Fun With Measuring And Fun Spring Activities With A Freebie!

We are well into enjoying Spring in our classroom.  We have been working on measurement for a few weeks now.  We started with MD 1-6.  The kids really loved measuring each other with this activity from Amy Lemmons.  It's in her measurement pack.  I had the kids get with a partner and then take turns measuring each other with a tape measure and recording their measurements. 

 

This week we started 2.MD 9-10 which is collecting and using data to make line plots and answer questions about them.  The kids LOVE going around the room and asking all of their classmates their favorite color, ice cream flavor, etc.  We played SCOOT on Tuesday.  Each kid gathered data.  They went around the classroom and measured 12 different objects using inches.  They used this information to make a line plot.  After that, we all wrote the same three questions about the graph.  Next, we played SCOOT.  Each student sat in every desk and answered the same three questions about the graph on each desk.  I think by the time they went to 21 desks and answered questions, they were pros in reading line plots.  They love getting up and moving around!  This measurement unit is full of fun graphing activities. It has lesson plans, a student book, quizzes and homework.  Here is a look at the entire unit. 

You can get it in my Teachers Pay Teachers store by clicking HERE!

 

So Easter is next week.  It's hard to believe that we are there already!  It's one of my favorite times at school and I love that second graders still love to hide and hunt eggs.  I usually let the boys hide eggs for the girls and then the girls hide eggs for the boys.  After we finish, we divide the eggs up equally so that everyone gets to take home the same amount of eggs and candy.  It works really well for us.  I love making this cute bunny every year too!  We wrote an imaginative narrative last week.  The Easter Bunny left us a note telling us that he had a cold and couldn't deliver the eggs.  He needed us to help so the kids wrote a story about making the eggs and delivering them.  Then they made this cutie!

If you want the pattern for the bunny, it is in my TPT store.  If you want the entire writing pack, it is in my store as well.  Click HERE for the Bunny.  If you want the entire writing unit, click HERE!This unit has activities for the three types of writing that is required in the Second Grade Common Core ELA Standards.  There is a narrative activity, informational and persuasive writing activities with decorative paper to write the completed stories on as well as the pattern for the cute bunny. 

Now for the feebie. I needed a quick writing activity that would brighten up the room and bring spring inside!  I made this quick "Top Ten" list about Spring.  We brainstormed things that we love about Spring and then the kids wrote their top 10 favorite things and drew a picture to go with it.  Here is a look at how they turned out.

This activity is included in my April Printables for Spring.  I've attached it for you for FREE!

Click HERE to get the poem that I wrote to go with the writing that the kids did.

Click HERE to get the writing activity.  If you download, I would love some feedback!

 

That is all for now.  We are almost to Easter Break!  It won't be long until we are all soaking up the sun and relaxing!  Happy Spring! Happy Easter!

Sharon

 

 

 

 

Writing For March, A Huge Sale and a Freebie!

I can't believe that February is almost over!  I've been hard at work making things for March.  I have my March Writing unit ready finally.  It is a unit that has enough writing activities to last all month.  There is an imaginative narrative piece where the kids imagine that they have turned into a butterfly so they write about their adventures as a butterfly.  For the persuasive piece, students will try to convince the reader that our school should serve pizza every day for lunch.  The second Thursday in March is National Popcorn Lover's Day so students will write an informative piece to tell the reader all about popcorn.  Each writing has a craft to go with it. These are great for the hallway or your bulletin board.  Here is a look at the finished product.

The kids really like the crafts that go with the writing activities and they are simple to make.  Here is what you get with the unit. 

Click HERE to go to the unit in my Teachers Pay Teachers store.

The 3 Million Teachers Strong  Sale is going to be happening at TPT tomorrow, February 27 and Friday February 28.  You can get up to 28% off!  I'm having a sale in my store as well!  Look ahead and see what you need to stock up on for Spring and even the end of the school year. Now is a great time to save a little money on the things you will need!

 

 

Don't forget to add the code TPT3!!! 

 

Now for a freebie.  I like to do some activities with my kids to get them in the math thinking mood.  One thing that I've made up is called "Daily Math Count".  This is an activity that takes about 10 minutes and is a great daily review.  I start by showing the kids a number with base 10 blocks.  The kids count and write this number down.  Next, I show them a time and a money amount.  They write these things down on their Daily Math Count paper.  Next, we write the number of the base 10 blocks in the first counting box.  I may have the kids count on by this number, count back by this number, count by 2's, 3's, 4's, 5's, or 10's.  Sometimes I ask them to color the odd numbers a certain color, or the even numbers a certain color.  We use numbers from 100-1000.  It is a great activity to get the math lesson started.  Here are some pictures of what I display for the kids.

I've attached the Daily Math Count sheet for you for free.  I copy it front and back and it will last for 6 days.  Click HERE to get your copy of the Daily Math Count sheet for the kids.  They really love this activity and the numbers are different every day.  I hope your kids like it!

 

Ok that is all for now!  Let me know what you think about Daily Math Count!

 

 

Morning Work Freebie and February Writing

My school is a PBIS and an RTI school. This means a lot of things but one important thing that it means is that we have WIN time.  WIN stands for W hat  I  N eed...so .... students are divided up into groups according to what they need to work on.  Some need fluency, some blends, some math, etc.  So, our bell rings at 8:00 and at 8:20 we all go to WIN groups for 30 minutes....the entire school...which means we only have about 12-15 good minutes to finish morning work.  Whew...that is a lot of explaining to tell you that I NEED my morning work to be brief but effective.  That is why I decided to write my morning work for this year.  It has a few math review problems, a word problem, two sentences to correct and some type of grammar skill.  Most kids get it finished in 15 minutes and we check it together after WIN time is over.  We only have WIN time Monday through Thursday so on Friday, their morning work is a quiz on the previous four days of morning work.  There is a book cover so you can copy a month of morning work, staple it together and you don't have to worry about it until next month rolls around.  I run it front and back so it saves paper. It has worked very well this year.  I have written morning work for all months from August through March.  I will have April and May morning work soon.  I have attached the first week of morning work for March for you for FREE!  CLICK HERE FOR THE FREEBIE!    I hope you like it!  The entire book of March Morning Work is in my Teachers Pay Teachers store.  You can see it by clicking HERE!  

For writing in February, we started by writing a persuasive paper.  February is National Hot Breakfast month so my students brainstormed and came up with a list of reasons that we should eat a hot breakfast.  After we had a good long list of reasons, the kids completed their planning page and finally their story.  They made a craft to go with it.  Here's a look at their finished writing.

You can see the entire writing unit for February in my Teachers Pay Teachers store by clicking HERE!

 

Ok, not much longer until Spring!!!  I'm busy at work on Spring Centers, Writing, Word Problems and Printables.  Hang in there until Spring!  Happy Teaching!

Snowmen, Winter Writing, Free Books to Read Online and It's A Long Time Until Summer!

Well it seems that Christmas break was oh so short.  It was back to school on Thursday. The kids seemed to be in a coma.....I also felt like I was in a coma...especially when we went to lunch at 11:00....I was still in my pj's almost every day at 11:00 on break!!  So anyway, if we were at school, we would get right to work!  So we did.  We needed to decorate our room for winter so we started with these snowmen.  I think I've made these every year that I have taught and they always look so pretty hanging in the room.  It amazes me at how kids don't really know how to draw these days!  I showed them how to draw the snowman first and then they got to work.  Here is how they turned out.

Now it can snow!  Speaking of snow, we started writing a story before Christmas break that I wanted to put in the hallway.  The topic was to pretend that your snowman came alive.  We read the books Snowmen at Christmas and Snowmen at Night.  If you don't have these books, go to www.wegivebooks.org.  Both of these books are on there and you can project them and read them to your class.  After we read the stories, we brainstormed some ideas of what we thought our snowman could do when he/she came to life.  Their stories turned out great!  Here is a look at them.

 

 

This writing is part of my Winter Writing Pack.  It contains the snowman topic which is a narrative, a persuasive topic and an informational topic.  Each topic has a planner, writing paper and a craft to go with the finished product.  Here is a look at the entire unit.

 

You can see it in my Teachers Pay Teachers store by clicking HERE!

 

We also worked on some New Year's Writing.  We wrote our New Year's Resolutions and made a cute party hat to go with them. 

We finished today by writing "All About Me In 2014".   And "If I Lived In An Igloo".

Phew!  The past two days were very busy, but we got lots of things finished. 

 

January can be long!  It's a long time until Summer!  I would love to hear some things that you do to make the winter fun for the kids!  Any behavior incentives?  New and exciting things to do with the kids?  Send some feedback!  I would love to try some new things.

 

I hope your start back to school goes smoothly....and oh yea,...summer's coming!!!!

Sharon

 

 

Christmas Centers and 2 Freebies!

We have been so busy in our classroom learning "Christmas Style"!  Even though it is the Christmas season and the kids are beyond excited, we have to continue on with learning.  We are, after all, on a tight schedule.  So, I decided to make all of our "learning" Christmas Themed.  The kids have been practicing their math skills in centers.  Here is a look.

This game is called Elves Addition.  Students have to work each problem on their answer sheet, match the problem card to the answer card and then decide if they regrouped or not and put the problem card onto the "I had to regroup" or the "I didn't have to regroup" mats.  So the kids would come to me and say, I got 59 but there isn't an answer card with 59, so this was a good chance to teach them that they should check over their answers and rework the problem.

North Pole Number Sort is another game we played.  The kids had to sort the numbers by the picture.  Once they did this, they put the number cards into order by picture from least to greatest.  After they sorted the numbers, they wrote them onto their answer sheet.

A literacy game that we played this week in centers is called Fa La La La List It.  It was a good activity because it forced the students to think on their own and come up with answers.  Students would choose a card.  Each card would ask them to list 3 different things, like 3 fruits, 3 song titles, etc.  They enjoyed it and I hope it stretched their thinking just a little!

 

This center unit has 4 literacy and 4 math games in it.  You can see the entire unit in my Teachers Pay Teachers store by clicking here! Here is a look at all of the centers.

 

 

This week, we will continue with Christmas themed math and reading centers.  I've made some freebies for you to use.  In one literacy center, students will write their spelling words onto these flashcards.  They cut them apart and put the words into ABC order.  Finally, they will write their words onto their answer sheet.  Click HERE TO GET THE FREEBIE!

 

 

Last but not least are our Letters to Santa.  The kids loved doing this.  They were so serious as they worked and their handwriting was perfect!  I think we will write to Santa every day!  You can get a copy of the letter form that we used by clicking HERE! Here is a look at the letter.

Next week in math we will do a quick 5 day unit on Christmas Arrays.  It has lesson plans, homework, classwork, a project and a quiz.  Click here to see the unit in my Teachers Pay Teachers store.  Here is a look at the unit. 

The project is really cute.  I can't wait to make these with my students.

 

 

 

I guess most of us get out next week sometime?  We are finished on Friday the 20th.  I hope you all have a wonderful, relaxing break!  If you like the freebies, please leave me some feedback! Next blog?  January, here we come!!!

Take Care,

Sharon

 

Thanksgiving Freebies!

We are smack in the middle of Thanksgiving in our room.  If you haven't heard yet, there are awesome activities on the Scholastic web site.  Go to www.scholastic.com and you will lots activities and tons of pictures and information about the Pilgrims and Indians.  We started with Pilgrims.  We made a venn diagram of Pilgrim boys and girls and compared their clothing and chores.  Then the kids wrote a story as if they were a Pilgrim girl or boy.  We looked up names that would have been popular then so they got to choose their name.  After they wrote their story they made a Pilgrim boy or girl.  Here is a look at how they turned out.

You can find the patterns for these cuties and Indians as well in my Teachers Pay Teachers store by clicking HERE!  I made some decorative Thanksgiving paper for the kids to write their stories on.  You can get it FREE by clicking HERE!

We have also been working on some great November themed center activities as well. 

This is a number matching game that is part of my November Themed Literacy and Math center pack.  Students had to match the number form, word form and expanded form for each number. 

The picture above shows my November Word Sort game. The kids sort words into categories like food, clothes, animals, etc.  Then they write their answers onto their answer sheet.    You can see the entire unit by clicking HERE!  I'll show  you our Indians as soon as we get them finished! Meanwhile, check out the Thanksgiving activities on scholastic.  It is wonderful!

Leave me some feedback!

  Sharon