Basal Reader: Open Court

I've been obsessed with locating more information about Open Court basal readers-the older versions.  The trick is locating them and deciphering which book goes with each grade.  This post has the titles for three of the older Open Court series.  Paul Wigowsky has put together some of the original resources from Open Court's phonic program, including excerpts from the teacher's guide to Phonics.  Here are the original stories! Now, I'm a huge fan of technology and inquiry-based instruction.  I'm also old school and believe core English instruction should include an anthology of literature tied to a specific period of History and augmented with rigorous instruction in grammar and composition.  I think kids should memorize poems, write dictations, and craft reports.  If the literature coincides with a period of History, the kids can use the stories to locate places on maps.  For example, they can read stories about  Lewis and Clark while tracing their journey on a map, or variety of maps: topographical, modern, and historic.  At the same time, the kids can create time-lines of events.  See what I mean by old school?
I've done some research to locate more information about the older series below.

Open Court
This site looks as though it has a few support materials for the 2002 edition of Readers?

http://www.jacketflap.com/open-court-publishing-company-publisher-5254 (List)

RISE and Headway Series

Rainbow Bridge: 1989 1st Grade

A Shiny Golden Path 1989 1:2

Slide Down the Sky: 1989 2nd Grade

Time for Dreams: 1989 3rd grade

Sound of the Sea: 5th Grade

Across the World

From Sea to Shining Sea

What Joy Awaits You

The Blue Pillowed Sky: 1989 1st Grade

Promises to Keep: 1989

Across the World: Grade 3 1989

Capistrano has units for 2002 http://capousd.ca.schoolloop.com/search/search_results?d=x&search_term=Open+court+units

Open Court Phonics

http://wigowsky.com/school/opencourt/opencourt.htm

Writing prompts

http://www.opencourtresources.com/ocr/grade2/newunitpages/sharing_stories/writing_projects/weekly_prompts_entire_second_grade.pdf

Vocabulary Activities

http://www.opencourtresources.com/ocr/gradex/vocab.html

First Grade Reading Connections 2002

http://www.savsd.k12.ca.us/Common%20Core%20Grade%201%20Reading%20Connections.html

Grade Three

http://kc3rd.pbworks.com/w/page/1753119/Open%20Court%20Reading

Outreach Update!

What else did we do at the outreach event?  Technology!  I did an intro to Vernier and Pasco.  I brought a variety of probes to demonstrate.  See Loggerlite above.  And Sparkvue with Pasco below.  Yes, I'm that committed to technology!

More Science Ideas to try

Today, I went to St. Patrick's to do some outreach with the teachers.  I took two photos and got caught up on n the instruction and forgot to take any more pix.  Sorry. We started by polling the teachers' background and expectations for the workshop.  Well, their background included the standard instruction for elementary teachers and they were open to any new ideas.  Great!   We worked through Apple mummies and then did a 'show and tell'.  The next workshop will be more tailored.  So what did we do?  I raided my stash of goodies from Educational Innovations: tornados, UV beads, glow germs, instant snow, and grow spheres.  What else?  Jumping pepper two ways.  Above with static and below with dish soap as a surfactant.

High School Science: POGIL

If you're teaching a high school science class, consider adding some POGIL activities.  POGIL is intended as a year-long course for High School or College classes.  Instead, I add a few activities to supplement my classes.  These guides are tough!  They make kids think!  Yeah!  Let me share a few links: Instructor's guide, Chemistry activities, and other sample activities.  I was at an AP Chemistry workshop years ago, where I first learned about POGIL.  Inquiry lessons are at the core of my instruction.  Consequently, I like the way POGIL structures questions that lead students through a given lesson.

Science Lesson Plans: BSCS 5E Model

There are loads of models to create lesson plans.  One I especially like is the BSCS 5E Model.  The five 'E's are Engage, Explore, Explain, Extend or Elaborate, and Evaluate.  The Crumpled Paper Watershed lesson uses this model for instruction.  My own lessons are looser.  For example, I borrowed an Enviroscape model to 'engage' the kids and introduce the concept.  Next, I use different activities to both explain and extend: Color Me a Watershed, Dragonfly Pond, Cacapon Institute's Virtual Streams, and Lamotte Water Quality tests.  I use the activities that are part of Cacapon Institute's e-school to elaborate on the watershed concept.  One way to evaluate the kids is to do a stream assessment.  Can the kids identify the benthic macroinvertebrates or test the water successfully?  The kids can take photos and create a slideshow on a blog for assessment.  The class might want to improve the stream site by planting trees or scrubs along the riparian buffer.  Please note that these lessons dovetail well with projects and project-based learning.  5E is just a framework for hands-on instruction.

NSTA Book Review: Video Games

The review is published!
Last year, one group of my students explored coding for their science fair project.  I have never seen a group more engaged!  Yes, they performed well at the regional science fair.  Moreover, these girls tried Code Academy, did a mountain of research on passwords or pass phrases, and several experiments.  When Video Games, Design and Code Your Own Adventure  by Kathy Ceceri arrived, I knew from experience, kids would love to design their own video games.  This book is sure to be a hit!

Video Games has a history of computer games and goes in some length to describe the psychology underlying successful games.  There are loads of projects throughout Video Games, such as the Cardboard Arcade Game (p. 8) and my favorite, Build Your Own Mancala Game (p. 23), with an egg carton and beans.  Ms. Ceceri describes the process of designing and developing an original video game in some depth.  The colorful illustrations by Mike Crosier will inspire kids to try to make their own graphics.  Ms. Ceceri makes a point to describe terms germane to video games, such as haptics (p. 96) both in the text and in the glossary (pp. 113-116) and includes several pages of resources at the end of the book.

My Biology class is writing a children’s book together and decided to add a video game to support the book about polar bears, penguins, and pandas.  The class was brain-storming ideas for a game to include habitats, food they eat, fun facts, etc.  In Video Games, the book suggests the web site, Scratch, and includes instructions to create a Memory Game in Scratch (p. 100).  I shared this idea with the class and emailed the link for Scratch to one of the parents to preview.  Video Games has wide appeal.  Librarians should pick up a copy as a resource for an afterschool gaming club.  The project ideas, such as Scratch Cat Dodge Ball (p. 81) and Write a Pseudocode Algorithm (p.84) may be suitable for an elementary computer class to try.  Parents and teachers alike who are interested in STEM or STEAM should pick up a copy.  I can’t wait to see what my Biology class produces.

PBLs: Make Mine Watersheds

I ran across a watershed resource under development from Nest Generation Science Standards in conjunction with Common Core Standards.  I know, I was ready to give it a miss, too.  But the exercise combines some math with Earth Science.  Ignore the source and focus on the good content.
Watersheds are typical of PBLs or Project Based Learning.  My Biology class began a Watershed project I'm integrating along with Ecology into I the curriculum.  I brought an Enviroscape model to class to introduce the concept of a watershed.  (Contact the local conservation district or extension office.  Ask if they have an education specialist trained to deliver a lesson with an .Enviroscape.  Chances are good they'll know someone with a model.)  Subsequently, I've been adding material to the Biology content.  Right now, the class is learning how to test water with Lamotte Water Quality Test kits.  (While you're calling the conservation district, ask them if they have water test kits available, too.  Trouts Unlimited or Audubon might know of an agency with test kits.  My chief skill is working a phone.) Even without many resources, you can go to a stream and do an assessment using a thermometer, tennis ball, meter stick, and ice cube trays.  Start with a visit to Cacapon Institute's virtual stream to learn how to indentify benthic macroinvertebrates. Save our Streams' assessment sheet is useful in the field out at the creek.  This Stream Ecology article explains how to takes several measurements at the stream.  Isn't this cool?  Your kids can do a sophisticated stream assay with very simple equipment.  Below are a few resources related to Watersheds if you're feeling ambitious.


Project Wet Color Me a Watershed has a little math.

Watershed Education Lesson Plans

Crumple Me A Watershed is unusually detailed.

4 H2O Ambassador Program is more my speed.  This 4-H guide is more cryptic and may not have enough to detailed information for a newbie.  I loved the idea in the guide for an Edible Watershed and just did a quick search to locate a version with more description.