Educator Tools

When using the textbook with your students, you can use these supplementary activities as tools to complement and reinforce the activities in the textbook. They are organized by textbook concepts and features. You can also create activities and assignments from any of the Songs, Activities, Stories, Apps or Research found on the Student Tools page.

Marginal Quotations

• Choose three of the quotations from this chapter and copy them onto your paper/computer. Explain why you chose each of these quotations.
• Select one quotation from this topic/section. 1) Copy the quote onto your paper/computer. 2) Rewrite the quotation in your own words to show you understand what it means. 3) Write down a specific example to illustrate the meaning.
• Select a quotation. Draw a picture/doodle that represents the meaning of the quotation.
• Select two/or three quotations that you think are similar in their meaning. Explain the connection.
• Select a quote and connect it to something that you have experienced in your own life.
• Select words or phrases from the quotes in this section that stand out to you. Use them to create a Found Poem about the topic. [Note to instructors: there are many examples and directions for Found Poetry on the internet.]

Ready for College

Try a Virtual Campus TourGo online and visit the web page of a college that interests you. Take a virtual campus tour, and view photos, video clips and anything else you wish. What did you learn about this college?

Ready for Career

• Have students visit: www.nycareerzone.org and create an online portfolio.
• There is also a similar California resource at: www.cacareerzone.org

CareerZone is an innovative online career exploration and planning system designed especially for today's high-tech youth in New York State. CareerZone presents current and relevant occupational and labor market Information in a clear and interesting way, making career exploration and planning fun and easy.

CareerZone leverages the power of the web to provide: information on 800 occupations from the national Occupational Information Network (O*NET) Database; the latest labor market information from the state Department of Labor; and interactive middle and high school career portfolios aligned with the NYS Education Department Career Plan initiative. Links to college exploration and planning resources help youth begin their life/work journey. Over 450 career videos provide a visual of the workplace and bring careers to life. Up-to-date job postings provide a glimpse into the local labor market and an ability to apply for positions. The expanded resume builder helps youth prepare one of the most important tools needed for a successful job search.

Dreams/Goals

• Encourage students to think in pictures by asking them: what image comes to mind when you think of your ideal future?
• Have students memorize D.R.E.A.M. and the dream goals by posting it on a sheet of paper where everyone can see it. Then periodically have them join you in shouting it out, whispering it, singing it, or saying it.

Creativity

• Draw a doodle representing the most important thing you just learned about creative thinking. Your doodle can be a line, a sketch, a squiggle, an icon, a cartoon, a symbol, or anything visual. Explain your doodle to the person sitting next to you.

What Did You Learn?

• Have the students write their answers on a separate sheet of paper. Have them wave their papers in the air to show that they're ready to share their answers with the group. Have a few volunteers read their answers.

Problem Solving

• After completing this topic, direct the whole class to stand up. Then say: to earn your chair back, you need to tell your table group/neighbor how you plan to use what you have learned. When you have done this you may sit back down.

Structures to Use with Any Topic/Section

• Quickly read the bulleted items on this page. Put a Post-it flag next to the three that are the most important, the most meaningful, or the most useful to you.
• Read the following pages, then select three important ideas – things that you will use or want to remember - and put a Post-it flag next to each one.

Life & Lyrics

• Identify a song you know that goes along with the topic of ___________________. Explain the connection.
• Identify a song you know that goes along with the topic of ___________________. Create a multimedia presentation using the song, images/photos, and quotations to illustrate the topic.
• Create a soundtrack of songs for this chapter.
• Compose your own lyrics for the topic of ____________________and share/perform them.