Websites for Teachers
by
Sharon Morris
July 28, 2003
ED 6310: Curriculum and Methodology
Dr. Eisenwine
I am a third grade teacher, and I am studying to be a reading specialist. I am interested in helping the students on my campus perform well on the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) test. A look at the reading scores of our campus on the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS) from the past several years reveals deficits in the areas of vocabulary and summarization. I have compiled a list of websites that teachers may find helpful in planning lessons in these areas. Following each website is a brief description of it.
Vocabulary
According to the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) for third grade (3.8) students develop an extensive vocabulary. Students are expected to: (A) develop vocabulary by listening to and discussing both familiar and conceptually challenging selections read aloud; (B) develop vocabulary through reading; (C) use resources and references such as beginnersí dictionaries, glossaries, available technology, and context to build word meanings and to confirm pronunciations of words; and (D) demonstrate knowledge of synonyms, antonyms, and multi-meaning words (for example, by sorting, classifying, and identifying related words).
The following websites may be helpful to teachers in planning lessons on vocabulary:
This website has 20 games and activities that focus on vocabulary. The activities are designed for classroom use. The lessons are written and submitted by teachers from all over the U.S. They are well-organized and easy to follow. Most are designed for use at the elementary level.
This is a commercial site that contains lesson plans, games, and worksheets for classroom use. Some of the lesson plans are detailed; others are summaries of activities. Several of the activities include printable aids such as game boards and bingo cards.
http://www.flashcardexchange.com
As one might infer from the websiteís name, this site allows teachers to make flashcards. It offers card sets that are categorized by subject, unit topic, and literature selections. It also offers word wall cards that are sorted according to specific word families. Also, teachers can make their own sets.
Summarization
Another area of concern based on past TAAS results is summarization. According to TEKS for 3rd grade reading (3.9) the student uses a variety of strategies to comprehend selections read aloud and selections read independently. The student is expected to (H) produce summaries of text selections.
The following sites may be helpful to teachers in addressing comprehension skills in general and summarization skills in particular:
The spreadsheet format of this site makes it easy to navigate. Lesson plans are listed in alphabetical order and include abstracts. Teachers will find group activities and lesson plans for classroom use. The lesson plans are detailed and well-organized. Many of the ideas presented on this website go beyond a succinct lesson plan. For example, I found lessons on forming student book clubs and doing extensive book reports. The site is maintained by a partnership of the following organizations: International Reading Association (IRA), the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE), and Marcopolo Education.
http://marcopolo-education.org
This site lists
lesson plans and activities designed for classroom use. Many of the plans are literature-based
and some integrate social studies skills as well. This source offers a variety of graphic organizers. Because Marcopolo is a partner in the
Read-Write-Think website described above, the Marcopolo site offers visuals for
some of the lessons posted on the Read-Write-Think website.
This site offers detailed, literature-based lesson plans. The lessons are extensive in that they provide background information, guiding questions, teacher preparations, and links to aid navigation through each lesson.
Multidisciplinary Units
As a teacher faced with the responsibility of preparing my students for the TAKS, one of my goals is to provide as much instruction as possible in the time available. One way that I accomplish this goal is by using a multidisciplinary approach. This approach allows students to study a topic within the context of a variety of content areas. The following websites offer ideas for integrating a variety of subjects together into units.
This site offers an extensive alphabetical list of unit topics. The lessons in each unit vary greatly in the amount of detail given. Most will serve well as springboards for unit and activity ideas; others provide sufficient details to be carried out just as they are presented.
This website gives an extensive list of plans from which to choose. Teachers will find classroom activities that can be incorporated into different units. The site is maintained by Columbia Education Center.