Veterans Day Reading Comprehension Freebie

Teachers, we know it's important to help young students grasp the meaning of Veterans Day. Often, they come to us with some misconceptions or no prior knowledge of this important holiday at all! Here are a few important concepts they need to know!

Begin by teaching your students that unlike the names of some other holidays, it's "Veterans Day" with no apostrophe.

Celebrating patriotic holidays in the classroom can be fun, engaging and educational. But where to start? Maybe you need more than a craft or coloring page to help your students understand the meaning of Veterans Day. If so, you will love this Veterans Day Reading Comprehension worksheet to use with your second or third grade students!

No matter what learning activities you do with your class on this day, it would be wonderful if they left the room with five big ideas.

Here are some other quick facts to help your students understand and appreciate the significance of this important day.

1. Honoring All Veterans: Veterans Day celebrates all military veterans, not just active-duty soldiers. 
2. History: It started as Armistice Day for WWI, later expanded to honor veterans from different wars.
3. Recognizing All Branches: We salute veterans from the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard.
4. Not a focus on War: Veterans Day is about thanking and remembering those who protected our freedom, not celebrating war.
5. Different from Memorial Day: Memorial Day is for those who died in service, while Veterans Day is for all veterans, living and deceased.

Most importantly, It is a wonderful sign of respect when a person thanks a veteran for their service. Teach your students early on about the importance of honoring all veterans either by learning about them, thanking a veteran when they meet one, honoring the holiday and its meaning, or writing a letter and sending it off to the VA near you.

 

If you're looking for an educational activity with a touch of history to honor veterans on November 11th, you can grab this comprehension passage here.

Happy teaching!

5 Tips for a Calm and Enjoyable Classroom Halloween Party

 5 Tips for a Calm Classroom Halloween Party

Halloween is just around the corner, and elementary school teachers know what that means – it's time for the class Halloween party! While these festive celebrations are loads of fun, they can also be a bit chaotic. But don't worry, with some planning and the right strategies, you can maintain a calm classroom during the Halloween festivities. In this blog post, we'll explore five tips to ensure a smooth and enjoyable Halloween party and ways to refocus your students after the festivities.

1. Set Clear Expectations

Before the Halloween party begins, gather your students and discuss your expectations for their behavior. Explain that while the party is a time for fun, certain rules still apply. For example, remind them to treat their classmates and the decorations with respect, listen to the adults in the room attentively, not to raise their voices too loudly, and to be mindful of safety rules (e.g., not running in the classroom).

You can also create a list of party rules and display it in the classroom for reference throughout the event.

2. Organize Fun and Engaging Activities

A well-structured Halloween party with engaging activities will help keep the excitement focused on positive experiences. There are plenty of free resources available online to help you plan your activities. Here are some ideas:

• Pumpkin Decorating: Download printable pumpkin templates for students to color and decorate.
• Halloween Bingo: Find free Halloween-themed bingo games online.
• Halloween Games: You can find many ideas online including some fun Minute to Win it or STEM challenges that take careful concentration. Pass the pumpkin, played like the game hot potato, can be done in a circle.
• Craft Stations: Create different crafting stations, like making creepy popcorn hands, making a Frankenstein pudding, making homemade slime or decorating mini pumpkins or bookmarks. They key to as successful rotation is in the timing of the activity. It is also important to be sure to have lots of helpers in the room if possible and have crafting materials prepared in advance. It's very important to have a plan in place as to where the students will put their crafts when it is time to switch.
• Whole Class Activities: These are great to maintain crowd control during the excitement of the day. In this way, you can have eyes and ears on most students and the timing of activities is usually more manageable. Most crafts you may want to do can be done as a class with good planning for how to distribute the supplies quickly.
• Scavenger Hunt: Organize a simple indoor scavenger hunt with clues or riddles.
• Storytime: Share spooky or funny Halloween stories to captivate their attention.

Check websites like TeachersPayTeachers for free activity ideas and printables. There are a few links to free and paid resources below.

3. Provide Healthy Snacks

Halloween is often associated with sugary treats, but you can maintain a calm classroom atmosphere by offering healthier snack options. Provide apple slices, carrot sticks, cheese sticks, popcorn, cider and plain donuts alongside some fun, Halloween-themed snacks like "boo-nanas" (banana ghosts) or "clementine pumpkins."

This can help balance the sugar rush and keep students more focused and energized.

4. Plan a Transition Activity

As the party comes to a close, plan a calming transition activity to help students refocus. A popular choice is a "quiet time" where students can do a Halloween word search or work on Halloween coloring pages. This activity serves as a bridge between the party and the return to classroom routines.

I always use a round of Halloween I Have, Who Has?? The first student reads the first card aloud and then every child must listen and stay focused, because they may have the next card. It works like a charm to get your students settled down for the next set of party directions or to get back to learning activities.

Of course it is great to throw in a few crowd-pleasing activities where students are able to get up and moving like dancing to Halloween music or having the popular wrap a mummy in toilet paper race!

No matter what you choose, any activities outside of the normal day are bound to get students REALLY excited for a short time but that's part of the fun of a party! 

At any time during the party that you need listening ears and eyes on the teacher, you can always call out:

 "Hocus Pocus! Everybody Focus!" 

5. Review Classroom Expectations Afterward

After the Halloween party ends, gather your students for a quick review of the classroom expectations discussed earlier. This reinforces the idea that even during fun events, respect and proper behavior are important. Take a moment to commend the students for their good behavior during the party and explain how it contributes to a positive learning environment. 

By implementing these five tips, you can have a successful and calm Halloween party in your elementary school classroom. Remember to plan engaging activities, set clear expectations, provide healthy snacks, and include transition activities to help students refocus. Don't forget to utilize free resources available online to make your party planning easier and more cost-effective.

Have a spook-tacular time celebrating Halloween with your students!

TPT Back to School Sale and Gift Card Giveaway!

 

Are you ready to take your teaching game to a whole new level? We have some exciting news to share! The Creative Lesson Cafe at Teachers Pay Teachers is hosting an amazing 25% off sale, and to top it off, there's a chance to win a gift card giveaway! So, grab your favorite cup of coffee, sit back, and let's dive into the incredible opportunities awaiting you.

Back to School Sale at Creative Lesson Cafe!

As educators, we know how important it is to keep our teaching materials fresh, engaging, and effective. The Creative Lesson Cafe, a treasure trove of resources on Teachers Pay Teachers, is a haven for educators seeking innovative and top-notch educational materials. The store is renowned for its wide variety of lesson plans, worksheets, interactive activities, and much more. And now, with the sale in full swing, you can access these fantastic resources at unbelievable prices!

Why Shop at Creative Lesson Cafe?

1. Quality Assured: Each resource available at Creative Lesson Cafe is created by experienced educators, who have an in-depth understanding of the classroom needs and learning objectives. Expect nothing but the best for your students.

2. Diversity of Subjects: Whether you're a preschool teacher, a primary teacher of all subjects, or a therapist, Creative Lesson Cafe has something tailored to meet your subject-specific requirements.

3. Engaging and Interactive: Say goodbye to mundane lesson plans! The resources at Creative Lesson Cafe are designed to captivate students' attention and make learning a joyful experience.

4. Save Time and Effort: Why spend countless hours creating teaching materials from scratch when you can access well-crafted resources that have already proven successful in classrooms worldwide?

5. Supporting Fellow Educators: By purchasing resources from Creative Lesson Cafe and TPT, you are directly supporting fellow teachers and their dedication to improving education globally.

Gift Card Giveaway: Your Chance to Win!

In celebration of this incredible sale, Creative Lesson Cafe is offering an exciting gift card giveaway! By participating, you stand a chance to win a $20 gift card to use on future Teachers Pay Teachers purchases. It's simple to enter:

1. Visit Creative Lesson Cafe: Head over to the Teachers Pay Teachers store, Creative Lesson Cafe. Take a look at the wide array of resources available to spark inspiration.

2. Favorite and Share: Favorite the resources you find appealing and share your top picks with your fellow teachers through Pinterest or other social media, encouraging them to participate as well.

3. Spread the Word: Help spread the word about the sale and giveaway on your social media platforms or teacher groups. Use the hashtag #CreativeLessonCafeSale to join the conversation.

4. Submit Your Entry: Once you've completed the steps above, you're officially entered into the gift card giveaway! The winners will be chosen randomly and announced at the end of the sale.

Embrace the Creativity: Seize the Opportunity!

With the sale at Creative Lesson Cafe and the gift card giveaway, now is the ideal time to invest in your teaching resources and upgrade your classroom experience. Unleash your creativity and discover fresh ways to engage your students, all while supporting your fellow educators. Remember, the sale is August 1st and 2nd, so make sure to take advantage of this fantastic opportunity!

Don't wait any longer! Head over to Creative Lesson Cafe at Teachers Pay Teachers, shop till you drop, and enter the gift card giveaway to add some extra excitement to your educational journey. Your students will thank you, and you'll leave a lasting impact on their learning experiences.

Happy teaching and learning!

The Creative Lesson Cafe Team

Being a Scientist! Dancing Raisins Science Experiment

Science Experiments in the elementary classroom can be a daunting thing to plan and prepare. This one is super simple and great fun! We had some good fizzy fun with our first science experiment and introduction to our Being a Scientist unit! We dropped some raisins in Sprite and the magic of science excitement filled the room!

We talked about each step of the scientific method along the way using these cards. 

The kids felt like REAL scientists as they created a hypothesis, made observations and recorded along the way with a Raisin Experiment lab sheet.

Thankfully, it doesn't say Dancing Raisins at the top of the worksheet because that would be a spoiler! 

I wanted the kids to be totally surprised and they were!

Some students thought the raisin might explode. 

Others thought the pop might turn brown. 

One student was sure the teacher was going to shake the whole bottle of Sprite first and let it erupt everywhere! 

He must have seen that Diet Coke and Mentos experiment on an episode of MythBusters!

The kids were bursting with excitement as they saw our raisins begin to dance! 

We talked about how the carbonation in the pop is air. The bubbles attach to the rough surface of the raisin. When enough bubbles form, it makes the raisins bouyant and they rise to the top. At the surface, the bubbles pop and the raisins sink again.

This was also a great experiment for tying in some review of solids, liquids and gases.

We decided NOT to dump out the cups afterward, but instead will leave them all weekend and return to make more observations of the changes we see on Monday! 

I just love seeing the kids get so excited about activities like these!

:)

Close Reading with Nonfiction

One of our goals this year is to be able to read and comprehend grade level text, both fiction and nonfiction. We have worked to be able to identify nonfiction text features like captions, headings and diagrams. The students are also learning how to do a close read and to be able to provide text evidence to answer comprehension questions.

We use our highlighters to locate key words and information. The students are also learning how to annotate a passage.

We also work to learn new vocabulary in a variety of ways.

Ask your child about any activities like these that come home and practice close reading as often as possible!

Math Activities and Number Talk

What can you do with a card set of numbers 0-10? Maybe more than you can possibly imagine for good, simple math fun! They can be used for addition, subtraction, comparing numbers, even/odd practice, place value and more! 

Often, there are learning activities that we do in school during the day that can't be sent home. I'm really glad that you have stopped by so I could share this one with you!

I made a set of number cards for each of the students to use for various math activities and partner games. I like them better than a deck of playing cards sometimes because we don't have as many face to cards to take out and sometimes you just need a ZERO! 

Cards in Action

 Each child has their own set of cards to manipulate and use for practice activities and partner games. They are stored in these library pockets. 

 Some activities start with a shuffled deck turned upside down in a draw pile. 

First, we lined them up all of the cards in order from greatest to least and then turned over some to show only odd numbers. This was skip counting by two backward practice as well and helped with instant recognition of odd numbers through 10. 

Next, the students had to show a two-digit number that was even.

The cards went back into a pile and then they were asked to flip up three cards. The task was to show the greatest number with those cards. It got tricky when those zeros turned up. Zero is not nothing! Zero is something!

Elbow partners had to work together and compare numbers to see who made the largest. 

 When a ten was turned up, it lead to some great discussion regarding place value to the thousands place.

 Hmmm...what to do with that zero?

 The rule was set that it can't be taken away. 

  Yes, that works!

Next, four cards had to be turned up. The students could create a double digit addition problem of their choice and record it and solve it in their math notebook. Next, they were asked to rearrange some or all of the cards to create a different problem in which the sum remained the same (most saw that it could be the turn-around), and again in a way that would result in a different sum. 

 The next challenge was just that, but it was such a great one for getting the kiddos really thinking. 

I called out a direction to create a two-digit subtraction problem where regrouping would be necessary. This is a new concept that was only recently introduced.

One student showed this problem. They were on the right track with the digits in the ones place but failed to look at the entire problem. This was a great opportunity for questioning.

 This student got it right away!

  Another student made a model using his pencils to help himself to better see tens and ones in columns as he had seen on many practice papers. Because he had trouble with the concept of regrouping, I was able to pull out another card from my teaching set of extras to use as an overlay to demonstrate what we had done days prior when we decomposed cubes stacked in towers of ten. 

I cannot wait to get the cards out again!

 The students love all card and dice activities
 and so do I! 

In just 15 minutes, we had a wonderful math review and I learned so much about the students and where they each were in their mathematical thinking and skill. 

Number Talks

We also started official number talks this month, although we have been doing them informally all year as part of our math block. 

First, the class set some important rules for math talk time.

In our very first practice number talk, the students were shown three cards. I asked the question, "What can we do with these three numbers?" 

The teacher records student responses as we come up with different approaches to problem-solving. These are just a few responses from the class. Adding student names encourages greater participation and allows us to refer back to an idea and have the child expand on it if necessary. 

There are many different strategies that can be applied to any problem as you know from completing the homework assignments when asked to explain math reasoning using words, numbers and pictures! The idea is to use mental math over other strategies as often as possible.

The goal of using number talks in our classroom is to improve upon computational fluency, explore new ways of thinking about math and develop sound mental math strategies. 

To learn more about number talks, visit Math Perspectives!

Parents, MAP testing in reading and math begins next week! Using Dreambox at home is a great way to review many math skills!

Look Who's Watching!

An icy cold package was delivered to our classroom the other day! 

Look what Santa sent to us!

Our very own classroom elf! Inside the box was a letter from Santa, our elf friend and a DVD of the movie!

 Yes, he's watching us closely with those big blue eyes and reporting back to Santa! The children all hope to be included on the nice list, of course. I'm sure they will be!

Before he can work his magic and escape from the box, he needs a name. The class brainstormed some ideas. Tomorrow we take a vote. Some of the children's favorites include:

Jingle

Jack

Gerald

Snowflake

Mike

Gizmo

Zip

Buddy

Which will it be? I can't wait to announce it!

Stay tuned for more elf adventures and some field trip photos!

Turkey Time!

Well it's turkey time! In second grade, that means it's time for lots of fun projects and learning activities with our unit on life long ago. It's also a time for us to think about what we are truly thankful for! This year is off to a fantastic start. I am thankful every day for the blessing of these adorable children and for all of the support from each of you! 

We've been reading the chapter book, Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder. The students also enjoyed the pilot episode movie for the old TV series. These are great stories that tie into our theme and upcoming field trip to the Troy Historical Museum. There is an entire series by this author. You may enjoy checking out the next one from the library to read together at home. 

The students completed many graphic organizers and writing pieces on the topic of Thanksgiving. We also did some creative writing and learned about the parts of a friendly letter with our Dear Tom Turkey letters. These will be on display at conferences.

This cute project is our November bulletin board display:

The students were asked to write about three embarrassing moments when they felt like a turkey! 

I have to say that these were just so much fun to read! I had to hold back the giggles. :)

A special thanks goes out to all of the families who sent in items for our corn soup feast! Here are the students with "Ma" Palma imagining to cook over the hearth.

The kids actually loved the soup and gobbled it all up. They were begging for the recipe to make it at home. Here it is!

Corn Soup

1 pound browned ground sirloin

torn spinach leaves

2 large cans of chicken broth

onion

1 cup of long grain wild rice

2 cans of corn

salt and pepper to taste

All of our ingredients were sent in cooked, so we just added it to the kettle to warm. Our little pilgrim children even set the table! 

We also churned our own creamy butter, using heavy whipping cream and a dash of salt, for Miss Mary's famous cornbread muffins! Thanks for baking for us mom! :) Miss Mary has been helping me serve up Thanksgiving feasts for many years now. She agreed this group of kids enjoyed it the most! They were all so polite. You would be proud!

After our mini-feast, we worked on our turkey casserole rice bag project. I hope you will enjoy the recipe, the funny poem on the back and discover a new way to be creative with the leftovers!

Earlier in the month, we did a whole unit on scarecrows.  Here is a cute craft and acrostic poem that is on our other bulletin board! 

It was a great November!

There is so much to look forward to next month! My head is spinning with thoughts of glitter and paper scraps everywhere but it's all worth it in the name of good Christmas crafting fun! Here's a sneak peek at our sparkled up Santa letters that we mailed to the North Pole! Santa should have them in plenty of time to be sure to add all of our little children to his "nice" list!

This Santa is dressed in a tank top~ all set for his tropical vacation after the holidays! Smiles!

 I think I see that this student asked for a butler! Kids say the funniest things! I truly have the best job in the world!

Enjoy a wonderful holiday!