LESSON PLANNING ARTICLE : Mysteries in the Bag by: Cara Bafile

Objectives

Students will

• Examine and identify the contents of a bag.
• Formulate a story that includes all contents of the bag.
• Create a logical mystery that includes the 5Ws (who, what, where, when, and why).

Keywords

Mystery, writing, evidence

Materials Needed

• several paper bags
• common items such as pens, wrappers, receipts, and other objects
• paper and pencils

Lesson Plan

Some of the most creative writing is sparked by a simple thing. This language arts activity based on common objects can be done as a whole group activity, or with students working individually, with partners, or in small groups. Preparation for the activity includes gathering many common items like pens, wrappers, and receipts. Put five objects each in several paper bags (as many as will be required for your students or their groups). Vary the contents by including things like a rubber band, lipstick, and any other small objects that may be appropriate.

Put 3-5 small items from the classroom in a small paper bag and pass it around the classroom. Allow students just a few moments each to imagine what might be in the container without opening it. When the items reach the last student, collect the container. Invite the students to share their ideas about the container's contents. Then open it and discuss each item. Have the students help you tell the story of the objects. Where did each object come from? Who owns it?

If desired, place students in groups or allow them to choose partners. Distribute a bag to each student or group. Explain that this is a "bag of evidence" from a crime scene. The students' job is to write a mystery story that includes the objects as "clues" to solve the mystery. Each story must follow a logical pattern and address the questions who, what, where, when, and why.

Extension Activity
Create "radio mysteries" by having students read and record their work. These will be even more effective if students write their papers in play form.

Assessment

Have students read their stories to the class and collect their work. Listeners can note the answers to the 5Ws for each story read. Evaluate the written work according to classroom writing expectations.

Five Steps to Teaching Any Character Trait Professional Development Article: Dr. Michele Borba, Ed.D

Teachers everywhere are voicing a concern: far too many of their students do not know the meaning of critical character traits. As a result, a growing number of students are failing in a core subject needed for successful living: solid character.

Psychologists tell us that one way students learn character traits is by watching others do things right. Recall just a few incidents children have seen recently on national television -- professional baseball players spitting in umpire's faces, a champion boxer biting a chunk off his opponent's ear, Super Bowl Sunday events requiring airing delays because of what an entertainer might reveal to the kiddies. Then there is the litany of national scandals involving everyone from politicians to corporate officials to teachers. Now ask yourself, "To whom are your students looking to learn sound character traits?" The answer is troubling.

The breakdown of appropriate role models certainly is not the only reason for the decline in character development. Dr. Thomas Lickona, author of Character Matters, cites an increase in ten troubling youth trends in our society that point to an overall moral decline: violence and vandalism, stealing, cheating, disrespect for authority, peer cruelty, bigotry, bad language, sexual precocity and abuse, increasing self-centeredness and declining civic responsibility, and self-destruction. It's yet another reason why so many of today's students lack solid character.

LAST BEACON OF HOPE

The fact is that school might very well be the last beacon of hope for many students. Where else will they have a chance to understand the value of a trait called "responsibility" or "caring" or "respect" or "cooperation?" Where else will they have the opportunity to watch someone model those traits appropriately? Where else but from a caring, committed teacher will many of today's students have a chance to learn the traits of solid character?

How do we help students develop strong character?

The answer is found in this premise: Character traits are learned; therefore we can teach them. It means that educators have tremendous power because they can teach students critical character traits. But building students' character involves a few steps.

FIRST STEPS TO TEACHING ANY CHARACTER TRAIT

No matter what character trait you choose to enhance -- perseverance, determination, empathy, responsibility, respect, caring, or another -- there are five minimum steps to teaching it. The steps can be integrated easily into your lesson plans, but each is equally important to ensure that your students develop stronger character.
The five teaching steps are:
Step1.Accentuate a Character Trait

The first step to teaching any new character trait is simply to accentuate it to students. Many schools have found that emphasizing a different character trait each month can be a successful, practical first step approach. When everyone at your site is reinforcing and modeling the same trait, students are more likely to learn that character trait. As each new character trait is introduced, a student campaign committee can start a blitz, creating banners, signs, and posters to hang up around the school to convince other students of the trait's merit. Four of the simplest ways to accentuate a character trait are:
• Character posters: Ask students to make posters about the trait. Be sure to hang the posters everywhere and anywhere for at least a month: "Responsibility means I'm doing what is right for myself and others, and that I can be counted on."
• Character assembly: Many sites introduce the trait at a school-wide assembly. The staff might describe the value of the trait and perhaps present a short skit about it.
• Screen savers: Each day a staff member or student writes on the central screen saver a brief sentence describing the trait's benefits. Anytime anyone in the school uses the computer, the first thing seen is the screen-saver message accentuating the trait: "It's perseverance month. Remember to work your hardest and not give up!"
• Announcements: Many teachers (and schools!) use the beginning of each day to describe over the loudspeaker ways students can demonstrate the selected trait. Names of students "caught demonstrating the trait" also can be announced.

Step2. Tell the Value and Meaning of the Trait

The second step in teaching a character trait is to convey to students exactly what the trait means and why it is important to learn. Explain the trait to students within their realm of experiences; never assuming they've been exposed to the trait. Many have not. Ways to define new traits to students include:
Character literature: Choose an appropriate selection that embodies the trait and as you read it, ask: "How did the characters demonstrate the character trait? How did the other characters feel when the character acted (name the trait)."
• New articles: Ask students to collect current news articles about real people demonstrating the trait. You might begin each day with a brief review of a real event in which the trait was displayed to confirm its value.
• Label traits: Whenever you see or hear a student displaying the targeted trait, take a moment to point out specifically what the student did that demonstrated the trait. "Alex, that was respectful because you waited until I was finished talking before you spoke."
• Share your belief: Students need to hear why you feel the trait is important. If you are targeting respect, you might tell students how adamant you feel about not talking negatively about yourself or others.
• Student reporters: Ask students to look for demonstrations of the trait by others at the school. Their job is to report to the class who demonstrated the trait, what the student did, and the effect the students' actions had on other individuals.

Step3. Teach What the Trait Looks and Sounds Like

There is no perfect way to teach the trait, but research on teaching new skills says telling students how to do the behavior is not nearly as important as showing them the behavior. You can make a significant difference by modeling the trait and making your character education lessons as concrete as possible. Three ways you can do that are:
• Trait role plays: Some teachers find it helpful to use another student or colleague to role-play what the trait looks like to their students. It's a simple way to show students exactly what the trait looks and sounds like.
• Character skits: Students can create quick skits about a character trait and perform it either at a school-wide assembly or in each classroom to show other students the value of the trait, as well as what the trait looks and sounds like.
• Trait photographs: Photograph students actually demonstrating the character trait. Develop the pictures, enlarge them on a copying machine, and paste them on a chart so students are reminded of what the skills looks like.

Step4. Provide Opportunities to Practice the Trait

Generally students must be provided with frequent opportunities to practice the new behaviors. Learning theory tell us it generally takes 21 days of practice before a new behavior is acquired. This is an important rule to keep in mind as you try these activities with your students. Three ways you can help students review their character progress are:
• Character videotapes: Students can see their progress by videotaping one another demonstrating the trait. The tape is played and analyzed for all to see.
• Write reflection logs: Students can keep an ongoing log of their trait progress by writing each day one thing they did that day to demonstrate the trait.
• Assign character homework: Ask students to practice the skill at home and record their efforts and results in a notebook.

Step5. Provide Effective Feedback,

The final step in teaching any character trait is to reinforce to students appropriate or incorrect trait behavior as soon as convenient. Doing so helps clarify to the student: "You're on the right track; keep it up," or "Almost, but this is what to do instead." Catching students doing a behavior wrong before it becomes a bad habit increases the student's chances of acquiring more positive character traits. Here are a few reminders about giving effective feedback:
• Use constructive criticism: If the student's behavior was correct, immediately tell him "This is what you did right." If the behavior was wrong, tell him what to do to make it right: "What you did was not right, but this is what you can do next time."
• Do on-the-spot correction: Students benefit from immediate behavior correction.
• Catch positive behaviors: Look for opportunities to "Catch them doing the trait right." When you reinforce character traits that are done correctly, students are more likely to repeat the behavior.

EDUCATORS CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE
With the growing number of today's students lacking solid character development, it is imperative that schools incorporate ongoing character education. Keep in the mind, the best character lessons are ones that blend naturally into your existing plans. There are endless ways to use literature, videos, music, quotations, news articles, and historical figures that embody the themes of strong character. Perhaps the simplest way to enhance your students' character development is to accentuate a character trait each month. Doing so optimizes students' chances of developing solid character they'll use not only now, but for the rest of their lives. Above all, never forget your own impact on your students' character development. You do make a difference!

Collaborative Schools: Author: Scott, James J. - Smith, Stuart C.

A growing number of educators are focusing their efforts on improving the work environment of teaching. In place of the typical school's norms and practices that isolate teachers from one another, some schools are initiating new norms and practices that encourage teachers to cooperate with one another and with administrators on school improvement. The primary goal of these "collaborative schools" is effective teaching and learning; other objectives are that teachers will be accorded respect as professionals and that staff harmony will increase.

WHAT IS THE COLLABORATIVE SCHOOL?

The collaborative school is one in which administrators and teachers routinely work together to promote effective teaching and learning. What Judith Warren Little (1982) calls the "critical practices of adaptability" characterize the collaborative school:
1. "Teachers engage in frequent, continuous, and increasingly concrete and precise talk about teaching practices" (as opposed to simply gossiping about other teachers, administrators, and students).
2. "Teachers are frequently observed and provided with useful (if potentially frightening) critiques of their teaching."
3. "Teachers plan, design, research, evaluate, and prepare teaching materials together."
4. "Teachers teach each other the practice of teaching."

WHY HAVE EDUCATORS BECOME INTERESTED IN COLLABORATION?

In most professions, practitioners work together for their mutual benefit--in a law firm, for example, junior partners take advantage of the expertise of senior partners, and senior partners look to the junior partners for fresh new ideas. In contrast, most teachers work in isolation, neither helping nor being helped by their colleagues. As John I. Goodlad (1984) says, "The classroom cells in which teachers spend much of their time appear... symbolic of their relative isolation from one another and from sources of ideas beyond their own background experience." In a sense, each teacher must "reinvent the lightbulb" on his or her own.
Given these circumstances, it is not surprising that educational leaders are calling for closer professional interaction among teachers and between teachers and administrators--in other words, a greater degree of collaboration in the schools.

HOW CAN PRINCIPALS PROMOTE COLLABORATION IN THEIR SCHOOLS?

Principals can promote collaboration by such simple expedients as involving faculty members in setting the agenda for faculty meetings, giving faculty committees a meaningful role in matters of curriculum and instruction, and helping teachers to coordinate their schedules so that they have time to observe each other teach and provide each other with feedback on their observations.
Although formal structures and strategies can facilitate collaboration, collaboration ultimately depends on the development of norms of cooperation among the school's personnel. In this area the principal can lead by example. When teachers see the principal actively seeking their help and helping them to improve in their profession, they are likely to work with one another to improve their teaching.

HOW IMPORTANT IS THE PRINCIPAL'S LEADERSHIP?

Because the principal plays such a crucial role in promoting norms of collaboration, he or she must actually exercise stronger leadership than would be necessary where norms of isolation prevail. A number of studies have shown that principals in collaborative schools are more actively involved in observing and evaluating teachers and in working with teachers on curriculum and scheduling than are principals in schools where teachers traditionally are isolated in their classrooms.

WHAT ROLE CAN SCHOOL DISTRICTS PLAY?

School boards and district administrators can encourage collaboration by providing individual schools with the resources in time and money needed for collaborative activities. For example, the Pittsburgh Public Schools pay for replacement teachers so that teachers in the system can take several weeks away from their classroom activities to attend the Schenley High School Teaching Center where they improve their teaching skills in a collegial setting (Davis 1986).
District officials cannot expect to successfully impose collaboration on a school. By its very nature collaboration is a school-site reform that depends for its success on the willing participation of personnel within the school. Collaboration is likely to work only when the principal and a significant number of teachers at a school become convinced that it will actually lead to improved teaching and learning.

FOR MORE INFORMATION
Ashton, Patricia T., and Rodman B. Webb. MAKING A DIFFERENCE: TEACHERS' SENSE OF EFFICACY AND STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT. New York: Longman, 1986.
Bird, Tom, and Judith Warren Little. "How Schools Organize the Teaching Occupation." THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL JOURNAL 86 (1986): 493-511. EJ 337 995.
Davis, Lawrence E. "A Recipe for the Development of an Effective Teaching Clinic." Paper presented at the annual conference of the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, San Francisco, CA, March 1, 1986. ED 275 028.
Furtwengler, Willis J. "Reaching Success through Involvement--Implementation Strategy for Creating and Maintaining Effective Schools." Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, San Francisco, CA, April 17, 1986. ED 274 085.
Goodlad, John I. A PLACE CALLED SCHOOL: PROSPECTS FOR THE FUTURE. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1984.
Lieberman, Ann, and Lynne Miller. TEACHERS, THEIR WORLD, AND THEIR WORK: IMPLICATIONS FOR SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT. Alexandria, Virginia: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 1984. ED 250 285.
Little, Judith Warren. "Norms of Collegiality and Experimentation: Workplace Conditions of School Success." AMERICAN EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH JOURNAL 19 (1982): 325-340. EJ 275 511.
Rosenholtz, Susan J. TEACHERS' WORKPLACE: A STUDY OF SOCIAL ORGANIZATIONS. New York: Longman, forthcoming.
Schmuck, Richard A., and others. HANDBOOK OF ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN SCHOOLS. 3rd ed. Mountain View, California: Mayfield Publishing Company, 1985.
Smith, Stuart C., and James J. Scott. THE COLLABORATIVE SCHOOL: A WORK ENVIRONMENT FOR EFFECTIVE INSTRUCTION. Eugene, Oregon: ERIC Clearinghouse on Educational Management; and Reston, Virginia: National Association of Secondary School Principals, forthcoming.

Cooperative Learning Strategies and Children: Author: Lyman, Lawrence - Foyle, Harvey C. Sour

Cooperative learning is a teaching strategy involving children's participation in small group learning activities that promote positive interaction. This digest discusses the reasons for using cooperative learning in centers and classrooms, ways to implement the strategy, and the long-term benefits for children's education.

WHY TRY COOPERATIVE LEARNING?

Cooperative learning promotes academic achievement, is relatively easy to implement, and is not expensive. Children's improved behavior and attendance, and increased liking of school, are some of the benefits of cooperative learning (Slavin, 1987).
Although much of the research on cooperative learning has been done with older students, cooperative learning strategies are effective with younger children in preschool centers and primary classrooms. In addition to the positive outcomes just noted, cooperative learning promotes student motivation, encourages group processes, fosters social and academic interaction among students, and rewards successful group participation.

CAN COOPERATIVE LEARNING BE USED IN EARLY CHILDHOOD CLASSES?

When a child first comes to a structured educational setting, one of the teacher's goals is to help the child move from being aware only of himself or herself to becoming aware of other children. At this stage of learning, teachers are concerned that children learn to share, take turns, and show caring behaviors for others. Structured activities which promote cooperation can help to bring about these outcomes. One of the most consistent research findings is that cooperative learning activities improve children's relationships with peers, especially those of different social and ethnic groups.
When children begin to work on readiness tasks, cooperation can provide opportunities for sharing ideas, learning how others think and react to problems, and practicing oral language skills in small groups. Cooperative learning in early childhood can promote positive feelings toward school, teachers, and peers. These feelings build an important base for further success in school.

WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES OF COOPERATIVE LEARNING FOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS?

According to Glasser (1986), children's motivation to work in elementary school is dependent on the extent to which their basic psychological needs are met. Cooperative learning increases student motivation by providing peer support. As part of a learning team, students can achieve success by working well with others. Students are also encouraged to learn material in greater depth than they might otherwise have done, and to think of creative ways to convince the teacher that they have mastered the required material.
Cooperative learning helps students feel successful at every academic level. In cooperative learning teams, low-achieving students can make contributions to a group and experience success, and all students can increase their understanding of ideas by explaining them to others (Featherstone, 1986).
Components of the cooperative learning process as described by Johnson and Johnson (1984) are complimentary to the goals of early childhood education. For example, well-constructed cooperative learning tasks involve positive interdependence on others and individual accountability. To work successfully in a cooperative learning team, however, students must also master interpersonal skills needed for the group to accomplish its tasks.
Cooperative learning has also been shown to improve relationships among students from different ethnic backgrounds. Slavin (1980) notes: "Cooperative learning methods [sanctioned by the school] embody the requirements of cooperative, equal status interaction between students of different ethnic backgrounds..." For older students, teaching has traditionally stressed competition and individual learning. When students are given cooperative tasks, however, learning is assessed individually, and rewards are given on the basis of the group's performance (Featherstone, 1986). When children are taught the skills needed for group participation when they first enter a structured setting, the foundation is laid for later school success.

HOW CAN TEACHERS USE COOPERATIVE LEARNING STRATEGIES?

Foyle and Lyman (1988) identify the basic steps involved in successful implementation of cooperative learning activities:
1. The content to be taught is identified, and criteria for mastery are determined by the teacher.
2. The most useful cooperative learning technique is identified, and the group size is determined by the teacher.
3. Students are assigned to groups.
4. The classroom is arranged to facilitate group interaction.
5. Group processes are taught or reviewed as needed to assure that the groups run smoothly.
6. The teacher develops expectations for group learning and makes sure students understand the purpose of the learning that will take place. A time line for activities is made clear to students.
7. The teacher presents initial material as appropriate, using whatever techniques she or he chooses.
8. The teacher monitors student interaction in the groups, and provides assistance and clarification as needed. The teacher reviews group skills and facilitates problem-solving when necessary.
9. Student outcomes are evaluated. Students must individually demonstrate mastery of important skills or concepts of the learning. Evaluation is based on observations of student performance or oral responses to questions; paper and pencil need not be used.
10. Groups are rewarded for success. Verbal praise by the teacher, or recognition in the class newsletter or on the bulletin board can be used to reward high-achieving groups.

CONCLUSION

Early childhood educators can use many of the same strategies and activities currently being used to encourage cooperation and interaction in older children. Effective cooperative learning experiences increase the probability of children's success throughout their school years.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Clark, M.L. GENDER, RACE, AND FRIENDSHIP RESEARCH. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Chicago, Illinois, April 1985. ED 259 053.
Cohen, Elizabeth J. DESIGNING GROUPWORK: STRATEGIES FOR THE HETEROGENEOUS CLASSROOM. New York: Teachers College Press, 1986.
Dishon, Dee, and Pat Wilson O'Leary. A GUIDEBOOK FOR COOPERATIVE LEARNING: A TECHNIQUE FOR CREATING MORE EFFECTIVE SCHOOLS. Holmes Beach, FL: Learning Publications.
Featherstone, Helen (editor). "Cooperative Learning." HARVARD EDUCATION LETTER (Sept. 1986): 4-6.
Foyle, Harvey, and Lawrence Lyman. INTERACTIVE LEARNING. Videotape currently in production. (For further information, contact Harvey Foyle or Lawrence Lyman, The Teacher's College, Emporia State University, 1200 Commercial St., Emporia, KS 66801.)
Glasser, William. CONTROL THEORY IN THE CLASSROOM. New York: Harper and Row, 1986.
Johnson, David W., Roger T. Johnson, Edythe Holubec Johnson, and Patricia Roy. CIRCLES OF LEARNING: COOPERATION IN THE CLASSROOM. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 1984.
Kickona, Thomas. "Creating the Just Community with Children." THEORY-INTO-PRACTICE 16 (1977): 97-104.
Lyman, Lawrence, Alfred Wilson, Kent Garhart, Max Heim, and Wynona Winn. CLINICAL INSTRUCTION AND SUPERVISION FOR ACCOUNTABILITY (2nd edition). Dubuque, IA: Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company, 1987.
Slavin, Robert. "Cooperative Learning: Can Students Help Students Learn?" INSTRUCTOR (March 1987): 74-78.
Slavin, Robert. COOPERATIVE LEARNING: WHAT RESEARCH SAYS TO THE TEACHER. Baltimore, MD: Center for Social Organization of Schools, 1980.
Slavin, Robert. COOPERATIVE LEARNING: STUDENT TEAMS. West Haven, CT: NEA Professional Library, 1984.