Fun Middle School Bulletin Boards
Make Interesting Designs to Catch Teen Students' Attention
Aug 7, 2009
Bulletin boards for middle school students need to move from the "cutesy" stage to a more "cool" and somewhat sophisticated level. Nobody enjoys looking at a blank bulletin board; these ideas will help decorate the classroom and help teach content.
Texting and Definitions Bulletin Board
Many middle school students own a cell phone and spend hours texting each week. For some, this is their main way to communicate with their friends and family. Make a bulletin board to acknowledge this form of communication and to focus on reading dictionary definitions.
Choose bright colors for the background paper and border. Find images of cell phones to decorate the the board. Images can be found in magazine advertisements, clip art and image or photo Internet sites. Use the Ellis Die Cut Machine to cut out the words "Texting Language."
Make Definitions of Texting Words or Phrases
The focus of this bulletin board is to take texting "language" and present it on copy paper just like a dictionary definition. Make sure to include pronunciation, part of speech, syllable breaks and the definition. For example:
- lol or LOL abbr. (l-o-l) – Internet slang that is used in other forms of communication, such as texting. It stands for laugh out loud.
After students have discussed the parts of a dictionary definition, ask students to make definitions of popular texting language or words. Place the best ones on the bulletin board.
Music and Poetry Bulletin Board
Middle school students love their music. Many students have no idea that their favorite music contains lyrics that are actually poetry. Use this bulletin board to show student favorite lyrics and to identify poetic devices used within the lyrics. In addition, this bulletin board will showcase student work.
Select colorful background paper and border. Use the die cut machine to cut out the words "Lyrics and Poetry." Select CD covers that include lyrics to place on the bulletin boards.
Then, find a line in a favorite lyric that uses a poetic device. On a piece of copy paper, write the line from the lyric neatly and include the name of the song and the singer/author of the lyrics. Underline and identify the poetic device in a different color.
Teach Basics of Poetry
To drive home the fact that poetry does exist in their music, teach basic poetry terms. Try this lesson that focuses on poetry and lyrics.
Next, request that students bring in lyrics of their favorite songs. Students should look for poetic devices, such as similes, metaphors, alliteration, assonance, consonance, rhyme pattern, hyperbole, onomatopoeia, repetition, etc in the lyrics. Students can each underline and identify examples of these in their favorite lyrics.
On a piece of copy paper, they should identify the song title, singer/lyric author and copy the line from the lyric that shows an example of a poetic device. Then they should identify the poetic device used. This should be written neatly and colorfully.
These two bulletin boards should bring color and interest to any middle school classroom. The topics of these bulletin boards are teen favorites and should make for great discussion. In addition, they will be a super place to showcase student work.
Other relevant articles: Easy to Make Bulletin Boards & Student Created Bulletin Boards
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