photo by Sharon McCutcheon
We have a few weeks left before school starts. Some teachers will be dragging out last year’s lessons plans and doing all the same things the same way they did last year. Ho-hum. Why not prepare an awesome unit or two of learning that will wow your students. And that you will enjoy teaching.
No more “same old, same old”
Ditch the TE…or better yet, keep it as a reference for your learning objectives and to drive the curriculum. Once you’ve identified your objectives, (standards-based, of course!), it is time to go online shopping.
Shopping for resources is an exciting part of this creative process. There is so much online material, just waiting to be used! And much of it is free. To start with, you will want to check YouTube and Google. See what’s out there that applies to the content you are teaching.
The Fun Factor
Make sure whatever resources you decide to include are factually correct and up to date. But don’t ignore what I call “the fun factor.” Look for videos, music, games, etc. that your students will enjoy interacting with. If it’s boring or over their heads, don’t use it.
Variety is the spice of life
Remember learning modalities? Include something for everyone: the readers, the writers, the dramatic, the musically inclined, the artists, the hands-on learners, the kids who like to move, (sports, dance, etc.) What we are striving for is a variety of looks and experiences with the content that gradually escalate in difficulty to keep the students challenged and engaged.
Whole group vs. independent
If you haven’t already, check out Nearpod. Using this website, you can create a fun series of lessons that include videos, songs, surveys, contests, and shared responses, drawings, etc.
Try putting together your unit on Live Binders. Students can work their way through the content on their own, at school or at home. Give them a research project or scavenger hunt, and let them “have at it.”
So there you have it. Everything you need to get started creating one-of-a- kind learning units the kiddos will love! Got any more ideas for creating dynamic learning units from scratch? Please share…we’d love to hear more!