March 2010: Message from the Director

Dear Educator,

Today is Read Across America Day and I would like to take this occasion to focus this issue on reading - one of the most fundamental and important skills for young students.

As the parent of young children myself, I incorporate as much reading as possible into the time I spend and activities I take part in with my kids, and I am continually amazed at how reading unlocks their curiosity and imagination. While most parents and educators fully understand that the development of proper reading skills is absolutely essential to the success of our kids as they grow older, we don’t always place a consistent focus on reading, especially as the interests of our kids expand, the amount of activities they participate in increases and homework becomes more difficult.

This month's lesson plan will detail a great way to connect literature to your students' lives, and I encourage you to utilize it to begin a discussion about reading in your own classroom. Even in an age of computers, television and video games, I think you will find that most students speak emphatically about their favorite books. It may even be fun to develop a class reading list that each student can refer to when choosing his or her next book. Don’t forget to review the “Today in Education” section as we have again highlighted some unique methods teachers are using in classrooms throughout the country.

Enjoy the rest of March and celebrate the gift of literature with your students! Continue to send your comments, questions and suggestions my way, and look for our next issue to arrive in early April.

Read Across America Day

Motivating children to read is an important factor in student achievement and creating lifelong successful readers. Research has shown that students who are motivated and spend more time reading do better in school. Read Across America Day is an initiative on reading created by the National Education Association as an observance of Dr. Seuss’ birthday on March 2nd.

Click Here to view this month's lesson - “Read Across America." You will be asked to login using the password you received via e-mail at the time you subscribed to CYLC Mentor Newsletter.

Did you use this lesson plan with your students? Please share some of your classroom experiences with using this lesson plan or share suggestions with your teachers on ways you adapted this lesson plan to work for you.

Scholars Address Former Members of Congress

Again this spring, some 10th, 11th and 12th graders attending the National Young Leaders Conference (NYLC) will have the honor of participating in The Civics Connection, a series of webcasts broadcast to classrooms nationwide, designed to help students understand the inner workings of the United States Congress. The Civics Connection is a partnership between the United States Association of Former Members of Congress and the Lou Frey Institute of Politics and Government. During each webcast, the scholars pose questions and interact with former members of congress, as they discuss political issues in today’s society.

On Wednesday, March 2nd at 2 p.m. Eastern time, you can watch our NYLC students discuss "The Experience of African American Lawmakers" with two former Representatives. If you would like to view the webcast live, click here to register.

Using YouTube Video Lesson Plans

Tyler Binkley, an enterprising Pennsylvania math teacher, is creating YouTube videos to teach math to his middle school students. Feedback from his students is overwhelmingly positive. Click here to read more about his innovative lesson plans. To view Mr. Binkley’s very first video lesson on “dividing decimals” click here. If you would like to view more of his video lesson plans, go to www.youtube.com and enter “Mr. Binkley” in the search.

More Math - with Golf Course Design?

Have you ever thought about what is involved in designing a golf course? Although not an avid golfer herself, this Texas teacher decided to get her students involved in real-world math by designing a golf course. Trudy Pzynski, helps her students use computations, percentages and linear and quadratic functions to design a nine-hole course in this year-long project. Read more by clicking here.

The Technology of Music

A school district in Arizona has become equipped with Apple Computers, using iMac desktop computers to help with their curriculum, including using them for presentations or podcasts. Music teacher Michael Bradley has found a fun way to use technology to teach his students music composition with Apple’s Garage Band software. He believes that the technology gives his students an advantage when auditioning for college scholarships or competing in jazz or show choir competitions. Read more here.

Young Leader Gets Involved

Taylor Clark attended the National Young Scholars Program (NYSP) in the summer of 2009 and has been applying her newfound leadership skills since returning home. Other than making great new friends at the Program, Taylor’s favorite experience was learning to take responsibility for herself. She said that this was her first experience with real independence and she was proud of how she handled the little things, such as keeping her room neat and how well she and her roommates at the Program were able to get along. Taylor learned a lot about leadership, but the two most valuable pieces she took from NYSP were that you have to listen to others’ ideas and also that great leaders share responsibility with others. Working in teams taught Taylor a valuable lesson about which she shared, “great minds working together can accomplish so much more than one person can alone.”

Since returning home, Taylor’s mom notes that she is much more inquisitive and has begun thinking more critically. “She asks so many more questions; some of which I don’t have the answer to, but she takes pride in researching her inquiry and finding the answer.” When asked how Taylor has grown since attending NYSP, Taylor’s mom stated that “she developed a more mature responsibility in taking care of herself since attending the Program. I don’t have to remind her to do things that seemed to come naturally. She’s much more independent.”

At school, Taylor is a member of the Peace Club, the co-ed Cheer Squad and will participate in Girls on the Go in the spring. She also takes ballet, tap, jazz, tumbling and performing arts. In addition, Taylor has assumed a leadership role by becoming one of the founding members of the Peace Club at her school. The group was started as a result of the ongoing violence in Chicago, most notably toward the city’s youth. The students involved are working on positive ways to avoid violence and resolve conflict peacefully in their schools and communities.

Taylor's mom reflects that, “Taylor truly enjoyed her time at NYSP. It has been amazing to see her growth and maturity expand from a one week experience.”

Attention All Science Teachers!

We are excited to highlight our career based programs at the National Science Teachers Association’s (NSTA) 58th Annual National Conference on Science Education in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, March 18-21. Staff from the National Youth Leadership Forum on Medicine (www.nylf.org/med) and the National Young Scholars Program (www.nationalyoungscholars.com) will be meeting with science teachers from around the world to discuss the benefits of our programs. We encourage you to Register Online Now so that you can learn more about our programs and discover the latest breakthroughs in science education.

The National Science Teachers Association (NSTA), founded in 1944 and headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, is the largest organization in the world promoting excellence and innovation in science teaching and learning for all. NSTA's current membership of more than 60,000 includes science teachers, science supervisors, administrators, scientists, business and industry representatives, and others involved in science education. Through our partnership with NSTA, we are able to learn more about the needs of science mentors and work to create programs and curriculum to meet those needs.

Please stop by booth #2156 and enter your high-achieving students into a scholarship drawing for a full-tuition scholarship to one of our science programs this summer!

March is National Women's History Month

2010 marks the 30th anniversary of the National Women’s History Project. In 1980, President Carter issued a Presidential Proclamation declaring the week of March 8, 1980 as the first National Women’s History Week. In 1987, Congress expanded the week into a month, so March is now considered National Women’s History Month. Click here to test your student’s knowledge of Women’s History with this quiz on 15 inspirational women.