Dissecting Seeds Project

     My students are learning about plants, so the other day I gave each student ordinary Lima & kidney beans from the grocery store to dissect.  I have to admit, the kids and I were pretty surprised to see so many embryos (beginnings of plants) in the seeds.  TIP:  In order to soften the beans quickly, I put them in a cup of hot water.  While the kids were working, they took a picture of what they had dissected.  Using the tools in Seesaw, the kids were able to label the parts, and I was then able to assess their understanding of the parts.

Reading Writing Workshop: Tricks & Tips (FREEBIE INCLUDED!)

     I've always loved teaching math.  Writing on the other hand has been fun, but I've felt like it's a subject where I could find a better way to teach it thus making it more enjoyable.  My former co-teacher and I put a lot of research, time, love, blood, sweat, and tears into creating a spelling/grammar program, but we still didn't feel like it fully reached a solution that worked for the kids.  Then we were separated to two different classrooms and I got a new co-teacher!  My new co-teacher and I continued to develop a program to meet the needs of our kids, but something was definitely missing.

     Then the 'AHA' moment!!  She randomly came across Jen Bengel's shop and after investigating it we were SOLD!  We watched her webinar entitled "Managing Best Practice Reading and Writing Workshops" and knew we were on to something fantastic and implemented it immediately!  We've since bought all of Jen's Reading/Writing Units of Study and her Spelling program for 2nd and 3rd Grades.  We also really liked what Amber wrote on her blog about how her school handles Spelling.  In regards to grammar, I really liked Little Red Writing House's resources for my 3rd graders.  And so...  Below is a break-down of what we use and how I implement it in my Reading Writing Workshop (RWW)!

     My 3rd graders keep a Language Journal (composition notebook), meant to be a one-stop-resource while they write.  The journal has five sections (adapted from Jen's notebooks): Grammar, Word Study (Spelling Skills), Mini-Lessons, Planting Seeds, & Writer's Talks.

Reading (M-Th 9:40 - 10:25):  We use Jen's units, but adapt them a little for the time we have in class.  We keep the general structure the same, but we've combined two or three lessons if necessary.  In the past, I've split my students into two or three reading groups to do a book study.  The units we've had since discovering Jen haven't really lent themselves to doing book groups, but I would consider doing it in the future.  

Spelling Skills (M 12:05 - 12:45 & F 9:40 - 10:25):  We use Jen's units for these in addition to a high frequency word list.  My 3rd graders all participate in a general Spelling lesson on Monday.  Then each child chooses 7 words from the lesson and 7 high frequency words to learn for their test on Friday.  I also have some really gifted spellers who've surpassed the high frequency words and I give them challenging words to choose from.  The kids make their word list to keep at school and also write their word list in their assignment notebooks each week.  Homework each week is to pick at least one activity from Southern Fried Teachin's monthly Spelling Choice Board and use their words to complete it.  They can do multiple activities each week for additional points.  I also have a section (Word Work) in their Language Journal for them to write a few of their spelling words they'd like to use in their writing.  They also record the skill topics in that month under the "Skills" heading.  On Friday, the kids work in partners to test each other.  I have to admit this made my stomach tense at first, but honestly - I LOVE IT now!!  I definitely walk around to monitor them, but I haven't seen any cheating and the kids seem more relaxed while still taking the test seriously.

This is IMPORTANT -- Any words they spell incorrectly will go on the following week's test in their "My Other Words" section.  I absolutely LOVE this because it reinforces the words they need to practice.  It also solves the problem of "What happens to the words they get wrong on the test?" by having them continue to study it until spelled correctly.  It used to be presumed they would get it in other ways.  I find this new method to be so much better!

Click HERE for the above FREE resource!

Writing (M-F different times):  For my grammar lessons, I use Little Red Writing House's 3rd Grade Interactive Notebook resources.  For all other writing lessons, I use Jen's lessons that go along with the Reading unit we are studying.

PLEASE feel free to email me if you'd like more advice about how to implement this in your classroom!  Finding new ways to teach is so exciting!!

Write By Candlelight

     It started with our poetry unit, our culminating project being a poetry slam for 2nd and 3rd graders.  It was precious!  The kids wrote their own poems as part of the unit.  We purchased plastic mason jars and battery-operated tea lights.  We made little table groups with the candlelight and had a chair for the featured reader to sit in at the front of the classroom to recite their poem.  The kids LOVED it!

     Then a few days later, my third graders were working on their focused brain-storming session in our recently-started Realistic Fiction unit.  I happened to notice the tea lights and jars were still out, needing to be put away.  I said, "Kiddos, do you want to write by candlelight today?"  "YEEEESSSSS!!!!"  So the ones who wanted a candle/jar got to write by candlelight.  It was absolutely precious!  We turned off the lights and also put on peaceful music.  From now on the kids  always get the option to write by candlelight.  I'm absolutely loving the ambience and the peace it brings them.

     For this particular unit, my co-teacher and I decided to have the kids write a choose-your-own adventure story!  I'd seen a reference to it at a technology workshop, and was SUPER ANTSY to fit it into the curriculum somehow!  This was the perfect opportunity.  The kids are THRILLED about it, even my most challenged writers!  After doing some research about how to write one in general, we've amended it for our grade level.  Here is a fantastic resource that helped us.  

     The students pictured above are working on their "Events In My Story" part of the story planning process.  We already spent a day working on characters and setting.  We talked a little bit about how to organize the story.  Each part of their book will be about a paragraph, no longer than a page.  For some of them, drawing the organizer helped at this stage.  I am interested to see how the others choose to organize their thoughts.  In general, I love what they are coming up with!

     We are using Jen Bengel's Units of Study for our Reading Writing Workshop (RWW).  If you haven't checked her out yet, YOU. SIMPLY. MUST!!!  Beyond rave reviews about how Jen's units of study have changed my teaching approach to RWW.  She's FABULOUS!  See my separate post about how we've implemented her units in RWW and Spelling.

More to come as the kids continue to work on their stories!

Passion Projects: Kids Explore What They Love!

"Passion Projects," "Genius Hour," "20% Time," "Passion Project Hour"...  I've been doing these types of projects with my students longer than it has been a buzz word!  Early on in my teaching (fourteen years ago), I knew it was important for the kids to express themselves through whatever it was they were passionate about or highly interested in.  I dubbed them "Special Projects" and they were done in the morning when everyone was coming to school.  The projects were more informal than today's projects, but the essence was the same -- to give each student an avenue where they could bring their personal interests to life and teach their class about it too.

When my co-teacher and I decided to work this project into our schedule (we let go of a subject, Junior Great Books, that wasn't engaging for our kids), we began by watching A.J. Juliani's course.  We also enlisted the help of our Director of Teaching & Learning, who did these types of projects with his students when he was a classroom teacher.  It has been invaluable to have the three of us working with them!  We three planned together and picked out the ways we felt it could be engaging and workable for our 2nd and 3rd graders.  While it hasn't always been smooth sailing with this age group compared to older students, the rewards have been beautiful!  I have cherished the time I'm spending with them doing projects that normally wouldn't fall into our usual school day.  From sewing, to playing a mini-golf course, to watching them code video games (they are light years ahead of my understanding!).  There are so many projects, and in heart-warming ways each one reflects the student completing it.

If you are debating doing Passion Projects with this age level, I highly recommend enlisting the help of another teacher and/or parent.  I'm sure there are all-star teachers out there who do it alone and I would love to be one!  But sometimes one needed a needle threaded, another a box cut, and another dripped paint and all needed to be attended to pretty quickly.  It was just a more peaceful process knowing that I had two other teachers in the class with me.  I am also happy to help you further if you'd like to know more about our process with this age group.

Some of the other projects include making stuffed animals, drawing sketches, creating a new song, and making a catchphrase.  The students always reflected on their work from the day into Seesaw, and so that all three teachers could give constructive comments on their work.  Administration was also able to view the progress through Seesaw!  Parents also very much enjoyed seeing their child's progress and commenting as well.

More photos to come when they present their projects to our school next week!

Click HERE for link to lightbulb border from Creative Teaching Press.

The clipart is from Krista Wallden - Creative Clips.

YUMMY!...Wait, how much sugar?!

     I have long loved Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal, and now I've pretty much ruined it for myself and most of my students!  We are in our Health & Nutrition unit in Science as well as Metric Measurement unit in Math.  So I took the opportunity to combine the two!  The results were wonderful!  The kids got a real-world application for why it is important to understand metric measurements as well as a life lesson about choosing healthy food.  I teach Science to both 2nd & 3rd graders, so it was fun to see each grade apply what they learned.  I updated my unit using Health & Nutrition Unit by Inspire Me ASAP.  What a FANTASTIC resource!  Highly recommended.  I also used her challenges as a long-term project to be turned in.  She provides three 10-day challenges in exercise, curbing sugar, and general nutrition.  My students were given all three pages and could earn prizes for completing all 30 activities.  I was surprised how motivated some of them became!

      Nine grams is how much sugar is contained in 3/4 cup (serving size) of Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal.  When my co-teacher and I figured out what 9 grams looked like, I went back to find out the serving size.  We were both shocked!  I decided I would try to create that feeling in my students.  The students started out in groups of four by scooping what they thought was 9 grams of sugar into a Ziploc bag.  Afterwards, I had them Seesaw a picture of their bag to their parents asking if they thought it looked like 9 grams of sugar.  Click HERE to view to a 2nd Grade Seesaw entry.  I then had them each weigh their bags on one of two scales I'd purchased.  Most of the kids went over 9 grams.  Of my 28 students, only 5 or so got close.  Some were as high as 600 grams...!  My math class had measured items that morning so they were a little closer in their estimations.  We then reconvened for more of a discussion.  I said, "Okay, kiddos!  Now looking at what 9 grams actually looks like, get this - a serving size is 3/4 of a cup!"  I showed them the amount scooped into a baggie!  They all had the same OMG moment as I had! 

Bloglovin'

Follow my blog with Bloglovin!

Looking forward to seeing you there! :)

Seesaw: My Classroom Game Changer!

     Parent/Classroom communication had been somewhat of a struggle in our classroom over the years...  We sent weekly (paper) newsletters and posted them on our school's internal website, sent emails, sent work home often, you name it.  Still there were families who felt they needed more.  Then last year, my soon-to-be co-teacher was shown something by our head of school.  SEESAW!  She showed it to me and I knew right away this would be the total game changer for our classroom.  My then co-teacher and I implemented it immediately!  The response was POSITIVELY overwhelming!  We started out with the free Seesaw, but quickly purchased Seesaw for Schools for Grades 2-5.  Our Middle School and "Specials" (PE, Music, World Languages, Art, Drama) classes now use it and we're working on getting K-1 on board too.  Our school happens to be 1:1 iPads, but Seesaw is meant for schools with all types of technology access!

     Seesaw is a student-driven digital portfolio that allows the students to directly communicate/document their learning to their families and teachers in an absolutely safe space.   Parents now get to see what their child is doing in real-time presented by their child!  Even grandparents and other family members can sign up if they have the child's code!  It has been so sweet to see the grandparents living out of state commenting on their grandchild's work :)

Click HERE to see an example of one of my student's math work!  

This was a math lesson about metric and nonstandard measurement.

Click HERE to see an example of one of my student's reflections 

about her Passion Project progress.

Click HERE to see an example of a video created by two of my students
to explain equivalent fractions. 

Click HERE to see a video one of my students made about multiplication.

     Teacher benefits?...  A TON!!  We were able to lose the weekly newsletters that were consuming A LOT of our time on Fridays (sometimes weekends if we didn't get to it on Friday)!  We are able to assess them in more authentic ways in addition to standards-based.  We are able to give meaningful feedback on their work.  We could easily use a safe Seesaw blog connected to our class, but I haven't done that yet.  We can comment on other teacher's classes if we are co-teachers on their accounts.  With Seesaw for Schools, our head of school and all admin with access can see what the kids are doing without leaving their office and can comment on the kids work!  We can see which parents view the work.  The kids can constructively comment on each other's work (if you turn that feature on).  These are just a few of the amazing things that Seesaw has helped us improve in our class!  This blog post does not do full justice to all the incredible features Seesaw has to offer!!

Scan this code to get a free month of Seesaw Plus!

Click HERE for more information about features and pricing!