Nothing drive's me more nut's than when friend's add -'s to any word that end's in -s! OK, that last sentence is making me twitch, and I'm having a really hard time allowing it in this post!!
I'm a high ranking member of the Grammar Police. Here's a PSA for today:
The bunnies think it's pretty hilarious when I put on my "angry face," jump up and down, and shout this sentence at them. I'm half joking, but mostly serious. Why is it that kids {and some adults too!} always stick in an apostrophe whenever a word ends with -s?
To combat this problem, I created this:
Click on the image above to see it in my TpT store!
It was really cold and cloudy here in Wisconsin when I came up with the idea, so I decided to take us to the beach to work with different kinds of nouns. Here's what's included:
I'd love to give away a few copies! Leave a comment {including your email address!} telling me what's your favorite thing to do at the beach. The hubs and I are headed to Cabo San Lucas in 99 days {without kids!!}, and I need to start getting mentally prepared :)
Anyone else notice how peer editing is ALL OVER the Common Core? Scary stuff, I tell ya! How can we get primary students to provide meaningful, quality feedback while staying focused and doing their jobs? I know they CAN edit... we do Daily Oral Language every day plus they edit their own Writer's Workshop stories. But the minute you put two (or more) kiddos together to do something unstructured like a peer conference, disaster can happen at any moment. What to do???
First it helps to set expectations. The bunnies and I brainstormed together the jobs of the writer and the editor during the peer conferencing process. Here's what we came up with:
Next we practiced, practiced, PRACTICED! I asked my teammate if I could have a few of her students' writing pieces (so that it would be completely anonymous) for us to practice with. I scanned them in on the copy machine... does yours do that? It's so awesome! I put the stories on the copy machine and it emails me the scan!! It's the little things in life that make me happy.... ANYWAY...
We practiced whole-group and we also practiced in partners. Students worked with their partners to read the stories and edit them. I also think they can be involved in the revision process, so I added a section to my Editing Checklist where the editor tells one thing they like about the story and one suggestion to make it better. Here we are in action!
I always have the kids edit with red pen, and then when they conference with me, I will use any color BUT red to make my edits. I think it helps parents see the distinction between what their child has changed versus what I've changed.
Here's the Editing Checklist we're using. Click on it if you want your own FREE copy!! :)
And now, the moment we've all been waiting for: let them read and edit each other's stories. On their own. I feel like a mom sending her babies out to the big, scary world. Can they REALLY do this??? They were editing so well with their partners. We've been practicing for the past week... Sometimes you just need to close your eyes and JUMP!
First things first...
From my family to yours...
We'd like to wish you a Happy National Corn Dog Day!
we should own stock in a corn dog company or something!
I'm thisclose to melting down. (said in whiney voice) Is it Spring Break yet???
No. It's not. Sad face.
Don't get me wrong. Love the kids. Love my job. Also love my sanity. And everyone just needs a BREAK!
I honestly wasn't planning on linking up this week. But I saw how much fun everyone else is having, so I fell to the pressure.
Thanks Kacey for bringing us all together on Friday... or Saturday... :)
This week is going to be short and sweet.
1. It's Not Spring Break Yet.
But we're counting down the days!!!
This pic is from Monday. In case you're wondering... four days! FOUR DAYS!!! We can do this!
My teammie and I put this little ditty together. I think it's sunshiney and fun. And the kids love it too! :)
2. Measuring Madness!
We began our measuring unit. Here we are measuring in meters. First we estimated. I was super impressed by how the kiddos figured out (ON THEIR OWN!!!) that a giant step was about a meter and they were using this strategy to help them estimate. Cheating? Nahhh! It's called being resourceful!
Working in small groups to check their estimates.
3. Native Americans
We had our Social Studies test on Tuesday. On Monday I put the bunnies in groups to do a little review game. It's so easy for teams/kids who are not having their turn to space out. So that everyone is engaged, the teams who were not having their turn could earn one point by answering the question correctly. We are still working on being quiet, so that other teams don't hear the answers...
4. Xtra Math
Have you heard of this site?
I'm planning on writing a detailed post about it when my brain isn't all melty.
5. Mighty Math
Again, more to come. But basically I'm working on a product that is a weekly formative assessment to check the CCSS for math. Stay tuned!
OK, that was longer than I intended. I'm off to my classroom tomorrow. My rockstar Mom is coming to help me get organized. Seriously. If you need someone who is organized, focused, efficient, and no-nonsense when it comes to throwing things away, that would be my mom.
I. Am. EXHAUSTED!! My baby girl was up sick all night, then I had no preps today plus we had our Chinese Feast. Check out #1 to read all about it. I'm still managing to link up to Kacey at Doodle Bugs Teaching for the weekly Five:
1. Chinese Feast
OK so I know that Chinese New Year was a loonnnggg time ago, but somehow we missed that memo... :/ I guess we were too busy having fun learning about Antarctica! So, we are trying to finish up learning about China before spring break. Today we had our Chinese Feast. I absolutely L.O.V.E this activity, but it does suck up a lot of my energy. Good thing we did it at the end of the day!
First we mix the eggs...
...then we cook them...
...then we stir in the rice, bacon, green onions, and soy sauce...
then we eat!
...or at least try to eat!
This recipe is seriously delicious. I have no idea where it came from; it was passed down to us from the previous second grade teachers at our school. It's not really authentic (pretty sure the Chinese don't eat bacon), but again, it's super tasty, and it's easy for second graders to make.
2. Food Drive
Our TAG kids (we call Talented and Gifted "TAG" instead of GT) were assigned to do a service project, and decided to do a food drive. Their goal was to collect 1,000 items over two weeks. My neighbor was a nonperishable-food-item-collecing-MACHINE and for whatever reason, I decided to challenge her class. Yesterday. Now most people would start the challenge, I don't know... the first day of the food drive. Not me. I waited until the second to last day. And I was pretty convinced my class would back me on this and we would win. My neighbor's class had collected 126 items as of Tuesday. I didn't even know how many items my class had collected. Well my bunnies tried and tried, but our grand total was exactly 100 items. My neighbor collected somewhere in the 170s. I was (and still am) pretty defeated. But the good news is that the TAG kids met their goal and collected more than 1,000 items for our local food pantry! HIPPO HOORAY!!!
Here are some of the items they collected!
3. Native American Presentations
We have been learning about Native Americans in Social Studies. Have you ever tried to find second grade appropriate Native American resources? Well I'll tell ya right now, they don't exist! So instead, I've been working with my district's Tech Integrator to make our own website. We focused on the characteristics of each region of Native Americans, rather than the individual tribes. Feel free to check it out and use it!
Click on the picture above to take you to the site!
Anyway, so the bunnies have been working so, so, SO hard on their Native American Power Point slide shows. They worked in groups of 3-4 to study and be an expert on a region and then share their information with the class. This week, they presented them to the class. I am beyond impressed with how they turned out! Here's one example:
YES, they did this ALL on their own!!! I showed them the basics, how to import photos from the internet and how to "fancy it up," ie: change the font, backgrounds, etc.
4. Random Pic
I snapped this pic of my babies and me on Wednesday. I think it's pretty hilarious.
We are sharing a Shamrock Shake.
5. The Smile Project
I'm usually not Facebook friends with my students' parents, but two of my former students' mom takes our family photos and we've grown close over the years. Well she posted this video her daughter made for a class, and I just wanted to share it with you. She is currently a freshman and was in my first class. If you have a few minutes, you should watch this video.
It's so heartwarming and encouraging to see young people use their talents to make a positive impact. I am so proud to say I know this girl :)
Lastly...
Don't forget about my giveaway! Ends Sunday! Awesome prizes! WOO WOO!!!
Click the image above to check it out!
Well I'm off to camp out in front of the TV. I think I deserve it after today! :)
So I've been watching the number creep up and just this week I hit 200 followers!!! LET'S CELEBRATE!!! I have been so busy working on my report cards and my latest TpT product that I kinda slacked off on getting a giveaway put together {sticks head in the sand}... If you'd like to help me celebrate by donating something, please leave me a comment below including your email address or you can email me at angelanerby (at) hotmail (dot) com. THANKS
Up Next... It's time for Five for Friday! Thanks Doodle Bugs Teaching for throwing this partaayyy every Friday!!
1. Main Idea Mania!
OK so I don't mean to toot my own horn.... but seriously, TOOT TOOT! I am so LOVIN' my latest TpT creation: Main Idea Mania!
Read all about it here! Check it out on TpT here because I dropped a few freebies in the preview file :) It's on sale for 20% off through Sunday.
2. SMART Exchange!
I was not SMART this week. Every Friday my grade level does a leveled instruction grouping for language/grammar skills. We decided to do homophones for the second week in a row. I checked out some activities on TpT, but I wasn't overly excited. Then my coworker said, "Did you check SMART Exchange?"
Uhhhh....
DUH! How have I forgotten about this amazing resource?!?! I downloaded this super cute Hoppin' Homophones froggie lesson and the kiddos LOVED it, especially the Homophone Spinning Game.
3. Me vs Tupperware
One of my students' birthday was today. Actually it was his *Golden Birthday* and he didn't let any one of us forget it! HA! He brought in a birthday treat, and he and his helpers were trying to get the container open. They called me over for help. I felt like the strong guy who was summoned to open the pickle jar. I got this! Except... I didn't. Oh man, I tried with all my might, but this lid seriously outsmarted me. The whole class was watching me and cheering me on, some kids were hiding under their desks for fear that if I did get the lid off, the brownies would be flying all over the room... It was pretty funny. And a bit embarrassing. Rest assured, I did manage to get the lid off without brownies raining down on everyone, and a roaring round of applause ensued. Nice, Bunnies. Real Nice...
The Culprit...
4. Snow Day School Day
We were cheated of another snow day this week :( But all that snow means just one thing: RECESS FUN!!! One of my bunnies made this snowman and wanted me to take his picture:
I wish you could see this little gem's face. Seriously, Friends, this is the kind of student that teachers dream of! I told him I would email the photo to his mom, and I got the sweetest email back from her. Her email seriously made my day!
5. Traditional Literature
We started our Traditional Literature unit today! My teammate came up with a great idea and I stole it. No shame over here! To introduce the genre, we played a game of telephone. You know, where everyone sits in a circle and and you whisper something into your neighbor's ear, then they pass the message to the next person. What a GREAT way to illustrate how when a story is passed from one person to the next, the details can change! We read Legend of the Bluebonnet and Paul Bunyan, and next week we'll be starting a fairy tales unit that I won from Kelley at Buggy for Second Grade! Super excited about this one!!
My report cards are done!!! HUGE SIGH OF RELIEF! We run on trimesters, and the 2nd trimester ended last Friday. Before you get all jealous of me that I only have to do report cards 3x a year, I also have to do progress reports every six weeks, meaning I give six reports a year to my students' families. It's not as bad as it sounds... :)
Anyway... We've been working on determining importance and main idea in nonfiction texts for the past few weeks. These skills are SO TOUGH! Identifying key details as well as main idea is a Common Core Standard at all grade levels. I teach reading using the Daily 5 model in my classroom, so I needed something that was meaningful, yet short and explicit. I was looking for concise, yet grade-level appropriate texts and graphic organizers to apply the new knowledge. I went on a search for some resources and came up empty :( So I made my own!
Click on the image above to see it in my TpT store!
This scaffolded unit will take your students step by step through the processes of identifying the interesting details versus the important information, identifying key details {who, what, where, when, why, how}, determining main idea in pictures and in text, and determining the details that support the main idea.
This resource contains:
* teaching posters for interesting details, important information, wh-questions, main idea, and supporting details
* 5 circle maps and coordinating writing paper for each map
* 8 nonfiction passages to practice determining Main Idea and Supporting Details
* 8 graphic organizers for use with any text
Here are some of the pages!
Of course I had to do a hippo! :)
I am seriously so, so, SO excited about this!!! I used all of these materials in my classroom, so they are "kid tested, teacher approved!" The scaffolding of the lessons/activities laid a strong foundation for identifying main idea. My students at the end of this unit not only understood what main idea was, but they are able to identify the main idea and supporting details of texts with no problems at all! In all honesty, I've never had a class who ROCKED at telling main idea like my current group of bunnies! :)
If you go to the listing on TpT and download the preview, I put a few freebies in there :) It's also on sale for 20% off through Sunday... Or you can try your luck and try to win a copy! Just leave me a comment below with your email address... I'd LOVE to give a few copies of away!
Alright I'm off to bed. I think this is the first time all week that I'm going to bed before 11:00! HA!
