I love RANDOM Posts.

Just wanted to share some pictures that I've been hoarding...

This is part of my current hall display.  Definitely nothing fancy, but I'm proud of all the work!  On the top row are posters that summarized events that we had been discussing in SS.  All the groups had different ideas for presenting the information and it worked out perfectly!  The second row are our chemical and physical change comic books that we created!  Again, I'm a proud teacher! :)

An example of of the groups poster. This was about the Watergate Scandal.  I loved how they decided to create a newspaper article!

Not much color on this poster, but this group illustrated the Camp David Accord!

Timeline of events that occurred during the 1950-1960's.  Students had to write a summary of the event and find the dates for the event then glue them on the timeline!

Another display that my students created were summaries of different decades.  They had the 1950's-2000's.  They had to tell us about the presidents, the government spending, the way America was dealing with foreign countries, and any other important events that may occurred.  Students also chose to include music and clothes because we listened to music from each decade we discussed!

And last, but not least... :)  

Motivational posters made from two different classes for my homeroom.  Yes, the green one has HEDGEHOGS on it!  If you don't know, I'm obsessed with hedgies!

A student gave this to me, she said it was a hedgehog that came from her kids meal. :) <3

Another teacher bought this for me, the same one that made the green poster! :) Love it!

Preparing for State Testing

We just finished our state testing on Friday of last week.  What do you do to prepare for state testing?  I use the typical Jeopardy and Are you Smarter than a fifth graders, but here are some other items that I've created, bought, and thought of over the years...

I made my own Government BINGO cards.  Each card is completely different and the students are mainly reviewing important documents we discussed, amendments, and the amendment process.

On the other side of the same card is an overview of SS for the ENTIRE year!  This is always fun to see kids trying to recall these important events that we've not talked about since the beginning of the school year.

I downloaded these Where Am I Cards and students had fun trying to guess where I was.  Next time, I think I will ask them to point it out on the MAP!!  Here is the link to get these for FREE!!

I started doing these when I taught third grade and I love them, plus the students do too!  Basically, you fold the paper at the bottom up about 2 inches.  You then write three clues about a person and have students guess the Who Am I?  I actually let my students draw names out of bag to get their assigned person.  They then read them to the class and have their classmates guess!  You could do this with Where am I? or even What am I? and do vocabulary words!

Here is the answer, which is written under the 2 inch flap.

In Science, I had created games already for each unit, so we pulled those games out and revisited them.  So what about you, what do you do to make reviewing fun and meaningful?

Chemical and Physical Change

Chemical and Physical Change is a unit that is tough for me teach.  It is tough for me because I think it is one of the "simple" concepts, but the students have a hard time grasping it!  Am I alone with this feeling?  (I surely hope not!)  I will say that after my unit was over the kids did great on their PARs assessment!  Here are just a FEW of the things we did in class that I snapped a picture of...

Introduction day, we talked about how particles move inside solids, liquids, and gas.  We did hand movements to show that solids just vibrate in place and don't have a lot of space to move.  Inside a liquid we did a rolling type movement.  This represents that liquids take the space of the container and are a little more free flowing.  For gas are hands are popping all over the place!  

Another experiment we did at the end was just a fun toy that I had found.  It was the melting snowman.  We watched this little guy "melt" throughout the day.  Here are the pictures.  The next day we discussed if we thought this was a chemical of physical change.  What do y'all think?

We watched magic beads aka WATER beads and we observed the changes they under went with water.  We discussed what type of change these under went and even kept them out a couple of weeks to see if they actually returned to their original size or not.

Other experiments: rusting steel wool, vinegar and baking soda, alka setlzer tablet in water, and ripping up paper.

We also memorized this poem...

We also created this foldable.  I adapted because I didn't do the printout.  Instead we just hand wrote the information.  You can read more about here, at Ms Savvy Science!  

What do you do for chemical and physical change?

Hodge Podge of Items

All year long I've taken pictures and told myself, this is definitely "blog" worthy.  However, my intentions are good, but the follow through hasn't been.  I updated our classroom blog a LOT more than this one!  In fact, there are PLENTY of fun ideas over there that I promise will make their way to this blog! :)

Anyways, for now accept my apologies and this hodge podge of ideas for you!

This is just a picture of my SHOUT OUTS I did before I left on a Friday afternoon.  When students arrived on Monday morning they were excited to see their names on the board for EXCELLENT conduct grades!  I'm always amazed at how far little things like this will go!

I always get the best ideas from other teachers!  Upon entering Mrs. Harman's room last year I thought WOW, why didn't I think of that?  This is just a LARGE clothes pin that is by my door.  It catches papers that need to be passed out or needs to go to the office.  It is the go to place if I'm looking for an important piece of paper!  I bought this at Target from the Dollar Spot!

So I blogged before about my classroom management system.  The pictures were old and I've definitely updated the look since then.  You can find the blog here.  In a nut shell, the three classes are competing for links.  When their links touch the ground they receive a prize and the game starts BACK over.  Originally I kept it going and each class wasn't really competing with each other.  However, this is CHEAPER, plus the kids are excited to earn their links!  Unfortunately, this year my homeroom hasn't won the classroom competition yet!  Mrs. Walters class has won the most! We voted on the 5 classroom objectives at the beginning of the year.

Close up, laminated so that I can erase the expectations each year and write new ones if needed.

Paper clip, 2 index cards, and hot glue hold it all together.

My students LOVE when they walk in my classroom and see this spinner on the board!  You can turn ANYTHING into a review!  For this particular review students spun the spinner and then had to point to the cell parts on a larger diagram of plant and animal cells.  If they landed on the free, they could point and name any part they wanted.  Here is where you can purchase this spinner, plus two additional ones.  

Lastly,  my timeline is something that I'm proud of in my classroom.  More about the timeline can be found here.  With each unit we've added the important events to the timeline.  This kept up in check all year long!  The only thing that I would do differently next year is to make the cards smaller, not the words, but just trim off the extra color on the back.  It got a bit crowded on the timeline!  I also might be moving this up front!  

Electricity, Oh My!

We just wrapped up our ELECTRICITY unit in science.  The kids enjoyed the activities and did really well on the most recent PARs (County Testing).  I wanted to share with you a few things that we did.

My opener for the unit was giving each group masking tape, a battery, one wire, and a lightbulb.  I asked them to make the light bulb light up.  Out of 15 groups that day only 2 were able to get it to light without my assistance.  It was so much fun to watch them become excited and DETERMINED to make it light up without help.

Later we conducted experiments with using a switch, making a parallel circuit, and testing different insulators and conductors.

Our favorite activity though was creating our own "Hot Dot" cards.  With these cards students can write down a question, plus give a few multiple choice options and using a Christmas light and battery create a self checking system.

Here is how it works...

 These are examples of the cards that I made.  Notice that there are 4 holes in the cards.  I have three choices on each card and then the "HOT DOT."

Once you've written your questions and punched your holes, flip your card over.  Take a piece of tin foil and connect the "HOT DOT" to the hole beside the correct answer.  Make sure that you don't cover the other multiple choice holes.  I used clear tape, but I've done it with masking tape, too.  

Cover the other incorrect holes with small pieces of tin foil.  Make sure that they do NOT touch the correct answer tin foil strip.

These are our testers.  It is a Christmas light cut directly from the strand taped to a battery and then a lose end. :)  I used clear tape here, but replaced mine with masking tape because it kept coming loose.  I also tried AAA batteries, but the AA worked better.  The bulb was brighter with the AA.

How to use:  The positive side is the easiest to keep untaped because you can actually put the raised part into the "HOT DOT" hole.  The other end of the strand touches the correct answer.  If you've selected the correct answer your light bulb lights up!  If you are wrong then it doesn't light up. :)

This is an example of a "HOT DOT" card that doesn't have a straight line to follow.  Do you see how I folded the tin foil at an angle?  

Once the kids make these they are able to make as many as needed.  As long as they have their testers they can use this as a study guide, too.  

How would you use these in your classroom?

Slacker, I know...

I haven't posted since the beginning of the year, which seems like just the other day!  I don't know about you, but this school year has FLOWN by!  I keep telling my students that and they look at me like I'm crazy, but all my teacher friends seem to agree! :)

Anyways, we've been totally busy this year.  The group of kids that I have are great.  We have a few issues, but for the most part they are doing their best.  In my county students must take a test every 4 weeks.  In elementary school, this is for grades 3-5.  The PARS (as they are called) lets teachers know how the students understood the concept that was taught, plus gives us an idea as to how they will perform on our end of the year state testing, CRCT.

Over the course of the school year students will take 7 PARS, which is actually 28 tests (Reading, Math, Science, and Social Studies).  I think the idea of the PARS is great, but for me in Science and Social Studies I have difficulty with going back and reteaching those concepts that were missed.  If I take time and go back and work with students who struggled on a particular standard then that will take time away from the next concept.  Yes, that is right EVERY four weeks the PARS is on different topic!

Overall my students have done well.  There are a handful of students who consistently are on the border of passing or failing, you know the "BUBBLE" kids.

Do you have something similar in your county?  Do you have suggestions for helping those students that need the reteaching, but will also need the new information?  How would you handle this situation?

Our state testing will be in the middle of April, so I've decided to start reviewing now.  We are actually learning NEW topics up until the CRCT.  In fact, last year I didn't finish my Science unit!  We looked at our Earth Science Standards, but I wouldn't say that my students were 100% ready on that topic.

So here is my plan of action...

1. Send home scores of all the current PARS.  We've taken 5 so far.  This will give the parents information as to what students struggled with.

2. Start having daily quizzes with old CRCT questions over the units we've already covered.  So starting with the older topics.  Hopefully, students will see the need for studying, plus will give me an idea what to spend more time on right before the test.

3. Extra homework.  Currently my homework isn't difficult at all.  Here is a video about my CURRENT homework.

You can also read more here, http://lazenbyclass.blogspot.com/2013/09/homework.html and here, http://lazenbyclass.blogspot.com/p/homework.html

The extra homework that I will assign will come from the CRCT Test Practice books for Social Studies.  If there is time, then we will utilize our Science one, too.  Students will be assigned so many questions a night. We will review them in class on Friday and students can keep the books to study with!

At the moment this is all I have.  Now once we are done with our lessons then we will utilize games that I've created for each unit and study.  What do you do to help students get ready for their big test?

Science Vocabulary Foundation

Hey there!

I apologize for the lack of posts!  I am back in school, which feels like I'm roller skating as soon as I walk through the building!  

We just finished our 2nd week and although I don't have any pictures to share with you- go figure- I did want to talk to you about some of the activities we did!  :)

In Science, we're discussing some KEY vocabulary right now.  It is key because the vocabulary will be used the ENTIRE year.  I think it is important to set a good strong foundation of these words...

I've noticed that the hardest words to actually understand is Observation vs. Inference, and then Qualitative vs. Quantitative.  

So here are some things that we did...

I showed them a clear cup of water.  I asked them to describe how it smelt, felt, looked, etc.  We described the cup and the actual liquid inside.  I then explained that by using our senses we make observations.  **Clear, liquid, wet, etc.**  Then I asked them to "INFER" what was inside the cup.  All of them guessed water.  I explained that by using our observations and what we already know we can make an educated guess as to what is inside the cup.  

I then showed them another cup.  This time inside the cup was a white powdery substance.  Students described what they saw.  A few times people said "it's baby powder" and I would stop and say is that an observation or an inference and we would discuss.  We would then "INFER" what was in the cup and that is when I heard baby powder, baking soda, powdered sugar, etc.  

I then completed an experiment and poured the water cup inside the cup with the powder, which was actually the diaper polymer.  Students described what they observed.  Then they "INFERRED" what happened.  

Most of the students now were understanding, but a few were still confused.  So I created Inference bags.  I had three brown lunch bags in the front of the room the next day.  I told students that inside the bags were items that could be found in my classroom.  I told them that I would describe the objects based on what I observed before I put them in the bag.  Students would then INFER what is inside the bag.  They LOVED this activity.  

Bag #1- pink balloon

Observations- stretchy, rubbery, pink, has an odor of rubber..

INFERENCE- Most classes thought it was a eraser.

Bag #2- sandwich bag

Observations- clear, plastic, has pink and blue stripes, no smell

INFERENCE- Most thought it was a straw

Bag #3- Bandaid

Observations- In a wrapper, brown, white square, sticky

INFERENCE- Most thought it was chocolate.

Students then picked an object around the room to observe and had their  neighbor infer what the object was.

To help with Quantitative and Qualitative.  I first wrote both of the words on the board.  Underneath the l in Qualitative I wrote letters.  Underneath the n in Quantitative I wrote numbers.  We then talked about how qualitative observations use words, like all our observations from the days before.  Quantitative involves numbers- so actually measuring or weighing.  I competed the same diaper polymer experiment, but this time we measured the water, powder, and the gel substance that we ended up with at the end.  

Students were then given random objects inside plastic bags and asked to write qualitative and quantitative observations about them.  One bag contained beads, so for qualitative they described how it felt and the colors.  For quantitative they told me how many beads and how many of each color.  Another group received a graduated cylinder of water.  For qualitative they described the container and the liquid.  For the quantitative they told me how much liquid was in the cylinder.  

The plans this week is to review the vocabulary words that we went over last week.  We will also be studying the Scientific Method.  Students will write their own raps, songs, or poems to present to the class!  

 

I've already written myself a note to TAKE MORE PICTURES! ;) 

Kids Discover Magazine Deal!!

Another blogger shared this with me and I wanted to be sure to share it with my friends, too!!  

I have some of these Kids Discover magazines in my classroom because a previous teacher left them in there! The students really enjoy looking through them, so I knew that this would be a great addition to my science and social studies classroom!

If you visit, Plum District you will see the sweet deal for a 1-year subscription for $10.  However, if you enter the code (it is ONLY GOOD FOR TODAY) PDDISKIDS10 it will only be $9!!!!

So visit, http://www.plumdistrict.com/three_for_free/d8bfed0f4f/click and get your subscription now! :)

**FYI, if you get three people to purchase it then you get your money back.  So please click this link and then share you own link to receive your rewards!

Slowly, but surely my classroom is coming together

Another HOT day in the classroom.  Today I feel that I got a LOT more accomplished, but after looking at it when I was leaving it didn't seem much different at all! :/  I still have to get my HUGE desk moved and have two tables taken out.  Hopefully, on Thursday we will be able to get this accomplished.

So here is what I'm working with today...

I began by punching out my letters and spelling everything one million times to get every letter!  :) I wanted to try out my cute EQ picture frames. (Link about those here.) Well, I decided that I didn't like them hanging on the ribbon because it actually took up too much board.  So I'm going to find a way to hang the frames like the one under science.  For the picture I had rested it on push pins, but that is not stable at all!  In fact, I probably should have taken this down before I left school today! EEks!

 I set up my computers today, too!  The back green wall is going to be used for vocabulary that we are currently discussing.  An upper grades "word wall."

To the left is where exemplary work will be displayed.  It is actually a requirement for our walk through to have this area.  I will use my cute clothes pins that I redecorated with scrapbook paper here!  The back wall is an area to hang posters and other information that pertain to the focus that week.  Last year I had no room to hang my actual informational posters that went along with the topic, like the Civil War. I'm excited about it! ;)  Oh, and this big ol' empty space is going to house my big ol' desk!  

Another DUH moment that I had this summer was, "I teach SS, but don't have a map!"  I found this map in my classroom last year, but didn't think to use it! Over the summer I knew that I would pull this out and put it up!  Once we begin our units, I will use yarn to point and highlight certain areas!  

 I cleaned out my supply closet and decided that I did not need 2 million sheets of construction paper!  I will be rolling this down the kindergarten and first grade hall next week!  When I moved into this room last school year, there was a HUGE rolling cubicle cart full of paper.  The PreK teacher actually came and got two rolling chairs full of paper and I STILL had this and more left over!!  I don't know what the previous room owner did with fifth graders and construction paper, but I'm missing something!! 

Here is the storage closet, much nicer from yesterday! :)  

 
And this my friends is what I was MOST excited about all day today!!  I've been eyeing these classroom Twitter boards and wanted to find a way that would work for me. Here is what I did... 

These pocket charts came from Target from the $1 bin! :)  I was so happy that they were the perfect size!!  So each slot already had white cardboard strips.  I took out three of them to use and threw the rest away.  I decided to hot glue these to the back of the pocket charts because I was hot gluing the charts to the wall.  I didn't want the glue to be showing through and look a hot mess if you know what I mean! :)

I have created and laminated my own twitter profile and students will be creating theirs during the first week of school.  My friend suggested that I take a picture and type their names on them, but for now I'm sticking to this method! :)

Each class will have a different color pocket chart and my question that I ask them to tweet about could change.  Below you can see an example of just a generic idea I had.  The hash-tag represents the classes homeroom teacher.

I'm still developing my official twitter classroom idea, but I know that I will select different students throughout the week to do it.  I will not select the same ones because their proflie picture will not be put back in the bucket (or whatever I use to hold them) until everyone has went.  I laminated the sentence strips to create the wipe on and off system. Once I have my ideas together I will post about my Twitter board and link it back to here. :)

I'm probably going to move this, but for now it is hanging by my door.  This is from my brother who went to Japan for a little over 2 months this summer on business.  He brought me back several brochures and took hundreds of pictures for me to use in my classroom.  He visited Hiroshima (5th grade SS standard in GA) and left a paper crane in honor of my class! :)  This is another blog post that I'm working on! Once I have it complete, I will link back! :)

I painted this towards the end last year at a painting party.  It actually served as an inspiration for the colors of my classroom this year! <3

We participate in 4-H, which requires students to complete extra assignments, plus they need to remember certain dates, like the next meeting or a 4-H event day- so last year I created this handy board to post the information as we receive it!

I just wanted to use the awesome feature on my Windows phone! :) It is a panorama of what I left my classroom looking like today!

And lastly, our head custodian at my school is awesome! She loves me and will do anything for her teacher friends.  She let me borrow the fan today that is used to dry the floors! :)

I hope you enjoyed taking a peek inside my classroom!  I'm getting excited about the finished product! :)