Chalkboard Clips

I found this fun idea after searching for many hou...let's just say a LONG time on the internet. Someone had pinned this idea on their Pinterest page. You use Bass wood, chalkboard paint, a paint pen, a stencil to create the frame, and a clothes pin. EASY!!!!!! I am going to hot glue up the clips on a large piece of construction paper and then tape onto the wall to display student work.

Door Sign

Well after A LOT of covering up (literally)...I finally got it finished. It turned out a little busier than I wanted but oh well. I got the idea from Abby at The Inspired Apple with a little bit of a tweak as usual. I couldn't find ceiling tiles so I just cut a piece of poster board. If you go on over to her blog you can see how she made hers.  It was pretty easy and only took a few hours total.

BuSy!!!

I have been busy creating fun stuff for my classroom.  Here is a look at what I have so far. I have decided to do polk-a-dots...kinda fun huh!!! I got the ideas from brilliant teachers who have blogs and changed them a little...

Temperature Graph

The temperature graph is to be filled in everyday. You will need to print two and glue together to make the graph long enough to last a month. The rectangular box on the top left corner is there for writing the month (I start writing the abbreviation for each month about half way through the year). Everyday, the kids read your outdoor thermometer and then record  the temperature on the graph. At the end of the month discuss the weather and then erase and start over. You can also graph the days as being hot, warm, and cold.

Holy COW!!!!

Wow! That was a lot of work.  It was brought to my attention that you all could not open up any of my documents.  I was super frustrated with this so I searched and searched and figured out the problem. You should now be able to open up all the documents I have posted thus far. Let me know if you can't.

Poem Task Card

A fun and much less work way of implementing centers is to use task cards. I truly do believe this however I have yet to actually try it ;-) Above I have attached the Poem task cards I created and have not tried them out at all! Sooooo...if you try them let me know how it goes! I always have big plans but crazy busy schedules always seem to get in the way!

Apple Toss Game

Students work with partners and take turns tossing two apple seeds (or any kid of counters) onto the game board. They write an addition sentence to match the numbers they covered on the game board. If need be, students can draw circle drawings to help them solve the problem. Students continue until their data sheet is complete. To "gear up" this activity, make the numbers larger on the game board or change the game to multiplication. I like the students to use the math vocabulary as they write their addition sentence so that is why you see addend, plus, equal, and sum on their data sheet. As they are working, I roam around the room asking students to explain their thinking using the vocabulary words. Learning that is fun for sure!

Apple Bubble map

Another fun map activity that builds vocabulary, reading and writing skills. Students or partners get one set of pictures and a bubble map. Again, after taste testing and listening to several informational books about apples, students can complete this map. As they cut and glue the pictures to the bubble map they read the words with the support of their partner and the pictures. After gluing they read their bubble map using complete sentences. For example, Apples are crunchy and sweet. To take the activity one step further, students can then write the sentences. Happy bubble mapping!

Homework folders

I use 3 prong plastic folders as homework folders. I make a big deal at the beginning of the year about how "expensive" they are and make the kiddos promise they will take great care of them. The majority of the kid had the same folder at the end of the year (looking very worn).  I use labels to label each pocket and a plastic sleeve for the monthly calendar which is used to record math homework. Click on the pictures to get a copy of each.

Birthday Wall Hanging

I saw this on the internet and they had made it out of wood.  I made myself one out of cardstock...better than wood! Click the pic to get yourself a copy! The extra circles will go under each month - kind of like a pictograph in a way.  I will post a pic of it when it is up.

Daily Five - Check for Understanding!

The Daily Five has a great way of teaching kids how to partner read. In their book, they have a picture of two kids partner reading...one is reading while the other is listening and holding a check mark that says "check for understanding."  The students holding the check mark summarizes what they student read by saying who was in the story and what happened.  I love the check mark idea so I made it!  Snag a copy above!

First Grade Brochure

Back to School ... it is becoming a reality!

Time to Rhyme!

Here is a fun rhyme center or partners game.  Have fun with it!

It All Adds Up!

It All Adds Up!

Play this game in partners. You will need a spinner and counters or teach your students to draw circle drawings on their whiteboards to solve. You can also use this same game board for subtraction. 

Make it disappear!

And waaaalaaaa...here is a subtraction ;-)

"ed" says 3 different sounds at the end of a word!

Above is a little card I will use when teaching the ending "ed." I have always said "ed" says 3 different sounds at the end of a word - Ed, t, or d.  But I found this awesome little card on someone's blog (I am so sorry I don't remember who..but the site is at the bottom of the card) and I tweaked it a little to meet my needs. I added pictures to the letters and we make movements to match.  Ed's movement is hands on hips like a man (or our janitor), d we use our fingers to make ears like a deer behind our heads, and t is for tiger so of course our arms go straight out like a t.  Hopefully you can find some use for it too ;-) And thanks to the blogger/teacher who created the original version!!!

Now we’re cookin’

This is my first attempt at using Windows Live Writer – Above is a fun little center or great practice with a partner activity. Hope you like!

A couple more apple activities!

I love to incorporate poems as much as possible.  This is an apple poem I found on the internet and added to it a bit. We read the poem several times throughout the week highlighting rhyming words, high frequency words, and what ever else you can think of. At the end of the week, students are given a copy and they read it, highlight, cut the poem apart on the dotted lines, mix it up, then sequence the poem.  A great idea for students to self check would be to have them draw a picture on the back of the page (taking up as much of the page as possible) so they can sequence the poem and then turn the poem over to check their work. Last they glue it down and add it to their personal reader folder for future use. Click on the picture to get a copy!

Double Bubble

Compare and Contrast

Above is a double bubble map where students can compare red apples and green apples. Each student, or partnership, gets one strip of pictures. After taste testing and doing lots of fun background building activities with the apples, they are ready to compare with the apples. The two triangles and squares on the map are for how they are different (sweet and sour). The hexagons are for how they are alike (both have stars when cut in half, both have flesh, skin, grow on trees...) After students compare with the pictures, they should be able to read at least one sentence from the map if not several. An example: Green apples are sour. Red apples are sweet. They both have stars when you cut them apart. 

Apple fun!

I always begin the year with an apple unit. Roll an apple is one of the many activities I do with my class. They LOVE it.  It teaches them how to work together, play a game, and follow directions. Click on the pic. to get a copy of your own ;-)    

Roll an Apple

Another fun activity is the Apple Can Be tree map sort.  It is important for ELL students to be able to distinguish what an object/item can be and can't be.  The first page is two sets of identical pictures (my attempt at trying to save paper). Each student or pair gets a set of pictures and a tree map. I usually have the students work in pairs to build language. Students work together and sort on the tree map what an apple can and can't be. When they are finished they read their tree map using complete sentences. Example: An apple can be juice. An apple can't be a hot dog. 

Tree Map

Well my friends, all zero of you, that is all I can do for tonight!  I will be back soon-only a few hours until morning...wait, it IS morning!!!  Great - I have found yet another thing to be "addicted" too! Oh well - it could be worse ;-) Nighty-night!!

Here we go!!!

Hello all!  I have been inspired by so many amazing blogs so I decided to start a blog of my very own. Sooooo...here we go!  I am super excited!