"Much of your success as an educator had to do with your attitude towards teaching and towards kids. The rest of your success is based on your willingness to relentlessly search for what engages students in the classroom and then having the guts to do it." (Burgess p.84) "...don't take it too seriously. Be willing to have fun with the process." (Burgess p.85) The hooks that Burgess shares are really brain teasers for teachers when they are creating lessons. It goes back to the Ask & Analyze section of the book. If you don't ask the questions, you'll never come up with the answers. DISCUSSION QUESTION - Choose ONE (or more, if you like) of the HOOKS from Part II. How have used this HOOK or how do you plan to use a HOOK in the future to engage your students? Note: You will expand on this during our meet up on Aug. 2.
37 Comments
John Meehan
7/15/2018 08:57:47 am
Love the hooks toolbox! I’ve tried to make use of many of them in my high school classsrooms. I’ll link to a handful of resources here so you can see them in action - and I’m happy to share any materials you might need.
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Lisa
7/19/2018 11:11:26 pm
All I can say is WOW - I wish you had been my high school teacher! Thank you for sharing all of these ideas!
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Shireen
7/20/2018 02:16:12 pm
Agreed! You sound like an amazing teacher who has a teaching style very similar to our author!
John Meehan
7/20/2018 02:24:51 pm
Thank you folks! Very excited to see and hear more from everyone. This book study is awesome :)
Barbara Ryba
7/20/2018 09:34:54 pm
John, I believe your talents as a teacher are at the level of "Whatever It Takes" to help your students learn. Kuddos and way to be the strong educational captain of your classroom.
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Kerry Stone
7/24/2018 04:57:04 pm
John,
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Pat
7/16/2018 11:10:18 am
The Safari Hook:
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Angela Marshall
7/17/2018 02:17:56 pm
My fifth grade students also go to the Maryland Science Center. The Smithsonian Air and Space Museum is another popular outing.
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Angela Marshall
7/17/2018 02:19:25 pm
This was great reading! Before completing this week’s assignment, I was a little nervous that I had never used “a hook” before. I’m happy to report that I was wrong.
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Cindy Z
7/18/2018 08:07:24 am
That is so funny Angela! I thought the same exact thing when I was reading the Taboo Hook!
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Carie
7/18/2018 11:05:05 am
I laughed out loud after reading your post because this always gets their attention. Any potty talk makes them listen and giggle. This last years class was really into sharks so anytime I would mention shark attack, I could get everyone to look at me.
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Shannon Norris
7/19/2018 08:19:17 am
I wish I could "like" these posts. Great share ladies!
Liz Orlandi
7/20/2018 07:20:06 am
So true, Angela!
Liz Orlandi
7/17/2018 04:54:09 pm
I think it might be easier to choose a hook that I have NOT used (Besides my lab coat or my outdoor gear, I am not fond of dressing up in costumes, usually, but I love bringing in props for the kids.) Otherwise, I think I have used most or all of the hooks, but it is still useful to have such a detailed list to review and remind me to keep putting them into lessons.
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Lauren Casserly
7/21/2018 11:56:23 am
Wow you have worn a lot of hats! I found a similar response in myself while reading. As a music teacher I often worry because of time restrictions and fast class turnover about how much time I can spend on hooks but reading this week showed me that half my class has hooks already engrained into the material. I think I need to worry less about using them as an introduction and start rethinking about hooks as engaging material that can be placed throughout the lesson. Because of my limited room I loved the idea of the teaser hook, it fits into any classroom and won't distract my other classes that share the space.
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Cindy Z
7/18/2018 08:33:38 am
Like some others when I first began reading I was a bit nervous if I had ever used a “hook”. I thought I had but wasn’t completely sure. Once I continued reading I was able to identify many of the things I do as hooks! In Kindergarten we definitely use the Kinesthetic hook often! We play a sight word marching game and jump on a life-save number line for starters. I’ve used the Safari hook to complete a Nature Scavenger hunt and to take a “Creation Walk” when learning about God’s creation in religion. During writing workshop I become the object the students label when I am introducing our labeling lesson which is the People Prop hook. One of my favorites is when we recreate our community around SBS and each student makes a 3-D model of one of the places. When it’s all completed we have everything from the CVS to Pinecrest Park. The list could go on forever with the Craft Store hook. From toilet paper roll Sight word Frankenstein’s to Seed Suitcases to Doctor Kits! Safe to say I’m at Michael’s once a week for something!
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Angela Marshall
7/18/2018 02:05:07 pm
I really like the idea of your 3-D model of a place in your community!!
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Liz Orlandi
7/20/2018 07:27:17 am
I love your ideas for getting the kids up and moving. Can you describe the sight word marching and the life saver number? Those sound really intriguing.
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Carie
7/18/2018 11:25:18 am
I also thought that I was going to find that I was missing something in my teaching when I saw the title of the section. I was completely happy to read that I have used MANY of the hooks in my classroom. It is so easy to hook the young ones. I have used the Safari Hook several times throughout the year in many subjects. The Mozart Hook is another one. I always try to find a song about what I'm talking about. For example, there is a song we follow when we learn our left and right. "Raise your right hand, raise your left hand, wiggle them around, now put your hands down. Turn around to the left, put your right hand on your head," etc. They love it! I think the one I use the most is The Props Hook. I am forever trying to find something hands on about the lesson I'm going to teach. It is as simple as bringing a dog in for Chinese New Year because it was year of the dog. I usually present them with a prop in the beginning of the day during circle time to start the conversation. It usually keeps them "on a hook" for the rest of the day. The Chef hook is also one of my favorites. We are allowed to use the cafeteria kitchen so it is easy. We did a lesson on Australia for our curriculum night (we had an Australian student) and our activity was to make fairy bread. Food always gets their attention. Mine too!
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Angela Marshall
7/18/2018 02:08:28 pm
Your post prompted me to starting thinking about how I might use a chef hook in science.....making ice cream (changing states of matter) is a definite possibility.
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Shireen
7/20/2018 02:19:00 pm
Making ice cream sounds like a wonderful and useful idea! Be brave (I'm telling myself that too, lol!)
Sue Trouba
7/18/2018 04:24:16 pm
I enjoyed reading part 1 of the book, but loved part 2. The hook had me, I always feel rewarded when my students faces light up and they really get what you are teaching them. I know fun and learning go together.
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Andrew
7/19/2018 02:12:59 pm
I definitely enjoyed this section of the book. I agree with many of you. Not sure if I have used 'hooks' before but definitely have. One that comes to mind is chemical and physical changes, and lighting a piece of paper on fire to capture their attention and excitement.
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Lisa Case
7/19/2018 11:23:32 pm
I guess I'm the oddball in the group as I had a hard time at first thinking of how I can use some of these hooks on a regular basis. Then as I got more into the sections I could see that bringing in props, sampling music, using drama are all hooks that I use.
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Katie Sague
7/20/2018 10:08:54 am
What amazing thoughts! Picasso and Mozart with a sprinkle of Chef are my definite “go-to” hooks. Art and music just blend so naturally with literature that it is almost difficult to disconnect them. What struck me most from reading this section was the abundance of reflection questions to mull over while planning. This is truly where good lessons become great. The whole concept of learning by doing and immersing the senses is here. This reading also reminded me that students of all ages (adults included) need a little magic in their learning. Having an early childhood background makes it much easier for me to think through hooks for little guys…I need to up my game for both older kids and faculty planning. As several have mentioned, I would like to incorporate student hobbies/interests a bit more in planning. Little things mean a lot:)
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Shireen Canada
7/20/2018 02:14:44 pm
Hooks I’ve used:
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Kathleen McGinnis
7/20/2018 03:18:16 pm
Two of the more successful hooks I have used are the props and kinesthetic hooks. Middle schoolers still love to play! When I begin the unit on Enlightenment Age thinkers, I review the power of medieval kings by having students act out the roles of tax collectors for the queen - me! They have coins and guards dressed in plastic armor with plastic weapons, and travel throughout the realm collecting taxes from noblemen and landowners, setting the stage for great discussions. During our study of the Civil War, I have students learn to march and respond to military commands, which leads to a greater understanding of the importance of soldier training I also turn my classroom into medieval Africa for a trade simulation, where students are divided into either kingdoms or Berber tribes, and they have to follow specified trade routes without crossing the Sahara Desert in the middle of the room.
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Barbara Ryba
7/20/2018 10:16:30 pm
As a reflective practitioner, I read this section of the book as a "Close Reading Opportunity." Taking intense notes with 3x5 cards, writing in long hand the quotes and digging deep, I am finally finished reading part II. My choice hook would be the Techno Wiz Hook. Having a variety of ways to present information, technology allows students to read for themselves, operate Google Slides (I use random grouping to select my "computer expert" for lessons to move the slides along or go from tab to tab pulling up classroom timer and putting the time in for us to work. There is a circulation desk in our classroom where students use a barcode scanner to check out their own classroom library selections or research classroom books they need for reference. My first graders can navigate Dictionary.com to correct spelling and learn a passion for looking up new words. Students in our room also hold themselves accountable with Dojo points for work ethic or behavior reflection.
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Chris Bliss
7/20/2018 11:35:32 pm
The drama hook is a natural fit for the classroom. Afterall, teaching often feels like performing. This past spring, as part of my graduate studies, I was tasked with presenting the findings of my semester-long research in an interesting format that did not involve a PowerPoint. The presentation could not last more than ten minutes. I did not think ten minutes would even scratch the surface of my topic, but I was much more concerned about the "interesting format" requirement. As I sat in church on Palm Sunday, calling out "Crucify Him" with the congregation, I came up with the idea of writing a play that would involve the students by providing them with spoken parts, but no physical acting. This would eliminate the need for rehearsals. As I began writing the script for the play, the drama unfolded more like A Christmas Carol, where parts presented different perspectives of the same event. Students had 60 seconds to familiarize themselves with their script, and then the play began. I played the part of the narrator, introducing each character before (s)he spoke and connecting the comments of one character to the next. My fellow graduate school students loved the format! The said the play was much more engaging than a lecture and that the information presented in each person's part covered a lot of territory. Many of my graduate classmates planned to use a similar theater format in their classrooms.
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Ashlee
7/21/2018 07:47:45 am
I found myself using a few different hooks for one lesson. For example, in 4th grade science we start off by talking about the types of trees that are native to Maryland. After reading about the types of trees, we took a trip outside (Safari Hook) and went to the field to see if we could identify the tree and the students were able to use the leaves and acorns (which they were collecting). This somehow turned into a cicada carcass gathering event so I went with it (student directed hook). After collecting cicada carcasses we went back to class where we grabbed a few iPads (techno whiz hook) and students were then responsible for finding facts about cicadas. They researched how to tell the difference between a female and male, what they eat, and where they live. Then they found videos of them in action. My kids loved it (though I pretended to). To add some incentive for the research they were doing, I talked to the 8th grade teacher (who happens to love bugs) and she came in to ask the students about their outing. They were so excited to share their findings and their cicadas. We even had a live one to use as comparison that they named Jenny (after they properly identified it as female).
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Sue
7/21/2018 12:05:49 pm
My class enjoys The Prop Hook. During math class to show graphs we use students, they think this is fun. Also for the calendar, addition and subtraction, this hook makes math interesting. We do use The Kinesthetic Hook during class, but I would like to incorporate more of this activity throughout the day to keep us moving till the last minute. Furthermore, I would like to do more with The Student-Directed Hook, maybe our journals could be focused on this.
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Ellie Tehan
7/21/2018 12:24:51 pm
I love the costume hook! I think the costume hook really requires you to give up yourself 100% for the day and the lesson, but once you do, you will be dedicated to the lesson completely and so will the kids. I also love that this hook works before the students even enter your classroom! The students will see you walking around in the morning and the buzz starts there! Before students ever walk into your class there is already anticipation built up about your lesson that day! What an easy way to get students excited! It works really well for history, but you could also be an astronaut for Earth science class or the Sherlock Holmes detective he mentioned, but for reading class- looking for text clues! Also, students in younger grades will see you and hear about your lessons and be excited to get to your grade! My goal this year is to incorporate some costumes into my lessons!
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Judy Jenkins
7/21/2018 01:14:50 pm
So many possibilities with all the HOOKS! I think the challenge is connecting the hook to the lesson. Some hooks may work better with certain classes and age groups. Loved reading about all the possibilities ~ this is a great resource for lesson planning.
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Julie
7/21/2018 03:57:57 pm
I use the kinesthetic hook when we read the message as a class. Within the text of the message I use content specific vocabulary which I have bubbled. Before reading the message, the class brainstorms ideas for gestures to represent the bubbled words. When we read the message, we incorporate the gesture or movement. This strategy is also helpful for ELLs as they are learning the meaning of the vocabulary.
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Erin
7/21/2018 09:46:58 pm
As many of you have commented, I too was concerned that I had not used hooks;alas I had! Some of the hooks I’ve used are:
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7/22/2018 12:37:24 pm
About to fly out on vacation to LA...sorry to be late! My favorite hook is the mystery one. I use it all the time! I end read aloud on cliffhangers, I put quotes on the bulletin board that lead to wonder, and I often begin a lesson with the third graders piecing together clues to figure out the topic for the day.....talk about buy-in and excitement!!!! It makes it so fun for me too!
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Kerry Stone
7/24/2018 05:14:14 pm
Sorry I'm late. We have been in Berkshires with iffy wif-fi. I really loved this part of the book. I love practical tips. I use most of the hooks. I'll just list a few examples: 1.) The Mozart Hook - I often play music that relates to the lesson. One of my favorite groups is They Might Be Giants. Some of their science songs include: 1a.) I Am a Paleontologist 2a.) Roy G. Biv 3a.) Meet the Elements
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CaptainVicky McCann is the Director for Curriculum & Instruction for the Archdiocese of Washington Catholic Schools. |