Instructional Minute
October 11, 2022
February 13, 2024
Excerpts from Newsela's Recent Communication
The following three items are copied from Newsela's most recent communication to subscribers:
We’re continuing our Black History Month series with an article about award-winning California librarian Mychal Threets, an activist and changemaker using TikTok to his advantage and following in the footsteps of trailblazers—like the first credentialed Black librarian in California, Miriam Matthews—who came before him!
After you give this article a read, download our free Black History Month Classroom Lessons guide. Then head over to our blog to see all the great content and activities we have for Black History Month.
California librarian Mychal Threets works to spread ‘library joy’
Throughout Black history, activists and changemakers have used things like posters, marches, and speeches to promote their causes. California librarian and recent American Library Association award winner Mychal Threets is trying a new method: spreading the word on TikTok! Have students read (full article attached below) about how Threets shares his “library joy” in person and online by showing people that libraries are inclusive places that have something for everyone.
Community Callout
The History of Black History Month and the Push for Black History Education
How did Black History Month get its start? And should there be more Black history education in schools? Use this lesson to explore these and other important questions about the history behind this heritage month.
Check for Understanding
A check for understanding is any method used to inform the teacher about the student’s current level of knowledge and understanding. An effective teacher does not just check for understanding at the conclusion of a lesson or unit of instruction. Instead, they recognize that checks for understanding serve a multitude of purposes, depending on when they are implemented. When used before a lesson, Check for Understanding, strategies activate and establish background knowledge.
Check for Understanding should also be used throughout a lesson, at least twice in a typical lesson cycle. The purpose of these Check for Understanding strategies is to provide information for the teacher regarding new conceptual understandings. These Check for Understandings also inform the teacher about struggling students who may need additional guidance or intervention. And finally, Check for Understanding strategies can and should be used after a lesson to help the students and the teacher reflect on what was learned. More importantly, these Check for Understandings provide valuable information about student mastery and how the teacher should spend future classroom time.
Eight Effective On-the-Spot Assessments
1. Cold-calling (popsicle sticks, random name generator)
2. Individual dry-erase boards
3. Clickers, Plickers, Socrative, Boogie boards, Pear Deck, Nearpod, Kahoot, goformative.com, Quizlet, polleverywhere.com
4. Fingers on chest, colored cards, green/yellow/red cups, heads down/hands up
5. 3-2-1 responses on board:
- 3 key features
- 2 questions
- 1 doodle
6. Think/pair/square and listening
7. Exit tickets
8. Quick writes and circulating
Preparing Students for Success - Incorporating Test Prep
Please see the sample 11th grade M-STEP Social Studies, connected with Social Studies standard HS-USHG.8.1.2, question from the MDE website below.
To review additional grade level and content area sample items, click the link below.
K-8 Pacing at a Glance for this Week's Instruction
The documents attached outline K-8 curricular resources, standards and pacing. This can also be found by clicking here on the LSD website.
9-12 Pacing Documents
The document attached outlines 9-12 curricular resources, standards and pacing. This can also be found by clicking here on the LSD website.
IXL - eLearning Library
This on-demand professional learning resource provides micro-learning videos about every IXL feature and best practices for implementing IXL. Teachers must be signed into their IXL accounts to access these videos. https://www.ixl.com/resources/elearning-library
Workshop Model Lesson Plan Form to Assist in Planning Lessons
A resource to use as you see fit.