Five for Friday ... Riding the Crazy Train

I would just like to start by saying how truly unfair I think it is that June is the busiest month ... I have no energy left in June.  None.  Not a drop.  Why can't it be this crazy in September when I actually have the energy to handle it all?  And forget "riding" the crazy train like I said in my post title ... I think I may be dragging behind it.  Waving the white flag.  Help.

To give you a glimpse into my crazy week, I linked up to Doodle Bug's Teaching for another fabulous Five For Friday.

Soccer season has started (inspired my choice of numbers this week).  LOVE being a soccer mom.  For the first year, all three of my little ones are in soccer - and they couldn't be cuter. This is putting me on the crazy train because it is keeping me busy 3 nights a week (I don't even want to think about my Monday nights where all three girls play at the same time ... but at three DIFFERENT fields all over my city).  I coached soccer last year, but once I saw the schedule this year, I knew it wasn't even a remote possibility.  The photo below is my oldest and youngest at their soccer academy camp (my middle was at a dance reheasal).

I created a new resource this week - Math Concept Posters.  I love them, and I know I'll get so much use out of them, but it put me on the crazy train because I absolutely didn't have the spare time to create a new resource ... ate up a lot of my sleeping time.  However, I created it out of necessity because I still needed a few more marks for my last math unit.  I plan to use these pages in their math journals next year.  You can click on the picture to take a peek at my newest resource.

It's dance recital week.  We spent all night at dress rehearsal on Wednesday, and I can't wait for the recital on Sunday.  I danced for 14 years while I was growing up, so this just brings it all back.  My middle and youngest are both dancing in the recital this Sunday, and I think I just may be the proudest mommy in the audience.  Precious.  But it has me on the crazy train for obvious reasons.  

The dance recital isn't the only special part about Sunday.  It's also Father's Day ... and I've got to think up some special way to show my husband what a remarkable dad he is (especially since he has to dance in the recital on Sunday with my littlest one), and remind my dad that he'll always be my #1.  This has me on the crazy train because I totally forgot to do something with my own students ... until the last block of today.  We had a PD day on Monday, and then I was out of the class for meetings on Wednesday and half of Thursday.  I've been playing catch-up all week, and apparently, I'm not great at it.  So, I recycled an idea from last year and we made shirt-and-tie cards.  You can read more about it in my blog post HERE.

10 days left.  Yes, 10.  This may be the only thing that's keeping my fingerhold on the back of the crazy train.  If it wasn't for that light at the end of the tunnel, I'd be lying on the tracks by now.  10 days left seems do-able.  Just have to make it through 8 soccer games, 9 soccer practices, one dance recital, one Father's Day celebration, find that library book I got a note for from my youngest daughter's teacher, report cards, my class trip, four class trips for the girls, the end of my course (and the start of part 2) ... and breathe.  Breathe.  10 days - I can DO this!!!

Happy FRIDAY!!!

Friday Art Feature - Comic Book Onomatopoeia

I LOVE saving figurative language until June - it's such a fun language unit ... and perfect for our "dreaming of summer brains".  We finished up our EQAO testing mid week, and this onomatopoeia activity was the perfect break from testing.

How fun is that???  Students chose two contrasting colours - one for the background and one for the word and border "bursting out of the page".  They also needed newspaper (cut just a fraction smaller that the "bursting out of the page border" and glued the newspaper on top.  They glued their word on top of that (we had brainstormed a lot of onomatopoeia words, but for some reason most of them chose SPLAT for their word).  I also had them do a little shading under their letters for that little extra POP (see, I know some onomatopoeia words, too).  ;)

I had seen this awesome idea on Pinterest and followed it back to Artisan des Arts.  Her examples are FANTASTIC!!

We also wrote simile poems this week.  I found a little template HERE for the students to use for their rough copies.  When students were finished their templates, I had them write out their good copies, and illustrate a few lines with a small image.  

I hung these up, too ... LOVING our bulletin board switch up ... even this late in the school year!!!  (I have two of these "smART class" bulletin boards side by side in the classroom.

15 more school days left ... I think I can ... I think I can ...

Happy Friday!!!

End of the Year Memory Bags

Okay, all you friends who are just about to finish up your year (not you super-lucky ones who are already done) ... have I mentioned how VERY jealous I am??  As of today, I have 19 school days left ... 19 sounds do-able, until I think about everything I still need to squeeze in ... then I start to hyperventilate a little a lot.

So, maybe while I was dreaming of already being on summer vacation, I decided to create an end of the year resource for my students - End of the Year Memory Bags.  These are very similar to my Paper Bag Character Reports (which is my second most popular blog post of all time).  My students were very disappointed we weren't doing the Paper Bag Reports this year, but since I keep half my class for a second year every year (I have all the grade 5 and 6 students in the school), I don't do anything the same two years in a row.  I thought this might pacify them.  ;)

As it is WAY too soon to get my students into that end-of-the-year mindset (I'm not that crazy), I tested the resource out on my daughter at home (the things she has to do for her mama) ;).  She loved it, though - and I LOVED hearing about her reflect on her school year - what things stood out as her proudest moments.

All your students need to complete this project is a paper lunch bag - preferably the ones with the flat bottom.

Your students have different choices when picking out what organizers they will include on the different panels - so they can reflect on the experiences that they will truly remember.

The best part is what's on the inside - students have to choose 10 items that symbolize or remind them about something meaningful over the school year.  For each object they include in their bag, they will fill out a card explaining why they chose that object.

Students can present these bags orally, or they can be hung on a bulletin board or lined up along a shelf, students could also set them up gallery style and have students walk through to see the displays ... or they could take them home to share with parents if you're already cleaning up your classroom.

I've even included a rubric just in case you need to squeeze in one more assessment.  I can't wait to pull these out during our last week of school - I'm so excited to find out what memories my students made this year ... and maybe what they'd like to forget.  ;)

If you're interested in checking this one out, just click HERE or on any of the pics in this post.

Happy Monday!!!  (only three more Mondays to go for me).

Currently in June

Well, the 1st of the month means a new Currently ... thank goodness - I've been such a terrible blogger lately, I needed something quick and easy and fun to get me back in gear again.  I have to admit - I barely have the energy to crawl to the end of the year right now - school is crazy (I got two new students in the last two weeks), testing has just begun, my girls are super busy right now, I'm taking a course, haven't even started report cards ... and I still have another month of school!!!  {waving white flag}  I think I'm having anxiety just thinking about it all.

Anyhow, here it is ... I'm linking up to the ever-so-fabulous Farley for her June Currently at Oh' Boy 4th Grade.

Listening ... to hockey playoffs.  Now, I can sit and watch a game with my hubby with the best of them ... but it's June.  And I'm.Over.It.  When do I get my TV back??

Loving ... that the girls' soccer season is starting this week - LOVE watching these games (and LOVING even more that I'm not coaching this year).  All three girls are in soccer this year - can't wait.  Also loving that I'm getting ready for the girls' dance recital - my two youngest dance and their costumes this year are the most adorable little things I've seen.  I danced for 12 years when I was young, and loved every single moment of it - this brings it all back.

Thinking ... about my friend.  I went to a benefit tonight for my friend whose son has cancer (you might remember my fundraiser for Taten).  They're doing as well as they can right now - have been travelling for chemo treatments at least twice a month, and she has stayed so strong throughout everything.  She is truly my hero, and I will never forget how lucky I am.

Wanting ... more air conditioning.  It is SO hot and sticky right now.  Now, I know I shouldn't be complaining as we had snow LAST month, but I am ... and this girl wants some air conditioning.  At home and at school.

Needing ... organization.  Everywhere.  At home, at school, in life.  Everywhere.  I'm going to live vicariously through Ladybug's and Fun in Room 4B's organizational linky ... (and marvel a bit at the organizational genius) and maybe I'll be inspired to pick up an idea or two.  Okay, if I'm being honest, not pick up an idea or two, but actually carry out an idea or two.

Vacay Essentials ... I have to admit ... I'm not there yet.  I still have another month to go.  And it's such a crazy month, that I can't let my head get there yet.  But, I know I'll be needing to get my passport paperwork finished, patience (three girls under 10 at home all summer will require some patience), and plans ... just in case that patience thing isn't working out for me.  ;)

Happy Saturday!!!  

Five For Friday - Test Prep and Angry Birds

You know what I love even better than Friday?  Friday before a long weekend ... ahhhhhhhhh ... much needed!!!  It's been a long week ... but a fun week ... so I guess all is good.  Looking forward to some quality time with the family this weekend (and hoping for some sun).

Friday also means it's time for Five for Friday - I LOVE this linky - I seriously look forward to it all week, planning what pics I'm going to include.  Make sure you check out some of the other Five for Friday posts at Doodlebugs Teaching.

Grade 6 testing is just 7 days away for us, so we've been doing a lot of test prep in the classroom.  Earlier this week we did a 4-corner sticky note activity.  After students had completed a practice activity, I gave each student a different coloured sticky note (5 different colours in total) and asked them to write down their answer to a particular question.  They then had to find their group members (students with matching coloured sticky notes) and place their sticky notes in the 4 corners of the paper they had.  After reading through and discussing all the answers, they then had to collaborate and combine their answers to make the best possible answer.  I LOVED this ... and I'm going to try it out in math next week.

The next day we started to make our test prep bookmarks.  We took the answering the question strategies we've been studying and applying in math, and wrote them on these bookmarks.  We are going to do the same thing with our language strategies early next week, and then we'll glue the two together to make a two-sided bookmark.

Today we used our CAFE/CRAFT board to break down our answers in language.  My favourite part of the CRAFT board this year has been "R" - Response to Text.  We've used this board all year as we built our own set of success criteria for reading responses.  The strategies were introduced early in the year, but we've referred to the board all year long.  (These will also become our reading strategies for the language part of the book mark).  I colour-coded each of the strategies, and then students had to hunt and indicate where they had checked / fixed / added them in their answers (using the correct colour to match the strategy).  Such a great visual for them!

Part of the reason why we had so much fun at school this week was our Angry Bird project.  We integrated our math and science units for this project, and we had a BLAST!  You can read all about it (and grab the link for the angry bird solids) in my blog post HERE.

Lastly, the construction at my school is at full steam (if full steam means REALLY LOUD!)  ;)  We're amalgamating with another school next year, and gaining three new classrooms - two of which have to be built (the amalgamation means much bigger class sizes.  The students are LOVING checking out the construction every day ... and I have to admit, the adults think it's pretty exciting, too.  :)

So, there's my week in review.  Hope you had a fabulous week!!!

Jen

Angry Birds = Happy Students

We just finished up our Angry Birds project - integrating math and science.  I know I've shared a pic or two already, but I just have to show you how they turned out!

I have a few students who are completely obsessed with angry birds this year, so when I remembered I had pinned nets for angry bird solids a while back, I knew it was time to pull them out.  Our math unit was 3D shapes, so we were looking at nets, constructing solids, and measuring volume and surface area.  Perfect.  Our science unit was structures and forces acting on structures.  Even more perfect.  So, we got creative and combined the two.  (***Note - I don't have a unit for this, or even sheets to share, as the angry bird brand is very protected by trademark laws, or copyright laws, or something like that.  I am going to post pics of everything we did, and if it sounds like fun, feel free to borrow these ideas for your classroom).

We first made our 3D shapes from the Angry Bird nets.  You can download your own copies HERE.  When students were finished constructing their solids, they had to find the volume and surface area of 4 different sized solids (since most of the solids are cubes, this step wasn't too difficult for them.  To up the difficulty a bit, I required my grade 6 students to find the surface area of the yellow bird - a tetrahedron).

Once we were done with the math, we decorated our shoe boxes to give our birds a home.  (Also made it much easier to store all their materials, and stacked nicely in the corner of the classroom to contain the clutter.  They then had to start on their structures.  We had watched a few videos about types of structures, and read a few articles, and then they got started.  I gave each student 30 popsicle sticks, 7 straws, 3 arms lengths of masking tape, a piece of paper, and 10 paper clips.  Structures had to be 30 cm tall, have a 10 x 10 cm platform on the top, and be able to withstand the forces of gravity, hurricane winds, and a ground-shaking earthquake.  They took about 2 science periods to complete their structures.

By today we had finished everything, and this afternoon we tested our structures out.  First we measured the height and the size of the platform.

Then we turned the fan on high to simulate those hurricane winds.

Then we tested the effects of gravity by placing 50g weights on top of the structures.

Last, we shook for boxes for 10 seconds to see if they could take the ground shaking earthquake.  When we were finished, students had a reflection sheet to answer, and the final projects were marked with a checklist rubric.  

Such a fun summative project!  And angry birds definitely equalled happy students in my classroom.  I took a picture of each of the kids with their projects, and sent the pics home with the parents.  I'll leave you with a few pics of the finished projects.

Happy Thursday!!!