About the Engage the Brain SeriesThis practical resource gives teachers the tools they need to plan lessons correlated to the way the brain learns best. Based on tested, research-based strategies presented in Worksheets Don't Grow Dendrites: 20 Instructional Strategies That Engage the Brain, this book offers a variety of language arts activities that incorporate games to help students make sense of and reinforce learning. These activities give students the opportunity to not only play but also construct and design a variety of games, greatly increasing brain connections to the content. These strategies allow students to master curriculum objectives while actively rehearse information in an engaging, non-threatening atmosphere, which makes a real difference in students' energy, motivation, and achievement.Engage the Brain: Games, Science, Grades 6-8acontains games based on national academic standards for science, including physical science, life science, and earth and space science.Some games are based on old favorites (Scavenger Hunt, Scattergories, Jeopardy, Taboo, Hot Potato, Bingo, Twister, Charades, 20 Questions) and some are brand new, including:Laboratory Scavenger HuntElement MatchCompound TwisterShuffleboard ShowdownAtomic Marble MadnessEnergy BingoAnimal AdaptationsWho Am I?
Genetic TabooHuman Body JeopardyTime Travel CrosswordSpace SecretsEarth Cycles PyramidSolar System ScattergoriesEarth and Space TriviaEach game includes one or more learning objectives, a comprehensive materials list, step-by-step information for the teacher on how to prepare for and play the game, any necessary reproducibles (such as game cards, game boards, scorecards), and follow-up activities for extended learning. The games are presented in the brain-friendly lesson formation, including a focus activity, modeling, guided practice, independent practice, and closing.
Author Biography:
Marcia L. Tate, EdD, is the former executive director of professional development for the DeKalb County School System in Decatur, Georgia. During her thirty-year career with the district, she has been a classroom teacher, reading specialist, language arts coordinator, and staff development executive director.
Marcia is currently an educational consultant and has taught over 500,000 administrators, teachers, parents, and business and community leaders throughout the world. She is the author of the eight books in the best-selling Worksheets Don’t Grow Dendrites series and four additional books: Formative Assessment in a Brain-Compatible Classroom: How Do We Really Know They’re Learning?, 100 Brain-Friendly Lessons for Unforgettable Teaching and Learning K–8, and 100 Brain-Friendly Lessons for Unforgettable Teaching and Learning 9–12, and her latest book, Healthy Teachers, Happy Classrooms that is designed to address both the personal and professional lives of all educators. Participants in her workshops refer to them as some of the best ones they have ever experienced since Marcia uses the twenty strategies outlined in her books to actively engage her audiences.
Marcia received her bachelor’s degree in psychology and elementary education from Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia. She earned her master’s degree in remedial reading from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, her specialist degree in educational leadership from Georgia State University, and her doctorate in educational leadership from Clark Atlanta University.
Marcia is married to Tyrone Tate and is the proud mother of three children: Jennifer, Jessica, and Christopher, and nine grandchildren: Christian, Aidan, Maxwell, Aaron, Roman, Shiloh, Aya, Noah, and Alyssa.
Marcia and her husband own the company Developing Minds, Inc. and can be contacted by calling the company at (770) 918-5039, emailing her at marciata@ bellsouth.net, or by visiting her website at www.developingmindsinc.com. You can also follow her on Twitter and Instagram at @DrMarciaTate.
