Build A Bunny!

Happy Spring!

I'm Deirdre here from A Burst of First.

We had a blast building these adorable bunnies last week!

I had to share them with you!

All the template freebies are at the end!

Grab all the templates for this craft {here}.

Once our bunnies were complete we wrote 

about them on this "Find My Bunny" page. 

At our Open House the kids will read this to 

their families and try to have them find their bunny. 

There are two prompt pages for easy differentiation. 

Grab these {here}.

One last final peek at these super cuties!

I'd love for you to visit me at my blog 

A Burst of First 

for more fun tips, tricks and ideas!

A few Apps that will make your job easier

Hello Friends from Who's Whoville.  

I'm Deniece from This Little Piggy Reads.

Teachers are always sharing APPS that will help student achievement and increase engagement. Don't get me wrong, I love those, I even collect them.  But, today I want to share a few APPS that might make your job as a teacher a little easier. Disclaimer: I am NOT representing any of the following companies, nor am I being reimbursed financially in any way. 

So, the first APP I am excited to share is Running Record Calculator.  If you do Running Records, you know that they can be time consuming, but a necessary evil.  Running Record Calculator has a FREE & paid version.  The paid version costs about $4.  The major difference I notice is that you can email the results of the paid APP. You could train parents and volunteers to use this APP.  This will definitely cut down on your time with tedious math.  I think it's worth the $4 investment.

Stick Pick is a really cool APP that replaces the buckets full of craft sticks (that somehow end up on the floor daily).  It also has an amazing feature...it gives you Question Stems (ESL, Bloom's, etc...).  It also lets you track data...YES, you heard me!  TRACK DATA.  I think $4 is a bargain for this APP.  

This last APP is called Air Projector.  If you don't have an ELMO (like me), this will be your new BFF, I promise.  It allows you to project what is on your iPhone or iPad to your computer screen, thus onto your projector.  Yes, I know....it's wonderful, but wait...it's FREE!!  

This Little Piggy wants to know, have you found any APP's that help with your job?

3 TIPS for Kinder Math Success

Hi EVERYONE!  It’s Kimberly from Loving Kinders!  I am very grateful to be posting as a guest author today at Who’s Who and New.   I LOVE THIS blog.  It gives us so many amazing tips and tricks.  So, today I wanted to share with you my tips when teaching math!

#1 Engage THE Learner

I find Interactive Notebooks are a great way to ENGAGE my students.  Actually, they are a HUGE hit in my class. 

This is why:

I put the students in charge. -They LOVE THIS! I use a document camera and allow one student to be the “teacher model” and they assemble the page for the class. We note ALL of the steps on the board and the students take off on their page.

Now… Be AWARE!

I will tell you that Interactive Notebooks in kindergarten are NOT easy so don’t get involved if you don’t want to take TIME to TEACH each child how to assemble the pages and to show them your OWN expectations. For instance, we cut triangles on each page for bookmarks, we ONLY use glue sticks, and we NEVER rush with our work.

My students are experts now!

Now, every TUESDAY we have our interactive notebook time and my kinders are

ENGAGED and PROUD!

#2 EVERYONE needs to respond

I am sure that you agree, when teaching any subject area if you only call on one person for an answer then only ONE person is engaged. That is why I always use

TURN AND TALK

OR

-my new FAV-

LEAN AND TELL

with everything MATH lesson.  The key is now how to use it.  TURN and TALK is ONLY for longer answers where there needs to be discussion.  LEAN and TELL is a one-word only answer.  My kids love using both during our lessons.  Today I taught time and we made clocks.  The kinders walked around the room turning and talking with neighbors for about 12 minutes.  I stood back and watched the magic happen.

#True teacher moment

#3 Memorization

With so many teaching styles and the ever-changing student population, sometimes we fail to remember that memorization is a skill that needs to be developed, especially with math facts.  I have a daughter with dyslexia and when she was learning her math facts it was very important for her to have her math facts memorized.

This only assisted her math development.  I use math fact rings.  I make them for the students and they take them home for on-going practice.  I often have “bag checks” and review facts with my kinders. This helps with fact fluency.

I hope you were able to take some ideas with you and I thank you for reading and teaching!

Until Next time... 

Here are the products I used.

Mother's Day Gift Idea

Happy Friday!  It's Lisa from Pawsitively Teaching and I wanted share an adorable gift idea for Mother's Day that you could make with your students.

Here is a peek at the finished product.  I apologize for the blurry image, but I don't share my kids' pictures so I had to blur the image, but you can get an idea of how cute the final product is.

One of my team mates and I partnered up and purchased this Glass Tile Pendant Bundle from Candy Tiles Studio on Etsy.  It had all the supplies that we needed except glue.  The supply kit comes with enough supplies to make 50 necklaces, so we were able to complete the project for a little over $1 per child. Candy Tiles Studio has smaller bundles available, but purchasing in quantity got us a better deal.

The first thing you will need to do is photograph each of your students.  I chose to use chalkboards as a photo prop, but you can use any background and/or prop that you would like.  I used the square camera setting on my IPhone.  Then, import the images into PowerPoint and resize them to 1 inch squares.  Finally, I used my laser printer to print the images on card stock.

 Next, place a small amount of Diamond Glaze on one side of the glass tiles.  

  Then, I used the end of a paperclip to spread the Diamond Glaze into a thin even layer.  Then you will lay the trimmed photo face down in the Diamond Glaze.  

Next, use a small about of E6000 glue to attach the bail to the back of the glass tile.

After securing the bail to the glass tile, add another layer of Diamond Glaze to the back.

Finally, measure out the desired about of chain and assemble the necklaces.  I chose 20 inch chains for the necklaces that we made, but you can certainly make them shorter or longer than that.  

As a final touch, we wrapped the necklaces in tissue paper and tied them up with some curling ribbon. 

Quick and Easy Spelling Games

 Happy Thursday everyone!  It's Lisa from Second Grade Stories and I am happy to share that I am just one more wake-up away from enjoying my spring break!  Those days leading up to break can definitely be crazy it's amazing how close we are to the end of the year!  With that in mind, I thought I'd pop in today and share some easy and no (or very little!) prep ideas for practicing spelling.

 

 

This post is all about keeping it real.  Some days you just need something simple and quick to do during those spare moments when there isn't enough time for a full activity - but there's zero time to prepare!  These spelling games are always a hit with my second graders.  We use them to practice weekly words, review word wall words, as a center or small group activity ... any way you choose, they're easy to do and fun! Let's get started!

 

 

Any time you can add a familiar game into the mix, the activity is just guaranteed to be successful!  This one is simple - players take turns asking each other to spell words.  If the word is spelled correctly, that person gets to make their "X" or "O" on the board.  If not, it's the next person's turn to spell a word.  The first person to get three in a row wins! This game is great because it needs no directions and you can play a bunch of rounds in 10 minutes.  Sometimes students have their spelling words with them, sometimes I project words on the Smartboard and sometimes we use Word Wall words.

 

 

I have to admit - I made this game up on a whim one day a few years ago and I use it all the time - and it should probably be called "Spell and Roll" because that's the order you do it in.  Again, partners take turns asking each other to spell a word.  If the player is correct, s/he rolls the dice (use any dice you want) and earns that many points.  Players keep track of their points and the first player to a designated number (we do 25) is the winner.  I've also had them go the other way and start with 25 points and subtract each time - first person to zero (exactly to zero, if you want!) wins.  A little spelling, a little math... it's all there!

 

 

This third game is relatively new for us - but it's fast becoming a class favorite.  It starts like the other two games, spell a word correctly and you get to do something - this time it's roll the dice and see which kind of bunny part you get to add to your drawing.  The first time, everyone starts with the basic body.  On roll #2, it's the eyes.  Each number corresponds to a different kind of eyes - or ears, or mouth, or whatever parts you choose for what you're drawing. The first person to draw their full bunny wins.  Really, everyone wins because if you're drawing a bunny there just isn't any other way to go.

 

Yes, I drew those parts.  Don't judge.  I am NOT artistic, although when my kiddos overheard me say something about having drawn the sheet, they were mighty impressed with my mad skills as an artist.  I just love second graders.

 

If you really want, you can download the bunny parts sheet by clicking the image below. 

 

I did not fancy it up.  I did try to make the drawings a little nicer.  And to top it all off, my printer started acting up so I couldn't scan the sheet and I had to take a picture of it with my iPhone and then insert it into a document. So the borders and the title look great but the actual image is a little on the fuzzy side.  You can make your own 6x6 grid and have your kiddos make a bug, or flower or something else cute and adorable.  If you do, can you share it with me, please?  My artwork needs an intervention and bunnies are not going to cut it after spring break.

 

 

Keeping the Piece

My Kinders enjoy working with scissors and glue.  But, if you have ever worked with Kinders, scissors, and glue you know what a messy endeavor it can be.  Pieces fall on the floor, get mixed up with the neighbor's pieces, get thrown into the recycling bin, etc.  Finally I have come up with a simple solution to these woes!  (Why did it take me so long??)

The solution is as simple as mushroom containers and dish tubs!  We eat lots of mushrooms at our house, and one day as I was cleaning some for our salad I thought that the container they came in seemed too nice to just throw away.  (The teacher in me is always coming up for a way to re-purpose things.)  So, I started saving them.  Well, because we eat SO MANY mushrooms it didn't take very long to collect a class set (or two).

These little blue foam containers are the perfect size for holding small pieces of just about anything. Whenever the kiddos need to cut out small pieces they grab a blue tub.  By putting their pieces into a tub there are far fewer lost pieces!

But, it still wasn't totally fool proof.  Plus, there was a constant march to and from the recycling bin that sits just outside our classroom door.  (My husband is in the paper recycling business and we RECYCLE EVERY SCRAP OF PAPER!  I used to bring paper home to recycle before our school started the recycling program.)  There was also the occasional piece that got mixed in with the recycling.  In comes the dish tubs!  Each table has a pink scrap tub to collect scraps as the kids cut.  If a piece is accidentally mixed in with the recycling it is so much easier to find in the pink tub!

The solution was so simple ~ and inexpensive ($0.00 for the mushroom containers, and a couple dollars for each tub) ~ I can't believe it took so long to come up with this idea! 

Please visit my blog: Kinder Doodles, Teachers pay Teachers store, and Facebook page.

Poetry Scavenger Hunt

Hello fellow teachers!  I am Pam from ROCKIN RESOURCES and I am so honored to be posting one of my ideas on the Who's Who blog!  This idea of a Poetry Scavenger Hunt was designed for upper elementary, but I'm sure you can tailor it to your grade level as well!

I hope you and your kiddos enjoyed Easter and a few egg hunts along the way!  We had our family visit and I love the fact that the teenagers still want us to hide eggs!  They will not be happy if they come across this picture on social media somewhere but here they are dying eggs!  Oh yeah the proof is in all those mugs in front of them.  

Since it is Poetry Month, and I know that no matter what the age, they love to hunt for things.  Soooooo why not conduct a Poetry Scavenger Hunt with your students?  It is Poetry Month ya know!  I teach 4th grade and they will be the first ones to tell you that they enjoy this activity!  It is an awesome motivator to get them to learn!  So what is a POETRY SCAVENGER HUNT?

Materials Needed:

1.  Tons and tons of poetry books- if your own library or your school's library doesn't have a wide variety or abundance, go to the local library and check out as many as you can!  You want enough resources for them to enjoy this activity.  Your media specialist might even allow them to come in and do this activity in their media center to spread out and make it more interesting!

2.  Poetry samples for projecting during whole group lesson.

3.  Poetry cards (below)

4.  Magnifying glasses -optional-  (We are lucky to have plastic ones in our science kits.)  These give your students a "fun" tool to search for elements.  The little things make a difference!

5.  Sticky notes.  (If you have iPad access, you don't need sticky notes)

Lesson Plans:

First, introduce (or review) the following Poetry Elements and examples.  The definitions for each word can be found on the cards later in the lesson!

Alliteration-  Ex. Slimy slugs slither slowly on the sidewalk.

Imagery-  Ex. The thick fuzzy coat was a blessing in the winter blizzard.

Metaphor-  Ex.  A good laugh is sunshine in a house.

Onomatopoeia-  Ex.  Bang, ding, pop!

Personification-  Ex.  The wind whistled its happy tune.

Repetition-  Ex.  Leaving my friends, leaving my home leaving my room, leaving my memories

Rhyme-  Ex.  School, tool, rule

Rhyme Scheme-  

Ex. Roses are red    A

     Violets are blue   B

     Sugar is sweet    C

     And so are you.   B

Rhythm-  (musical quality)

Simile-  Ex.  She was as pale as a lump of sugar.

Stanza-  (a poetry paragraph)

Theme-  (the message)

Tone-  (feeling)

Next, as a whole group, show students how to look in poems to find these elements.  The best way I found is to project slides of poetry and discuss elements found in the example.

One example I use for Imagery:

This is the only one I don't project.  I like to read this one while my students close their eyes so they can form their own imagery.  I read a portion of "Kryptonite" by Three Doors Down:

I took a walk around the world to ease my trouble mind

I left my body laying somewhere in the sands of time

I watched the world float to the dark side of the moon

I feel there is nothing I can do.

Then, pass out poetry books, magnifying glasses, and poetry elements cards to groups.  (I usually give each group 4-5 cards).  When students find a poem with this element, they mark it with a sticky note.  TECHNOLOGY- TAKE PICTURE OF POEM WITH IPAD.  Click on the picture below for free cards.

Last, gather back as a whole group and share their findings!


Are you looking for more poetry ideas and resources?

Free and paid Poetry Products:  CLICK HERE

Poetry Pinterest Board:  CLICK HERE 

 

Visit ROCKIN RESOURCES store!  They offer a variety of free and paid products ranging from grades 2-6.  Pam specializes in LANGUAGE ARTS and SOCIAL STUDIES.  She is well-known for her writing programs that have been best sellers and boost writing scores!  

Thanks again Hilary for the opportunity to post on this amazing blog!  I find so many incredible ideas on here!