Review Time

I know I've been a terrible blogger--do I still even qualify as a blogger?  I'll explain it all later (why I've been MIA) but just wanted to quickly share a couple of my favorite review videos, as the state tests creep up on us!

First of all, my new FAVORITE videos are from Flocabulary, a site that reviews concepts through hip hop.  My kids are enthralled!  It covers writing, reading, math, science, and some social studies.  This is a paid site, but you can get a two week free trial.  It's only $5 a month...and I feel like it's worth it.  They do free songs and videos each month as well if your trial is up or you can't do the $5.  Click here to see the free titles.  So far, my favorites are prefixes, story elements, figurative language, states of matter, and energy. 

Also, on YouTube, here are a couple of my favorites: 
Cells:  Parts of a cell
Rocks:  Fossil Rocks
Order of Operations: Mr. QUE PEMDAS
Prime: prime numbers rap
***Thanks to a follower Ecosystems:  Mr. Parr

Here is a link to all Study Jams (all free). 
My favorite Study Jams:
Air Masses: fronts
Plants:  Photosynthesis
Water Cycle:  water cycle
Fractions:  Fractions are your friend
Matter:  solids, liquids, gases
Rocks:  Rock Cycle

Also, don't forget Brainpop and Brainpop Jr.! 

For those of you who teach atoms, I leave you with a little adult, cheesy humor:



 

Study on.

Writer's Toolbox

Yep!  It's that time of year AGAIN.  The countdown to the state writing test has begun.  Our children are writing, writing, writing.  My coworker, Mrs. Efird, came up with the idea of using a toolbox.  The kids helped us make anchor charts with all of the things they would want in a writer's toolbox.  We merged our two anchor charts, and I  took all of those ideas and made this little poster to the left.  These are some tools that can help fix your students' writings!  Click here to download your copy of our toolbox and here for an explanation handout on each of the tools. 

Write on.

Capacity Full

Last Friday, we were messing around with fraction strips while working with equivalent fractions.  I was thinking to myself just how brilliant fraction strips are.  I can't tell you how many light bulb moments my kids had when we work with them.  Then it dawned on me....why not make fractions strips for different math strands?  So here you have it, my version of capacity strips (they aren't really strips...but play along).  Click on this link to download your own capacity strips.  My plan is to color copy them onto cardstock, laminate, and use them just like fraction strips. How many cups are in a gallon?  Place the cup pieces on top of the gallon to find out.  How many cups are in a pint?  Place the cup pieces on the pint strip to find out. Endless possibilities.  Move over gallon man, capacity strips are here!  LOL  J/K  I say use them both!  Or the big G...whatever works! The more ways they see it, the better they understand!  There is a labeled version and an unlabeled version.  I'm going to use the labeled version first and then the unlabeled to make sure they can identify pictures. 

 

Along with the capacity strips you have to sing the Alice the Camel Capacity Song.  I sang this back in the fourth grade and still use it today with my fifth graders. Who doesn't love to sing?  Make sure you have them roll their hands and shake their hips to the chorus!  :)

 

Camel Capacity Song

Sung to the tune Alice the Camel

 

2 half gallons in one gallon

2 half gallons in one gallon

2 half gallons in one gallon

So roll, baby roll

A boom, boom, boom

 

4 quarts in one gallon

4 quarts in one gallon

4quarts in one gallon

So roll, baby roll

A boom, boom, boom

 

8 pints in one gallon

8 pints in one gallon

8 pints in one gallon

So roll, baby roll

A boom, boom, boom

 

16 cups in one gallon

16 cups in one gallon

16 cups in one gallon

So roll, baby roll

A boom, boom, boom

 

Also, check out this video; it's a good introduction video.  Don't forget the Brainpops too!  Also, there is this interactive game that you can play where you have to fill different shaped containers with different amounts. How about this BBC game?

 

Measure on.





 

Lone Nut or Follower?

I came across this video this morning.  Don't be afraid to be the leader or the follower!  You never know what kind of opportunities could open up....

Btw, I have mad dance skills just like the "Lone Nut"!

Crack on.                                     

Do You Need A Pep Talk?

It's that time of the year:  Christmas is over, the weather is crazy, testing is looming.  Do you need a pep talk?  We had a professional development day on Monday and our reading specialist shared this video with us.  Kid President's Pep Talk:

 

He's right; we all have work to do.  Will you cry about it or dance about it?  YOU, teachers, were made to be awesome!  What Will Be Your Space Jam?

Dance on.





P.S. Check out some of Kid President's other messages...quite funny. My favorites:  #choosefun and diabetes vs. diabeetus

Dreams, Snow, and the Beach

New Year's Resolution...FAIL!  I missed my post last week.  First of all, I forgot to take pictures of my Martin's (below). Friday was a two hour delay and I was working diligently to fit everything in before the long weekend.  To the left, a pic of the snow that got us a two hour delay: 34, chilly. Secondly, I took MLK weekend and enjoyed myself; I thought nothing of school. To the right, a picture of what I did the very next day: 60, beautiful.  I figure I'll do two this week and that will make up for it? 

To celebrate Martin Luther King Day, before we left for the break, we wrote essays.  These essays weren't about MLK, but we used him as our inspiration.  We watched some Brainpops, read some stories, and had some discussions about what Dr. King did to make our world a different place.  We talked about his dream.  THEN, we talked about our dreams.  Where did we see the world in five years...ten....twenty?  How could they help make a difference?  They wrote about the dreams they had for the community, the country, and the world.  My kids are going to stop bullying, feed the hungry, run football camps, be role models to younger children, help refugees, teach adults how to read, etc.  The list goes on and on.  They have some big dreams, and MLK left some pretty big shoes to fill.  (Literally and figuratively...supposedly he wore a 10.5, according to ChaCha) :)  Not only did they write essays, but my favorite part....the MLK portraits.  Gotta love some 5th grade art!!!  Here are some of our final products:

If you didn't get a chance to do something to honor MLK, it's not too late. Black history month is coming up next month.  Tie this activity to anyone who helped change our world. Make sure your students know they can make a change, no matter how big or small! Happy MLK! 

Write on.

Show! Don't Tell!

Fifth grade writing is a bear!  It generally has not been a focus previously and we struggle all year to get our kids excited about writing!  Show, Don't Tell is always something that our kids have a hard time with in the beginning, but then just excel once they get the hang of it.  Last year, I found a lesson online added some different images from google images, put them in a word document and wrote one "telling" sentence.  The kids paired up to turn those "telling" sentences into "showing" paragraphs.  They wrote some really great paragraphs this year!  Check out these two examples (these are not edited by me, this is their original work):

Picture 1: 
Telling sentence:  The girls were shopping.
Showing:  I walked in the store with happiness and excitement, thinking of all the things I was going to buy today.  I was so fascinated by all the cute designer pumps and the beautiful expensive dresses.  I couldn't wait to get my hands on the latest designer purse that hadn't even come out yet.  It has a nice black strap with leopard print and a splash of red on it.  It is so unique.  This is my favorite forever store!

Picture 2: 
Telling sentence:  They danced.
Showing:  Our faces were sweating as we glanced across the stage trying to impress the judges.  I can see the judges smiling and people clapping after my first dance.  As I went home I thought about the second day of the competition.  I can't wait until the judges see my next dance.  I stepped on the stage and got ready for my brand new dance.  We twisted and twirled.  We did everything we could to impress the judges.  When we were finished we saw a faint smirk on the judges.  Then we finally heard..."You're going to Hollywood!" 

The students really enjoyed this activity and really showed what was in the pictures!  Try this activity...it works....and it's fun!  **You could also have your students bring in pictures and do the activity from his/her own pictures, or you bring in pictures from your childhood, your children, your family gatherings, etc. 

Write on.