5 senses wind sock

Hey all!  Let's talk about science.  Science is one of my favorite things to teach.  It's so hands-on, and the kids are always so highly engaged in what we are learning.  They LOVE this stuff!!  At the beginning of school we talked about how we experience the world around us with...

OUR 5 senses!

We went on a nature walk and recorded all that we heard, saw, smelled, and felt.  (No we didn't eat any nature!) ;)

We also did some blind taste tests to see if they could use their sense of taste to figure out what they were eating: (potato chip, lemon juice, marshmallow, and pineapple)

To wrap up our 5 senses week, we made these wind socks.

We wrote "OBSERVE" on our sock, and then, of course, the senses too.  We illustrated what body part we use when we experience those senses.  We glued crepe paper to the bottom so we could "see the wind" when it blew through our wind sock.



The kids LOVED these simple little creations.  My own son is in 1st grade this year and proudly displayed it to daddy when we got home that evening.  It was super simple, and a super big hit with the kids.  I hope your classroom has the same reaction! :)

Report cover binder bars

Do you have any of these gems laying around your classroom?!?!

I was in chatting with a teacher down the hall (who happens to be my son's teacher!) and I saw these... I will call them binder bars... laying at one of her centers with some picture cards.  My interest was spiked and I had to ask her.  Her idea was so simple, yet I loved it so much!

Here's how she uses them...

She calls the game "Out You Go!"  She puts 3 picture cards in the binder bar.  The students look at the pictures (these happen to be rhyming words) and they have to pull out the picture that doesn't belong, saying, "Out You Go!"  It's a great lesson on categorizing and Wade loves the game, as do the other students, I'm sure!

You could totally use the idea for many different concepts in your classroom at many different ability levels.  Here's just a few:

- number sentences
- spelling practice with letter cards
- sentence building with word cards
- sequencing with story parts
- sorting environmental shapes
- alphabetizing with word cards
- ordering numbers from least to greatest
- building decimal numbers
- place value practice (draw the place values on the bar itself so students can build the numbers)
-  ordinal numbers
- sorting verbs, nouns, adjectives, and other parts of speech

The ideas are endless!  Bonus: students also get some fine motor practice when putting the picture cards back in to reset the center for the next round. 

Thanks for the idea Mrs. B!  Love ya!

Instant Math Practice

Happy Tuesday everyone!

I'm here to let you in on a great product I was asked to review.

Teacher Created Resources is a landmine of awesome products!!  Have you ever checked out their online store or catalog?  Let me tell you- you will not be disappointed!

They sent me 3 Instant Math Practice books- for grade levels 1, 5, and 6.

As you know, I am a math remediation teacher for grades K-6, and I was so excited to get these little gems in my hands!  I never know what I'm going to be teaching from day to day because it 100% depends on student need.  So, now that I have these, when I walk into a room and a teacher asks me to work with Jane or Bobby on X, Y, and Z skills, I simply grab Jane or Bobby's grade level book and find the XYZ skill they need and BAM, it provides me with the INSTANT MATH PRACTICE I need to work with them!

Here's my take on these resources:

** Each page as 6 different sections to practice the same skill.  I love the options!

**  The book offers a pre and post test assessment.  Using these, it helps to know what is being retained and what still needs some work!

** There is a standards glossary!  That's right!  If I go into a classroom and my cooperating teacher says, "Today I need you to work with Hank on K.NBT.4, I can quickly look it up in the standards glossary.  It just doesn't get much easier than that my friends! :)

** The pages are perforated.  I love this because I am a binder junkie.  I have binders for my binders practically!  So, when I get a new resource, I like to tear the pages out and put them in my binder.  This makes it easy for me to pull out a page and make a copy!

There you have it!  Go check out what other great resources wait for you over at Teacher Created!

3AM Collaboration and a GIVEAWAY!

Hey all!  I'm so happy you are here reading today because you do NOT want to miss this...

I went on a bit of a shopping spree for clipart recently and fell in love with Michelle from The 3AM Teacher.  Have you heard of her?  Her clipart is simply adorable!  Check her out!

Anyway, so I bought just a little A LOT of her clips and then set to work.  My goal:  build 2 math packets for my math interventions... one for number fluency and one for fraction fluency.

So, here's what I ended up with:

 and

Here's what is in Buggy About Numbers 70 page pack:

Matching number and set cards:

 Nets where you can put a number in the box and students place that many bugs in the net.

 Each activity has a page of suggestions on how to use the pages.  Here's just one of those suggestion pages:

Individual bug pages to encourage counting 1:1.

Activities also come in black and white.

Comparison cards:

Number line practice:

Those are just a few sample pages from the pack.  It can be found on TPT or Teachers Notebook.

Here's what's included in the 96 page Pizzeria pack:

Pizza mats for students to dictate fractions shown.

Black and White record sheets

 Like the Buggy About Numbers, this pack also includes suggestions for how to use each of the work mats and activities.

 Students can complete the fraction cuts and then make their own fractions.

Fraction comparisons:

 Printable pizza fractions for every fraction with denominators of 2-12.

The Fraction Pizzeria can be found on TPT or Teachers Notebook.

So, here's what you've been waiting for... the GIVEAWAY!

2 lucky people will win their choice of either the Fraction Pizzeria or the Buggy about Numbers pack!  Good luck and thanks for stopping by!

Enter below with the Rafflecopter!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Today is my last day of school before SPRING BREAK!!! Woot!  Woot! 

3rd Grade iPad Apps

I have 2 iPads and 3 iPods in my classroom.  The students LOVE using them... and I am embracing the techie world and giving the students the opportunity to use them in class.  Since I don't have one for each student, I only allow them to use them during centers, before school, or as an "I'm done, now what?" activity.  Many of my parents are asking what apps I use in the classroom so they can also put them on their own personal devices for the students to play at home.  So, I put together this list for them, and I'm sharing it with you...

Some of them are PAID Apps, but there are often times "Lite" versions you can use for free.  These are student tested, and teacher (ME!) approved.  The kids love them, and I think they are a great way to get technology in the hands of my students!

If you'd like an editable version of this, so you can put your name at the top and share it with your classroom parents, just e-mail me:  letsteachsomething@yahoo.com    and I will be happy to send you the editable version!

Enjoy!

Synonym Rolls

I was given the opportunity to use one of Deb's craftivities in my classroom the other day... and boy was it fun!  Deb's blog is Crafting Connections, be sure to check her out!  She has TONS of craftivities... AND tons of giveaway opportunities... so be sure to stop by.

Anyway... back to my classroom... We were working on synonyms and Deb's craftivity of Cinnamon Synonym Rolls was a hit (cute play on words, right??).  The kids had a great time doing this.  One girl even said, "Mrs. Schutte, can we do craftivities more often??"

Here are some pictures of the fun they had: 

They had to cut out the cinnamon roll that had words already written on them.  They glued them to a gray sheet of paper to be their baking sheet.

Then, the kids had to cut out icing to put on their cinnamon rolls... because, hey... what's a cinnamon roll without icing?!?!?!  Right?!?!  :)

We had to write a synonym for the word on the icing.  Now, Deb had in the directions to do the practice sheet first, but I wanted to see my kids creativity... so I had them think of their own synonym first, and then we did the included worksheet as a wrap-up.

Craftivity... Mission Accomplished!  Thanks Deb for the opportunity to test out your product.  My students give it 2 thumbs up!

Have a Merry Christmas everyone!

Math Remediation, Progressive Anchor Charts, and a Freebie, OH MY!

Being a K-6 math remediation teacher, I have lots of students and lots of curriculum to keep straight.  I wanted a place in my classroom where students could look for resources and a place where I could see, at a glance, what skill each grade level was working on...

I came up with a progressive anchor chart of sorts...

I made K-6 grade signs and glued 1" ribbon to the back.  Then, I glued mini clothes pins to the ribbon. 

I hang anchor charts or work mats on the ribbons based on grade level.  It's a quick reference of what the kiddos are working on at each grade level for me, and it's a nice reminder for the kids when they enter my room.

I used  a combination of my own anchor charts and math resource signs I've created and ones I've found from great teachers online!  More on that in another post another day!

There you have it!  You can print my grade level signs here if you'd like to use them in your own classroom.  Have a great one!