I'm Back with a "Techy" Phonics Freebie

My life has been overtaken with school, my little guy, and life in general.  My goal for next school year is definitely to be a better blogger.  Hopefully Melissa and I can get it together and post on a more scheduled basis.  On a good note, Spring Break is next week!!!!! However, we have had snow flurries for the last three days so I am not feeling the "SPRING" in spring break just yet.  Our school recently received an ipod touch cart.  Wish it was an ipad cart, but we will take what we can get.  I really wanted to use them for more than just letting the kids get on random apps.  I wanted it to enhance my instruction.  So here is a freebie for tonight.  It is a sheet where students scan the QR code and watch "Stand Tall Molly Lou Melon" on youtube and then they write what they think the theme is. Click the pic below to pick it up on TPT.

I ail be back tomorrow with 2 Phonics QR Code Scavenger Hunts.  My students loved these.  I placed the QR Codes around the room.  When they are scanned, an ie or igh word is displayed that they must read.  Then students wrote it on the scavenger hunt sheet by the correct clue.  So not only does it hit phonics skills, but also vocabulary skills.  Have a great Wednesday!

Obsessed with 5th Grade Math!!! (Giveaway and a Freebie!)

It has been a while!  I have been so super busy with trying to find and create resources and survive my first year of Graduate classes, that I have not had a chance to blog in a while!  I have become obsessed with teaching Math!  It seems like I have spent most of my life this year creating resources for teaching Math, because we do not have any materials available at my school!  I posted about the Spiral Review I created a few months ago, because my students were having a hard time retaining skills we learned earlier in the year.  I love teaching Unit Based Math, but this is always a concern.  I am really pounding these reviews as we get closer to the end of the year and start really thinking about State Testing.

I spend a great deal of time reflecting on my teaching, and I realized several weeks ago that I have really failed my students with Math Vocabulary stressed in the new standards.  I guess I thought that if we went over the vocabulary for each unit, and then I just kept using it that they would just pick it up... WELL THEY DIDN'T!  (some of you may be shaking your head at me, but cut me some slack-I am only a second year teacher, and my first year in 5th Grade!  :)  So, I have spent most of the past month creating Vocabulary Packs for each Domain to help the students have fun while learning essential vocabulary.  Next year, I will use these before we begin and throughout each unit, but I am going to try to get them in this year before testing!

Each pack contains a vocabulary list with essential vocabulary for the domain and student friendly definitions, a practice sheet in the form of some kind of word puzzle, A whole class activity to practice vocabulary (I Have, Who Has, Bingo, or Scoot), and a Pre/Post Test with Answer Key.  I tried to mix it up in each pack so it didn't get boring for the students as the year goes on.  You can purchase the packs separately, or save $5 by purchasing them together.

We also just finished measurement, and I noticed several of my students still confusing metric and customary units.  So, I created this Sort Activity to help them practice!  Click the picture below to pick up the freebie!

I am going to give away your choice of one of the Vocabulary Packs to the first 3 people who comment!  Just comment with your email and the Vocabulary Pack (Domain 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5) you would like!

Antonym Antlers and Santa Letter Tree Display

We started making a few Christmasy things this week.  First off we made Antonym Antlers.  We have been studying antonyms and it just seemed to fit.  The kiddos made the hand and footprint reindeer seen on pinterest.  It was super easy and required no copying of templates ahead of time for me.  Then they had to write an antonym pair, one word on each antler.  I decided to hang them on my door.  I had them glue on a glittery pom pom for their nose and I had them draw their eyes and mouth.  I think it would be even cuter with googley eyes, but I did not have any big enough on hand.

So check out our cutesy little door!!  

Here is one of the reindeer close-up.

Here is the sign I made for my door.  Click the pic to download it.

The reindeer clipart is courtesy of Teach4real.  Click the link below to head on over to her TPT store.

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Teach4real 

We also wrote Santa letters the day before Thanksgiving break so I took the letters we did on a pretty Santa themed paper and glued each one to a green piece of construction paper, made a yellow star, and used brown butcher paper to make a trunk. And TA-DA a Santa Letter Christmas Tree.  See the pic below.  I love how it turned out! I plan on putting some gifts under the tree to spruce it up.

Well I am off to plan for two days of subs this week since I am out on Tuesday for a PD and Thursday to go to a technology showcase with students.  Have a great week!

Readers Response Pack Freebie

Well I am posting via my NEW MacBook Pro which I am super excited about. It is an early Christmas present from my hubby since I worried him to death about what it was.  So now Melissa says I have joined the Mac club.  LOL! I do love it though!!!! Over the weekend I was trying to get together a readers response packet for our Advanced Firsties to do during our Intervention/Enrichment time that we call Wildcat Time.  So here it is as a freebie to our fab followers.  It includes a before reading prediction printable, vocabulary sheet (based on the vocabulary quiz from Accelerated Reader), Chapter Comprehension questions for each chapter, and a Text to self writing sheet.  I hope this will come in handy in some way for you! Click the picture below to go to TPT and download your freebie.

   Also we have recently learned we are getting an Ipod Touch cart.  Which we are really excited about!!! Does anyone already use these?? If so what are some of the best apps???  Have a great week!

A Little Bit of this and that

Oh wow has this year been crazy already! So we have kind of been so MIA in the blog world.  I am hoping we can fix that.  So I am finally on here with a few things I have created and use in my classroom in the last little bit.  One thing I started this year is a Reading Focus Wall to go along with our Reading Street program.  Here is what my wall looks like.

 

So now I have started the task of creating the printables to go along with each story to go on this Focus Wall.  I have been creating them as we come to the story. So for now I have all of Unit 1 and half of Unit 2 posted to my TPT store for FREE! Yes! Head on over there and download them all.  I am fixing to upload a Unit 1 Bundle so you can download all of Unit 1 at once. Click the pic below to go to my store and pick these up.

 

  I also created a Halloween Unit that you can find in my store as well. It includes lots of goodies to keep your little goblins engaged these last eight school days before Halloween.  The unit uses the books "There was and Old Lady who Swallowed a Bat", "Who Will Haunt my House on Halloween?" and "The Night Before Halloween".  Here are a few picture of some of the craftivities you can find in it, but there is much, much more.  Click The Teacher's Brew cover page to check out the extensive preview and pick this up on TPT.

 

 

I will give a free copy of this unit to the 3rd commenter.

 

 

5th Grade Spiral Math Warm-Ups (Common Core)

One of the biggest challenges I have faced this year in my move to 5th Grade, is teaching the Common Core Standards with programs that are not Common Core aligned.  5th Grade has always used Saxon Math in the past, but I just could not make this work in my classroom.  So, I began planning my own units based on the standards.  The only thing I missed about Saxon was the Spiral Review.  I decided to work this into my instruction in the form of Math Warm-Ups, or instant activities.  I created 100 review sheets to use daily in my classroom to review content previously taught.

I use the Common Core Coach book to guide my instruction, so I teach in the same order that the Common Core Standards are listed.  I use the Domains as my big units, and give small tests and quizes throughout the units.  I began using these instant activities after teaching the first Domain, and they gradually introduce the new standards (after giving time for them to have been taught in class), while reviewing earlier standards as well.  This has made a huge difference in my classroom!  I no longer worry if I have a few students who are still struggling with a concept when we move on to a new one, because I know they will see it several more times as the year progresses. 

This pack contains 100 review sheets, with 4 problems per sheet. *Answer Key Included*
The corresponding standards are listed below each problem. Also includes a Standards Index where the review sheet #'s addressing each standard are listed beside the Standards. (You can see the Standards Index in the preview on TpT, and see how the standards are introduced and revisited)

I use this in my 5th Grade classroom, but it would also be great review in 6th Grade.  Click here to check it out on TpT.

Open House *Freebie*

We recently had our Open House.  We did a few things in 5th Grade to get ready!  Of course we had student work EVERYWHERE!  Including a license plate activity where students had to use 8 letters/numbers to describe themselves.  I will try to post the template I used for this soon.  We also bribed our students to come by offering up Open House Treats!  We bought a huge tub of cheese balls at Sam's Club, and got a few packages of the clear treat bags at Wal-Mart.  I made these labels, which we printed and cut out.  After a handful of cheese balls, folding down the top of the bag, and then stapling the label over the top, we had a Super-Cute treat to hand out at our Open House!  I am sorry I don't have a picture of the finished product to show you, but click the picture above to download the labels.  I have added all grades K-6 in the download.  Enjoy :)