Classmate Puzzle

I use this activity towards the beginning of the year or first days of class.  This one was made with teenagers who I teach from Taiwan in the summer.  Each student designs a puzzle piece that reflects them, their family, interests, etc.  They use them as a talking point (in this case to develop their English), when sharing about themselves.  We then put them back together (the kids do it), and glue it down and hang it outside the classroom.

Steps:

1.  Draw the correct amount of puzzle pieces.
     (If there are an odd amount of students, I have created extra pieces in the past, and made one myself
      and or written the name of the school or program on one- someone who is finished first can also
      design this one).

2.  Cut the pieces out.  Mark the top and front of each piece, or you may get backwards and
     upside down pieces back and have to remake pieces.

3.  Explain the assignment with a model piece.

4.  The kids design the pieces and share them with classmates.

5.  Glue the puzzle back together.

Planting Seeds

Planting seeds are a great science, math, writing activity that can be tied into literacy thematically with books like Titch, seed or gardening books.  They can be simply a fun activity or a daily exercise in graphing, writing, observation, and recorded through science journals.
Bean plants grow the most quickly and can be done as simply as by dampening a paper towel, folding it around a couple of seeds and placing them in ziplock bags.  This year I used sunflower seeds and clear Starbucks cups (reuse) and tied a ribbon around them as an end of the year present.

We grew them in math class and charted the growth on graphs each day.  A good tip is to always grow a couple of extra at home to switch them out if need be ; )

Working with the Clock

Reading an analog clock seems to be challenging for children, especially of this generation of phones, Ipods, computers, and other electronic devices, and of course digital clocks and watches.  I don't always teach time explicitly, rather I use the clock throughout the year and throughout each day to refer to as a tool.

One way that I scaffold reading the clock is by labeling it.  These labels can be numbers or words, and can be taken down, covered, and relabeled by the children.  School clocks that have a glass casing, can also be written on with Expo or other dry erase markers, and shaded in.  For example, we will look at the clock and determine how long we have until music class.  We discuss how much working time that is, transition time, and we can actually shade in that fraction of the the clock (yes, I also teach fractions in relation to the clock face).  Here is the clock this year in the classroom.

Surface Area and Volume

When the kids learn about surface area and volume, we begin collecting boxes that are rectangular prisms (shoe boxes do not work well as the lids overlap the top of the box).  We work with the formulas for volume and surface area for a few days. 

Two activities we do are:

Distinguishing between the uses.  The kids write the words "surface area" in large letters on one index card and "volume" on another.  You can attach these to popsicles sticks if you have some.  I then state a scenario:

"Filling a pool with water" and the kids hold up the corresponding index card.  Then "wrapping a present" and so on.  This is a quick, kinesthetic way to check on their understanding. 

Another activity we do is make a chart of different boxes that we have collected, then the kids measure the length, width, and height of the boxes, record them in the chart, then use the posted formulas to calculate the surface area and volume of each rectangular prism. 

- The kids often mix up which is the width, height, and length.   It is actually a good review of the rules of multiplication and the order of operations, as they figure out, as long as they have measured correctly, they will get the right answer.

- Another approach to finding the surface area is to find the area of each side, write it on a Post It note and then attach them to the corresponding side (or with a marker).  At the end, they pull of all the Post-its and add them up.

Circles

As we continue to explore circles, we also do a classroom project where we collect circular items and use them to find the diameter, radius, and circumference.  One thing that I note though, is that it is helpful to measure them ahead of time, since they are often not an exact measurement.  Depending on how much measuring, estimating, and multiplication with decimals you want to do, dictates the objects you may want to select ahead of time.

The students trace each object onto a piece of paper and label it (blue lid, wipes dispenser, etc).  It helps to have a running chart posted in the room that can be filled in to check answers against.  They then use a ruler to measure the diameter of the circle, divide by 2 to find the radius, and multiply by Pi to find the circumference.  This project can be extended as kids can use different units to measure with.

Teaching Circles with a Read Aloud

To teach circumference, radius, and diameter of a circle, I have a few lessons that I do.  One is to read aloud Sir Cumference and the Knights of the Round Table.  We chart the story as we go along.  (Helpful to have this done ahead of time). This is a fun book that gets the kids thinking about circles and tricks to remember the names of the parts of the circle (Lady Di of Ameter stretches her body across the circle, and the diameter is the measure of her toes to finger tips). 
Then we label a number of circles with diameter and radius.  The next day we discuss our charts and revisit the story.

Movement in Geometry

Teaching flips/reflections, slides/translations, and turns/rotations in the Geometry unit.

The students choose a letter, draw it once and cut it out four times (or trace a stencil), then give an example of this letter from a starting point, making each of these movements.

Spring Umbrellas

                                               
This is an easy project.

Materials:

tissue paper scraps
glue
paper plates
construction paper

Preparation:

1.  Cut the paper plate in half at a zig-zag.
2.  Cut out handles from construction paper and glue or staple them on.


Steps:

1.  Give each child an umbrella.
2.  They crumple up the tissue paper and glue it on.


Great way to teach colors, spring poems or rainy day rhymes!

Mode, Median, and Range Dice Game

This game can be extended in many ways, adding mean, by making an even number in the set, by graphing data, collecting class data, competing partners, etc.

                 Mode, Median, and Range Dice Game

Directions:

1.)   Roll your dice and record the number.

2.)   Your partner rolls the dice and records the number.

3.)   Do this until you have rolled seven times.

Next,

4.)   Order the set of data (recorded numbers from least to greatest).

Find the mode, median, and range for each set of data.

Set A numbers:  ____  _____ _____ _____ _____

 Least to greatest: ___________________________________

Mode
Median
Range

    

Set B numbers:  ____  ____ ____ ____ ____         

Least to greatest:____________________________________

Mode
Median
Range

Set C numbers:  ____  _____ _____ _____ _____ 

Least to greatest: ___________________________________

Mode
Median
Range

Set D numbers:  ____  _____ _____ _____ _____

         

Least to greatest: ___________________________________

Mode
Median
Range

    

Geometry Flashcards

angle	trapezoid	rectangle
acute angle	obtuse angle	quadrilateral
right angle	equilateral triangle	isosceles triangle
scalene triangle	intersecting lines	rhombus
parallel lines	perpendicular lines	parallelogram

square	sliding	rotating
line of symmetry	turning	translating
flipping	symmetry	symmetric
reflecting	reflection

Read Alouds for Teaching the Six Traits

I don't even remember where I got this list to reference it, and I think I've also added to it.  I use it every year that I teach writing though and love so many of the books on it!

Ideas and Content

• Miss Nelson is Back by Harry Allard & James Marshall

Suspense

• Everybody Needs a Rock by Bryd Baylor

• The Best Town in the World by Bryd Baylor

• The Important Book by Margaret Wise Brown

• Take Time to Relax by Nancy Carlson

• The Armadillo from Amarillo  *

• Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney  *

• Goldilocks Returns by Lisa Campbell Ernst

• Thank You Mr. Falker by Patricia Polacco

• Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge by Mem Fox*

• On the Day You Were Born

• When Jesse Came Across the Sea

• Yeh-Shen: A Cinderella Story by Ai Ling Louie

• The Three Javelinas by Susan Lowell

• Roxaboxen by Alice McLerran

• The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn

• Kafi and his Magic by Maya Angelou

• Verdi by Janell Cannon

Research to story writing connection

• I Hate to Read!  By Rita Marshall

• A Drop of Water by Walter Wick*

• Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters

• All the Places to Live

• Amelia’s Notebook  *

• The Other Way to Listen

• A Chair for My Mother  *

• If You Were a Writer

focus

• I’ll Always Love You

• Fireflies!  *

• Smoky Night  *

moment in time

• The Great Kapok Tree*

• The Beach Before Breakfast

moment in time

• The Paperboy

moment in time

• When I Was Young in the Mountains

moment in time

• I’m in Charge of Celebrations *

• Aunt Flossie’s Hats  *

Memory

• Owl Moon  *

 moment in time

• The Pain and the Great One

everyday experiences

• A Sweet Sound Basket

• The Story of Ruby Bridges

• Home Place

• Lightning

Expository

• Letters from Felix

• Grasper

Methaphors, writing + geopgraphy

• Go Home, River!

Own personal journey

• Benito’s Dream Bottle

Stretch imaginations through language

• Mississippi Beau

Use of research & info to inform and tell a story at same time

• A Street Called Home

• Panther Dream- wc

• Nurse Lughton’s Curtain

• My Mama Had a Dancing Heart

• Pink and Say- Patricia Polacco

• Aunt Harriet’s Underground Railroad in the Sky

• The Relatives Came - Cynthia Rylant

• The Squiggle- Carole Lexa Schafer

• Where the Wild Things Are- Maurice Sendak

• Sheep Out to Eat- Nancy Shaw

• Pete’s a Pizza- William Steig

• Say Something- Mary Stoltz

• Jumanji- Chris Van Allsburg

• The Mysteries of Harris Burdick- Chris Van Allsburg

• Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone- J.K. Rowling

• Dear Mr. Blueberry- James Simon

• Whoever You Are- Mem Fox

• Fables- Arnold Lobel

• Throw Your Tooth on the Roof: Tooth Traditions- Selby Beeler

• A Drop of Water- Walter Wick

• Tree of Life: The World of the African Baobob- Barbara Bash

• The New Way Things Work- David Macaulay

• Magic School Bus at Waterworks- Joanna Cole

• It’s Disgusting and We Ate it- James Solheim

• Sweet Words So Brave- Barbara Curry

• Marvelous Math: A Book of Poems- selected by Lee Bennett Hopkins

• The Disappearing Alphabet- Richard Wilbur

• Motel of Mysteries- David Macaulay

• The Secret Knowledge of Grown Ups- David Wisniewski

• The Story of Ruby Bridges- Robert Coles

• Snowflake Bentley- Jacqueline Briggs Martin

• The Flag We Love- Pam Munoz Ryan

• My Rotten Redheaded Older Brother- Patricia Polacco

• Twister- Darleen Bailey Beard

• Messages in the Mailbox- Loreen Leady

• A Porcupine Named Fluffy- Helen Lester

• Officer Buckle and Gloria- Peggy Rathmann

• Today is Your Birthday- P.K. Hallinan

• Rotten Teeth- Laura Simms

• David Goes to School- David Shannon

Organization

• Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day- Judith Viorst

ABC Structure

• Old Black Fly- Jim Aylesworth

• Alphabet City- Stephen Johnson

• Q is for Duck- Mary Etling & Michael Folsom

• Tomorrow’s Alphabet- George Shannon

Back and Forth Structure

·            Meanwhile Back at the Ranch- Trinka Hakes Noble

• When I Was Little- Jamie Lee Curtis

·            Fortunately- Remy Charlip

Circle Stories

·            If You Give a Moose a Muffin- Laura Numeroff

·            If You Give a Pig a Pancake- Laura Numeroff

Cumulative Structures

• Hey!  Get Off Our Train- John Birmingham

·            There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly

Series of Snapshots

• It Looked Like Spilled Milk- Charles Shaw

• Look!  Look!  Look!- Tana Hoban

• Animals Black and White- Phyllis Limbacher Tildes

Voice

• I’ll Fix Anthony- Judith Viorst

• I Am the Dog I am the Cat- Donald Hall

• Whoever You Are- Mem Fox

• Rain- Manya Stojic

• The Night I Followed the Dog- Nina Laden

• Peach and Blue- Sarah Kilborne

• The Tenth Good Thing About Barney- Judith Viorst

Word Choice

• Sports Page- Arnold Adoff

poetry & sentence fluency

• Yeh-Shen, Cinderella Story

• My Mama Had a Dancing Heart

• Dancing in the Kitchen

• Night in the Country

• Brave Irene

verbs, vibrant images

• The Polar Express

descriptive language

• Owl Moon

descriptive language

• Stellaluna

descriptive language

• Teammates

• In November

Sensory details, to carefully observe the world around them

• Justin and the Best Biscuits in the World

• Crow Boy- Taro Yashima

Character’s coming to life

• Hey World, Here I Am

Character’s coming to life

• James and the Giant Peach (chap. book)

• Maniac Magee (chap. book)

• The BFG (chap. book)

• Wrinkle in Time (chap. book)

• Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughter

• A Wonderful Day to be a Cow

descriptive language

•  
• Sarah Plain and Tall

Figurative language

• Old Devil Wind- Bill Martin Jr.

• Top Cat- Lois Elhert

• Peace at Last- Jill Murphy

• A My Name is Alice- Jane Bayer

• Tough Boris- Mem Fox

• The Ghost-Eye Tree- Bill Martin Jr.

• Quick as a Cricket- Audrey Wood

• I Love You the Purplest- Barbara Joosse

• Night Noises- Mem Fox

• Things That are Most in the World- Judi Barrett

• The Magic Fan- Keith Baker

• My Grandma Lived in Gooligulch- Graeme Base

intriguing words

• Double Trouble in Walla Walla- Andrew Clements

• Today I Feel Silly and Other That Make My Day- Jamie Lee Curtis

• Some Smug Slug- Pamela Duncan Edwards

• Feathers and Fools- Mem Fox

• The Lotus Seed- Sherry Garland

• Lily’s Purple Plastic Purse- Kevin Henkes

• Antics!- Catherine Hepworth

• Bug Off!- Catherine Hepworth

• Amber on the Mountain- Tony Johnston

• The Giant Jam Sandwich- John Vernon Lord

• Swine Lake- James Marshall

• Edward and the Pirates- David McPhail

• Hallo-Weiner- Dav Pilkey

• Kat Kong- Dav Pilkey

• The Whales- Cynthia Rylant

• The True Story of the Three Little Pigs- Jon Scieszka

• Where the Wild Things Are- Maurice Sendak

• Caleb and Kate- William Steig

• Shrek!- William Steig

clever phrasing, vivid details

• Solomon:  The Rusty Nail- William Steig

• Teach Us, Amelia Bedelia- Peggy Parish

• A Series of Unfortunate Events- Lemony Snicket (chap. book)

• Voices of the Heart- Ed Young

• A Cache of Jewels- Ruth Heller

• Many Luscious Lollipops- Ruth Heller

adjectives, word choice, creative

• Hoops!- Robert Burleigh

• Up, Up, and Away! A Book About Adverbs- Ruth Heller

• Insectlopedia- by Douglas Florian

• Jazz- Morgan Monceaux

Crafted phrasing, wonderful choice of details on every page

• Duke Ellington- Andrea Davis Pinkney

• Possum Magic- Mem Fox

Rhyme, some alliteration, engaging rhythm

• Ashanti to Zulu- Margaret Musgrove
• Wilma Unlimited: How Wilma

Sentence Fluency

• Crocodile Beat- Gail Jorgenson

• Possum Came a Knockin’

• Nocturne- Jane Yolen

• Night in the Country- Cynthia Rylant

• Fireflies, Fireflies, Light My Way- Jonathon London

Conventions (this trait can be modeled with all books)

• Yo! Yes?- Chris Raschka

Teacher Resource

• Teaching the Youngest Writer- Marcia Freeman

     Maupin House (800) 524-0634

Cinderella Stories

·            Yeh-Shen