Apples & worms (counting) & a new quick tip!

Hi everyone!

I made this quick file folder game this weekend  to go along with our apple unit.  The students count the seeds and then find the worm that has the corresponding number.   It is super easy to put together.  I simply printed it out, glued the apples to the file folder, then laminated everything.  I added clear Velcro (I love it, but much more expensive then the not clear stuff) to the side of each apple.  I made sure to out it on height same part of each apple as to eliminate confusion as to how to hook on the worms.   I am hoping to use this eventually as an independent task for one of my students.

  

To help make it more tactile ( Here is where the quick tip comes in!). I added small dots of school glue to each seed.  Once it dries it is clear and when the students count by touching the seeds they will feel a slightly raised texture.  This provides a little bit more input then just touching the laminated page would.  

If you would like to get your own copy of this file folder game, you can find it in my TPT store.

Parent gifts

This year for parent gifts we made handprint calendars.  These came out super cute, but they were a lot of work to complete.  If you wanted to do this with your students I highly suggest giving yourself more than 3 weeks.  If I do this project again next year we will start in September as to allow for lots of time to fix mistakes, dry, and put it all together.   

To wrap the calendars I took big white envelopes and let the kids decorate them with stickers, markers, etc.  We then just slid in the calendar and sealed it shut. 

 

Did you make any gifts for parents?

Guest Post from Grade School Giggles: Hands on Academics with Play-dough

Play-dough can take any number of academic lessons from ordinary to extraordinary and it only takes a few minutes to make inexpensive dough. Just combine 1 cup all purpose flour, 1 cup water, 2 teaspoons cream of tartar, 1/3 cup of salt, 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, and food coloring in a pot over low heat. Stir for a few minutes until it makes a clump around your spoon. Store it in a sealed container when you're not using it.

Once you've made your dough you are ready to start using it in your lessons. Here are some ideas to get you started.

Spelling- Make letter mats and let the students build them. You could even do the same with cursive letters for older students. It would be a good early finisher activity. Older students can also roll the dough out and use stamps or toothpicks to spell their words or write examples of compound words or contractions.

Math- Make number mats and let the students build them. Have them use the play-dough to model basic addition or subtraction problems. Students can use play-dough to act out word problems. When studying measurement, play-dough can be used to create ropes in different lengths. It's also great for building 2 and 3D shapes.

Science- Younger students can explore color mixing. Older students can use play-dough to build a model of the Earth, make land forms, or build models of animals, plants, or cells.

Social Studies- Play-dough can be used to model using an assembly line and making goods as part of an economics unit. It could also be used to outline continents, states, countries, or rivers on a map. Older students could even use it to create a topographical map.

Have you used play-dough in your room before? How do you use it? Do you have any new ideas?

Please stop by Grade School Giggles and check out more of my classroom ideas. Thanks!

Frugal Friday: Teacher Lists

Have you tried out Teacher Lists yet?  Not only is it a super easy way to post your school supply list or a wish list online, but you can also get free school supplies for your classroom!  If you go through the link I have provided you should receive a free 12 pack of Elmer’s glue sticks.  I am not sure if you will get that if you go directly to the site.  I have created a quick tutorial to help you get through setting up your first list, but I promise you it is super easy. Click here to get started!


The first page you see will look like this.  Click on the link (The green arrows will help show you the way!) that say Create An Account.  I don’t have screen shots of this process because I have already created my account.  Sorry!!





Once you account is created and you are signed in you will see this page. lick on Create a list.







After you click on create list you will see this screen.  You need to choose Supply List or Wish List.  If you choose supply list another screen will come up asking if these are items that are mandatory for your students to bring in.

 




Next it will ask you to fill in some information about your list.  Use the drop down menus.






Now for the fun part!  Choose your items that are for your supply list or wish list.  Just click on the category you want.  I always start with most popular items.









Once you click on the item you want, you need to add how many you would like and any descriptive information.

 





As you add items they will start showing you on your list to the right.  When you are done simply click finish.







Congratulations!  Your first list is done!





See, I told you it was super easy!  So what are you waiting for?  Go make your list at Teacher Lists!

Cheap, Easy & Fun make your own whiteboards

  I was perusing the giveaway tables (looking for stuff that I do not need) during the last few days of school and to my surprise I found an almost full box of Report Covers.  I can not believe someone was just going to get rid of them!!!

I originally got this idea from Smedley's Smorgasboard of Kindergarten.  All I had to do was use some Duct Tape  and tape around 3 sides .   Make sure you leave one side open to put the paper in.  Now you are able to put a sheet in this and the students can use it multiple times by writing over it with a dry erase marker.  You can then erase and start all over again. Insert Teacher tip! I have recently found the Mr. Clean Erasers work wonders on white boards, but as I am sure you already know, socks are another great alternative.


These have worked great!! My students love the Angry Birds theme and I know I can do the others to which ever theme may be appropriate.   Yes, I know I can do the same thing with page protectors, but the duct tape makes it look so much more fun!  You may want to do a smaller border as I notice sometimes I can not see the side of the paper.    Now, to just figure out what I am going to do with the the plastic parts (Sliding bars) that are supposed to be used to hold the papers in. Any ideas?

Just in case you are wondering, the sheets that I have in here came from Carisa at  1+1+1=1.  This is a fantastic site with lots of great free pintables.  I have blogged about her before.  You can check out that post here.



 

 

End of the year gifts: post it note holder

I always like to do something little for the teachers and paras I work with throughout the school year. This year that includes about 20 people. Gifts cards were just going to be way to much!. I had seen this idea on Pinterest last year that I really liked and thought, "Hey, I can do that!"  It turns out that these personalized post it note holders where super easy to make and sure cute!

The original post (you can  find that here) calls for scrapbook paper, but instead I used power point and some adorable graphics and backgrounds from My Cute Graphics. I then had the slides printed as 5X7 photos. I was able to get them at RiteAid with a coupon for 50 cents each.   I found the binder clips on clearance from Oriental Trading and the ribbon for the bows I found at AC Moore on sale and of course using my teacher discount.  I found the frames at the dollar store.   The post it notes I  had in a drawer.

 

 

After I slide in the pictures, I used hot glue to secure the binder clip to the frame.  I like this way because once the sticky notes run out, you can easily add more.  I also used hot glue to add the ribbons.   I love how these came out and how they are all different.  Each person gets a gift unique to them.

 

 

Do you give gifts at the end of the year or do you feel like my husband does and say, they are doing their job?

The many uses of duct tape

Have you discovered the colored and patterned duct tape yet? It comes in roll and sheets and there are SO many cute choices.   I think my favorite is the Paint Splatter Printed Duct Tape. I have posted before how I used duct tape to remodel a bookshelf (you can check that post out here), well I have also used duct tape for a variety of other things this year.  All of these uses were completed at the beginning of the year and I just took the pictures yesterday, so I feel it held up REALLY well to the mistreatment of K-2nd graders.  So this year I have used duct tape to cover a formula can, hold down a carpet, hold up a table cloth turned curtain and of course my remodeled bookshelf. I also used it to cover an can from cake frosting, but I couldn't locate that to take a picture.  I am sure I am going to find many more uses this summer when I start going through my classroom again.  I think I have some more shelves that could use some sprucing up.  Have you used duct tape on anything?  I would love to see! Please share pictures on the Learning Ahoy Facebook wall.