What is a Teacher Toolbook?Suppose you had all year with nothing to do... but research EVERY topic, define EVERY term, find maps, write mini-lectures, invent creative lessons, dream up and assessment for each topic, plus write thousands of social studies test questions for "The Grand Exam."

Well, that's exactly what we've done! Teacher Toolbooks provide a general knowledge base, student-centered activities and assessments, plus “The Grand Exam” to assess what your students have actually learned. What is Predicting the Past?Predicting the Past

A series of books with stories about famous people from U.S. and World History.
Students read one story about a famous person and then try to predict what happens to him or her.
Easy to read – perfect for Title I.
Diversity – stories of famous people from Asia, Africa, Latin America (and the U.S.)
Memorable – people who made history faced tough decisions.
Inspiring – how each person struggled despite tremendous odds.
Entertaining – human interest stories you can find nowhere else!

Special Announcements:
• Webinar: How To Make Your Classroom Bloom
  Thursday, September 6th
  w/ author Linda Brown
  [details coming soon]

What are teachers saying?
Better than a textbook!Performance Education products are designed to work either independently of or in conjunction with textbooks.

Here's what Jay, who has two master's degrees, has to say:

“When I started teaching, I had nothing - the textbooks were 20 years old and sitting in a warehouse somewhere. But that’s okay; I don’t use them. I’m not going to set the students up for failure . . . What I get from Performance Education is all I use . . . That’s all I need.” Homework on the internet“For homework, my students do your lessons on the internet. Last week, they interpreted political cartoons about the Anti-Imperialist League. The web pages actually work – and that’s awesome!” -Amy in SC Saves on red tape“Each quarter we have to submit a timeline showing what lessons we’re going to cover. I just made a copy of your table of contents - and gave them my timeline for the whole year. When they asked for samples for each assessment, I sent them a copy of your test!” On "At-Risk" Students“Many of my students are at-risk. But even the least motivated students like your games, especially The Bell Game and The Great Race.” -Rhonda from Florida

“Yes, your workbooks are raising our test scores. We’re in the middle of the U.S. Constitution – and these are the highest scores I’ve had . . . We need to raise our test scores. We are a high poverty school. There is a great deal of emphasis on language arts and math. So we cram one year’s worth of history into just one semester.” (90% of her students are Hispanic and many are at risk) Special Education classes“I’m a special ed teacher. I teach students with severe learning disabilities. The lessons are easy to read, easy to use, very user friendly. I use the overheads – they work really well for short lectures and graphic organizers. But the kids love the games, especially The Bell Game. I went out and bought the bells, of course – and so did the other Social Studies teachers at my high school.” - Jane teaches Special Education in California. Promotes literacy“The lessons in the workbooks make sense. I use the graphic organizers, teach the vocabulary, and students love the games.” Higher test scores“In my classes I’m seeing higher test scores. You take one concept and turn it into five or six questions. But I use the test in a new way. I start every class with a quiz. I use it as a review from yesterday – and as a warm-up for today.”

“Yes, your workbooks are raising our test scores. We’re in the middle of the U.S. Constitution – and these are the highest scores I’ve had . . . We need to raise our test scores. We are a high poverty school.” High student interest“The lessons in the workbooks are comprehensive, detailed, and high interest. They’re not worksheets so much as they are thinksheets – and they’re very, very good.”

“The games are very popular with high school students. The Gong Show: Hilarious. They love the gong. High school students are very competitive. They love anything that gets them out of the desk and into the action.”

“This week we’re doing the Civil Rights movement. When it came to speeches, each student became a different person in the Civil Rights movement.” The logic of standardized tests“Then they take the written test. You ask the same questions five different ways on the test. So after a few questions, the students get it - and then go back and change their previous answers." To their Principal“I told our principal I would throw the hundreds of hours of work and all the other resources (at least three thousand dollars worth) in the trash for your products. Your activities are just what I have been looking for!” --Hesperia, CA

“I am crazy about your stuff! I’ve been singing its praises to our principal.” Martia teaches 7th and 8th grade.

Teacher Toolbooks

A complete series of workbooks for the Social Studies, Grades 6-12

U.S. History, U.S. Government, Ancient History, Medieval History, Modern World History, World Cultures, Global Studies, World Regions, Geography

 

Everything you need

• Complete units from A to Z – you don’t need a textbook.
• Active learning – students perform what they know in front of the class.
• Brief lectures with maps, timelines, and graphic organizers.
• A wide variety of games: action games, brain games, and more
• Heavy on group analysis!
• Homework on the internet!
• Each workbook concludes with the “Mother of all Tests.”

 

Lessons are based entirely on Bloom’s taxonomy

Recall           The ABCs game, Mars/Venus, The Last Man Standing, Honk if you hate history!

Interpret        Interpret maps, timelines, charts, documents, speeches, quotations, and political cartoons

Apply            Can you talk like an Egyptian? and What would you have done?

Analyze         The Bell Game, The Great Race, The Gong show

Synthesize     Life is like a rock group, The Great Debate

Evaluate        Bloom! (This is pure Bloom’s taxonomy)

 

Students develop a sense of what Social Studies is all about

Brief lectures                                                        with graphic organizers

Timelines                                                               Timeline
Cause & Effect                                                    Causes & Effects

Compare & Contrast                                          Venn diagram

Strengths & Weaknesses                                    Name that Strength! (game)

 

Students develop a Social Studies vocabulary

Define terms                                                         Can you talk like … (game)

Identify people                                                    Who am I?

 

Students compete in games

Memory games                                                    The ABCs

Brain games                                                         The Bell Game, The Gong Show

Action games                                                       The Great Race

Board games                                                        The Greatest Story Ever Told                                           

Guys v. Gals                                                         Mars/Venus

Games for the Great Outdoors                          The Great Mapmaster, The Human Map                     

 

Students learn skills

Interpret a timeline                                             

Interpret a map                                                   

Interpret a photo                                                

Interpret a political cartoon                              

Interpret a quotation                                         

Interpret a document                                         

Interpret a film                                                    

Research on the internet                                                   

Research in the library                                       

 

Working in groups, students practice critical thinking

Bloom!                                                                  Practice in Bloom’s taxonomy

Life is like a rock group                                      Boomers & Busters, Emotionals & Factoids, Out of the Box

What would you have done?                            Personalizing history

The Great Debate                                                                Rewarding the clever

 

Students practice writing essays                                     

The  expressive essay!                                       

The  narrative essay!                                         

The informative essay!                                      

The persuasive essay!                       

 

Students learn the logic of a multiple-choice test

Read the test aloud!                                            “The Last Man Standing”

Games for taking the test                                   “Honk if you hate history!”

 

Students practice for the state test!

Every workbook concludes with the “Mother of All Tests”