slantbox

I love getting packages in the mail. Well... I am sure you do too! So, when I saw this fun party I couldn't resist signing up! Check out Lessons with Coffee... she is organizing this teacher swap every month! Here is how it works:

1. You sign up on Lessons with Coffee blog page.
2. She will email you the details.
3. You make a sweet package for a teacher friend you have been linked with.
4. You recieve a sweet package!

** Best part of all, you get some new bloggy friends and some very thoughtful gifts!

So, I got paired up with Amanda from My Shoe String Life. She was the blogger I sent to! My sender is Jessica at What I have learned.

Anyway... I got my slantbox today from Jessica! It was a bittersweet moment when I met up with the postlady. She said, "Um... be careful with this. I think I heard some clinking. But, I'm sure it is not broken!"

So, I took my mail inside, very optimistically. I started opening, but... yup there was a break! Poo!

The coffee cup handle broke! I have the pieces though... so I will be glueing! The theme this month was Oops I forgot ______! Jessica included a coffee cup (to get my mind moving with some coffee), and cute little notepad to jot down notes, a candle and some handcrafted coasters. Very cute! 

Thanks Jessica! 

Go sign up!! 

I remembered!!!

As I was walking out the door today I thought... PICTURES! Yes, I remembered... just a little bit proud of myself!

So... this was yesterday:

We are reading our oh so fabulous Journeys selection: "Animals Building Homes". I mean it isn't too bad, and it did lend itself to a great lesson on questioning. Every time I introduce/teach questioning I also refer to this lesson by Babbling Abby.

We start with the anchor chart, talk about reasons to ask questions and review question words. Then we focus in on those key question words.. ya know... the 5 W's and the H. We had already read the story a couple times, so then we started brainstorming questions that we had been thinking:

Here are a few up close:

Then, we answered some questions and wrote about some vocab...

 

(btw... still in love with my hallway display! It is sooo easy to switch out work!)

Overall, this lesson was a success! The kids got to do some individual thinking and some group work.. took a little longer than expected (so we didn't exactly get all of D5 completed) but I think it was worth it! 

And, here is today:

We are learning about map skills in social studies. We have been practicing reading maps and such but today I thought we could do a little intro lesson on latitude/longitude. I mean we aren't going to go deep into it or anything, but I want them to know that it exists and why it exists. So, in an effort to help them remember the difference we made latitude and longitude lines on our desks. 

Now, I guess we'll see how long those last... :)

Do you webquest?

I love finding new ways for my kids to get on the computer and research! I don't want them to only think that the computer is a gaming tool!

A couple weeks ago, I blogged about a website that my kids LOVE. It is called pebblego. Check out my post: (click!)

So, we use pebblego for lots of different lessons.. whole group, small groups, cooperative learning! Anyway, we have started using it for some webquests! We go to the computer lab, clipboards in hand, and get to reading and searching for new info!! 

We have done one webquest on Soils, thanks to my awesome teammate (who just happens to be my son's 2nd grade teacher)! In fact, I just found out that she has been posting some of her stuff on TPT--- so I must give her a shout out! Check out some of her webquests and other helpful tools here at VandyPenguins! 

She recently made one for maps (which we just started studying) but I wanted something a little bit different so I made my own! I made them for different types of maps. I am planning on having my kids split into groups and study political, physical, and road maps. After we complete the webquests, we are going to do a jigsaw and teach each other about the different maps. **sidenote... I have never done a jigsaw with my students before. I've participated in lots of jigsaws but I never really thought kids could really do a good job of teaching each other! Here's to hoping I am soooo wrong! 

Anyway, I am sharing my webquests with you. Unfortunatly, you need to have access to pebblego to utilize. 

(Click on the images to be connected to my dropbox!)

Physical Maps

 Political Maps

Road Maps

I had something else to share today but I forgot to take pics! So, hopefully you will hear from me tomorrow!