Department of Education
Dr. Tim Webb, Commissioner
Afterschool Grantee Corner
Welcome to the Grantee Corner! We want this to become YOUR page and hope it will provide information that will help you serve your students and parents, as well as help you become acquainted with each others’ programs. Each of your programs brings a strength to Afterschool programming and you can share these strengths with each other. Also, you will find resources for lesson planning that will help you incorporate state academic standards in a way that makes both teaching and learning fun. Please use the navigation toolbar below to scan the information and make use of anything you find. Also, email any new ideas and useful sites and links to marla.smith@tn.gov. Useful links, lessons, and ideas for the Toolkit Tip will be updated on a regular basis. We hope to alternate posting your sites and ideas to showcase your programs.
Tennessee Afterschool Websites
Please check out the following AfterSchool program websites/links to see what you have in common with your sister programs and to get new ideas for your own program or to construct your own website/link.
Links to Tennessee Curriculum Standards
Use these standards to ensure that your lessons are targeting the state assessed standards. Even “fun” lessons, like the one outlined just below the standards links can be planned with standards embedded. Some folks refer to this as “disguised learning,” but these fun lessons promote learning just the same.
Addition and Subtraction Game (Sample Lesson)
AUTHOR: Kaye Miller; Lincoln City Jr. Academy, Lincoln City, OR GRADE LEVEL/SUBJECT: Appropriate for grades 2-8 (GLE 0206.2.3 Use efficient and accurate strategies to develop fluency with multi-digit addition and subtraction. This is one standard that the activity meets. The game meets others as well.) OVERVIEW: This activity provides review and drill in the format of a game for learning facts in subtraction and addition. Appeals to multi-level and multi-grade situations. The students get so caught up in the game they consider it an exciting challenge rather than a drill or review. OBJECTIVE(s): 1. Practice addition and subtraction facts and processes.2. Use accuracy in adding and subtracting.3. Develop speed when adding and subtracting.4. Understand the concepts of adding and subtracting. STATE STANDARD: All state standards grades 2-12 address addition and subtraction. RESOURCES/MATERIALS: 1. A die 2. Lined paper 3. Pencil ACTIVITIES AND PROCEDURES: 1. Draw on the board three parallel lines then two intersecting lines.Place a "+" or "-" sign next to the second parallel line. What you have made is a grid of empty boxes, with three boxes in each of the three rows. 2. Have the students copy this onto their papers. 3. Explain to the students that you are going to roll a die and the number that is rolled is to be placed into one of the squares in the top two rows.The bottom row is for the answer. The die will be rolled until the empty boxes in all the rows, except the bottom row, are filled .4. They are then to work the problem. 5.The object of the game is to get the highest number if adding or the lowest number if subtracting. 6. While the students are putting their numbers onto their paper you are also playing by putting your numbers into the squares on the board.(I found this to help the slower students, and the quick students try to beat you.) 7.Then ask if anyone beat your answer. The best answer is written on the board and anyone with that answer receives a point. 8. Create smaller or larger grids to adapt to your students level (Remediation or Enrichment) TYING IT ALL TOGETHER: This should be a group "fun" activity. Not only does it give them a relaxed environment to practice the skills they've learned but it gives you a chance to evaluate their progress. CHECK PAPERS FOR: 1.Accuracy 2.Concepts learned 3.Speed The author posted this lesson on the following website where there are other good lessons to see: http://youth.net/cec/cecmath/cecmath.14.txt Previous Lessons: |
Websites for Best Practices in Afterschool Academic Enrichment
The Coalition For Science After School 
website contains information on how to use the STEM philosophy in the teaching of science afterschool.
The following sites provide information and ideas for serving students in Afterschool programs. The State Department of Education is not recommending purchase of any of the materials sold on the sites. However, the ideas presented do offer insight into best practices for after school programs.
The Math Explorer Book presents and explains 23 hands-on activities that make math real and fun.
Center for Hands-On Learning is a nonprofit corporation founded and run by teachers, dedicated to helping everyone keep learning. They create curriculum and materials that are educational, easy to use, and fun for after-school groups, classrooms, and schools.
The Promising Practices in AfterSchool (or "PPAS") System is an effort to find and share things that are working in AfterSchool programs. The PPAS website is for AfterSchool program directors who want to improve the quality of their programs. All sorts of other people will find it useful, too--people like program staff, volunteers, parents, community members, policymakers, funders, researchers, and anyone else who cares about children and youth. On the PPAS website, you will find tons of information that you can use in your own program.
Aha!Math’s rich, research-based curriculum enables the teacher to mediate how and when it fits best into the instructional day: whether to reinforce instruction with the whole class, or for use in group settings or with individual students. It includes the following: Instruction, Lessons, Activities, Games, and Quizzes.
Dawn education materials are written for educators to capture interest of students and the public by using the Dawn mission as a real-world link. Enjoy a variety of educational products for home and school, including online interactive simulations, teacher guides and activities, suggested assessments, and lists of additional resources and references. View current events and opportunities to participate in pilot and field testing. Participate in the excitement of the Dawn mission to the asteroid belt with Dawn Education.
This site contains a lesson on categorizing an object as a meteorite. This applies to the 6th grade earth science standard asking that students be able to categorize the components of the universe. For an example meteorite lesson click here!
The following report, NASA and AfterSchool Programs: Connecting to the Future , argues that the AfterSchool arena is uniquely suited for implementing science learning experiences that engage young people, build their capacity to succeed, and provide a continuity of opportunities to prepare them to participate in science, technology, engineering and math careers.
AfterSchool Universe is an out-of-school-time astronomy program targeted at middle school students. It explores astronomy concepts through engaging hands-on activities and takes participants on a journey through the Universe beyond the solar system. This program is now widely available to AfterSchool program providers to run in your local communities.
Toolkit Tip for Afterschool Teachers: Preparing a Lesson
As a teacher preparing lesson plans, remember the following planning outline:
Think about who the children are and what they need.
Plan what you are going to do.
Get the materials, resources, and help you need.
Look at what children are learning from what you do.
Change, Improve, and Freshen up what you do to make it work for the group and for yourself.
Websites for Training and Professional Development
National AfterSchool Association Conference
This website contains information about the April 2009 National AfterSchool Association Conference to be held in New Orleans. More information will be added closer to the conference date.
The website contains online tutorials targeting mentors and volunteer tutors. The tutorials are user friendly and would also work for seasoned educators as a refresher on teaching and learning philosophy and strategies. This is an excellent resource for all educational programs, not just after school programs.
