Morning work

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Home : 2001 : November : 4

Morning work
By Just an idea

I have only a fragment of idea that I'll throw out. It could help generate something or maybe another poster could add important details that will be more helpful.

I've written controversial statements on the board and
had students write what they think. For science -- especially biology -- I think you could use some environmental issues such as "If people are more important that animals, why do we worry about oil spills? After all we, the people, have a right to the oil that makes our lives better." (Now I know that's ridiculously obvious, but I hope you get the idea. I teach 5th graders so it's

a little difficult for me to come up with exactly what would grab your students.) Students respond by giving and supporting their opinions in a journal. (At the high school level with - how many students? - I don't think I'd like to collect a "worksheet" from every single student, for every single class period, every single day! Oh, my gosh!)

The idea (as I see it) for "morning work" or "bell work" is to get students settled in and started thinking. I think at the high school level, I'd call it a "daily focus activity" or a "daily focus question."

Now here's the hard part -- coming up with appropriate topics. Sometimes I find it difficult to generate those off the top of my head or even as I am doing more long range planning. Maybe some of the other posters out there some creative ideas along this line. I'd be interested in ideas appropriate for 5th graders as well.