Full Description
"If you want to energize your teaching, this is the book for you! The research-based content is full of ideas presented in a practical and user-friendly format."
—Joanne Cearbaugh, ESL Methods Instructor
Taylor University
"A wealth of knowledge and practical strategies are packed into this lesson planning book. Teachers will use this informative resource to design quality lessons to reach all learners. This one won't gather dust—it will be that dog-eared, coffee-stained, often-used volume!"
—Sandra Hess, Assistant Superintendent
Warsaw Community Schools, IN
Build your lesson planning collection with this easy-to-use resource!
Are you looking for a practical way to infuse your teaching with engaging strategies that are quickly accessible and effective? Wouldn't it be great to have a brain-based reference to help you make informed choices about lesson planning and instruction?
In Pick and Plan, Brenda Utter presents a top-notch collection of ready-to-use strategies to help novice and veteran teachers not only energize their lesson planning but also tailor classroom activities to students' individual learning styles. The author reviews the building blocks of the brain, four memory pathways, and current research, and provides brain-compatible approaches that make teaching and learning fun.
This all-in-one resource allows you to literally "pick and plan" brain-friendly instruction using:
A lesson planning model with five parts: engager, frame, activity, debrief, and story or metaphor
100 classroom-ready, mix-and-match strategies for using mnemonic devices, graphic organizers, manipulatives, and more, based upon how the brain learns and remembers new information
Sample lessons that demonstrate each part of the model
Featuring research sidebars and a detailed table of contents, this indispensable text will help transform your teaching experience with its easy-to-implement daily lesson planning strategies.
Contents
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Part I. At the Beginning
1. The Building Blocks of the Brain: How We Learn
Brain Functions
Memory Pathways
Part II. The Lesson Plan
2. Engager
Strategy 1. Interview: Man on the Street
Strategy 2. Who am I?
Strategy 3. Reporter Relay
Strategy 4. Do You Know Your Neighbor
Strategy 5. Corners
Strategy 6. Fishbowl Discussion
Strategy 7. Fill 'er Up
Strategy 8. Word Play
Strategy 9. Scavenger Hunt
Strategy 10. Dialogue Circles
Strategy 11. What's Missing
Strategy 12. Mystery Box
Strategy 13. Crossed Wires: Telephone With a Twist
Strategy 14. Collaborative Stories
Strategy 15. To Tell the Truth
Strategy 16. Quick Draw
Strategy 17. Categories
Strategy 18. Life Boat
Strategy 19. Hot Potato With a Twist
Strategy 20. Two Truths and a Lie
3. Frame
4. Activity
Strategy 21. Writing
Strategy 22. Mnemonic Devices
Strategy 23. Peer Discussion/Peer Teaching
Strategy 24. Graphic Organizers
Strategy 25. Storytelling
Strategy 26. Guest Speaker
Strategy 27. Movement
Strategy 28. Role Play
Strategy 29. Celebrations
Strategy 30. Debate
Strategy 31. Music
Strategy 32. Reading Strategies
Strategy 33. Field Trips
Strategy 34. Discovery Learning
Strategy 35. Cooperative Learning
Strategy 36. Rituals
Strategy 37. Novelty
Strategy 38. Art and Creativity
Strategy 39. Scaffolding
Strategy 40. Manipulatives/Models
5. Debrief
Strategy 41. Up!
Strategy 42. Board Races
Strategy 43. Hot Potato With a Twist
Strategy 44. Seven Up With a Splash
Strategy 45. Jeopardy
Strategy 46. Bingo
Strategy 47. Cartoons
Strategy 48. Each One, Teach Three
Strategy 49. Schema Mapping
Strategy 50. Turn to Your Neighbor
Strategy 51. Interview the Expert
Strategy 52. Alphabet Summaries
Strategy 53. Bumper Stickers
Strategy 54. Newsbreak!
Strategy 55. Top Ten
Strategy 56. Hot Dog
Strategy 57. Give Them the Finger
Strategy 58. Circle Stories
Strategy 59. Concentration
Strategy 60. Flyswatter
6. Metaphor and Story
7. How to Mix a Group
Strategy 61. Playing Cards: Color (Two Groups)
Strategy 62. Playing Cards: Suit (Four Groups)
Strategy 63. Playing Cards: Number
Strategy 64. Playing Cards: Number and Color
Strategy 65. Birthday Line-up
Strategy 66. Birthday Week
Strategy 67. Numbered Craft Sticks
Strategy 68. Color of Clothing
Strategy 69. Volunteers
Strategy 70. Physical Attributes
Strategy 71. Hobbies
Strategy 72. Collections
Strategy 73. Last Number of Phone Number
Strategy 74. Last Letter of Name
Strategy 75. Four Corners
Strategy 76. Picture Match
Strategy 77. Proverbs
Strategy 78. Opposites
Strategy 79. Synonyms
Strategy 80. Categories
8. Breaks/Energizers
Strategy 81. Foot/Arm Spin
Strategy 82. Same/Different Pictures
Strategy 83. Indoor Volleyball
Strategy 84. Name Game
Strategy 85. Isometrics
Strategy 86. Simon Says
Strategy 87. Hand Slap
Strategy 88. Jumping Jacks
Strategy 89. Criss-Cross
Strategy 90. Follow the Leader
Strategy 91. Line Dancing
Strategy 92. Stretching
Strategy 93. Toss Across
Strategy 94. Juggling
Strategy 95. Jacks
Strategy 96. Gotcha!
Strategy 97. Rhythm
Strategy 98. Kick the Can: Desk Style
Strategy 99. Silent Ball
Strategy 100. Have a Ball!
Appendix A. Lesson Plan Samples
Appendix B. Elements of Activities
References
Index
