Are you a new 2nd grade teacher? Here are the best tips for taking on grade 2 and all the fun that comes with it!
The first day of 2nd grade for pretty much any grade is a whirlwind. Plan for the first day of 2nd grade to keep students engaged, and excited to come back!
I love the whole idea of project-based learning! The idea of addressing all subject areas in the context of one project makes so much sense, and allows for better real-life application. I had dabbled in PBL a little bit, but never to the extent of this project, in which I asked students to design a zoo. This was the perfect project for the end of our strange traditional-turned-virtual school year, and the kids really took it and ran with it! They were able to complete it at their own pace, collaborating with their families, and it went so well that I'm already planning to use it again next year when we're (hopefully) back in the traditional classroom. While the task of designing a zoo sounds monumental, I broke it down into individual tasks for my students. Differentiation was easy as I gave families the freedom of doing more or less than suggested for each task, depending on the needs of their child and family. (Let's face it, crisis schooling is not the same as homeschooling; I know some families just didn't have time to go all-out on a project, and that's okay!) Using this in the traditional classroom will make for easy differentiation, too, and I've included teacher tips for both higher and lower lever learners for each task in the download which is available here in my store! This project includes all of the subjects and many first grade standards. First, students select animals to include in their zoo and conduct research on them, making notes about what they eat, what kind of climate they need, and more. Next, they design the habitats based on their research, and create a plaque for each animal exhibit. They work on mapping skills as they create a map of their zoo, and coding as they then use their map to give directions to popular destinations. Math is integrated as they come up with prices for tickets and extra amenities they included in their zoo, and also as they set a feeding schedule for their animals. After all of that work is done, they get to add in art and technology as they design advertisements and create a commercial. Some of my kids even decided to design t-shirts! It was so satisfying as a teacher to see all of the ways my students completed this project. After completing all of the tasks and research, most of them actually set up a physical zoo in their house, and they were incredibly creative! Some of them made animals out of clay, others used stuffed animals--one even used her sister wearing an animal hat! They all truly made it their own, while learning and applying skills along the way. I hope your class has as much fun with this as mine did! You can find it here in my shop or here in my TPT store. Keep teaching with heart and passion!
These 5 fun 3D shapes activities for kindergarten are a great way for students to learn about shape attributes while having a blast.
Just found out you're teaching second grade! Here's a quick start guide!
Practicing counting in groups is LOTS of fun with free printable Skip Counting Mazes! No prep worksheets to practice counting 2s-10s at various levels!
How do you start your morning each day? Do you walk into your classroom, drop your bags, and make a beeline for the copy machine so you can get your
Grab a TON of FREE Math Mania Games to strengthen your students' addition & subtraction! Snag easy printable math games for 1st & 2nd grade!
As French Immersion teachers, we know how valuable it is to sing. It’s a great way to practice pronunciation, vocabulary and get our students excited about learning French. This list has a range of easier to harder songs. I taught some of these to my kindergarten students and also to 2/3s so it
Activities that boost fluency all year long…and that you only have to prep once!
You want your second graders to have hands-on practice with ELA skills in a meaningful way. Of course, these activities should be fun so that students aren't bored! Well this post shares some unexpected 2nd Grade literacy center ideas your students (and you) will love! These activities provide essential ELA practice while keeping kiddos interested.
Learn about countries for kids with Around the WOrld Country Coloring Pages! These coloring sheets are easy way to explore 19 countries!
Just found out you're teaching second grade! Here's a quick start guide!
This printable math worksheet is a super fun way to practice addition and money skills. It also makes a great follow up for a restaurant math center activity. Your students can pretend that they have their own little place that serves junk food for lunch (because it's no fun to serve broccoli and kale at a fake resta
No more boring book reports! Check out 26+ FUN, creative and unique book report ideas and free printable projects too!
Our first week of second grade was full of fun! From learning our classroom procedures, to team building we learned so much!
I have been using interactive math notebooks in my classroom for as long as I can remember. Math notebooks are a great place for students to take notes, record definitions and sample problems, and practice new skills. They are perfect to use for direct instruction and guided practice, in small groups or as a whole class.…
Terrific choices for funny and charming 2nd grade read aloud books that are appropriate for classroom story time or reading at home.
How adorable are these?!? This lesson took (2) art classes to finish (and I had JUST enough time to squeeze in one more lesson before the end of the year)! It’s a simple one —but packs in a bunch! …
Kids will be WOWED with this hands-on, fall science experiment where they will explore Why do Leaves Change Color for kids! Fun Leaf Activity!
Fun and engaging ideas to get to know your students at the beginning of the school year. Build a strong classroom community with these free resources.
If you've been following my blog, you probably figured out that I love using writing rubrics! Today I want to share what a writing rubric is, why I like using them and share links to 3 free writing rubrics you can use.
Learn all about China and lots of intesting facts About Chinese culture with these coloring pages! Simply print worksheets!
Create a solid math foundation with these tips for teaching place value in 1st grade. Use these ideas to avoid place value mistakes!
This is one of my FAVORITE art lessons for 2nd grade!! I LOVE each and every one of them!! (More info. and how they were created below! Plus a little virtual gallery walk video!) &nbs…
Get helpful tips for how to manage data folders in the primary classroom. Download the free student data folders kit to get started!
Simple tips for improving writing in your second or third grade classroom. These tips are a must if you want better writers!
Practice grade 2 math with FREE printable 2nd grade math worksheets. Turn second grade math worksheets into a FUN Mad minutes game!
Effective homeschooling will bring tremendous result in the long run…You Can Do it right with this free resources.
How do you start your morning each day? Do you walk into your classroom, drop your bags, and make a beeline for the copy machine so you can get your
Need to help your students get more hands on practice for their vocabulary words? I've got 5 fun vocabulary games you can use right away!
Reading self-portraits, clay snails, and much more!
You students will love this free spelling game. It's a great way to have students practice spelling in an engaging way...
Real-life inspiration!
Searching for tips and tricks to help older students fix letter formation? Here is a list of tried and true letter formation practice ideas to help your students get those letters fixed!
Switching up your book report writing allows you to keep book report writing fresh while reaching all of your learners from the beginning to the end of the school year. Book report tab books are a fun, hands-on twist on a classic book review that can be used with any fiction book. Each tab focuses on a different skill required for book report writing. Take a look at the product preview for a closer look! WHAT’S INCLUDED: Full Page Book & Half Page Mini Book Tabs Included: Front Cover Book Basics Story Map Character Analysis Compare & Contrast Characters Key Events Theme Author’s Craft Rate Review Reflect More Reading & Writing Resources: Fiction Reading Crafts Fiction Reading Graphic Organizers Writing Graphic Organizers Reading Word Walls
So, yesterday I showed you how I got my angle studies kicked off with my students–how I solidified understanding of “right angle”. We had lots left to accomplish–so I’ll try to share some of the different lessons and activities we did over the next days! Tip 1: If you can get your hands on thin […]
