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.

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?!?!

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!!

Morning Basket Work

I have been trying something out in my room before Christmas break for our morning work routine. I LOVED what I came up with. So....I put it all together and made it into a packet for January and February. I wanted something meaningful for my kiddos to do in the morning so the fact that it is CCSS aligned and covers reading, language arts, and math is a bonus for me. Another bonus is I can easily pull their work for a quick grade when needed.

 

The way I use this in my class is every student has a spiral morning basket notebook. On each page in the top corner we numbered 1-48 (48 activities in the packet). I copy and laminate each Morning Work page. My students are seated in 4 groups of 4 students. I have a basket for each table labeled Morning Basket Work (labels included in packet) I divide the 48 activities and put 12 activities each on a binder ring and put them in the basket along with the materials they will need for the activities in their basket. I leave a basket at each group for 10 days and then we rotate. If your students are not seated in groups you can assign a certain group of students to a certain basket instead. When my students come in the morning they know to get their notebook out and pick an activity from their basket. They love it and it means no running to the workroom before school to copy something for them to do or take the time to write their work up on the board. They come in and don't have to ever ask what to do. It's all taken care of. Click on the picture below to download a preview of the activities, morning work sheets, basket labels, and a detailed description of how to use.

 

 

I also want to try something a little different here. I am going to let the first 4 people that comment below have this packet for free. There is a catch though. 1) You have to have a blog of your own. 2) You have to have 200 or more followers. 3) You have to promise to use my packet in the month of January and then blog about it at the end of January or at the latest the first week in February and include at least one picture of your students using it. So really not a lot you have to do in order to get it for free. I am trying to build up my TPT followers and I thought having others blog about one my favorite products might help with that. So if this sounds like something you would like to try be the first of 4 to comment below with your blog link and your e-mail address. Now, I know I have no way of knowing if you will really follow through with your part so I'm going on the honor system here. Please only comment if you plan to do your part. I'm really excited about this!!

Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas!!

New Year Freebie

Just wanted to quickly share a New Year freebie I whipped up a few days ago. At my school we go back on Thursday. So it's like seriously?!?! A 2-day week?!?! I wanted something fun to get the kids back into the whole school thing so I came up with these 10 New Year Station Rotations. Just copy the booklet for each child and have them complete the stations. I am even going to take some grades from this. Click on the pictures to get yours for free.

 

Also, my 200 follower giveaway has ended and here is the lucky winner!

 

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Merry Christmas Everyone!!!

Welcome Winter Sale

The wonderful Casey over at Second Grade Math Maniac is hosting a Winter TPT Sale! Right now through December 23rd you can enjoy 20% off of every item in my TPT store.

Make sure you head over and check it out. Also, don't forget to enter my 200 follower giveaway to pick any item from my shop. Happy Winter!!

200 Follower Giveaway and A Week of Geometry

I have a random question before I began. Does anyone know how to get one of the TPT product scrolls that I have seen on several blogs?? I have searched, but can't find how to get one. Okay, on to the post. This past week we covered geometry. I just wanted to share some of the things we did from my Common Core Geometry Unit. This is just a sample of some of my favorites from the packet. First, we started our shape book so that when we learned a new shape during the week we could add it to our book.

 

We also went on a shape scavenger hunt. I think this was by far their favorite activity of the week.

 

 

My small groups played What's My Shape borad game to help reinforce the shapes.

 

 

When we got to area we completed the Guesstimate the Area Robot Glyph. Each kiddo gets a robot and has to estimate the area of each body part to complete their glyph. Small groups played Area Airport.

 

 This packet actually covers all of the geometry common core standards, so if that's not what you are looking for you can actually buy each subtopic individually.

 

Now for the 200 follower giveaway. I had no idea I was up to 200. I logged on today to post about our geometry week and noticed the big 200. So I decided that was cause for a giveaway. There are a couple of ways to enter below. You can enter now through December 23rd. The prize is going to be any item from my TPT store. Happy Entering.

 

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Time

We covered time last week, so I just wanted to share what all we did because most of it I found for free. First made these flip clocks to help them count by 5s. Click here for the template.

 

The next day we made a huge clock out of index cards and sentence strips. I had each kid show me a time on the clock and then I put a time on the clock for each kid to read.

 

 

Wednesday we made a timeline of our day. I put the kids in groups and gave them a blank clock. We picked out 8 things that we do everyday at the same time and each group was assigned a time to draw on their clock and then we put them in order.

 

 

For their test (and by the way they LOVED this) they made a watch to wear. I put the times on ahead of time. We just attached the watch face to a construction paper band. They also got a sheet with every student's name on it and they had to go to each person and ask them "what time is it?" You can click here to get the clock faces and the blank clock for the timeline.

 

 

After completing all of these during the week, I was so happy that pretty much the whole class mastered time!! Can't get better than that!!