Rocky Run

It is hard to believe that it is already the middle of January! Like most of you, when we returned from Holiday Vacation, I had my students color in a cute foldable with the numbers 2 0 1 7 on the outside flaps. They were supposed to write 2 things they were most looking forward to this year, 0 - something they wanted to stop or do 0 times this year, 1 person they would like to become friends with this year and 7 books they wanted to read. It was a cute assignment and time filler when we first got back. However, that is exactly how my students looked at it; a cute fluff assignment, not really something to put much thought into. I was frustrated with them for not taking it serious and with myself for even giving them the assignment. I wanted to incorporate goal planning into our daily schedule. So I came up with The Rocky Run! 

Rocky Run?? What is that? Well I am sure you have all seen at least once in your life Rocky Balboa run up the stairs in Philadelphia... It is on that same idea... The students chose an academic goal and we created goal sheets. If they complete their goal by the end of January, they will be able to do our version of the Rocky Run and run a lap around the school and up the stairs while the Rocky theme is playing to thunderous applause! 

I first showed the students his early attempts at training and getting up the stairs with much difficulty. They did not like the raw egg scene, and I would have to agree with them. 

Then I showed them after hard work and dedication he was able to make it up the stairs! They were hooked and all in! 

Let the training begin! 

#rockyrun2017

Bridget

We Trapped Him!

We had so much fun designing, building, and writing about our Gingerbread Man Traps! The students were so engaged and couldn't wait to work on them. Not a bad way to spend the last week before vacation!

Here is a look at some of our Writing!

We trapped that treat!

Check out the entire project! Gingerbread STEM


Happy New Year!
Bridget

Gingerbread Madness

We have begun to build our traps! My kids are so excited and have been fully immersed into capturing the cookie! We collected any and all recycling materials that the students brought in to build with. I did pre-warn the students that we were going to create a stock pile of materials for all of the students to use and that they may not get their particular "recyclables" back !

Here is a look at our stock pile!

I was so impressed with my kids when we started to create- there was no fighting! They were helping each other out - and just having fun!  As a teacher, it was a great moment!

We are on step 4 of The Engineering Design Process!

Gingerbread Man STEM Activity   Check out the entire project here!

Happy Holidays

Bridget

Trap that Treat!

It is that time of year again.... Time when my classroom gets taken over by the Gingerbread Man and we have to design a contraption to trap him! I love this unit... the students are so engaged, and during this time of year that says an awful lot!!

Each student colors and decorates a gingerbread man that they have to design a working trap to catch him. I let them work in pairs or small groups. We discuss the Engineering Design Process and walk the kids through it. Then let them loose and see what they can come up with!

                         *Ask    *Brainstorm     *Plan     *Build/create     *Improve

This year we are doing a few things differently...

I put together a fun resource packet for the students to use while doing this project and we added a How To writing piece with a craftivity to display on our bulletin board. 

Gingerbread Man STEM and How To writing!  

I am very excited about our How To writing piece that we added this year! I can't wait to see the finished product and how adorable they are going to look hanging up on the bulletin board!

I will keep you up to date on our progress, until then... Happy trapping!

Bridget

Gallon Man !!

I feel like I should be singing a superhero theme song.... 

Gallon Man..... 

Gallon Man.....

 He makes liquid measurement easier to understand.....

 Gallon Man..... !!!

My class has been studying liquid measurement and let's face it, it can get a little confusing. How many cups are in a pint? How many pints in a gallon? How many pints are in a quart?

 Enter Gallon Man! 

This cute hands on activity helps students answer those questions. I gave the students a set of handouts for them to color. They could color it any color they wanted but all the quarts had to be the same the color, pints the same color, and cups the same color. In years past we would make Gallon Man, hang him up and call it a day. However, this year I made extra copies on card stock and as part of my guided math groups they must remake Gallon Man. At first I got the typical complaints,  but now they look forward to it and have begun to time themselves to see who can recreate him the fastest! There are so many versions all over the internet but Laura Candler has an easy to follow pattern free of charge!

I also use interactive notebooks in my classroom, I just love them! We create the Big G to add to our book. The Big G is another great visual for students to refer back to and for them to visualize if they need to. 

Have a fabulous day!

Bridget

The Snow Globe Family

     Winter got you down? Kids getting antsy? I know my students are! So while scanning my favorite website... Pinterest... I came across all kinds of cute and fun snow globe activities. I decided to use The Snow Globe Family by Jane O'Connor and S. D.  Schindler as my mentor text and came up with a couple of activities that align with the Common Core to beat the winter blues.

Check it out at The Snow Globe Family

This is just one of the many activities that are included in the mini unit

Here are some of the fabulous ideas that I found on Pinterest....

I love this idea from Babbling Abby ! What a great and cute way to brainstorm ideas. She also had her students create their own snow globe.

This is from Fabulous in Fourth 

Have the students pose for a picture in their snow gear and take their picture. They can create a snow globe using a clear plastic plate as the "dome" of the globe! Display their writing and their globe together! Love it!

If you search for snow globe writing activity on Pinterest you will have so many to chose from!
Have fun and think Spring!

Bridget