Which of the numerous “hooks” described in these pages could you incorporate into one of your lessons? Explain, in detail, what you will do and how you will engage your students through this hook.
Interior design hook- I have slowly started this in my health classroom, but my goal is far far away. I really want the health classroom to represent a positive mental health environment. Ranging from calming music, red/blue light therapy, fidgets and stress release station. I also want to add something favorable to the eye, such as covers for the lights (a sunset cover, or clouds). I want the classroom to look and feel extremely warm so that the students want to be here!
Kinesthetic Hook- I am always looking for more ways to get up and moving during class. We do spend time dancing, preparing actions for our concerts, and so on, but there are also days where we spend too much time sitting on the floor in our assigned spots as I lecture or as we rehearse music. A goal of mine is to write in at least 10 minutes of structured movement into my 30 minute lessons each day. One way I will do this is by practicing rhythm with body percussion instead of just clapping or using percussion instruments. This will get to the students on their feet and feeling the rhythm throughout their body.
Which of the numerous “hooks” described in these pages could you incorporate into one of your lessons? Explain, in detail, what you will do and how you will engage your students through this hook?
The hook that I could incorporate into my lessons is the Mystery Bag Hook. In preschool, we are teaching letters, shapes, numbers and colors. A lot of the basic things' kids need to know. When we are learning our new letter of the week, I could start doing a mystery box. I could put a bunch of things in there that start with the letter we are learning, and each student would come up and feel inside the mystery box and pull something out. I believe that this would help keep all the kids engaged and interested during the lesson. They would continue to be excited to see what's inside the mystery box.
I posted a blog right before this with the same exact answer but forgot to put my name. So, here is the correct blog post with my name now!
Which of the numerous “hooks” described in these pages could you incorporate into one of your lessons? Explain, in detail, what you will do and how you will engage your students through this hook?
The hook that I could incorporate into my lessons is the Mystery Bag Hook. In preschool, we are teaching letters, shapes, numbers and colors. A lot of the basic things' kids need to know. When we are learning our new letter of the week, I could start doing a mystery box. I could put a bunch of things in there that start with the letter we are learning, and each student would come up and feel inside the mystery box and pull something out. I believe that this would help keep all the kids engaged and interested during the lesson. They would continue to be excited to see what's inside the mystery box.
One of the "hooks" I can see using immediately is "The Message Board Hook." I teach the novel, Long Way Down, by Jason Reynolds and I could put the 3 rules of the neighborhood on the boards to spark curiosity and interest as they enter the classroom. The 3 rules are "No Crying, No Snitching, and Seek Revenge." I could then have them make predictions as to why these 3 rules exist, what they could mean, and where they would be most needed.
Because I teach elementary students, I could see the costumes and props hooks both working well. I can just see my primary students coming into my classroom and seeing me dressed in a costume, It would grab their attention immediately. They would ask me all kinds of questions (which I wouldn't answer until I was ready) and they would be dying to know what was going on.
I think I could incorporate several different hooks into my lessons, but one I'd like to try out soon would be the Picasso or Mozart hooks with the Dewey Decimal System. I would give students some examples and then ask them to exercise their creativity to produce some sort of art or musical rendition that would help them and/or their classmates remember the different Dewey Decimal numbers & what types of books are in those sections.
I love the Kinesthetic Hook. I, like many other social studies teachers love to do hand motions when learning and teaching the Bill of Rights. For each of the first 10 Amendments their is a specific and memorable hand motion. The 1st Amendment uses 1 figure, the 2nd uses 2 and so on. We then can quickly review them together at the start of each hour for the Unit. The students remember most of them weeks and months later! This book is a great reminder of its effectiveness and a reminder that I should use this hook in more ways when I can. I need to get my classes moving. Today, after reading this section, I brought my class outside of the 4 walls of my classroom to do a review activity. Because its novel, I hope the students get more from this rather than just sitting in the classroom.
The real-world application hook would be interesting to try. I have done quite a few of these other hooks so I will talk about one I struggle more with using. We do a unit on logo design where we talk about what makes iconic and memorable logos. We do get a chance to create our own, but I think we could take it a step further by having them create a business they would like to run and create a logo and business card. They would have to try and pitch their business to a panel “investors” and we would decide if their logo would stand the test of time. By the standards of what make a good logo (simplicity, recognizability, uniqueness, readability). I generally do run my graphic design class much more like a design firm with “clients” that bring them new projects or need help creating items. It keeps the class more fun for students as they get to experience what being a graphic designer could be like.
I think with the group of students I have in my life skills class the students hobby hook would work best. I teach the students many different life long skills, such as personal hygiene, cooking, washing and drying clothes, folding clothes. We have incorporated a washer and dryer in the classroom so they can have hands on experience by washing items from other classroom such as art. The cooking lab if I know what they like to eat I can prepare a lesson on that dish. And also we are able to get outside the classroom to go to the store . If I can connect with my students on their favorite cartoon character or super hero I can look at bringing in deodorant or toothpaste with either their character or hero on it. This connection would help them engage the the personal hygiene lesson.
The Mission Impossible Hook ... I think I can implement this hook in my upcoming lesson on surviving a mountain challenge. I think that turning my classroom into a mountain will set the stage for the challenge. Then as students enter the classroom I will give a description of the challenge we are facing for the day and allow them to pick 5 items they choose to bring with them from a list of items available. Every 10-15 minutes I will give the students a new event that is happening that they will need to work through to see how they can survive the event. Examples of events would be: coming up to a ledge, a storm is brewing, a frozen lake, running low on water, finding food, rock slide, shelter for the night.
One of the hooks I could use to incorporate into one of my lessons is the "Mystery Bag" hook. During our grammar unit, students focus on adjectives for a week and do various activities to help them learn what an adjective is and how to correctly use one. For one of the activities, I could put various objects in individual bags. A student would then have to reach inside the bag, without looking, and use adjectives to describe what the item in the bag is. To make it more difficult, I could give a word limit and the class has to correctly guess before the word limit is up. This would allow them to practice the different ways you can describe an object, and also allows students to have some friendly competition. This will engage my students because they have to listen to the adjectives, but they also have to listen to their peers who have already guessed what the item could be. It also gives them the opportunity to use critical thinking skills.
I’m currently not teaching at the moment, but I would like to incorporate “The Mission Impossible Hook” into one of my future lessons. When teaching an ELA lesson about identifying the main idea and at least one supporting detail from a text, students could be given a file titled, “Classified File - Eyes Only.” I could have background spy music playing to intensify the mission of their assignment. Students would be given short passages, charts, and a clue card. Eventually they will crack the code and complete a successful mission that encourages collaboration and curiosity which makes learning meaningful and engaging. They will also have a better understanding of finding a main idea with a supporting detail within a text.
I can use the Board Message Hook. I actually have three white boards in my classroom so have lots of space to write. I can write the main themes of what we are learning on the top of one board. I can write the theme verse that goes with our lesson on the top of the second board. I can write a joke or quote that goes with our lesson on the top of the third board. There's a bank that puts up a daily joke that we drive by to get to our homeschool community, and my own kids love reading it each day. I am taking inspiration from that sign. There's a lot of grammar/math jokes that I can use to tie in to my lessons, or I can find a joke that ties in to the season or interests of my students.
I am not sure if it fits here but I think this one relates: The Swimming with Sharks hook. In the past, I have dressed up as a character that enters the room after the bell starts. For example. I dressed up as Bob Ross and came in with my afro and pet squirrel (toy) during our watercolor unit. I walked through the desks and tables and interacted as if I was Bob Ross, asking them about their paintings. Then I stood at the front of the room and presented the new information. I had everyone's attention, that is for sure. For photo class, I hid in the back camera room until the bell rang and then came out with a "jedi robe" (sheet) and a light saber at the beginning of our light painting unit. I marched briskly up and down the aisles with my saber. The only negative of things like this is that I am sensitive to students who do not like change (autism) or surprised (trauma) so need to be very careful to consider everyone in the class.
One hook I could incorporate into my U.S. government lesson on Congress and the checks and balances system is the Backwards Hook. To engage students, I would start the lesson by revealing the final outcome of a legislative scenario, such as a bill becoming law or being vetoed, and then challenge students to figure out the steps that led to that outcome. I would divide students into groups and assign them roles as members of the House, Senate, President, and Supreme Court justices, giving each group clues about their actions and powers.
Students would collaborate to reconstruct the process, discussing how the bill moved through each chamber, what compromises were needed, and how the executive and judicial branches might intervene. By starting with the “end” and having students work backward, they are actively problem-solving, thinking critically, and engaging in discussion rather than passively receiving information. This hook also allows them to connect the process to real-world consequences, such as how laws affect their near-future lives as voters, workers, and citizens. I think for government class this is a great fit to implement.
I would use the interior design hook by creating an immersive classroom atmosphere to bring the lesson to life. For example, to teach about bears, I would transform my room into a bear den. I would add cozy “caves” with blankets and pillows, place stuffed bears around the room, use brown and green colors to mimic a forest, and play ambient forest sounds.
I would also enhance the sensory table with nuts, berries, dirt, and real or pretend bugs for hands-on exploration. On the walls, I would display life-size comparisons of bear heights to help students visualize the animals. Students would engage by exploring the space, role-playing as bears, investigating the sensory materials, and participating in interactive activities, making the lesson playful, memorable, and deeply connected to the content.
I love the idea of the props hook for my second grade classroom. Being able to bring something physical, or being able to show pictures, does a lot for littles. It helps them to stay focused on the lesson, and it makes it more real for them. It is easier to incorporate this hook into subjects such as art, science, or math. I'd like to get better at utilizing it in reading and social studies as well. In science, I would try to find an example to bring in, or a video to show that pertained to the lesson I was teaching. I definitely saw a difference in their attention and focus on the days that I would incorporate props. When I go back to the classroom someday, I'd like to really work on this in reading and social studies.
Without a doubt, the STORYTELLING HOOK is the hook that easily fits into my lessons, and I already use it quite a bit. I did not take the traditional route to becoming an educator and as a result I experienced a lot of different opportunities that I can relate to juniors and seniors in the classes I teach. Along the way, I have also met a lot of unique people with interesting experiences that they have shared with me that relate to the topics I teach. An example is that I teach a course called Street Law. It is so easy for me to engage my students with stories as I have family members that are lawyers, family friends that are lawyers, former students who are State Patrol Officers and County Deputies. It is easy for me to change names and give students real world examples when we come across content that is relative to the story hook. Having worked in about every sector of the work force also allows me to share different perspectives in Economics class as I know what students can expect when they enter the work force. I can also talk to them about economic struggles as well, as my students cannot understand working for $4.25 or gas costing $.89 a gallon or that my first teaching contract was for just over $19,000. We have a family friend who was a sniper in Vietnam (he has shared some incredible stories) who I referenced his stories in U.S. History, my grandma just turned 90 and I have used some of her life stories in history class as well. I will say that in terms of teaching social studies, storytelling hooks work great!
Teaching middle school social studies, I think the storytelling hook is the most prominent one for me to try and incorporate into my daily routine. The more entertaining I can make the content through story telling, the often I will be able to use this hook. I don't remember the exact hook it was, but I will also try to get more physical actions out of my students, requiring them to move and participate. I incorporated this yesterday during my lesson on Monarchies, I picked a volunteer who would be the king/queen, and made everyone bow to their 'ruler'. Then allowed the king/queen to come up with rules that the rest of the class was required to follow for the remainder of the period. In several classes, there were punishments for things like speaking out of turn or blurting out that led to students having to do push ups or sit ups. When students showed up today, many of them were wondering if there would be more kings/queens or if the rules still applied today as well.
One of the hooks that I could incorporate into my lessons is the mystery box hook. In preschool, we have a teach a letter a week and have a letter person puppet to go with it. I could have the letter person put things in the mystery box that begins with that specific letter each week and give the students clues to the items. We would practice saying the beginning sound each time the guessed an item. Another way I could use the mystery box hook is when we are learning about the 5 senses. I would put items in the mystery box that have different textures. Students will be able to reach their hand in the box and use their sense of touch to feel the items and guess what they are.
With my 5th grade readers, we are reading one of my all-time favorite books, Because of Winn Dixie by Kate Dicamillo. It is such a beautiful story, rich with themes and lessons and connections. We have the most meaningful discussions about the connections students make to this story, and it provides so many opportunities for reinforcement of comprehension strategies and story elements. I won't go into a lot of detail or background, but at the climax of the story, Opal, the main character, hosts a party to bring together all the new friends she has made "because" of Winn Dixie, her dog. Each guest brings an item with deep meaning to the party. I am planning on using the Chef Hook and the Interior Design Hook to surprise my students with a recreation of this party that holds so much significance to the story. I did this in the past and the reactions of my students and the fun we had reenacting it is among my most treasured teacher memories. It and the book also made a deep impact on many of my students, as it was mentioned often in graduation thank you messages I received from former students. Sadly, for whatever reason, I have not made the effort to do this in the last four or five years. I am sincerely grateful for having had this opportunity to do this books study, and I am so appreciative of Dave for sharing his passion and expertise. He is truly inspiring, and I look forward to implementing more of his hooks into my lessons.
I responded on March 25th, but now realized I was signed out of my account. Here is my response again: One of the hooks that I could incorporate into my lessons is the mystery box hook. In preschool, we have a teach a letter a week and have a letter person puppet to go with it. I could have the letter person put things in the mystery box that begins with that specific letter each week and give the students clues to the items. We would practice saying the beginning sound each time the guessed an item. Another way I could use the mystery box hook is when we are learning about the 5 senses. I would put items in the mystery box that have different textures. Students will be able to reach their hand in the box and use their sense of touch to feel the items and guess what they are.
Which of the numerous “hooks” described in these pages could you incorporate into one of your lessons? Explain, in detail, what you will do and how you will engage your students through this hook.
A hook that I could incorporate into one of my lessons on career research is the backwards hook. The backwards hook increases interest by presenting material out of sequence, helps students figure out and discover the beginning and middle after giving them the end of the story, and makes students want to learn the skills to get to the end. Instead of having student research careers as students typically would which is not always engaging, I could provide students with the ending, such as an image of a luxury high end house. Students would have to predict the type of profession the person has, how they got there, etc. Students would ultimately research education, salary, skills, work environment, etc. This approach would evoke curiosity and help student see that careers are a journey.
Through this hook, I would utilize student voting, student guessing, and think-pair-share to ensure all engage with the lesson. Starting the lesson with curiosity, predictions and discussions would actively engage student.
I love the Board Message Hook. I teach 6 sections of math a day and when I hear students talk about what we did in math class to their buddies in the hall, that provides me with extra motivation. I want to incorporate this so that when my first period is over, students are having discussion, wondering, and creating ideas before they come to class. I liked the idea of a QR code. This could even be posted outside my classroom so that students can scan it for a preview of today's lesson. It could be a short video, an I wonder question, a cartoon or picture, or anything else that would make them excited to come to math class. Curiosity, Wonder, and Excitement is what students and teachers need in their learning environments. I am going to start this tomorrow!
Blog Post #7 Which of the numerous “hooks” described in these pages could you incorporate into one of your lessons? Explain, in detail, what you will do and how you will engage your students through this hook. I love cooking and baking, so I often use the Chef Hook in my lessons. We read a story titled "Jalapeno Bagels." Every year, we make the bagel recipe that is included at the end of the story. There are other foods mentioned in the story, and in the past, I've also made Chango Bars. This hook creates excitement for the story every year. Students anticipate this activity because they remember the excitement of previous classes when they made and ate the bagels. The students measure and add the ingredients. They learn about the necessity of yeast in the dough. They chop the jalapenos (the ingredient that combines the two cultures, Jewish and Mexican). The flour is added, the dough is kneaded, and allowed to rest. After resting, the dough is divided into small sections that will be rolled out to form bagels. After rising again, the bagels are boiled, an important step in making bagels, and then baked. Delicious bagels are topped with cream cheese and strawberry jam. This is a tasty way to create a lasting memory of this reading story. I also make a punch in connection with our liquid measurement lessons in math. Pudding dirt cups are fun to make to teach the soil layers.
I like the Backward Hook for social studies. You can incorporate it in geography and how landforms were formed. US History can be done the entire years we have be on the continent. US Government is much the same. How did we get bills into laws, how did we establish the three branches of government? I enjoyed reading about all of the hooks.
Which of the numerous “hooks” described in these pages could you incorporate into one of your lessons? Explain, in detail, what you will do and how you will engage your students through this hook. Lesson: “Writing Like a Detective” For this lesson, I’ll be using the following hooks: Interior Design, Costume, Involved Audience, and Mystery Bag. Prior to the lesson, I will create 3 writing stations with three desks at each station (I have a small class). The desks will be arranged in circles facing each other. I will create 3 mystery boxes-each with its own mystery item inside. Each box will have a small hole for students to feel what’s inside. The mystery items will include a dryer sheet, cherry tomatoes, and a glass candle lid. I will wrap the boxes and place question marks on each box top. A box will be placed on one desk within each group of three. The other two desks within each group will have a clip board with a “Write Like a Detective” recording sheet. I will have Sherlock Holmes music playing in the background and I will be wearing a detective cape and hat holding a magnifying glass as the students enter my classroom. Upon entering, each student will be handed a cape and a magnifying glass and I will direct them to their first station where they will sit and listen for directions. I will say, “Welcome to The Ausmus Detective Agency. You have been selected to help me solve a very special case. As a detective, you must become an expert at writing as descriptively as you can. When clues are discovered, a detective must collect them and select the best words to describe each clue.” I will then show them a slide on my smartboard that has an object and a well written description of that clue. I will then say, “I have found 3 clues to help solve this case and it is up to you to identify what they are and describe them as best as you can. Each station has a list of descriptive words, a dictionary, and a thesaurus. You will have 7 minutes at each station, so you will have to use your time wisely. When you hear a whistle sound, you will take your clipboard and notes to the next station. Your goal is to figure out what each clue is by using your senses and then using your resources, create an expert description of each clue.” I will then ask my students if there are any questions and then let them begin. At the end (the last 14 minutes of the lesson), the detectives will join me at the back table that will be decorated like Sherlock Holmes’ work space. I will have an anchor chart (created ahead of time) for each clue posted on the board behind me. Students will take turns reading their descriptions of clue #1 and I will use their words to create a description of the first clue on clue #1’s anchor chart. This process will be repeated until we have a strong description of each clue. I will close the lesson by reminding my detectives that the more descriptive they are, the more they’ll impress and capture their readers. Sherlock Holmes music will play as students will then be given a certificate that says they have completed level 1 of detective school. Certificates will have each student's name on them and students will be able to keep their capes and magnifying glasses.
Interior design hook- I have slowly started this in my health classroom, but my goal is far far away. I really want the health classroom to represent a positive mental health environment. Ranging from calming music, red/blue light therapy, fidgets and stress release station. I also want to add something favorable to the eye, such as covers for the lights (a sunset cover, or clouds). I want the classroom to look and feel extremely warm so that the students want to be here!
ReplyDeleteKinesthetic Hook-
ReplyDeleteI am always looking for more ways to get up and moving during class. We do spend time dancing, preparing actions for our concerts, and so on, but there are also days where we spend too much time sitting on the floor in our assigned spots as I lecture or as we rehearse music. A goal of mine is to write in at least 10 minutes of structured movement into my 30 minute lessons each day. One way I will do this is by practicing rhythm with body percussion instead of just clapping or using percussion instruments. This will get to the students on their feet and feeling the rhythm throughout their body.
Which of the numerous “hooks” described in these pages could you incorporate into one of your lessons? Explain, in detail, what you will do and how you will engage your students through this hook?
ReplyDeleteThe hook that I could incorporate into my lessons is the Mystery Bag Hook. In preschool, we are teaching letters, shapes, numbers and colors. A lot of the basic things' kids need to know. When we are learning our new letter of the week, I could start doing a mystery box. I could put a bunch of things in there that start with the letter we are learning, and each student would come up and feel inside the mystery box and pull something out. I believe that this would help keep all the kids engaged and interested during the lesson. They would continue to be excited to see what's inside the mystery box.
I posted a blog right before this with the same exact answer but forgot to put my name. So, here is the correct blog post with my name now!
ReplyDeleteWhich of the numerous “hooks” described in these pages could you incorporate into one of your lessons? Explain, in detail, what you will do and how you will engage your students through this hook?
The hook that I could incorporate into my lessons is the Mystery Bag Hook. In preschool, we are teaching letters, shapes, numbers and colors. A lot of the basic things' kids need to know. When we are learning our new letter of the week, I could start doing a mystery box. I could put a bunch of things in there that start with the letter we are learning, and each student would come up and feel inside the mystery box and pull something out. I believe that this would help keep all the kids engaged and interested during the lesson. They would continue to be excited to see what's inside the mystery box.
Trina Merideth's Response:
ReplyDeleteOne of the "hooks" I can see using immediately is "The Message Board Hook." I teach the novel, Long Way Down, by Jason Reynolds and I could put the 3 rules of the neighborhood on the boards to spark curiosity and interest as they enter the classroom. The 3 rules are "No Crying, No Snitching, and Seek Revenge."
I could then have them make predictions as to why these 3 rules exist, what they could mean, and where they would be most needed.
Because I teach elementary students, I could see the costumes and props hooks both working well. I can just see my primary students coming into my classroom and seeing me dressed in a costume, It would grab their attention immediately. They would ask me all kinds of questions (which I wouldn't answer until I was ready) and they would be dying to know what was going on.
ReplyDeleteI think I could incorporate several different hooks into my lessons, but one I'd like to try out soon would be the Picasso or Mozart hooks with the Dewey Decimal System. I would give students some examples and then ask them to exercise their creativity to produce some sort of art or musical rendition that would help them and/or their classmates remember the different Dewey Decimal numbers & what types of books are in those sections.
ReplyDeleteI love the Kinesthetic Hook. I, like many other social studies teachers love to do hand motions when learning and teaching the Bill of Rights. For each of the first 10 Amendments their is a specific and memorable hand motion. The 1st Amendment uses 1 figure, the 2nd uses 2 and so on. We then can quickly review them together at the start of each hour for the Unit. The students remember most of them weeks and months later! This book is a great reminder of its effectiveness and a reminder that I should use this hook in more ways when I can. I need to get my classes moving. Today, after reading this section, I brought my class outside of the 4 walls of my classroom to do a review activity. Because its novel, I hope the students get more from this rather than just sitting in the classroom.
ReplyDeleteThe real-world application hook would be interesting to try. I have done quite a few of these other hooks so I will talk about one I struggle more with using. We do a unit on logo design where we talk about what makes iconic and memorable logos. We do get a chance to create our own, but I think we could take it a step further by having them create a business they would like to run and create a logo and business card. They would have to try and pitch their business to a panel “investors” and we would decide if their logo would stand the test of time. By the standards of what make a good logo (simplicity, recognizability, uniqueness, readability). I generally do run my graphic design class much more like a design firm with “clients” that bring them new projects or need help creating items. It keeps the class more fun for students as they get to experience what being a graphic designer could be like.
ReplyDeleteI think with the group of students I have in my life skills class the students hobby hook would work best. I teach the students many different life long skills, such as personal hygiene, cooking, washing and drying clothes, folding clothes. We have incorporated a washer and dryer in the classroom so they can have hands on experience by washing items from other classroom such as art. The cooking lab if I know what they like to eat I can prepare a lesson on that dish. And also we are able to get outside the classroom to go to the store . If I can connect with my students on their favorite cartoon character or super hero I can look at bringing in deodorant or toothpaste with either their character or hero on it. This connection would help them engage the the personal hygiene lesson.
ReplyDeleteThe Mission Impossible Hook ...
ReplyDeleteI think I can implement this hook in my upcoming lesson on surviving a mountain challenge. I think that turning my classroom into a mountain will set the stage for the challenge. Then as students enter the classroom I will give a description of the challenge we are facing for the day and allow them to pick 5 items they choose to bring with them from a list of items available. Every 10-15 minutes I will give the students a new event that is happening that they will need to work through to see how they can survive the event. Examples of events would be: coming up to a ledge, a storm is brewing, a frozen lake, running low on water, finding food, rock slide, shelter for the night.
One of the hooks I could use to incorporate into one of my lessons is the "Mystery Bag" hook. During our grammar unit, students focus on adjectives for a week and do various activities to help them learn what an adjective is and how to correctly use one. For one of the activities, I could put various objects in individual bags. A student would then have to reach inside the bag, without looking, and use adjectives to describe what the item in the bag is. To make it more difficult, I could give a word limit and the class has to correctly guess before the word limit is up. This would allow them to practice the different ways you can describe an object, and also allows students to have some friendly competition. This will engage my students because they have to listen to the adjectives, but they also have to listen to their peers who have already guessed what the item could be. It also gives them the opportunity to use critical thinking skills.
ReplyDeleteI’m currently not teaching at the moment, but I would like to incorporate “The Mission Impossible Hook” into one of my future lessons. When teaching an ELA lesson about identifying the main idea and at least one supporting detail from a text, students could be given a file titled, “Classified File - Eyes Only.” I could have background spy music playing to intensify the mission of their assignment. Students would be given short passages, charts, and a clue card. Eventually they will crack the code and complete a successful mission that encourages collaboration and curiosity which makes learning meaningful and engaging. They will also have a better understanding of finding a main idea with a supporting detail within a text.
ReplyDeleteI can use the Board Message Hook. I actually have three white boards in my classroom so have lots of space to write. I can write the main themes of what we are learning on the top of one board. I can write the theme verse that goes with our lesson on the top of the second board. I can write a joke or quote that goes with our lesson on the top of the third board. There's a bank that puts up a daily joke that we drive by to get to our homeschool community, and my own kids love reading it each day. I am taking inspiration from that sign. There's a lot of grammar/math jokes that I can use to tie in to my lessons, or I can find a joke that ties in to the season or interests of my students.
ReplyDeleteI am not sure if it fits here but I think this one relates: The Swimming with Sharks hook. In the past, I have dressed up as a character that enters the room after the bell starts. For example. I dressed up as Bob Ross and came in with my afro and pet squirrel (toy) during our watercolor unit. I walked through the desks and tables and interacted as if I was Bob Ross, asking them about their paintings. Then I stood at the front of the room and presented the new information. I had everyone's attention, that is for sure. For photo class, I hid in the back camera room until the bell rang and then came out with a "jedi robe" (sheet) and a light saber at the beginning of our light painting unit. I marched briskly up and down the aisles with my saber. The only negative of things like this is that I am sensitive to students who do not like change (autism) or surprised (trauma) so need to be very careful to consider everyone in the class.
ReplyDeleteOne hook I could incorporate into my U.S. government lesson on Congress and the checks and balances system is the Backwards Hook. To engage students, I would start the lesson by revealing the final outcome of a legislative scenario, such as a bill becoming law or being vetoed, and then challenge students to figure out the steps that led to that outcome. I would divide students into groups and assign them roles as members of the House, Senate, President, and Supreme Court justices, giving each group clues about their actions and powers.
ReplyDeleteStudents would collaborate to reconstruct the process, discussing how the bill moved through each chamber, what compromises were needed, and how the executive and judicial branches might intervene. By starting with the “end” and having students work backward, they are actively problem-solving, thinking critically, and engaging in discussion rather than passively receiving information. This hook also allows them to connect the process to real-world consequences, such as how laws affect their near-future lives as voters, workers, and citizens. I think for government class this is a great fit to implement.
I would use the interior design hook by creating an immersive classroom atmosphere to bring the lesson to life. For example, to teach about bears, I would transform my room into a bear den. I would add cozy “caves” with blankets and pillows, place stuffed bears around the room, use brown and green colors to mimic a forest, and play ambient forest sounds.
ReplyDeleteI would also enhance the sensory table with nuts, berries, dirt, and real or pretend bugs for hands-on exploration. On the walls, I would display life-size comparisons of bear heights to help students visualize the animals. Students would engage by exploring the space, role-playing as bears, investigating the sensory materials, and participating in interactive activities, making the lesson playful, memorable, and deeply connected to the content.
I love the idea of the props hook for my second grade classroom. Being able to bring something physical, or being able to show pictures, does a lot for littles. It helps them to stay focused on the lesson, and it makes it more real for them. It is easier to incorporate this hook into subjects such as art, science, or math. I'd like to get better at utilizing it in reading and social studies as well. In science, I would try to find an example to bring in, or a video to show that pertained to the lesson I was teaching. I definitely saw a difference in their attention and focus on the days that I would incorporate props. When I go back to the classroom someday, I'd like to really work on this in reading and social studies.
ReplyDeleteWithout a doubt, the STORYTELLING HOOK is the hook that easily fits into my lessons, and I already use it quite a bit. I did not take the traditional route to becoming an educator and as a result I experienced a lot of different opportunities that I can relate to juniors and seniors in the classes I teach. Along the way, I have also met a lot of unique people with interesting experiences that they have shared with me that relate to the topics I teach. An example is that I teach a course called Street Law. It is so easy for me to engage my students with stories as I have family members that are lawyers, family friends that are lawyers, former students who are State Patrol Officers and County Deputies. It is easy for me to change names and give students real world examples when we come across content that is relative to the story hook. Having worked in about every sector of the work force also allows me to share different perspectives in Economics class as I know what students can expect when they enter the work force. I can also talk to them about economic struggles as well, as my students cannot understand working for $4.25 or gas costing $.89 a gallon or that my first teaching contract was for just over $19,000. We have a family friend who was a sniper in Vietnam (he has shared some incredible stories) who I referenced his stories in U.S. History, my grandma just turned 90 and I have used some of her life stories in history class as well. I will say that in terms of teaching social studies, storytelling hooks work great!
ReplyDeleteTeaching middle school social studies, I think the storytelling hook is the most prominent one for me to try and incorporate into my daily routine. The more entertaining I can make the content through story telling, the often I will be able to use this hook. I don't remember the exact hook it was, but I will also try to get more physical actions out of my students, requiring them to move and participate. I incorporated this yesterday during my lesson on Monarchies, I picked a volunteer who would be the king/queen, and made everyone bow to their 'ruler'. Then allowed the king/queen to come up with rules that the rest of the class was required to follow for the remainder of the period. In several classes, there were punishments for things like speaking out of turn or blurting out that led to students having to do push ups or sit ups. When students showed up today, many of them were wondering if there would be more kings/queens or if the rules still applied today as well.
ReplyDeleteOne of the hooks that I could incorporate into my lessons is the mystery box hook. In preschool, we have a teach a letter a week and have a letter person puppet to go with it. I could have the letter person put things in the mystery box that begins with that specific letter each week and give the students clues to the items. We would practice saying the beginning sound each time the guessed an item.
ReplyDeleteAnother way I could use the mystery box hook is when we are learning about the 5 senses. I would put items in the mystery box that have different textures. Students will be able to reach their hand in the box and use their sense of touch to feel the items and guess what they are.
With my 5th grade readers, we are reading one of my all-time favorite books, Because of Winn Dixie by Kate Dicamillo. It is such a beautiful story, rich with themes and lessons and connections. We have the most meaningful discussions about the connections students make to this story, and it provides so many opportunities for reinforcement of comprehension strategies and story elements. I won't go into a lot of detail or background, but at the climax of the story, Opal, the main character, hosts a party to bring together all the new friends she has made "because" of Winn Dixie, her dog. Each guest brings an item with deep meaning to the party. I am planning on using the Chef Hook and the Interior Design Hook to surprise my students with a recreation of this party that holds so much significance to the story.
ReplyDeleteI did this in the past and the reactions of my students and the fun we had reenacting it is among my most treasured teacher memories. It and the book also made a deep impact on many of my students, as it was mentioned often in graduation thank you messages I received from former students.
Sadly, for whatever reason, I have not made the effort to do this in the last four or five years. I am sincerely grateful for having had this opportunity to do this books study, and I am so appreciative of Dave for sharing his passion and expertise. He is truly inspiring, and I look forward to implementing more of his hooks into my lessons.
I responded on March 25th, but now realized I was signed out of my account. Here is my response again:
ReplyDeleteOne of the hooks that I could incorporate into my lessons is the mystery box hook. In preschool, we have a teach a letter a week and have a letter person puppet to go with it. I could have the letter person put things in the mystery box that begins with that specific letter each week and give the students clues to the items. We would practice saying the beginning sound each time the guessed an item.
Another way I could use the mystery box hook is when we are learning about the 5 senses. I would put items in the mystery box that have different textures. Students will be able to reach their hand in the box and use their sense of touch to feel the items and guess what they are.
Which of the numerous “hooks” described in these pages could you incorporate into one of your lessons? Explain, in detail, what you will do and how you will engage your students through this hook.
ReplyDeleteA hook that I could incorporate into one of my lessons on career research is the backwards hook. The backwards hook increases interest by presenting material out of sequence, helps students figure out and discover the beginning and middle after giving them the end of the story, and makes students want to learn the skills to get to the end. Instead of having student research careers as students typically would which is not always engaging, I could provide students with the ending, such as an image of a luxury high end house. Students would have to predict the type of profession the person has, how they got there, etc. Students would ultimately research education, salary, skills, work environment, etc. This approach would evoke curiosity and help student see that careers are a journey.
Through this hook, I would utilize student voting, student guessing, and think-pair-share to ensure all engage with the lesson. Starting the lesson with curiosity, predictions and discussions would actively engage student.
I love the Board Message Hook. I teach 6 sections of math a day and when I hear students talk about what we did in math class to their buddies in the hall, that provides me with extra motivation. I want to incorporate this so that when my first period is over, students are having discussion, wondering, and creating ideas before they come to class. I liked the idea of a QR code. This could even be posted outside my classroom so that students can scan it for a preview of today's lesson. It could be a short video, an I wonder question, a cartoon or picture, or anything else that would make them excited to come to math class. Curiosity, Wonder, and Excitement is what students and teachers need in their learning environments. I am going to start this tomorrow!
ReplyDeleteBlog Post #7
ReplyDeleteWhich of the numerous “hooks” described in these pages could you incorporate into one of your lessons? Explain, in detail, what you will do and how you will engage your students through this hook.
I love cooking and baking, so I often use the Chef Hook in my lessons. We read a story titled "Jalapeno Bagels." Every year, we make the bagel recipe that is included at the end of the story. There are other foods mentioned in the story, and in the past, I've also made Chango Bars. This hook creates excitement for the story every year. Students anticipate this activity because they remember the excitement of previous classes when they made and ate the bagels. The students measure and add the ingredients. They learn about the necessity of yeast in the dough. They chop the jalapenos (the ingredient that combines the two cultures, Jewish and Mexican). The flour is added, the dough is kneaded, and allowed to rest. After resting, the dough is divided into small sections that will be rolled out to form bagels. After rising again, the bagels are boiled, an important step in making bagels, and then baked. Delicious bagels are topped with cream cheese and strawberry jam. This is a tasty way to create a lasting memory of this reading story. I also make a punch in connection with our liquid measurement lessons in math. Pudding dirt cups are fun to make to teach the soil layers.
I like the Backward Hook for social studies. You can incorporate it in geography and how landforms were formed. US History can be done the entire years we have be on the continent. US Government is much the same. How did we get bills into laws, how did we establish the three branches of government? I enjoyed reading about all of the hooks.
ReplyDeleteWhich of the numerous “hooks” described in these pages could you incorporate into one of your lessons? Explain, in detail, what you will do and how you will engage your students through this hook.
ReplyDeleteLesson: “Writing Like a Detective”
For this lesson, I’ll be using the following hooks: Interior Design, Costume, Involved Audience, and Mystery Bag. Prior to the lesson, I will create 3 writing stations with three desks at each station (I have a small class). The desks will be arranged in circles facing each other. I will create 3 mystery boxes-each with its own mystery item inside. Each box will have a small hole for students to feel what’s inside. The mystery items will include a dryer sheet, cherry tomatoes, and a glass candle lid. I will wrap the boxes and place question marks on each box top. A box will be placed on one desk within each group of three. The other two desks within each group will have a clip board with a “Write Like a Detective” recording sheet. I will have Sherlock Holmes music playing in the background and I will be wearing a detective cape and hat holding a magnifying glass as the students enter my classroom. Upon entering, each student will be handed a cape and a magnifying glass and I will direct them to their first station where they will sit and listen for directions. I will say, “Welcome to The Ausmus Detective Agency. You have been selected to help me solve a very special case. As a detective, you must become an expert at writing as descriptively as you can. When clues are discovered, a detective must collect them and select the best words to describe each clue.” I will then show them a slide on my smartboard that has an object and a well written description of that clue. I will then say, “I have found 3 clues to help solve this case and it is up to you to identify what they are and describe them as best as you can. Each station has a list of descriptive words, a dictionary, and a thesaurus. You will have 7 minutes at each station, so you will have to use your time wisely. When you hear a whistle sound, you will take your clipboard and notes to the next station. Your goal is to figure out what each clue is by using your senses and then using your resources, create an expert description of each clue.” I will then ask my students if there are any questions and then let them begin. At the end (the last 14 minutes of the lesson), the detectives will join me at the back table that will be decorated like Sherlock Holmes’ work space. I will have an anchor chart (created ahead of time) for each clue posted on the board behind me. Students will take turns reading their descriptions of clue #1 and I will use their words to create a description of the first clue on clue #1’s anchor chart. This process will be repeated until we have a strong description of each clue. I will close the lesson by reminding my detectives that the more descriptive they are, the more they’ll impress and capture their readers. Sherlock Holmes music will play as students will then be given a certificate that says they have completed level 1 of detective school. Certificates will have each student's name on them and students will be able to keep their capes and magnifying glasses.