Help! I'm addicted!

I am addicted to manipulatives---alphabet manipulatives, that is.  I have magnet ones and felt ones, alphabet beads, alphabet stickers; the list goes on and on.  But my newest favorite thing is the Glitter Gel Alphabet Clings that I found at Target for $2.50!  They are so cool. These things will stick to windows, plastic, tables, walls and pretty much any other hard, flat surface.  I think they are made from the same material that those creepy-crawly spiders are made from that you throw at the wall and watch them climb down.    I love them and I think my 2nd/3rd graders will like them too.  Although in the past I have wondered if my alphabet manipulatives would be better suited for K-1 grade, I have found that the 2nd/3rd grade split that I am student teaching in love them just as much.  I can't wait for them to see these gel ones. :)

We are starting a new routine tomorrow.  We are using a literacy center concept but we are integrated some math concepts as well.  I love literacy centers too (it just might become another addiction!).  I could search the Internet all day long for great literacy center ideas and never grow tired.  I have found some great ideas from some seasoned teachers.  I am interested in seeing how well we can pull ours off because we have so many students being pulled out for special services during our reading time.  But that's another story.  For now, I'll just leave you with  a picture of my new toys.  These are definitely going to be a part of our literacy center.  We will use them to learn our spelling words.

The Rock Cycle

We have been studying rocks in Science.  I found a really cool demonstration that shows how sedimentary rocks turn into metamorphic rocks and how metamorphic rocks turn into igneous rocks.  Here are the results:

We start with crayon shavings.  These demonstrate how wind and water can wear away pieces of earth and rock.  They are washed away and settle on the bottoms of oceans, rivers, and lakes.  The layers are deposited on top of each other and pressed down over time.  They eventually turn into sedimentary rock. 

Next, tons of pressure causes heat to build up, which in turn causes the rocks (crayon shavings) to "morph" into a new type of rock:  metamorphic rock.  This is demonstrated by pressing the crayon shavings together until they are flattened and take on a new form.

The final stage demonstrates how metamorphic rock is turned into igneous rock.  The crayon shavings are heated and cooled.  The students were able to get a good idea of how rocks can take on a different look and feel once heat is applied.

If I would have thought about it soon enough, I would have taken the igneous rock and grated it with a cheese grater or something to demonstrate how igneous rock can turn into sedimentary rock again. 

You can find the complete instructions for this rock demonstration at http://www.ehow.com/info_7893274_elementary-rock-cycle-experiments.html#ixzz1oddX8AEw.

Honoring Our Presidents

Wow!  February just flew by and here we are at the beginning of March already!  I can’t believe it has been a month since I posted.  I have been so busy with trying to get the hang of this lesson planning thing, along with trying to keep up on my curriculum class that I am taking alongside Student Teaching that I didn’t have time for much of anything else.

I did want to post some pics of the presidential unit we did in Social Studies.  It coincided perfectly with the month of February and Presidents Day.  I was really pleased with the results and wanted to share all the hard work the students have been doing.  Here are some examples.