Tonight we listened to our peers give a lesson and provided them with feedback. Everyone did so great and had some really awesome ideas for lesson plans. After everyone scheduled to share their lesson was over, we turned our attention to hooks. Hooks are what gets ours students excited for the lesson or helps prepare them for what we will be discussing for the class. I always try and think of something really fun, but the more and more lesson plans I create, the more I realize that it cannot always be something different and I might repeat some of the same strategies over and over. As long as my students are interested, that is all that matters. I want them to be drawn in and not bored, so I will try not to use the same hook every single time.
One of my lessons I decided to do about organ systems in the body and how they work together. This lesson will probably take more than one day, but keep them busy with mini-activities for each and every organ system. For instance, to show the digestive system (stomach part), I will use crackers and orange juice and have them squish it around together in a baggy to show how the digestive juices mix and churn together. My hook for this lesson will be a mind mapping activity to see what body systems are and then I will also read a magic school bus book, “Magic School Bus Inside the Human Body” to get them into thinking more clearly about the different systems. I will put them into groups and give them butcher paper to trace around the body of one of their classmates so that they are able to correctly label all the body systems on the paper large enough to see them. This lesson is full of activities and will keep my students busy learning! :)
I'm glad you pointed out that we, of course, will have to repeat hooks now and again. I think for those of us teaching elementary school it is much easier to pick out hooks. Our students don't get bored as easily and are more excitable. Elementary students are satisfied with a read aloud or short video while older students require something with more depth to it. I think your idea of crackers and orange juice is something that would hook students of many ages. Sounds like a very cool lesson.
ReplyDeleteI really love the theme and would love to see the actual lesson plan! It sounds like you have some REALLY neat ideas. I agree, it is difficult to come up with different hooks. I think your great activities would be great hooks. You seem enthusiastic about this lesson plan and I think that goes a long way toward drawing the kids in even if it is the same hook.
ReplyDeleteI think the idea of crackers and orange juice is a great idea. If you think back to your own time in school, it is things like that that you remember. That is something they won't forget!!
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