Second Grade Perks: January 2013

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Monday, January 28, 2013

Beginning, Middle, and End

Last week we focused on beginning, middle, and end. I'll share with you what we did each day last week. First, we read some books together and on chart paper wrote the BME as a class just so they could get the idea. On Monday we listened to Alligator Baby here. By the way, if you didn't know about this site you have been missing out. Robert Munsch reads all of his books online. The kids LOVE it. So we listened to that and then we used Amy Lemon's Teaching With Robert Munsch packet and wrote about the BME.

 
The next day we read Wemberly Worried and they wrote about the BME again. This time we made a cute little Wemberly to hang with our writing. You can get the template for Wemberly here.
 
 
On Wednesday we read Henry and Mudge and the Long Weekend. This idea came from Amy Lemons. I just made the templates for Mudge and as a class we wrote about the BME on big dog bones.

 
On the final day I read a story to them from our classroom library called Oink? and they wrote in their ELA spirals about the BME for a grade.  Well, that about covers our BME week. Hope you had a restful weekend!
 

Sunday, January 20, 2013

What a Wonderful Winter Giveaway!

Just wanted to let you in on a little secret. I am part of a HUGE giveaway going on right now. Casey at Second Grade Math Maniac is having a What a Wonderful Winter Giveaway to celebrate 600 followers plus her blogiversary! Congrats to her by the way!!


I am giving away $15 to spend at my TPT store and here are some of the other wonderful prizes you could win:
 
1 free product from Kate's store @ Second Grade Sparkle

1 free product from Corinna's store@ Surfin' Through Second

Mystery Word of the Week #1 from

Jen @ Hello Mrs. Sykes

Math Problems and Math Brain Teaser Cards Set B
from Teresa @ Games 4 Learning

Winter Friends with the "Core" Math Stations and Activities from Krista @ Stellar Students

Learning in a Winter Wonderland from

Samantha @ Mrs. Kelly's Class

Winter is Snow Much Fun! from Heather @ Teach it Today

Here a Chick, There a Chick Literacy and Math Unit from

Teresa @ 2nd Grade Pig Pen

Menu Math Working Center from Realistic Teacher

Valentine's Day Math Centers from

Jessica @ What I Have Learned

Common Core Math Practice Posters (K-3) from

Ashley @ Primary Teacherhood

Monster Fact Families - Focus on Multiplication and Division from Brooke @ Teachable Moments

Winter Literacy Centers from Jamie Williams

Learning in a Winter Wonderland: 10 Literacy Centers from Heidi @ My (Not so) Elementary Life

Holiday Hoopla Math Centers from

Tara @ 4th Grade Frolics

Sensational Snowmen Math and Literacy Unit from

Lisa @ Learning is Something to Treasure

Emperor and Rockhopper Penguins - A Nonfiction Unit from Angelia @ Extra Special Teaching

 
So you really should head over to Casey's blog and make you enter this awesome giveaway!
 

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Safari Adventure {Get It For Free}

Quick post today. Just wanted to tell any new readers to make sure you check out my previous post to find out how you can get my new unit, Safari Adventure, for free. Just read all the way to the bottom to find out how!

 



Saturday, January 12, 2013

Safari Adventure

I have really wanted to start doing themes in my room, so I created a safari adventure for my class when we came back after winter break. I love doing crafts, so I included one with each reading lesson in the packet. This packet is now uploaded in my TPT shop.



 I just wanted to share some pictures from our week and tell a little about what we did. Monday we got in the safari mood by making little safari people with binoculars. We put them around our safari jeep that my hubby drew for me.

 
 
Also, on day 1 we read a story about a monkey and a crocodile and completed a page about the moral of the story. We made crocodiles to hang with our papers.
 
 
 
Day 2 we read Giraffes Can't Dance and Everyone Need a Friend and make a class Venn Diagram to compare and contrast the main ideas. We made these adorable giraffes to decorate our diagram.

 

On day 3 we read two stories about lions and the kiddos completed their own Venn Diagram to compare for a grade. Of course, we had to make cute lions to go with our work.


 

Day 4 we read a story about an elephant and highlighted adjectives. We wrote our own stories about an elephant with our own adjectives and made an elephant to go with the story.

 
 
Day 5 we read a story about a snake and found all of the plural nouns that were spelled wrong and highlighted them. Then we made a snake and put our own plural nouns along his body and hug them from the room.
 


Also throughout the week we worked on prefixes and suffixes and mental addition and subtraction. There are some center games in the packet for these skills too. Here are a couple of the pictures of those.
 

Throughout the whole week we worked in small groups on an animal research papers. Each group was assigned a different animal.

 
 
Sorry to overload you with pictures, but I was just so darn happy about how everything came out and how much fun we had. Go to my TPT shop and download the preview to see a full listing of what is included and how it aligns to each CCSS. All of the templates are included in the packet along with links to all of the stories online if you don't have the books.

Now here is a way for you to get it for free. I tried this a few weeks ago and want to give it a try again. The first 3 people to comment on this post can have the packet for free if you do one thing: use the packet in your class, take lots of pictures, and blog about it by the end of the first week in Feb. The only thing required is that you have at least 200 followers. Just comment with your email address and the link to your blog!

Happy Weekend!!

Tuesday, January 8, 2013

New Year Freebie

We did a little New Year resolution craftivity this week to get pumped up about being back in school. We wrote four resolutions we have for the New Year and then stapled them to the phone template. We titled our bulletin board "We are ringing in the New Year!" Click on the picture below to get yours for free.


Friday, January 4, 2013

Addition Pocket Book

Since the beginning of the year we have, of course, been practicing and testing on our basic math facts. Every Friday we test over the fact we are on and if we miss one or less we move up to the next number. Now, I know some of those parents out there forget all about studying these facts throughout the week so I came up with a pocket book to help them remember and to provide the kids with a way to study. First we took 2 pieces of construction paper and folded one like a hot dog. Then we slid the other sheet in like this:

Next you just fold it in half to make the book and add some staples to the sides. I just found an addition table I liked on Google and sized it to fit four on a page and they fit perfect on the front.


We glued an addition table to the front and I highlighted each fact they have mastered. This front page is titled My Goal.


On the inside pockets we wrote Practicing and Ready To Test. Each child made little flashcards for the fact they are on and they keep those in the practicing pocket. On Thursday night if the parents and child feel they are ready to test they move their flashcards to the ready to test pocket.


If they pass those facts on Friday they get to move those cards to the back pocket that says ready to celebrate. At the end of the day all kiddos that passed get a small celebration party.



We just started this when we came back this week, but they love having their own little book. I am hoping it also gets them to study a little harder. We can hope right?!?!


Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Celebrating 2013 Giveaway

Not sure about you but my county starts back tomorrow, and I'm not sure I am all that ready to go back yet. On a happy note though head on over to My Second Sense and check out the Celebrating 2013 Giveaway that I am a part of. You could win 13 prizes!!