Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Spring Graphic Organizers Set One

Happy Wednesday! :) I just wanted to let you y'all know that I have uploaded the first set of my spring graphic organizers.  This set is all about St. Patrick's Day and Easter.  Set Two will be all about rainy days, flowers, and Earth Day!

This set is perfect for St. Patrick's Day and Easter! I use them with pretty much any book we do comprehension work with during a holiday.  My kiddos LOVE the seasonal flair. 

Here's a closer look! :) 



Click on any of the images above or {here} to check them out on TpT!


Monday, February 25, 2013

Crazy for Conversions: Measurement Fun

For the past few weeks we have been studying measurement in my little classroom, especially making conversions.  My students have done a great job and have impressed me so much. Our test is tomorrow, so I spent a little bit of time this weekend making a fun review game.


 
Below is just a little bit of a sneak peak! Included in this file are 20 activity/task cards for reviewing US Customary and Metric Conversions, although a few cards deal with selecting the proper estimate  for the length, weight, or capacity of an object. :) Below is a closer look of some of the included cards. :)




 The activity cards included in this pack are self checking.  All you need to do is fold on the dashed line and tape it to the back of the card.  My students LOVE whenever our activity cards are self checking.  However, you can just cut the answers off if you prefer. 

I try to incorporate cooperative learning into my classroom in every subject throughout the day.  So today, I had my students solve the problems on the cards in a Scoot/Move About Fashion with a partner.  However, each partner had to share their answer before flipping the card over and coach/teach each other if they got the problem right and their partner got it wrong.  I heard lots of great discussions/accountable talk today as my students were moving around the classroom.  Woohoo! :)

These cards would also be great as a center, a typical move about/scoot, and as partner of your teacher time during guided math/math workshop.  I have included several different suggestions for the use of these cards in the actual file as well. 

If you would like to check out Crazy for Conversions on Teachers Pay Teachers, click {here} or on any of the pictures in this post! 

I'm off to work on part one of my Spring Graphic Organizers, think bunnies and leprechauns! I WILL have it posted before the first of March. :)

Saturday, February 23, 2013

March Spelling Homework Freebie

Homework can be a tricky thing sometimes.  I try to make homework fun, engaging, and purposeful, especially since my school doesn't dismiss until 4:00 pm. I want my kiddos to be able to enjoy some family time as well! 

One of the ways I've tried to incoporate the fun element to homework is changing the activities my students complete monthly for spelling.  

  
I've used these contracts for five years and my kiddos have always enjoyed getting new activities to complete each month.  Each week my students have to earn fifteen points off the contract.  As you can see some activities are worth five and some are worth ten.  The ten point activities usually take a little longer and require a bit more critical thinking skills, for example writing acrostic poems or jingles for each word.  The five point activities are a bit shorter and focus more on just practicing the word's spelling.

I have found that switching out spelling activities monthly keeps my students more engaged in their spelling homework and they appreciate the element of choice they are given with their contracts.  

I have uploaded the contract above and this one below to my Google Drive to share with you.  

This spelling contract does not have the option for Spelling City.  I know not all teachers use it/nor does every child have computer access at home. 


I teach fourth grade, so the activities on these contracts, especially the ten point activities, are geared more for intermediate kiddos.  I hope you enjoy, if you download, I'd love to know what you think!

Click on any of the images above or {here} to access both contracts via Google Drive. 
  
I also have an entire bundle of spelling contracts for the entire year available in my Teachers Pay Teachers store.  The March contract is different in the bundled pack, in case you were wondering. :) My kiddos LOVE getting new spelling activities each month.  You can check out the year round bundle {here} or by clicking on the image below!





Thanks to Tales Outside the Classroom, Hello Literacy, Kimberly Geswein Fonts, and Krista Wallden for the fonts and clip art. 

Sunday, February 17, 2013

Five for Friday on a Sunday!

fiveforfriday

I am pumped to be linking up with Doodle Bugs for her Five for Friday link up, although I'm embarrassingly late to the party.

1. Last Sunday, I got a phone call from the Cincinnati Fire Department, a phone call I'm sure nobody wants to get!  They informed me that my sweet husband had been in an accident at work.  The freight elevator he was using at work closed on his hand.  We are so blessed because there are no breaks, no fractures, his hand was just very swollen

2. As a result of the elevator accident and the stomach flu, I missed three days of school last week.  It was crazy! However, this saved my life!
 



Seriously, it did! All I had to do was type out my plans for the day and leave the binder on my desk with it.  The binder had my class list, notes about difficult students, helpful tips, etc.  All THREE of the subs I had last week loved it .  I am so glad to have it ready for the PDs I'll be attending for the Common Core this spring.  Thanks, Amanda! :)

3. I am LOVING this three day weekend.  We have yet to have a snow day and I am thankful for the break.  I got to spend a chunk of time this weekend making some of my favorite recipes   Cooking is one of my favorite things to but is also often the first thing to get neglected when things get busy.  It's a huge stress relief for me, so I'm determine to cook as much as I can between now and the rest of the school year!
 

Source: pinchofyum.com via Lisa on Pinterest

These are seriously the best brownies on the planet.  They are super gooey due to the crumbled up Oreos in the batter.  Yum!


I am not usually a pot roast kind of girl but I love these sliders! My husband can't get enough of them. 


4. Girls on the Run started last week at my school.  I am so proud to be involved with this program and LOVE the difference it makes in the lives of young girls!  


5. My husband and I built our home and are slowing working on our house one room at a time. I bought some of these baskets in green and in blue.  They have made such a difference in my office! :) They have them in a variety of sizes and colors. Love them!
Room Essentials® Yweave Set of 4 Small Storage Baskets  
If you have emailed me this week and I haven't responded, I am so so so sorry.  It was the imperfect storm at our house this week with my husband getting hurt and me having the stomach flu.  We are both back to work and are excited to be back to a routine! I hope to have the March editions of my fluency games, roll and cover, and a set of spring graphic organizers up and ready soon!

Wednesday, February 6, 2013

Earth Changes Freebies

My class just wrapped up our Earth changes unit and they had a blast and learned a lot too! 

We watched the fast and slow changes Brainpop videos and took notes on fast and slow changes to begin our unit.  My kiddos love Brainpop and it was a great introduction!  

We took notes in this flipbook.  Which doubled as a study guide! Win, win. :)

Click on the picture or {here} to access this freebie on Google Drive.  Thanks to Hello Literacy and Fancy Dog Studio for the fonts and frames.

We also watched this hilarious You Tube video from MIT about fast Earth changes.  My kids LOVED this and requested it daily. 

 
We also spent A LOT of time hitting home the difference between weathering and erosion.  Thank goodness for Study Jams! :)  Have you used Study Jams? If not, you should.  It is FULL of FREE and engaging videos for math and science for upper elementary!


Study Jams referred to weathering and erosion as Superheroes Breaker and Whoosh.  Breaker swoops in and break things apart and represents weathering.  While, Whoosh represents erosion because he moves or "whooshes away" weathered rocks.  These superhero references totally helped this concept stick! 

We also did lots of experiments and hands on activities with weathering and erosion and used this H- Map, read more about H-Maps here on my friend Denise's blog, to organize our thinking and findings about weathering and erosion.
Click on the picture of {here} to access the file from Google Drive.  
Confused on how to download from Google Drive? Please check out this post by my friend Hadar.   I have already shared this file with you, all you have to do is download. :)
If you download and use these freebies, I'd love to hear what you think! :) 
 

Sunday, February 3, 2013

It's Time for the Super Sale and a New Fluency Game

Hey friends, just a reminder, TpT's Super Sunday Sale has begun! :) 

Click the button above or {here} to check out my store. :)
 I am running my sale Sunday and Monday, but TpT is only taking an additional 10% off with promo code SUPER on Sunday.  They take their 10% off the reduced sale price of all items, therefore you get more like 28% off but that's still a great deal! :)  

I had a couple sweet friends contact me about creating a school themed fry phrase game.  One to have the kids play throughout the year, and I thought that was a GREAT idea. :)  I finally thought of a fun theme and posted it last night.  


The name of the game is Straight A's! The bonus cards are called Straight A's for this game, so kiddos can get extra turns or cards when they pull these cards.  However, if a kiddo pull out an "Oh, no! The dog ate your homework!" card, they either lose cards or turns.  My kiddos do love these games, so I hope they will be over the moon excited about it.  I plan on put this one in my fluency tubs when Valentine's Day is over and then switching it out when St. Patrick's Day rolls around. :)  

Like always, the Fry Phrases for the 3rd, 4th, and 5th 100 Fry Words are included. :) Just click on the preview pick or {here} to check it out on TpT.

I'm off to load up my cart! What can't you wait to buy today? :)  

Saturday, February 2, 2013

Giveaway winner and a SALE

Congratulations to cutie pie, Kate of Teacher to the Core, for winning my half of Jamie and I's giveaway! :)  Check your inbox soon! :) If you are tho sad that you didn't win, there is good news! I'm having a sale!


Thank you so much to the sweet Ashley Hughes for the graphic! So much of her clip art makes up my wish list for the sale! :) 

Everything in my Teachers Pay Teachers store will be 20% on SUNDAY and MONDAY. However, on SUNDAY, Teachers Pay Teachers will take an additional 10% off my already reduced items.  Meaning, you will save 28% off the original price of the item.  My store will still be on sale on Monday because well, I know I always forget to buy things on my first go round of purchasing on sale days. :) Click on the cheerleader below to head on over to my Teachers Pay Teachers store. :)

 

My Teachers Notebook store is also on sale.  The sale there starts today and runs through tomorrow.  Everything there is 25% off. Click on the cheerleader to head on over! :)There is a glitch in the system, it's saying my items are only discounted 5%, but they really are 25% off.



A class I was scheduled to take today got cancelled due to snow, so happy I FINALLY got some type of snow day! :)

Have a GREAT weekend!
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...