Super Super Bowl Activities

I always loved doing some sort of Super Bowl Activity when I was a classroom teacher.  Here are just two of my favorites:

Superbowl Bingo:  I loved printing out Bingo cards and giving kids the option of taking some home to play with family and friends.

Click on the links below for BINGO cards. 

• Studio DIY Bingo Cards
• Buzz Buzz Bingo (refresh page for new cards)
• She Knows Bingo Cards

Mean, Median, Mode, Range: Students can find out the mean, median, mode, & range of the scores for the game totals (each quarter's score) - or individual player stats for each quarter, or the game combined.

Today on E is for Explore they had some great activities that I just had to share as well!

Superbowl Prediction: This activity comes from Kid Zone. Kids draw both teams' jerseys or you could have them design new ones! Who do they think will win? Why do they think that team will win (just a guess, past experience, they like their uniform, statistics, etc.). Click here for the original activity! Kids estimate, tally, and graph!

Team Geography - Locate the teams on a map!

Create a Commercial - Give students 1 minute to persuade their classmates to buy a product they made up! They must create visuals and possibly a jingle!

Halftime Planner - If students were in charge of the halftime show, who would they invite to perform?

Superbowl Scavenger Hunt - Kids try to find things during the game, such as "Which quarterback had the most passing yards?" Visit Illuminations for a free printable! Also, check out their analyzing scores activity!

Superbowl Pool - Free printable from Teach Hub! Students estimate the sum of the final scores while watching the game!

Minnesota Zoo - Google+ Hangout with Mrs. Mata's 3rd grade class

Today Mrs. Mata's 3rd graders had the opportunity of traveling to the Minnesota Zoo via Google+. The Minnesota Zoo did an awesome job of explaining to the 3rd graders how zoos work, showed them some very cool animals, and answered a lot of well thought out questions.   This was a great way to tie in science curriculum about animals at a time when students are researching animals for a Language Arts writing assignment, and even learning about zoo animals in Spanish!   This was an exciting opportunity for kids to connect with the zoologist and naturalist from Minnesota - for free!    Thank you to the Minnesota Zoo for this awesome experience!

 

App of the Week: Virtual Manipulatives

What is it?

This app is a a set of fraction bars to be used with students.  This app is meant to be used with direct teacher instruction, and give students the opportunity to interact with fractions, decimals, and percents right at their fingertips.   They are able to drag fraction bars on to their workspace, press and hold on a fraction bar to see an equivalent, as well as draw or show work using their finger and the pencil tool. This is a great tool for visual learners to see how fractions compare as well as spot equivalent fractions.  It's also great for students to see how fractions, decimals, and percents relate to each other.   

Who is it for?

I would recommend this app starting in second grade all the way through fifth grade.  It provides a great instructional space for teachers to instruct whole group or with small groups as well as allows a great opportunity for differentiating with the decimal and percent options.   As a visual learner I would of loved to of used this app for adding and subtracting fractions too!  This would be also a great app for student to use with the AirServer for those teachers 

CCSS Connection

Click here to see in detail how this app can help support the Common Core State Standards in math in grades 3-5.   Specifically:

• Develop understanding of fractions as numbers.
• Extend understanding of fraction equivalents and ordering.
• Build fractions from unit fractions.
• Understand decimal notations for fractions and, compare decimal fractions.
• Use equivalent fractions as a strategy to add and subtract fractions.

If you'd like a demo of this app or help implementing in your classroom, please let me know!  I'm happy to help!

4th Graders at Roosevelt "Hangout" with the Atlanta Zoo

This morning, the 4th graders in Ms. Wingader's class had the opportunity to go on a virtual field trip. We were able to "travel" to the Atlanta Zoo this morning to learn about the physics and biology of flight.   This was honestly such a cool experience to be a part of!   We were connected via Google+ and were joined by two different people from the Atlanta Zoo and another 4th grader who is home schooled.   You can check out our virtual field trip below!  Towards the end you will notice that quite a few students were able to ask questions.  A special thank you to the Atlanta Zoo for hosting this "On Air Hangout" and to Jeffery Salvitti from Google for making this possible for us here at Roosevelt Elementary School.  I'm excited for our next field trip later this week with third grade, as well as exploring more opportunities with other museums, zoos, and aquariums that hopefully we can connect with so other students can experience this exciting new way of going on a field trip!

Something fishy is going on here...

Gulp, it's Monday. Here's a snappy little gif of our goosefish snarfing down a shrimp. Learn more about this incredible lady and see video of the beautiful egg veil she lays here: http://goo.gl/t7VaQ #oceans   #animals  #gif  

The New England Aquarium's status caught my eye this morning as I was scrolling on my Google+ page.  It seemed a little scary to me but also prompted me to check out his goosefish a little bit further.   I'm so glad that I did as the New England Aquarium has some amazing images and videos of many different ocean animals.   I know that the 2nd graders are starting, or have just started oceans, however, how cool would this be to show your students?   These real images and videos of their exhibits and animals could really bring the ocean to life your classroom.   This could be great for the 2nd graders ocean unit, or great images to extend another story that includes ocean animals, great research tool, or an exciting writing prompt.   Be sure to check the New England Aquarium out here. 

E is for Explore!

I stumbled across a fun new blog today, E is for Explore!  E is for EXPLORE is a one stop resource for teachers and parents. They develop unique learning activities, and search the internet and compile additional great ideas from other sources. Their index helps you find what you need quickly and easily. They have posted ideas from other sources as well and provide easy links to those websites.  All E is for Explore activities conform to state common core curriculum standards.

Check out this fun one...

This fun idea comes from Fall into First! Take photos (or have students take photos) of students' toothless mouths (showing their teeth). Next, ask kids to estimate the total number of teeth that have been lost in the class (sum of all their teeth lost). Have students go around the room and tally how many teeth each of their peers has lost. Have them count all of their tally marks and figure out the total. Whose prediction was the closet? Then, as a class, create a graph of how many teeth each child is missing. Hang the photos up, as well as the graph. Students try to guess who's mouth is whose based on their knowledge of how many teeth each of their peers has lost, as well as their keen observation skills.

Science experiment - Brush your teeth! - Part 1 and Part 2

Activity from E is for explore.

Google Forms

I know that I've shared my love of Google Forms various times with the Roosevelt Staff, however, last night, in my Google Drive and the Common Core class, an amazing resource was shared with me.

Kern Kelly, another educator, has created a variety of templates for teachers to use!   All you need to do is be logged into your Google account, click on the template, then it will copy into your Google Drive for you to edit and make it your own!

Here are a few of the awesome examples:

Test and Quizzes

• Self Grading 10 Question Multiple Choice Quiz - Provide a link to this  form or embed it into a website. This template scores the answers as soon as students complete the quiz.

• Self Grading 20 Question Multiple Choice Quiz - Provide a link to this  form or embed it into a website. This template scores the answers as soon as students complete the quiz.

• Self Grading 50 Question Multiple Choice Quiz - Provide a link to this  form or embed it into a website. This template scores the answers as soon as students complete the quiz.

• Self Correcting Spelling Quiz - This form allows a teacher to enter 20 words and once the quiz is completed, it self corrects and analyzes the data. 

• Response to Literature Scoring Form - This form collects literature response scores and coordinates the results.

Miscellaneous 

• Story Board - Used by student groups to write and produce a video project.  

• Booklist Template - Used by teachers to keep track of the names and quantity of books read by students. 

• Vocabulary Flashcard builder - This spreadsheet creates a custom flashcard sheet. 

As always, I'd love to help you take one of these (or all of these) and make them easy for you to use in your classroom.   Please ask!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Want to go to Antartica?

Check out this Google "Hangout" (just like a virtual field trip) that took place today!    Google is changing the way students are going on field trips... and luckily, Roosevelt is going to get to be a part of it through their Virtual Field Trip Project.   If you are interested in taking your class to a "Google Hangout", let me know and we can work together to make it happen!   I am in touch with an awesome Google employee, who lets me know a few days before these hangouts happen.  Once I'm given a time and a topic, I'll contact you to see if it could fit into your day and curriculum.  If you have somewhere that you'd like to host a hangout, let me know and we'll see if we can arrange it!   As always, I'd love to tell you more, so contact me if you are interested!   I'm SUPER EXCITED about this opportunity!

Check out this visit to the Seattle Aquarium!

App of the Week: Sonic Pics

App of the Week: Sonic Pics

What is it?

SonicPics makes digital storytelling fun and easy! Turn your photographs or pictures of student drawings or work into narrated slideshow movies to share! 

• Add images from your photo library or snap new ones with your camera. 
• Arrange your photos however you would like. 
• Record a voiceover narrating your images as you swipe through them. 

Once you are finished, you have a movie with your images synchronized to your narration. You can share your recording with students and parents. 

What can it do?

• Create and narrate custom photo slideshows.
• Records your voice while you flip through your images. 
• Automatically synchronizes your images to the audio recording.
• Present your stories on the SMART Board or projector
• Make movies of your images and narrations from the iPad.
• Record up to 60 minutes per session! 
• Easy image selection and editing. 
• Give images unique names and descriptions that can optionally be shown during recording.
• Build slide shows with photos from photo albums, camera roll or built in camera (great for taking pictures of student work). 

Who is it Good For?
This app is good for all ages.   Students in primary can take pictures and reflect on their work or build slideshows multiple images (pictures taken or drawn).   This app can be used more complex in intermediate with inserting images from the internet, students own photos, or drawings.  If you are interested in trying this with your students, let me know!  I'm happy to help!

CCSS Connection
Click here to see the connection to CCSS for ELA.

Happy Inauguration Day!

Are you looking to share some of Inauguration Day with your students?  TIME has published President Obama's Inauguration Speech in 180 seconds.   Watch below!

Brian Williams of NBC News shares a great summary of the day with sights and sounds from the day.  Watch below!  (a little over 2 minutes).

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

After watching the videos, check out this writing activity that could be used with your students, or be a great discussion!

Balls Bouncing?

Looking for a fun way to manage the noise level in your classroom?   This website, after allowing it to interact with your microphone, will monitor the noise level in your room.   If your kids start getting noisy, the balls start bouncing.   This could be fun with a projector or a SMART board.   Let me know what you think!

Shel Silverstein Books Come Alive

Now that we have access to You Tube for Education, we have access to many quick videos.   Check out this great Shel Silverstein story come to life!

ELA CCSS

Today I had the pleasure of presenting to the 2nd & 3rd grade teachers (as well as some support staff) about the English Language Arts Common Core State Standards.   It was great to have the opportunity to present about ELA standards and give teachers some great examples of the shifts.   I know that the information can be overwhelming at first glance, but luckily, there are lots of great resources out there to help us as teachers absorb the information and figure out how we can make these shifts in our instruction.  Here are two to help you get started!

• District 64's Reading & Language Arts Page
• This site is maintained by Curriculum Specialist Meghan Keefer and has AMAZING resources on it.   Be sure to check out the links on the left hand side, especially the online resources.
• CoreStand 
• This great website for teachers to collaborate with all things common core. After creating a free account you'll have access to free resources, best practice videos, blogs, and more.   They also have a great weekly newsletter that has some great ready to use activities in it. Check out this week's newsletter and look at the great activity on page 2 (Elementary Template).
• You will notice that the activity has great kid friendly "I can" statements so students understand the standards as well. 

Doodle for Google

Did you know that Google has a yearly contest where students can draw a Google logo to be published and shared with people everywhere?  Google has just announced it's sixth Doodle for Google Contest. The theme for this year's contest is "My Best Day Ever..." The contest is open to K-12 students in the United States. The winner will receive a $30,000 scholarship and a $50,000 technology grant for his or her school. Entries must be received by March 22, 2013. The complete contest rules can be found on the Doodle 4 Google contest page.

Google has made this easy for teachers to incorporate into a lesson as well.  Click here to be taken to the lesson plan resources Google has created for teachers to integrate this into their instruction. 

Here is a pamphlet that can be printed and distributed to students as well.If you would like me to come and and co teach this lesson with you, just ask!  I'd be happy to come on in!

I will be trying to set up a bulletin board somewhere on the first floor during open house to advertise this opportunity as well to all students and make the forms accessible to students.   Let me know if you would like any more information, and I'd be happy to help!

 

App of the Week: Comic Life

What is it?
Comic Life is an awesome app on the iPad that allows users to create comics from a variety of templates, or allows you to build your own.  You can integrate photos, drawings, pictures, and text to create the perfect comic.

Key benefits of using comics in education

- A great visual Representation of Knowledge
- Presents what is essential
- Easier to remember a visual graphic containing key information
- Engaging through thinking, creating and writing.
- Perfect avenue for writing dialogue
- Incites students with low interest in writing
- Helps organization through storytelling and storyboarding
- Using visual images convey meaning to a story or topic
- Develops creative and higher level thought processes
- Develops composition techniques through visual-verbal connections
- Enriches reading, writing, and thinking
- Serves as and assessment and evaluation tool
- Sequencing promotes understanding

Who is it good for?

This really can be used at all levels and across various subject areas.   Students can collaborate on comics or work alone.  Once the comics are finished, students can print them to display. 

If you are interested in giving this a try, let me know and I'd be happy to show you or model making comics in your classroom!

Khan Academy

Today I was invited to quite a few meetings today... one of them being the BATC (Board Advanced Technology Committee) whose purpose is to keep the School Board informed of new technology trends and make recommendations of what our schools need to create meaningful learning experiences.   In doing some research, this committee discussed the Khan Academy.   Now I've heard about Khan Academy and how the videos can be very useful for students, however, I haven't really been reminding staff members on how great it is.

With a library of over 3,800 videos on everything from arithmetic to physics, finance, and history and hundreds of skills to practice, Khan Academy is on a mission to help you learn what you want, when you want, at your own pace.

Since math is a  QIT goal for Roosevelt, I thought this would a great resource to reshare... enjoy!

Lunch at Google

Today I had the amazing opportunity to tour the Google Chicago office, as we'll as have lunch. What an amazing place!!! I was amazed at all of the amazing "perks" Google has in place for their employees- as well as the creative atmosphere that Google employees have. Google really values working as a team- something I know we are trying to encourage our students do as well. I'd love to brag in person more about my experience- so please ask me about it!

App of the Week: Missing Numbers

App of the Week: Missing Numbers

What is it?

Missing Numbers focuses on problems involving addition and subtraction. Initially students solve problems through counting all the objects visible or through partitioning or segregation and counting all the objects given. Missing Numbers encourages students to use more sophisticated strategies such as counting backward and counting on.   Missing Numbers scaffolds students through the use of seen and unseen (hidden) objects, allowing students to 'check' their answer by 'peeking' at the hidden objects and the ability to move objects to allow ease of counting.

Who is it good for?
This is a great introduction to problem solving for younger students.   The four different games allow a great opportunity for differentiation.  

• How Many - How many altogether?
• Show Me - Move the objects to show partitioning in subtraction.
• Addition - There are 11 altogether.  How many are hiding in my hand?
• Subtraction - There are 4 altogether.  How many are in the box. 

There is also a Teacher Tool available for you to create your own problems or equations.

CCSS Connection:  Operations and Algebraic Thinking
For specific standards, click on the links below.

• Kindergarten
• 1st grade
• 2nd grade

If you'd like to use this with your class, please let me know!  I'd be happy to help!

New Wall

Welcome Back! It was a pretty exciting morning here in Room 310! When I came into my office this morning, I was welcomed by a massive green wall... Roosevelt's own green screen!

This green screen is a great addition to my office so that teachers can come and shoot video on the green screen then manipulate their videos and put images behind them. A few teachers are currently working on putting together a newscast that will be shared on a website. Students are researching current events, working on some common core skills of summarizing, locating key information, and paraphrasing when reporting on their news articles. I have many teachers interested and hoping more will follow! If you are interested in using the green screen with your class, please let me know and I'd be happy to help!