By Connie Casserly
Grades 6-12
Creating bulletin boards for secondary classes
that are visually eye-catching, mentally stimulating and that build on the
concepts promoted in the grade level’s Program of Studies can be difficult. The
key is to create eye candy with mental muscle while showcasing existing lesson
concepts through completed student work.
• Bulletin boards based on general concepts
such as Read! Write! Think! leave room for a plethora of ideas while covering
the basic components of Reading Comprehension, Writing, Grammar, Usage,
Mechanics, Sentence Structure, vocabulary and thinking skills.
• All bulletin board designs use material that
showcases the lesson’s Common Core Standards and Bloom’s Taxonomy objectives.
• Teachers may take each idea in this product
and transform it to fit a whole bulletin board, or they may choose to divide
the board into parts. I had one very, very large board that I often divided as
follows:
1. Information
Section: this permanent segment changes information as needed, with some of
the elements remaining for the whole year. Information: class times, class
rules/policies, cafeteria information (menus and what academic areas ate during
which time frame), Honor Code rules (permanent), quarterly Honor Rolls, the
school Mission Statement (permanent), etc.
2. Reading
Section: This segment of the board showcases the students’ comprehension
for the text they are studying. It displays
·
completed student assignments , or
·
the elements that students need to complete a
warm-up or in-class exercise.
3. Writing
Section: This segment of the board concentrates on what students have
written or should write. It displays
·
completed student assignments , or
·
the elements that students need to complete a
warm-up or in-class exercise.
4. Thinking
Section: Although all of the sections of the board show students’ thinking
skills, this part is intended to promote the development of specific types of
thinking skills i.e. Creative, Critical, Analytic, Inductive and/or Deductive.
It displays
·
completed student assignments , or
·
the elements that students need to complete a
warm-up or in-class exercise.
Teachers can cover the whole board in one paper
color/design, or designate a specific color/design for each section. If
dividing the board into sections, do staple or pin borders between the
segments. Keep the materials colorful and visually appealing. Foam stick on
letters and other crafty materials add oomph. Make sure to keep any graphic
elements age and class-level appropriate.
Because a number of the cards and charts are
left blank, teachers can use them for their own bulletin board ideas. Seven graphics...infinite
possibilities.
Happy Teaching,
Teach It Write
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