Primary Chalkboard: Tips and Freebies
Showing posts with label Tips and Freebies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tips and Freebies. Show all posts

Tips For Cooking In The Classroom

Aloha everyone! It's Corinna from Surfin' Through Second.


Does the thought of "cooking" in your classroom send chills up your spine?  Many teachers shy away from cooking activities for many reasons.  It can be costly, messy, food allergies, no equipment and sometimes very time consuming.

Kids love eating and when you tell them they get to cook they go nuts! Here are some tips and tricks to make cooking fun and easy in your classroom.

Graphics by Melonheadz, Dancing Crayon and Graphics From The Pond


*Send home a letter in the beginning of the year telling parents you plan to cook in the classroom.  Ask for donations of bowls, mixing spoons, plastic cutting boards, any kitchen utensils you might need. Parents are always happy to donate instead of throwing their old items away or giving them to Goodwill.  You can also ask for dry food donations such as graham crackers if you know ahead of time what you plan on making.

*You can also pick up measuring cups, spoons and bowls at your local dollar store.

*Cooking does not mean you have to use heat!  I tell my students that cooking is preparing food to eat.
   Choose recipes that are easy and inexpensive for students to prepare.

*Check for any particular food allergies your kids have and plan your recipes accordingly.

*Plan for one cooking project per month.  I usually plan around a theme.

September/Back To School-Apples/Seeds/Fruit

October-Halloween/Pumpkins

November-Thanksgiving/Friendship

December-Christmas/Holidays

January-Snow/Chilly

February-Love/Hearts/Red

March-Green/St. Patrick's Day

April-Easter/Spring/Eggs

May-Flowers

*Set up your project like a center and have other students at their desks doing a related activity.

*Put all of their recipes into a class/individual cookbook.

I always start the year making a fruit salad.  I ask all children to bring in a piece of fruit. Some do and some don't.  We seem to always have enough to share.  The students all cut the fruit they brought and if a friend doesn't bring in a piece they can help stir and serve.


I type out a recipe page for each recipe we make.  I am working on getting them all together into one cookbook.  It should be finished soon! I just updated my fruit salad recipe page.  Click on the picture to grab it in Google Docs.


Students read the recipe page and then color it.  They glue their recipes into their own personal
recipe book.  Simply take ten pieces of 9x12 construction paper and bind it together. They can add to it throughout the year and then take home all of their recipes.





If you would like a more detailed description of how I cook in my classroom click {HERE}.

I have a great Pinterest Board with tons of fun ideas for cooking with kids.


I hope you are inspired to try a few new recipes in your class this year.  
Have fun!!





Student Rewards - AWESOME Buttons

Hi everyone,

I'm Valerie from All Students Can SHINE and I am SO happy to be here!

My school has a SUPERHERO theme that we use during the year. I love this theme because the kids really get into it and we have lots of fun with it! Last year, we had some great discussions about what makes us a hero. We also shared our personal 'super powers'. It was a great way to encourage the kids to find something good in everyone!

I made these super cute buttons that I plan on handing out to my students when they do something OUTSTANDING. They will be able to wear it all day and show everyone just how AWESOME they are! 
What better way to share their good news with everyone!



Come read all about it on my blog and grab yourself a copy for FREE!

 All Students Can SHINE Blog


 

End of the School Year Tips (to be SUPER prepared for next year!)

Every June, I lock up my classroom for summer and FEEL like I have left everything ready to go when August rolls around. Yet, every August, I unlock those doors and realize how much work I have on my plate to get my stuff together for another school year. THIS year, I will set myself up for success for the next school year. I need to repeat that...

THIS YEAR, I WILL SET MYSELF UP FOR SUCCESS FOR THE NEXT SCHOOL YEAR.

My schedule is just about to hit the crazy fan, but here in my tenth year of teaching, I have learned that my August self will be much happier if I can stick to the following five goals:

1. {I will} Keep some student work for my August bulletin boards.

I learned this tip while student teaching but there have been many "doh!" years where I forgot to keep something that can decorate the bulletin boards. My mentor teacher suggested that I have my students write letters to the future students. They are cute, not to mention easy! I created the following FREEBIE letter writing paper for you to use in your own classroom. The download includes letter templates for grades K-5. Click here to get in on the goodness! (P.S. it is a google doc so no registration needed. Yay!)

2. {I will} REFLECT on what worked and what did not.

This year I have had a goal that I have {mostly} kept up with, which is keeping better records of what I taught and how it went. I have an awesome grade level team and we have all been on each other's tails about maintaining our reflection notes. But now when things are crazy, this is when we need good records to keep us straight for next year. Now, most of my notes are simply a scribble fest on a yellow pad. But this system seems to be working. Even as I move into my last four weeks of school, I am stickin' with the goal of writing down my steps for planning stuff like:
  • Last day of school
  • Cleaning schedule
  • Celebration of Learning (parents visit the classroom and reflect on learning with students)
  • End of the year party
  • My final teaching units

I will be a happy camper to not have to make up these plans in busy May 2015.


3. {I will} Clean out the junk and stuff I don't use.

I have a whole shelf in my tiny classroom closet dedicated to the olden style geoboards, even though I have a new set. Not needed. Neither I, nor my students, have touched them in two years. This year they will find a new home. What about that box of old fabric scraps that we seriously do not touch. Oy vey. GONE. Little hands love helping on projects like this. I have a group of girls that would BEG to do this during their lunch hour!

4. {I will} Be ready to start student work portfolios on the first day of school. 

Student growth portfolios are a huge part of our classroom and school. The students each create a book with work samples and reflections on their growth. Even though this is supposed to be a year-round project, the bulk of the work happens in our last trimester. I always push the reflections and organizing of the book until the month before the end of the year. BUT, next year everything is changing. I am keeping a sample of a portfolio that is perfectly organized and put together based on what I used as an example this year. This will help me when I know that in October, we need to reflect on our Small Moment writing samples or our math journals, or in December we are checking in on our reading progress. Everything is fresh in my mind now which is the perfect time to write down what I have re-figured out in terms of organizing these bad boys.


There you have it! Even with only four tasks, this is a lofty goal. But if followed, hopefully our return to school is a little smoother. What do you think? Are some of these goals attainable for you this year?


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Celebrate Mother's Day in your Classroom with the Chalkies!!!


Hi All!!!
It's Latoya from Flying into First!!!
MOMS are the BEST!!!!
As Mother's Day approaches we want to give you some ways to celebrate Mothers in a big way.  It is very nice to help your kiddos to make projects, cards, etc. for their moms.  I stress to my students that they do not have to go out and buy an expensive gift.  They can give a handmade gift that comes from the heart.
Check out these Mother's Day FREEBIES!!!
Here is a free class book that I made that you can make with your kiddos to help them organize their thoughts.  They will tell one reason of why they love their mom.  They can then use that sentence to write a nice message on a handmade card.  Click the pic to download for FREE!!!
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BzfkDjx_pPQxY0QwRVY4YWZIN3M/edit?usp=sharinghttps://drive.google.com/file/d/0BzfkDjx_pPQxY0QwRVY4YWZIN3M/edit?usp=sharing


Check out our wonderful Lisa's blog post over at Growing Firsties which includes a Mother's day FREEBIE!!!  Lets just say your class mommies will be enjoying breakfast in bed!!!  Click the pic to check it out!!
http://growingfirsties.blogspot.com/2013/05/mothers-day-freebie-mini-breakfast-in.html

Here are some fabulous Mother's Day products from some of our Chalkie authors!!!
Our fabulous Karen Jones of Mrs. Jones's Kindergarten has a fabulous craftivity that you can check out!!!  Your class moms would love this!
Flowers for Mom: A Mother's Day Craftivity Book and Gift




Check out these cool flip flap cards from our fantastic Anna over at Simply Skilled in Second.
They are so neat!!
Mother's Day and Father's Day Flip Flap Cards
Our great Katie of Teacher to the Core has a packet that will make mommies feel like super heroes!!  Check it out below!!
My Parents Are Super Heroes! Mother's Day and Father's Day Cards
You can check out some more cute craftivities from Jessica over at First Grade Nest.  Students will get to show off their great writing too!!!
Mother's Day Craftivity and Writing Unit


Here is my Mother's Day packet that you can check out by clicking below!!!

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Mothers-Day-Printables-1227257


Thanks for stopping by!!!
Here is a pic of me and my mommy from long ago lol!!!


Before you go....share with us what you do in your classroom for Mother's Day!!!!!



Bubble Science

Friends~It's Monica Schroeder from The Schroeder Page.  I am really excited to be blogging over here at The Primary Chalkboard!  Today I am going to share something super fun and science-ie with you. 
As the end of the school year approaches, this is one of my go to lessons to keep my kiddos engaged and loving learning.  
I start by simply creating a KWL with my students.  This is a great way to tap into prior knowledge and allow students to generate questions about this seemingly familiar topic.

I then break my students into partners and pass out some bubble facts.  This is a perfect way to help them answer their questions and also learn some quick facts. 
We then read this book called POP! A Book About Bubbles by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley.  
It is an easy read but it is packed full of tips on how bubbles are formed.  
This is my go to video!  It always sucks them into the magical world of bubbles. 
It is from the Discovery Channel on Soap Bubble Science. 
Give the picture a click to check it out!
We then participate in some super fun bubble science experiments that connect with our solids, liquids, and gases science goal.  
Check out a few experiments below:
Click the video below to see my son experimenting with blowing bubbles on our table at home.  
I was truly not sure this would work but it did and was totally awesome!



My kiddos loved this experiment and it is great for predicting.  I start by asking my students if they blew a bubble through a cookie cutter, would it make a different shape?  
I then present them with several cookie cutters and small trays of my favorite solutions. 
Click the picture above to download a FREE copy of my recording sheet for this experiment. 
This is only the beginning! You can touch on surface tension or even head into creative writing with bubbles. 
Here are some other fun ideas:
*Bubblegum Blowing Contest
*Pass out wedding bubbles as learning souvenirs.
*Use mini compass rings to track the direction of bubbles.
You can check out more of my Bubble Science by clicking below or give my blog button a click to read about how my class raised praying mantises and more!  







Meet the New Chalkies! FREEBIES

Hello Primary Chalkboard Friends,

We are so excited over here because we have just welcomed 9 fantastic bloggers/friends into the Primary Chalkboard family!

Get ready, because they are so excited to share their experience, tips, and ideas with you!  Let's start right now.  Below you will find out a little about each new Chalkie, a link to one of their favorite products, AND a link to one of their spectacular FREEBIES! 

Greg's Favorites
Freebie
Karen's Favorites
Freebie
Shuna's Favorites
Freebie 
Heather's Favorites
Freebie

2nd Grade Common Core Daily Math Review/Morning Work- April, May, & June Bundle $

Vicky's Favorites
Freebie
Monica's Favorites
Freebie
Casey's Favorites
Freebie
Randi's Favorites
Freebie
Naomi's Favorites
Freebie

We would love for you to leave our new friends some love in the comments below!