CUTEST Smartboard Calendars and Linky Party

As I searched for Smartboard Calendars today, I ran across this website that has the CUTEST calendars for each month of the year... FREE! I just have to share with you the site:

The website is called The Wright Room and offers Smartboard files for various subjects.  Some you purchase but ALL of their calendar files are for free.  I downloaded August and LOVED it.  You have to check it out!

That brings me to the linky party Thoughts of a Third Grade Teacher is having.

She is asking to post your favorite Smartboard websites and lessons {which most are free} and there are a ton of posts already.  So go check them out...if you don't have a Smartboard you still might find something you can use. 

BTW... thanks to all those who commented about the Saxon Meeting Calendar.  I think I will try to create something for my Smartboard so that I don't have to use up so much bulletin board space.  Smiles ~

New Math Curriculum ~ SAXON.

So yesterday I decide to go by school to pick up my new teacher guides and check out the new math series our district just purchased for K-3.  Here is what was waiting for me:

There were 7 boxes of stuff... plus crates to put things in.  I started with OPEN THIS BOX FIRST.  So I found out there are 135 lessons and crates to put all the lessons into ~ GREAT... because my file cabinets are pretty full.  The 3 boxes you see on the right are ALL worksheets.  I started putting the worksheets into the folders and filled each crate... here is what it looked like after about an hour and a half:

Each crate has a lid and you stack them on a base that has wheels.  There is a small crate that goes on top to hold learning wrapups and other small manipulatives.  After I put it all together, I rolled it down to my classroom. 

I am very nervous about the meeting board.  The dimensions are outrageous and I have very LIMITED space in my classroom.  I don't have any large bulleting boards and my smartboard is right in the middle of my front wall.  Where am I going to put this?  I wish I had the space like Ms. Van Orman of First Grade Fun:

 

Her board looks AMAZING!  However, I just DO NOT have the room.  Just to prove it to you I will post some pictures of my classroom last year.

Here is a picture of my classroom from the door.  I will be changing LOTS of things this next year...PLUS my room has been painted including a new accent wall. (YAY)!!  But this will give you the general idea of the room in my classroom.  The window wall has shelves built in so I could not put it on that wall due to the kids cannot reach it or be interactive. 

I know what you are thinking... what about the back wall where the moose and bookshelf are now?  Well another addition to my classroom ~ a new whiteboard takes up that wall that is 4ft by 8 ft.  Here is another view of my classroom looking back the other direction.

NO room here!  You can see at the left corner I put my word wall on my cabinet doors last year.  I REALLY didn't like this and have now decided to put my word wall on my new magnetic white board at the back of the room... to allow for a more interactive WW.  But, I may have to use the new whiteboard for my SAXON meeting area.

My question is... teachers who are using Saxon... Could the meeting board be made for the smartboard and be interactive so that it does not take up so much space?  Does that go against the whole SAXON philosophy?  I just think if we have this technology available, the students could do the whole meeting process on the smartboard.  I have searched thinking that someone might have had the same idea and made a Saxon Meeting Board into a notebook file.  No such luck {sob}.  If anyone has ideas, I would LOVE to hear them.  Thanks ~ in advance!

An OWL giveaway!

I just found the most fabulous giveaway... it involves owls {LUV}.  AND a great blog called Plug-n-Plan.  I just became a follower and plan to purchase her "It's OWL time" unit on TpT.  Check it out:

She's giving away a differentiated file folder game "Hoo's Turn Is It?" just by doing 4 things:  Follow her blog, on facebook, on TpT and blog about her giveaway.  With my classroom being OWLS and a camping theme, I just love anything owls - especially this adorable clipart.  Don't miss out... 

Giveaways GALORE ~ to 3 of my favorite stores!

I am so excited about three giveaways that are happening right now to TARGET, LAKESHORE, and AMAZON!  I want to give a shout out to each one:

Erica's Elementary Excitement

Erica is giving away a $50.00 gift card from Lakeshore AND a $25.00 gift card to Target!  YES ~ that is $75.00 to 2 of my FAVORITE stores!  So go on over and check out her blog, follow her and blog about her fabulous giveaway to enter!  The winner will be chosen this THURSDAY, June 30th.  So hurry and GOOD LUCK!

The next AWESOME giveaway is:

Jennifer at First Grade Blue Skies is giving away a $25.00 card to Target OR Amazon... Winner's choice!  She has an awesome blog and also has a facebook page!  Her giveaway ends on June 30th also, so go check out her blog and enter! 

AND here is the 3rd giveaway:

 Jonelle at A Place Called Kindergarten is giving away a $25.00 Amazon gift card to celebrate 300 followers! 

She has an amazing blog so you definitely have to go check it out!  You have until July 4th for her giveaway.  You can enter by becoming a follower, leaving a comment and blogging about her FANTASTIC giveaway!  So don't miss out on these TERRIFIC giveaways... aren't these stores your FAVs?  I'm super excited and keeping my fingers crossed...

Cruising with Addition

I can't believe that it is almost July and I don't have 2 things marked off my to do list for school.  I recently put my house up for sale (I know, I know... the market is terrible), but I'm praying that the right person comes along so that my family can move closer to my job.  My kids would love to be closer to their friends and all their activities as well... so I've been painting, cleaning, organizing, landscaping and a million other projects I'm not going to mention.  In the midst of all of that, I managed to make a trip to Florida to see my sister and her new baby girl (so precious!) and hang out there for a week.  So, after I returned I whipped up this flashcard fact game that includes strategy header cards similar to the ones Debbie mentions in her book on page 110.  I am loving all the ideas everyone has mentioned and the fabulous freebies!  So I thought I would join in!  I have read chapter 6 and have a few ideas, but first I have to spend some time reading and catching up on all the blogs that continually inspire me.  That is all for now but will post again soon!

Click HERE to grab the file!

Writing Secrets...

Have you ever read this book?

I ran across this book when I was choosing books for our class from the bookmobile.  I instantly fell in LOVE with this book and had to own a copy.  First, it kids think they are going to learn secrets about cats... something they have NEVER heard before.  However, the cats in the book want to make SURE the people reading the book are cats and not human.  So they put you through a test consisting of meowing, purring and finally napping which ends the book without revealing any secrets.  I thought... INSTANT writing stem.  So I found the cutest shape book from scholastic that has a cat holding a sign.  I couldn't BELIEVE how quiet the kids were... writing and writing about cat secrets.  

Here are a few examples of my kids work:

I love the secret rescue cars!

I just about FELL OUT when I read that the cats go the the "club" and dance with the girl cats.  Check out the disco ball and boom box.  TOO CUTE!

This is one writing project the kids really got into and used their creativity.  I hope it might spark some fun creative writing in your class too. :)

SUPER SCIENTIST

I want to share with you one of my FAVORITE things in First Grade.  After January, our first grade class begins a Super Scientist Experiment each week.  First, I MUST say this is NOT my original idea.  One of my teacher buddies has done this with her first graders for a couple of years.  I believe she got the idea from Mrs. Meacham's site. 

Here is what we do... a student is chosen to be the Super Scientist and is sent home with a Science Experiment book, a Super Scientist Journal that includes a Lab Report and Pictures of past experiments and a letter to the parents explaining the procedure.  Here is the book I send home with my students:

Students usually choose an experiment to do from this book, however they do not have to.  They may come up with an experiment on their own if they choose.  This book has AWESOME color photos and ranges from very simple to more difficult science experiments.  It also uses items that you can usually find around the house.  

Once students have chosen their experiment they must fill out a LAB REPORT.  I have included a picture of one below.

CLICK HERE to get yours!

Then students prepare all of their materials for the big day and bring them to school on their scheduled day to share their experiment.  Students can't wait to wear the lab coat and safety goggles.  I have to document everything and arrange the pictures in a word document.  I then print two copies.  One for our Super Scientist Journal and one for the student. 

So that other first graders get a chance to see a variety of experiments, our first grade classes SKYPE with each other.  Since we have document cameras that can be used as web cams, we create free accounts and can see into each others classroom via our projectors and smartboards.  Students can then ask questions about the experiment and the Super Scientist is actually being interviewed by the other students.  It is amazing at the answers these first graders give.  It shows just how much they understand!

The students then complete a JOURNAL PAGE about the experiment and it is compiled into a book for the Super Scientist of the week along with their pictures.  Here is the journal page:

 CLICK HERE for the journal page!

I would like to share the lab picture page I create of a student after their experiment.  Here is what the page looks like without the smiley faces ~ privacy.

 Notice the microphone in the last picture on the table.  This allows the student to talk to the other class that is watching via SKYPE.  I am also sharing the Super Scientist Journal Cover (that contains all the lab reports and pictures for our class), and the Parent Letter that is sent home with the Science Book and Journal.

CLICK HERE for a copy!

Here is the Parent Letter.... Addressed to the next Super Scientist!

CLICK HERE for your copy!

I will try to post some pictures of the actual journal I send home with the students and some of the completed lab reports.  I would love to hear about your favorite things in first grade or if you do anything similar for science!