Looking for a new literacy center format for you middle grade students? At A Teacher’s Treasure, Mrs Zrihen has her 6th-8th grade students create most of her centers in order to give the them ownership and a chance to think differently about the material.
On her blog, Mrs. Zrihen shared her latest student designed activity in which each group made a tote bag filled with items centered around one of three categories: genre centers, author centers, and theme centers. Students received a rubric to guide them in creating the center. In the end, each tote bag included titles of books under that category, a review of two books, a crossword puzzle, and a game that students can play at the center.
We love this project as it seems a fun way to offer students choice; it also encourage students to write for an authentic audience, to explore a topic in depth, and to identify key information and think “like the teacher”.
Go to A Teacher’s Treasure to see the rubrics Mrs. Zrihen used as well as samples of the tote centers, including a courage theme center, a mystery genre center, and a Maya Angelou author center.
About Paula Kluth
