When reaching for a more complex variant, wordsmiths looking to find elegant variations risk landing on a phrasing that leaves something to be desired. Did you ever have an English teacher tell you not to use the same word twice in a paragraph? If so, he or she was encouraging you to use “elegant variation,” a practice as misguided as the ban on starting a sentence with a conjunction. Elegant variation occurs when a writer uses synonyms simply to avoid repeating the same word. Here’s an extreme example: Bananas are a good source of potassium. Eating this elongated yellow fruit can also provide you with Vitamin C. A less extreme example: Four of the defendant’s witnesses were women, while all...
By Presto Plans For some of your students, the love of reading might come naturally. They are the ones in your class squirreling away novels under their desk and reading them during class or the ones who always have a book tucked under their arm in the hallway. But, not all your students feel this way.One of my middle school students once informed me, “I don’t really do books.” So, how do we get our middle school students who do not really “do” books excited about reading? The first place to look when you want to solve student reading apathy is your independent reading program. Student book choice is crucial to create good reading habits in students. Here are five ways I was able...
On July 26, 1945, the Office of War Information in Washington issued the Potsdam Proclamation, an ultimatum demanding that Japan, still at war with the Allies, surrender. On learning of it the next morning, the Japanese foreign minister Shigenori Togo did not see it as a command to surrender unconditionally, and instead proposed negotiations with the Allies, urging the government to treat the matter “with the utmost circumspection, both domestically and internationally.” One of the cabinet members disagreed, proposing instead to reply that they regard the proclamation as absurd, but Prime Minister Kantaro Suzuki supported Togo, and it was decided to publish the text in the press without comment. The papers, however, couldn’t help remarking on the ultimatum, which they...
By Emil Impatiently I looked on my phone for the tenth time that minute. I was waiting for a reply, feeling like my life depends on it. What I forgot in that moment and forget in all the moments like this one: Eagerly waiting for an awaited reply, inevitably leads to disappointment. Seemingly I have understood that some topics must be discussed in person, face-to-face in the literal sense. But which ones are they, and what if it´s just not possible to meet in person? To tell my two-minded story of digital (mis-) communication, I begin with illustrating my comprehension of the core concepts of this essay. When speaking of “digital” communication I refer to the writing of messages,...
Welcome Back-to-School Activities Looking for 3rd-grade welcome back-to-school activities? I got you! I put together blog posts, interactive notebooks, and Google Classroom products that will make your 3rd-grade back-to-school activities and lessons easy-peasy! Read below to find a treasure trove of ways to make your back-to-school season engaging AND easy to prep! 3rd Grade Back-to-School Blog Posts Distance Learning Back-to-School Activities First Day of School Read-Aloud Books Hopes and Dreams in the Classroom How to Start Quiet Time How to Lead Morning Meeting How to Start Closing Circle Simple and Easy Activities to Welcome Students Back to School The Morning Cart 3rd Grade Back-to-School Freebies Digital All About Me Google Classroom graphic organizers Hopes & Dreams template (digital) Hopes...
