Emergency Lesson Plans

Most places I've taught at usually request each teacher have a binder with emergency lesson plans available.  Most people I know, end up having a stack of worksheets in a binder with a list of students and a short set of instructions.  I admit, I've done that but then I realized I don't have to do that for those short one or two day absences.

Instead, I try to do something a bit different.  One year, I set up a two day lesson with everything the sub needed.  I kept one season of the show "Numb3rs" in the folder so students could watch a specific episode while filling in the guided notes sheet I created to go with it.  

I learned early on if you ask students to write a paragraph on the show, they would talk about the leaves falling off the tree, or the guns being fired but not a summery so I make sure I leave a guided notes sheet for every student.  

The second day, I have the sheet that is associated with the lesson so students get to apply the concept associated with the episode they watched. Fortunately, they are still available on several different sites such as this one or Cornell University.  These two sites are active as of when this column was published.

Other times, I've left the URL for one of the original Mythbuster shows.  Again, I leave a two day lesson plan for this. The first day, students spent time watching the video and filling out a guided notes sheet so they focus on the important part.  This site has a nice generic worksheet where students identify the myth being investigated, background, controls, etc.  Although, it is focused more on the scientific process, it can be used with any episode.

For the second day, I have students research the general topic to see what math they can find that is associated with the topic or I might have them investigate a topic in more detail such as the history of duck tape.  The topic depends on the episode I have students watch.  By the end of the second day, I expect a nice three to five paragraph write up on the topic.

Other years, I've been known to leave a lesson on stats but not the standard lessons.  I might ask students to analyze graphs that are misleading such as one on "How to spot a misleading graph".  This lesson has students watch a short (5 minute) video on the topic at the beginning.  The next step is for students to answer 8 multiple choice questions about the video. Students are given a chance to practice what they learned and ends with a discussion.  

Sometimes, I have empty bingo cards available where I have students fill in the spaces with numbers between 1 and 100.  I have a can of problems whose answers range from 1 to 100.  The problems are made up of several numbers with a variety of operations such as 1 x 3 + 5^2 - 1= 27.  I give the problem and students have to do the math to find the answer.  This is great practice for students.  I've done this one in class before and I have students working together to find the answer.

Finally, I've left some "art" type activities such as coordinate grid pictures where students work their way through a list of coordinates until they end up with a picture.  Once they've created the picture, they need to color it in.  Other times, I've left some sort of impossible heart, impossible square, pi based city scape, or other fun activity.  These art activities appeal to the students who love to draw.

So if you want to do something a bit different, try some of these.  Let me know what you think, I'd love to hear.  Have a great day.