Yes, even you, upper elementary teachers!
Earlier this month, my third graders took the ITBS. Before the testing week began, I had to completely cover or take down anything “academic” in my classroom that students could possibly glean answers from… even my alphabet.
I decided that since I was taking down the alphabet anyways, it’d be the perfect opportunity for my students to make their own alphabet. I’d seen this done in younger grades before, but never in upper grades, so I spun the idea to make it work in my classroom. I did this by tying it in with our content, involving writing, and using cursive letters.
First,
I just posted an anchor chart with the alphabet written on it. I told students that as they were learning about and researching Georgia, they could add something to the chart if they found a noun that started with one of the letters. (We were studying Georgia habitats AND working on nouns!) I told them that when we filled the alphabet, we would do something exciting.
Second,
I explained the task and assigned letters. Students who found words got first dibs on them! Students researched their topics and wrote about it. I displayed their writing underneath the alphabet!
After the writing was completed,
students were given their letter, which I printed on cardstock for durability. They did SUCH a nice job decorating! I could not believe how much time and effort students put into both their writing and pictures. It just goes to show that if you empower and motivate students by giving them choice and a sense of ownership, they’ll really do their best work!
I LOVE HOW IT TURNED OUT SO MUCH.
I definitely catch myself staring at our beautiful alphabet at least once a day!
