Manic Monday Freebie

Going to try again to give away a game I made.  This is using 2nd grade sight words.  You pick a card and read it.  If you read correctly, you keep the card.  If you draw a hook, you have to put all your cards back.  If you draw a worm, you get an extra turn.  Play continues until all cards have been drawn.  Student with the most cards "wins."

Fish Hook Sight-Word-Game 


www.classroomfreebies.com

Pre-Thanksgiving Fun

Since we've been studying pilgrims, I thought a good activity for the last Fun Friday of the year would be to make butter.  I got 2 containers with screw-on lids (put tape on the lids b/c they crack from the marble), 1 16oz container of heavy whipping cream, and 2 marbles.  I used the big marble and it cracked both lids so you can use a smaller one or do without.  The marble makes it churn quicker and we were running out of time.  Then I poured half the whipping cream into each container, added a marble, screwed the lid on TIGHT, and handed them to the 2 groups I had in a circle.  Next they started shaking to the chant "Shake, shake, shake...shake, shake, shake...shake the butter, shake the butter...pass".  They would pass it to the next child and we'd start all over again.  It took about 20 passes (less than 5 minutes)before I realized I couldn't really hear the cream or the marble anymore.  We opened the containers and we had whipped butter!  I probably should've continued to shake the containers more but like I said the lids were cracking from the marble and the butter was set up enough to spread.  I spread them on slices of bread and the kids were amazed and in awe at what we had just done!  Next year I'll know to use a smaller marble and put duct tape on the lids first.

Shake Shake Shake..Shake Shake Shake

Shake the butter, Shake the butter

Pass it

whipped butter--yum!  It didn't even need salt.

Kids enjoying the fruits of their labor.

Types of Matter

This time I created a simple pre- or post-assessment for the Types of Matter.  I've also included an answer key just in case it's not clear what they are showing.

Types of Matter Test

My TPT store

Thanks to the suggestion of a coworker friend, I now have my 2 games available on Teachers Pay Teachers for free.  I know I should start charging but since I've only made 2 games, I'm making them free.  As I get more confident in my work, then I'll start charging for it.  I was very excited to see MY name on the TPT website.  It's kind of a rush!

I'm linking up both games to this website if you want to go check them out.  One is my first grade sight word game I mentioned in the last post.  The other is a second grade sight word game I made last night.  ENJOY!

Mouse and Cheese Sight Word Game

Fish Hook Sight Word Game

My first game

I've seen and downloaded all the cute preprimer and primer word games where the kids draw a card and read it or put it back.  I was frustrated by the lack of 1st grade and above word games so I made my own.  It's called "Give the mouse the cheese."  It's the same premise as the other games just using 1st grade sight words.  I'm giving it away for free on my blog.

1st grade sight word game

My first giveaway

Ok, I made my first ever worksheet to give away.  It's just a simple little -at word family for kids to practice with.  If you like it, let me know and I'll make more.

at word family

Classroom Freebies Manic Monday

Edible Maps

So this week we were learning about maps.  After a week's worth of activities, we, as a grade level, decided to make edible maps to wrap up the week.  I found a recipe (won't use again) and made the dough.  Unfortunately since it's halfway to payday, I didn't have much money for decorations AND I left the icing at home.  The dough I made was extremely hard to push the decorations into so I had bought a can of icing to cover it with them promptly ran out of the house without it Friday morning.  At least I remembered the other stuff!!!  So here's what we did:  Thursday we made a map of the room.  We decided on chocolate bars for the desks and bookcases, caramels for the computers and my desk, and gummi bears for the kids.  It turned out pretty cute despite me forgetting the icing which I had also planned to use to write on it with!!!!

Map of the room

  No-bake cookie dough

Passing out gummi bears

Adding their bear to where they sit

They were really excited about this.

Finished map

Centers or Work Stations

Depending on where you work, I know you use centers or stations if you are in 1st grade.  It's a good way to keep kids working on skills while you pull a small group together.  I have 6 we rotate through including me.  I took pics of them while they were working.  I also use Math stations and included some pictures of those as well.

playing race to 20

counting on to move

for independent reading, they get to get a pillow and go someplace comfortable to read, this was HIS idea :)

I don't usually let 2 read from the same book but I made an exception with these 2 so they could help each other

this is a very popular corner

they're cutting and pasting whether it's a word, sentence, or letter

these are rhyming puzzles I was very lucky to inherit

Bulletin Board

We have a grade-level bulletin board that we sign up to take care of 2 months at a time.  October/November is my time and I created this little scarecrow patch.  I put the standard and I Can statements on his pumpkin.  The assignment was to draw and label parts of a plant and also to label what a plant needs to grow.  We're not allowed to color (in 1st grade!!!!) so they're in black and white.

Water Cycle

We study the water cycle each year in 1st grade and they usually get it even with the big words.  A coworker had found these bracelets and made them the year before and I wanted to do them as well.  A quick google search returned with this link: http://www.makinglearningfun.com/themepages/RainbowWaterCycleBracelet.htm

First I separated the beads by color.  Then I saw everyone in a HUGE oval (didn't want to move desks).  Next we talked about the water cycle and how it works.  Then I started passing the baggies of beads around  and they were to each take one but NOT put them on the pipe cleaner yet.  After everyone had all the beads, we talked about the water cycle and how the beads would go on the bracelet.  

First it rained (precipitation) on the grass and created a puddle.Next the sun came out and evaporated the puddle and turned it back into a cloud.  Then it rained again and the cycle started all over. 

The only change I made was I made the cloud beads dark gray since they look more like rain clouds than the white bead did.

October

Yes,  I know, I suck at this.  But I'm trying to get better.  Here goes:  We did a unit on Tall Tales and one of the books--Thunder Rose--was about a little girl who lassoed tornadoes.  I thought it'd be really cool for the kids to try so I got a long jump rope from the coach, tied a loop in it and showed them how.  They had to lasso the bad bumblebeeto (from SkippyJon Jones story) and save the classroom.  There were LOT of giggles and fun and quite a few good little cowpokes.

My finished organizer!!!

The last time I posted, I included a link to the blog where I got the AWESOME idea for an organizer.  I'm telling ya--whoever created this thing is a GENIUS!!  Of course I IMMEDIATELY ran out to Lowe's and bought the base, got some adhesive border papers from Michael's and pulled some bright color paper from my stash at home.  I couldn't decide how I wanted the color scheme to go so I just printed out 2 sets of labels.  Then I played around with how I wanted the color scheme to look before I taped the labels onto the front of the drawers.  Last I added the borders and voila!  I know have a really cute organizer!!!

This is the base of the organizer.

Added the labels in the color scheme I chose

Added some adhesive borders and voila!

Found this great DIY organizer and am in the process of making it.  It's super simple so far.  Here's the link to the blogger: Teacher Toolbox.  I've got one more step and then I'll post pics of the finished project.  I think my coworkers are going to be JEALOUS!!!!  :)

Easy Rearranging

I have tables instead of desks and 25 little firsties.  Sometimes students who were BFFs are all of a sudden frenemies.  Or the students who didn't really talk before sit next to someone who all of a sudden becomes their new BFF and it's chatter away.  Last year I tried the use of nametags taped and then velcroed to their table spot.  That didn't work.  They would pick at the tape or keep playing with the velcro and I'd hear that all day.  It didn't matter how many times I told them to stop, it just wasn't a good plan for me.  I mentioned it to a fellow teacher before school started and she gave me a GREAT idea!  Instead of putting nametags on the tables, I put them on the backs of their chairs!  Now, whenever I need to make a change, all I tell them is to grab their pencil and reading bookbag and their chair and switch places with someone.  It doesn't take any time at all to do this and then we can move on to learning.  This even works when you want to do a whole class rearrangement.  I have them all bring their chairs to the front of the room and then I call out names and table colors and they go sit down.  I can rearrange the whole class in less than 5 minutes.  It sure is a lot quicker than moving nametags on the desks.  I've only had 1 student destroy his chair nametag during a fit of un-medicated rage.  I didn't replace his after that so he knows his chair is the only one WITHOUT a nametag.

DIY word wall

My newly built classroom did not come with any bulletin boards!  I mean seriously, who designs these rooms!  I took matters into my own hands and made my own bulletin board for both my calendar area AND my word wall.  I used foam core sheets I got at Dollar Tree, wrapping paper from Walmart, and glue dots from a craft store.  I also got some cool ribbon from Michael's when they put it on sale to use as dividers.

First I decided on how many sheets of foam core board to use.  I chose 8 because you can easily divide it into 3 parts each for 24 parts.  I double-up W/X and Y/Z.  Then I wrapped the boards in wrapping paper like I would a package.  Then I added glue dots--3 on the short side of the board and 6 on the long side.  I lined up the boards with the seam on my walls and pressed them into place.  Next I took the ribbon I had found and covered up the seams, top, bottom, and sides of the boards.  Last I took a smaller ribbon and divided the boards into thirds then added letters I had found on a blog.  And voila--instant, very cute, wordwall!!!

I stapled words onto it as we added them.  Since I had made the word wall myself, I was able to hang it at a level where the children could truly interact with it.  It has stood up the whole year despite several temper tantrums involving desks, chairs, and little bodies being tossed against it.  The only thing I've had to redo was to restaple the ribbon a few times when that occurred.