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Using Inspiration Software to Explore Characters In Stories
Students identify characters, their qualities, and examples of their qualities and use Inspiration to organize them in a clear and understandable format. After a lecture/demo, students use the program on the next story by themselves.
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Multimedia Book Reports
Pupils read a chapter book of 100-200 pages in length. They create a story map and multimedia book report. Pupils review the elements of a story map such as: characters, setting, problem, important events, solution, etc.) Students...
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Community Building
Seventh graders discover the similarities and differences between cities, towns, and rural communities. Using a Neighborhood map Machine, they create a Venn diagram and map of their own community. Students build a 3-D representation of...
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Classification of Matter
Students investigate common household items and classify them into types of matter. In this matter instructional activity, students group given items into categories based on their characteristics. They also complete a concept map about...
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Life Inspires Art Inspires Life
Students create philanthropic documentaries. In this philanthropy lesson, students collaborate to create a multimedia documentary regarding the community philanthropy work they took part in.
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Geography and Culture in South Carolina
Students explore South Carolina. In this cultural heritage instructional activity, students investigate the topography of South Carolina using maps. Students are engaged in identifying the different regions of the state and examine the...
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Simple Cycles
Students use Inspiration to map cyclical events. They recognize links between separate events and structural patterns. They explore the Internet Connection section to browse additional resources on teaching about cycles used in...
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Sequencing Events
Using The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle, pupils practice sequencing events in a story. After reading the story, they head to the computer lab to use Kidspiration to sequence events. Then they create their own books to demonstrate...
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Most Wanted Villians
Learners review the characteristics of various characters in fairytales. As a class, they review the story details and create a concept map using a software program. They create their own wanted poster of the villians in the fairytale to...
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Organizing a Speech
Students discuss the elements of an effective speech. They use Inspiration to create a graphic organizer or map of how to effectively organize a speech. Students share their graphic organizer/map with the class.
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Classify Rocks
Students classify different types of rocks. In this earth science lesson, students test different rock samples and construct a chart to record observations. They create a concept map that answers essential questions.
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Why Not Visit My Country?
Middle schoolers research a country using the Travel Languages Web site. Using MS Publisher, they create a travel flyer about the country. Using Inspiration, they develop a concept map of what they learned about their country.
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Word Association Poetry with Visual Thesaurus (or Not)
Young poets get inspiration and guidance for making word association poems with the Visual Thesaurus. Your class could complete this project with nothing more than a pencil and paper as well. A nice one-off for a substitute during your...
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The Coin and the Fable: Alaska quarter reverse
An Alaskan quarter and a book of fables is what you'll need to start this lesson. Learners will use the image of the bear and the salmon found on the reverse side of the Alaskan quarter as inspiration. They will compose a fable about the...
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Lead Usage Through History
Students read 2 assigned articles about lead usage with a partner or team. They create a concept map or timeline using Inspiration software to trace the uses of lead by people. They complete a brief constructed response and are graded...
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Inspired Science
Middle schoolers explore the process of invention from an inventor's conception and as a factor of history. They are shown how inventions evolve and how inventions influence the world around them Students chart the inception and affects...
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The Distance Formula and Marching Nonviolently for Social Change
Learners explore the distance formula using real world data from nonviolent marches for social change. For this secondary mathematics lesson, students investigate the marches of Gandhi and King using maps overlaid with a coordinate...
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Clicking Your Way to Poetry: Composing Word Association Poems with the Visual Thesaurus
Use a Visual Thesaurus to compose word association poems. Discuss poetry and word association, create word maps, then practice creating poems based on playful word associations. A perfect way to celebrate "Poem in Your Pocket Day" (April...
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Animals of Rainforest and Temperate Forest
Students research an animal from each type of forest, and compare/contrast them on a concept map. They write a letter from one animal to the other, using information from their research.
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The Five Senses
Students explore and study about the five senses. They focus on their sense of smell and interact with certain ingredients, including white vinegar. Each student also helps to create and share a concept map on the sense of smell...
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Personal Fitness
Students research important personal fitness and sport concepts through note taking, internet research, data collection, and the website Quia. Development of concept maps are also encouraged.
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Human Impact on the Geosphere
Ninth graders answer the bulleted points from the project guideline sheet using the Internet for help. They then use Inspiration to create a concept map to link all of their ideas.
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Comparing Time Periods in U.S. History: The Ashford Project
Fifth graders use a "fact book" comparing periods in American history then students create a picture to illustrate their assigned periods. # # students use their pictures and concept maps to write expository paragraphs about their...
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Understanding Stage Design: Using Visual Elements to Provide Information to an Audience
Learners study about theatrical design by developing environments for improvised and scripted scenes. They develop focused ideas for an environment using visual elements.