Valentine's Day Part 2

I love to give my students a little something special for Valentine's Day every year.  My go to Valentine treat for them has been a bag of skittles with a cute little heart homework pass stapled to it.  It isn't much or hard to do but it makes a big impact with the kids and they love it!

Click on the picture below to get your own editable powerpoint file.  All you will need to do is download the font Cupid de Locke so that you can add your name in the same LOVEly font.  

Happy Valentine's Day!

Valentine's Day Graphing

Do you remember when we did our post about graphing candy hearts here?  Well, we decided to change it up a little bit this year.  Instead of a bar graph, we will be completing a pictograph.  I have updated the file to represent a pictograph instead.  Just click on the picture below:

  Maybe you want to do both with your kids?  Click on the first link to access the bar graph.

Happy Graphing and have a Happy Valentine's Day!

Surveys and Graphing

Greetings world!
I have missed everyone so much.  I actually have missed blogging...a lot!  Things just get so busy don't they?  I feel like Heather and I have struggled a little in the last couple of years with the stress and management of several unruly classes. But I come to you on our 103 day of school in complete second grade bliss.  I am in love with my little bunch of babes and I wish time would slow down just a little!

The last few weeks we have been busy graphing.  Graphing everything imaginable! Most specifically we have been working on Bar Graphs and Pictographs.  I was getting a little tired of coming up with lots of survey questions to ask my class.  Then I came across this amazing file from Kim Swoveland.  Aren't they incredible? So I laminated them and put them up on my board.  Each day I assign a different group to answer the survey question as they enter the room.  By Friday, everyone has been able to answer and we are ready to use the data.

From our survey data we create a tally chart and then a pictograph and bar graph on Fridays.  It is a quick and easy way for my class to practice this graphing skill each week!  Check out the blank graph that I use each week.  I just copy the pages front to back.

Word Problem Freebie: Football Edition

Hello! I have a freebie for you!
 I am sitting here curled up on the couch by the fire waiting for my Carolina Panthers to play! NFC South Champs! Can I get a "Keep Pounding!"???
In honor of football season coming to an end and the Panthers doing so well, I made a math station word problem review...in Panthers' colors of course! My kids will be excited to have a football themed math station and I get them to practice word problems. Win win! You can grab it at my store. Just click on the picture below or HERE
GO PANTHERS!

Pumpkin Fun

I feel badly that it is already November and I am just now getting around to sharing about our pumpkin math! Last week we had a very short week as we missed school on Monday for parent/teacher conferences.  Then we had a fun filled field trip to the zoo.  So in all we were only in class for 3 days...the week of Halloween!!  So I found myself asking, what can I do to keep these kiddos busy during a very different week.  I went to my tried and true sources for some ideas.

I love using Sunny Day's Pumpkin Science investigation!  You can find it here:
Pumpkin Science Investigation

I also love Abby's Pumpkin Activities from The Inspired Apple. You can get them here:
Inspired Apple's Pumpkin Stuff

The kids have such a great time with all of these activities.  They kept us busy for our 3 days and the kids were engaged and excited!

The other day in my browsing of Facebook, I came across this video posted by Box Tops for easily counting 100 box tops.

Post by Box Tops for Education.

I loved the video and immediately shared it with our wonderful PTO who spend so much time counting our box tops for our school.  Then the video got me thinking.  How could I use this for counting other things.  So I made a file folder that looked like this for each of my pumpkin groups:

They were very easily able to line the pumpkin seeds up in the boxes to begin counting by 100's.  I gave each group a large sandwich bag and told them to begin counting by 100's.  When they could no longer fill the grid, I told them to raise their hands and I brought around small snack bags and had them continue to count by 10's.  Then, when they couldn't complete a ten anymore, they set the leftover ones to the side.  Then they were able to easily count by 100's, 10's, and 1's!  It was also much more manageable for both the kids and me!  I highly recommend it!

Now thanks to the election we are now in the throws of teaching government.  So much fun! 

Until next time!

Anna Adjective

We have been busy reviewing our parts of speech.  It can be so boring can't it?  This week we have moved into adjectives.  In our experience, these are some of the hardest to teach.  They definitely don't know them from first grade either, so we straight up get to teach adjectives.  A few years ago, we came across the Suzie Adjective activity made by one of our favorites Hope King.  Check it out here!!!

Suzie Adjective

We loved this activity so much that we enlisted the help our our K-2 Literacy Lead teacher to come and visit the class.  Her name is Anna, so we renamed the activity Anna Adjective to fit her.

The kids LOVED her visit and we were so happy to have her.  The activities that go along with the visit are wonderful as well and we highly recommend them. Thanks Hope!!

Adjectives rule!
      &

Map Skills

I'm Back!

I sure have missed all of you followers (if we still even have any).  I actually have really missed blogging.  It just has been a little low on my totem poll with all my things going on.  I am setting some personal goals for myself this year and blogging is back on as one of them!  I hope to be blogging regularly and sharing what we are doing in our class.  

Like Heather said, last year was one of the roughest years I have had in a long time.  But one of the best things about teaching is that we get a fresh start every year.  There really aren't very many professions that have that luxury.

We have been in school a little over 2 weeks and things are going so wonderfully! I am absolutely in love with my class!

This week we are studying maps!  One of the first things that I like to teach is Cardinal Directions.  I use the Dr. Jean song about directions.  Then we create a compass rose that they get to cut and paste and then color beautifully!  For being such slackers last year, I am giving this away for free!  Hope you enjoy it and can use it in your classroom!

See you soon!