American Idols

Bring in a top-40 song that all the kids will know/like, and have them re-write the lyrics to fit whatever concept you're covering at the time. They'll have tons of fun despite the challenge, and then they can make fun of each other while they perform their new song (and review material without even knowing it).

Example: (to the beat/tune of Nelly's "It's Gettin' Hot in Herrre") In science class, you could sing "It's gettin' rainy in herrrre, barometric pressure shows..." Cheesy, yes, but it's just an idea! =)

The Eye of the Beholder

I loved when my teachers passed out a random photograph to each student and asked them to write a brief story based on that picture. What do you think is happening in this photograph?

Inspiration

We've been using a program called "Inspiration" lately. It creates webs and outlines that help organize information in a fun and visual way. The program may not appeal to everyone, but for visual learners like me, it's usually hard to understand the "big picture." Inspiration helps me to grasp information, recognize cause-and-effect as well as relationships between concepts and topics, and it also makes presentation notes more easy to follow. You can sometimes even get a free 30-day trial...That inspires me! =)

Clay Animation

I've found just how cool clay animation is! It's a fun, hands-on, memorable, and educational. Check out our own clay animation project we did.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dXShLTJ7Kw

Mad Scientists

Let your students think up inventions, build them, and even design advertisements for their new product! In fifth grade, I invented and built the "Super Duper Pooper Scooper 2000." It was practically flying off the shelves!

Get Your Hands Messy!

Allow students to use substances that are grainy, gooey, runny, sticky, smelly, squishy, and smooth. It will inspire their creativity and really helps engage the tactile learners in your class. Instead of always asking them to write their answers and ideas, let them use their hands to create a 3-dimensional work. (This picture is made of sand, by the way!)

Ohhhh, SNAP!

Have your students read Romeo & Juliet or some other work of Shakespeare and ask them to record as many "put-downs" as they can throughout the play. This helps them to interpret writing of another time period and style, and makes them appreciate Shakespeare. He was a pretty hilarious guy!