Compare and Contrast Writing

Hey Ya'll!!! I feel like I haven't updated my blog in forever. I spent all last weekend planning for my July Wedding. We got CJ and my dad their suits, we paid off the caterer, we bought and semi decorated our wedding arch, and we sent out our invitations! I am a huge stress ball and this past weekend definitely helped relieve some of that stress! So with that said. I'm back and ready to share some of the teaching ideas we have done in the past two weeks. :)

For writing this week our skill was "Compare and Contrast Writing".  Our story was "Cowboys" and of course cowboys vs. Indians pops in my head. This is how I did it!

I read my kids a book about what it would be like to live like an Indian. It explained the clothes, food, houses, government, traditions, etc. It was an awesome book! Our other skill was "graphic organizers" so I showed the kids 4 different examples that they could pick from to write their information. Most picked a T-Chart (similarities and differences) but some chose a Ven-Diagram too.

After we read about Indians, we listened to the story Cowboys and they did another graphic organizer. This one they compared and contrasted themselves to a cowboy.

The next day, I discussed the compare and contrast writing steps: Intro, Paragraph 1 (similarities), Paragraph 2 (differences), Closure. I had the students decide if they had more similarities and differences with the Indian or with the Cowboy and that was the one they would choose.

I only had 4 cowboys and the rest were Indians.

There writing has really improved over the past few months and I am so proud of their similarities and differences. They really noticed odd things like their bed wasn't built into the wall like the Indians beds were. LOL I guess 2nd graders really think about that kind of stuff. :)

For the craft part of the writing activity, I had the students use water color paint and a coffee filter to make "tie-dye" looking bandanas or feathers. We thought they turned out awesome!

Summer

Math

My fellow teachers have commented that "I LOVE to use my ANCHOR CHARTS" and they are so right! I use them as a visual and resource all the time. (yes I know my pie graph equals more than 100%....It was made prior to coffee-Whoops!)

 

 

We just finished our Chapter on Graphing Data. I enriched this "easier" chapter with additional types of graphs and a family project. (seen below)

 

I have to admit, this years "Family Project" participation has blown me through the roof. I had 14 out of 19 students turn in an optional Data Family Project! I love that the parents support enriching activities like this at home!

 

 

On Thursday we started our LAST math chapter on Geometry. I had the students work as a team to discuss the math vocabulary: faces, vertices, edge, 3-d, 2-d, and 1-d. We had so much fun making our 3-d Shapes foldable resource (not pictured) for their math journals.

 

 
If you haven't already read this, you need to! I ordered it off Amazon and it is such a hilarious book on 3-d shapes. The kids were so into it and it retaught the shapes for reinforcement. I asked questions throughout the story (found on TPT for free) that went along with "Captain Invincible and the Space Shapes"

Easter

I know I'm a week late, but I had to post these cute Easter Treats that I made (via pinterest) for my students.

 

 

 

 

 

Earth Day

I Love Earth Day!

 

We get to wear our COOL Earth Day Shirts, we get to learn about Recycling, and we get to instill the importance of taking care of our planet!

 

In my class, we started with a KWL chart to see what we already know about "Recycling".

I am a HUGE fan of graphic organizers and questioning prior to teaching. Majority of the time, my students share connections (which the other students hear) and then I don't teach about things that they ALREADY KNOW. How boring!

 

For the KWL chart, they told me everything they already KNOW about recycling. Then, they wrote down 3 WONDER questions in the middle section. Last, they watched a Discovery Education video on Earth Day and wrote down things they LEARNED.

 

 

"HELP HEAL THE EARTH" Band-Aid KWL Charts.

 

Reduce Reuse Recycle Earth Day Shirt!!!!

 

 

Earth Day Science Activity

 

First, we discussed landfills and why we have them. My students were completely grossed out and asked "doesn't that pollute the water and trees around the landfill?" I was so proud of their connections but sadly they were right!

 

I gave each student a plastic cup full of "rubber tires" (cheerios) and told them that we were going to "melt them down" (crush them). We just used the end of a marker to do this part.

 

 

 

 

 

Next, I gave each student a small plastic cup full of "rocks and pebbles" (salt).

 

Then, each student put in some "concrete" (flour).

 

Last, each student put some "water" (glue) to bind it all together.

 

It was messy and fun and they loved forming their ROADS.

 

Lesson learned:

Old tires can be recycled to make roadways.

 

Field Trip

Field Trip to the Edison Winter Estate

What do you wear on Field Trip day? I wore my comfy clothes and was obviously excited about it based on my 6 am photo!

 

Field Trip ready! Vera Bradley backpack and matching lanyard ;)

 

Lanyard for myself and parent chaperone. I broke the class in half and put a list of those students names on the lanyards for easy roll call throughout the day.

 

I found these cute note pads and pencils at Target in the $1 section. I got 2/$1 on the notepads and the students are obsessed with any type of pencils so these were a huge hit! The kids watched a short video about Thomas Edison prior to getting on the bus and they were asked to write down 3 wonder questions to try and answer on the Field Trip to the Edison Winter Estate.

 

I played a movie when we got back because WOW we were exhausted. I got these cute chevron cups once again at Target.

 

Thomas Edison's Laboratory

 

Statue of Thomas Edison

 

Oh and I made tie-dyed shirts last weekend for them to wear. My kids are in the blue and red tie-dyed shirts. :) Fun day with my kiddies!!!!

Teacher Fashion

Some of my favs from these past couple weeks!!!!

Black Loft Dress, Skinny belt, and black pumps

Mustard cardigan and blouse from Target

Khaki pencil skirt and coral belt/sandals from Target

White Eyelet dress(Target), camel belt/pumps (BCBG), and Red blazer (H&M)

Floral blouse and pink cardigan with black pencil skirt (Target/JcPenny)

Friday: Purple KEDS and Heights Shirt

Peach/White dress and white cardigan (Target)

Black/Teal Maxi skirt, teal jewelry (Target)

New Makeup from Sephora ;)