Funglish

I recently stumbled across another hilarious and fun game played on the Ellen Show called Funglish. My students struggle with vocabulary (high ESL population) and it affects their performance on standardized tests. So, I thought this would be a great way to play a fun game while learning science and social studies vocabulary at the same time. Here is the link to the Ellen Show clip(click here).
Here is a picture of the Funglish giant game board my mom created using a plastic shower curtain and duct tape.

The Great Pumpkin Challenge!

For the week of Halloween, I had my 4th and 5th graders do a fun design challenge. I adapted this idea from an idea I saw on Pinterest. They had 26 gum drop pumpkins and 30 toothpicks. They had to sketch a tower that would stand on its own. Then, they constructed with their materials. The tallest tower won the challenge. We had some very interesting design ideas and the students learned alot! The tallest tower was 37 centimeters tall! Here are some examples:

Animal Adaptations: Bird Beaks!

We just finished up our animal adaptations unit. We did a study of different bird beaks and how they help the birds survive. The class did an activity where they used the "beaks" to pick up or do different things. They loved doing this and it really helped them to see how the beaks really do help the birds survive. When they were finished handling the beaks, they had to match the bird to the beak and what it uses the beak for. Here are the beaks I used:
Tweezers--insect grabbing--plastic fly--Creeper
Clothespin--seed cracker--sunflower seed--Cardinal
Sharp pencil--pecking wood--piece of wood--Woodpecker
Toothpick--spearing fish--Swedish Fish--Heron
*As an extension, I passed out cups of birdseed and had them research and identify what birds ate the specific kind of seed.

 
 
 

Make Your Own Landfill!

 


After taking an amazing field trip to our local landfill, I just had to share a cool project to do with your students! Have them create their own landfills. This can emphasize conserving Earth's resources and pollution. I asked my local grocery store to donate plastic containers with lids, but you could use water bottles (cut the tops off). You will also need to cut a small hole, near the middle, to insert a 2-3 inch piece of straw. This will be the pipe that lets the water drain out. You can also caulk around the straw so there are no leaks. Tell the class that they have to first put a layer of soil on the bottom of their container. Then, they may choose their own materials to make a barrier for their landfill. They need to make sure their barrier is sealed so no polluted rain water leaks down into the ground or it will pollute the ground water. I gave them clay, foam, foil, sand, and charcoal sheets to use to make their barrier. After they have created their barrier, then give them shredded paper to act as the "trash" inside their landfill. Next, pour a little water into the landfill and see if it drains out of the "pipe." If they made their landfill correctly, the water will drain out of the pipe and not leak into the ground.

Yay for Ohio Becoming a State!

I have been teaching my 4th graders about the process of Ohio achieving statehood. I decided to add a fun twist to a dry topic. I had my students create greeting cards for Ohio congratulating the state on becoming a state. They decorated their cards and had to say what Ohio had to accomplish in order to become a state. I was very impressed with how cute they turned out!

Excited about my new science and social studies boxes!

Need a way to spice up science and social studies homework? Try my new science and social studies boxes! These are a bit more lively than just your average packet of work!

Ohio as America is awesome!

I just want to recommend Ohio as America to 4th grade teachers for social studies! I was given a free subscription this year, but will definitely see about it again next year. It is an online 4th grade textbook with mini videos, primary sources, artifact pictures, old maps, activities, and more! It has been a great supplement to my social studies units for 4th grade. I also love it because you can go in a logical order of Ohio history. We were able to see a photo of a real "USA" pin worn during the American Revolution! Here is the link:

http://www.ohioetextbooks.org