I wish I could say this idea was mine, but it isn't. This idea was given to me by a former colleague, who used to do the project with her students.
So what is it?
I have my students write a letter to the next group of second graders. I have my students write about what they learned this year, projects we did, field trips we had, etc. They also get to tell their favorite lesson from the year (insects and mobiles were favorites) and give a bit of advice to the reader ("Don't lose your pencils!" and "Always listen.").
After the students write their letters, I file them away for the first day of school. When the first day comes, I place them on the desks in a random order and use them as an icebreaker/introduction as to what we will be doing over the course of the year. In the case that I have more students than letters (which I think will happen this coming year with classes being cut and all), I will have the students share with a partner and keep the extras to read aloud.
An alternative I have heard is to have the students write persuasion letters to their teachers at the end of the year. My daughter did this as a project in fourth grade. Her teacher had the class write to her and explain why they thought they deserved to go on to the next grade/why they would make good fifth graders. They had to include things like study habits and attitude. Very eye-opening, I'm sure. She also had them write letters to the fifth grade teachers to introduce themselves. I haven't tried either with my second graders, but judging by the enthusiasm in which they wrote their letters, I think they would enjoy the task.
Showing posts with label Cool Ideas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cool Ideas. Show all posts
June 19, 2011
May 31, 2011
Day 172: ABC Book Pictures
I posted last week about the ABC Book project I'm doing with my class. Here are some pictures of the final project from last year.
I plan to make the text larger this year and add more pictures for the items the students come up with this time. I'll let you know how it turns out.
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| Cover |
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| First page |
May 22, 2011
Day 167: A Visit From the Weatherman
Day 168 saw a visit from a local television weather forecaster. One of the science units in second grade focuses on weather. The students learn what a meteorologist is and does, what tools are used to forecast the weather, what the water cycle is and how it relates to weather, how seasons change, and what dangerous weather is. As an extra step, I also have my students do research reports on different types of dangerous weather. So to find out that an actual meteorologist from TV was coming to visit the school....! Well, that was just the highlight of the students' day!
When he visited, he started off with some weather-related jokes. One of the student favorites: "What is a tornado's favorite game? Twister!" After that, he had student volunteers come up to help demonstrate things like the four elements of weather (temperature, wind, air pressure, and humidity), the water cycle, how thunder is created, dangerous weather, and safety tips for dangerous weather. He also showed students some of the tools he uses and let them take a look and try them out. He also show them his "pet tornado," a device the creates a tornado in a jar at the flip of a switch. (I think everyone wants one now!) At the end, we took a group picture of the students with him and he broadcast it on the 5:00 newscast. So the students got a chance to meet a local celebrity, learn a bit, and be celebrities for a day themselves.
It was a good day.
When he visited, he started off with some weather-related jokes. One of the student favorites: "What is a tornado's favorite game? Twister!" After that, he had student volunteers come up to help demonstrate things like the four elements of weather (temperature, wind, air pressure, and humidity), the water cycle, how thunder is created, dangerous weather, and safety tips for dangerous weather. He also showed students some of the tools he uses and let them take a look and try them out. He also show them his "pet tornado," a device the creates a tornado in a jar at the flip of a switch. (I think everyone wants one now!) At the end, we took a group picture of the students with him and he broadcast it on the 5:00 newscast. So the students got a chance to meet a local celebrity, learn a bit, and be celebrities for a day themselves.
It was a good day.
May 16, 2011
Day 163: Talent Show!
Day 163 began the talent show season in my grade level. In our reading anthology, the final theme is called "Talent Show." Basically, the theme shows how people can have many different kinds of talents; not everyone who has a talent is a singer, dancer, or musician.
As a wrap-up to our reading anthology theme, my grade level puts on a talent show. The students are allowed to do traditional talent-show performances, but we also allow things like art displays, joke telling, dramatic/comedic readings and monologues, sports demonstrations, and acrobatics. In past years we have had everything from cheer leading, hula hooping, dancing, and singing to musical performances, jokes, photography displays, and magic tricks.
The students perform for our grade level only, and performance is optional. Parents and grandparents are invited to watch the show, and refreshments are served afterwards. The children really like the chance to show off talents they may not have been able to show otherwise.
Our show is not until June 8, during the last week of school. I'll let you know how it turns out!
As a wrap-up to our reading anthology theme, my grade level puts on a talent show. The students are allowed to do traditional talent-show performances, but we also allow things like art displays, joke telling, dramatic/comedic readings and monologues, sports demonstrations, and acrobatics. In past years we have had everything from cheer leading, hula hooping, dancing, and singing to musical performances, jokes, photography displays, and magic tricks.
The students perform for our grade level only, and performance is optional. Parents and grandparents are invited to watch the show, and refreshments are served afterwards. The children really like the chance to show off talents they may not have been able to show otherwise.
Our show is not until June 8, during the last week of school. I'll let you know how it turns out!
April 15, 2011
Day 145: Thundercake!
Today saw my class finishing up the story Thundercake in our anthology. I love this story, written by Patricia Polacco. If you are not familiar, the story is about a little girl (Patricia) who learns not to be afraid of thunder while helping her grandmother gather ingredients for a "thundercake."
My students love this story and are especially excited to learn that the recipe for thundercake (which belonged to Patricia's grandmother) is in the back of the book (and on the website linked above). Every year I have students who are surprised to learn that you can use tomatoes in a cake, but they get over it. Mostly because I bake a thundercake (or rather, thunder cupcakes) for my classes every year and share it as a surprise snack. (Truth be told, you don't even taste the tomatoes through all the chocolate and strawberries!)
If you've never made a thundercake for yourself (or anyone else), I encourage you to do so. You will not be disappointed. (And it doesn't even have to be a thunderstorm for you to enjoy it!)
My students love this story and are especially excited to learn that the recipe for thundercake (which belonged to Patricia's grandmother) is in the back of the book (and on the website linked above). Every year I have students who are surprised to learn that you can use tomatoes in a cake, but they get over it. Mostly because I bake a thundercake (or rather, thunder cupcakes) for my classes every year and share it as a surprise snack. (Truth be told, you don't even taste the tomatoes through all the chocolate and strawberries!)
If you've never made a thundercake for yourself (or anyone else), I encourage you to do so. You will not be disappointed. (And it doesn't even have to be a thunderstorm for you to enjoy it!)
April 12, 2011
Day 140: Board Game Party!
Friday, April 8 was Day 140. This day saw us complete our spelling and comprehension quizzes, writing workshop, recess, independent reading time, a tasty lunch (thanks to the International Days food tasting), special, and board games.
Board games, you ask? Yes. Board games.
Friday afternoon was my class reward party for good behavior. I keep a marble jar on the filing cabinet, and it is the students' job to fill it by meeting behavior expectations (no one moving their clip for poor choices, walking quietly in the hallway, being extra considerate of others, etc.). When they fill the jar, there is a reward party. Depending on the time of year, that reward may be extra recess, a movie, ice cream/Popsicles, or a board game party. I allow the students to vote on the kind of reward they will have.
I asked the students to vote on Tuesday, and they overwhelmingly voted for board games. So I told them to bring in their favorite board game on Friday, and we would play those instead of doing social studies or math. I provided snacks and music, and they provided the entertainment. In all, it was a success. The children monitored themselves, games were shared, no pieces were lost or broken, and I even got a chance to play a game or two.
After that,the students had recess. Then we packed up to go home.
It was the perfect way to start the weekend.
Board games, you ask? Yes. Board games.
Friday afternoon was my class reward party for good behavior. I keep a marble jar on the filing cabinet, and it is the students' job to fill it by meeting behavior expectations (no one moving their clip for poor choices, walking quietly in the hallway, being extra considerate of others, etc.). When they fill the jar, there is a reward party. Depending on the time of year, that reward may be extra recess, a movie, ice cream/Popsicles, or a board game party. I allow the students to vote on the kind of reward they will have.
I asked the students to vote on Tuesday, and they overwhelmingly voted for board games. So I told them to bring in their favorite board game on Friday, and we would play those instead of doing social studies or math. I provided snacks and music, and they provided the entertainment. In all, it was a success. The children monitored themselves, games were shared, no pieces were lost or broken, and I even got a chance to play a game or two.
After that,the students had recess. Then we packed up to go home.
It was the perfect way to start the weekend.
April 11, 2011
Day 138: Ahh, Italia!
Wednesday, April 6 began our school's International Days. Every year, we study a country as a school-wide effort for three to four days. We have speakers, singers/dancers, food tastings, cultural trivia, and the school is turned into a mini version of the country of focus. Over the past few years, we have studied China, Switzerland, Ireland, and Mexico.
This year, we journeyed to Italy. We learned about the country, listened to the Italian national anthem in the morning, made venetian masks, listened to (and sang along with) a group of Italian singers, enjoyed a presentation on the culture of Italy, and had a tasting at lunch, complete with an accordion player and tablecloths in the cafeteria. The students tasted fresh mozzarella, Italian bread with olive oil, garlic bread with bruschetta, and pizzelles.
The PTA does a wonderful job of setting things up. All of the halls are decorated according to theme, and the artwork displayed is done by the students of that particular hallway. The students make giant (read: adult-sized) pictures of things that represent the country we are studying. This year, the kindergarten hall way displayed pasta bowls, the first and second grade hall was gelato cones and pizza, the third grade hall was an olive tree orchard, the fourth grade hall was churches/cathedrals, and the fifth grade hallway was full of gondolas. All of the hallways had words related to the theme suspended from the ceiling.
In the specials hallway, there was a scene from Italy, complete with mosaics created by the children.
Ciao, Italia!
This year, we journeyed to Italy. We learned about the country, listened to the Italian national anthem in the morning, made venetian masks, listened to (and sang along with) a group of Italian singers, enjoyed a presentation on the culture of Italy, and had a tasting at lunch, complete with an accordion player and tablecloths in the cafeteria. The students tasted fresh mozzarella, Italian bread with olive oil, garlic bread with bruschetta, and pizzelles.
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| Some of the masks my students made for the occasion. |
The PTA does a wonderful job of setting things up. All of the halls are decorated according to theme, and the artwork displayed is done by the students of that particular hallway. The students make giant (read: adult-sized) pictures of things that represent the country we are studying. This year, the kindergarten hall way displayed pasta bowls, the first and second grade hall was gelato cones and pizza, the third grade hall was an olive tree orchard, the fourth grade hall was churches/cathedrals, and the fifth grade hallway was full of gondolas. All of the hallways had words related to the theme suspended from the ceiling.
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| One of the signs on the first/second-grade hallway. Other signs said "Delicious" and "Sweet." |
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| The Leaning Tower of Pisa (outside our school library)! |
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| The Coliseum. |
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| A bridge into another part of Italy. |
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| Some of the mosaics done by the students. The entire specials hallway is decorated with them. All kinds of materials were used: noodles, beans, paper, buttons, foam shapes, tile, sequins, pasta, cereal, rocks, and string. |
March 28, 2011
Day 131: Calling All Cooks!
Today we began the next story in our anthology. We are reading Jalapeno Bagels by Natasha Wing. If you aren't familiar with the story, it is about a little boy of diverse cultures who is trying to decide what treats to take into his class for International Days to represent his heritage. His mother is Mexican-American and his father is Jewish. His parents own a bakery that make tasty treats from both cultures. The recipe for the bagels is a representation of both cultures coming together.
As a class project, I ask my students' parents to submit one or two simple recipes that represent their family heritage or culture.* I ask for two because I know that some of my students come from diverse backgrounds, just like the boy in the story. Over the years I have gotten recipes from all over the world: France, Puerto Rico, Germany, Ireland, China, India, Vietnam, Iran, Lebanon, and Mexico, to name a few. I can't wait to see what recipes are submitted this year!
Once all of the recipes have been submitted, I type them up and organize them into cookbook sections. I then submit to book to be copied so that each child has a copy to take home as a keepsake.
Do you have any neat heritage/culture projects you do? Feel free to share in the comment box!
*This project can also be used for a cultural/heritage unit in social studies.
As a class project, I ask my students' parents to submit one or two simple recipes that represent their family heritage or culture.* I ask for two because I know that some of my students come from diverse backgrounds, just like the boy in the story. Over the years I have gotten recipes from all over the world: France, Puerto Rico, Germany, Ireland, China, India, Vietnam, Iran, Lebanon, and Mexico, to name a few. I can't wait to see what recipes are submitted this year!
Once all of the recipes have been submitted, I type them up and organize them into cookbook sections. I then submit to book to be copied so that each child has a copy to take home as a keepsake.
Do you have any neat heritage/culture projects you do? Feel free to share in the comment box!
*This project can also be used for a cultural/heritage unit in social studies.
Day 130: Help for Japan
Day 130 saw the arrival of a school-wide project to help Japan. One of the first-grade teachers on my staff created a fundraiser that all students can participate in and benefit the victims of Japan's earthquake and tsunami.
The project is fairly simple: Each student does five jobs/chores around the house to "earn" $5.00. Once the jobs are done and the student has "earned" his or her reward, that money is place into an envelope and turned in to me. I then forward the envelopes on to the teacher in charge. She has contacts at the Red Cross who will send along our donations and letters of encouragement. It is projected that if each child in our school participates, we can raise over $3,000 to help provide supplies and meet the needs of the Japanese people. For students who can't afford the $5.00 donation (or choose not to participate), the teachers have signed up to be sponsors for those students and donate in their place.
I explained the idea to my students and they are very excited to begin this project. I will keep you updated as to our progress. I can't wait to see what we do!
The project is fairly simple: Each student does five jobs/chores around the house to "earn" $5.00. Once the jobs are done and the student has "earned" his or her reward, that money is place into an envelope and turned in to me. I then forward the envelopes on to the teacher in charge. She has contacts at the Red Cross who will send along our donations and letters of encouragement. It is projected that if each child in our school participates, we can raise over $3,000 to help provide supplies and meet the needs of the Japanese people. For students who can't afford the $5.00 donation (or choose not to participate), the teachers have signed up to be sponsors for those students and donate in their place.
I explained the idea to my students and they are very excited to begin this project. I will keep you updated as to our progress. I can't wait to see what we do!
March 17, 2011
Day 124: Happy St. Patrick's Day!
Today was St. Patrick's Day, so the building was bathed in green. We had a good day today, some of which is highlighted below.
In the afternoon, we had an assembly on Irish dancing. One of the second-grade girls is a competitive Irish dancer and offered to dance for us a few weeks ago. She partnered up with a first-grade girl who also studies the art. During the assembly, the girls wore their full costume and performed for kindergarten, first grade, and second grade. They also answered questions about dancing, Ireland (one has been there already), and the costumes. As a surprise treat, our assistant principal also performed an Irish dance she remembered from her days as a competitive dancer. She explained that her grandmother was from Ireland, and Irish dancing was a huge part of her childhood. I think the children were very impressed with what they saw.
When we returned to the classroom after the assembly, we were greeted with the work of "leprechauns." Student desks were moved; chairs were stacked or on top of desks; bookbags, lunchboxes, and jackets were strewn about and hanging from various surfaces; and math manipulatives were all over the floor, along with the whiteboard and easel they usually rest on. The students (being the sweet children they are) immediately began cleaning up the room (after they got over the shock, that is). Then they promptly began searching for the leprechaun, which they didn't find. No gold or wishes for us today.
Even so, I hope you were able to enjoy the luck of the Irish a bit yourself!
In the afternoon, we had an assembly on Irish dancing. One of the second-grade girls is a competitive Irish dancer and offered to dance for us a few weeks ago. She partnered up with a first-grade girl who also studies the art. During the assembly, the girls wore their full costume and performed for kindergarten, first grade, and second grade. They also answered questions about dancing, Ireland (one has been there already), and the costumes. As a surprise treat, our assistant principal also performed an Irish dance she remembered from her days as a competitive dancer. She explained that her grandmother was from Ireland, and Irish dancing was a huge part of her childhood. I think the children were very impressed with what they saw.
When we returned to the classroom after the assembly, we were greeted with the work of "leprechauns." Student desks were moved; chairs were stacked or on top of desks; bookbags, lunchboxes, and jackets were strewn about and hanging from various surfaces; and math manipulatives were all over the floor, along with the whiteboard and easel they usually rest on. The students (being the sweet children they are) immediately began cleaning up the room (after they got over the shock, that is). Then they promptly began searching for the leprechaun, which they didn't find. No gold or wishes for us today.
Even so, I hope you were able to enjoy the luck of the Irish a bit yourself!
March 16, 2011
Day 122: Animal Reports
As a wrap-up to the Amazing Animals theme in my reading series, I always have the students write animal reports. The students get to practice researching and writing nonfiction text. I tell them they are going to be the "experts" on their animal. Students choose three of their favorite animals, and I assign them at random. Once their organizer is done, we have a writing workshop to write out our reports. After that is finished, we hike to the computer lab and find photos to go along with our reports. The end result is a project that looks like an official scientific report.
I'm pretty excited to see what my students come up with this year. In the past, most of my students have done "popular" animals: lions, red-eyed tree frogs, shark, various dinosaurs, tigers, dolphins, and polar bears. Only three of those animals made the cut this year. On the list this time are animals like peacocks, snowshoe hares, cottonmouth snakes, giraffes, hippos, and veined octopus.
The organizers are due this coming Tuesday. I plan to have the projects written by Friday or the following Monday at the latest. (How will I have time, you ask? My state is taking its yearly academic tests in reading, writing, math, and science in Grades 3 and up, so we second graders have some extra time in our schedules!) I will post pics of the final projects once we have them finished.
Stay posted!
I'm pretty excited to see what my students come up with this year. In the past, most of my students have done "popular" animals: lions, red-eyed tree frogs, shark, various dinosaurs, tigers, dolphins, and polar bears. Only three of those animals made the cut this year. On the list this time are animals like peacocks, snowshoe hares, cottonmouth snakes, giraffes, hippos, and veined octopus.
The organizers are due this coming Tuesday. I plan to have the projects written by Friday or the following Monday at the latest. (How will I have time, you ask? My state is taking its yearly academic tests in reading, writing, math, and science in Grades 3 and up, so we second graders have some extra time in our schedules!) I will post pics of the final projects once we have them finished.
Stay posted!
March 14, 2011
Days 112-116: Read Across America Week
I know, I know. A group of days all together? Well, yes. These days cover Read Across America Week. At my school we have a theme day for each day of the week. Here's the rundown of what we did each day:
Monday: School Spirit/Book and a Buddy Day
Monday (Day 112) was the last day in the month of February. In my school this is our designated School Spirit Day. The students wore our school colors and brought a book to share with a buddy. During independent reading time (all week), they read with a buddy and got to share some ideas about each book.
Tuesday: Crazy Hair/Socks Day
Tuesday (Day 113) was one of the favorites for the week. The students came in with all manner of crazy hair and/or socks. There was colored hair, just-got-out-of-bed hair, many ponytails, braids, colored hair extensions, and an updo held in by pencils (mine). The socks ranged from mismatched to various prints (tie dye, stars, stripes, sport figures, words, and slipper socks).
Wednesday: Dr. Seuss Day
On Wednesday (Day 114) we wore our red, black, and white to represent The Cat in the Hat, one of the best-known Dr. Seuss characters. We also brought in our favorite Dr. Seuss books to share with the class. The cafeteria served birthday cake in honor of Theodore Giesel's birthday. In the past we had volunteers dress as the Cat in the Hat and visit the students during lunch, but that didn't happen this year.
Thursday: Pajama Day
Thursday (Day 115) was the most favorite day of the week. The students came to school in their pajamas. They also brought their slippers, stuffed animals, blankets, and their favorite bedtime book. We camped out on the floor of the classroom with our books and read to each other.
Friday: Beach and a Book Day
Friday (Day 116) was a day spent at the beach. The reading specialists in the school turned our cafeteria into a beach for the day, complete with inflatable palm trees, beach balls, and the sounds of the Beach Boys and the ocean waves. Each grade level was assigned a block of time to come and visit the beach. The students brought in a book, a beach towel, and sunglasses. When we got to "the beach," laid out our towels. Once we were situated, we played a few games of beach ball volleyball, where the students tossed around about 12 beach balls to Beach Boys songs. After that, we settled on our towels and listened to the sounds of the ocean while we read. It was hard to leave after our session!
Throughout Read Across America Week, the morning announcements include a snippet or two from different Dr. Seuss stories. The children have to guess which story is being read. It always amazes me how many stories my students know! I also push aside our regular read aloud during this week to read different Dr. Seuss stories to the students. A few years ago I bought Your Favorite Seuss: A Baker's Dozen by the One and Only Dr. Seuss, and I read to my students from that. I like to include some of the background information the book has for each story. For example, the Grinch character is based on Theodore Giesel himself. And the story Green Eggs and Ham was written on a bet from a publisher that Theodore Giesel couldn't write a story that used less than 50 individual words. (He won, by the way.) The children always get a kick out of those little extras.
Some other activities we do during this week are:
*We complete a sequencing activity with Green Eggs and Ham.
*We rate the Cat in the Hat in The Cat in the Hat Comes Back as if he were a student (listening skills, problem solving, etc.).
*We explore Seussville on the computer during lab.
The children really enjoy the things we do this week, and it sort of jump starts them again, even though some of their minds my be looking ahead to spring already.
If you are looking ahead to next year and want to look up books to plan your Read Across America Week or Dr. Seuss Day, check out this site. You will find resources for books, board games, videos, movies, and a comprehensive listing of all Dr. Seuss books.
Monday: School Spirit/Book and a Buddy Day
Monday (Day 112) was the last day in the month of February. In my school this is our designated School Spirit Day. The students wore our school colors and brought a book to share with a buddy. During independent reading time (all week), they read with a buddy and got to share some ideas about each book.
Tuesday: Crazy Hair/Socks Day
Tuesday (Day 113) was one of the favorites for the week. The students came in with all manner of crazy hair and/or socks. There was colored hair, just-got-out-of-bed hair, many ponytails, braids, colored hair extensions, and an updo held in by pencils (mine). The socks ranged from mismatched to various prints (tie dye, stars, stripes, sport figures, words, and slipper socks).
Wednesday: Dr. Seuss Day
On Wednesday (Day 114) we wore our red, black, and white to represent The Cat in the Hat, one of the best-known Dr. Seuss characters. We also brought in our favorite Dr. Seuss books to share with the class. The cafeteria served birthday cake in honor of Theodore Giesel's birthday. In the past we had volunteers dress as the Cat in the Hat and visit the students during lunch, but that didn't happen this year.
Thursday: Pajama Day
Thursday (Day 115) was the most favorite day of the week. The students came to school in their pajamas. They also brought their slippers, stuffed animals, blankets, and their favorite bedtime book. We camped out on the floor of the classroom with our books and read to each other.
Friday: Beach and a Book Day
Friday (Day 116) was a day spent at the beach. The reading specialists in the school turned our cafeteria into a beach for the day, complete with inflatable palm trees, beach balls, and the sounds of the Beach Boys and the ocean waves. Each grade level was assigned a block of time to come and visit the beach. The students brought in a book, a beach towel, and sunglasses. When we got to "the beach," laid out our towels. Once we were situated, we played a few games of beach ball volleyball, where the students tossed around about 12 beach balls to Beach Boys songs. After that, we settled on our towels and listened to the sounds of the ocean while we read. It was hard to leave after our session!
Throughout Read Across America Week, the morning announcements include a snippet or two from different Dr. Seuss stories. The children have to guess which story is being read. It always amazes me how many stories my students know! I also push aside our regular read aloud during this week to read different Dr. Seuss stories to the students. A few years ago I bought Your Favorite Seuss: A Baker's Dozen by the One and Only Dr. Seuss, and I read to my students from that. I like to include some of the background information the book has for each story. For example, the Grinch character is based on Theodore Giesel himself. And the story Green Eggs and Ham was written on a bet from a publisher that Theodore Giesel couldn't write a story that used less than 50 individual words. (He won, by the way.) The children always get a kick out of those little extras.
Some other activities we do during this week are:
*We complete a sequencing activity with Green Eggs and Ham.
*We rate the Cat in the Hat in The Cat in the Hat Comes Back as if he were a student (listening skills, problem solving, etc.).
*We explore Seussville on the computer during lab.
The children really enjoy the things we do this week, and it sort of jump starts them again, even though some of their minds my be looking ahead to spring already.
If you are looking ahead to next year and want to look up books to plan your Read Across America Week or Dr. Seuss Day, check out this site. You will find resources for books, board games, videos, movies, and a comprehensive listing of all Dr. Seuss books.
If you have any ideas or other neat sites, drop me a post!
February 13, 2011
Day 101: Hi-larious!
If you've been following, you know that Thursday, February 10, was the 100th Day of School. I had my students write about what their lives will be like when they are 100 years old. While their stories were pretty cute, their pictures were even funnier. I've posted a few below for your perusal.
I thought their pictures were too cute. It's always funny to see what children think being "old" is, but I was surprised at the number of canes, gray hair (or no hair), and age spots they drew on their self-portraits. All except one student, that is. He wrote on his paper that he'll discover a pill that will make you 8 years old again. Ah, the good old fountain of youth!
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| Here are two of my students at 100 years old. One is a dancer who shares her craft with students while the other is an Academy Award-winning actress. |
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| These are three more students at 100 years old. There is a scientist/inventor (of the jet-powered wheelchair), a pediatrician, and the student who said his job will be to tell kids to stay off his lawn. Can you guess which one he his? |
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| Here are two more students at 100 years old. One is a police officer; the other is a veterinarian. |
February 9, 2011
Day 99: Preparation for 100th Day
Tomorrow is the 100th Day of School, due to the snow days we've had. Our celebration will have to be cut short because tomorrow also happens to be a previously scheduled inservice for teachers. The students have a two-hour delay. Which means that some of the neat ideas I had planned for language arts will have to be pushed to next year. (I usually read a story and do some activities with it, the students create a 100 book, and we write about what our lives would be like if we lived to be 100 years old. We'll have time to do Daily Edit and write about our lives at 100 before it's time to go to lunch.)
After lunch, we have special. Then we have social studies. Since we are talking about natural resources and goods made from those resources, we will see if we can come up with 100 products and categorize them.
During math, we will see if we can come up with 100 ways to add/multiply/subtract/divided to get answers of 100, write our names on the number grid to determine what patterns our names make, and add the numbers of our name to see who's name comes closest to equaling 100. (You assign each letter a value from 1 to 26 and go from there. The students do their first names only.) If there is time, we will have a 100-piece puzzle challenge to lead us into recess.
After recess, it will be time to pack up and go home.
I don't make as big a deal of the 100th day as kindergarten and first grade does, mainly because by the time they've reached the 100th day with me, 100 is not such an awe-inspiring number to them anymore. They are more interested in 1,000 and 10,000!
After lunch, we have special. Then we have social studies. Since we are talking about natural resources and goods made from those resources, we will see if we can come up with 100 products and categorize them.
During math, we will see if we can come up with 100 ways to add/multiply/subtract/divided to get answers of 100, write our names on the number grid to determine what patterns our names make, and add the numbers of our name to see who's name comes closest to equaling 100. (You assign each letter a value from 1 to 26 and go from there. The students do their first names only.) If there is time, we will have a 100-piece puzzle challenge to lead us into recess.
After recess, it will be time to pack up and go home.
I don't make as big a deal of the 100th day as kindergarten and first grade does, mainly because by the time they've reached the 100th day with me, 100 is not such an awe-inspiring number to them anymore. They are more interested in 1,000 and 10,000!
February 8, 2011
Day 98: More Resources for Black History Projects
Here are the resources I blogged about yesterday. Some of the sites may be a little harder to read depending on the grade level you teach. In addition, there are many, many sites out there, but I tried to pick a few that had information about a lot of people (to save parents from hopping all over the Internet). I hope you can use them! (If you do use them, drop me a comment or an e-mail and let me know how it went!)
FYI: I also told the children they could use books or articles; all of their research does not have to be online. Speaking of which, don't hesitate to add in your local public library website; many have links to kid-friendly research sites.
Anyway, here they are!
I couldn't get the organizer to load; I still haven't figured out how to get the PDF to load on the blog page. Basically, it's the basics (birth and birthplace, death, place/manner of death, marriage); obstacles faced during life, contributions to American history/society; lessons learned from reading about the person, questions the students would like to ask if they could meet that person; five additional facts learned.
I use the grade as a double grade; one for social studies (research) and the other for language arts (write ups and presentation). Remember: Work smarter, not harder!
FYI: I also told the children they could use books or articles; all of their research does not have to be online. Speaking of which, don't hesitate to add in your local public library website; many have links to kid-friendly research sites.
Anyway, here they are!
www.biography.com (under the History channel website)
www.gale.cengage.com (go the free resources link for Black History)
Also, here is a list of names (along with gender and designation) that I assigned in my class...with a few extras in case the student picked someone they've already heard about or read about.
1. Thurgood Marshall-male-Supreme Court Justice
2. Shirley Chisholm-female-Congresswoman
3. Mae Jemison-female-Astronaut
4. Marian Anderson-female-Singer
5. George Washington Carver-male-Scientist
6. Ralph Bunche-male-Political scientist
7. Duke Ellington-male-Musician/Composer
8. Booker T. Washington-male-Educator/School founder
9. Mary McLeod Bethune-female-Educator/School founder
10. Elijah McCoy-male-Engineer/Inventor
11. Benjamin Banneker-male-Inventor/Scientist
12. Wilma Rudolph-female-Olympic athlete
13. Jessie Owens-male-Olympic athlete
14. Matthew Henson-male-Explorer
15. Ruby Bridges-female-Civil Rights pioneer
16. Harriet Tubman-female-Abolitionist
17. Arthur Ashe-male-Athlete
18. Alvin Ailey-male-Dancer/Choreographer
19. Sojourner Truth-female-Abolitionist
20. Phillis (also Phyllis) Wheatley-female-Writer
21. Langston Hughes-male-Writer
22. Ida B. Wells-female-Early civil rights activist/Co-founder of the NAACP
I use the grade as a double grade; one for social studies (research) and the other for language arts (write ups and presentation). Remember: Work smarter, not harder!
December 14, 2010
Day 69: Symmetry, Snowflakes, and Other Geometry Stuff
We are finishing up our lessons in our geometry unit. We did a project today that focused on symmetry. I came up with the idea for a symmetry snowman. The kids are partnered up to design their snowmen. Each child draws one half of the snowman. Then they switch papers and their partner has to copy the design and make it symmetrical. I have a pic of the blank sheet I gave them; I will post one of the student pages after I have them up.
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| Snowman project |
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| This is the model I show my students. |
Other books I like to use for my geometry unit are Shape Up by David A. Adler and The Greedy Triangle by Marilyn Burns. Snowflakes in Photographs by W. A. Bentley is also a good one to look through. (FYI: You can also use this one when talking about snow during your weather unit in science.)
I hope you can use some of these ideas. And as always, if you have a neat idea, please share with the rest of us! Leave them in the comment box and I'll post them for you.
Until then, just think ahead to the holidays. They (and Winter Break) are almost here!
December 13, 2010
Day 68: Transitions
We are all at the time of year when the students aren't quite as with us as we would like them to be. Holiday breaks, school programs, cold weather and snow (if you are in a climate that has these), and who knows what else are all over the minds of our kiddos.
I have found that I am losing my students during transition times lately because something we have talked about or something they read or something someone said to them at recess or lunch has them wanting to talk and share at the wrong time. So I have had to pull some old tricks out of my teacher hat. Here are some tricks I have been using over the past week or so:
1. Math fact drills. I use this while we are lining up for special, lunch, or recess. They have to answer a math fact to get in line and they cannot talk while in line or they have to sit back down and answer another fact.
2. Part of speech review. I have flashcards with parts of speech on them. We have been reviewing nouns. I hold up a card with a picture of an object (or say the name of the object aloud to them) and they have to tell me if the object is a person, place, or thing. I also have verb, adjective, and conjunction cards to add into the deck as we learn those.
3. Stretches. I have them follow me through a set of stretches to wake them up and get them focused. I have also used a quick game of Simon Says.
4. Riddle of the day. While I was cleaning off my shelves during the two-hour delay, I found a book that has daily riddles in it. Before we begin science each day, I ask them a riddle and they have a few minutes to think about and give an answer. (This is especially helpful because my students have lunch and special right before science.) The riddles aren't hard, but they make you think. One of the ones we had last week was "What are some ways to melt an ice cube?" (The answers ranged from stick it in the oven to send it to the Sun. You have to appreciate the imagination of little ones!)
5. Clapping. I clap a pattern out to make a little song and they repeat it back to me.
6. Music. I play classical and jazz during different parts of the day, but lately I have been playing all kinds of Christmas music (with parental permission, of course). Today I played one by The Muppets and the students begged me to play during our transition to lunch and during our preparation for special. (We have about 10 minutes between lunch and special each day, so we read during that time.)
7. One I'm going to try this week (after a brainstorm I had over the weekend) is something I call "stampede." (My classroom has a safari theme, so this fits right in.) I'm going to turn my head as if I'm listening for something and ask them if they hear it, too. Then I'm going to yell, "Stampede!" and let the students drum their feet on the floor for a short time. (There are no classes under mine, so I don't disturb anyone below me.) I'll let you know how it goes.
How about you? Do you have any creative transition ideas? Send them in a comment and I'll post them!
I have found that I am losing my students during transition times lately because something we have talked about or something they read or something someone said to them at recess or lunch has them wanting to talk and share at the wrong time. So I have had to pull some old tricks out of my teacher hat. Here are some tricks I have been using over the past week or so:
1. Math fact drills. I use this while we are lining up for special, lunch, or recess. They have to answer a math fact to get in line and they cannot talk while in line or they have to sit back down and answer another fact.
2. Part of speech review. I have flashcards with parts of speech on them. We have been reviewing nouns. I hold up a card with a picture of an object (or say the name of the object aloud to them) and they have to tell me if the object is a person, place, or thing. I also have verb, adjective, and conjunction cards to add into the deck as we learn those.
3. Stretches. I have them follow me through a set of stretches to wake them up and get them focused. I have also used a quick game of Simon Says.
4. Riddle of the day. While I was cleaning off my shelves during the two-hour delay, I found a book that has daily riddles in it. Before we begin science each day, I ask them a riddle and they have a few minutes to think about and give an answer. (This is especially helpful because my students have lunch and special right before science.) The riddles aren't hard, but they make you think. One of the ones we had last week was "What are some ways to melt an ice cube?" (The answers ranged from stick it in the oven to send it to the Sun. You have to appreciate the imagination of little ones!)
5. Clapping. I clap a pattern out to make a little song and they repeat it back to me.
6. Music. I play classical and jazz during different parts of the day, but lately I have been playing all kinds of Christmas music (with parental permission, of course). Today I played one by The Muppets and the students begged me to play during our transition to lunch and during our preparation for special. (We have about 10 minutes between lunch and special each day, so we read during that time.)
7. One I'm going to try this week (after a brainstorm I had over the weekend) is something I call "stampede." (My classroom has a safari theme, so this fits right in.) I'm going to turn my head as if I'm listening for something and ask them if they hear it, too. Then I'm going to yell, "Stampede!" and let the students drum their feet on the floor for a short time. (There are no classes under mine, so I don't disturb anyone below me.) I'll let you know how it goes.
How about you? Do you have any creative transition ideas? Send them in a comment and I'll post them!
Day 67: Architects and Engineers
Friday, December 10 was day 67. I decided to use the math period of that day to do some building with my students. (The kids LOVED this activity!)
We are in our geometry unit, and we were studying 2D and 3D shapes. It's sometimes hard for little ones to distinguish between the two. A few years ago I started having my students build their shapes. While there are all sorts of K'Nex-type materials or magnetic building sets, I can't always afford a class set of materials for the projects.
I decided to use toothpicks and marshmallows to create the shapes. After the first year, I realized that marshmallows are a little too soft and they fall apart after a few pokes with the toothpick. So then I started using gumdrops. This year, with food allergies in the room, I went with a snack that was safe for both of my kiddos: Welch's Fruit Snacks. The kids loved it and had a good time being architects for the period. Check out some of the designs below:
I have the kids start with the 2D shape. Then I ask them what the 3D equivalent would be. (For example, a square would turn into a cube.) I let them build squares, triangles, and rectangles. We then turn those into cubes, square pyramids, three-sided pyramids, and rectangular prisms. We also build prisms. (By the way, I only help with the first shape to show them how to attach the snacks to the toothpicks. After that, they have to work it out. They are allowed to converse with a neighbor.)
If you can use this idea, please go right ahead. Send me a comment and let me know how it turned out!
We are in our geometry unit, and we were studying 2D and 3D shapes. It's sometimes hard for little ones to distinguish between the two. A few years ago I started having my students build their shapes. While there are all sorts of K'Nex-type materials or magnetic building sets, I can't always afford a class set of materials for the projects.
I decided to use toothpicks and marshmallows to create the shapes. After the first year, I realized that marshmallows are a little too soft and they fall apart after a few pokes with the toothpick. So then I started using gumdrops. This year, with food allergies in the room, I went with a snack that was safe for both of my kiddos: Welch's Fruit Snacks. The kids loved it and had a good time being architects for the period. Check out some of the designs below:
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| My models made with marshmallows a few years back. The marhsmallows tend to get sticky and fall apart with the kids manipulating them. The result is a hard-to-clean mess! |
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| One of my student's models. He was so proud! |
If you can use this idea, please go right ahead. Send me a comment and let me know how it turned out!
December 1, 2010
Day 60: Hanukkah/Chanukah
Happy Hanukkah to those of you who celebrate the holiday! If you were not aware, Hanukkah began at sundown tonight.
As part of my goal to introduce my students to as many cultures as possible, December is a big month for me in the realm of studying holidays from other cultures. We learn about Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and Las Posadas.
During the eight days in which Hanukkah is celebrated, I try to mirror the holiday by reading part of a story that focuses on each day. I like to read the story Pearl's Eight Days of Chanukah by Jane Breskin Zalben. The book focuses on a family that gets together over the holiday. Through the reading of the story, the history, traditions, and symbols of Hanukkah are explained. There are craft projects, recipes, and songs listed throughout the book as the characters in the story celebrate each night. There is also a glossary of terms in the back of the book.
My classes have always loved the story and the activities. (I don't get a chance to do all of the activities, but we do some of the simpler ones. I also send home all of the recipes from the book. My students always get excited over the one for jelly doughnuts!)
To further explain Hanukkah, my grade level does a "Hanukkah rotation." It was started by a former colleague who is Jewish and thought it would be a good way to expose the children to another culture. It's a busy sort of time slot, but it's a lot of fun.
We condense our six second grades into five classes (one class gets split among the others) and do a sort of walking tour from class to class. Each second grade teacher is responsible for a "stop" on this tour. One teacher will read a story about Hanukkah, another will have a craft, another will have a tasting of latkes and apple juice while viewing a short video on Hanukkah, another will have the dreidel game, and another is a room where the students can be part of a discussion about the holiday, complete with a menorah and other materials. Each station is about 15 minutes long. When the children get back to their homerooms, they are given a plastic dreidel to keep. The children really enjoy the rotation and are able to "experience" a holiday they may not have had access to.
Our rotation is this Friday afternoon. I don't cook the latkes; I buy them frozen from the store and heat them through the night before. Then they just get reheated in the microwave in the afternoon and they're ready to go. The juice is served in Dixie cups to cut down on spills and wasted juice. Most children like to eat the latkes with their fingers, so napkins are usually a good way to go.
How do you share the holiday of Hanukkah with your class? Feel free to add your ideas in the comment section and I'll post them to share with the rest of us!
As part of my goal to introduce my students to as many cultures as possible, December is a big month for me in the realm of studying holidays from other cultures. We learn about Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and Las Posadas.
During the eight days in which Hanukkah is celebrated, I try to mirror the holiday by reading part of a story that focuses on each day. I like to read the story Pearl's Eight Days of Chanukah by Jane Breskin Zalben. The book focuses on a family that gets together over the holiday. Through the reading of the story, the history, traditions, and symbols of Hanukkah are explained. There are craft projects, recipes, and songs listed throughout the book as the characters in the story celebrate each night. There is also a glossary of terms in the back of the book.
My classes have always loved the story and the activities. (I don't get a chance to do all of the activities, but we do some of the simpler ones. I also send home all of the recipes from the book. My students always get excited over the one for jelly doughnuts!)
To further explain Hanukkah, my grade level does a "Hanukkah rotation." It was started by a former colleague who is Jewish and thought it would be a good way to expose the children to another culture. It's a busy sort of time slot, but it's a lot of fun.
We condense our six second grades into five classes (one class gets split among the others) and do a sort of walking tour from class to class. Each second grade teacher is responsible for a "stop" on this tour. One teacher will read a story about Hanukkah, another will have a craft, another will have a tasting of latkes and apple juice while viewing a short video on Hanukkah, another will have the dreidel game, and another is a room where the students can be part of a discussion about the holiday, complete with a menorah and other materials. Each station is about 15 minutes long. When the children get back to their homerooms, they are given a plastic dreidel to keep. The children really enjoy the rotation and are able to "experience" a holiday they may not have had access to.
Our rotation is this Friday afternoon. I don't cook the latkes; I buy them frozen from the store and heat them through the night before. Then they just get reheated in the microwave in the afternoon and they're ready to go. The juice is served in Dixie cups to cut down on spills and wasted juice. Most children like to eat the latkes with their fingers, so napkins are usually a good way to go.
How do you share the holiday of Hanukkah with your class? Feel free to add your ideas in the comment section and I'll post them to share with the rest of us!
November 17, 2010
Day 53: Insects!
Today was a fun day. We began our day with our insect speaker who shared with us the interesting world of aquatic insects. He is the parent of one of the students in another class and is a biologist by profession. He talked to the children about the life cycles of the insects, the difference between complete and incomplete metamorphosis, camouflage, and where to find them in the water.
He also brought samples(!) of the different types of insects in various stages of their life cycles. The students observed dragonflies, damselflies, mayflies, and various other types of water beetles and crustaceans (like crayfish). The students loved it and were full of questions. They especially were impressed (and sort of grossed out) by a giant water beetle.
After our speaker left, we continued with science and observed our own mealworm colony in the classroom. We watched one adult beetle crawl around while another molted out of its pupa-skin covering. I swear my students all want to become little entomologists now!
That is, as long as they don't have to study the giant water beetle...
He also brought samples(!) of the different types of insects in various stages of their life cycles. The students observed dragonflies, damselflies, mayflies, and various other types of water beetles and crustaceans (like crayfish). The students loved it and were full of questions. They especially were impressed (and sort of grossed out) by a giant water beetle.
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| These are stages in the life cycle of an aquatic insect. I think it's a type of beetle. |
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| This is the water beetle the kids were fascinated yet somewhat repulsed by, mainly because of it's size. It's about 2.5 to 3 inches long and is about 1.5 inches across at its widest point. Sort of looks like a cockroach close up. I'm not afraid of insects, but this is not something I'd want to find in my shoe! |
That is, as long as they don't have to study the giant water beetle...
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