We Are Thankful For Thanksgiving!

     Is there anything better than gathering with the people you love the most to reflect on your many blessings? Combine that with the spicy smells of fresh-baked pumpkin pies, tender turkey and stuffing, and sticky sweet potatoes and there's no doubt in my mind. Thanksgiving is one of the best holidays of the year!

     It's also one of the best times of the school year. We can present our students with a host of hands-on and interactive lessons to make the holiday even more relevant than just a day off school. Here are a few of my favorite sites to take my kids to for reliable Thanksgiving information. Kids National Geographic is always one of my go-to research sites for my classroom. 

     Scholastic is my annual favorite because it offers so many interactive activities. It gives me an easy and engaging opportunity to incorporate lots of technology into my lessons. I use some features whole groups, but many of the site options are perfect for students to complete independently or with a partner. They can travel back in time to see what life was really like during the first Thanksgiving!

Click on the images to visit the site.

See what daily life was really like...

choose a variety of videos to learn more information related to the First Thanksgiving,

and so much more!

Thanksgiving Crafts

Call them crafts, craftivities, activities...whatever...

We call them fun!

Check these out for fun or integrate them into other Thanksgiving lessons that you're already planning to use.

This site is not really an educational site, but has lots of cute ideas that could easily be incorporated in the classroom!

Thanksgiving Treats

I found this fun site that has some super-cute turkey treats that you could use in your classroom.

I've used recipes to make a couple of different treats with my class and I'm really excited to try one of these little yummies this season!

This delicious pretzel treat looks fun and easy too!

If you're interested in using Kid-Friendly recipes to let your students create goodies, 

then check these out... 

(How cute are these turkey cookies and pilgrim hats!!)

Turkey Drumstick Rice Krispy Treats!!!!

Check out my TpT store to download some Thanksgiving-themed printables!

 Click on this totally cute turkey to download this freebie!

Here's one more fun Thanksgiving activity in my printable pack. :)

We Love Landforms!

 

   When I was younger, we learned landforms by memorizing pictures from a text book or from flashcards. No way was I about to bore myself and my students with that technique!
   This year we started some fun hands-on matching games from Super Teachers Worksheets to familiarize ourselves with some of the different types of landforms and bodies of water. The students also created reference sheets using the landform cards on this site. If you don't have a subscription, you could easily create some cards yourself.

I am not affiliated with this site, but it is a great resource!

   We also watched some fun, educational videos. Brain Pop and Brain Pop Jr. are my go-to video clip sites. The info is always concise and easy for the kids to understand. They have also added a lot of educator resources in the past year, which makes planning so much easier! 

This site offers free videos each week but requires a paid subscription to access all the features. Thankfully, my school buys a site-wide license each year for us to use!


My kiddos also enjoyed this YouTube video I found...

It's really just a rolling slideshow of the various landforms set to popular music.
I played it several times while the kids were working independently on some of the steps in our 3D model project.

   After my class was familiar with the landforms, we started working on 3D models of various landforms. If you want to try this with your class, you'll need to pick up a few things...

    I bought all of these items at our local supercenter grocery store. Just a word to the wise... The Air-Dry Clay is a little pricey ($9.99/bucket) but you should be able to split one bucket between everyone in your class. The kids only need a moderately small sized piece. Next year I may hunt down a recipe and try making my own air-dry dough. 

Step One:

   On the first day, we reviewed the landforms with a little pop-up game. I showed a picture of a landform under my document camera and the kids popped up out of their seat if they could name it. This was a fun, fast and easy review to transition into our project. Then I explained to the students that we were going to share what we had learned about landforms by creating 3D models. 

   The students pulled out their landform reference sheets that they had created while playing the matching games and used them to choose which landforms they would like to create in their model. My students were asked to choose at least ten landforms/bodies of water in their displays. Once they had been given a few minutes to choose, we moved to the next step.

   My classroom helpers (I call them Newsies) passed out one Chinet plate to each student. I asked them to write their names on the bottom of the plate since we would be sculpting and painting the inside. Then (I modeled first)we turned our plates over and planned out our 3D models in pencil.

     After the planning was finished, I modeled how to manipulate the clay under the document camera. I also reminded the students that I didn't need to sculpt flat landforms (such as plains) or bodies of water (rivers and oceans) because these could be painted in. I also passed around my globe so the students could feel the raised areas. We briefly discussed the flat vs. raised areas on the globe. 

     Then I gave each student a small wedge of clay (I sliced the whole mass in half lengthwise and then cut off smaller chunks). They used the clay to sculpt their landforms on the plate. When the kids were finished, we set them out to dry (on a table in the back of our room). I would recommend planning to sculpt on a Friday so the models can dry over the weekend (it will take about 2 days to fully harden). 

Step Two:

  Once the models have dried, the students will need to use runny school glue to permanently stick to their plates. Some of the heavier pieces may require a good sized dollop. Next year I may try using craft glue instead since it's a little thicker. If you do this step in the morning then the students can complete step three in the afternoon.

Step Three:

  Let the painting begin! Before I put paint in my kids' hands, I painted some of my model under the document camera. This allows them the opportunity to see how to use the different colors to bring their model to life. Give each student (or pairs of students) a paint palette with blue, green and brown dollops of paint (it doesn't take a lot to cover these).  I used old craft trays that had been stashed in my art cabinet for paint palettes, but a few foam plates will work just as well. Some of my students had created volcanoes and also asked for some red paint to make lava. Of course I dug some out! I just love creativity. ;)

Set the models back into your holding area to dry. The paint dries fairly quickly on the paper plate.

  Step Four:

    You're almost finished! Now the students can use sharpies to label the landforms and bodies of water on their model (I have a huge bag of markers that I've accumulated over the years). If you don't have enough to go around, then try allowing your students to label in a center or small group.

Writing Extension:

   These landform models were the perfect inspiration for some fictional writing! I decided to tackle an imaginative narrative with our landforms. Stay tuned as we journey through some of our landforms on exciting adventures...

Brainstorming

       

         Have you ever wanted to have an exciting adventure? My students did! In fact, we got really pumped up talking about having adventures. We also discussed some popular adventure movies (Indiana Jones and National Treasure) and books (Geronimo & Thea Stilton series, I Survived series, Hatchet, etc). After we were really hyped up to have an adventure, I asked each student to choose three EXCITING landforms from their model. We wrote one landform on each section of our graphic organizer.

    After we chose our landforms, we began brainstorming ideas for each landform. We talked about what we might encounter on or around each landform. I modeled these three during our class discussion but my students were free to pick any combination they liked. 

    After some intense brainstorming, we worked on choosing 3-5 details for each category(landform). I modeled a think-aloud about how I would chose details that might be more likely to go together. For example, I might say, "I know in the mountains, I might find some caves. I also know that wolves live in dens in the mountains so I might encounter this type of wildlife while looking for caves. If I ran into a pack of wolves they might chase me away from their den." Then we may discuss how we could escape in our adventure. We decided that I should jump off a jagged cliff into the rushing river below. :) 

Organization

          Once our brainstorming is complete, we moved to a flow map. So far we have sequenced our three landforms. We spent some time discussing how we would travel around our models (ie: we wouldn't go from one end to the other and then back again). I did a lot of modeling my thinking for this portion also.  I asked the students how they would escape the volcanic eruption. They replied that they would swim into the ocean and to my nearby island (perfect!). We were already building the plot in our heads! After sequencing the landforms, we put our details in order. 

   Next time we work on our adventures we will be adding transitional words/phrases, opening and closing paragraphs. Stay tuned for our final products!

Data Notebooks

   Every teacher I know (myself included) has a kind of love-hate relationship with data. We know it's an essential tool to evaluate student needs and growth. We also recognize that we're frequently forced to collect so much data that it consumes too much of our time and energy (If you work in 3rd grade like I do, you probably feel like data is your whole world at times).
  This year my team got together and started brainstorming a way to use data more effectively. Since it is a valuable necessity to help us create classroom and individual goals, we decided that it would be even more effective to get our students involved. This year our students will use Data Notebooks to collect their own data.

(Click on the image to find my Student Data Notebook download)

   This isn't a new concept. Teachers have been asking students to graph scads of things for years. How many letters are in my name? What's the class's favorite candy? How many chicken fingers does the cafeteria sell each Friday? If you can count it, we've graphed it! But, what do we do with that data? Typically, I would ask my students to analyze the data and share a statement about the data. Yes! They could read the graph! Awesome! Then what?
   Umm... what else are they supposed to do with it? We, teachers have been trained to use our data to reflect...on our teaching practices, on our students' growth, on what techniques might help each student pick up that tough concept. It just makes sense that if reflecting and goal setting helps us be more effective teachers, then the same should be true for our students.
   Not only will using data notebooks help raise your students' awareness of where they are, but it will also empower them to take control of their own learning. Collecting, analyzing, and reflecting on their personal data will also help your students set goals that will help them grow.

   Let's get started with the data notebook covers! You can print either version. I used the B&W cover to save ink, and most students love to color. This gives them a chance to personalize their notebook just a bit. 

  While the students dazzle their covers with their coloring skills, you can choose the graphs that you would like to use in your student notebooks. Check out this handy instruction sheet to help you create your data notebooks.

       Once your notebooks are assembled and you’ve prepared the students, you’re ready to begin using the notebooks. Start with collecting data for one graph. Model using data to graph information (I would start with one of the class reading graphs). After you’ve modeled how to graph information, discuss goal-setting with your class. We usually do multiple lessons on this topic at the beginning of the school year (you can check out my other blog links for more info http://eclecticelementary.blogspot.com/2014/08/amazing-grace-goal-setting-for-new-year.html

http://eclecticelementary.blogspot.com/2014/01/ready-set-go.html

     The class should work together to create a class goal for growth. For example, “80% of our class will increase their reading scores by at least one level this quarter”. Make sure your goals are clear and measurable!

     After you have modeled how to use the graphs, allow students to begin collecting data for personal graphs. I use the individual reading level graph since it’s similar to the whole class graph. Each time you add a new type of graph, be sure to model for your students.

     

    Maintaining Student Notebooks: Be sure to set aside a regular chunk of time to revisit student notebooks. Your students will need to become fluent in graphing the data, and regularly reflecting on their goals to make maximum progress.  Some graphs will only be added to on a quarterly basis, but the students should still be revisiting their goals several times throughout that period of time.

   I've decided to use weekly spelling graphs, in addition to quarterly reading and math graphs this year. This will give my kiddos that opportunity to become very fluent with their graphing  & reflecting skills. Since I give my students their spelling test early in the morning, I can usually get them graded and returned prior to the end of the day. The students will get nearly instant feedback on their spelling and we can get into a routine of graphing, analyzing and reflecting on our progress!

Choose the graphs that you want...

Analyze and reflect on that data.

            

               

   I would love to hear how you use data in your classroom! Feel free to leave a comment below. 

Thanks for stopping by!

How Do I Do Class Dojo?

    During the 2013 school year, I became a Class Dojo mentor. Since then I've had a lot of teachers asking me how I use Dojo in my classroom. In previous posts I shared the app basics and the reward system that I have created to correlate with it. Let me outline, specifically, my Dojo procedures...

In the Beginning...   

Week One: I enter the students into a new class and print off sheets to send home to parents that will show them how to connect with their child's Dojo account. 

Before I began using Dojo, I also download the Class Dojo app onto my iPod and iPad. Then I bookmark the website on my classroom laptop so I can quickly connect everyday. This laptop is linked to my Promethean Board so I leave Dojo on when I'm not using the board for instruction. This is a great motivator because it is synced with my other devices! That means if I'm walking around the room giving Dojo points on my iPod, it will also pop up on the board in the front of my room. 
The students get instant feedback and I get better classroom behaviors! 

After I set up my new class(es) for the school year, I import my behaviors from last year. 

*You'll only need to do this is you used customized behaviors from a previous class.

Once my new class is created and I'm ready to begin using Dojo,
I show the students the following video clip.

Building Student Buy-In
Class Dojo also provides the perfect opportunity to work on student goals for the year. We do several lessons about setting goals and doing our best during the first week of school.
This system correlates perfectly!


Getting Parents On the Team
It's also important to get the parents involved!
Dojo is a fantastic communication tool that is constantly improving!
As soon as you log into your account, you can see how many parents have connected to your classroom.

Click on the "Parent Accounts" tab on the Reports Screen. 

This will let you see all of your individual students and who's connected.

 After the first day, 14 of my 23 students have a parent who has connected to their child's account.

This student's parent has connected. I can view the parent's email that is connected to the account and the dates that he checked his child's progress.

You can invite parents who have not connected to do so via email, phone message, 

or another printed parent sheet.

Once most of my parents are connected, I use this regularly to communicate with them.
Dojo allows you to send whole class and individual broadcast (IMs) to parents at anytime during the day. This is really convenient since we're constantly connected to Dojo during the day, and parents can check their child's progress anytime.

What's the Point of Points?

     Children naturally want to feel like they've done a good job. Gaining points gives students a sense of accomplishment. More competitive students will also work hard to stay at the front of the race for points. They also love to be rewarded extrinsically! I created a set of classroom reward coupons that students can "buy" with their points.  

      My students accumulate points for the entire month. At the end of that time, my students can "buy" any coupons that they can afford. Students with a large number of points can buy multiple rewards. 

Right now there is no way to deduct a specific number of points from a student's account, which is why I tell students to buy all the rewards that they want and can "afford". I allow students to use their coupons whenever they choose (however they have to let me know at the beginning of the day that they will be doing so). After my students have finished shopping I reset all of the student points for a new month. 

   I also give my students a class reward at the end of the month if our class average is at least 85% positive. 

I try to keep my rewards inexpensive and/or free since this is a (hopefully) recurrent incentive.

The class rewards sheet is displayed on our Promethean Board screen. Then I give each student a sticky note and everyone in the class votes on their top choice. 

Then I post the top 2-3 choices in a poll on our class Edmodo page for the students to cast their final vote. 

The reward with the highest number of votes wins!

Using Student Reports for Management

    Individual student reports can also be invaluable for classroom management tools. Earlier in the post I mentioned using Dojo to help students set personal goals for the classroom. You can access student reports at anytime during the day. These reports give you a cumulative percentage for positive student behavior inside the "donut". It also shows a breakdown of positive and negative behaviors by name. This specific info will help you and your students focus in on areas of concern, as well as areas that they are excelling in. 

   Sometimes you may need to look outside your classroom for help with some students due to behavioral issues. Since Dojo tracks each student, you have a detailed breakdown of each student's behavior throughout the course of the day. In the event that you need documentation for a behavioral referral, simply print off an individual student report. You can select one day, or a date range, to look for ongoing behavioral issues. This will save you an immense amount of time and energy! No more spending valuable time trying to document and record behaviors. Just print and go (or attach to your other paperwork ;D)

    I hope this little tutorial helps your classroom run more smoothly this year! I'd love to hear your ideas for implementing Class Dojo in your classroom. 

Thanks for stopping by,