Tried It Tuesday {Student Groups and Supplies}

This is how I started Tried It Tuesday last week:  As I am writing this week's Tried It Tuesday on Monday night, my voice is just about gone after fighting this cold and a day of teaching.  I wonder what tomorrow will bring!  Update:  My voice is STILL not back to normal.  This is a huge bummer when I am in the car alone and want to sing along to my favorite songs and it comes out as a squeak! Haha!!  I think I am definitely on the upswing though and didn't have to get an antibiotic.  Let's hope I'm right! :)
We had off for Columbus Day today (yay!) so I sat down at 9:30 tonight and realized that I forgot about Tried It Tuesday!  Oops...

My Tried It:

Student Groups and Supplies
I didn't have my Tried It planned ahead but, when I started thinking about what I have "tried", what came to mind immediately was how I have tried arranging my students' desks in groups of four or five this year.  Since we are departmentalized this year, each of my three ELA blocks sit in groups.  I have used this seating arrangement before, but not very often.   I think I got in a funk with the "U" arrangement (with some desks in pairs or trios in the middle) and I also used pairs and trios of desks in recent years more often.  The SMART board is used daily in my classroom and I was worried that some students would have their back to the board.  My solution was to arrange the room like with the desks in the front angled slightly.

We have been in school for five or six weeks now (who's counting?) and I am absolutely LOVING this arrangement!  So far, no one (out of all three classes) has complained about not being able to see the SMART board.  Students always have a partner to share with when we are at our desks.  If there is someone absent in a group of four, the group easily becomes a group of three!  The students do not talk anymore than they would have in another arrangement.  Of course there are behaviors that I have had to correct but the students would have probably tried to exhibit those behaviors no matter how I arranged the desks! :)

Here are some students working in groups and showing off their new pen pal letters! :)  We are pen pals with Gary from Scrappy Guy Designs and Jivey from Ideas by Jivey!

 
Only my homeroom (Block 1) actually has supplies in their desks, so I started using a basket for each group with bottle of glue, scissors, and post-its to use when working on our interactive journals.  I have noticed that so many teachers use communal supplies and I am not ready to go there yet (I would want my team to be on board and let parents know in the school supply list sent home over the summer) BUT I love having a group basket for the glue, scissors, and post its.  Students keep highlighters, pencils, and other handy tools in their personal pencil slider cases (thank you Joanne from Head Over Heels for Teaching!).  These are kept in their individual book boxes.
You can see a student's slider case on their desk in the picture below.

See the red arrow in the picture above?  Those are currently my supply baskets that I took from my "extra baskets" in storage.  They are not working very well because the scissors stick out of the holes sometimes and the glue bottles don't stand up.  This can be a problem when students don't follow directions and close the bottle properly.  I FINALLY ordered some new baskets this weekend from amazon.  It only took me five weeks!  Ugh.  I hope the glue bottles stand up well!

Sorry that this is not a very enlightening post but maybe it can help another teacher who is struggling with a new seating arrangement or using group supplies! :)

Spark Student Motivation {Fifty Nifty}

I am linking up with my BBB, Joanne, at Head Over Heels for Teaching with the motivational strategy that has had my students singing the past couple weeks!!

Did you learn the "Fifty Nifty United States" song when you were in elementary school?

Thanks to my 5th grade music teacher, I STILL remember the song like it was yesterday and can tell you the names of all fifty states in alphabetical order within about 20 seconds!

Here is a youtube version just in case you have no idea what I'm talking about. :)

We have used this song as a "fun extra" in 4th grade for years and the students always love it!!  My team mate taught it the last two years in "Topics of Study" which was extra science and social studies time for students who were not enrolled in Academic Intervention Services for math and ELA (I taught AIS for math).  This year we are departmentalized and my team mate is teaching all the science and social studies.  She had the students practice the song in class a few times and sent them home with a copy of the lyrics.  That was it!  Overall, they are really motivated to practice the song on their own.  Every day, she has students who have the song memorized perform it for the class to earn their star on the wall in the hallway.  She made this cute display!

The past couple weeks the students have been SO excited about this song and learning the names of all fifty states!!  When I pick them up from lunch, the first thing they want to tell me is if they earned a star on the wall.  

When we stop at the restroom as a class after lunch, the students who are waiting to go in the restroom sing the song (quietly) with me.  They LOVE it!! 

I bet they won't forget that song anytime soon either.  The best part is that when I mention the name of a state that they don't know much about in class, they AT LEAST know that it is a STATE!!  There are so many students who come to 4th grade and can't tell you the name of the state they live in!  Now they can!  I love how music is an awesome motivator and even some of the students who struggle the most with our core subjects, have had their name added to the wall.  It's amazing!

In honor of TPT reaching 100K Facebook Fans, they are having a 10% off sale today thru October 14th!  Wow!  I also am offering an additional 15% off all items in my store thru October 14th. :)

Thank you to Shuna from Pocket Full of Kinders for the cute graphic!

Workshop Wednesday {Opinion Writing}

Workshop Wednesday at Ideas by Jivey is back to a weekly linkup!  Yay!!

 This week's topic is OPINION WRITING.

When I saw this topic, I immediately thought of sharing some ideas about opinion writing in general and how it is different from persuasive writing.  They have a lot in common but the CCSS is clear that there is a distinction between the two.  I am still wrapping my head around the CCSS and at a workshop at the end of the year last year, we investigated the topic of opinion writing as it is stated in the 4th grade CCSS.

• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.1 Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons and information.
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.1a Introduce a topic or text clearly, state an opinion, and create an organizational structure in which related ideas are grouped to support the writer’s purpose.
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.1b Provide reasons that are supported by facts and details.
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.1c Link opinion and reasons using words and phrases (e.g., for instance, in order to, in addition).
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.1d Provide a concluding statement or section related to the opinion presented.

Opinion writing is clearly based on "text evidence" and this corresponds to one of the shifts in ELA.  I found this t-chart online that gives a great overview of persuasive writing vs. opinion/argument writing.

Persuasive Writing   Vs.	Argument
Claim based on Opinion	Claim (Opinion, Position, Hypothesis, Thesis Statement, Theory)
Not Always Substantiated Claim (e.g., Propaganda, Advertisements)	Substantiated Claim (Based on Relevant & Sufficient Evidence)
“Pathos”—Appeal to Audience Emotion, Desires, Needs	Some “Pathos” but emphasis is on “Logos”—Appeal to logical reasoning and evidence (e.g., Facts, Examples, Historical and Legal Precedents)
“Ethos”—Appeal to writer’s or speaker’s character, credentials, trustworthiness	“Ethos”—Appeal to writer’s or speaker’s credibility (more so than character); credibility is established through knowledge of subject matter and merits of reasons and factual evidence
Persuasive texts may make an “argument,” but they don’t always include elements of a formal argument	Include the following elements of Argument:
	Warrants (Statements about How Evidence Supports Claims)
	Backing (Support for Warrants)
May not take opposing views into account	Counterclaim (Opposing Argument)
	Rebuttals (Respond to and Try to Refute)
	Heart of Critical Thinking

Since I have been taking the plunge into using more and more mentor texts in my classroom, (thanks mostly to Collaboration Cuties mentor text weekly linky and Jivey's mentor sentences-read more here), I was browsing TpT and found this pack on opinion writing using mentor texts by Free to Teach that I added to my wish list.  The best part is that I already own two of the mentor texts!

I am looking forward to reading the great ideas linked up for opinion writing this week!  

Do you teach the differences between persuasive and opinion writing in 4th grade?  

I would love to hear your thoughts!

Tried It Tuesday {New Teacher Bag}

As I am writing this week's Tried It Tuesday on Monday night, my voice is just about gone after fighting this cold and a day of teaching.  I wonder what tomorrow will bring!   

My Tried It:

New Teacher Bag!

Sorry, to the guys who are reading this but you may need to shop for someone, right?
Let me start by letting you know that I have no affiliation with Vera Bradley and was never contacted by them (I wish!).  I just really love my new bag and searched for what seemed like hours last month for a new bag to haul all my junk teacher stuff and laptop.
Since someone else might be looking for a new teacher bag, I wanted to share what I tried for this week's Tried It.  For the past two years, I used the Vera Bradley commuter bag in twirly bird pink (discontinued).

I loved this bag too but, over time, it collected more junk than I actually needed and the bag didn't stand upright.  I like a bag that stands upright when fully loaded.
I needed a new bag and having a spot for my laptop (15" MacBook) was a necessity.
I found this Vera Bradley large laptop tote and am in LOVE!  This color is paisley meets plaid and is currently sold out on the Vera site, but there are so many other colors.  I bought this as a "sale color" (always looking for a bargain) and it was $66 vs. the normal $88.  If you have ever owned a Vera bag, you know how well they are made.  Even though I load this baby up, it is super sturdy and the weight distribution with the strap length makes it surprisingly comfortable to wear.

 The top has a toggle closure which I wasn't sure that I would like but then I remembered that I rarely zipped everything up in my commuter bag anyway.  Usually, I am in such a rush to get out the door that I just tossed my stuff in the bag and carried it out without zipping.  When it is pouring rain, I walk in the school with my umbrella anyway.

 The laptop sleeve is in the center, so essentially there are three sections to divide binders, folder, and paper into.  I even put papers in the laptop section with my computer.  As you can see, there is room for an even larger laptop than my 15" MacBook.  The one thing I was worried about was how many papers I could fit in here.  I was so surprised that I found I can fit more papers in this bag than my old commuter bag!  I have brought home as many as five sets of 50 papers each in this bag with my computer in there too!  In addition, I always keep the purple folder in there with some essentials.  Binders fit in the bag easily too because it is wide enough.

There are three pockets on the inside of the bag along one side.  In there I keep meds, lotion, gum and things like that.  Sometimes I wish there were more pockets, but then I would just stuff them full of other junk and not be able to fit as many papers in there (thus my problem with the commuter bag).

On the outside of the bag, there is a pocket on the front center and back center.  One pocket is just a slip in pocket and the other side has a zippered pocket with also a slip in pocket.  

Here is a picture of me holding my bag.  Sorry, I am such a dork taking my picture in the mirror but when I was looking for a bag, I had a hard time visualizing how large the bag would be when I was holding it!  I like the drop length on the bag.  I can also lean over to pick up something without the bag flopping over my back and dumping out.  Some bags have a tendency to do that.  See my little Porter (Shih-tzu) in the picture?  He's getting big!  :)

So, when I was writing this post about my new bag that I love, I saw that Vera Bradley has now come out with the Laptop Carryall!!  Whoa!!  This one does have the option of zipping up and there are large pockets on the outside (water bottle?!?).  Oh man!  This is twice the price at $120 vs. my on sale large laptop tote, but I may just have to add this to my Christmas wish list!!  

What teacher bags do you love?  Share in the comments if you can because you never know what teacher may be looking for their next new bag!  Hey, I think having a nice bag makes me a much more effective teacher! :)

Five for Friday {October 4, 2013}

I am linking up with Doodle Bugs Teaching for a quick Five for Friday to share some highlights of my week.  It will be an early night for me since this cold I am fighting is kicking my behind!  It probably didn't help that I had to stay up last night watching my Bills lose. :(

 Guess what arrived?!?

That's right, our pen pal letters arrived from Jessica (Ideas by Jivey) and Gary (Scrappy Guy Designs) in Georgia!!  The students have no idea yet because this week was insane trying to play catch up with fire drills three days in a row and a 1/2 day with students today.  I also still need to pair up the names and can't wait to do the big reveal next week.  The students will be ecstatic!!  

This folder was in the envelope!

 Here is the inside with the letters, "Cool Stuff Every Kid Should Know about Atlanta" book, and class lists (they have about 50 students total to match my numbers since I teach ELA to the whole 4th grade).

There is also a little fact card about Lawrenceville for each student!

We worked on the first interactive notebook lesson in our writing journals.  This characters interactive notebook activity is from the 4th Grade Interactive Reading Notebook by Nicole Shelby.

 We finished reading the book, Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing this week and completed some character trait activities.  Students completed a graphic organizer where they listed a character trait for some of the characters in the story and found at least two specific details from the text that demonstrated that trait (sorry, I took the graphic organizer from a resource and didn't make it myself).  For example, the main character, Peter, is responsible.  Details:  Peter takes care of his pet turtle on his own by cleaning the habitat and feeding the turtle.  He is also responsible because he completes his homework on time and wants his school project to be well done.  I was so proud to see my students refer to this page in their journal without any prompting from me when completing activities about character traits!

We had our first monthly "Homework Stars" incentive lunch party that ended with some Gangnam Style "Just Dance" from Youtube.  Homework Stars is homework incentive we are using as a departmentalized 4th grade.  You can read more about it here.

I finally got around to mod podging about 50 writing journal covers that the students had personalized.  On some of the journals I used shipping tape to cover them because they had the plastic like covers that mod podge doesn't work well on.  I use this free editable handout for my students.  They loved it!

It was spirit week for homecoming this week and every day the students had a special dress up day.  Here is a picture of some students on "mismatch" day!  The boy is wearing different socks and shoes. :)

You need to checkout the giveaway at Fifth in the Middle!  One of my BBB's, Diane, is celebrating 1,000 TpT Followers and giving away a $20 TpT gift certificate!  In addition, ten winners will win any item from her TpT store.

Happy weekend everyone!! 

Tried It Tuesday {Rock It with Movement, Songs, and Stories!}

It's time for another week of Tried It Tuesday!  I hope you will link up with anything you have "tried" in your classroom or home (new or old!) or just check out the ideas linked up.  I love reading the tried its each week and always learn something new!  

My Tried It:

Rock It! 
I was contacted this summer to try out some activities from the book, Rock It by Steve Reifman in my classroom.  When I read the description of this book, I knew immediately that this was a resource that I had to have!  I am always looking for new and fresh ways to incorporate movement and songs to help my students learn.  Sometimes I feel that is the only way to get my students' attention.  Not only am I a teacher, but I also need to be an entertainer!  This book is FULL of ideas to engage students!  

Here is a brief summary of the book from Rock It's website:

Rock It! Transform Classroom Learning with Movement, Songs, and Stories has over 100 activities you can implement today in your elementary classroom to energize your students and help them learn. 

All of the movement activities, songs, and stories for teaching math and English language arts are aligned with Common Core State Standards in grades K - 5 to help you meet those learning goals. Other activities help students learn science, social studies, and health curriculum topics. There are also ideas for movement warm-ups, breaks, and creating a strong classroom community. 

Research shows that getting kids active while learning helps engage the brain. The activities in Rock It! will get your students rocking to the beat of success!

I love how the book is divided into eight chapters, with each chapter focused on a different topic and focus for incorporating movement, songs, and stories into the curriculum.

Chapter 1- Movement Warm-ups

Chapter 2-Teaching Math with Movement and Stories

Chapter 3- Teaching Language Arts and Movement with Stories

Chapter 4-Teaching Science, Social Studies, and Health Movement and Stories

Chapter 5-Songs for Learning

Chapter 6-Movement Breaks

Chapter 7-Rhythms and Chants

Chapter 8-Creating a Quality Classroom Culture with Movement and Stories

Since I am teaching three blocks of ELA this year, I decided to try a couple activities from Chapter 3: Teaching Language Arts and Movement with Stories.

The first activity was "The Contraction Blues".  I chose this activity because we were studying possessive nouns recently (Jivey's mentor sentences) and contractions came up during our discussion as another time an apostrophe is used.  It is amazing how little my students knew about the the term "apostrophe" and the difference between possessive nouns compared to contractions.  After we played "The Contraction Blues", the students had such a great visual and it really started to click!  This game is aligned to Common Core State Standards ELA-Literacy.L.2.2c. 

I called the number of students I needed to the front of the room and gave them a card with a letter on it.  The students then arranged themselves into two words using the cards (for example, "I AM") with a space between the words.  The directions also stated that teachers could pass out a card to each student with a letter of the alphabet, but since my sections only have 15-16 students, I didn't want to worry about missing letters or needing double of a letter like in "CAN NOT" for example.

Next, I chose someone to be the "contractor".  We discussed prior to this what it means to "contract" (get smaller).  The "contractor" came to the front of the room and had to tap the person holding the letter that was no longer needed once the contraction was made.  For example, the contractor would tap the student holding the "A" for I AM since the word becomes I'M when contracted.  Naturally, the students loved being the contractor and tapping someone on the shoulder to tell them their services were no longer needed and they could sit down. :)  Here, the student in the green shirt is the contractor and tapped the student in the black shirt to dismiss him.  

The "contractor" then stands where the apostrophe would be inserted and the other students move closer together to make the new contraction (great visual!).  Students can visually see the word "contracting"!  Below the student in the pink sweatshirt is the "contractor.

 Below is the contraction "WE'RE".  It was pajama day at our school for spirit week. :) 
Below is the contraction "CAN'T" with the student in the black shirt being the contractor.

 Another activity I tried with my class was "The Slouch Game".
This game helps students distinguish between proper nouns and common nouns.
I love this quick game because it really assesses if the students know the difference between proper and common nouns quickly and is a good movement mini break!  Many of my students are having a difficult time capitalizing words properly and some of them are capitalizing common nouns on their pretests for spelling.  This was a topic that needed to be addressed in my classroom.

The teacher simply calls out a noun and if it is a common noun, the students slouch in their chairs to approximate the height of a lower case letter as shown by the students below.

 If the noun is a proper noun, the students sit up tall in their chairs to approximate the height of a capital letter as shown by the students in the picture below.

The students really liked this quick activity.  I started with common nouns followed by a proper noun example of that common noun (for example, city and New York City).  Then, I changed it up and would say two or three common or proper nouns in a row.  They really got the hang of it fast and I could easily assess what they knew by observing how fast they changed their height while seated!  This activity is aligned with Common Core Standards L.1.2a, L.2.2a, L3.2a, and L.42.a.

There are SO many other activities in this book that I can't wait to try.  Each activity in the book includes step-by-step instructions, including preparation, procedure, and variations. Activities can be easily adapted for the age group of the students.  I love how there is a reference in the back of the book for each grade level, K-5, grouped by subjects and the Common Core Standards addressed in the activities.  Just a few of the other activities that I will be trying soon for ELA are "Making an Inference", "Cause and Effect", "The Synonym-Antonym Sidestep", and "Subject and Predicate".  There are also activities for math in Number & Operations in Base Ten, Fractions, Measurement & Data, and Geometry.  For science there is an array of ideas for incorporating movement, song, and stories into lessons such as "The Water Cycle", "The Life Cycle of a Butterfly", "Rotating and Revolving", "The Energy Wave", "Sources of Energy Challenge", and much more!  

All teachers know that students need to be active during the day. Their attention wanders when they are stuck in their seats too long. Rock It! Transform Classroom Learning with Movement, Songs, and Stories by Steve Reifman lets teachers instruct students while they are moving.  Check out the website for Rock It here and download a free PDF sample!