Punctuation Practice {With a FREEBIE}

My writing block was always, never fail, my favorite time of the day. I am all for teaching grammar and punctuation during that authentic writing time, where I'm modeling writing and students are helping/participating. We always started our block with a writing warm up, then I would model a small chunk of whatever we were working on, then students would WRITE, and I would pull my small guided writing groups or skill groups. During my model lesson, I was always able to include a punctuation "lesson" in there quickly and discreetly so students could see when and how to use punctuation in an authentic writing setting. Everyday, I would think aloud while writing, deciding which type of punctuation was appropriate and why so students could get a glimpse into what happens in a writers brain while writing.

However... Most students need even more practice with these skills, because let's face it, even some of my second graders didn't truly know the difference between an exclamation mark and a question mark.

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President's Day QR Code Reading & Writing Freebie

This is an oldie but a goodie! If you have devices to scan QR codes, make sure you read the blog post about this engaging activity HERE!

And download the updated activity HERE! 

Happy {almost} President's Day! 

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Which Pet Should We Get?? An Opinion Writing Pack!!!

Always a fun question to ask 24 second graders: 

Which pet should we get???

I have been doing this writing prompt with my class for the past two years, and every year it is by far the most fun we have writing! You can read about our adventures with this project {HERE} and {HERE} and {HERE}! Last year our class ended up getting a hermit crab, and this year I was brave enough to let them have a hamster.

Having a class pet has been one of the best things I've done. It has taught my kids responsibility (because they are the ones that have to stay after school to clean the cage- they even have this fancy schedule figured out), they are the ones that have to figure out who's taking him home on vacations and three day weekends (because I'm NOT), and they are the ones that have grown to love him (I kinda like him too...). Plus, they're the ones that have to console each other when he bites them and draws blood (because I don't- I say, "You're the ones that wanted a hamster...I wanted a fish...")

We researched each pet, learned about opinions, we gathered information, organized the information, pre wrote, drafted, and then did a final copy to try and "persuade" me to let them get a pet. Talk about authentic writing- even my reluctant writers were in this 100% from the very beginning because they were so motivated to let me get a pet. We had some great conversations about the difference between "I want a hamster cuz they are cool" and "In my opinion, I think we should get a hermit crab because they won't distract us while we're doing out work since they are such quiet creatures." 

Plus, opinion writing is one of the Common Core text types!  

Anyways, my fabulous teaching partner even created a video to share with our district about this unit. You check out the video {HERE}.

Well, after this video got out we got a TON of emails about the resources and QR codes and websites used for the project.

And I was finally able to get my act together to put it all together in one place to share! Here it is!!!

 (Don't worry- if you don't have devices to scan the QR codes. This unit can be completed successfully without the use of the QR codes since all of the internet resources are included!)

 and

Everything you'll need to do this writing project successfully with your class!!! Just click on the pictures to take you to TPT! 

In celebration of Cinco de Mayo, I'll give this unit away to FIVE friends that leave a comment with your favorite writing prompt you've used with your students. :) I'll use the random number generator thingy tonight when I get home! 

Hope you're having a wonderful weekend!!! 

And don't forget about the TPT sale coming up this week for teacher appreciation!!!!

Thanks for the cute graphic Beth! 

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Teacher Tip Tuesday!!!

I'm so happy to link up with Hadar at Miss Kindergarten for her Teacher Tips linky!!!! 

Who can't use more teacher tips, right?!!?!? Especially from some amazing teachers and bloggers out there!!! I know I can!!!!!

This is one of the oldest tricks in the book, but I absolutely love it... 

SECRET TRASH!!!!! 

Everyday, we spend the last five minutes of class time cleaning. Everyone has a job. Everyone. And everyone knows what they need to do- the "Germ Control" kids cleans off grimy tables with wipes, "Supply Managers" make sure all of the table caddies are super nice and neat, "Librarians" make sure our classroom library is nice and neat, the "Pencil Girl" collects all of the pencils to take home and sharpen and have ready for the next day!!! You can read about that tip HERE! And everyone else looks for the SECRET TRASH!!! I heart Secret Trash!!! I pick one or two pieces of "secret" trash on the floor and the kids get busy busy on their hands and knees trying to find it! They have two minutes, and at the end of the two minutes, I announce who found the Secret Trash!!!! Sooooooo exciting!!!! Right?!!?! They sure think it is. I think I need a sign that says Keep Calm and Play Secret Trash... And let me tell you, by the end of Secret Trash it looks like our carpet just got vacuumed! And I can sleep at night knowing I don't have to come into a messy floor the next morning. And the night custodian loves us. And we would probably win the award for cleanest floor at the end of the day. And maybe I should just create an award and give it the night custodian to hand out. And he'll definitely give it to us because we deserve it. :-)  (Like Monica on FRIENDS... and her gold star in cooking class 101... anyone...????)  

Here's a little glimpse into our classroom during the last five minutes of school.....


 
Notice all the kiddies on the floor!!!!! 

Love it.

And this can be a handy dandy little tip for those kiddos who are working on their fine motor skills (i.e. handwriting that looks like chicken scratch with nospaceswhatsoever and R's that look like S's and H's that look like G's...) Is it just me that has these little friends....??? I hope not... There have been so many days during our writing block when I see my friends have done some amazing writing! They can read their writing to me (even when I can't figure out for the life of me what it says) and the content is there!!!! I don't always have time to write what it says underneath because let's be honest here... there are 27 of them and only 1 of me... But by the next day, my little friend forgot what it says and I sure can't figure it out either...rats!!!

Huh?????

Not anymore! We've managed to get around this problem with my iPhone (or iPod or iPad or i whatever that we can record with!). I have them record themselves reading their writing with Voice Memos and viola! We have it there so the next day (and days later) we can figure out what it says! Quick and easy when you can't always be there! I even have a small group of friends who know they need to do this before they put their writing folders away! 

Thanks for hosting this wonderful linky Hadar!!!!

:) 

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Life Cycles and Research Writing

We have been busy busy busy working on life cycles!!!! Our caterpillars turned into chrysalis, and today they started emerging as beautiful butterflies! :)


I jimmy-rigged one of our iPods (this wasn't easy and involved a plastic bag, scissors (to cut a hole in the net!!!), a clamp, and lots of tape)...

using our time lapse app to record one coming out of the chrysalis. Check it out!!!

(Sorry it's sideways!?!?!)
We are also doing some research writing about life cycles!!!
I found this great new app:

that we are using! The kids had to work with a partner (without screaming or grabbing or crying...we're really working on that stuff this time of year...know what I mean???) 

to explore the app:

 and fill out this form: 

(Click it to get it from GoogleDocs... I will cross my fingers that GoogleDocs wants to comply...)

These were some of my favorites: 

"I chose this creature (salmon) because I like to eat this fish."

"I chose this creature (wasp) because I got stung by one and I need to know information."

Then we hit up EdModo to share what we're writing about!

All in all, this lesson (well, the first day of it...) went very smooth!!!

I am so incredibly lucky to have access to some amazing technology to make a lesson like this possible (although it could be done with only one device)! Please let me know if you have any questions about anything!!! I'd be more than happy to share!

And if you have any ideas, I'd LOVE to hear them too!!! 

I hope you had a wonderful Wednesday!!!!!

:) 

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Teacher Appreciation Week and A Hermit Crab

Happy Teacher Appreciation Week!!! 

I have a freebie all set and ready to go for you, and now I'm just waiting on my license from Scrappin' Doodles to be able to SHARE it with YOU!!!! This week was just so crazy and I couldn't find a spare minute to even think five minutes ahead. Can you, living in the moment!!! I was hoping to have the license by today but that didn't happen. So, I'm sorry and I will make sure to get the freebie posted ASAP!!!  

In other news...

I posted { here } a while back about an opinion writing project we were working on... What class pet should we get? The kids did an amazing job on their writing. I even had them type their writing into Pages on their iPods and they added pictures. Some even took it to the next level and made an iMovie about the class pet we should get. It was very exciting!!! How funny is this...

***Side note... How weird is that picture of the hamster playing golf!?!? ***

Then, to decide which pet we should get, I turned it into a behavior thingy (of course!...especially this time of the year!!!). And thanks to Rachelle at What The Teacher Wants for her super idea!!! Find it { here }. And low and behold, Team Hermit Crab won! (There was no way I was getting a hamster. No way.) So yesterday, I headed off to PetCo with Abby to pick up our class pet. Here she is, waiting in line, eating sniffing all the yummy treats. 

And I'm not sure how I feel about it.... 

It's kind of creepy. And big. And I don't really want to touch it...

I texted my mom last night...

The stinky little thing is still in it's food bowl. I'm not sure if he's stuck...? Or maybe he likes to sleep in on Sundays??? Or maybe he's having brunch. I don't know. 


I'll let you know how this whole hermit crab thing pans out...


I PROMISE I'll be back ASAP with a freebie!!! (Just waiting on that license!!! :) Have a great day blog hopping and shopping!!! I know I will!!!!

:)

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What Was I Thinking Wednesday

That's what I asked myself around 8:15 a.m. this morning...

Our writing block is first thing in the morning. I found this adorable writing idea on Pinterest...

                                                                          Source: fanaticallyfirstgrade.blogspot.com via Jana on Pinterest

And I knew I needed to adapt it to second grade! It goes perfectly with common core opinion writing!!!

I was super excited because I knew my kiddos would be so excited and super engaged with this prompt: In your opinion, which Hershey kiss is the best?

Apparently, though, I didn't think it through when I gave my 23 second graders (who are beginning to suffer from a bad case of Spring fever anyways) four, yes four, Hershey kisses at 8 o'clock in the morning....

We had to taste test them all to get our honest opinion...(I'll know better next time!!!)

At 8am people. Seriously, what was I thinking???? They were bouncing. Off. The. Walls. 

If only you could see the excitement and anticipation in their eyes...oh boy.

Once I threatened them managed to get them settled down, they did some really great writing. 

In my "Notes for next year", I wrote, DO THIS LESSON IN THE AFTERNOON...Preferably 10 minutes before dismissal!!!

Thanks to Johanna

for the adorable (and very exciting) writing idea! :)

How was your Wednesday!!!??? 

:-) 

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Paragraph Writing

It's impossible super hard to get my little 2nd graders to understand how and why we write paragraphs. I had to come up with some way to help them start to learn why authors do this, and how we do it.

This is a pretty lame idea, but it's seemed to work...

Before we begin our post write, after we've revised and edited and all that fancy stuff, we sit down and talk about the points in our writing. Each point is basically a new idea, with new reasons, or new points.


I have them put a little sticker wherever we "start a new idea" or "new point" or "new reason" or new whatever. Here's what it looks like:

Then, I teach them the Paragraph Rap. Super lame-o.... but not to them! We stand up, and yell sing

and do movements to "Hop down, two fingers!!!" 

And of course, I model model model and do tons of thinking aloud.


Whenever they see the little sticker while doing their post write, they know it's a new point, so time for a new paragraph. And....in a perfect 2nd grade world, they would hop down to the next line, and put two finger spaces...


First time we did this: Miserable fail. Random two finger spaces, or ALL the lines two finger spaces...a big old mess.


Second time: Some got it, some sorta did, most of us didn't.


Third time: More of us are getting it. And I'm starting to get excited.


Hopefully by the time they get to third grade (which is right around the corner!!!!) they'll have some understanding of paragraphs and why we use them! Hopefully.


How do you help you little ones learn to write paragraphs???

:)

6

Editing... Blah

Editing is probably one of the most boring things for my kiddos to do. We don't edit all of our work, but we do edit pieces of writing that we want to publish. (This probably happens about once a month.) 


I had to find a way to jazz it up a little, and keep them responsible for their own editing. To do this, we do two things...


First, I have the kids circle evidence of whatever we are looking for that day. Today, we edited for capitals. So the kids had to go through their writing and circle all of the capitals they found with a red crayon. Then they had to ask themselves, "Does that capital belong there?" If not, they needed to edit it and fix it up. I've found by making them give me evidence by circling, they spend more time on this rather than glancing at their paper for about 10 seconds, then shouting "I'm done!!!!" We also look for sNeaKy capitals that are so sneaky and sneak into the middle of our sentences!!!


We did the same thing with punctuation. They circled all of the punctuation with blue and asked themselves, "Does that belong there?" 


Second, what's more motivating to a seven year old than a magnifying glass. We use these so they'll really pay attention and actually search for those capitals and punctuation. And it seems to help...they take it more seriously and take more time...

Here are some pics from our writing block today! 

He was super into using that magnifying glass. He took this job very seriously!!!

The (almost) finished product

Tomorrow we'll be checking for spelling. Hopefully, those kids that wrote "I think we should git a hermit crap fur ar class pet" will fix it up!!!


How do you help your little ones edit their writing purposefully??? I'd LOVE more ideas!!!

Tomorrow is Friday!!!! My favorite day of the week!!!!!

                                                                                       Source: bit.ly via Hector on Pinterest

6

What Pet Should We Get?

This week has been non-stop prep for Open House. Does everyone stress about Open House or is it just me?!?!? It's silly to worry so much about it, right? It's only an hour, the kids are always excited to show their parents around no matter what, and the parents always love it too. 


My goal this weekend is to not stress about it. (Our Open House is on Wednesday next week...)


Then of course, Spring Break! I can't wait!!!


Anyways, I've been doing my best to incorporate the Common Core standards into my curriculum this year. (Did your district adopt them yet???)


I had this brilliant idea what I thought was a brilliant idea at the time idea walking into school the other morning, and scrambled to make it happen before school started. We were going to do some opinion writing. (Like persuasive writing, but for whatever reason they call it "opinion writing" in the primary grades...)  


The kids were going to writing to this prompt:

In your opinion, what pet should we get?  

And oh boy, did this start some complete and utter chaos buzz and chatter. 


We talked about how an opinion is something that cannot be proved; it's something you think, but not everyone else has to agree. (I've talked about this a million times this year, but it never stuck....It did today, though!) 


And I wanted them to make an informed decision about the pet they choose to write about, so....

I posted QR codes for different websites; some about hamsters as pets, some about beta fish, and some about hermit crabs.


This kids walked around with their iPods and read about each pet. 


And oh my goodness..... I have never seen them so excited about anything in my whole entire life. :-)


They were talking, discussing, excited, arguing, reading, and writing about what pet we should get (Everything a teacher wants to see happening!!!!)

I heard things like:


"We should get a hermit crab because they can hang onto your shirt while you walk around"

and

"We should get a hamster because they're cute and fuzzy and eat vegetables." 

and

"The hermit crabs are really cheap. I'll have my mom buy it for our class!" 

and 

"We shouldn't get a hamster because they're nocturnal so they'll sleep all day and we won't even be able to see it because it'll be sleeping all day."

and

"We should get a hermit crab because you can teach them to do tricks!" (I'm not sure about that!?!?!...but whatever???) 


No one was interested in the fish. Poor fish. Oh well. 


Anyways, it was one of those moments where I just stepped back and wished the principal or superintendent or the secretary or a parent or someone, anyone would come in to see what was going on. No one did, but still. I'm sharing it with you, and you can appreciate the beauty of this, right? :) 


But now, here's my delema. We have to get a class pet. I should've thought this through better. I don't want a class pet. That means I'll have to take care of it. And keep it alive. And I don't have a very great track record of keeping things alive in our classroom. (This does not include kids!!!!) It does include two tadpoles belly up in the tank, 23 very dead flowers that we each planted for mothers day that never made it home, and an ant farm that lasted for about four hours. I'm nervous about this. I think I would be okay with the hermit crabs. They seem easy. I'm not sure about the hamster, though. A little bit they creep me out. (Don't judge me!!!) Something about their resemblance to mice and rats... 


But I wanted to keep the momentum going, so I wasn't about to tell them that we weren't going to get a pet at the end of all this. As Reagan would say, I don't want to be a dream squasher! And if it motivates them to write, then fine. I can live with that. I just hope I can keep the darn pet alive. 


On Monday we'll start the prewrite and continue to persuade, or give our opinion, or whatever it is about what pet we should get. I can't wait to see where this goes. 


My helper thought it was ridiculous that I didn't include corgis as one of our pet choices... 

Anyways, do you have a class pet??? Any suggestions...???? What have I gotten myself into...??? 


Happy weekend!!! 


:-) 

9

Writing Portfolios

I was so excited to see Courtney at

hosting a writing linky party! Writing is my favorite subject to teach!!! I love loVe LovE to see my students progress in writing, especially at the end of the year! I am get so excited and so proud of them!!! I've even been known to "faint" during our writing block because they blow my socks off with what they can do! I love it!


At the end of the year, I send home a writing portfolio with all of their original writing samples. This includes about one writing sample per month. Of course, we do a lot more writing throughout the year, but these are the pieces we've taken from prewrite, to draft, to post write. It's our very best stuff...


Here is the cover:
Writing Portfolio Cover

I put a picture of them working on their writing with their "very best thinking" faces on there too! :-) And laminate it!

I always put their first writing sample from the very first day of school in their portfolio with this note:

Where You Started

Then I put their final writing sample from second grade right next to the first one with this note:

You'Ve Grown

It truly is incredible to see their progress!

Then, all the rest of their writing samples are behind those.

I put this note at the back of the portfolio and sign it.

Note End of Writing Portfolio

I bind them together using the book binder. It's not too fancy, but it gets the job done. 


I am also very very very fortunate to have a class set of iPod Touches. So after every post write is complete, I have them record themselves reading their writing using Voice Memos. When I sync the iPods to my computer, their recordings appear on their own personal Smart Playlist. At the end of the year, I burn them a copy of their playlist (with them reading all of their writing) onto a CD and they take that with their writing portfolio. This is always a hit with both the kids and the parents. 


The recording could also be done using a single device, iPhone, or computer with a program like Garage Band. 


I can't wait to read about what others do for their kiddo's end of the year writing!


:)

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