Save Time for Teaching Science!

When super busy days squeeze something out of the daily schedule in our primary grade classrooms,
it's very often science or social studies that fall by the wayside. That's sad, because we know how important both science and social studies are and also how much many of our students love them. 

But the reality is that literacy and math are at the top of the teaching (and testing!) list and we all know it.


So, what can we do about it? Well, one idea that I'm sure we all try to do is to choose our readalouds with an eye to the content area topics we're teaching.  Solid readalouds packed with the vocabulary of your science topic give your students' repeated exposure to content area vocabulary, and also address literacy standards for non-fiction. A great book can also be the springboard for some non-fiction writing, either whole class or in a writing center.


Integrating science into your math and literacy teaching (and vice versa!) is another idea for making the most of your teaching time. Integrating curriculum is also a surefire way to improve vocabulary understanding and retention and, in simple terms, to help the learning stick!

Here's an easy way to help you put more science back into your day. 

This set of 45 graphing and writing experiences to address eight of the most popular first grade science topics (in some curriculums, the landforms and bodies of water topics will bridge over into social studies).

Here's what's included! 

► 7 independent graphing experiences, including two read-and-graph reading passages (answer keys included)

► 9 student surveys (students interview their classmates and then record the data)

► 7 class graphs in color, for teaching/modeling or for a class book.

► 22 writing activities to use along with the data collection experiences. Writing formats include ...

                    * Personal narrative

                    * Lists

                    * Labeling

                    * Completing graphic organizers

                    * Persuasive writing

                    * Non-fiction

                    * Descriptive writing

                    * Friendly letter

You'll be happy to see how much teaching time you'll save with these one-page easy prep resources!

Are you ready to try this free set of three plant activities from this graphing and writing collection? You'll find it when you download the preview! Click here to get yours!

Five Ways to Add Some Math to Your Read Across America Celebration

Hi, Teaching Friends!

Don't you just love a good cross-curricular activity? They are one of the BEST ways to help your students build and use connections! Did you manage to put some literacy learning into your 100th Day celebration? And now, how will you add some standards-based math work into your Read Across America festivities?

Here are five ideas to get you started ... and most require little or no prep or printing!


1. Build a timeline! You've probably already got a big stack of books all rready to use on Read Across America Day. Give each of your students a book (or work in pairs if you're short on books) and a sticky note. Have them write the title and the copyright on the paper, and then use the stickies to build a timeline together.


2. Make tally marks all day long! If your school is like mine, you'll be having "Stop, Drop, and Read" several times throughout the day. Tally how many minutes you spend each time... and every time you add more tallies, choose a student to lead the class in counting them all again!


3. Make a Seuss-themed class book about math. How about a sums of ten book, based on Ten Apples Up on Top? Your students can draw self-portraits, with hands out on either side of them to hold the apples. Give each child 10 apple stickers to divide as they wish between their hands and write the number model. Pop a cover on, bind it, done!


4.  Will you be giving your students special pencils... or stickers... or erasers? Why not put these items to good learning use before you hand them out?  Small items like these are great for estimation activities. Here's a "Sid the Science Guy" video from my First Grade Math Pinterest board that demonstrates a strategy for estimating. What a great way to introduce this activity! While you're watching, keep an eye out for Gerald, who's sure to remind you of at least one of your own students.
Sorry the video isn't embedded, but it's an easy click through.

5. Last but not least, here's a set of two class graphs for collecting and organizing data about your students' reading preferences... because after 10 years of teaching a literacy intervention class where literacy was an element in almost everything we did, I'm pretty much a cross-curricular diehard!  :)
Click here or on the image to download your graph set!

Happy Teaching!

Graphing Fall Leaves - Freebie!

Hi, Teaching Friends!

I haven't seen any autumn colors around here yet (except in the stores, of course... I couldn't believe that there were already kids' winter coats in Target today. What???), but I know that your always-ahead-of-the-season teacher brains won't mind getting this graphing freebie a bit early.

Just click on the image to download ... enjoy! 

Would you like to do more tallying and graphing with your students?  Here are 23 more fall graphs from my store! Each printable one-page graph also includes a TPT Easel digital option.

Click the Pinterest button to save for later!

Happy Teaching!



Summer Data Collection Freebie

Hi, Teaching Friends!

I'm finding it hard to believe that I haven't blogged about this freebie before, but I've ransacked the archives looking for it with no luck.  Of course, I have been known to misplace things or forget them ... heh, heh.  So, if this is a repeat, I apologize. If it's new to you, I hope that you'll enjoy it!

Here's a resource that will help you continue practicing data collection and analysis as the year winds to a close, or maybe as you start up your summer school sessions!  There are seven "favorites" graphing activities, ranging from picnic foods to pool fun. Most include a bit of data analysis, too, and there's also some tallying practice thrown in.  Each graph is a stand-alone activity, but there's also a cover included, in case you want to assemble the graphs as a class book.

Please click on the picture to see it at my TPT store.







Happy Teaching!

December Data Freebie

Hello, Teaching Friends!

Data collection and interpretation experiences are such a crucial area of math instruction. As children gather information about real life objects and experiences and work with new ways to organize and display that information., they are taking steps from the concrete to the representational. Data collection is also significant for its applications in other academic areas, like science and reading non-fiction.

Graphing has always been a part of primary grade math instruction, under titles likes "Our Pets" or
"How We Get to School". But with the growing awareness of how data collection helps children mentally organize and make sense of information, the volume and range of data collection and interpretation experiences has grown.

In our class, one consistent graphing experience was our weekly graph, which usually related to something in our science or social studies curriculum, to a book or author that we were currently reading, or to a holiday or season. Each child had a "graphing square", a little piece of paper labeled with his or her name, and would use sticky tack to attach it to the graph, which varied in format, either horizontal or vertical. There would be lots of discussion using words like more, less, equal, most, and least. Initially, I asked the questions, but after some practice, the children began to enjoy the challenge of developing their own questions.

 If you're running short on graphing ideas for your class, Jessica Meacham's site is a truly amazing source for daily or weekly graphing ideas with strong cross-curricular connections. After some time, children often came up with their own ideas for data collection, some very original! It wasn't unusual to hear someone say, "Hey, why don't we make a graph?" Well...okay! Sounds good to me! :)

Here's a set of six activities for tallying, graphing, and data interpretation. True confession: I offered these here on my blog as a freebie just over a year ago. But since my little blog was brand new and had exactly 2 followers then :),  I'm hopeful that this resource may be brand new to you today! Click on the picture to download it from my TeachersPayTeachers store.

Happy Teaching!

Click to see more than 40 resources for winter!



Thanksgiving Spin and Graph Freebie

Dear Teaching Friends,

With Thanksgiving quickly approaching, I though I'd share this quick Thanksgiving spin and graph freebie. Since the results will be different every time your students play, you'll want to keep a few of these in your math center all through November. 

Your students can play this independently, or with a partner. If they play as partners, they can take turns spinning and both record the data of that spin on one graph. OR they can take turns spinning and each record the results only on their own graph, comparing the graphs when they're finished. OR if you have a few students that could use some up close and personal attention with data collection, use this as a teaching activity for a small group session.  {I like to give you as many options as possible, even with a freebie like this one. Let's keep those kiddos learning lots!}

There are four data collection questions on each graphing page, giving your students multiple opportunities to count and compare.

Data collection? Put a check in that column!

Find more autumn graphing activities here.

If you're interested in more math with a Thanksgiving theme, click to see Turkey in the Pot, nine solve and sort games for addition and subtraction facts through ten, combinations of ten, odd and even numbers, counting by fives, place value (tens and ones), and three addends - yep, it's all in there! :)

Happy Teaching!

A Thank-you Graph Freebie

Hi, Teaching Friends!

Thank you note - check.
Thank you letter- check.
Thank you email - well, sure!

Thank you graph - huh??

Well, giving you all a free graph as a thank you just seems like the right thing to do! After all, your kindness and support here and at my shops just added to the *specialness* of a lovely Mothers Day yesterday. I appreciate your purchases, but I'm especially grateful for your kind and encouraging comments!


And so, to say thanks, here's a "thank you graph" to add it to your collection! This one is about ways to play in the sand - building, digging, and burying. Click and enjoy!

You can find 24 more bar graphs and tally mark charts for summer in this collection at my store. Think of the fun they'll bring to your end of year and summer school activities ... lots of math, and lots of great conversation, too!

*  Write about a time you ate a popsicle. Be sure that your story has a beginning, middle, and end.

*  Make a list of tools you would take to the beach to build in the sand. Share your list with a friend. Compare your lists.

*  Draw a picture and write a description of your favorite food to eat at a barbeque. Make your description so good that everyone will want to try this delicious treat!

*  Write a description of a colorful surfboard. Include lots of details! Trade papers with a friend and use the descriptions to draw the surfboard.

Happy Teaching!

           

A December Math Freebie for You!



Let the December craziness begin! Got to love the excitement... but make the most of all that energy and keep the learning going, too! Here's a free gift for you from my TPT store  - 6 print-and-go seasonal tallying and graphing activities. There's even a cover, in case you decide to assemble them as a class book when you've completed the data collection activities. Enjoy!

 

Click here to download!

Happy Teaching!