Life Science

A great place to find media on life sciences.
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/

When You're Too Cheap to Buy a Chime...

You're a teacher, so honestly, you probably already spent all of your money on books, science equipment, bins, etc.

Here are some YouTube clips I use instead of shelling out the big bucks for a million chimes.

Big Ben Sound Effect

Harp Sound Effect

Sad Trombone Sound Effect

Super Mario Mushroom Sound Effect

Timpani Roll Sound Effect

Guitar Sound Effect

Funny Baby Laugh Sound Effect

Extreme Makeover: Sentence Edition

How this works:
Students fold a paper in half and write "Before" and "After" on the top.  On one side we pick a sentence that can be revived.  On the other side, they recreate the sentence.  They do not add events, but make a more complex, descriptive sentence to reinsert into their work.  I encourage them to revise as many sentences as they can.

To introduce this lesson, I modeled with marker and large paper in front of the class.  Then, I gave a few practice sentences, such as "I ate pizza."  The energy level surged as we developed that sentence and compared what we did with partners.

Other sentences to "makeover" were:

I went to the park. => As I zipped along the narrow bike path, I saw the slide and swings come into view.

I walked to school. => I skipped like a jolly, little elf toward the glass door of the red, brick school building.

Of course our discussion developed into comparing connotations between descriptions of folks who enjoyed walking into school and others that did not (or so they claim) and the ensuing inferences we could glean from their word choice.

Part Part Whole

One comprehension skill is visualization and one technique for visualizing a word problem is to draw a diagram.  Teach the part-part-whole relationship (or even the part-part-part indefinitely-whole) model.  It even helps up to fifth grade for comparison problems and it's a definite go-to for ELL students.

                                     That is not quite it.  But it will get some laughs.

Ok.  This is it.  Use it with any numbers.  Part missing or whole missing.

Helps visualize number sense.

Multiple Intelligences

Lists of Activities that Highlight Multiple Intelligences

After trying a variety of activities and their not working, I'm back to the drawing board again.  We need to figure out how we learn best and go with that.  What motivates us?  Let's find out.

http://www.casacanada.com/chart.html

http://www.realclassroomideas.com/resources/MI-Activities+for+the+Multiple+Intellegences.pdf

http://www.realclassroomideas.com/resources/MI-MI+Key.pdf

Need an idea?

My go-to websites for creating the new or revamping the old:

http://www.thinkfinity.org

http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/educators.aspx

http://www.readwritethink.org/

http://edsitement.neh.gov/

http://www.pbs.org/teachers

http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/lesson-plans/free-lesson-plans

War... What is it good for? Absolutely EVERYTHING!

I have planned to play the game war this week using cards with decimals to the thousandths place.  http://www.kaganonline.com/catalog/contents/BCDDDecimalWar.pdf  This link I found actually has to do with Kagan teaching techniques, which is a cooperative learning initiative.  I first learned of Kagan from a friend who teaches in Texas!  It's worth looking into for PD http://www.kaganonline.com/index.php

I've also played fractions war, whole number war, ten frames war, and there are so many others!

The game of War could probably be applied to Science animal classification, positions in US government, and anything else needing comparison.  Keep me updated on any new forms of War you play in your classroom! @nhts5

You Tube in the classroom?

Do you use You Tube?  I do.  I pre-screen all videos I show to make sure there won't be any surprises.  Sometimes watching a few videos helps me prep for lesson topics.

Some of my favorite You Tube videos for the classroom are:

Schoolhouse Rock: Unpack Your Adjectives

Schoolhouse Rock: Rufus Xavier Sarsaparilla Pronouns

Parts of a Cell Rap

Place Value Teacher Tipster

Fruit Fractions

Meet the Elements They Might Be Giants

ROYGBIV They Might Be Giants

Speed and Velocity They Might Be Giants

Nonagon They Might Be Giants

I am a Paleontologist They Might Be Giants

Water Balloon in a Bottle Steve Spangler Sick Science

My First Prezi! Body Systems

http://prezi.com/ln1v7qb2pmux/respiratory-digestive-and-excretory-system/

Great Science Website 3+

http://www.biology4kids.com/

Decimals Video

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/y-rLi2HKwkI" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Decimals 4-5

http://www.decimalsquares.com/WkShfiles/IntroDecSqs.html

A visual idea for comparing, representing, and discussing decimals.

Quiet Signals for 2 and 5

So, my last minute practice of how the day would go was slightly incomplete.  How am I going to get them quiet?

2nd Grade
1- Shh shh sh sh shh.  Shush in a pattern that children repeat.
2- Freeze
3- Bell/chime
4-Youtube wierd sounds and play them

5th Grade
1- Class...Yes.   Classity class class... yessity yes yes
2- Youtube wierd sounds and play them
3-  Online timers
4- Hand up, put down fingers slowly.  Children get each other to be quiet and before fingers run out.

Helpful Links:

http://www.online-stopwatch.com/countdown-timer/

http://www.online-stopwatch.com/cash-clock/

http://www.teachitworld.com/index.php?CurrMenu=357

http://www.timercountdown.net/1-hour/

http://www.classtools.net/education-games-php/timer/

http://ipadstopwatch.com/timer.html

Cell Website 4+

Here's great websites to help teach about cells.
http://www.cellsalive.com/

Yay interactive cell models!

Great Minds...

Here's another site with the same idea.
http://www.ilovethatteachingidea.com/

I guess my blog is mainly for me.  Maybe I can adjust the format in the future.  Hmmm.

Multiplication Trick 3+

Quotation Marks 2-5

Use macaroni to make quotation marks on sentence strips. Learning works better when it's fun!

Great Grammar Gets the Girls... or Guys

What better way to motivate students to write well?  Motivate students to use proper grammar to impress their future romantic interests.

Grammar Posters 3+

Check these posters out!  I love FANBOYS: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so.  They are coordinating conjunctions, or joining words.

http://edwardhowell.blogspot.com/2011/04/grammar-posters.html

Water Cycle Bracelet 1-5

Yellow- Solar Energy

Blue- Evaporation

Green- Transpiration

White- Condensation

Clear- Precipitation

Brown- Percolation 

Adding and Subtracting Decimals Song 2-5

Adding Decimals

(to the tune of "Are You Sleeping?")

Adding Decimals (x2)

Line them up! (x2)

Every number has one,

at the end it has one.

Find the sum (clap clap)

Find the sum. (clap)

Subtracting Decimals (x2)

Line them up! (x2)

Every number has one,

at the end it has one.

Now subtract (clap clap)

Now subtract (clap)

From blog Fifth Grade Follies

Dissection Fun

So the children in my class this year felt strongly about dissections.  They want to take things apart.  So here's what I'm thinking for fifth graders: Dissect a chicken wing!

http://science.wonderhowto.com/how-to/dissect-chicken-wing-220643/

Grammar Meme

Have Fun Teaching

This one is for teachers.  I love this website for their free worksheets and quick grabs.  I've never been big on file cabinets, so online resources are much better!  http://havefunteaching.com/

Other favorite websites:
K-2 Literacy http://www.starfall.com/
Math Games http://resources.oswego.org/games/
Math 3-12 http://www.khanacademy.org/
Ideas http://www.teachertube.com/
Ideas http://www.ilovethatteachingidea.com/

Kind Words Meme

Wrinkly Wilma (or any name you can make up for it) is when you create a character out of paper.  Discuss in a circle what put-downs are.  As you discuss put-downs, have students crunch up the paper a little at a time.  Then, discuss put-ups.  Flatten it a little at time.  This demonstrates how, even if we apologize, saying hurtful things can still leave wrinkles with other people.  Use kind language so people don't feel wrinkly.  Leave your wrinkled heart/person up in the classroom as a reminder.

Hyperbole Meme

Gummy Bear Science K-5

Looks easy enough!  I will try it this year!  Seems like a great way to teach the Scientific Process!
http://asurvivalguidetomiddleschool.blogspot.com/2011/10/yummy-gummy-bears.html

Phases of the Moon Science 2-5th

So I did this and my only suggestion that I didn't think about until we started was to limit the amount of cookie intake.  I let everyone eat three cookies, THAT'S IT!  Because our room was covered in cookies, pieces, and crumbs.  

They will never forget the phases of the moon (New, Full, First Quarter, Last Quarter) ever again!

The Green Classroom: Math Bottle Cap Ideas

The Green Classroom: Math Bottle Cap Ideas: Here are some ideas I have done or come across so far to use bottle caps, lids, milk caps, etc. Use caps that open and close to create th...

Prefix/Suffix Song K-5

Knowing how to add onto the "front" or "back" of a word, or decode by referencing the base word, is a major phonemic principal. It's a building block for spelling, accuracy, fluency, comprehension, and more. This concept alone can lead to a dramatic jump in a student's performance when this clicks. Here's my song for it: Prefix in the front, Clap Clap, Suffix in the back, Clap Clap, Changes what, Clap Clap, The base word means, Clap Clap.

The Cupcake Test Math K-3

When teaching regrouping in subtraction, students had a difficult time knowing when to regroup. So, since handing out cupcakes for a birthday was something every student could identify with, and you can't give away more cupcakes than you brought, I made up the Cupcake Test. We would look at the ones place, see if it would pass the test. A student would say "If I had 2 cupcakes, could I give 3 away? No! Doesn't pass the Cupcake Test. Time to regroup. Now if I had 12 cupcakes, could I give 3 away? Yes." Besides that, I would always personify the algorithm as I described it. I'd say neighbor, Mr. 3, and have the letters talk to one another. Everyone connects better to a story.

William Tell Rock Song 2-5th

When teaching the three types of rock, sing this song!

To the tune of the William Tell Overture
Here's a reminder of the tune... though, be warned, it doesn't match up perfectly.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7O91GDWGPU

It's a rock, It's a rock, It's a rock, rock rock
It's a rock, It's a rock, It's a rock, rock rock
It's a rock, It's a rock, It's a rock, rock rock
It's a ROOOOCK It's a rock, rock, rock
Igneous, and Sedimentary, Metamorphic rock ::clap, clap::
Igneous, and Sedimentary, Metamorphic rock ::clap, clap::
Rock rock rock rock  ::clap, clap::
Rock rock rock rock
rock
rock
rock
roooooock        (repeat until tired of it...lol)

Don't Let the Paper Win

So, you always have a child who melts, a lot, under pressure.  I would use "It's time to get tough" as a call to action to keep trying, batten down the hatches, and not turn into "mushy marshmallows."

But "Don't let the paper win" was a suggestion from a student whose mother used it as encouragement when homework got challenging.  It really gives students a brand new mindset and greater strength in the tough times.

After all, it's only a little paper!

Syll-A-Ball Meme Game K-3

Take a beach ball, blown up, and write words on it with a permanent marker.  The younger they are, the bigger you should write so that you can help from a distance.  Fill up all the space on the ball with words!  Any direction writing will work.  Now that takes a few minutes to do, but you only have to do it once!

You have made a Syll-A-Ball!  Play like silent ball.  The child who catches it looks where their thumb landed, says the word and how many syllables.  They they pass it to someone else.  Teach what a syllable is, play the game, and never have to teach a formal lesson again!  

The game easily identifies someone who needs reteaching!  When there is a mistake, I explain that word and reteach for a minute.  Then, that student needs to get one right to stay in the game.  I either make them toss to themselves or they can pick a word they want (quickly).  Second graders LOVE it.

Tens and Ones Meme

So, I used this song for two years and second graders love it!  Sing it with base ten block lessons!

Tens and Ones Song
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATgnG0M3S3Q

Large Base Ten Blocks
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_tNAq2ujRg

Now that you've seen that you know www.teachertipster.com is the best!  Mr. Smith is a first grade teacher from Colorado, but some of his ideas are terrific for many different ages!  His video blog is hysterical!  Worth following, big time.

Subject and Predicate Meme

This rhyme helps students find the subject and predicate in a sentence.  A tip from Mrs. Starkey! <3

"The subject is the who and the predicate is the do."

Days In a Month Meme

http://www.instructables.com/id/Easy-way-to-remember-the-days-in-each-month/

Ingenious!  Didn't find out about this until I was 28!  Totally a meme... you'll never forget that ever now! Right?

Birthday and Perimeter Teachmeme

Another example of a teachmeme was when it was my birthday on a Friday this past year.  I hung up streamers all around the  "perimeter" of the room.  Needless to say, I never had to teach what perimeter was ever again.  When it came up at times later in the year they would say, "Like at your birthday party?"

What is a teachmeme?

Teachmeme!  It's when you did something once and it's so powerful, you don't need to teach it again.

A meme is an idea or image that acts as a unit for carrying cultural ideas, symbols or practices.

Teachmemes? I feel they are seldom passed into a larger "teaching culture" One school can be like a bubble.  Maybe they haven't even made it out of your room, but they are great!  It could be images, sayings, songs, anything at all, that leads to learning.  Like BAM, the students get it instantly.  Some small trick that captures a concept in an instant.

Why not document these gems and share with everyone?  

Here's my first example.  I did this dance and my second graders will NEVER forget what a parallel line is ever again.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVb6wpNRz9c