Sweet Hearts (and other randomness)

It's all things Valentine today!

{1} Door Decor

I started out the week by setting up a table with a long piece of string taped down on the ends.

My kinders could come here during their free choice time to make hearts and glue them to the string.  With a little instruction, and previous practice with making folded hearts, I let them go... and they amazed me. 

 They were so independent and focused on this task and when they saw it coming together, they were just as proud.

 I especially love the random black heart...

...and heart from recycled paper.

{2} Shell Game
I found these fun items in the dollar section of Target. I added our current sight words to the buckets and we played Find the Valentine Bear.

Students must read the word on the bucket they choose.  If they choose the right bucket, they get to squeeze the bear!

 

{3} Size Ordering Game

Have you ever wondered what to do with the adorable heart shaped candy boxes that you get every year?  Save them!  Spread them out on the floor in a line (in random order). Have your students take turns trying to get the hearts into size order. The trick is they can only move two hearts when it is their turn. Therefore, the two hearts have to trade places. This is a great game of strategy for all ages.

{4} Mail Bags

This is another very independent activity done as a whole class.  I just give them a bag and some scraps. I also set out markers and conversation hearts for them to read and copy messages if they want.

  I love that they all come out so different and this year they were super creative, even finding ways to make their hearts 3D. 

{5} Window Art {Poetry Puzzle}

 

Hooray for the 100th Day!

{1} Have Fun Teaching

Have you discovered these YouTube videos yet? My kinders can't get enough of them.  This week we did the counting videos to help us celebrate our 100th day.

{2} 100th Day Snack

Each student counted out 10 sets of 10 goodies, then poured each cup into a large bowl as they counted by tens.

{3} A Tally Rally

After oodles of practice with making tally marks on whiteboards to the sounds of musical instruments, we were ready to make 100 tally marks on adding machine tape independently.

 Then the tally tape became a sash for some...

...and a festive headband for others.  Love how this sweetie color coordinated everything!

{4}100 Chart

I found this freebie from Teaching First here.  Following a model, my kinders filled it in, then highlighted the tens with black markers and colors of their choice.

{5} What would you do with $100?

I found this freebie here.  I added space for an illustration.  This kind kinder said, I would give homeless people money!

 Thanks for stopping by. 
Enjoy your weekend and the Olympics.

Snow Day! {not the kind most schools are having}

Last weekend, it rained for the first time this year here in California.  This is not directly related to this post, but I had to capture this image on my bike ride to work Monday morning.  The dampness  created this beautiful bit of tule fog in the park next to my school.

I know that a large percentage of the rest of the country has had it really rough.  With the polar vortex followed by other winter wallops that some of you have you've endured, many of you probably aren't riding your bikes to work.  Blankets of downy snow and it's quiet beauty may not be welcome anymore. Icicles hanging from silver trees probably aren't so pretty anymore.  So, don't laugh when you see what we do to have a snow day at our school.

Yep...ambitious, generous daddy volunteers truck in some shaved ice from the the local ice rink and get our party started!

 The temperature was 67F that day, so we had to play fast before our 3 pathetic hills of "snow" became a tiny creek dribbling out to the gutter.

This cutie says it all with her pearls and daddy love shirt!

Last, but not least, our fabulous snowman.  

Don't judge!

Five for Friday {Venn Diagrams}

 {1}  Introducing Venn Diagrams

I love teaching Venn diagrams.  Perhaps it's my previous math background.  Ultimately, I use them to compare and contrast literature, but the first step starts with this hands on activity using attribute blocks.  We sit in a big circle around two hula hoops that are separated first, and do simple color or shape sorting (which they have had lots of practice with).  Then, I propose two categories that have an overlap, such as red in one hoop and triangle in another hoop. I have them brainstorm how they could solve the problem of what to do with the red triangles.  They come up with all kinds of answers including "Don't use them!" Then, we all agree that overlapping the hoops is the best, because the blocks will be in both hoops at the same time...hooray!

  We do this activity in reverse (I sort, they categorize), as you can see in this picture with the question marks, using three different sized bears.

If you guessed, green bears and big bears, you have mastered Venn diagrams:)

{2} Comparing Letters in Names  

Next, we did this activity from Read With Me ABC, comparing the letters in our names with our partner's.

You can find it free, by clicking on the image below:

{3} A Super Fun Video!

{4} Comparing and Contrasting Characters in Two Books
We read two versions of The Gingerbread Man and talked about which characters were different and which were the same.

I moved everything into the pocket chart to aid my kinders in viewing things for their response sheet.

Now, I know the McCracken version is so old and hard to find, but my kinders just love the surprise ending with a tortoise!  There are many, many other versions that you could compare and contrast, such as the ever-popular version by Galdone.  After we made the chart, we recorded our responses on a Venn diagram response page.  I gave them the choice of writing the words or drawing the pictures and this sweetie did some of each because she didn't think she could draw a frog.  Of course, they all didn't come out this gorgeous.  She puts my art to shame.  Check out her fox!  
 
{5} A Little Something to Make You Smile

source unkown
Have a happy weekend:)