Teaching Suggestions: Journal

Background Information

Journey North News Updates drive instruction. Each update includes a journal infographic with a question to explore, an activity to try, a map to analyze and more. Over the season, the journal connects the interlocking threads in your content-building storyline.

Instructional Ideas

Here are some creative ways to use Journey North journal infographics to explore ever-changing events, record compelling questions, formulate hypotheses, document data, and present discoveries.

1. Anchor Charts
   Create anchor charts and concept charts with the driving questions included on journal infographics. Have students add questions, predictions, and other responses to the charts with sticky notes.
2. Digital Portfolios
   Collect the journal infographics for digital portfolios using an app such as Seesaw. Explore the interactive possibilities available: adding words, questions, labels, etc. to the images featured on the weekly journals.
3. Interactive Hotspots
   Explore the ThingLink app to create informational hotspots on the images featured on journals: fact statements, vocabulary labels, questions, numbers/stats, etc.
4. Classroom Display
   Project the journal infographic on the classroom smart board for group discussions. Invite students to record driving questions, image details, what-I-know and what-I-wonder statements, 
5. Student Tablets
   View the journal infographic on tablets for discussion, note-taking, and other individual or group activities.
6. Learning Centers and Bulletin Boards
   Make a photocopy of journal infographics to post in the classroom learning centers or on bulletin boards.
7. Family Sharing
   Add to take-home letters, classroom/school web pages, social media or blog posts.
8. Individual Student Journals
   Make photocopies that students can adhere in classroom notebooks or folders for personalized student journals.
9. Create-Your-Own
   Challenge students to create their own handmade paper or digital journal infographics that include title, image, driving question, challenge activity, etc.