Hole-In-One

Several times this year, I pulled out the "golf clubs" and reviewed Language Arts concepts. This was an easy way to review the content without using a worksheet or textbook.

I found the plastic golf clubs and balls at Dollar Tree. I bought 15 of them and will use them forever. I also purchased blue, yellow, and red solo cups. The students were also given an answer document and tally chart for this activity.

I created a PowerPoint review. Each slide had a sentence and three possible answer choices: blue, yellow, and red. Each student recorded their answer and then we shared our thoughts. When I revealed the answer, each student that recorded the correct answer was able to putt. The students also kept up with how many times they were able to get the ball into the cup. 

When I incorporate these activities, I never have behavior problems. The students want to do the fun stuff. When you set high expectations and create an environment where students thrive, why would they want to act out?

Dollar Tree always has toys like this. Keep your eyes open. You never know what you will find that you can use in your classroom.

Enjoy!

Tricia

May The Force Be With You

Room transformations are so much fun and raise the level of student engagement. Who wouldn't want to participate in a light saber "fight" during English class?

To wrap up our unit on adjectives, we had a Star Wars day. I bought blue and red pool noodles from Dollar General. I cut them in half and used black electrical tape 

and grey duck tape to create the handle. I made 26 for around $16 bucks. Not bad!

The other thing that I bought to make this activity come to life was fabric from hobby lobby. I bought tan and cream fabric and made sheaths for the students to wear. I also bought twine to wrap around their waists. The twine did not work. I shred and ended up all over the floor. I will choose something else for next year. This purchase was more expensive. To me, it was worth it, but it is definitely not something you have to purchase.

The important thing to remember about room transformations is that you must tie it into your content. If you don't, it's just fluff and no one has time for that.

With Star Wars music playing in the background, I flashed a topic on the white board like color, size, shape, emotions etc. The students worked with their partner to create a list of adjectives for the given topic. After the list was checked, the number of adjectives they got correct was how many times the students could use their light saber. There was a time limit and when the next topic was presented all "fighting" came to an end.

Step 1: Brainstorming

Step 2: Action

When the kids are engaged, it makes the learning stick! Even the Assistant Principal wanted in on the action.

Star Wars was an easy room transformation and one of the kids favorite we did this year. If you have done a Star Wars lesson, I would love to hear from you!

May the force be with you,

Tricia

Whack-a-Mole

Have you ever played Whack-a-Mole? This game at Chuck E Cheese was a favorite of mine growing up. If you have not played it, a mole would pop out of a hole and you whack at it in hopes of getting points from making contact.

 

I am all about making a learning environment that is engaging, active, and fun. So coming up with a review game while playing a modified version of Whack-a-Mole was a must.

To prepare for our Verbs Unit Test, we played this game and my students loved it! I bought pipe insulation from Lowe's and cut it into 24 "mallets."

The game board had 10 circles and some of the circles had pictures of moles. In the 10 circles were the tested skills: present tense, past tense, future tense, present progressive, past progressive, present participle, past participle, present perfect, past perfect, and irregular verbs.

Each student was given safety goggles (for fun), a mallet, answer tally chart, and a game board. I displayed a sentence on a flip chart and the students found the verb type and went to "whacking." If the answer was correct, they recorded a point on their tally chart and if there was a mole in that circle they recorded an extra tally mark.

Administrators even joined in our activity. What a fun day!

Thanks for visiting my blog!
Tricia

Grammar Surgery

Calling all surgeons! Our patients are crashing and we must save them from incorrect grammar. Report to the OR STAT! 

Students enter the classroom to find a mock operating room. 

The set up was easy!

*White plastic table clothes covered the desks.

 *I asked a parent who is a doctor to donate the hats and shoe covers.

 *The masks were bought at the Dollar Tree.

 *Safety goggles were borrowed from our team's science teacher.

 *The "blood transfusion" was water and red food coloring. 

There is nothing to it!

The most important part is the content. It is not worth transforming your room if you don't tie it to content. So, I used this transformation as a way to review all grammar skills taught during the first semester. It was a great way for me to determine what skills students have mastered and which skills still need some attention.

I had heart monitor sounds piped in to my speakers so it sounded like we were in an operating room. When the flat line monitor went off, students had to hurry to save their patient. Next year, I plan on having an additional task for students to complete when the flat line monitor sounds.

 I just love the excitement of the kids!

This idea came from the fabulous Kim Bearden at the Ron Clark Academy. Thanks Kim! I can't wait for my next room transformation.

Have you transformed your classroom into an operating room? I'd love to hear how you did it!

Thanks for visiting my blog!

Tricia

So Lonely In The Trenches

During our World War I unit, I transformed my classroom into a WWI trench system. When I began talking about WWI, I realized that my students didn't fully grasp what trenches were. They knew the dimensions and they understood they were unsanitary, but I could tell they didn't understand how frightening it would be to not be able to see your enemy and how lonely being in the trenches could be. I decided the best way to help bring understanding to this was to recreate trenches in my classroom.

I used two refrigerator sized boxes to create the entrance to each trench. I found brown painters paper that I used to create the walls. I duck taped the paper to the box and then at the other end of my room onto a couple desks. Dollar Tree had some fun black guaze material that I draped over the entrances. I also found a few fake rats that were put inside the trenches. Lots of "eeks" were heard during the day! I used black plastic table clothes for the ground and several paint drop clothes to create "No Man's Land." This took a few hours over the weekend to create, but it was well worth it!

My initial plan was to do all of the activities inside my classroom, but the next morning when I walked in the room, all the paper had fallen to the floor. It would not be sturdy for the activities. I retaped the paper and had to come up with another plan. 

When Plan A doesn't work, you've got to be ready to think on your feet and move to Plan B!

So Lonely In The Trenches Activities

Part 1: Inside the Trenches

Students entered my dark room and didn't know what to expect. I found some cool "music" that sounded like artillery fire from WWI. The looks and the sounds the kids made were priceless! They will never forget what it felt like to be inside the trenches. 

Part 2: Artillery Fire

Since the walls weren't stable enough to do this activity inside, I found some plastic table cloths and used them to make trench walls outside. The students were required to bring a pair of socks to school. They had no idea what they were needed for and the guesses were hilarious! I had two students hold each wall above the students heads, and then we used the socks as artillery. The goal was to "hit the enemy." Students were tempted to catch the flying socks, so we had to regroup and discuss why that wasn't a great idea. This activity was a blast. During our discussion after, the kids kept saying that at first it was a lot of fun, but then when they realized the "sock" would have been some type of explosive they felt sad for the troops.

Part 3: Periscopes

Using shoe boxes and mirrors, I created a periscope for each trench. Students used these to try to spot the enemy. Next year, I will ask my team teacher to make them in science so that the students understand how they are made and why they work by creating them themselves.

Part 4: Building Trenches

I divided my students into small groups and gave them a deep pie pan, sand, water, tooth picks and army men. They were asked to create a trench system. 

Transforming your classroom is well worth the time and energy! My students are still talking about our trench day, and I know when they take their test, they will do well. 

I'd love to hear from you! Any ideas on how to make this better? Like I said, I had to go to Plan B. I'm still thinking through this and how I can change it up next year.

Solve this case, detectives!

                                    

Today in history, my class was going to read about the NAACP. We had an article to use for close reading. I decided it was the perfect opportunity to add a little excitement to the lesson. BLACK LIGHTS!

This inexpensive item was the perfect way to excite my students before reading a passage. They entered my room that was completely dark and I told them they were detectives. After a brief discussion on what the job is of a detective, we were ready to begin.

I distributed the passage, handed out highlighters and turned on the black lights. The students were mesmerized! You could have heard a pin drop in my room after the initial “Oohs” and “Aahs.”

Each student had to silently read a passage on the NAACP. As students read they text coded and were looked for clues. I wanted the students to find why the NAACP was needed, important, and how it impacts our society then and now.

After completing the passage, the “detectives” shared the evidence they found. This was a difficult passage, but EVERY student was able to solve the mystery. Using black lights was the perfect way to spark interest and engage every student. 

                                      

                                     

Black lights can be used with so many lessons. I can't wait to use them again!