Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Snow Bowl: Super Bowl Literacy & Math Activities

Are you ready for some football?  I just created a fun new packet called "Snow Bowl:  Super Bowl Literacy & Math Activities".  It will be a fun way this week to get ready for the Super Bowl while we try to stay warm from this bitter cold and snow.  This unit can really be used anytime during the winter and football season.


The following centers are included:

ELA:
1.  Arctic Arena Antonyms
2. Blizzard Blitz Noun Sort
3. Field Goal Fact and Opinion
4. Give Me An “ABC” Order
5. MVP Making Words
6. Playbook: Past, Present, Future (Verb Tense)
7. Quarterback Scramble (Word Scramble)
8. Sideline Syllables
9. Super Bowl Synonyms

 
 
 
MATH:
1. All-Star Addition to 12
2. First & Ten Place Value
3. Football Fact Families
4. Football Lineup (Least to Greatest)
5. Halftime (Numbers Before & After)
6. Scrimmage Subtraction from 12
7. Team Work (Number cards from 0 to 124 – used for multiple activities)
8. Touch Down (Tally Marks)
9. What’s The Score (Greater Than or Less Than)

 
*Recording sheets are included with each center activity.
 
**You will see each center card twice in this unit. One set has a blue snowflake background and one set is plain white for anyone who would like to save on color printing.

I hope you enjoy the activities!!!

Sunday, January 13, 2013

Martin Luther King....Share the Dream

Well so much for being a better blogger.  How do you all do it?  I've been trying to get on since last week to share my new Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. activities.  Here is a sample of what you will find in my TpT store:  "Martin Luther King....Share the Dream".



It is time to honor the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. This packet will help teach your children about who Dr. King was and how his life and work changed the world. It will also teach them how important it is to share Dr. King’s message of peace and kindness to EVERYONE!

This packet includes:

*2 Dr. King and I writing pages:  I use these after reading the story “A Picture Book of Martin Luther King, Jr.” by David A. Adler.
 
 

*12 Timeline Picture Cards (2 versions:  one with dates for whole group instruction, one with separate date cards for whole group or center work)

*1 Timeline Worksheet (color)
 
 
*18 Picture words cards (can be used for ABC order and writing center)
 
 
 *1 ABC order (b&w and color)


*20 Vocabulary Picture Cards
 

*2 What is Dr. Martin Luther King Day? Posters

*1 Meet Dr. Martin Luther King Poster

*1 Label It “Dr. King” (b&w and color)

*1 I Have a Dream Making Words (
b&w and color)

*1 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Word Scramble (

b&w and color)

*4 Writing papers (b
&w), 4 Writing papers (color)

*5 Coloring pages

I hope you have a chance to take a peek :)

Saturday, January 5, 2013

Writing Binders

Mrs. Hedrich.."How do you spell....?"  I'm sure that this is a question that you have heard many times when you kids are writing.  After teaching for 14 years I wish I had a quarter for each time the question has been asked :) 

Today I am going to share the new writing binders I created last year.  They have made such in difference in my classroom.  The children love writing and I actually hear them say "Yes, I have WOW (work on writing) today".  I have even had children ask to use them during inside recess.

I started by creating monthly binders which include several topics specific to that month or time of the year.  Here is the cover for my February W.O.W. binder.


A PICTURE PAINTS A THOUSAND WORDS

Your students will use these picture cards to learn vocabulary, grammar and spelling. The colorful pictures will help motivate your students to express their feelings, thoughts, ideas, and dreams when writing independently.

This packet includes:
*90 America the Beautiful picture cards
*50 United States picture cards
*27 Valentine’s Day picture cards
*27 Wedding picture cards
*18 Groundhog’s Day picture cards
*18 Dental Health picture cards
*9 Tooth Fairy picture cards
*Plain writing paper
*Picture prompt writing paper
*Label It! activity sheets (B&W and color)
*ABC order activity sheets for Word Work center
*Writer's checklist for students to remind children
what to focus on while writing.
*Common Core Standards for ELA

Due to limited wall space I do not have a word wall displayed for all the students to see. This writing binder is a great spelling resource for individual and small group work. If wall space is not an issue for you, you can enlarge the picture cards to poster-size and post them in your writing center. (I am so happy to share that I just got a Smart Board in my classroom! I have been displaying the picture cards on this for whole group instruction as well.)
Here is a sample of how I set up my writing binders.

I start by printing each title page and picture card twice.  (I print the picture cards on white cardstock.)

Next I will place one title page inside the front of the clear view binder and the second inside the back cover of the binder.


I will place the second copies of the tile pages into page protectors for inside the binder.  (the second set of picture cards are used in my Word Work centers.)



Next I will cut and place the picture cards into the baseball card holders in ABC order. (If you don't want to cut individual cards you can always use sheet protectors to slide a whole sheet of words into.)  I like the individual cards because I keep them in ABC order and it is easy to add new picture cards as I get new ideas.


 
Finally I will place folders inside the back of the binder for the following:

 
 
*to hold the picture prompt writing papers (The plain paper is copied in large quantities located in the writing area.)
 
*for stickers the children may use in their writing or illustrations
 
*Label It! Activity sheets (B&W and color)
 
*writer's checklist for students to remind children what to focus on while writing
 
If you would like to see my binders please visit my TpT store to see all of the monthly binders and the topic binders such as Community Helpers/Transportation and Fairy Tales/Nursery Rhymes.
 

Friday, January 4, 2013

HAPPY NEW YEAR to everyone!  I hope that everyone enjoyed their holidays and is relaxed and ready for 2013.  We went back to school on Wednesday and it didn't take long to get right back to work. 

My New Year's resolution is to be a better blogger.  I give everyone in the blogging community a lot of credit.  I was so excited last fall to start my blog because I have been such a big fan of reading others but I just always seem to run out of time each day to share myself.  This year I am going to work hard to share my classroom experiences with you :)  I will start tomorrow with the writing center binders I created this year for my kids.  I am very proud of the finished product and my students LOVE using them everyday!