Five for Friday - March 31st

I'm linking up today with Doodle Bugs Teaching for Five for Friday!

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Here are some highlights from our week!

ONE: Football Games

My kiddos loved playing "football games" each day this week to review the OA and OW vowel team patterns.  On days 1 and 2 each team spelled words using these two patterns.  If every team member spelled each word correctly, the quarterback would earn a "first down" and would be able to advance ten yards on the playing field. Everyone was engaged and participating for every minute of these games.  

On days 3 and 4 I had my kiddos use words in sentences to make the tasks a bit harder.  All conventions of writing counted in terms of teams earning a first down of not! 

TWO: Amazing Words

For the past several years I have used a vocabulary tree, decorated with bananas that have the vocabulary words we're learning.  Typically these words are part of a book or story we are reading throughout the week and we spend a good amount of time talking about the words and coming up with a class definition of the word.  

After we create a definition we often act it out, so the kids can make connections to the words and begin to understand their meaning.  I often have my kiddos "teach" one another what the words mean as well as use the words in a sentence.  

This week we've been learning about US symbols and my kiddos came up with these definitions on their own and I was so proud of their work all week as we taught each other and then used the words in several sentences.  

Giving them the responsibility of creating a definition and then using the words has ensured that they don't forget the words once the week is over.  Very often while reading and discussing other topics a past amazing word will come up and many kiddos remember not only the word but the definition as well.  Mission accomplished!!

THREE: Plants
Our plants have really taken off and the kids can't get over how exciting it is to see them grow and change from day to day.  These plants are part of a field trip we will be taking in May and I love that this part of it gives them ownership and responsibility in terms of taking care of something each day.  It's also lent itself nicely to some nonfiction writing that we have been doing throughout the year!

FOUR: US Symbols
My kiddos were hard at work this week learning about the Statue of Liberty and Liberty Bell.  Here are some of the highlights of what we've done and studied all week!

FIVE: Adding and Subtracting 2-Digit Numbers
I know I posted about this last week as well but this is the time of the year when everything starts clicking and the kids are using so many strategies they have learned to help them in math.  This week was no exception as we added and subtracted tens and found the missing part in these number sentences as well!

Don't forget to check out more Five for Friday posts at Doodle Bugs Teaching!!

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Vowel Team Football Games

We have been learning about different vowel teams over the last few weeks and this week I wanted to add a bit of excitement to our daily practice and review of the OA and OW teams.  I had purchased these football banners a while back at Walmart on clearance and this week was the perfect opportunity to create a football field for us to "play on".  

When my kiddos came into our classroom yesterday they went nuts for the football field and the room was buzzing all morning wondering how we were going to "play" football to get some practice with our OA and OW vowel teams.  

The field was super easy to make.  I just used tape and wrote the numbers on the tape.  For the goalpost I used old pool noodles I had at home.  I knew I saved those extra pool noodles for a reason!

Here's how the game works... I divided my kids into two teams, the Green Goals and the Orange Throwers.  Then the team selected a quarterback to stand on the field with the mini-football egg (also found at Walmart in the Easter section!).  

As I shouted out words each team member needed to spell the words on their individual recording sheets.  If every teammate spelled the word correctly, the quarterback would get a "first down" and move 10 yards towards the end zone.   

Having individual recording sheets worked well because every team member was working and engaged the whole time, not waiting for their turn to do the "work". On day 1 after each team scored a touchdown, I gave them one additional word to earn the "extra-point".  So at the end of quarter 1 (or day 1) the score was tied 7 - 7.  I did the same thing for today for day 2 and the score is now tied 14-14.  

On Thursday and Friday we'll step it up a bit. I'll either give them a word and they'll have to use it in a written sentence or I'll give them a sentence using the OA and OW words that needs to be edited.

To add a bit more excitement I gave one member of each team a pom pom so they could cheer on their teams as they were working to earn their first downs. I also played the NFL on Fox theme song.  I only had a few kiddos that knew the song... but it still made it exciting for them to play!  After we played today and the score was tied we did this victory dance on GoNoodle to celebrate the first two quarters of our classroom football game.  

It's always amazing how little things can truly keep the kids engaged and motivated to work hard!  

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Five for Friday - March 24

Another short week for me as today was a full day of professional development.  I'm linking up for another Five for Friday post... here are some highlights from our week! 

ONE: Pete the Cat

Next Monday the K-2 classrooms will be attending a Pete the Cat play!  I'm so excited to see my kiddos reactions as they experience live theater.  Some kids have never seen a play before and there's always a sense of confusion and wonderment as they try to figure out how this is happening on stage.  To prepare for the play on Monday we've spent the week reading some Pete the Cat books! 

TWO: US Symbols

We started one of my favorite units of study this week... US symbols.  The kids are always so engaged during this unit and this week was no exception.  We took it slow to start off focusing on what symbols are and what America means to them.  Here are a few of the responses I got!

On day two we talked about the US flag and my kiddos already knew or observed a ton about the flag.  We read a few short nonfiction books and then wrote down some of the most important facts related to the flag.  

After writing the facts we talked about what the flag stands for and we worked on two new vocabulary words, freedom and courage.  I find it helpful to have the kids come up with their own definition first.  If necessary I will tweak it and then I have them teach each other what the words mean.  This seems to be the best way for them to really understand the word to the point where they can actually use it in their conversations.  Whole brain teaching techniques are so helpful when learning new vocabulary and I am excited to see what they can do with these new vocabulary words next week!

THREE: Opinion Writing

This week our opinion writing unit took off and we've been using what we've learned about topic sentences and supporting sentences independently.  This year I slowed down paragraph writing and we've focused on each part of a good paragraph, discussing what each part is and then writing many topic and supporting sentences together.  

This week as my kiddos were writing opinion pieces they used these cheeseburger paragraph charts to help them.  I can't wait to read all their opinion pieces in the coming weeks.  

FOUR: Adding and Subtracting Tens 

Adding and subtracting tens is always a great topic to teach in math as it uses all the skills my kiddos have worked on throughout the year.  As we used these task cards the kiddos got to share their math thinking and I was so proud of their work!

FIVE: Vowel Teams 

This week we started learning about vowel teams and my kiddos loved my NY Rangers jersey and hat that I wore all week as they competed in sports-themed activities to help them learn about ea and ee.  I think their favorite part was the whistle! Getting them to buy in and keeping them engaged is the key to success and this really worked this week.  Coming next week... football themed activities!

Don't forget to check out Doodle Bugs Teaching for more Five for Friday posts!

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Spring Resources - and a Freebie!

Happy first day of spring! We may still be buried in snow from the Blizzard of 2017 last week but we are all excited here in upstate New York for spring and warmer temperatures.  We have a few more weeks until spring break here and I wanted to get my classroom feeling like spring even if there is still snow on the ground.  

Last week we created these contraction caterpillars to showcase all we know about contractions.  I'm in love with how bright and springy the Astrobrights papers look!  

I put the template for this caterpillar in my TpT store as a freebie.  I included a list of different ways to use this template in the file as well.   I love crafts that are low prep and can be used in different ways.

From year to year I often change how I use a specific craft depending on where I am in my curriculum and what skills we have mastered and what skills need more work.  Here are two other ways I can see using this craft although I have listed a ton of different ideas in the template.

I'm always looking for different ways to keep my kiddos engaged and practicing their sight words... especially this time of year!  This Beautiful Blooms sight word game is a freebie in my TpT store as well.   Kiddos draw cards and read sight words and the game continues as they kids continue to draw cards.  If the kids draw a "Cold Snap" card they need to put all their card back and start again.

I have also included a sentence version of this sight word game to make the game a bit harder for kiddos that need to be challenged.  This game is also free in my TpT store. 

I love using these spring themed problem-solving printables as well.  By this point in the year my kiddos are great math problem solvers and I love challenging them with all kinds of word problems.  I keep things fresh and engaging by using spring-themed printables.  I have two different sets of printables as freebies in my TpT store.  Hope you find them helpful!

Happy spring!  Here's to a great first full week of spring!!

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Five for Friday- March 17th

Happy Friday and Happy St. Patrick's Day!  I'm linking up for another Five for Friday post.  It was one crazy week with the Blizzard of 2017 interrupting our already short week but we managed to get a few things done!

ONE: Blizzard 2017

A storm for the ages that's for sure... we got about 2 feet of snow here in upstate New York.  At some points during the day the snow was coming down at a rate of 2-3 inches an hour.  We had a snow day Tuesday and Wednesday and a half day on Thursday for Grandparents and Special Friends Day, so our week was very short!

TWO: Grandparents and Special Friends Day

Each year we celebrate Grandparents and Special Friends Day on a conference half day.  With my kiddos going to special first thing at 9:20, our celebration of this day is very quick, only about an hour long before our early dismissal.  

To keep all the guests engaged and busy, the last few years I've had my kiddos give their guests a "tour" of our classroom. My kiddos are always so excited to show off different aspects of our room and they are able to show off their work as well.  I love that this gets my kiddos working on their speaking and communicating skills as well as answering questions their guests may have.

THREE: Spring Crafts

It seems kind of silly working on a spring themed craft this week with all the snow that fell, but we are ready to think spring even if it doesn't feel like spring.  This week we made these caterpillars and we used them to get some more practice with writing contractions.  

I gave my kiddos two words (written on the legs) and they needed to use what they know about contractions to write the contraction formed from the two words (written on the body).  I can't wait to display these in our classroom to make it look a bit more like spring!

FOUR: US Symbols

Perhaps my favorite unit is coming up... US symbols!  This is always a favorite of my kiddos as well and I can't wait to get started.  I have a ton of nonfiction books related to US symbols and I put them out as part of our morning tubs.  The kids are already hooked and can't wait to start learning about all the different symbols.  

FIVE: Instagram "Post"

I'm loving the chance my kiddos are getting each week to "post" something to our weekly Instagram page.  This week my kiddos wrote about their favorite part of our week again!  Love seeing all that they enjoyed during this very short week!

Have a great weekend... Don't forget to check out Doodle Bugs Teaching for more Five for Friday posts! 

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Five for Friday - March 10th

Happy Friday!  I'm linking up for another Five for Friday post.

ONE: Oobleck
Our study of Dr. Seuss books came at the perfect time as we are finishing up a unit on solids or liquids.  Bartholomew and the Oobleck is a great read aloud and it lends itself to a science lesson on the states of matter. This week I read the book to my kiddos on Monday and we worked on some comprehension strategies and paragraph writing with the book on Tuesday and Wednesday. 

On Thursday we made oobleck and I had my kiddos write about and discuss whether they thought the oobleck was a solid or a liquid based on all the things we've learned about solids and liquids.  This was a great way to wrap up the science unit and the kiddos had a blast!

Two: Planting Seeds

We are lucky enough to have a large preserve about 25 minutes from our school and each year the first grade classes visit the preserve in May.  Prior to the field trip staff members from the preserve visit us to plant lupine seeds.  On Thursday staff visited us to plant seeds... I can't believe it's March already and we're planting seeds.

  Over the next two and a half months we'll be caring for these plants and we will bring them in May to transplant at the preserve.  The butterflies that live at the preserve need these plants during the larva stage and the kiddos are doing their part to keep these butterflies flourishing in the preserve.  It's a great lesson for the kids to learn and a great way to add some responsibility to their daily routines as each of my kiddos get a chance to care for the seeds.  

THREE: Morning Tubs

I cannot say enough good things about morning tubs.  The kiddos love them and I love seeing their creativity, planning, and cooperation as they use these games and materials to create whatever they want.  

FOUR: Expanded Form

This week I had to take out my expanded form workmats.  Many of my kiddos were having some trouble writing the expanded form of numbers.  They were able to build numbers with hundreds, tens, and ones but then when they were asked to write the expanded form they were only writing how many cubes or sets of cubes they put down.  I had to take a step back to remind many of them that even through they had 3 tens, they couldn't just write the number 3.  This is a tough one for some to see without seeing the cubes.  Hopefully we have that all straightened out. 

FIVE:  New Science Standards

As we finish up our unit on solids and liquids we'll be moving to a unit on light and sound.  I'm changing things up a bit for this unit and I've been working all week to make sure the lessons are aligned to the new NGSS standards.  I'm a bit overwhelmed by these new standards, but excited by where science is going.  

Have a great weekend... Don't forget to check out Doodle Bugs Teaching for more Five for Friday posts! 

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Five for Friday - March 3rd

It's Friday already and I'm linking up with Doodle Bugs Teaching for Five for Friday.  Our first week back from winter break and it flew by!  Here are some of the highlights from our week.   

ONE: Flexible Seating
Our first week with true flexible seating and I would not go back.  The kiddos we teach are changing and we as teachers need to adapt.  It's not what we want or are comfortable with... it's what's best for the kids.  Choice and different options to meet all their needs is what's best for kids.

  

The standing table and this short round table were probably the biggest hits this week, but I think more than anything the kids respond to choice.  Giving that responsibility and freedom in the classroom is so exciting and motivating for them!

TWO: Matter
We're about to wrap up a unit on solids, liquids, and gases.  I had a ton of left over candy hearts from Valentine's Day so we used them to model the atoms in all three states of matter.  The kids loved this idea and we had some great discussions around how the layout of the atoms impacts the shape and properties of each of the three states of matter.  Sometimes the best science lessons center around a short activity followed by some great discussion!

 

THREE: Break Apart to Subtract Strategy

I'm not gonna lie... when I first looked at this strategy I was confused!  But now that I've taught it and I've seen my kiddos flourish while using it, I love it!  This week we did some extensive practice on the break apart to subtract strategy, using this work mat primarily and manipulatives for some groups.  Some of my kiddos were struggling to count back to subtract and this strategy just changed the game for them.  They can quickly subtract using this and the best part is they can explain their math thinking to their peers!  

FOUR: Empty Bin

Most of the time an empty bin is an amazing thing.  It means I actually accomplished all I set out to accomplish in a given week.  This is a good thing!  It can also mean that all the papers I needed to grade have been graded.  This too is a good thing! 

However, this empty bin this morning was not a good thing!  Two weeks ago I copied assessments I'll be using for our March report cards.  I wanted to get ahead of the game and sprinkle in the assessments when I have a few free minutes here or there so I copied them early.  I gave a few this week, including a missing part assessment yesterday afternoon.  

All was well with the world until this morning.  I put away all the work I copied for next week, also housed in this bin, and I misplaced the pile of copied assessments.  I searched high and low this morning for AN HOUR... I did not find them! 

It's now Friday night and the assessments have not been located.  So Monday morning I will go in early to copy said assessments again.  I know the minute I finish copying will be the minute I find the previous assessments!  Perhaps I can save them for next year!!  Probably not! 

FIVE:  Weekly Instagram "Post"

I'm loving the chance my kiddos get each week to "post" something to our weekly Instagram page.  This week I had the kiddos highlight something they learned this week!  Here's small sampling of a few "posts".

Have a great weekend... Don't forget to check out Doodle Bugs Teaching for more Five for Friday posts! 

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