Thing 4-Thinkfinity

http://www.sciencenetlinks.com/lessons.php?DodD=512 
http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/talking-about-books-improve-913.html
Wow, Thinkfinity was fantastic!  I've got to get rid of the frustration, however, before I get to the good stuff.  Although I found the lessons that I wanted to use fairly quickly, getting the url to transfer to the blog was another whole matter...The first one worked beautifully, the 2nd took me over an hour, yes, I'm embarrassed to say that, over an hour to finally get on my blog! Is that pathetic or what?  OK, frustration done, now to the good part,

Teachers from all over the country have donated lesson plans that have worked for them in all of the core subjects.  This site addresses state standards and content for each lesson to help you know if it's a good fit for what you want to accomplish with your students.Two of the lessons that I chose were introductory in nature.  The first, for science, was an introduction to Scientific Inquiry. Capturing and keeping students interest is very important and this lesson covered it well.  I could see students engaged in a number of areas that would carry them from start to finish.  They would have the opportunity to collaborate in small groups, and then share their findings with the other groups.  They will want to know if their findings fit the average and who fits in what group in this inquiry about taste. In the process of having fun they are learning the Scientific Method.

The 2nd lesson, the one that I had so much trouble with getting the url correctly, was worth the trouble.  My area of greatest interest in teaching is all things having to do with literacy.  In my Masters work I am concentrating on the area of reading and writing because these two areas are a huge problem for students from elementary through high school.  Comprehension is an area that you can't address too early.  This lesson can be used with whatever reading material you may want to use; whether it's an excerpt from a book, a short    story, etc... Getting students talking together in small groups and then leading them into a meaningful discussion about the material will be an experience that will create a lasting impression and a solid foundation on which they can build their comprehension skills.  Students generally like to share their thoughts and opinions with their peers, and with the right instruction and guidance that can be done in a very productive way.  Especially afterwards, in reflection, having them write about what new insight they learned as a result of the discussion is a great way to cement the comprehension process.

Unfortunately I don't have a classroom I can use these lessons in at this time, but I can easily picture them being very successful with the classes I have had in the past.  The lesson plans are just one aspect of the site and there is so much there, yet so much more to look forward to discovering and using in the future.  I'm very thankful to have this new information to draw from.