I have been implementing hexagonal block activities in my classroom for the past couple of years and wanted to find a way to utilize them at the beginning of the year. Because our students will all be returning in person, the “All About Me: Hexagonal Doodle Blocks” will be a great way to ease them back from remote/cyber learning and help all of us reestablish relationships with this creative, hands-on activity.
Many people, including teens, suffer from this problem! The Lifestyle Creep Hyperdoc introduces students to the concept and explores not only what the signs and effects are, but also how it change a person’s life as well as how it can be prevented. It’s a great lead in to the importance of living within your means and budgeting!
Each fall, when I go back to my classroom, I’m always faced with blank bulletin boards! Because I like to decorate my room with student work, I often use this ABC Children Index Card Bulletin Board Activity during the first week of school in my child development class. Not only does it help make my room more aesthetically pleasing, but it’s an engaging filler that’s easy to adapt for that intial period when schedules are in constant flux.
Some of you may remember the Late Show with Dave Letterman! One of his regular features included his infamous top 10 lists in descending order from 10 to 1, adding his own a touch of humor and sarcasm as he shared! I have been using written top 10 lists for years and was excited when Matt Miller of Ditch That Textbook shared his version utilizing Flipgrid. This Top 10 Lists…Video Style post shares how to present the lists via Flipgrid with some of ideas for topics. Help add to the list by sharing additional topics!
Below is a list of topical FCS Related Podcasts for your summer listening pleasure! I will admit that I have not listened to all of these, but I’ve been accumulating the list for over a year and most of the suggested podcasts came recommended through educational sources. If you discover any that should not be on this list, please let me know. Additionally, if you have suggestions of podcasts that should be included, please let me know and I will update the list.
Grief and Loss can be a difficult and sensitive topic to talk about let alone teach. So a big THANK YOU goes out to Darci Friberg of Missouri for sharing her Grief & Loss lesson! This came about during the pandemic when Darci was struggling to describe what she was feeling which was grief. The lesson is not only therapeutic, but devotes time talking about a topic many avoid.
As you may be aware, many of our students do not feel comfortable communicating face to face with adults, even if they are familiar with them. They openly admit they are scared, uncomfortable and would rather text than talk! Because of this, I created the Face to Face Conversation Challenge to help them practice their skills and hopefully feel more at ease when conversing with others, both familiar and unfamiliar! Admittedly, students were not enthusiastic about this assignment because it forced them to face their fear and step out of their comfort zone. Afterwards, my heart was full as students actually thanked me for giving them this assignment! They shared how it helped them grow and they realized that this is a practical life skill they are going to need throughout their personal and professional life!
I don’t know about you, but I love teaching about topics that have two sides and sometimes a bit of controversy to them. Having read several articles about organic vs non-organic foods, I created this Organic vs Non-Organic Foods Dilemma where students had to research both sides of the argument and form a response that supported their position.
During an interview, the messages our non-verbal body language convey can speak as loudly and clearly as the words coming out of our mouths! My students love Tiktok and begged me to create some projects that utilized the app. This TikTok: Non-Verbal Communication Project: 10 Non-Verbals to AVOID during an Interview was one of them! Because my students had so much fun with this, I thought I’d share it so you could try it out with your students!
Have you ever waffled on teaching a topic because of how your students would receive it? I’ve had this topic on the backburner for quite some time, for this very reason! Interestingly, children and chores turned out to be a great discussion topic with students as they weighed in with their opinions based on their own personal experiences or lack thereof!
