Upper Elem Ed

This slide deck guides you through one week of engaging, challenging activities to prepare for a whole class debate. Debates are student-run activities where they practice speaking, listening, close-reading, using vocabulary, analyzing topics deeply, and working in groups. They can be used in any subject! Purchase the bundle to get the worksheets that support each role in the debate and some teacher sources to help you prepare.

In order to have a productive whole class debate, I differentiate by assigning students to different roles. They include Opening Statements, Question Askers, Question Answerers, Counter-Argument (Rebuttal), and Closing Statement. Each role should prepare for the debate in a different way and need to answer some guiding questions, which is what is provided here. Please download the "How to Have a Whole Class Debate" slide deck for more information.

This English and Spanish activity is perfect for using math in real world experiences. Ideally kids go grocery shopping with an adult and record what they buy, then show their math! If students cannot physically go to the story, I allow them to make up some items and the prices. They have to add decimals (I will differentiate to whole numbers if kids aren't able to add decimals yet), then find the change from their $50 budget.

Create a movie poster based on a book students have read in class this year! What should a movie poster include? How will it persuade an audience to want to see it? This is in English and Spanish. I like to give this for homework but can be used for a class project as well.

This is an English/ Spanish version of the "Someone, In, Wanted, But, So" literacy summarizing strategy. It is in a graphic organizer format. I like to use this as a note catcher when kids are reading, for ELD, writing, and I add on a special art project for homework.