As well as being Black History month, February is also Cupid's time to shine. Invite him into your classroom with this list of words. Your students will investigate compound words, make great use of their lexicons and practise some research skills before they finish this assignment. Question # 7(b) can be used to bring in principles of art, if you have them craft a card to display their finished effort; while # 6 allows you to tie-in math skills, and computer literacy as well, if you have the kids graph their findings. Show them that Chart Wizard in Excel!

Will You Be My Valentine? <-- Preview

Cost: $1 Canadian. Includes the ability to print and an answer key. Upon purchase, the word exploration will be emailed to you.

Whether or not you start February with the "Black History Month" lesson plan, this one is a great way to end the month. From alphabet codes to antonyms, the word list is explored in challenging ways. By the end of this exercise, your students will have made the acquaintance of Mahatma Gandhi, a truly great man, and learned about a hero from their own background as well. "Everybody's History" will make February a "feel good" month for one and all!

"Everybody's History" Month Word Exploration <-- Preview

Cost: $1 Canadian. Includes the ability to print. Upon purchase, the word exploration will be emailed to you.

February is Black History Month, of course, and you'll be wanting a lesson plan or two that will interest and challenge the students, but not be too hard on you. The assignment on current personalities allows the kids to explore the black community for present-day heroes, and the acrostics from exercise #1 will produce great material for you to display out in the hallway! You'll look good, and so will your students!

Black History Month Word Exploration <-- Preview

Cost: $1 Canadian. Includes the answer key and the ability to print. Upon purchase, the word exploration will be emailed to you.

Here's a novel study with a difference. While it covers all the usual aspects students need to learn about, like character development and plot, it also provides the opportunity for your students to express reaction to the story in some fun and "novel" ways! When your students are enjoying their learning, it always makes a better atmosphere for them and for you.

Novel Study <-- Preview
Cost: $1 Canadian. Includes the ability to print! Upon purchase, the lesson plan with be emailed to you.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle! The words may be llittle more than flat print on a textbook page to your students. How can you catch their interest? This assignment will help you and your students to lift those words off the page and bring them right into their own classroom, with just a little help from Shaquille O'Neal!

Crunch the Numbers for Recycling <-- Preview
Cost: $1 Canadian. Includes answer key and the ability to print! Upon purchase, the lesson plan with be emailed to you.

Book Review Guide for Teachers

The book reviews produced on cubes make great display material. Set them out on a table in the hallway for everyone to see.

There are several points to this review that make it a great learning experience. Computer literacy can be enhanced by requiring the work be in hardcopy. Use it as an opportunity to teach things like the use of the "Justify" option. Accepting only hand drawn illustrations "levels the playing field" by requiring everyone to make an effort to produce some artwork, rather than just allowing those with more change in their pockets to press the button on the photocopier more often.

The issue of plagiarism is an important one for the students to understand. It is not difficult by this time in the year for you to know when you are reading the words of the student themselves, and when you are reading the words of someone else whom they have unthinkingly copied. Discuss the issue with them and inform them of the severity with which plagiarism is dealt with at the university level. One way to help overcome this problem is to require them to submit a first draft to you. You do not have to "mark it" unless you want to. Simply read it and hand it back as OK to go on their cube, or hand it back with the requirement that it be rewritten.

Give the students the assignment at the beginning of the month and allow them the full month in which to complete it. On submission day, the students could share their cubes with their classmates before they are put on display. This allows you a chance to mark them on their ability to make oral presentations. Consider having the students vote on the "Top Ten". Have the winners take their presentations to other classrooms as well.

Click the link below to download a preview copy, or click "Buy Now" button to purchase. A purchased copy will allow you to print for use in a classroom.

January Book Review <-- Preview
Cost: $1 Canadian. Includes the ability to print! Upon purchase, the book review will be emailed to you.

Here's a different spelling list to go with the accumulating snow outside. Click the link below to download a preview copy, or click "Buy Now" button to purchase. A purchased copy comes with the answer key and will also allow you to print for use in a classroom.

Let it Snow <-- Preview
Cost: $1 Canadian. Includes answer key and ability to print! Upon purchase, the lesson plan will be emailed to you.