To see or not to see...Will Phil see his Shadow?

Just a quick little post with a few fun Groundhog Day activities...

Predicting

On February 1st, I like to do a little predicting with my kindergarteners!

I usually read a Groundhog book and then talk about the Legend of Groundhog day.  

Please tell me that I am NOT the only teacher who can't remember what the shadow talk means?  I mean seriously...I have to look every year!  Does shadow mean winter or does no shadow mean winter!?!?!  I can never remember!!!  

For most people Groundhog Day is not a big deal, but for me it's my birthday.  So I feel that I should at least remember what it all means, but for the life of me I can NEVER remember!!!  One of my favorite teacher friends and I were talking about this and she was like, "Girl, I made myself a groundhog cheat sheet!!"  That's right folks she made a cheat sheet!  I LOVE that girl!  

So this year I decided to figure it out and get my Groundhog facts straight!  Did you know the first Groundhog day was in 1883!  Wow!  Did you know that groundhogs whistle when they are scared!  I know you are all impressed right!?!?!  

Well anyway, in my journey to become a groundhog day expert I thought I would create a mini unit to use in my classroom!  It is on sale in my TPT store!   

Check it out here

It includes a book with fun groundhog facts and what the legends says if the groundhog sees his shadow or not.

Here is the key:
Shadow = 6 more weeks of winter
No shadow = early spring

(no need to thank me)

It also includes labels to make a graph to predict if the groundhog will see his shadow or not.

On Groundhog Day we discuss our predictions and then finish off with a fun craft and STEM activity.  

Groundhog Craft

(Not my original idea - if you know where the original idea came from let me know)

Supplies:
small styrofoam cup
popsicle sticks
print out of a groundhog
(included in my mini unit - but you can use any one)
cotton balls

Steps-
1. Have students color the bottom of a styrofoam cup brown.
2. Color and cut out groundhog
3. Glue cottonball around the top of the cup (snow)
4. Tape groundhog to a popsicle stick
5. Poke hole in bottom of cup
Voila' you have a cute little groundhog poking his head out of his burrow!

Shadow Stem Activity

Last year after using Lego kits I got the idea to have my students build burrows for their groundhogs.

Once they built burrows I then had them put their groundhog in and create shadows.  My students loved it, and they gained a true understanding of what it takes to create shadows.  

I have included the directions and recording sheets for the STEM activity in my mini unit.

Hopefully you can use some of these simple, engaging ideas in your classroom!

BTW, lets hope the groundhog does not see his shadow!  

(I bet you had to scroll up and see what that means...I did!)

SaveSave

Bringing some fun to stations... even when it is FREEZING!!!

It is snowy and freezing in Indiana, so naturally our stations are snow themed.  

I love making stations fun and engaging.  It doesn't have to take a lot of money and doesn't have to be complex.  Here are some of the snow stations that I have used in my classroom!


Here is a simple yet engaging math station.  I can't take the credit... my AMAZING colleague created the number snowman/snowflake station and I LOVED it!  

Snowman Ten Frames

This is great for teen numbers.  

Supplies needed: 

Snowman with numbers

(could use numbers 0-10 for differentiation)

Snowflake ornaments

Laminated Ten Frame

or

Blank decomposing page

Here is the super cute snowman!

How cute is this?

So here is how this math station works...

students will get one snowflake ornament and stand at the line and toss the snowflake onto the snowman.  They name the number they get and either show it on a ten frame with manipualtives or find the number and fill in the ten frame.

I plan on using this again as I teach place value.  I have attached a link to a free place value page that you can use with this activity.  (Print the page double sided)

Get the free Place Value worksheet here

Place Value Snow Globe Fun 

Supplies needed:

small jars, 

pom poms, cotton balls,

glitter

snow related objects

I bought these cute little jars at Target Dollar Days and have been saving them until I found a good use for them!   I decided to use them as "snow globes" for my math stations.  I filled them with snowmen and snowflake foam stickers, blue pom poms, cotton balls, and of course glitter!  Glitter makes everything better...am I right?!?!?!  

I wrote a number on the back of the foam sticker.  The idea is that the students will shake the jar, find the number, and then fill out the place value worksheet.  On the place value worksheet they will write the number and then color in the correct place value blocks.  

This is a simple place value station,  but by putting the number in "Snow globes" it is more exciting!  Easy enough!  

Here is a link to free numbers and place value worksheet

Snowball Fight 

What's the worst thing about a snowball fight...the cold!

So take the cold out of it and snowball fights are AWESOME!  Last year I decided to bring the snowball fight inside.  This is a super easy activity and it is great if the weather has been cold and your kiddos can't go outside.  

Supplies needed:

Scrap paper (doesn't get easier than that)

Write letters, numbers, shapes, popcorn words, addition problems, subtraction problems, cvc words, or pretty much anything that you are teaching onto the scrap paper.  Crumple up the paper.  

Put the snow balls in the middle of the room, your students grab a snow ball and have a snowball fight.  Play music, set a timer, or ring a bell.  Once the bell rings or the music stops kiddos grab a snowball and open it up.  They then figure out the problem.

The following are examples of what you can do with the snowflakes:

Letters:

name the letter, give letter sound, name a word that starts with the letter

Numbers:
name the number, what comes before or after, draw place value blocks, fill ten frames, tally marks
(use a draw erase board to write the answer)

Popcorn words:
read the popcorn word or use the word in a sentence.

Addition or Subtraction Problems
have students write the problem on a dry erase board and solve.

My students loved this!

Paint with snow

This isn't my original idea, but my students loved it!  

I found this idea on Instagram from @callenderskinders

My students have been so excited about the snow and since we couldn't go out in the snow I decided to bring the snow to them!  

Supplies Needed:

plastic ups

snow

white paint

glitter glue

paint brushes

black paper

Grab a small bucket of snow from outside.  Take cupfuls and mix it with white paint and glitter glue.  Voila' you have snow paint.  Kiddos paint with it on their black paper.  Pretty much just like regular painting with a twist because it's SNOW!!!  

Hope you can use some of these ideas in your classroom!  Making stations fun and a little more engaging doesn't always mean extra work.  Sometimes we just have to get creative with what we have!  

Time for the "Super Hero Cold and Flu Crew"!

I have officially completed the first full week of kindergarten!  As I sit here with a stuffy nose and a head full of snot, I think its time to introduce a few of my favorite classroom helpers!  

The "cold and flu superhero crew"  are about to make their appearance!  

A few years ago after lots of nose picking and numerous colds, I decided to make a few chatterpix videos.  In just a few minutes I created two videos that have become a staple in my classroom.

If nose picking and snot are a problem in your class feel free to use these videos.  

I start out by playing these videos and then I read a cute book that I found at Half Price Books.  

Introducing Captain Kleenex

&

Sassy Sanitizer

I follow up with this book:

This is a simple way to teach how to blow your nose, using sanitizer, and why we don't pick our nose.  It may not solve all of your nose picking problems but it might minimize the number of colds you get. 

Let the Superhero Cold & Flu Crew help out in your classroom too!  

A few ways to incorporate and engage with technology

During the last few months of school I tried to find new ways to incorporate technology into my lessons.  For this lesson I used SeeSaw and ChatterPix kids.   (They are free apps so start downloading now.)
 I have included a link for you to check these apps out!

SeeSaw

(Sign up at this link)

ChatterPix

This year when it was time for our end of the year zoo animal research project I wanted change to it up a bit.  I typically use two resources, one from Deanna Jump, and one that I created along with lots of nonfiction books.  

                      

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Zoo-Math-and-Literacy-Fun-123414

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Zoo-Animal-Study-1818245

I wil share more details on how I actually do a research project with kindergarteners in a future blog.  

So each student picks one animal to become a master of.  We make one of the cute crafts from Deanna Jump, do a graphic organizer and a label page from my set.  My students then pick a few facts to record on ChatterPix kids.  If you aren't familiar with this app it is one of my kiddos favorites and it is SUPER easy to use!

Here is an earlier post all about ChatterPix and lots of different ways you can use it!
http://littlesmilesbigsunshine.blogspot.com/2015/06/kindergartenno-more-nap-time-how-about.html 

Once they have created a short video with ChatterPix Kids they save it to their camera roll, open up the SeeSaw class app,  and add their video to be approved.  

Once the videos are approved I createdQR codes in SeeSaw and save them.  During literacy stations I taped them around the room for a sort of "listen" around the room activity.  My students  got to learn all about the animals from their classmates.  Once they listened to a few different animal videos they completed a readers response.  They drew one of the animals that they saw and wrote at least one new fact about that animal.  

They loved this!  It was one of their favorite literacy activities!  Next year I plan on incorporating similar activities earlier int he year.  

Here are a few of the QR codes that I created.  

You can scan them with a QR code scanner to hear the cuteness! 

If you don't have a QR code reader downloaded I use I - nigma.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/i-nigma-qr-code-data-matrix-and-1d-barcode-reader/id388923203?mt=8

Scan and listen:

I am always looking for new ways to use our one to one iPads in my classroom and this lesson was a SUCCESS!  Hopefully you can find a way to incorporate this idea into you classroom.

Spring time Fun! Cheap, fun, engaging, and easy to prep!

During the last few weeks we have been super busy!  I thought I would share some of the different  activities that I have been doing to keep my kinders engaged and excited about learning!  

Making Math Fun 

Working on tens and ones!  

No problem use pretzels and mini marshmallows to help kiddos grasp the concept! 

After doing this activity with my class they had no problem understanding how to make numbers with tens and ones.  

You can use pretzels and mini marshmallows with any ten and ones decomposing numbers page. 

 Easter Egg Addition

 I bought these cute little Easter Eggs at the Dollar Tree, as soon as I saw them the teacher in me instantly thought - MATH STATIONS!!!

One of the things that I have been working on this year is differentiation with out recreating!

This became a differentiated math station. 

I put dice in each egg.  Some eggs had one, two, and 3 dice.  

For my on target students each egg had one dice.  

They shook the eggs and then wrote a number sentence.  

This can be done with both addition and subtraction.  

For my students who need more guidance, I gave them one egg.  They shook it,  counted the dots, and wrote the number.

For my higher level students I gave them two eggs.  You can put 2 or 3 dice in the first egg, and 1 or 2 dice in the second egg.  They shook the eggs and then added.  You could also do this with subtraction.  

        

                 

Count and Compare

I bought a few packs of mini styrofoam eggs from the dollar tree and this cute Easter bucket.  

I also differentiated this station by just giving my students different size cups.  

They reach into the bucket with the dixie cup and pull out the styrofoam eggs.  They count and write the number.  They reach in and grab more and write the number.  They then compare the numbers and add a greater than, less than, or equal sign.

You could also do addition and subtraction with this activity.  

Easter Stem Activity

When I do Stem Activities I like to make it cross curricular by incorporating a book. 

Items needed:

Peeps

Toothpicks

Jelly Beans

The problem:

The Old Lady was Swallowing Chicks...we need to save the chicks!

Create a house for the chicks in order to protect them from the old lady.  

My students were given 20 toothpicks and 10 jelly beans. 

I created a recording form and they created a diagram. 

After creating the plan they built their house according to their plan.  

               

 

These are just a few engaging activities that I did during the last few weeks.   Hopefully this is something that you might want to use next year!  

Seussical Week Number 2

We have now started week 2 of Dr. Seuss!  Here are a few activities that we ended the week with and a few activities that we have done so far this week.  

To celebrate his birthday we did lots of different party activities!

We played Seuss bingo.  

(This came from the blog Balancing Home by Megan Bray)

click here for bingo

We did these super cute Directed Drawings.

I found step by step directions on the blog

First and Kinder Blue Skies

now Soaring in Kindergarten by Jennifer

click here for directions

For a special birthday snack we had "green eggs & ham"!

(sugar cookies, white icing, and green sixlets)

Here is a supe cute rhyming word craft to go along with 

There's a Wocket in my Pocket

(I can't find the original link so if you created this please let me know!!!)

To end the week we made oobleck and green eggs and ham!

Here is the recipe for Oobleck:

2 cups of corn starch and 1 cup of water. 

green food coloring (optional)

We made this super cute craft from First Grade Roars in honor of Fox in Socks.

 

Here is the link to the Free product from First Grade Roars

We have 3 more days of fun Seuss activities and I can't wait to show you more soon!