Pirates Have Taken Over, and a Freebie!

   Holy Bucaneers, Batman!  Our classroom has been taken over by pirates in a big way.  When we haven't been out for snow (3 out of the last 7 school days), we've been learning all about pirates!  My students love this unit every year.  I find it is a great way to keep them engaged as the end of the year approaches.  Here are some things we've been doing!

   We started with a chart and brainstormed everything we knew about pirates.  We put everything we knew ahead of time in black, then we read a really informative Gail Gibbons book and added our new information in red. 

   
     For phonics, we've been working with the "ar" chunk, and I love to use Learning with Pirate Mark to help reinforce this skill.  We read through the story a few times and I had students make a pirate "hook" with their fingers each time we heard an "ar" word. 

 

I made a chart with lots of "ar" chunks in black, and after we read the poem a few times, we discussed with partners all the ar words we heard.  We then added them to our chart.  We had a couple of extra spaces, so students started giving me their own words.  Of course, it wouldn't be an "ar" list without fart, right?  Those little angels...

 

Later in the week, we read this story that I wrote about a silly pirate named Carl.  It has lots if "ar" words, as well as high frequency words for your kiddos to practice.   The book also comes with 2 pages of comprehension questions.  They loved that they could keep this book and color in it, mark it up, and make it their own!  They spent lots of time reading it with buddies this week. You can grab this book in my store.

 

 We've also been using Maps, Mateys, and Mischief  to help us with maps.  We made another chart to gather all the information we could about maps.

We talked about cardinal directions and watched this video--and I have to tell you, my kids LOVED this song. I don't know what it is about it, but they thought it was the best thing they've seen. Whatever works!

 

 Later this week and next we'll be working through my unit, A Pirate's Life For Me!

My students really get a kick out of this.  It is full of lots of great writing prompts, both fiction and non-fiction.  I let my kiddos pick which prompt they want each day and then we spend some time working on editing and turning one into a really polished, "published" piece.  Check back soon for some lesson ideas and freebies.


And since you made it to the end of this here post, here's a link to a freebie I just posted in my store.  My kids love using these QR codes, so I made a set of codes with the "ar" chunk to reinforce our phonics skill this week.  They will be free in my store for a few days, so grab them while you can!!

Happy Teaching!
     ~Katie

 

 

QR Codes and the Coolest Teacher Ever

  So, it's no secret that I'm not the most tech-savvy teacher in the world, but every once in a while I get a wild hair about me and I try something new.  Last week, it was QR Codes.  I know what they are and I've wanted to use them in my classroom, but I thought--who in the world knows how to make those darn things? Then I stumbled upon this amazing video tutorial.

(BTW--if you haven't checked out his blog, do it.  He is amazing and hilarious, and I'm pretty sure he's one of the coolest teachers ever.)

 

  Doesn't he make it seem so simple?!  So, I gave it a go, and I tell you what--it was easy, peasy, lemon-squeezy! Once I got the hang of it, I couldn't stop!  My mind is now racing with all of the amazing QR possibilities--reading, math, comprehension, inferencing, social studies--yay!  At this point in the year, my kiddos definitely need something to help keep them motivated, and I think these little QR codes are the way to go. 

  I am lucky enough to have a set of 20 iPods for my classroom, so I use the codes as both reading and math stations.  My kids are super-quick learners when it comes to the iPods, so just a couple of lessons about taking care of them and how to find the scanner app and we were on our way! 

   Here's how it works:

        Print and laminate the codes.  You can either tape them up around the room for a read the room center, or just place them in a tub.  Next to each code is a label so you know what each picture is.

 

   When your kiddos scan the code, an image will appear:

Your students will stretch out the word, and write it in the box with the correspoding number.  There are 2 versions of the recording sheet - one with 16 empty boxes and another with elkonin boxes to help guide their spelling

 

 

 

 

This unit will be on sale in my TPT store for the next 2 days.  Be sure to check it out!

 

Happy Teaching!

  ~Katie  

Penguins, Sneaky E, and Some Freebies!

  Hallaluja!  Today was a snow day and let me tell you what--it has been amazing.  Today has been one of those days where I've actually been able to drink my coffee while it is still hot.  No joke. In addition to consuming a bit too much delicious coffee, I have been super productive.  I've managed to get my lesson plans written for the whole week, created (and uploaded!!) a few things for my TpT store, and dumped some photos from my classroom onto my computer.  So, here goes.

  This week we are going to start learning about penguins.  We will use lots of ideas from this great post Cara put up as well as some great ideas from Jodi over at Fun in First Grade.  We'll start the week with some schema discussions and dig through some great non-fiction texts I have in my classroom (sorry--no pictures of those!).  We will use the following activities that just added to my TpT store.  After our mid-year testing, I learned that some of my kiddos are still struggling with CVCe words, so I made an "I Have, Who Has?" game and a real/nonsense sort to go with our phonics this week.  I *hope* after we use these whole group, I can throw them into workstations or free choice tubs for next week for extra review.  Here are the links to the activities I'll be using this week.

 

 

 

 

In math we are going to dive head first into working with money.  We work with it each day when we fill in our calendar notebooks, but this is the first time we'll be getting down and dirty with it.  After a pre-test tomorrow, I'll be able to put the kiddos into groups based on how well they understand mixed coins.  We'll work with money whole group and in small intervention and enrichment groups throughout the week, then I'll give them this "assessment" on Friday.  I don't know if you all have ever used "Scoot" before, but it is a great way to get kiddos up and moving but still assess them.  I made a quick Money Scoot for our assessment this friday.  Here's the link to it in my store.  It comes with all the cards you need, directions, a recording sheet, and an answer key.

As a fun review before our "test," we are going to complete this "Buy a Penguin" activity.  Not only will it get their creative juices flowing, but it will also give me a clue about how they are doing with actually using coins.  I'll give them each little bags of plastic coins and display the price list.  With all the items on the counter in our classroom, I'll let students come in groups to "purchase" items to make their penguins.  I don't usually make one myself because I want the kiddos to come up with the ideas on their own.  Here's a link to the activity. 

Well, thats it for me, folks!  Happy Monday!
~Katie

...and where did January come from?

   So...all of the sudden, its January and I feel like we have been around the world and back over the last 6 weeks.  We finished up Thanksgiving with a bang and travelled to the land of gingerbread men.  I tell you what, I always love it when its time to pull out all the gingerbread books and activities and workstations--but I am happy to see them go!
   Well, now January is here and it is time for those sweet, adorable snowmen to take over.  We have been having lots of fun this week writing about them, reading about them, and using that wonderful "ow" chunk to help improve our reading and writing. 
    To help my kiddos along with this, I've created a couple of little units.  The first one is a freebie.  Most of my students have made snowmen before and were more than enthusiastic when it came time to start this little writing project.  We started by talking with a neighbor about the things we would need to make a snowman and the steps we would follow to make it.  Then we shared our ideas and I recorded them on this not very fancy anchor chart.  Please notice the need for a sock nose...and a sausage nose.  No idea where those came from, but whatevs!  Every idea is important, right?

      Then I handed out our first graphic organizer and had students go to town on their own.  I did notice that my less-than-enthusiastic writers decided they could just put the name of one material in each box and be "done."  Ummm...not so much.  So we had to do a quick review of what to include--the actual steps. This activity gave me a really good idea of where my students are and what sort of next steps to take with them.  Some are already using transitional words on their own and won't need that support from me, while others will need explicit instruction about how to layout their writing.  I can't wait to see what they do next.  Here are some of the ideas they came up with...pretty clever, huh?

    Here is a preview and link to my TPT store where you can download this mini-unit for free.  If you like it, please become a follower or leave a comment.  While you're there, you can also check out my "ow/ow" unit to go along with all our winter learning. 

Happy Teaching!
~ Katie

Quick Post and a Thanksgiving Freebie!

Hey, all!!

Just wanted to throw out a quick post and let you know about my new freebie I put up on my TPT site.  It's a great Thanksgiving-themed bingo game that will be handy to pull out in the coming days.  Head on over to my TPT store and check it out along with some other freebies and a couple of great Thanksgiving activities.

Click here to go to my store.

Happy Tuesday!!
~ Katie

Fall Happiness and a Freebie!

  Oh. My. Goodness.  Today might just be the prettiest day we've had all fall.  My neigbors  have the prettiest tree in front of their house, all yellow and orange with sun just shining on those leaves...beautiful!  And it's Saturday, to boot!  I can't think of anything better...except maybe a FREEBIE!
    I've been working away at a great little Thanksgiving unit full of math and literacy activities and here is a sneak peak of one of the activities.  Its a fun little writing station pack with prompts for lists, how-to's, fictional and informational pieces.  In my classroom, I plan on laminating those babies (obviously!) and hot gluing them to some thanksgiving-y pencils.  Label containers with the types of prompts and print out the cutie pie writing paper that comes along with the packet and I think I might just have my writing station ready to go! 
    The first 3 people who do the following will get this great little unit for FREE!  All you have to do is:
   1.  Follow my blog
   2.  Follow my TPT store
   3.  Follow me on Pinterest
Don't forget to leave a comment below telling me you are a follower and include your e-mail address!
If you aren't one of the lucky ones, click here to see this unit and others in my TPT store!

Now, its time for me to head out of here and get some more work done.  I think I see a trip to Target in my future--gotta get those pencils and decorative containers for my new writing station!

Happy Saturday!!

Click here to go to my TPT store. 

 

~Katie

The Smarties' Pledge

If you ask any of the firsties I've taught over the last few years what I call them, they would respond with a resounding "Smarties!"  At the beginning of each school year we learn this pledge.  We talk about what it means to be a Smartie and how keeping these ideas in mind as we go through our day will help all of us have the best day we can. We say it each and every morning to get our day started and it helps me remember my manners all of us get our minds and attitudes ready for the day.  Here's a super simple copy of what I show my kiddos.  I made a chart with this pledge that hangs on our classroom wall in addition to this copy that goes under my document camera each morning.  As an added bonus, it has lots of great chunks and patterns for discussing.  Since my students know this by heart pretty early on in the year, it definitely lends itself to the occasional phonics lesson, too!  Woop!

Click here to download your copy!

~Katie