milestones roll in — we have 18 milestone achievers for you to meet. The eight Teacher-Authors featured here are showcasing phenomenal resources ranging from upper elementary to high school grades. You’ll find everything from science packs to essay- and speech-writing activities to STEM challenges, and more. Discover all that this innovative lot has to offer. Then be sure to read Part 2 for more milestone magnificence.
8 Mighty Milestone Achievers
Try Their: Cardiovascular – Circulatory System Unit
Their tip: “This is a complete unit with day-by-day instructions, PowerPoints, labs, and a unit test!”
Her tip: “This mini-book is a great addition to any classroom where students are learning how to write a speech. Give students this mini-book so they can easily store it in their binders to use as reference. It’s also a helpful resource to include in an interactive notebook. An additional Martin Luther King, Jr. speech analysis activity has been included to supplement your resources for Black History Month.”
Her tip: “If you’re nervous about trying a STEM challenge, don’t be! Supplies don’t have to be fancy. Some of our best designs have occurred when we used paper plates and Styrofoam cups. Also, know that your kids will surprise you. They love to build and manipulate materials. Designs will fail, but this gives students an opportunity to learn. STEM is a terrific way to collaborate and communicate. Just give kids the idea and supplies, and stand back and watch!”
Her tip: “My most popular resource is, ‘How to Write a Persuasive Essay for AP Spanish PowerPoint and Activities.’ This curriculum, in conjunction with my other AP Spanish materials, contributed to my students consistently receiving 4s and 5s on the new AP Spanish Language and Culture Exam. Also in demand, my TPRS PowerPoints for Spanish and French provide unique, engaging stories with visuals that help students become proficient through comprehensible input. Please check out my TPR Story PowerPoints for ‘Double Object Pronoun’ and the verb ‘Ser.'”
Her tip: “As teachers, it’s so important to create lessons that are memorable. When my students had a hard time remembering the steps for adding and subtracting fractions with unlike denominators, I came up with a simple graphic organizer that they could follow. It turned the frustration around immediately! Don’t give up when your students are frustrated — try a couple of different ways, and you just may be surprised at what you come up with!”
Her tip: “This packet prepares students for writing persuasive essays. Step 1: Students create personal opinion statements (thesis statements). Step 2: Students provide reasons for agreeing or disagreeing with other students’ personal opinion statements, thereby providing one another with a variety of pros and cons. Step 3: Students select the best pros and cons for their essays. Steps 4 and 5: Students try out two different formats for their essays: #1. con 1, con 2, pro 1, pro 2, strongest pro; #2 (con 1, pro 1, con 2, pro 2, strongest pro). Step 6: Students create basic outlines as guides for writing their papers. Thorough with easy-to-follow instructions!”
Her tip: “Students take interest in the science of energy when they’re given fun opportunities to explore, question, and talk about it with their peers. This engaging product involves concise, hands-on experiment stations that help students interact with the content in meaningful and memorable ways!”
Her tip: “Reading is truly invaluable!”
Fantastic job, everyone! Now motor on over to January’s Milestone Jubilee: Part 2 to to meet more of January’s milestone achievers.