Mother's Day and Father's Day in the Upper Elementary Classroom

Take Mother's and Father's Day to the next level with meaningful activities this year. Create this booklet with your students that will most likely make moms cry and Dad's may even shed a tear as well. 

Students will create a poem, write a narrative, create an opinion piece, write a descriptive paragraph, fill out an information sheet, and make a portrait. This will be a special keepsake that parents will treasure forever! 

You can save even more by bundling the Mother's and Father's Day projects together. 

Click the link. 

Click here

5 Classroom Engagement Tips for the End of the School Year

The end of the school year is already crazy, busy. Here are some ways you can save the sanity of your students and yourself to finish off strong. Check out these tips for a successful slide into the end of the year. 

1. Less Structured Days

Curriculum is finishing up. Students are getting excited for summer. Instead of whole group activities all day, incorporate some of the following: 

• Centers
• Partner Work
• Choice Boards

You can keep your sanity by conserving energy and not be the one leading all day long. 

2. Turn Learning Activities into Games

This will help to keep your students engaged when engagement seems to be a unattainable.

• Blooket (a favorite of my class) or Kahoot
• Whiteboard races: (two groups line up and a question is given. The front person in each line races to be the first to write the answer. Or Use individual whiteboards and see you can be first to raise the right answer up.)
• Trashketball: Students have to answer questions correctly to try to shoot a basket for their teams. You can use a ball of paper and a trashcan to keep it super simple.
• Scoot: Place task cards on each desk. Students move from desk to desk with a recording sheet and answer questions. 

The best part is that you can use any content area for these games, but these just make it feel like play. 

3. Review Without Worksheets

Keep students reviewing important skills for upcoming tests. Instead of using the regular worksheets, try some of these:

• Task Cards
• Scavenger Hunts
• Escape Rooms
• Around-the-Room Review

By adding movement, you are subtracting behavior problems. 

4. Project-Based "Fun" Learning

Let students create instead of sit. The sky is really the limit, but here's some ideas to get you started: 

• "Create a Business" Project
• Biography Posters
• Stem Challenges
• End of Year Memory Books

These will help keep learning meaningful but low stress.

5. Teach Life Skills (They WILL LOVE this)

These are no prep, but high in value.

• How to Debate
• Teamwork Challenges
• Goal Setting for Next Year
• Kindness/Leadership Activities

There you have it! Keep your sanity and still keep the learning going until the last day. If you are looking for some resources to make some of these type of activities a reality, click the pictures below. 

10 STEM challenges for the great outdoors. 

Superhero STEM & Writing Activity

Soccer STEM & Book Unit

Llama Themed Memory Book

Problem Based Learning with Design Thinking

Our private school system provides PD for teachers based on areas of interest. This year, I have been taking a course on design thinking and problem based learning. I took the project based learning intensive at Buck Institute, in Napa Valley, a few years ago with a couple of my coworkers, but I had not heard much about problem based learning, so this study group has been my intro into that world. Both are pretty similar, but problem based learning starts with a problem and students need to find a solution and create a product or solution around that problem. They follow the design thinking model.

Design Thinking

Design thinking is student centered. It is a process that works students through the following steps:

• Identify a Problem
• Understand People's Needs
• Brainstorm Ideas
• Create Solutions
• Test & Improve Them

Let's take a look at how this breaks down.

1. Understand the Problem

In this stage, students:

• Ask Questions
• Observe Others
• Try to Understand Feelings & Need

For example, "How do students feel during indoor recess?"

2. State the Problem

In this part, students:

• Narrow Down a Problem
• Turn it into a Goal

For example: "We need better indoor recess activities that will keep everyone engaged."

3. Brainstorm Solutions (Ideate)

Here students will:

• Generate lots of Ideas (without judgement)
• Think Creatively

Example ideas: 

• Create a System for Games
• Design Quiet Challenge Cards
• Build Mini STEM Kits

4. Create a Model (Prototype)

Students will:

• Build/Design Their Idea
• This can be a Simple Rendering with Craft Materials

5. Test & Improve

Students:

• Try Their Solution
• Get Feedback from Others
• Improve It

For example classmates can suggest improvements after trying games.

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Why Teachers Use Design Thinking

• Builds problem-solving skills
• Encourages student voice & choice
• Promotes collaboration
• Connects learning to real-world situations
• Works across subjects (math, reading, science, social studies)

How I Grew in My Understanding of Design Thinking

After being involved in the PD this year, I had the opportunity to be a judge for an Innovation X program where students were judged on their innovation projects which happened to be based on project based learning & design thinking. If you can go to see the ideas presented, I think it is the best way to learn and understand. It helped me a lot. 

Next Steps in Problem Based Learning & Design thinking. 

After returning from my experience at Innovation X, I wanted to give it a try in my own classroom. I ran across an article that sparked it all for me. It was a third-fifth grade level reading debate about if pets should be allowed on planes. Here's a look at how the unit shaped up:

1. We started with the question, "Should pets be allowed to go anywhere people can go?"

Students shared their thoughts with a partner and then I had all the students who said yes go to one side of the classroom, while those who said no went to the other. I chose a few students from each side to share their thoughts on why they chose the way they did. 

2. From there, I passed out the article and gave each student a partner. Students read the debate and then together traveled around the classroom to answer four questions that were posted on the different walls of the class. Each student  was required to answer the questions.

My posted questions were:

 

1. Why might a pet feel stressed on a plane? 
2. How would you feel if you sat next to a pet on a plane? Why?

3. What is one benefit and one problem with having pets on a plane?

4. What is a rule that would help pets travel safely on planes?

3. Next students used my Dice Convos to dig a little deeper into the article. Basically, students rolled two dice and they moved across the grid to the numbers matching their dice. They read and answer the question before rolling again. We used this to explore opinion writing and its features. Students spent five minutes on this discussion activity. 

4. Afterwards, students received a project paper with the mission listed on it:

Mission:

Airplanes don't always work well for pets OR people. Your job is to invent a solution that helps BOTH pets and passengers feel safe, comfortable, and happy on flights. 

Here's a look at the form I gave my students for planning. Students went right to work with their partners brainstorming ideas, etc. 

Challenges of Problem Based Learning

One of the challenges with problem or project based learning is that your higher level students sometimes feel lost. They often understand how to "play" the game of school. They know how to work the system: study = good grades. But with this type of learning that calls for creativity and innovation, those students can often feel fearful of failure because they have never had the pleasure of failing at anything and the idea terrifies them. So you must train your students on growth mindset and that failure is one part of learning.

Another challenge is time management. Some teams can continue on for what could seem like forever. You have to set a hard and fast time schedule. For this, we had three days of class time with an additional 2 days for tweaking anything else we needed to do. For the additional 2 days, this was not a scheduled time, but students got to use reading/math rotation time on those days if they needed it (but only after they finished their teacher time & independent work for the day). 

Wins for Problem Based Learning

 The biggest wins I usually see with this type of learning is that students who typically struggle in traditional classrooms often rise to the top when it comes to creativity and innovations. Those babies absolutely shine and it is magic to watch. Be sure to praise them for their ingenuity and uphold them as leaders. They rightfully need their moment to shine. 

Another win is that you will move in your role of a teacher to that of a coach. You may even feel, at some point, that you are not busy enough...and that's great! This is where student learning and independence really push students forward in their understanding and ability. You will be surprised at what they come up with. AMAZING THINGS ARE HAPPENING!

5. Project Presentation

We are waiting to share a projects, but this is an important  next step. Next week, students will present and tell about their projects to the class. The will have some time to debrief and talk again with their teammates afterwards. 

Here's a look at our crafted solutions to the problem. I am looking forward to the presentations next week. I cannot wait to hear the explanations on these inventions and how they will solve the problem.

 

I encourage you to give innovations a try. 

 

What a Wonderful World Mural

For the month of March, we have been hard at work creating a collaborative mural with lots of art projects added to the bigger murals. I ended up splitting everything up into three different murals. 

Inspiration for this idea came from the fun and fabulous Cassie Stephens. She did something very similar and I took those ideas and created my own version. You can check out her version over here on her blog.

The three panels I made are approximately six feet tall each. I used hot glue to hold everything together and glue things down. To hang it up, I used thumb tacks because we have a wooden strip at the top of the wall that butts up to the ceiling. I used a hammer to tap the tacks into the wood because it was definitely hard to hold the mural while balanced on a ladder and still hold one tack and hammer away with the other hand...but I got it done!

Here's a look at our artwork in process! Enjoy!

Here they are after I hung them up. The last was a little crooked, but it is what it is. It's up and I am not taking it down. 

Turn Test Prep into Fun: Easter Egg Hunt Math Review for Upper Elementary

With spring approaching, classrooms everywhere begin to buzz with excitement --the warmer weather, Easter celebrations, and of course...test prep season. But what if this time of year could be about more than just tired reviewing of standards? What if you could season it with fun? 

Easter Egg Hunt with a Twist

Turn your math review into an engaging egg hunt where your students:

• Solve math problems
• Move around the room
• Stay excited about learning

Imagine your students going on a classroom Easter egg hunt while reviewing their math skills. That's just what you CAN do with this fun and engaging activity. Students will solve math problems, hunt for eggs, and solve clues to reveal the answer to a riddle. 

The Power of Movement During Test Prep

We all know that students do not need another set of worksheets --they need more engagement!

Activities like an Easter egg hunt:

• Break up long review sessions
• Get students moving (and that in turn increases focus drastically)
• Encourage problem-solving in a fun way
• Make learning memorable

Instead of dreading review days, students will actually look forward to them. 

Skills You can Review During Easter Math Activities

An Easter math egg hunt is perfect for spiraling key skills in 3rd and 4th grades. You can cover skills like: 

• Addition and subtraction
• Multiplication facts
• Long division
• Equivalent Fractions

With students actively searching, solving, and checking their answers, they stay engaged longer --and retain more. 

Easy Prep, Big Impact

The best part? These types of activities are incredibly easy to implement. 

All you need to do is:

• Print the math recording sheet
• Cut out the eggs and hide them around your classroom
• Give students the math recording sheet
• Let the learning review (and of course the fun) begin

Within minutes, your classroom transforms into an interactive learning environment.

For Easy Differentiation

These work well for easy differentiation. Students can work on different skill sets within the same classroom because different egg designs can be used, or you can copy the eggs on different colored papers if you choose the blackline version. Then all you have to do is show students which egg design or color they are looking for around the room and they can ignore all the others. 

The Testing Season

Remember, your classroom doesn't have to feel stressful. 

By combining: 

• Engaging math review
• Movement-based activities
• Fun Easter egg hunts

You create a space where students feel both successful and appreciated. 

And that's worth celebrating!

Final Thoughts

This Easter season, try shifting from traditional review to something more meaningful. When students are engaged, moving, and reflecting, they don't just review math --they experience it. 

That's when the real classroom magic happens. 

Click on the photos below for each separate resource or check out the bundled product at the top to save even more!

 

When a holiday rolls around, it is the perfect time to combine a bit of history and reading comprehension with the holiday, making the learning not just authentic, but engaging. I created a whole set of The History Behind the Holidays booklets where students get to find out the reasons behind the holiday traditions. They see where the traditions came from and how they got started. This one is perfect if you are teaching on St. Patrick's Day. 

The booklets have 7 different articles, making it versatile and flexible. Teachers could choose to use it throughout the actual day of the holiday, or they could use it one article at a time over the course of 7 days. 

Be sure to snag this resource today and make your holiday prep even easier! You can find it by clicking this link here.

Math Games for St. Patrick's Day

Do you add centers to your math rotations with holiday spins? I love to do that whenever I can. Here's a look at a few math games for St. Patrick's Day. Adding centers with a holiday spin can sure spice up my math rotations. 

1. Pot O' Gold Fraction Game

This game helps students practice equivalent fractions with 2-4 players.

2. Lucky Line Up Game

Need more practice with rounding decimals to the tenths place? This is just the game to get in some extra practice. This is for 2-4 players.

3. March Multiplication Games

This resource comes with three different games for multiplication fact fluency and offers room for differentiation too! 

Click on the titles to be taken to the resources.