Impromptu Review

Today I was in need of a quick filler activity.  We are ending a unit in Social Studies and had a little bit of extra time.  Today was one of those days, a typical Monday I should say, that I didn't have something extra hanging around.  So, I decided on a quick impromptu review with the whole class game Ask-n-Switch.

I gave each student an index card, and they wrote a question of their choice that related to our topic.  They were told to treat this as if they were writing a question that would be found on the test.  On the back of the index card they then wrote the answer to their question.

Before we started Ask-n-Switch, they traded cards with a partner to check that the question was relevant,could be understood, and that the answer was correct.  After the quick check, students stood to signal they were ready to go.

The index cards that contained their own questions and answers became our set of review cards.  The preparation took approximately 3-4 minutes.  In order to come up with a question, they had to reflect on their learning which required them to think deeper.  ALSO, we have a set of review cards that we can use again tomorrow!

A Winter Freebies Frenzy!

It is hard to believe that we are amongst the holiday season.  It always seems to creep up!  Tomorrow we are back to school after Thanksgiving break and students tend to be a bit restless.  Don't tell the kids, but their teacher has counted the number of school days until winter break.  Shhhh......we only have 19 school days!!

Below you will find a coordinated collection of winter freebies.  I hope that you find them useful, especially during the last few days before break! 

This Math Centers Mini Collection contains two different games both aligned to Common Core.  Each game comes with a recording sheet, directions for play and playing cards. As an upper grades teacher, I have never been a true center user.  So, this is something I would use for early finishers or as an anchor activity after a short lesson.

Match It is similar to memory but with a twist.  Students are up and moving around with this activity.  Each student is given a card and they move around the room checking their classmate's cards to find their match.  Students love this.  While the activity was made with Match It in mind, it can be used as a traditional memory game also.

One of my favorite games, I have...Who has...!!!  This game is not a new one, but I have updated it and added an additional eight cards.

The next three freebies are items that serve different purposes.  Exit slips for a quick check on student's learning.  A winter themed Think Tac Toe that is perfect for early finishers, and Find a Buddy Who that gets your students up, walking around, and talking with a purpose.

Laura Candler from Corkboard Connections is hosting a Holiday Learning Link-Up.  You will find many freebies and holiday learning ideas.  It's the season of giving! 

Hump Day Sale-Math Centers-CCSS aligned

It's that day! Hump day AND sale day on Cooperative Learning 365. Today I'm featuring my Math Centers Level 1 and Level 2.  Finding Math Centers for upper grades are often times hard to find.  These Math Centers contain everything that you need and are easy as 1-2-3 to set up,  Little to no assembly is required to put the activities into play!

A printable poster for each activity is provided and contains the skill, Common Core State Standard being addressed, materials list, and directions for play.  Not all center activities require a recording sheet, but are provided if necessary.  The range of Common Core State Standards addressed allow for differentiation within your classroom.

There are two versions of the Math Centers, an owl version and also a Halloween version.  Below you will find specific details about each center.

Today only, these centers are 20% off in my TpT store.  Click the images below to be taken directly to the specific version and/or level.  

 

 

Friday Fall Freebie

It's Friday!  This week has been a busy one, but it seemed to go quickly.  I am linking up my Friday Fall Freebie with Laura Candler at Corkboard Connections.

Not all students, teachers, and schools celebrate Halloween.  Fall is so much more than that, but locating fall activities that have no connections to Halloween can often times be difficult.  Laura's link-up is all about the month of October, and there are many activities from many outstanding bloggers.

If you are looking for an activity strictly related to fall, you might enjoy this week's freebie from me.  My students enjoy Think Tac Toes, as they are given the opportunity to choose their own activities.  You can download my Think Tac Toe-All About Fall HERE, or by clicking the image.

Be sure to check out the many other activities simply by clicking the badge below. You will be excited to see what you find!

 

To the Moon and Back....

with a Freebie!  I recently came across some super duper cute graphics and I am in the mood to create!  Here is a quick freebie that you can pick up HERE at my TpT store.  Also, this is somewhat of a sneak peak into what I have coming.  I'm really excited and can't wait to share!

Conferencing Gloves

The ONLY thing I like about packing up my room at the end of the year is it gives me a chance to organize, purge, and occasionally find something that I forgot I had.  This year I scored big!  Obviously in order to appreciate this treasure you need to be a teacher and a frugal one at that.  

Tucked away in an empty wipe box I found three pairs of work gloves.  These were not the typical work gloves; they were the ones that I wrote on about five years ago.  

We all have those students that we sit down with to conference about a book and they are stumped with what to talk about.  We want them to lead the conversation, but sometimes they need a little bit of a nudge.  By putting on a glove they have an instant choice of the conversation that they want to lead.  Not only will they have a conversation starter, they will need to identify the genre to choose the right glove and they will become familiar will the text elements that their genre encompasses.  

I made a small document that shows exactly what is on each glove.  The pictures are a little hard to see.  You can download it HERE and also by clicking the image below. 

I am excited about my new/old find.  Not only do I have an instant resource, my brain is working on other ways I can use these $1.00 a pair work gloves with other subjects.  These gloves are not going to find their way into the back of my cabinet next year; they will be out in plain sight ready for use!

End of the School Year Freebie

It's official, the end of the school year for me is right around the corner!  I say it every year and I'll say it again, it is hard to believe that another one is gone.  In 6-1/2 days my summer begins.  I'm ready to spend some summer time with my girl!!

As an end of the school year culminating activity I have a Think-Tac-Toe I created.  It's fun, low key, and students can leave the school year with a keepsake or two.  You can download this freebie HERE from my TPT store.

Geo Board Match

There is an unexplained attraction to geo boards.  The moment my students see these surface, there is a round of "yay, I love these!".  For a bit of review we pulled these out and had at it.

My students partnered up for this activity.  Each set of partners had a set of geo board match cards, rubber bands, and two geo boards.  Partners would draw a card to take the challenge.  They would independently create the figure using the available clues.  After they each finished creating the figure, they would compare their boards.  Of course their figures may have varied and may not have necessarily looked like the answer on the back, but if they could prove the clues then they were good to go.  That is the beauty of geometry, as long as the figure was created by following the clues, by definition, they are correct.

As an extension, I had students create their own shapes and then they identified the attributes of their individual figures.  These activities differentiated their learning and allowed them to think outside the box.

To grab a free copy of the Geo Board Match cards that we used, click HERE!

I have... Who has.. Games

I have been creating a number of I have...Who has... games!  First, my students L-O-V-E playing these games.  I don't even have to finish my sentence when telling them we are going to play, and I hear the yays spread throughout the room.  The instant I whip out these cards, I feel like a superstar!  Second, playing I have...Who has... is great for differentiating instruction.  Learning is being differentiated and students don't even know. 

Each set contains a set of 24 game cards, directions for how to play I have...Who has..., and an answer key to keep track and help students along, if needed. 

These I have...Who has... games are so much fun, I felt they warranted their own page.

Do you need a specific set of I have...Who has... game cards?  I would love to hear what you are looking for and might be able to point you in the right direction!

Synchronized Write 'n' Pass

Here is a twist to the traditional Write 'n' Pass.  Instead of limiting engagement to partners, teams are simultaneously engaged with given topics.  There are a few variations to this activity.  You can simply have students write a specific prompt on top of a piece of paper or marker board for which they pass.  You can also use different worksheets.

For example, my class just finished up with Geometry.  I wanted them to review perimeter, area, and characteristics of 3 and 2 dimensional figures.  I gave each student a review sheet (worksheet).  Student one started with the perimeter review, student two with area, student three started with characteristics of 2-D figures, and student four started with 3-D figures.  Students have the choice in the problem that they do, they do not have to go in order as they are on the paper.  This allows for differentiation.  Students are able to complete the ones that they can do, but still have the opportunity to see the other problems that their teammates have completed.

Have you used something similar in your classroom?  What other ways could this be used?  I would love to hear your ideas!

A Little Hands-On Geometry

Teaching Geometry is my favorite part of 4th grade Math.  It lends itself to many hands-on activities.  Students feel success and get excited, especially those who struggle with computation.  I hear my students say, "I'm good at this!"  That my friends, is fun to hear!

During the past couple of weeks, we have been busy constructing and exploring two and three dimensional shapes.  Laura Candler has some amazing Geometry resources!  In teams, my students worked together on Laura's Tangram Polygon Challenge which is free on her website along with Tangram Patterns.  I chose to use the advanced challenge, which allowed room for differentiation.  All students practiced composing and decomposing shapes at their level.  I had some students who were only able to construct simple shapes such as a square with two triangles while my advanced students were able to create more complex figures with more pieces.

We also got a little sticky!  Yes, sticky!  Inspired by a Pinterest photo, my student created three dimensional figures using marshmallows and toothpicks.  It was a little tricky at first, but overall I was very proud of how well they did.  The figures were a little rickety, but after a day or two the marshmallows hardened and they became much more sturdy.  Students were able to count the vertices (marshmallows), edges (toothpicks), and visualize the faces. They thought constructing these three dimensional figures was the best!

Do you use cooperative learning in teaching math?  What ways do you get students actively involved?

I Have...Who Has.. President's Day Analogies

Recently, I have been creating a line of I have...Who has... game cards.  The last free set that I created was for Valentine's Day, and to my surprise they have been a HUGE hit!  This game is extremely valuable for students.  Not only are students working cooperatively, they practice reading and listening skills.  This game also provides opportunities for differentiated learning.  You will find some cards that are more difficult than others, allowing for enrichment and cards that are easier, that can be given to students who need extra support.

My newest set is for President's Day, and this too is a freebie.  You can download this I have...Who has...game HERE in my TpT store.

I Have...Who Has.. Valentine's

The month of January is flying by, it's unbelievable, and that means Valentine's Day is around the corner. I'm personally not a huge fan of Valentine's Day, never have been.  Is that normal for a girl?  I'm like the girl in the movie Valentine's Day that throws an I Hate Valentine's Day party every year.  I can't explain it, but I've never cared for it.  I have the sweetest husband ever, so that isn't the reason.  My husband and I actually have an unspoken deal.  We don't buy each other gifts, ever.  Not for Christmas, not for Birthdays, and certainly not for Valentine's Day.  We love each other and that is enough <3!

So where am I going with all of this?  I realize that I'm not the typical female when it comes to Valentine's Day and many people L-O-V-E this day, so I made a set of I have...Who has... cards as my gift to you!  The third and last classroom party for the year is coming up and this game is loved by many, so why not share the love?

You can download this HERE freebie in my TpT store!

I Have...Who Has.. Just for Fun

Just in time for Christmas and just for fun I created an I Have...Who Has.. Christmas set.  I haven't done this one in my classroom yet, but I'm thinking that it will be great fun to do on party day!

Click the image to download this freebie at my TpT store!

Christmas Themed Exit Slips~ It's a Freebie!

Exit slips give students a chance to use their writing skills and it gets them reflecting on what they have learned.   They also help YOU evaluate what students need help on, or let you know if they are ready to go on. 

You may want to provide a question or a prompt for students to answer.  Here are a few prompts you may want to consider:

1.  One thing I learned today was...
2.  Here is how I can use what I learned today.
3.  Write down two differences between vertebrates and invertebrates and two similarities.
4.  Two things that I learned and one quesion I still have.

Click HERE to download from my TpT store.

Color Editing Checklist

Just posted:  A new freebie!!!  I have created a color editing checklist to go with my color editing poster.  I hope you find it helpful!

Click HERE to download from my TpT store for free!

In case you missed it, you can download the poster HERE from my TpT store for free also!

T-Chart Factors

I have been teaching factors for a long time now, and it wasn’t until I came across a picture on Pinterest that I had an Ah-ha moment!  The T-chart!  Why have I never thought of this before?  I have always modeled finding factors by listing them horizontally.  Today, I used this with my 4th grade students and they got the hang of it pretty quick.  It was a GREAT visual!

Have you used the T-chart to help students list the factors of a number?

K-W-L Alternative

The traditional K-W-L is not only boring my students, it is boring me!  I decided to get my students moving and interacting with each other.  What used to be raise your hand to tell me what you know then tell me what questions you have, turned into a Carousel of an event. 

I wanted to know what my students knew about solids, liquids, and gases.  Using three pieces of chart paper, I posed the three questions:  What do I know about gases, what do I know about solids and what do I know about liquids?  I divided my class into 3 groups and assigned each group a specific color that they were to use when recording responses.  I then appointed each group to a poster.  Each group was to appoint a recorder in which their job was to write down the things that the group knew about the topic.  After a few minutes, students then rotated to another chart.  They were to read the responses that the team before them had written.  After reading each response, they put a checkmark beside them stating that they had read them.  Then, they recorded their own responses to the new question.  This continued until all groups had been to all charts. 

After all groups had carouseled, they returned to their seat.  For accountability, each student wrote down one “what I want to know” on a sticky note, discussed with their groups, then as a class we recorded our thinking.

The standard K-W-L was transformed into an all-in-one K-W-L for the kinesthetic, auditory, and visual learner!

Editing Made Colorful!

Do you have problems with students editing their own writing?  They want to rush through one of the most important parts of the writing process so they can get to their favorite part, publishing.  Sound familiar?  I have found that color editing works well with my students.  It guides them in what to look for and is great for those visual learners. 

This is the poster that is displayed in my classroom. 

Students follow these steps to self-edit their own writing.  They quickly discover that if they have a red, then they MUST have a green. 

After they mark all that needs to be marked, they go back to make sure their punctuation and capitals are correct. 

Editing isn't so dull now, it's actually quite colorful :)!

You can download my Color Editing Poster for free at my TpT store.