Middle school students still love a good bulletin board. They want to have places in the classroom to find information and see their work on display. While some middle school classrooms have fewer bulletin boards than elementary rooms, they still play important roles for students.
Why are bulletin boards important in the middle school classroom?
Whether in elementary, middle school, or high school classrooms, bulletin boards are typically used for decoration, display, and information. Some may even be interactive. The first step is to decide their function in the classroom. Make it easy for students to know where to find procedures, bell schedules, homework assignments, menus, and more. For student work, dedicate a space to showcase their efforts. The purpose of each bulletin board should be obvious and without clutter.
With so much important information to share and student work samples to display, teachers must use the space efficiently and effectively. To gain a little more display space, consider using wall space as a bulletin board. Large boards can also be sectioned by borders strategically placed to divide them into half or even quarters. Label areas of your bulletin board for easy identification.
Engaging middle school bulletin board ideas
Bulletin board ideas are only as limited as the imagination. Think outside the box!
Use fabric for the background. Fabric works well because it doesn’t fade or tear over time. Fabric also hides holes from staples, making it possible to leave up for a longer time. The fabric background could be the school colors and stay up all year long, allowing teachers to simply change out the information or displays. Or choose a fabric with graphics to reflect units of study, such as plants or oceans.
- Involve the students by asking them to design posters with classroom procedures and expectations for posting.
- Create a list of careers in the current unit of study. Ask students to research the one that seems most interesting to them.
- Turn a math or science lesson into an art project. For example, when studying geometry, have students use what they learned to design houses or robots and label each shape and/or angle. Share their work for others to see!
Deepening student understanding
Middle school bulletin board ideas that boost learning goals are excellent options. Use the space to display:
- Vocabulary terms
- Discussion questions to assess prior knowledge
- Learning objectives
- Topics for journal entries in science or math notebooks
Gizmos STEM Cases offer students the opportunity to act as scientists to solve real-world problems. Creating bulletin boards specifically for STEM Cases is a great way to support the inquiry-based learning process. List guidelines and procedures for working through STEM Cases. Share background information for each case. Pose questions for students to consider. Display student work and results and allow them to reflect on their findings with the whole class.
Supporting inquiry-based learning
Gizmos use the 5E Model of Instruction, which sets up the perfect opportunity for a bulletin board centered around inquiry-based learning. When beginning a unit of study that involves any Gizmo, plan a bulletin board that changes throughout the learning process, from inspiring students in the engagement phase to elaborating on findings and even potential evaluation questions.
Discover more ideas in our virtual communities
Did you know that there’s a virtual learning community, especially for teachers who love Gizmos? The community, led by a specialist in our ExploreLearning Professional Development Team, offers tips and ideas for bulletin boards, lessons, and more. Join today to share, learn, and grow with Gizmos.
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