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Exploring engaging anchor activities for students

Anchor activities

Independent ongoing assignments (in any subject)

During a unit, semester, or year-long. They are activities that tie to the content and instruction.

Frees up classroom teacher to work with other groups of students or individuals.

When can it be used?

To begin the day or when students first enter class.

When students complete an assignment.

When students are stuck and waiting for help.

Effective when

Expectations are clear, part of routine.Pick only one or two first.Tasks are taught and practiced

(model).Students are held accountable for on-

task behavior. Allow students to have power to

choose the activity and level of difficulty.

Why a routine?

“The brain seeks to make order out of chaos…You can establish patterns of appropriate behavior and systems for doing things in the classroom… Confusion and frustration will be reduced as the brain feels secure in knowing and detecting the pattern for appropriate behavior.”

“Begin with the Brain” Martha Kaufeldt, 1999

Example of Routine

Morning arrival for 2nd graders

 Say “Good morning” Take off jacket and

backpack   Put name on list Go to Anchor activity

until everyone arrives at 8:30am

Arrival to specialist

Arrive to the LS room.

Place homework in the bin.

Go to Anchor activity until everyone arrives.

Start lesson.

Anchor Activity as a Preview of a G2 Unit.Applying reading/writing skills after an activity.

* Look and examine these pictures from two countries. Research about the two locations. What do you think they are doing? Are they similar? Why do you think this is the case?

Tic Tac Toe

Mixing up ability levels 

 Everyone is expected

to be able to complete.

Write a letter to an author.

 Challenging.

Compare and contrast two books.

 Everyone is expected

to be able to complete.Design illustrations for a

chapter book.

 Challenging

Read a biography about the life of someone. Then write your own to share

with a class.

 

Freebie 

Challenging Read a historical

novel.

 Everyone is expected

to be able to complete.Rewrite the ending of a

book.

 Challenging

 Present to the class your

favorite book

 Everyone is expected

to be able to complete.Analyze a picture book and create a story to go

with the pictures.

Example: Social Studies BINGO

Try for one or more BINGO for our Unit: People who made a change. The writing exercises we have done on persuasive writing are also addressed. After each activity, make sure I read your final product so that I can initial you box.

B I N G OCreate an imaginary continent and identify its countries. Write about one of the countries.

Write a thank you note.

 

“Dear Mr. Jefferson,

Thank you for the…”

Interview a teacher who has made a

difference.

Design an advertisement for

“change.”

Has science changed history? Why or why not?

Read a biography and write a summary.

Create a crossword puzzle using

vocabulary from the unit.

Find 100 history facts about this

Unit.

Design a postcard from someone who made a difference.

Summarize a chapter in a fun way, like a TV Guide. Make people want to read the chapter.    

 Rewrite one event in history. What would you have done differently?

Short Story  FREE WRITING OF

YOUR CHOICE

Compare and contrast the lives

of two people from different countries.

Design a 3D model illustrating a major historical event.

Letter to the Principal proposing

a change. 

Dear Mr. Shadbolt, I think we should

get rid of uniforms….

Cartoon strip. Poem about discrimination.

Using the computer, design a

brochure.

Invent a game show involving

people who made a difference.

Identify an issue. How can you make a difference?

Create a speech persuading students to do their homework.

Create a word find using historical people’s names.

Critique a political leader’s stance on

an issue.

List the population of 8-10 countries in

order from smallest to

greatest. Explain.

Social Studies Anchor Activity

American Revolution: Letter Writing Activity Create a book of correspondence: a collection of six letters exchanged

between two people in the 1770s in the US. One lives in Boston and the other is a relative in Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia. Make the letters interesting! Are the characters’ lives different and how are they similar? Include 5 events/major points in history that is going on in the US during the time period. Who is in charge? What is going on during the 1770s in the US?Mention real towns and persons involved in the 1770s.Assemble the collection of letters and envelopes into a booklet. Create an envelope for each letter. Due Feb. 5th. See me if you need help.

(Adapted from Teachers, Change your Bait! By Martha Kaufeldt)

G1 Literacy

Given a small group of 8 students for literacy… Whole group reading of PJ Funny bunny – discuss pictures and

vocabularyActivity:

Read the sentences as a group. Split into 2 groups. One member will cut the sentences out. As a group, put the words back together to make a sentence. Once you are done, move to the next sentence.

Independent practice creating sentences and piecing them together.

Anchor activities: Create a word find. (choose a few sight words, mostly sound it out

words, a few “whoa, that was a hard word.” Connect to Tell Me a Story: Choose a favorite story you read in class

(ex. PJ Funny bunny Goes Camping.) Change the ending to the story. Teacher works with “I´m not finished Freddie” group, provide guidance.

Grouping forG1: Tell Me A Story

Assessing anchor activities

Checklists Rubrics Student Conferences Learning Journal Peer Review

Sample Activities for Spelling

Create a greeting card. Be sure to include some of your Spelling words in the message. Illustrate your spelling words. Write your word and a picture reflecting the meaning of

your word. Create a newspaper headline using your spelling words Create an advertisement/poster for some type of product using some of your spelling

words. Use sign language to spell your words. Refer to the sign language cards. Find a newspaper or magazine article. Find words in the article that can be replace with your spelling word. Create a crossword puzzle or a word search using your spelling words. Provide an

answer key and give it to a friend to complete. Compose a letter to a parent (or teacher) and give it to them. Use some of your spelling words to write a poem. Use the poetry resource to learn

about different types of poetry. Create categories or groups for your spelling words. Then, figure out a way to regroup

them into different categories/groups.  

Sample Activities for Reading

Check out and read a biography about the life of someone you are interested in learning about. Then, prepare a short biography in your own words to share with the class.

Write a letter to the author or a book you’ve enjoyed. (Robert Munch writes back!!!)

Create a best-seller list for your favorite books.   Design illustrations what you think would go well with a favorite chapter book. Look and examine a picture book. Write a story that would go with the book. Compare and contrast two books by the same author. Find a fiction book and a non-fiction book that could be paired together. Rewrite the ending of a book. Create an original dialogue between two characters from a book you’ve read. DEAR Silent Reading Journal writing www.Starfall.com : explore as group Guinness Book Scavenger Hunt Create Magnetic Poetry Sentence Sequencing Developing writing prompts Solve the Mystery

Sample Activities for Math

Create test questions/Story problems Create a folder of review activities Puzzles and math games (ex. Guess My Number) Create math games Manipulative Magazines – connect to math Math Journal writing Research a math topic Computer programming Practice budgeting Logic puzzles Math Sudoku Ongoing math assignments Graphing calculator activities Research calculus and other mathematical concepts – why were they first used. Find out the names and values of at least 5 different types of currency. How

much would certain things cost? Plan an around the world trip stopping by at least 10 famous landmarks.

Research cost of flight, room, cost of living for every location and come up with a plan. What would the total cost of the trip be? What if you were only given $5,000 – could you still execute the trip?

Planning an Anchor Activity

Anchor Activity Planning and Implementation   Indicators and Outcomes: Have all the skills and/or concepts been taught

previously? Name and description of Anchor Activity:

Differentiation of Anchor: How will you make it respectful of each ability level in the class?

Instructional Task: What do you have to do so all students can work on the anchor independently? 

Materials needed: What will students need? Where will the materials be?

Management and Monitoring

Expectations: When do you expect students to work on this?

Due date: How much time do you want it to take? Will there be checkpoint due dates along the way?

http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/curriculum/enriched/giftedprograms/docs/Anchor%20Worksheet.DOC