Editing with Color and the Water Cycle

I love everything about teaching writing to my students! I especially love to see their growth as the year goes on. This past month, I have felt like many of my kiddos are ready to be pushed further when it comes to revising and editing their papers. Although we edit and revise regularly, some of the still don't take the time to actually look for their mistakes or look for places they can add details. To help motivate them to edit, I introduced editing with crayons and colored pencils. BOY, were they on the hunt! They searched and searched their papers for mistakes just so they could write with crayon on it. Haha! They used a different color for each of these 5 things we were looking for. This way, I could really tell their corrections were purposeful.

For our last paper of the year, I plan on doing this same type of thing with revising, specifically with adding details and improving word choice.

My kiddos and I also studied the water cycle this week. I was running short on time and didn't create an activity for this this. I also didn't find any activities out there in blogging land in time. Soooooo, other than drawing the water cycle and talking about it, I wasn't sure what I was going to do.

UNTIL, I remembered BrainPop. Have you heard of it before?! I'm sure you have! It has educational videos for kids and it even has a BrainPop Jr. dedicated to K-3. I haven't been on in years, so I signed up for the free trial. Not only do they have videos, but there are vocabulary words and definitions, and quizzes (which you can print or do online). My students loved it and it was perfect to follow up my mini-lesson about the water cycle. And the kids got 100% on the quiz (we did it together). No, I'm not being paid to promote their site or anything (though that would be nice. Haha!). I just really liked it!

Update on Camping Unit- Oopsy!

For those of you who have already picked up my camping unit, there is an update! I was making copies of the writing paper for my kiddos today and realized the spacing was GINORMOUS! Don't know how I missed that. Considering you probably teach first or second grade and not preschool, you may want to download it again! Sorry about the inconvenience!

Camping Unit Is Done and on SALE!

I finished my camping unit earlier than anticipated! I just couldn't stop working on it. :) After several hours of problems converting my word document to a PDF, it's good to go!

This unit contains all of this:

Reading

-Short vs. Long Vowel Sort: {center activity} includes 12 cards, directions, and a worksheet
-Digraph Sort: {center activity} includes 15 sorting cards for ch, sh, and th, directions, and a worksheet
-Syllable Sort: {center activity} includes 16 cards, directions, and a worksheet

             -2 Graphic Organizers for Fiction: book ideas provided

-2 Graphic Organizers for Non-Fiction: book ideas provided too


Language/Grammar

-Adjective, Noun, and Verb Sort: {center activity} includes 24 sorting cards, directions, and a worksheet
-Adjective Hunt: {whole class activity} includes 48 cards to hide in the room (24 are adjectives), directions, and a worksheet
-Noun Hunt: {whole class activity} includes 48 cards to hide in the room (24 are nouns), directions, and a worksheet
-Verb Hunt: {whole class activity} includes 48 cards to hide in the room (24 are verbs), directions, and a worksheet
-6 Expanding Sentences Worksheet Pages: {can be used whole class or in centers} students add an adjective, adverb, and prepositional phrase to sentences
-Identifying Root Words and Inflectional Endings: {center activity} includes 12 cards, directions, and a worksheet
-End Punctuation: {center activity} includes 10 sentences, directions, and a worksheet

-Categorizing Words: {center activity} includes 16 sorting cards, directions, and a worksheet

 Writing

-Informative Writing Prompt including:

  *4 different versions of a graphic organizer (differentiated) 
*2 different versions of final draft paper (with primary lines and regular lines)

-Narrative Writing Prompt including:
  *4 different versions of a graphic organizer (differentiated) 
  *2 different versions of final draft paper (with primary lines and regular lines)
-Opinion Writing Prompt including:
  *4 different versions of a graphic organizer (differentiated)
  *2 different versions of final draft paper (with primary lines and regular lines)

 Math

-Adding 3 Numbers: {center activity} includes 16 cards, 4 blank ones if you want to create more, directions, and a worksheet
-Word Problems: {center activity} includes 12 word problems, directions, a worksheet, and an answer key
-Fact Families: {center activity} includes 20 cards, 4 blank ones if you want to create more, directions, and a worksheet

-Determine the Unknown Number: {center activity} includes 16 problem cards, number cards, directions, and a worksheet
-Mentally Add 10 or 100: {center activity} includes 42 problem cards, directions, and a worksheet

If you like to see if for yourself or purchase it, click HERE! And it's on SALE- 20% off- for the weekend!

Reviewing High Frequncy Words and an Upcoming Product

How do you review high frequency words in your classroom? I have the students chant them, spell them, read them as fast as they can, practice with a buddy.... BUT, this doesn't always ensure they understand the meaning of the word. So I decided to tie in my "super sentence" activity (see that post HERE) with the high frequency words.

I divided my class into 5 groups and gave each group a word and a sentence strip. They had to come up with a "super sentence" for the word. They also had to make sure each student played a role in coming up with the sentence and writing the sentence. It was fun to see how creative they got with that!

After writing the sentences, we shared them with each other and then during small group time I pulled some of my kiddos over to practice their fluency with the sentences.

Moving on....at the moment, I knee deep in camping related books, activities, and ideas for my upcoming unit! I am SOOOO excited about this one!

Many first grade teachers at my school end the year with a camping theme. And I LOVE camping, so this unit couldn't be more perfect!! It will have reading, language (grammar), writing, and math activities that are ALL related to a COMMON CORE standard. I'm not sure when I will be finished with it, but I'm hoping next week some time!

And, are you celebrating teacher appreciation week too? We can been spoiled with goodies this week from our PTA, including a Mexian lunch, breakfast, suprises in our mailboxes, and this:

I guess during Specials they asked my kiddos for words to describe me. How precious is this!? I love it! "DUNN" is my last name. :) Notice "talkative?" Hahahahaahah!

Currently and a Sale

Currently, I am exhausted and my brain is spent! I have been studying for three different tests all week and I finally took them today. There was a Nevada School Law, a Nevada Constitution, and a U.S. Constitution test. I won't find out if I passed for 6 weeks. But now I can spend the weekend relaxing!!! I had a hectic weekend at work too, so this is much needed. Here is my link up with Oh' Boy 4th Grade's linky party!

And I will be having a sale in TPT store, along with everyone else, tomorrow. Everything will be 20% off. When (or if) you purchanse anything, don't forget to use TpT's code for an additional 10% off! Happy shopping!

Here are some of my newer and more popular items at the moment: