Native Americans

We have been working on our Native American unit for the last 2 weeks, and we have had so much fun. All of the ideas came from a Native American Mini Unit I bought on TPT. First, we made tipis from tortilla shells and horses using Crayola Model Magic.

The next day we painted masks.

I had my parents send in paper towel tubes that we used to make canoes.

Before we did each of the projects, the kiddos drew a picture of what they were about to make. The unit has step by step drawings for the students to go by.

I also wanted to show a picture of our caterpillars now. I posted a pic a few days ago and they have gotten so big.

They look pretty gross in their little cups with the food smeared everywhere but the kids are so excited and I am too to see what our butterflies turn out like.

Common Core Measurement and Data

Whew! I finally finished my common core measurement and data packet for TPT. This one took some time, but it is filled with 90 pages of activities for the math common core standards that are based around measurement, time, and money. Here is a preview. Click on the picture to be taken to my TPT store.

Here is what all you get:
Measurement and Data Pre and Post Test
Measuring Madness Center
Measuring Scavenger Hunt
Measurement Mansion
Measurement Task Cards
Alien Glyph (Measurement)
Rainbows and Ladders Measurement Word Problem Game
Money Pre and Post Tests
I Have Who Has Money
Money War
Piggy Bank Crafitivity
Money Posters
Money Toppings craftivity
Money Movers 2 Player Game
Tic Tac Coin
Time Pre and Post Test
Time Concentration
I’m Late Book
Time Mini Poster
Tic Toc On The Clock Game
Sunny Times Craftivity

Hope ya'll have a great weekend!

Organization and Butterfly Unit

I have been working crazy hard in my room to get things organized. I wanted to share a really neat idea I saw and tweaked to make my own. I have taken my main teaching topics (mostly common core standard areas) and put all of my copies, games, and materials for that skill in a gift box and labeled it. Also,right inside when you open the box is a list of other things that go along with the topic such as book titles, the specific common core standard, brainpop junior videos, and other materials that I will need that would not fit in the box. That way when it is time to teach contractions I just go to my box and there is everything I need for small group, whole group,. or individual lessons. Here is a picture of what I have started. I still have a long way to go.

I will even have boxes for each month so that my materials for Halloween and Columbus Day will all be together for that month.

We have started a butterfly unit in science which I am super pumped about. We are raising butterflies. Our little caterpillars came in yesterday and we created their home. The stuff in the bottom is their mallow that they will eat on. The kids had to smash it down into the bottom of the cup. It did not smell so great and some of the girls freaked out just a little. I'll keep posting pictures of their progress.



Reading Strategy Freebie and Descriptive Writing

We have been working on descriptive writing this week and did this adorable writing activity. I gave each student a bag of rock pops. You should have seen some of their faces when the candy started popping. Too funny! We made a list of words that described what they candy looked like, felt like, tasted like, and sounded like. They then used their list to write a descriptive piece. They made cute little people to attach to their writing and we hung them in the hall with the title "Let's Get Pop Rockin'." Pretty sure this was something I saw on Pinterest or TPT. Not sure. Here are some pics.

I have also been wanting something for my kids to refer to when they get stuck on a word other than raising their hand to tell me they don't know what a word is. I saw a poster that had some strategies so I turned it into a bookmark so that each child can keep one right in their book. Click the picture to download yours.



Kid Friendly Common Core and Sale

I found these super awesome kid friendly common core standards and just had to share them with you. Click here to see them. You can select any grade. They have them for math and ELA and they say things like I can compare numbers using <, >, and = or I know common abbreviations. I love these because they are so simple but to the point. They are also in a check off format so you could just print and check off as you teach to make sure you cover everything..

One other thing........I am throwing a sale at my TPT store. 20% off until Friday. Check out yesterday's post to read about my new common core math packet. I also just added 7 mini posters to the packet and while it is on sale you can get it for only $3.20.

Pirate Parts of Speech Winner and Common Core Math

The winner of my Pirate Parts of Speech Packet was Danielle. Congrats! I have e-mailed you your prize and hope you enjoy!

I also have finished my common core math packet for Operations and Algebraic Thinking standards. Click the picture to be taken to the product. Here is a preview and what is included.

Here is what all is included:
- 3 pre and post tests (for addition, even and odd, multiplication)
Buggy Story problem center that also has a story problem booklet for students to make when finished
- Mental Math Race (2-5 player game to practice addition and subtraction fluency) with extra practice page
- Odd and even candy sort with extra practice page
- Mr. Even and Mrs. Odd craftivity
- Multiplication Maniacs center activity
- Order up craftivity with extra practice page


Common Core Standards Addressed:
MA.2.2.OA.a Use addition and subtraction within 100 to solve one- and two-step
word problems involving situations of adding to, taking from, putting
together, taking apart, and comparing, with unknowns in all positions,
e.g., by using drawings and equations with a symbol for the unknown
number to represent the problem.
MA.2.0206.2.11 Solve addition and subtraction problems in context using various representations
MA.2.2.OA.2 Fluently add and subtract within 20 using mental strategies. By end of Grade 2, know from memory all sums of two one-digit numbers.
MA.2.2.OA.3 Determine whether a group of objects (up to 20) has an odd or even number of members, e.g., by pairing objects or counting them by 2s; write an equation to express an even number as a sum of two equal addends.
MA.2.2.OA.4 Use addition to find the total number of objects arranged in rectangular arrays with up to 5 rows and up to 5 columns; write an equation to express the total as a sum of equal addends.

Parts of Speech Giveaway

Yep, I already want to have another giveaway. I finished my Pirates Parts of Speech packet for TPT, so I want to give one away. To enter just comment on this post that you follow my blog AND my TPT store. For double entry mention my giveaway on your blog and I will enter you twice. The giveaway will end Sunday at midnight. Please leave your e-mail so I can contact you if you win. Here is a preview and what all is included in the packet.

This part of speech packet is filled with activities to get your little ones up and moving. Here is what all is included:
- X marks the spot treasure hunt (whole class, small group, partners, or individual) that covers verbs, adjectives, adverbs, nouns, proper nouns, and pronouns
- stand up stand up for the parts of speech whole class game that covers adverbs, nouns, verbs, and adjectives
- heave ho change o flip sheet where students must rewrite a sentence by changing any common nouns to proper nouns
- part of speech sort (nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs) with 2 corresponding sheets
- file folder game covering nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs
- action adverbs 2 player game
- adjective craftivity
- 4 mini posters with songs for noun, verb, adjective, and adverb
- nounin' around whole class game

I also just completed a Prefix and Suffix mini packet that you can pick up here for only $3. Here is a what comes with that:

- prefix 4 player game

-suffix 4 player game

- stop and go center idea

-color code best seller page

-prehistoric prefixes

-nickname suffixes

-prefix and suffix baseball and football sort

Just to let you know you might want to check out Tangled With Teaching. She is having an awesome giveaway herself. You could win her Partial to Paragraphs packet.

Have a wonderful Easter!!

Onomatopoeia, Quotations, and Even and Odd

Today we read some poetry and talked about onomatopoeias. I had the kids make some cute pictures, which I'm sure everyone has done before, but I wanted to share some of my favs.

Then we worked on quotation marks. We wrote sentences and then used noodles as the quotation marks.

Not sure what an oxper is?? Ha Ha

The other thing we did today is something I am super excited about. I am working on a common core math center packet for TPT. I am planning on making one for each of the four major areas. I am working on the one now for operations and algebraic thinking. I tried one of the activities out with my class today. It is called Mr. Even and Mrs. Odd. Here are some pics. You'll have to purchase the packet when I finish to get the full version and other great goodies to go along with the common core standards.