http://usatodayeducate.com/wordpress Supporting America's educators for over 25 years Thu, 11 Mar 2010 22:56:58 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en This spring gas prices will probably head back up over $3. In some areas it may get as high as $3.25.With unemployment at an extremely high 9.7%, high gas prices may make it difficult for our already faltering economy to recover. With a partner, brainstorm ways that ... http://usatodayeducate.com/wordpress/index.php/weekly-cross-curricular-activity/march-15-19 After years of harboring terrorists in the tribal areas along its border with Afghanistan, Pakistan is taking steps to help the U.S. fight the war on terror. Recently, the country has begun an offensive into al-Qaeda controlled tribal areas, arrested key Taliban officials and allowed the U.S. to use drones ... http://usatodayeducate.com/wordpress/index.php/weekly-cross-curricular-activity/march-8-12-2010 Kids don't listen to the news or read newspapers in middle school very often. It's all video games, so, I asked them to create a game using USA TODAY articles. They have to develop a game board and use questions and answers for the articles they choose. Sort of a ... http://usatodayeducate.com/wordpress/index.php/bestpractices/games-and-art Have students (in groups of 2-4) select an article and go on a scavenger hunt for "interesting" vocabulary words. Ask them to examine the article for author's purpose and tone. Reexamine the words in context and note the denotative/connotative meaning of the words and how the use of those words ... http://usatodayeducate.com/wordpress/index.php/bestpractices/examining-words-in-context I utilized the financial literacy lessons as a research supplement to both economics and various math classes. The students enjoyed getting away from the "books" and participating in small groups to complete these lessons. Material was current information relating to what is happening in the world today and drew the ... http://usatodayeducate.com/wordpress/index.php/bestpractices/financial-literacy-lessons I team teach with a special educator, and we use the USA TODAY frequently to increase reading comprehension and to boost independent reading.  Recently, we used the paper as a means of teaching main and supporting ideas to students in our developmental English class.  We use the ELMO (overhead projector) ... http://usatodayeducate.com/wordpress/index.php/bestpractices/boosting-reading-skills Right now, we are creating newscasts.  Students are practicing their summarization skills to put together a newscast that will be televised in our class. If the newscasts really pan out, they will be broadcast to people in our school who are interested in watching them. The students build the sets, ... http://usatodayeducate.com/wordpress/index.php/bestpractices/usa-today-newscasts I teach secondary business education. I have found that USA TODAY's education portal has not only articles/case studies that directly affect and reflect my subject area, but also curriculum in other core subjects I can apply in my lesson plans.For example, when we began a lesson regarding saving and budgeting, I directed my students' attention ... http://usatodayeducate.com/wordpress/index.php/bestpractices/teaching-business-education-with-usa-today WOW! We receive the USA TODAY each Thursday. We always begin with the major headline on the front page and I ask why USA TODAY editors picked it. I have my middle school students read in depth one article of my choice and one of their selection. I also pick ... http://usatodayeducate.com/wordpress/index.php/bestpractices/students-role-play-usa-today-reporters I teach data analysis and probability to high school students, so I often use the newspaper. I have students cut out graphs and analyze data, finding measures of central tendencies, variations or position. Students also compile statistical reports on the data represented graphically — citing trends and drawing conclusions.   Submit your ... http://usatodayeducate.com/wordpress/index.php/bestpractices/teaching-data-analysis-and-probability-to-high-school-students