Yes, you CAN homeschool second grade completely FREE! I'll show you everything you need to get started, and it's all entirely free!
Hi Friends… I hope this post finds you well and enjoying your summer break. I just returned home from a relaxing vacation in Punta Cana! It was a ton of fun and I really needed the R & R 🙂 I actually wrote this blog post on the plane there…BUT… the flight didn’t have any … Science FUN with Interactive Notebooks! Read More »
It's that time of year again! Open House season is here and we are busily working on projects to share with our parents on our big night. One of the big projects my students will be working on is their Animal Diorama and Research Report. This was something I did for the first time last year, and it was a HIT! I got this idea after my son had to make a diorama for his first grade class last year. We had so much fun creating his animal diorama as a family project, that I decided it was something I had to do with my class too! I brought the idea up to my second grade team, and they were all very excited about it... so we went for it! We decided to give the assignment the week before STAR testing. Since we wouldn't be giving homework during the two weeks of testing, that would give students more time to research, gather materials, and work on their projects. Students had about three weeks to complete their projects. We decided to have the students bring in their completed dioramas the day before Open House. We were thrilled with the results! Here are a few student samples from last year: Along with this diorama project, our students will also be completing an Animal Research Report poster with information and illustrations, as well as a writing assignment and an oral presentation. Our students will be getting both a Science and Language Arts grade for this project. I'm offering my Animal Research Report poster as a FREEBIE on TpT! Here's a sneak peek: You can grab it here. Animal Research Report Poster If you're looking for everything needed to do this Animal Diorama project with your class, take a peek at my Animal Diorama and Research Report Project Pack! It's got everything you'll need in one convenient spot! Last year, I struggled to find examples of dioramas online to show my students, so I've included detailed photo samples of my own students' projects, as well as a step-by-step presentation for your students. Here's a preview of all of the goodies included in this project pack! In addition to the Animal Research Report Poster and step by step presentation for your students (which can be projected onto your Smartboard or other type of computer projector), I've also included a student-friendly rubric with grading expectations for all aspects of this project, as well as a grading rubric for teachers to use when giving final grades for this project, student instruction sheet, writing template for research report, and a presentation outline to help guide students on what to focus on for their oral presentation. It's everything I struggled to put together last year for this project in one convenient place!
Kids love to be helpers, so give them some amazing classroom jobs for students that will build responsibility and make your life in the classroom easier.
Engage your class in an exciting hands-on experience learning all about science! K-2 Endless Science Mega Bundle is perfect for science in Preschool, Pre-K, Kindergarten, First Grade, and Second Grade classrooms and is packed full
This is the such a fun little Grass House plant lifecycle activity. This Plant Lifecycle activity is perfect for kindergarten, first, and second grade. Your students will have so much fun creating their own greenhouses and yards full of real grass. What's Included: -directions -printable houses and fences that are labeled with what plants need to grow -editable name houses and fill in the blank houses -four-week observation journal **Please know that by purchasing this resource you are purchasing the rights to use these activities in a single classroom. If you plan to share this resource with other teachers, please send them to my store to purchase individually or you may purchase additional license(s). THIS RESOURCE WAS NOT CREATED TO USE WITH ANY DIGITAL PLATFORM OR EASEL**
Kids love science, especially when it involves hands-on experiments.
Creative and hands-on habitats activities for second grade science. Find teaching ideas, ready to use lessons, videos, and science experiments for kids, ideal for teaching 2nd grade habitats and ecosystems.
Need some graphic organizers for students K-3rd grade? Grab my free writing rraphic organizers to help students get started writing!
Each Monday we collaborate with our building's new and Dual Language staff members for a professional development session based on what they highlight as their needs and/or desires for learning! This week we focused on Daily 5 ideas as all of our staff are currently working hard to get their stations and guided reading up and running! The teachers who attending the session came up with a variety of wonderful ideas and activities that could potentially be used throughout the year in these work stations. I thought some of you may enjoy taking a gander at what they came up with as well! Just a little background... we utilized a strategy many of you may be familiar with called "Round Robin" to gather ideas during our meeting. The staff were given the anchor charts with only the titles and asked to add any activity ideas they were doing, would like to do, etc. based on the title on their paper. We gave each group 1 minute to brainstorm and write their ideas, and then they were asked to pass the poster to the next group. We continued to do this until all posters had made it to all groups. This is a great strategy that you could use with your students as well to assess their background knowledge and/or learning of concepts. You could even do it at the beginning of the year to see what activities they already know and enjoy doing during Daily 5 if they are familiar with it from the year past! This may give you some insight as to what they may want to do in your classroom as well! Alright now onto the posters...keep in mind these were quickly written by our staff and we discussed them a bit after as well, so not everything may make perfect sense! But feel free to ask questions in the comments if you have any and I would be happy to try my best to answer! After our meeting, I also took some time to type up all of their ideas onto one page for them to hold on to and refer to throughout the year. You are welcome to a copy if you'd like- just click on the image below :)! (Graphics: Scrappin Doodles, Priscilla Concepcion)
Engage your little leaners as they dive into the ocean with these ideas! Videos, songs, books, and more are here to make your ocean unit easily planned!
Friday letters offer so many insights into your students and keep parents connected to your classroom. See how I teach students to manage them themselves.
This Animal Report can be used for ANY animal. It is a great way to help elementary students research and write about animals. Students participate in
Dive into the world of science exploration! From hands-on experiments to engaging lessons, learn how to make science come alive. Explore air, water, animal growth, matter, energy, & simple machines.
Hello and welcome to the WEIRDEST SCHOOL YEAR OF YOUR CAREER. While last year ended with quite an unexpected twist, not something anyone could have predicted,
Read a few ideas for your past and present or then and now unit. There are free lessons and activities as well as other fun hands-on, engaging ideas.
I'm throwing it back to my second-grade days today! One of my favorite field trips was our visit to the local zoo. In preparation for this trip, my students would research an animal and become an "expert" on that animal. They would then write a non-fiction book to add to our classroom library. To start,
Learn about the ladybug life cycle for kids with free printable worksheets. Print life cycle of a ladybug worksheets to play and learn.
We've begun writing in our third grade classroom and to my delight, my students are way into it! We have set up our writing notebooks and w...
Imagine welcoming parents to a conference armed with personalized insights that highlight their child's shining moments (Glows) and offer thoughtful guidance for their growth (Grows). These report card comments go beyond the usual grades, giving a comprehensive view of the child's progress in subjects like Math, Language Arts, Science, and more. But that's not all – they also dive into learning skills and social development, ensuring a well-rounded understanding of each student’s journey. Get ready to engage in fruitful conversations with parents, set inspiring goals, and create a supportive learning environment that celebrates achievements while nurturing improvement. With the Glows and Grows Report Card Comments, you’re not just hosting a conference – you’re igniting growth, fostering partnership, and making a positive impact on each child’s success. So, why wait? Let's embark on this exciting journey together and bring out the best in every child's education!
Setting up a fact fluency program in a classroom can be daunting- where do I store it all? How do I keep track? How do I determine if students are successful? What do I do if they aren't making progress? I have set up and run a fact fluency program in my classroom for a few years now, and while I was overwhelmed at first, I found that it's not as hard as you think to help students become fluent in math! It just takes 4 simple steps to get your fact fluency program up and running. Get Organized: I find that everything goes so much more smoothly if I am organized before I begin anything, and that's especially important when running a fact fluency program. Having assessments ready, keeping track of student data... it can be really overwhelming. I personally use a two part system for keeping myself organized, and I find that it really works. First, I printed out all of the testing originals for both addition and subtraction. I like having the originals all in one place because then I don't have to find the file on my computer, print out the page I need, run down to the copy room to make copies... I just grab my binder when I need more copies and take it to the copy room, make all the copies I need, and put the originals back in the sleeve when I'm finished! I hate trying to find things on my slow computer, so this works for me. I used to keep the student assessments in the binder as well, but I found that having all those extra pages in there was a little less organized than I would like it to be. So I decided to use hanging file folders in a crate to organize assessments. And since I really love it when things are color coded, particularly in color order, I created tabs that matched the color of each level. Inside the files for each level are the different assessments, the flash cards for that level, and copies of the reward certificate ready to go. When a student passes a level, I can easily grab the next set of flash cards and the reward certificate, staple them to their completed assessment, and send it home! It is also really easy to see how many more copies I may need of a particular assessment, and it's easy to slide them down in there once I've copied them. It is also important for you to determine what fluency looks like in your classroom. How long do they have to complete the assessment? Do they need to get them all correct? How many problems do they need to do- 25 or 15? 3 seconds per problem is considered "fluency" based on what I've heard. I give my students the 25 problem sheet. If a student does not complete 2-3 problems but gets the rest correct, I usually consider that "fluent" since it's above 80% mastery and let them move on. However, if the student is making computation mistakes, I don't. Of course, you will have to choose what works in your classroom! Practice, practice, practice! An important part of fact fluency is giving your students time to practice! I always begin our program with a letter to parents letting them know that we are going to be using the program this year. Attached to the letter is a copy of the 0s facts for them to practice with their child. I usually give them a few days or so to practice their facts at home and in the classroom before we do the first assessment. In the classroom, I like to integrate our fact fluency practice into our Fast Finisher activities, as well as math centers when appropriate. Several of our Fast Finisher activities involve some sort of fact practice. Flash cards: We began with the option of flash cards first- they are easy and since mine are color coded, the kids could just grab the color that matches the level they are working on. Fact Fluency Flip Books: A second option for my students are Fact Fluency Flip books. These are little books that students can grab and work on. Each book contains 8 pages with 11 different activities for practicing facts. For example, there is a page of number bonds, a page of number lines, etc... These are probably best for saving to use after you've taught addition strategies. I have 4 different books for each level, so students can grab a different book each time they use one. Games: I use lots of addition and subtraction games with my students that help to build fluency. Most of these games are simple as well! Games like Bump or Roll and Cover give students fluency practice while making it fun. War is another fun game, where students choose two cards, add the numbers together, and decide who has the higher sum. Other games where students are practicing adding together or subtracting two numbers are perfect for increasing fluency and providing students with practice! Boom Cards: My students LOVE Boom Cards, and if you haven't checked them out, you should! There are a ton of both free and paid options available both on the Boom website and Teachers Pay Teachers. Hot Dots: Hot Dots are something my students love to use. Power Pens are another similar option and the pens can be used interchangeably with the different card sets. I got mine through Donors Choose, so if this is something your school allows, it's definitely an engaging option to check out! There are addition and subtraction and Power Pens addition and subtraction sets that you can purchase. There are also Power Pen stickers that you can purchase to create your own. I find that having lots of choices increases student engagement and keeps them from getting bored using just one method to practice their facts. If they're tired of Boom Cards, they can use Hot Dots that day. Track Progress Of course, tracking your students progress is important to continuing to increase fluency! There are so many ways to track student progress. You can do a whole class board where students move their name to the level they are on, or write their name on each level once they've passed it. Or you can choose to make it a bit more private. Or you can choose not to track at all! In my Growing Fact Fluency pack, I've included tracking sheets for the teacher to use, as well as fun tracking sheets that the students can use to track their own progress. I also have included sticker charts, reward tags, and certificates to both track and celebrate student progress! Tracking also helps alert you to any difficulties a student may be having. When I realized that two of my students were really struggling with making it past their 1s facts, I knew that I needed to work with them and give them more opportunities to increase their fluency. I downloaded Boom Card games that just practiced adding one. One student was not actually adding one and did not understand the concept, so I taught a small group lesson on how adding one is just counting up one more. I have also included options for differentiating, so struggling students can be given the page with only 15 problems while everybody else has 25. By keeping track of their progress, I was able to identify those difficulties and work on those particular skills. Reap the Rewards I am not usually one for extrinsic rewards, and generally my Fact Fluency program operates in that same manner. For most students, knowing they've passed that level and are moving on to the next level is enough for them to be motivated. That being said, I do think it's very important to acknowledge their progress. I send home a certificate with the students once they've passed a level. If possible, I send it home that day. Attached to that certificate is the next set of fluency flashcards to begin working on. I also move their clip to the next level on our bulletin board so they can see their progress. They also get to move to the next set of Fact Fluency Flip Books, which they seem to find exciting. You can choose to do any sort of rewards you want to do with this program, and that's one thing I love about it. I've used this program different ways with different classes. I have options for different ways to track and reward, including sticker charts and reward tags, along with the certificates. Also, you can take the pressure off your students and not worry about levels, or tracking, or time, and just have fun with learning facts! Play the games, randomly use the fact fluency assessments for fun, or don't. All that matters is that your students become more fluent with their math facts and use them to become better and faster at math in general. How you choose to approach that is up to you and what works best for your students.
Discover hands-on beginning of the year science activities that will excite your students and build the foundation for future science lessons!
When I took this second grade position, I had many things on my to-do list. However, the first item on my list was classroom management ideas. Any teacher would agree that the most important skill in running a class is classroom management. There are so many strategies, but my go-to is Class Dojo! The Benefits
I have been on a math kick lately. I think it is because my kids are strugglingggg with basic math concepts lately and it’s killin’ me! We have been learning addition strategies and practicing addition within 20 for two weeks now and my class has just started to pick up their momentum. They are […]
Massive list of classroom jobs for elementary students in preschool, kindergarten, first grade, or second grade - such great ideas for classroom jobs!
Math Talks are hands-down the best math warm-up activities for developing number sense and computational fluency. And these Number Talks for second grade make implementing Number Talks easier than ever.This seriously NO PREP resource provides daily lessons that are thought-provoking and engaging for...
Ideas for teaching addition strategies in 1st grade to set students up for fact fluency success! Plus get 5 tips for making fact fluency fun!
Learn how to use these quality books for questioning that will help you teach students how to ask thoughtful questions before, during, and after reading.
Hi all! Today I want to chat with you about Number Talks! *Stay with me for a freebie at the end!* Last summer, I participated in professional development provided by Math Solutions. During the week long training, there was a lot of discussion around Number Talks and Math Talks. I have jumped into using these full force this year...and I LOVE them! The kids do too! Here is the structure of the number talks that I follow in my classroom. These typically last about 15 minutes-depending on how the conversation goes with the students! *This is how I use them in my 1st grade classroom, but they could easily be adapted for other primary grades! The pictures below are how I do number talks on a smart board.* 1. Pose a problem. I typically use the smart board or dry erase board for my talks. The type of problem differs throughout the year. This particular discussion centered around a string of addition problems. Addition strings (or strands) are related addition problems. 2. Allow think time. In my classroom, I have the students use hand signals during our number talks. These were suggested during the Math Solutions training and I love how they are working out! After the problem is posed, they have quiet think time to solve the problem mentally (I do not provide manipulatives or paper/pencil for them to use during these lessons). When they have an answer, they hold a thumbs up on their chest. This tells me that the child has had enough time to think and has a way to solve the problem. If the child can come up with an addition way to solve the problem (a different strategy), they hold up a second finger, and so on for the number of solutions they have thought of in their head. 3. Share out answers. After the students have had enough time to solve the problem, I asked for them to share out answers. "Who would like to share their answer?" I write the possible solutions next to the problem (shown above in green). If someone shares an answer that others agree with, they use another hand signal that means "me too" or "I agree." Using their thumb and pinky, they move their hand back and forth between them self and the person that shared the answer. This tells me that they came up with that answer as well. I typically share out all of their answers...unless it gets out of hand. 4. Provide partner share time. After we have shared out possible solutions, I have the students turn and talk with a partner to PROVE their answer. That is a word that I use a lot in math. "Turn and prove your answer to your partner." When someone has an answer, they have to be able to prove it. During number talks, that requires them to be able to explain it verbally. This can be a difficult task at the beginning of the year, but you will be amazed at how quickly they pick it up! 5. Allow student explanations. After they have had time to share in partners, I ask students to share out their explanations. "Who would like to share with us how you solved the problem?" or "Who can share their thinking?" As a student shares, I record exactly the steps that they say (shown above in blue) on the board for the other students to see (I also write their name with the explanation to give them ownership-plus they like seeing their name up there!). I typically allow 3-4 student explanations. I mark tallies next to the answer that the students are proving with their explanations. I also do my best to show when a student is thinking something in their head (see picture above). 6. Decide on a final answer. After students have shared out their solutions, I ask the class, "Do you agree that ____ is the answer?" After seeing the solutions (and problem solving any that might have gotten off track), we always come to a final answer together (shown above in red). I like to use number strings during math talks. So after solving the first problem, we usually do two more that relate to it. This helps them to see patterns in numbers and see relations in problems. When using the smart board, I group together the first problem and solutions and minimize them on the screen (shown above on the left). I like having them visible for the students to reference for the next problem. You can see in the solutions on the right above, that Brae did use the previous problem to help solve the second one. She said, "Well I used the other problem so in my head I knew that 4+4=8. But this problem had a 5 and 5 is one more than 4. So I knew the sum would be 1 more, so it equals 9." The picture above shows the final problem from that day. You can see that again, a student used the previous problem to help them solve the new one. Ashley said, "I saw from before that 4+5=9, and 7 is 2 more than 5 so the answer has to be 2 more. The answer is 11." You may also notice that Lane did not catch the pattern, but he did use the strategy of making a 10 which is another great way to solve the problem! I always record every solution. These number talks show me where students are in their math thinking and what they are comfortable with in their mental skills. Just by looking at these responses, I know that Zoe is still dependent on using her fingers, so we could work on more mental strategies in a small group to strengthen those skills and make her more confident. I absolutely LOVE using number talks in my classroom. I feel like my students have really taken the initiative to find their own way to solve problems, to find ways that make the most sense to them. They find connections in problems and use them to solve other problems! They have also deepened their use of math vocabulary through their explanations and use of our math word wall (check it out here). *Making mistakes help us learn!* It is crucial to make sure that students feel comfortable in the classroom. If they are afraid to be wrong or afraid to be embarrassed, they will not be willing to take risks and share out their solutions. We discuss how making mistakes is normal, that it happens to everyone, and that as long as we can fix the mistake, there is no problem with it! We also talk about how figuring out those mistakes helps us the next time we solve a similar problem. I let this conversation happen naturally when someone does try to prove an incorrect answer. We fix it, I smile, thank the student for sharing their thinking because it helped us all learn, and we move on. *Accuracy is key!* We usually have a few talks at the beginning of the year regarding accuracy. Sometimes you have students that want to share out an answer, so they will say anything even if they know it is wrong. We discuss how it is okay to make mistakes (and how we learn from them) but that we do want to try our best to be accurate. Using the "me too" sign helps cut down on this a bit, because that sign shows me their answer without them sharing out. *Model...and model some more!* When I pose a problem or repeat/reword someone's explanation, I use proper math terminology. The kids love hearing important math terms and using them in their explanations the next time! I often reference our math word wall or repeat a term that a student may have used in their explanation. They feel good about using the words the correct way! *Record their exact explanation* I scribe exactly what my students say. If they tell me, "I was thinking the number 4 in my head..." I draw a little smiley face with a thought bubble that has 4 in it. "Then I counted up 4 more, 5, 6, 7, 8." So after drawing the 4 in the thought bubble, I then record the 5, 6, 7, 8 to show what they did next. I want the other students to see that the student did start with that first number 4, but they didn't have to count 1, 2, 3, 4 to get started. *Sentence Stems* I also have some sentence stems by our math word wall. Some examples are: "I agree with _____ because ______." "I disagree with _____ because _______." "I knew that ______ so then I knew ______." "First I _____, then I _____." These are great for when you are just starting out number talks. *Keep your responses neutral* Students REALLY notice how you respond to answers. If someone gives a solution that just blows your mind (trust me, it will happen!), just act cool, record it on the board, and thank them for sharing. (You can brag about it to your co-workers later!) If students see you respond in a big way to one student's solution, and then not to theirs, it may make them feel bad about participating in the future. Number talks are great because they allow students to solve problems in their own way. If they are getting to the correct answer, the route they took to get there isn't right or wrong. You could take the conversation in the direction of, "Which way is more efficient?" if students are just finding long drawn out ways just to share something different, but never pose a correct solution as the wrong way to solve it. I hope you found this post helpful! I really do enjoy using number talks in my classroom. I have posted some math talk activities that I frequently use in my classroom. Check them out {here}. If you love the freebie above, check out the larger version of Number Talk Activities in my store! The larger version has 8 different discussion activities to use during number talks! Check it out {here}. I also have some free Dot Cards in my store if you are looking for more lower level number talk activities! Check them out {here}. If you are looking for resources to support number talks, you can check out the book Number Talks: Help Students Build Mental Math and Computation Strategies. Let me know below how you use number talks in your classroom!
Teaching Habitats to your primary students will be a breeze with my collection of resources to help make your life easier. There's even a freebie!
Our Imagine It! story this week was called "Hungry Hoppers." We learned all kinds of interesting facts about grasshoppers. My students created this writing project to help them remember some of the facts we read about. Then we made a clothes pin grasshopper.
I love that there are so many engaging themes to use this time of year that are considered "creepy," but aren't necessarily Halloween-oriented and can be used completely unrelated to the holiday. Take the skeletal system, for instance! There's something totally spooky about learning about bones, but you don't have to relate it to Halloween, right?! It's a great October theme and one that your students will FOR SURE love. ((( All resources linked at the bottom of the post! ))) First off, here are some of my favorite nonfiction texts that are great for teaching about bones and the skeletal system. They're ideal for students in kindergarten, first grade, and second grade. There's PLENTY of science found within this theme. From teaching about the different bones, to the way the hand works, to understanding why calcium is so important for bone health! Lots to learn for sure! How fun is this STEM activity?! Your students will explore just why bones are so important to the body using playdoh and plastic drinking straws. What a better way to reinforce the importance of bone health than by having a little flavored milk taste test?! Washi tape art *might* be one of my ...
These FREE Printable Math Centers are perfect for K-5, Special Ed & Work Centers for students with Autism-15 Printable Activities & tips on differentiation!
Hi, Teaching Friends! It's time to hit the beach, or, as we say here in NJ, head down the shore! An ocean theme is a terrific way to end the school year. Here are some sites that will help you fill your theme with memorable activities. National Geographic has six terrific lessons designed specifically for K-2. My husband and I visited the Monterey Bay Aquarium in California last year - what a fantastic place!! I've used their resources with my class for so long that I felt kind of goofily star-struck there... classically teacher nerdy, I know. Their online resources - all aligned to the science standards - are extensive and thorough. Here's a link to a lesson for making a tide pool in a dishpan. Monterey Bay's site also has cool printables like Sea Searchers. Don't miss their webcam for some real action. You've got to see those dipping and diving penguins! You'll find a printable Ocean Alphabet Book and ocean mini-books for emergent readers at Teacher Stuff A to Z. Looking for read alouds? This Sweet Life has assembled a great list of fifty books for you to choose from! One of my favorites, Humphrey the Lost Whale by Wendy Tokuda, is on the list. I'm a big fan of cross-curricular teaching, so here's my newest math resource, with an ocean theme! With this partner game, your students will solve and sort addition expressions to find the ones that are sums of ten. You can find it here! Here's a set of ocean riddles, a great way to integrate science teaching with reading comprehension skills like identifying key details, making inferences, and drawing conclusions. These riddles are illustrated with photos - kids love them! Click here to see the details! If you're looking for more cross-curricular resources about the ocean, I hope you'll take a look at my Oceans of Fun unit study, 25 math and literacy activities to support your science teaching about the ocean. Click here to see it at Teachers Pay Teachers. Aaaaaand... just in case you want them all... you'll save a lot by buying them in this bundle. :) Do you use beach or ocean activities in your class? Please share an idea! Happy Teaching!
Get helpful tips for how to manage data folders in the primary classroom. Download the free student data folders kit to get started!
Narrative writing lesson plans for third grade! The best mentor texts, story prompts and lesson ideas to keep students engaged and get them ready to write creative stories.
Learn About the 7 Continents! Exploring the 7 Continents has never been more exciting! It’s a Small World Continent Study is filled with over 35 activities to help your students gain a greater understanding of the seven continents. This 130+ page unit is filled with great resources, posters, printables, activities, and projects that will open […]
