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Category: Free Resources
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Free Printable: Writing Rubric by Debra Bell
I can still remember my confusion as I stared down my first pile of student essays. Now what do I do? How do I decide who gets an A and who gets a C? Is this good writing for a fifteen-year-old, or not? Even more mysterious—what do I say to help them improve?
Ever feel that way when looking at your kids’ work? I sure did. Math always seemed obvious—this answer’s right, this answer’s wrong—but their stories, essays, poems? What do I tell them? I’m their mother! Seems likely I will be too hard or too easy on them. Odds are slim I’m going to give them feedback that’s on the money.
All that changed when I learned about the six traits model for teaching writing. Suddenly I had a language to discuss writing with my kids and students they could understand—and their writing took off. As their writing coach, I knew what was working well. I knew what to suggest that they try next to improve.
I used the six traits of writing model to develop the writing rubric. Download the free Traits of Great Writing for Teens rubric and let us know what you think.
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Printable Graph Paper
Graphing can be one of the toughest skills for math students to master. In my decade of experience as a high school math teacher I noticed that a good sheet of graph paper can make a big difference. I’d run off a bunch of double-sided copies of this before each unit on graphing so it was available and ready to go.
This graph paper is my favorite design because it fits four to a page and is numbered. I also included a sheet that is specific for Algebra 1, it has space for students to label the slope and y-intercept on the graph. This is perfect for linear equations. Finally, there is one for Algebra 2 students that has space to label the vertex and x-intercepts on a parabola.
Download the free Graph Paper Printable
Let us know how this resource works out for you. And feel free to share it!
Kathryn Gomes is Debra Bell’s daughter and teaches SAT Math for Aim Academy. She is also offering a self-paced course leading up to the August test. She is a guest blogger for debrabell.com
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Aim Science: Candy Experiments
Do you have a lot of candy laying around the house this time of year? Watch the video below and try out some of these candy science experiments from Aim Academy science teacher Dr. Karen Joseph.
Dr. Joseph created a handout so you can easily replicate the experiments at home. You can grab it here:
Download the AimScience-M&M-Experiments-Handout
Dr. Karen Joseph teaches The Wonders of Water, Sensational Senses, and Zoology for Aim Academy. She loves sharing her knowledge and love of science with students of all ages.
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Free Resource: Plagiarism and Citing Sources Handout
This week has been a lot of fun. We still have two planners and a copy of Readers in Residence to giveaway. And more free resources coming your way.
Here is Wednesday’s free resource created by English teacher Beverly Graybill. Bev teaches three grammer mini-courses, Middle School Tools A, Middle School Tools B, and American History Through Literature.
Download for free here: Plagiarism and Citing Sources
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Free Resource: Defining and Reducing Test Anxiety
I’m thrilled about today’s resource! I’ve seen many, many of my math students struggle with test anxiety. It is so frustrating to know the material but still perform poorly because of anxiety. Bonnie Gonzalez teaches our Intro to Psychology and AP Psychology courses. She is also a trained counselor and she put her expertise to good use in creating this concise guide. This is an excellent resource especially if your child is gearing up for a high-stakes test (like the SATs!).
Download here Defining and Reducing Test Anxiety
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Homeschool Appreciation Week
Welcome to Homeschool Appreciation Week! Our aim is to bless you with expert advice, free resources, and wonderful giveaways. Check our blog and Facebook page for the latest news and resources each day.
Expert Advice
Our faculty here at Aim Academy has years of experience and wisdom and we’d like to share that all with you by answering your questions. Throughout the week post comments on our blog or on our Facebook page with your questions related to math, English, science, foreign languages, economics and government. Each afternoon we’ll be interviewing our teachers and posting their video responses to your questions right here on our blog. Clips will be short and to the point so you can get your answers quickly ? Here is the schedule for the week:
Monday, April 24th High School Math: Aim Academy’s math faculty Kathryn Gomes, Susan Habacivch, and Kristen Lauria answer all your math related questions. Additionally, Susan will be covering how to effectively study math and Kristen will discuss how to plan out your high school math program.
Tuesday, April 25th Writers in Residence and Readers in Residence: Debra Bell and Aim Academy teacher Heather A. Eades answer all your questions about the language arts curriculum and the online classes available this fall.
Wednesday, April 26th English: Bev Graybill and Amy Wallace answer all your English related questions. Bev also will be providing some pointers on the importance of grammar and how to effectively teach it.
Thursday, April 27th Science: Kristen Lauria and Susan Habacivch answer your science questions. Kristen also will be sharing a free science resource.
Friday, April 28th Foreign Languages and the Social Sciences: Sally Barstow (French) and David Nance (Spanish and Portuguese) will be giving pointers on learning a second language. Economics and government teacher Nathan Gilbert will also be joining to talk about the importance of economics for all of us.
Free Resources
Throughout the week check our blog for free resources and printables. These have been created by our teachers to serve you and your families.
5 Wonderful Giveaways
Each day we will be selecting a winner a free planner, Writers in Residence, and Readers in Residence. We will be posting information on how to enter soon.
