Research is a Great Center

Research projects are a great literacy center for upper grades.  Students can move through research projects at their own pace, while working on literacy skills, and allowing you integrate science and social studies skills too.  This research project is centered around rocks and minerals and it is always a hit with my students.  Grab a copy to use in your literacy centers for just $2.00 at my Teachers Pay Teachers store.

Research projects are a great literacy center for upper grades.  Students can move through research projects at their own pace, while working on literacy skills, and allowing you integrate science and social studies skills too.  This research project is centered around rocks and minerals and it is always a hit with my students.  Grab a copy to use in your literacy centers for just $2.00 at my Teachers Pay Teachers store.

Research projects are a great literacy center for upper grades.  Students can move through research projects at their own pace, while working on literacy skills, and allowing you integrate science and social studies skills too.  This research project is centered around rocks and minerals and it is always a hit with my students.  Grab a copy to use in your literacy centers for just $2.00 at my Teachers Pay Teachers store.

Creating Electronic Posters with GlogsterEDU

GlogsterEDU is the one Web 2.0 tool I have used consistently over the past several years.  I really like the idea that students can demonstrate their knowledge on any topic using images, video, and audio all in an easy to use electronic poster format.  Student engagement is usually quite high with GlogsterEDU in that it allows for the creation of a fun and interactive poster that students enjoy sharing with others.  To get a better sense of the potential of GlogsterEDU, there are links below of an "I AM" poem my students wrote and presented to their peers using GlogsterEDU this past school year.

http://sk755z3.edu.glogster.com/glog/
http://emmagott.edu.glogster.com/glog-8884/
http://sg8yf8p.edu.glogster.com/i-am-poster/

I have saved the best part of GlogsterEDU for last, however.  The time-saving, organizational features of GlogsterEDU are extremely useful for educators.  For instance, the educator account not only generates student accounts that teachers have full access to but also allows for the daily tracking of student progress.  I find this particularly useful as students who are struggling can be quickly and easily identified with a few clicks of the mouse.  To learn more about the GlogsterEDU features specific for teacher-use, please view my screencast below.




HINT: Assigning student account information can be problematic.  The strategy I use is to copy and paste the account information into a word processing document and then assign student names to each account.  Distribute the information as you see fit, but I do recommend having students record their nickname and password (cell phones are great to use for this) somewhere safe as the account information will be difficult to remember.  Be sure to keep a master copy!  You can manually change each individual account with more user-friendly information but that would take time.

GlogsterEDU is the one Web 2.0 tool I have used consistently over the past several years.  I really like the idea that students can demonstrate their knowledge on any topic using images, video, and audio all in an easy to use electronic poster format.  Student engagement is usually quite high with GlogsterEDU in that it allows for the creation of a fun and interactive poster that students enjoy sharing with others.  To get a better sense of the potential of GlogsterEDU, there are links below of an "I AM" poem my students wrote and presented to their peers using GlogsterEDU this past school year.

http://sk755z3.edu.glogster.com/glog/
http://emmagott.edu.glogster.com/glog-8884/
http://sg8yf8p.edu.glogster.com/i-am-poster/

I have saved the best part of GlogsterEDU for last, however.  The time-saving, organizational features of GlogsterEDU are extremely useful for educators.  For instance, the educator account not only generates student accounts that teachers have full access to but also allows for the daily tracking of student progress.  I find this particularly useful as students who are struggling can be quickly and easily identified with a few clicks of the mouse.  To learn more about the GlogsterEDU features specific for teacher-use, please view my screencast below.




HINT: Assigning student account information can be problematic.  The strategy I use is to copy and paste the account information into a word processing document and then assign student names to each account.  Distribute the information as you see fit, but I do recommend having students record their nickname and password (cell phones are great to use for this) somewhere safe as the account information will be difficult to remember.  Be sure to keep a master copy!  You can manually change each individual account with more user-friendly information but that would take time.

GlogsterEDU is the one Web 2.0 tool I have used consistently over the past several years.  I really like the idea that students can demonstrate their knowledge on any topic using images, video, and audio all in an easy to use electronic poster format.  Student engagement is usually quite high with GlogsterEDU in that it allows for the creation of a fun and interactive poster that students enjoy sharing with others.  To get a better sense of the potential of GlogsterEDU, there are links below of an "I AM" poem my students wrote and presented to their peers using GlogsterEDU this past school year.

http://sk755z3.edu.glogster.com/glog/
http://emmagott.edu.glogster.com/glog-8884/
http://sg8yf8p.edu.glogster.com/i-am-poster/

I have saved the best part of GlogsterEDU for last, however.  The time-saving, organizational features of GlogsterEDU are extremely useful for educators.  For instance, the educator account not only generates student accounts that teachers have full access to but also allows for the daily tracking of student progress.  I find this particularly useful as students who are struggling can be quickly and easily identified with a few clicks of the mouse.  To learn more about the GlogsterEDU features specific for teacher-use, please view my screencast below.




HINT: Assigning student account information can be problematic.  The strategy I use is to copy and paste the account information into a word processing document and then assign student names to each account.  Distribute the information as you see fit, but I do recommend having students record their nickname and password (cell phones are great to use for this) somewhere safe as the account information will be difficult to remember.  Be sure to keep a master copy!  You can manually change each individual account with more user-friendly information but that would take time.

Build in Independent Accountability

There are so many great websites and videos that you can use in your center rotations.  However, it’s easy to write these off because we aren’t sure how much students are getting out of them, or if they will stay focused on the activity at hand.  Here’s a great, easy way to hold students accountable and build up their independence.  It is a packet of 3 different sheets that you can use with just about any video, presentation or website to help analyze what they have learned from these type of activities at centers.  Grab a copy from my Teachers Pay Teachers store for $2.00.

   

There are so many great websites and videos that you can use in your center rotations.  However, it’s easy to write these off because we aren’t sure how much students are getting out of them, or if they will stay focused on the activity at hand.  Here’s a great, easy way to hold students accountable and build up their independence.  It is a packet of 3 different sheets that you can use with just about any video, presentation or website to help analyze what they have learned from these type of activities at centers.  Grab a copy from my Teachers Pay Teachers store for $2.00.

   

There are so many great websites and videos that you can use in your center rotations.  However, it’s easy to write these off because we aren’t sure how much students are getting out of them, or if they will stay focused on the activity at hand.  Here’s a great, easy way to hold students accountable and build up their independence.  It is a packet of 3 different sheets that you can use with just about any video, presentation or website to help analyze what they have learned from these type of activities at centers.  Grab a copy from my Teachers Pay Teachers store for $2.00.

   

Science Discovery Centers

As you are preparing science centers for the new school year, one easy way to help make science centers more independent, is through Science Discovery Journals.  Set up the task cards in the journals and train students to work through the steps of the Scientific Method all by themselves.  Once students understand the journal method, you can use them over and over for many different science topics, or even let them develop their own questions on topics of their interest.  Grab a copy for yourself from my Teachers Pay Teachers store for $5.00

  

As you are preparing science centers for the new school year, one easy way to help make science centers more independent, is through Science Discovery Journals.  Set up the task cards in the journals and train students to work through the steps of the Scientific Method all by themselves.  Once students understand the journal method, you can use them over and over for many different science topics, or even let them develop their own questions on topics of their interest.  Grab a copy for yourself from my Teachers Pay Teachers store for $5.00

  

As you are preparing science centers for the new school year, one easy way to help make science centers more independent, is through Science Discovery Journals.  Set up the task cards in the journals and train students to work through the steps of the Scientific Method all by themselves.  Once students understand the journal method, you can use them over and over for many different science topics, or even let them develop their own questions on topics of their interest.  Grab a copy for yourself from my Teachers Pay Teachers store for $5.00

  

Earth Day Computer Center

Earth Day is coming up quick, and I know many classes are studying Ecology in preparation.  Here’s a great Ecology website from PBS called Eeko-World that is extremely kid-friendly.  There are videos and games for students to play to encourage and explain many different aspects of ecology including: recycling, reducing air and water pollution, and preserving habitats.  Students can also create an eco-creature and use that creature to interact with other people’s eco-creatures.  This site is a great way to include Earth Day in your computer center.
Check Raki’s Rad Resources for more websites for your computer center.

Earth Day is coming up quick, and I know many classes are studying Ecology in preparation.  Here’s a great Ecology website from PBS called Eeko-World that is extremely kid-friendly.  There are videos and games for students to play to encourage and explain many different aspects of ecology including: recycling, reducing air and water pollution, and preserving habitats.  Students can also create an eco-creature and use that creature to interact with other people’s eco-creatures.  This site is a great way to include Earth Day in your computer center.
Check Raki’s Rad Resources for more websites for your computer center.

Earth Day is coming up quick, and I know many classes are studying Ecology in preparation.  Here’s a great Ecology website from PBS called Eeko-World that is extremely kid-friendly.  There are videos and games for students to play to encourage and explain many different aspects of ecology including: recycling, reducing air and water pollution, and preserving habitats.  Students can also create an eco-creature and use that creature to interact with other people’s eco-creatures.  This site is a great way to include Earth Day in your computer center.
Check Raki’s Rad Resources for more websites for your computer center.

Vocabulary Center

Here’s a quick and easy sheet to put in a vocabulary center to allow students to look more in depth at their vocabulary.  Students will: create their own definition, find an “expert’s” definition, find synonyms, antonyms, write sentences and illustrate all on one sheet.  Here’s how to fit it into your centers:
- Assign students a vocabulary word and give them this sheet to complete for their assigned words.  The vocabulary words could be from your reading, math, science, social studies – or even that test prep vocabulary!
- I type a list of their names, laminate it and just write their word next to their name each week – easy peasy differentiation!
- Allow students to work through the graph a little at a time.
- At the end of the week, I like to have students do a jigsaw and “teach” their group about their assigned word. 
You can grab a copy of this sheet at my TPT store for just $2!

 

Here’s a quick and easy sheet to put in a vocabulary center to allow students to look more in depth at their vocabulary.  Students will: create their own definition, find an “expert’s” definition, find synonyms, antonyms, write sentences and illustrate all on one sheet.  Here’s how to fit it into your centers:
- Assign students a vocabulary word and give them this sheet to complete for their assigned words.  The vocabulary words could be from your reading, math, science, social studies – or even that test prep vocabulary!
- I type a list of their names, laminate it and just write their word next to their name each week – easy peasy differentiation!
- Allow students to work through the graph a little at a time.
- At the end of the week, I like to have students do a jigsaw and “teach” their group about their assigned word. 
You can grab a copy of this sheet at my TPT store for just $2!

 

Here’s a quick and easy sheet to put in a vocabulary center to allow students to look more in depth at their vocabulary.  Students will: create their own definition, find an “expert’s” definition, find synonyms, antonyms, write sentences and illustrate all on one sheet.  Here’s how to fit it into your centers:
- Assign students a vocabulary word and give them this sheet to complete for their assigned words.  The vocabulary words could be from your reading, math, science, social studies – or even that test prep vocabulary!
- I type a list of their names, laminate it and just write their word next to their name each week – easy peasy differentiation!
- Allow students to work through the graph a little at a time.
- At the end of the week, I like to have students do a jigsaw and “teach” their group about their assigned word. 
You can grab a copy of this sheet at my TPT store for just $2!

 

Hey ~ I'm New Here ;)

Hello guys!

I wanted to take a minute to thank Jennifer for allowing me to contribute to Simply Learning Centers AND to introduce myself.

My name is Michelle Lundy from Making It As A Middle School Teacher {and smiling about it at the end of the day}.

I will share Math, Science, and Social Studies ideas - as well as  few other topics from time to time.

On my blog, I have links to my Facebook page, Twitter, Pinterest, my TPT store, and my TN shop.  I'd love for you to stop by and give to a follow or two!

I'm excited to be here and can't wait to share with and learn from each of you!

Making It {and smiling},

Hello guys!

I wanted to take a minute to thank Jennifer for allowing me to contribute to Simply Learning Centers AND to introduce myself.

My name is Michelle Lundy from Making It As A Middle School Teacher {and smiling about it at the end of the day}.

I will share Math, Science, and Social Studies ideas - as well as  few other topics from time to time.

On my blog, I have links to my Facebook page, Twitter, Pinterest, my TPT store, and my TN shop.  I'd love for you to stop by and give to a follow or two!

I'm excited to be here and can't wait to share with and learn from each of you!

Making It {and smiling},

Hello guys!

I wanted to take a minute to thank Jennifer for allowing me to contribute to Simply Learning Centers AND to introduce myself.

My name is Michelle Lundy from Making It As A Middle School Teacher {and smiling about it at the end of the day}.

I will share Math, Science, and Social Studies ideas - as well as  few other topics from time to time.

On my blog, I have links to my Facebook page, Twitter, Pinterest, my TPT store, and my TN shop.  I'd love for you to stop by and give to a follow or two!

I'm excited to be here and can't wait to share with and learn from each of you!

Making It {and smiling},

Science Journals

Journaling always makes a great center!  Here's some ideas for 3-8 journaling during centers!

Courtesy of... 

Journaling always makes a great center!  Here's some ideas for 3-8 journaling during centers!

Courtesy of... 

Journaling always makes a great center!  Here's some ideas for 3-8 journaling during centers!

Courtesy of... 

Science Investigation Notebooks

Found these notebooks that have a ton of activities generally stated so they could be used for any topic!  Just great and very appropriate for a Science Center!

Thank you Rockin Teacher Materials!

Found these notebooks that have a ton of activities generally stated so they could be used for any topic!  Just great and very appropriate for a Science Center!

Thank you Rockin Teacher Materials!

Found these notebooks that have a ton of activities generally stated so they could be used for any topic!  Just great and very appropriate for a Science Center!

Thank you Rockin Teacher Materials!

Welcome

Welcome to Simply Centers! Finding centers can be a very time consuming task! But don't worry, Simply Centers is here to help! Search by Grade Level or by Topic to find the internet's best centers resources!

Welcome to Simply Centers! Finding centers can be a very time consuming task! But don't worry, Simply Centers is here to help! Search by Grade Level or by Topic to find the internet's best centers resources!

Welcome to Simply Centers! Finding centers can be a very time consuming task! But don't worry, Simply Centers is here to help! Search by Grade Level or by Topic to find the internet's best centers resources!