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A brain-based classroom is one in which students are actively engaged in learning. What exactly does it mean for students to actively participate? It certainly isn’t about students completing worksheets, answering basic questions, or taking notes from a lecture. Take a minute to think about the definitions of these two words. The word active it means moving, working, participating, being energized and provoking action. The word commits it means requiring the use of/occupying, attracting and holding attention, and engaging. Basically, when students actively participate, they participate and work in an active way, full of energy and movement, and they are involved and interested in what is being learned.

wow! Is that too much to ask of our students, or is it more than too much to ask of us? This type of learning requires a lot more work and effort on our part to make it more meaningful to students. It is much easier to read the chapter, answer the questions at the end, and complete a prepared worksheet. However, there is hope! Many of the new textbooks now available include activities that actively engage students in their learning. Does your textbook have these tips and ideas in the teacher’s edition? If so, did you ever use those activities in your lesson plans? The next time you sit down to plan lessons, read through the activities provided and think about how you could incorporate them into your lesson. If you don’t have a newer textbook or are just looking for other ideas to get students actively engaged, the tips below are for you.

Games

Ask students to create their own game that applies the concepts and/or skills learned for a particular unit. This activity also integrates writing, since the students will have to write the instructions. Take some time to check out the educational games that are now available and discuss them with your students. Help them see the elements found in a board or card game. Notice how the instructions are organized and written so that students have a model to follow. One of my students made a set of Colonies as a project for our 13 Colonies unit. He was able to show all the learning from him through the creation of this game.

There are also many great games available these days to help practice reading, spelling, math, science, and social studies skills. How could you use Monopoly, the Allowance game, Scategories, Scrabble, Mastermind, or Taboo in your classroom? While students may think they are simply playing a game, they are actually applying important skills/concepts learned in class. To make the most of this learning opportunity, then have students discuss the different skills they used while playing. Did they learn something new? This type of report makes connections between playing the game and your curriculum. Without the report, the students simply engaged in a fun but pointless activity.

treasure hunt

Create a scavenger hunt for clues, phrases, or questions, and have students read the chapter to find the answers. It is more of a learning experience if the answers are not immediately visible, especially for older students. Have them read the chapter so they can answer the questions or find the clue. Allowing students to work in pairs or groups adds an extra element of fun to this activity. Again, take some time to discuss the activity and results with the class when everyone has finished.

Another twist on this activity that requires more thought on the part of the students is to ask them to read the chapter first and then create their own scavenger hunt. Students then trade papers with each other and have a partner complete their scavenger hunt. Allow pairs of students to discuss the positives and negatives of the created scavenger hunt. What was too easy? What was challenging? Were the questions/clues misleading or clearly understandable?

scripts

Again, this activity works great with textbook reading. Have students work in pairs or groups to turn a historical event, textbook chapter, or story into a play. You can also have students work together to explain a concept or skill through a performance or play. Writing the script incorporates writing skills into the class and provides you with an assessment tool.

A twist on this activity is for students to rewrite events or concepts read about in the textbook or recently learned through direct instruction as a children’s story. This type of activity requires students to think at higher levels. Comprehension, analysis, application, and synthesis are all involved, as students must understand what was read and be able to explain and apply it within a children’s fiction short story.

learning stations

You don’t have to be an elementary school teacher for the Learning Stations to work. Take your unit and think of five or six different activity or reading stations for students to complete. Write the instructions for each station and glue the page to the construction paper. We laminate ours to last. Then write a checklist for students to use as they travel to each station. This will help them know what to complete on each one. To set up, simply place the instructions and materials on a group of desks or a table for each “station.” When you’re done, place the laminated instructions in a manila folder and label them. Then keep it in your file cabinet for next year. In fact, I laminate reading passages, checklists, etc. so you can use them over and over again every year. This type of activity is also a great way to integrate other concepts and skills from the subject area into your lesson/unit.

With all of these activities, it is important that you are monitoring all the time to keep students on track. Ask guiding questions to help students complete the task and get the most out of the activity. You should also take the time to review your expectations for behavior and academic results before each activity. This reminder, along with constant monitoring, helps keep student misbehavior to a minimum. It is also very important that you take the time to discuss or “brief” with the students about the activity. This type of discussion makes connections between the activity, the overall goal, and the lesson objective for your curriculum. Don’t settle for time fillers. With just a little preparation and inspiration, you can get your students up and running, engaged in their learning, and enjoying every minute of it!

Copyright 2007 Emma McDonald