Strategies
Importance of Graphic Organizers
Graphic organizers help my students understand the unit visually. These are great tools for all types of learners, especially those who are visual learners. I am a visual learner. I like to see and touch products. I remember history, people, and places if I see them. It makes the items real for me and then I can relate to them. Students will remember more information over time if they can do something with it. They have many classes to juggle during the school day. Retention can be difficult. Graphic organizers make it easier to look over notes before a quiz or a test to remember the information on the unit. Making activities hands-on keeps my students active and engaged in learning. During this unit, my students will make their own projects using visual aids, such as word splashes on a famous entrepreneur. They will remember what they researched and will have the graphic organizer to use during their presentations.
Think-Pair-Share
Engaging my students in a Think-Pair-Share will help my students play an active role in the class. This strategy will activate prior knowledge of the subject. I will suggest a topic or come up with a question. Individually, the students "think" by writing down their thoughts and ideas on what I presented. After students have written down the information, they "pair" up with a partner or two and share their ideas, each adding to what they individually had generated. Then, I bring all of the students back together by "sharing" all of the ideas with the class. I can correct or clarify anything that is unclear.
This strategy is great as it allows for my students to brainstorm and cooperate with others. It will bring out many more ideas. The stage will be set for what my students will be studying in this unit. The information is not just given to them by me. My students will remember the information if it is written down. They can refer back to the paper prior to a quiz or test.
Word Mapping
My students and I find word mapping or concept mapping an easy pictorial organizer. This helps to pull out what is most important in a text and is great for jotting down notes while brainstorming. I will demonstrate with the topic or question placed in the middle, then ideas can be branched off from there. There will be branches off of the subheadings as well. My students may find it easier to draw their ideas or make pictures. They can add to their word map when there is a class discussion. This will be used by finding out what my students know about biography. The word "biography" will start in the middle of the page and other ideas will branch out from there.
Word Splash
A word splash is a visual tool that enhances the vocabulary terms used in a unit. My students generate words by reading information and then can write and draw these associated terms on a poster or using Paint or Microsoft Word on the computer. They can demonstrate artistry and mastery of the subject as they design their projects. This can be used to introduce a unit by having students predict what the unit will be about.
Templates
For my students to succeed, I provide a template which is similar to an outline. A template is a generic model or pattern that is provided as a guide for my students to follow. My students are given a clear and concise picture of what the expectations are for the unit. This will give them a better idea to what needs to be placed in the project. I will provide a PowerPoint template of what each slide will have on it. My students will have to complete the information based on their interview with a local entrepreneur. This will ensure consistency in all of my students' presentations.
Rubric
A rubric should be provided prior to a presentation or submission of a project. My students can see the guidelines and what each section is worth. Rubrics are clear judges of what each section is worth on the presentation. It should be clear for my students and easy for me to grade without bias. Rubrics can help my students judge their work prior to submitting the work in for a grade.
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