January Math Centers

Well we survived our first second week back to school. We always forget how tired we are those first weeks back! 

And how confused our kiddos seem to be (of course having 2 weeks off then a 4 day weekend doesn't help with getting back into a routine). Anyone else have students that come back like this...

Right?!?!?! They are like, we had rules in the classroom? We can't just hang out and chit chat with our friends? What???? To save eveyone's sanity, our go to math centers for those first weeks back are our Snowman Scoot with QR Codes. They are fun, easy set up, and they help to get the kiddos back into the routine of school. It's a win-win! Because honestly, we feel like we have no memory of this place either!

The kiddos love to get up and move around the room, and we love the instant feedback. It's great to see the them checking their answers and re-working their problems when they get them wrong.

Click here for the link.

What are your favorite activites for getting back into the routine of school again?

Ninja Math Problem Solving

Hi! It's Stef here with a funny story about some of the funny things that happen in room 13. 

A couple of months back I shared a folder with my students on Compass/Odyssey with some math skills I wanted them to practice. Because the folder was sent from me, it was labeled with my name, Stefani Khan. So of course, like all good teachers do, I tell them a story about how I used to be a Secret Spy Ninja before I became a teacher and that Stefani Khan is my secret ninja name so they can't tell anyone they know it. I even through out a couple of cool ninja kicks and hand motions to make it believable. 

graphics by Dorky Doodles
font by KG Fonts

My students were amazed that I was a former ninja.  Every now and then someone would mention something about my secret ninja name and that was that.

Then, the other day we were working on skip counting on a number line and we were trying to find out how many more to go from 603 to 936. We skip counted to 936 and then I asked my students if they knew what they just did. 

Me: Did you know that you just solved a subtraction problem?

Students: What?!?!

Me: Yes! You just solved 

  936

-603

Students: Oh My Gosh! We didn't even know we were doing that! 

One Little Girl: (With the look of pure amazement in her eyes) YOU REALLY ARE A NINJA!!!!!

And that my friends is why I love 2nd Graders!!! 

DAY MADE!!

Stef

Winter Break Is Over - Back To Reading Groups

Happy New Year!

Boy!  This school year has been flying by!  We are already back from Winter Break and into 2015!

What was on your schedule for today?  

We started our reading groups off with a new Cowgirl Kate and Cocoa book!  This group loves reading the series.  They were every excited to start the new book today!  One even said "This is the best book!"  Don't you just love when students fall in love with reading?  We sure do:)  

What are your favorite book series to read with your students? 

The Birthday Bucket

Are you looking for a super simple and inexpensive birthday treat idea? Look no further! 

Just add a little bunting to a bucket and fill with pixie stix! The kiddos love it and the best part is a bag of pixie stix only costs $1! 

Happy Celebrating!!

Friday Favorites - Language Arts Units

Hi friends! On Wednesday we shared with you the current literature unit we are working on and our love for Tonya Gent. As you may recall we told you that we are so excited about these units we wanted to build a shrine! Well today we are going to share a little more about why these are our favorite units. 

Let's start with the amazing amount of thought that went into each one of them. Each 6 week unit is common core aligned and includes detailed lesson plans for each day! Can I get an ALLELUIA?! We literally spent weeks over the summer trying to create reading units and came nowhere close to what she has created! The time saved and gray hair avoided is worth it right there! Right?! 

If you're looking for reasons a little less vain, we have a few more for you... 

In each unit there are student books included for most weeks to practice vocabulary, comprehension skills such as  comparing and contrasting stories, summarizing, and sequencing, and there are also collaborative conversation pieces. 

Each unit also has literature selections, poetry and a music/arts piece. How great is it to have those pieces included?! We always struggle with figuring out how to include music and poetry. 

Another great thing about the units is that there are great technology links! Lots of videos and research sites! Our students LOVE them!!! They get so excited to watch and learn.

Finally, our number 1 reason is that because all of the hard work has been done for us, we have been able to integrate readers' theaters, science and social studies, additional literature, and even create some really amazing experiences to go with each unit! It has made teaching and learning so much fun this year! 

Here is a peek at some of the fun we have been able to include with the units. 


Fall Fun
With the seasons unit we were able to integrate science and we did a study of the local trees and took a field trip out to a preserve to collect acorns and identify leaves. We followed up with reading Leaf Man by Louis Ehlert and creating these fun projects.

And the kids were so excited about the wood ducks that we learned about on our field trip, we completed a wood duck research project. 

Wild West Fun
With the wild west unit we were able to integrate social studies and we learned about CA landforms. We made a super fun and delicious edible CA landforms map!

We were doing this unit during November so we celebrated Thanksgiving with a Wild West Thanksgiving Hootenanny! The kids had so much fun playing vintage games, dressing up as cowboys, and eating cowboy food from pie tins! 

We culminated the unit with a book study of Little House in the Big Woods and a field trip to a local historical working ranch where we experienced days of long ago as pioneers. 

We had so much fun dressing up like pioneers and making candles, hot cocoa, leather book marks, tin art, corn husk dolls, snow candy, and a barn dance complete with square dancing! 

Continent Fun

With the hand me down tales unit we were able to integrate social studies again and learn about the continents. We created a mini continent research project and had the students work in pairs to research their continent and then present it to the class. 

We are still planning more fun for the rest of the units. 
Here is the link to the whole collection of literature units.

So, can you see why we LOVE these units?! We have been able to implement common core and we are having so much fun doing it! Best of all our students are learning and enjoying it!

We would love to hear what your favorite common core reading activities or units are. Leave us a comment and share your favorites. 

Happy teaching!!