Kick it Up a Notch! Engage Students’ Brains

“Good laughter” is energizing and invigorating. When we laugh heartily, we bring oxygen into our bodies and work our muscles. It is described as “internal jogging.” Energizing Your Classroom with Laughter

Corners

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Where were you born? 1.Midwest 2.East 3.West 4.South

Favorite Eating Choice. 1.Mexican 2.Chinese 3.American 4.Italian

How familiar are you with Brain-Based Instructional Strategies? 1.Am using them all the time 2.Implemented a few 3.Heard or read about them 4.Brain-Based what???

Pairs Pair Hands up and “High Five” to pair with someone in your corner. You and your partner pair with another pair that is not in your corner. Find a place to sit with your group of four.

Graphic Organizers

The amount of information held in working memory can be increased by chunking the information. A chunk is any coherent group of items that can be remembered as if it were a single item.

Explicitly engaging students in the creation of nonlinguistic representations of any kind stimulates and increases activity in the brain.

Brain- Based Learning

Research’s Top 10 Reasons Graphic Organizers are Useful Tools 10.They are one of the best methods for teaching thinking skills. 9.They stimulate creative thinking. 8.They teach students to think clearly, process, summarize, organize and prioritize information. 7.They help students derive meaning from the content. 6.They increase retention of the content.

5. They create strategic readers and writers. 4. They display students’ thinking. 3. They provide a structure to transfer information from one situation to another. 2. Students who align their thinking with an organizational pattern when reading significantly increase their understanding of the selection. (Comprehension) And the #1 reason… Research’s Top 10 Reasons Graphic Organizers are Useful Tools

#1 Reason... Teaching students how to organize their thinking is a lifetime tool. Research’s Top 10 Reasons Graphic Organizers are Useful Tools

Brain Breaks

In general, students should sit only about 15 to 20 minutes or else their sedentary position causes a decrease in blood and oxygen flow to the brain. Movement awakens their senses and engages their minds. The male brain in particular is designed for physical movement (act, sing, debate, pantomime, experiment, discuss, build, draw, recite, teach, demonstrate, or improvise). Michael Gurian and Kathy Stevens (2005) The Minds of Boys

Brain Breaks Please stand up! When I say “Go,” touch two walls, greet two people with a high five, and find yourself returning to your seats. Everyone take a deep breath! Let it out slowly. Now take another deep breath and say, “Life is s-weeeet!” Thumb wrestle with a partner. Thank your partner when you’re done. Source: Jensen’s Brain Expo. (1993). Laughter Spontaneity Fun & Learning!!! [Handout]. Brickley, L. & DeBolt, K: Presenters. Copyright 2001 Performance Learning Systems, Inc. Performance

Brain Breaks Turn to the person next to you and say… “You are a powerful learner.” (Or any other affirmation pertaining to your lesson. The goal is to have a choral response.) Put your right hand above your head, now your left hand, bring them down to wrap around your skull, and give yourself a brain massage. Source: Jensen’s Brain Expo. (1993). Laughter Spontaneity Fun & Learning!!! [Handout]. Brickley, L. & DeBolt, K: Presenters. Copyright 2001 Performance Learning Systems, Inc. Performance

Brain Breaks While teaching an interesting fact, ask “Can I have an ‘Oooooo’ on that?" Other options include “Ahhhhhh,” “Hmmmmm,” “Ah-Ha,” “Cha Ching,” and “Oh Yeah!” Jump up and down as many times as there are letters in your first, middle, and last names. Source: Jensen’s Brain Expo. (1993). Laughter Spontaneity Fun & Learning!!! [Handout]. Brickley, L. & DeBolt, K: Presenters. Copyright 2001 Performance Learning Systems, Inc. Performance

Brain Breaks Giving Brain Breaks at regular intervals can ensure that everyone is taking a break together, which can in turn mean everyone is paying attention to the lesson together!

Logic Line-Ups

Deductive Reasoning Start with facts or premises Deduce conclusions Body movements help make connections for children. Logic Line-Ups Deductive Thinking/Reasoning

Team stands shoulder to shoulder. Teacher gives the first clue. Team discusses how they should line up according to what they can deduce from the clue. If the team agrees, they move, if not, they discuss until they reach consensus and then move. Logic Line-Ups Deductive Thinking/Reasoning: Round #1

Teacher calls on a correct team to shout out the line-up order. If correct, other teams celebrate. If incorrect, rearrange your team and then celebrate. Thank your team members for playing. Logic Line-Ups Deductive Thinking/Reasoning: Round #2

Problem #1 1.The farmer is not in the middle. 2. The mechanic is first. 3. The fire fighter is to the right of the mechanic. Answers 1. Mechanic, Fire Fighter, Nurse, Farmer

Problem #2 1.The nurse is on an end. 2. The farmer is to the left of the mechanic. 3. The mechanic is on the far right. Answers 2. Nurse, Fire Fighter, Farmer, Mechanic

Problem #3 1.The fire fighter is not next to the mechanic. 2. The nurse is to the left of the fire fighter. 3. The farmer is to the left of the mechanic. 4. The mechanic is second. Answers 3. Farmer, Mechanic, Nurse, Fire Fighter

Music

lower stress and boost learning understand or store content calm down or energize prepare specific pathways for learning content (impacts the immune system, and is an energy source for the brain) Music Can Be Used To… An open mind in a relaxed body empowers the long term memory.

Take two minutes to think of the brain-based learning strategies/facts that you learned today. Closure

Barb Rowenhorst browenhorst.tie.wikispaces.net Pam Lange plange.tie.wikispaces.net