Sixth Grade Teachers

Documents

• Trinity Blogs: Writing
• Trinity Blogs: Managing
• Revising & Editing Checklist for Posts

Presentations




On Friday, sixth graders will spend time exploring a number of blogs. The sixth grade teachers have provided a list of blogs for students to explore. Students can use this list to subscribe (”tune in”) to blogs of interest to them using their FeedDemon and RSS (”the radio”). After the lesson on Friday, we encourage students to add to this list via comments! We’d also love to hear sixth graders’ comments on their adventures in blogging so far!

47 Reasons to Surf the Internet

Below you’ll find a sampling of blogs that are free for you to explore. If you can think up a topic, there is almost certainly a blog out there to meet your interest. See if these blogs that might peak your curiosity…

1. This very popular ESPN website includes over eighteen different blogs by different sports writers, some you may already know if you’re an avid sports reader.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/blog/main

2. If you enjoy the Harry Potter series of book or movies, this is a great place to read the thoughts of other Harry Potter lovers.

http://harrypotter.savvy-cafe.com/

3. This blog is a commentary on the latest news reports going on in our country and around the world.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/

4. If you’re interested in high school football or are interested in playing in the future, this is the blog for you.

http://hs.beloblog.com/

5. This blog is for anyone who follows U.S. Women’s Soccer and is a fan of the sport.

http://womenssoccerusa.blogspot.com/

6. If you are really into Apple products, this is a great place to read about the latest Apple releases and updates.

http://theappleblog.com/

7. This is an interesting blog that focuses on the culture of Japan.

http://hereandtherejapan.blogspot.com/

8. If you love horses and riding and want to meet others who share your passion, this blog is for you.

http://www.igallopon.com/

9. This recipe blog offers tons of recipes and tips, plus ideas on new dishes to try at home.

http://recipeblog.co.uk/

10. If you are a lover of animals, this is a fun blog to watch videos and read about them.

http://www.theanimalblog.com/

11. This is a blog where you can learn tips and tricks on how to play chess.

http://gambit.blogs.nytimes.com/

12. This is a great spot to learn about the latest technology in our world.

http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/

13. If you’re a seasoned runner or you’re just beginning to jog, this is a great place to go for inspiration to run even more!

http://completerunning.com/running-blog-mark/

14. This is a great hiking blog written by seasoned hiker Tom Mangan.

http://tommangan.net/twoheeldrive/

15. If you’re a fan of the Atlanta Falcons and football, this is a great blog for you.

http://www.ajc.com/blogs/content/shared-blogs/ajc/falconsfans/

16. This is a unique blog about the birds of Northern Ireland.

http://peregrinesbirdblog.blogspot.com/

17. This is a great place to go if you love soccer and like watching clips of the latest men’s games. There are also written posts about star athletes and features on up and coming players.

http://www.soccerblog.com/

18. This is a great way to “travel” all over the world via pictures, videos and interesting articles about unique places all over the world.

http://www.fun-travel-blog.com/

19. If you enjoy birds, either watching them or listening to their beautiful calls, this is a great place to go and appreciate their beauty.

http://birdofprey.info/

20. Ayusaki Photographs are all taken by a 22 year old photographer living in Australia. This photographer takes amazing digital photography and utilizes the program Photoshop to really make these photographs outstanding.

http://ayusaki.com/

21. This “green diary” has great posts about various environmental concerns going on in the world, along with ways our world is becoming more “green.”

http://www.greendiary.com/

22. If you ever wondered what a blog would look like written from the perspective of a college students, this is a great one to check out. The writer basically gives her thoughts about all sorts of things, including sports, goals she has, what it’s like living in New Zealand, and other interesting insights.

http://tinyurl.com/5suqhj

23. Our First Horse tells the story of a family’s experience with first time horse ownership.

http://www.ourfirsthorse.com/

24. An educational technology expert writes about learning from a teacher’s perspective.

http://www.weblogg-ed.com

25. The name of this blog really speaks for itself. If you enjoy looking at adorable animal photos, this site can become an addition!

http://cuteoverload.com/

26. This is an amusing blog written by a grandmother who is obsessed with her poodles.

http://www.daisyandwaverly.com/

27. If you love children’s books, this is a blog where a librarian writes about books she enjoys.

http://chickenspaghetti.typepad.com/chicken_spaghetti/

28. This blog is all about the NBA and is written from the perspective of a student. This is a great place to see how a student can give a great sport commentary.

http://www.basketballnotesbyalex.blogspot.com/

29. A classroom in New Zealand has a communal blog where they post their thoughts about all sorts of topics and worldly events.

http://room3tai.edublogs.org/

30. TreeHugger is the top environmental blog out there. It covers general environmental news, events and products in a really interesting and informative way.

http://www.treehugger.com/

31. This blog has some great ideas of ways you can create a smaller “eco-footprint” on the earth. There are some simple ways we can change the way we live that will have a positive impact on our planet!

http://lighterfootstep.com/

32. This blog has a wide variety of interesting stories and news articles that are relevant to the environment and being green. It pulls articles from various other blogs out there on the internet, so you can get a different writing style with each post you read.

http://www.hugg.com/

33. Here you can find all kinds of delicious recipes that are geared towards kids and picky eaters. This is a great one to share with your parents, especially if you find yourself to have a very picky palate!

http://kidscooking.about.com/b/

34. The name of this blog speaks for itself; this gives some really tasty recipes in a fun, almost silly way. The writer gives a small back story to her recipes, and provides lots of pictures of each step of the cooking process. So if you try to make any of them at home, you and your parents can follow along with the pictures.

http://frantichomecook.com/

35. You’ll find some of the posts on this blog familiar, since it’s actually create by the same reporter who is in your weekly CNN Student News video. Reading a blog like this helps you stay current with news around the world, and each post is short enough that you can browse through it daily, without having to read a lengthy news article.

http://cnnstudentnews.blogs.cnn.com/

36. Here is a great description from the writers of this blog: “This is the story of our lifelong experience of the ocean (with photos). We have a strong affinity for the sea and everything in it and about it. Some might call this a passion or an obsession. We call it ‘ocean devotion.’”

http://therightblue.com/

37. Latest information on anything you want to know about scuba diving. From scuba travel to scuba equipment, it’s all about scuba diving! You may hear the latest scuba news, find the latest scuba gear or discover interesting scuba diving sites.

http://thescubazone.blogspot.com

38. This site is a “photo blog” where the articles are short descriptions of photos. The photography mostly has to do with

http://www.skolaiimages.com/journal/

39. A blog about what is fun and funny with the English Language and added with lots of poems, games and puzzles.

http://www.idiocrasiesoflanguages.blogspot.com/

40. Chess tactics, Chess games, Chess news, Chess videos, Chess history…If you have an interest in this mind bending game, this is the place for you!

http://chessgambiter.blogspot.com/

41. Here’s one blog where you can put your passion into action, if you’re into puzzles that is! Each post contains a new puzzle or game that you can both read about and play. This is a great way to keep your mind active, while still having fun.

http://www.passionforpuzzles.com/blog/

42. If you are amazed by the wonders of Google Earth and all it has to offer, this blog is definitely for you. The site gives you a look into how Google Earth works, along with some interesting new ways to use the program.

http://www.gearthblog.com/

43. This blog has some really fascinating photos. If you enjoy history, or just appreciate the art of classic black and white photography, this is the place for you. The blog is packed with high-definition photos from various points in history. You can even view galleries of photos separated into categories, such as the Civil War or Aviation. There is a brief description about each photo, but a picture is worth a thousand words.

http://www.shorpy.com/

44. Here’s another great photo blog. This one doesn’t have a particular theme, rather, it just give a new and unique photo each day.

http://photografr.com/

45. If you’ve ever wondered when off-roading became an extreme sport or who invented the first parachute, this is a great place to learn some interesting facts about almost every sport out there.

http://1001sportsworld.blogspot.com/

46. This blog gives you the latest news, reviews, and commentary on the current guitars & guitar gear.

http://www.electric-guitar-review.com/

47. The name of this blog really speaks for itself. If you enjoy looking at adorable animal photos, this site can become an addition!

http://cuteoverload.com/

Today, sixth graders at Trinity School embarked on an exciting adventure! In class, we opened the door (just a crack!) into the world of blogging. It was definitely an exciting day!

The goal of our first lesson was to build excitement about the world of blogging and to assess sixth graders’ initial understanding of this Web 2.0 tool. Through class discussion and an interactive powerpoint presentation, the sixth graders brainstormed the ways in which blogs can promote community, encourage reflective writing and critical thinking, and establish networks. They learned that blogging in a way to CONNECT. Throughout this in-depth unit, we will encourage students to think about reading and writing through a new lens.

As each slide on the powerpoint was displayed, we asked the students to think about how the image related to the subject of blogging. Their insights were extraordinary and quite thought-provoking:

The computer made students think about…connecting with others through the virtual world…the web is a tool to help communicate with others…developing friendships.

The computer made students think about…connecting with others through the virtual world…the web is a tool to help communicate with others…developing friendships.

The “thinking man” made students think about… blogging requires thinking (reading and writing)…the ways that internal thoughts can be shared with others…thoughts come out onto a blog and are shared with others.

The mirror made students think about… reflecting is an important part of blogging… when one writes on a blog sometimes people respond (reflecting)…bloggers can see similiarities with others…sometimes bloggers reflect on things other people are blogging about.

The hands and clapping sound made students think about… bloggers can have an audience who appreciates each individual post…. confidence grows through comments on a blog post…blogging can be a source of pride.

The seeds made students think about…ideas are like seeds – they grow into something bigger…bloggers can plant a seed in a community and it can grow into another seed for others… “don’t spill the beans” – don’t put something personal on a blog…bloggers can gain an audience (more and more people will read it) and blog popularity will grow.

The binoculars made students think about…searching and being selective about writing topics…blog is a public space…readers can see past the surface…it’s important to read between the lines…bloggers can look closely – small things can turn into big posts/ideas.

The symbols made students think about…bloggers can write about anything- a world of choices…bloggers must respect other people’s beliefs and ideas…blogs can be “melting pots”…bloggers can use passions and write about what they know…on blogs, one will find a wide variety of opinions, ideas, and thoughts.

The conversation bubbles made students think about…bloggers have to “think outside the box” and search for inspiration….bloggers can have face to face discussions about your blogs.

The boy, computer, and books made students think about…bloggers can write about academic topics (specific subject, book you’ve read)…sometimes blogs can be intimidating (wanting to read many different blogs).

The fire made students think about…bloggers may get comments from others that challenge you… blogging takes a lot of thought…there is a mature way to handle hot-button topics (ie: politics, disagreeing with teachers).

The people and the world made students think about…bloggers are connected with everyone in the world (bloggers can find people in other countries with same interests)…everything bloggers say is public: both in the Trinity community and around the world…bloggers can blog about anything.