Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Telling Time

Are you looking for a new way to help your kids learn how to tell time? Here's a (fun) way that you might not have tried before...I purchased telling time dice from Learning Resources a few years ago and finally found a great use for them! (And they were pretty cheap, too!)
The "hour" is red and the "minute" is blue. This is perfect because it coordinates with the teaching clocks that most teachers have in their classrooms!

Have the students first roll the red dice. Using the template below, have them write the hour under "red roll". (This will be written before the colon). Next, students will roll the blue dice and write the minutes after the colon in the "blue roll" column. Students will then write the time with the hour and the minutes combined...Then they will try to draw the hour hands on the clock.

What Time Is It? Download
I have a few of these printed on card stock and laminated so that my students can use these during center time. They love this telling time activity!

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Bingo Anyone????

For the past few years my family has ditched the traditional "Christmas Gift Exchange" for a (and this is what we actually call it) "Classy White Elephant Extravaganza". Each person spends $35 on a gift and in return, you receive a gift that you will never want to use. 


This year I was actually excited to open up some bungie cords, a flashlight to wear on my head, and a mini vacuum cleaner...All of which I planned on using in my classroom! 
Well, Uncle Terry came along and took my trinkets and I got stuck with an official bingo wheel! At the time I wasn't super excited about it, but today when I was waiting in line to have my car washed, an idea came to me!

Freebie!
It's not monumental, but I think my kiddos will enjoy it. Each player will spin the wheel and take two bingo numbers. They will add the sum on their "Bingo Math Addition Mat" (my kids are still learning how to write the numbers in the correct place-value columns, that's why you'll see the lines). Once each player has had the chance to do this, the person with the highest sum will color in a box on the "Bingo Math High Sums Graph". Of course, the person who gets to the top first, is the winner! 


If you use this in your classroom, let me know how it works out!

Write-O

We've had lots of feedback from our "Read-O" and "Math-O" that was posted a few days ago and so I wanted to post the "Write-O" that I made a few years back! Hopefully you will find this as a great take-home activity with your kiddos. If you download it, leave us some love and let us know what you think!
Download Write-O

Monday, December 26, 2011

Solids, Liquids, & Gases

I am slowly starting to prepare some lessons for the start of the new year. I created these mini poster templates a few years ago for my first graders with bingo stampers, but thought I'd make them to share for all! Enjoy.


Download Freebie Here!

Monday, December 19, 2011

It's Been A While...

It's been quite a while since I posted any freebies. I've been meaning to post some of the new templates I've created for my classroom, but just haven't gotten around to it...Maybe I will over Winter Break????


Anyways, just wanted to share something that I always send home over break. I don't want to give "homework" but I would like for my kids to do some reading and math practice. We typically use a "Reading Web Log" to keep track of all the books we read at home and we have a special "Math Minutes" form for practicing math facts...If you want to see a sample of these documents head on over to my webpage and you'll find them on the right-hand side!


So my kids can get five reading/math points for getting five-in-a-row or they can finish the whole entire sheet for thirty reading/math points! My kids have always enjoyed this so I let them complete as many as they'd like! (I'm thinking that I need to create some different versions? Maybe over break?) 


Here it is...Enjoy.

Read-O and Math-O Freebie

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Newletter + Cam & Laddy Public Speaking 101

I haven't made a (real) post in a long time. My team has been knee-deep in gingerbread-dough-making-ornaments that I feel like I haven't had anytime to sit down and make a thoughtful post. Why start now? 


Only kidding. I've got a couple updates from my classroom. I'll be posting some pics here very soon of our 2nd Quarter Project! Until then, here is our weekly newsletter and an announcement live from Summit STEM High School! Enjoy.


and


Saturday, December 3, 2011

20% Off TpT Birthday Sale!

We're having a sale! Katie is turning 30...Purchase any of our products from our TpT Store for 20% off! It would make Katie super happy! :)

Head Over to Our TpT Store!

Monday, November 28, 2011

Volume 1.11

Live from "The Vault"...Team Schappelkins' Weekly Video Newsletter:


Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Major Award



Mr. Parker: It's a Major Award!
Swede: Shucks, I wouldn't know that. It looks like a lamp.
Mr. Parker: What is a lamp? It's a Major Award. I won it!


Why do Steve and I feel like we've won a Major Award? Well, because we just did! Mrs. McKown from Little Literacy Learners just gave our blog it's very first award...The Sunshine Award!
If you missed her icon on the left side of our blog, we'll make it even easier for you to check out all of her wonderful ideas! (Just click on her name below).
Mrs. McKown
Here are the Rules for this Award:
  • Thank the person(s) who gave this award and if you would like to, write a post about it.
  • Answer the following questions below.
  • Pass the award to 10-12 fabulous bloggers, link their blogs, and let them know you awarded them.

Katie's Answers:
  • Favorite Color: Depends on the day...
  • Favorite Animal: Liger
  • Favorite Number: 21
  • Favorite Drink: Fountain Cherry Coke 
  • Facebook or Twitter: Facebook
  • Your Passion: Creating things...
  • Giving or Getting Presents?: Giving, for sure...but receiving random notes from my first graders always make me super happy.


Steve's Answers:
  • Favorite Color: Blue
  • Favorite Animal: Refer to Katie's 
  • Favorite Number: 23
  • Favorite Drink: Coke 
  • Facebook or Twitter: I truly don't like either!
  • Your Passion: All things reading
  • Giving or Getting Presents?: Giving


We follow so many incredible blogs and here are some who bring sunshine into our life when we see their posts. If you are on the list and don't feel like posting about the award it's totally fine! :)

Team Schappelkins' Pet Interviews

Today was a big day for... 
Five Applets, 
Five Little Js, and
Five (Schottner, what do you call your kids?) 
These fifteen Fantastic First Graders interviewed with Dr. Hoffman, our district Assistant Superintendent and Ms. Postema, our Director of Human Resources for a "Team Schappelkins' Pet Caretaker" Position. 


Students were selected to interview based upon their "Team Schappelkins' Pet Applications". These fifteen students knew that just because they had an interview it did not necessarily mean they were going to be hired. 


When all of the interviews were over, these students waited anxiously (with their fingers crossed) on the carpet while Dr. Hoffman spoke. 


Dr. Hoffman and Ms. Postema had some good news to share with all fifteen students...




...because each student was hired to take care of their classroom pet! They were so excited and shared their important news with their friends and family. I'm pretty sure I can speak for Mrs. Jenkins and Mr. Schottner when I say that I am super proud of their hard work today. Our pets will be lucky to have them!  

Monday, November 21, 2011

Volume 1.10

I know, I know...Two posts (again) in one day! But it's totally worth it...


Pulling Out Our Rain Boots...

My day went something like this:


Kiddo: Miss A when do we get to see our high school buddies?
Me: Today in the afternoon.
Kiddo: Right after lunch?
Me: No, at 2:15.
Kiddo: Before Health and Wellness?
Me: After it.
Kiddo: How many more hours is it?
Me: 7 hours, now eat your breakfast.


My kiddos were seriously excited about seeing their high school buddies for the 2nd time today! They asked all day long when it was buddy time! Last week they constructed bird feeders that we placed around the school campus. Here are some pics, luckily the rain held out...but it was still a bit muddy!











So I'm not going to quit my day job to be a photographer...


Once we got back into our room, the questions started over again! "Miss A when do we get to see our buddies again?" 


(Thank you Mrs. Laddy for a great Monday afternoon!)

Friday, November 18, 2011

Short Vowel Speed Racer

Diane and Kelly over at Made for First Grade have created a "Home-School Connection Lightning Words" for weekly sight words that parents can use to help their child with (word) fluency.




I've had my eye on this idea for a while now and finally created a template for my kiddos who are still working on basic code (CVC, CVCC, and CCVC) words. (Diane and Kelly so graciously gave me permission to add my template to my blog). If you haven't seen their blog...You should probably head over there!
Made for First Grade
Here is my "Speed Word Racer" version for short vowel words. I tried it today with a reading group...It was a big hit! I had them read the words for 20 seconds. When the time was up they counted how many words they were able to read and wrote the number on "Lap 1". I had them start over at the beginning and gave them 20 seconds again. After each lap, the kids realized they were able to read more words!
Download Here!
When I sent this document to Steve he said that I tried to one-up his "Beat the Clock" template. I am hoping that he will read this post and decide to share his template with the rest of us!

Monday, November 14, 2011

Volume 1.9

I know you aren't supposed to make more than one post each day, but I am breaking that rule! I promised Stella that I would do it tonight...So, here's Team Schappelkin's Video Newsletter, live from the supply closet!


The Reading Web

I didn't have my camera with me, but I wanted to share the news...



We did it! We finally reached our "1,000 Books Read at Home" which means, our web will now start to make it's way to our school's Research and Development Center! 


Download This FREEBIE!
Each week I calculate how many books students have read at home. Forms are returned to school once they are complete. A paperclip represents one book...and it's displayed outside of our classroom. I've attached my reading log below!


Take a Peek!
What kinds of things do you do to keep track of reading at home?

Sunday, November 13, 2011

Short "e" Mouse Paint Uno

It's been a while, but we've added a new product to our TpT Store! This is a great game to introduce early readers to the idea of basic code (letters that say their appropriate sounds) and advanced code (letters that are in groups of 2, 3, & 4 that represent the sounds in our language). This game contains 8 pages of words with the short "e" vowel combinations "e, ea, & ai".  



Saturday, November 12, 2011

Geometry Part I

I woke up today really bothered by the fact that I haven't sat down at my computer to post all of the "stuff" that I mentally wrote down in my head. I have lots to share! But somewhere between Report Cards, multiple 1st Grade presentations, Parent Conferences, making a new home for Ocho, and being deathly sick...I haven't had the energy to sit at my computer to make a thoughtful post. 


Besides the walking pneumonia, I have another sickness. It's actually one that I look forward to each school year. Her name is Geometry. Year after year I hear my teammates say, "Ehhhh, I hate teaching Geometry!" and I secretly think back to 9th grade when I purposely earned a B- just so that I could take the class over again. I love it so much, I can barely contain myself. Sick, yes probably, but I don't care.


I've attached a document that you can download for FREE! It's a few of my favorite things, tweeked with better fonts and better graphics. 



The above docs are probably going to be taken to Kinkos so that I can have them blown up poster-size for student reference. I usually like to teach a mini vocabulary lesson with the "Polygon Names" looking at the prefixes.

You'll need Pattern Block for the "Building for a Dollar" and "Shapes I Used". Students have to create a symmetrical design that uses the mentioned shapes...that will equal $1. It's usually challenging...But once they get the hang of it, they love it! I added the graph this year...We'll see how my kiddos do.

I used a Mira for a class I took in college and I loved it. (Sick). They are small plastic devices used to help students understand the concept of reflections. By placing a Mira on the line, the student can look through and see the image on the other side to draw it. When the Mira is removed, the symmetrical design will be on the other side of the line. (Take a look at the picture below).


I'll post pics of my kids throughout our shape study...Please leave a message and send me links of resources you like to use for teaching geometry!