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Want to get your students excited? Hand them this Minute about horses and riders leaping off four story towers into small pools of water. That will get them reading! |
English/Language Arts
Explore genres: personal narrative vs memoir vs narrative nonfiction
It’s always helpful to know that the vocabulary we are using is understood the same way by all of our students. Thus, it pays to define and redefine the terms we use in the writing classroom! Use this minute to define (or reinforce) the definitions and differences between first person personal narratives (situation or event focused), memoirs (individual focused), and third person narrative nonfiction. Use this Minute as a model for narrative nonfiction and have students practice writing in all three genres.
Explore persuasive writing - advertising
Author Harness shares the advertisement that enticed Sonora Webster Carver to apply for the job. Have your students write job descriptions for classroom tasks and then write advertisements trying to persuade their peers to “apply” for the positions - a good persuasive writing exercise that mimics real life.
Social Studies
Explore amusement parks and fairs as cultural elements
The advertisement included calls for an “attractive young woman.” In table groups, ask your students to examine this phrase closely. If they wanted a rider who would dive, were the words “attractive,” “young,” or “female” necessary components for doing the job? Are there jobs where it would be okay to stipulate gender or appearance? Guide your students through an examination of the long cultural history of gender stereotyping. Is it the same in all countries? What needs to happen if a society wants change?
Explore gender stereotypes
The advertisement included calls for an “attractive young woman.” In table groups, ask your students to examine this phrase closely. If they wanted a rider who would dive, were the words “attractive,” “young,” or “female” necessary components for doing the job? Are there jobs where it would be okay to stipulate gender or appearance? Guide your students through an examination of the long cultural history of gender stereotyping. Is it the same in all countries? What needs to happen in order for a society to change?
Explore States
This Minute mentions a fair in Savannah, Georgia and an amusement park in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Use this to launch a class study of state characteristics. Have students choose a state and see if they have a State Fair? Look at the history of the state fair. What kinds of events are traditionally included? Are they unique to the State? Is there value in a State Fair beyond simple recreational pleasure? Are there media messages in the kinds of events that are included AND excluded?
STEM
Explore anatomy - the human eye
Use this Minute to start a conversation about the anatomy and physiology of the human eye. How does the eye work? How could Sonora have avoided her eye injury? Would the injury result in blindness today? Is there a way to repair retinal detachment?
Explore biology - Animal behavior
What entices a horse to jump off a 60 foot tower into a pool of water - again and again? Have your students compare domesticated animals to undomesticated animals. What’s the difference? What are possible training techniques?
Explore mathematics - averages
Author Harness tells her readers that the tower is four stories, but not how tall that actually is. Have your students research the average height of a single story and then calculate the height of this tower. Should they express the answer as a range or an average? Talk about the differences and why different situations determine the strategy selected.
Explore genres: personal narrative vs memoir vs narrative nonfiction
It’s always helpful to know that the vocabulary we are using is understood the same way by all of our students. Thus, it pays to define and redefine the terms we use in the writing classroom! Use this minute to define (or reinforce) the definitions and differences between first person personal narratives (situation or event focused), memoirs (individual focused), and third person narrative nonfiction. Use this Minute as a model for narrative nonfiction and have students practice writing in all three genres.
Explore persuasive writing - advertising
Author Harness shares the advertisement that enticed Sonora Webster Carver to apply for the job. Have your students write job descriptions for classroom tasks and then write advertisements trying to persuade their peers to “apply” for the positions - a good persuasive writing exercise that mimics real life.
Social Studies
Explore amusement parks and fairs as cultural elements
The advertisement included calls for an “attractive young woman.” In table groups, ask your students to examine this phrase closely. If they wanted a rider who would dive, were the words “attractive,” “young,” or “female” necessary components for doing the job? Are there jobs where it would be okay to stipulate gender or appearance? Guide your students through an examination of the long cultural history of gender stereotyping. Is it the same in all countries? What needs to happen if a society wants change?
Explore gender stereotypes
The advertisement included calls for an “attractive young woman.” In table groups, ask your students to examine this phrase closely. If they wanted a rider who would dive, were the words “attractive,” “young,” or “female” necessary components for doing the job? Are there jobs where it would be okay to stipulate gender or appearance? Guide your students through an examination of the long cultural history of gender stereotyping. Is it the same in all countries? What needs to happen in order for a society to change?
Explore States
This Minute mentions a fair in Savannah, Georgia and an amusement park in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Use this to launch a class study of state characteristics. Have students choose a state and see if they have a State Fair? Look at the history of the state fair. What kinds of events are traditionally included? Are they unique to the State? Is there value in a State Fair beyond simple recreational pleasure? Are there media messages in the kinds of events that are included AND excluded?
STEM
Explore anatomy - the human eye
Use this Minute to start a conversation about the anatomy and physiology of the human eye. How does the eye work? How could Sonora have avoided her eye injury? Would the injury result in blindness today? Is there a way to repair retinal detachment?
Explore biology - Animal behavior
What entices a horse to jump off a 60 foot tower into a pool of water - again and again? Have your students compare domesticated animals to undomesticated animals. What’s the difference? What are possible training techniques?
Explore mathematics - averages
Author Harness tells her readers that the tower is four stories, but not how tall that actually is. Have your students research the average height of a single story and then calculate the height of this tower. Should they express the answer as a range or an average? Talk about the differences and why different situations determine the strategy selected.
© Karen Sterling, 2018 - May be used for educational purposes without written permission
