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Using comic books in the classroom Comic books are sometimes dismissed as being juvenile distractions that lack intellectual content. However, recent research proves otherwise. Educational experts have found that using comic books can increase student interest and motivate students to read. One study found that comics can affect students’ attitudes towards and aptitude for curriculum. There are many reasons to use comics in the classroom, but there are also many ways to use them. Here are a few activity ideas for using comics in the classroom. 1. Use comics as supplemental reading Comic books are a great alternative to teach…

Halloween is here, and we have some spooky songs fit for the occasion. Prepare to face your fears of ghouls, spiders and dark scary houses!

In the classroom, inferencing is a valuable reading strategy. Inferencing happens when a reader combines clues from a text with information from their own background knowledge. From our inferences, we draw conclusions. For instance, a good reader infers the meaning of a word from context clues. Inferences happen frequently, and it isn’t limited to the classroom. The Federal Emergency Management Agency, better known as FEMA, makes inferences all the time about safety level and the extent of damage in natural disaster areas. They even use the Waffle House for data. The Wall Street Journal has reported on the "Waffle House…

[jwplayer file=http://flocabulary.s3.amazonaws.com/media/presidential-election-process-media.mp4 image=http://flocabulary.s3.amazonaws.com/images/presidential-election-process-image.jpg]  Check out the lyrics and more for our presidential election process video.  The debates are over, and election night is fast approaching. Here are some ideas for election night activities and lessons. 1. Fact-check the candidates It has long been accepted as fact that all politicians lie, but in the modern information age, it’s easier than ever to immediately call them on it and share the truth with the public. Politifact.com is a fact-checking website that does exactly that. A politician says something and within minutes fact-checkers are rating the truth of the statement. Show your students Barack…

    With just a couple weeks left till the elections, polls seem to be everywhere. There are daily polls like the Gallup poll, polls that focus on certain swing states, and even larger “polls of polls.” For the novices, all this data can be information overload. Here are a few activity ideas to help your students understand the basics of polls and become actively involved in the polling process. 1. Discuss students’ perception of polls Clarify what a poll is: a record of the opinion or vote of groups of people. For more information on how polls are conducted,…