Workshop Wednesday...Science edition

Well hello there, Wednesday!

You are a welcome sight!

Today I'm linkin' up with one of my BBB's Jivey

from Ideas by Jivey

for Workshop Wednesday.

This week's topic is Science.

I'm gonna kick you back to a post I wrote recently about

how I teach Science in my classroom and integrate it
into my Reading block.
I don't have a separate time set aside for
Science or Social Studies.
They go where Reading goes.

Post #1:

This is long...I'm sorry!

Here in Florida...we are beginnin' to talk about "the test"

that should not be named...

FCAT.

3rd grade takes Reading and Math in April.

4th grade does Writing in February. Reading and Math in April.

5th grade takes Reading, Math, and Science in April.

As many of you know, I'm a loopin' teacher.

I had my lil' rockstars in fourth grade last year.

One of the major benefits of this is...

I know what they learned last year.

I know which areas I need to hit hard with them

and what concepts they instantly grasped 

and need just a little bit of review on.

Since Science is such a big deal in 5th grade,

I try to incorporate as many resources as possible to 

reinforce the different standards we are coverin'

and integrate this in my Literacy block...

not just the textbook.  

Here are some of the things I've tried:

#1: Science Saurus: A Student Handbook

These were purchased by my district to go with our 

Science series, Science Fusion. 

When plannin'...I will pull out the Science Saurus

and pair it with the text and vocabulary from our Science textbook.

I like that Science Saurus has the book pieced 

together by different categories.

Doing Science, Life Science, Earth Science, Physical Science, 

Natural Resources and the Environment, Science, Technology,

and Society, Almanac, Famous Scientists and Inventors.

#2: Bill Nye Videos

Many years ago, a 5th grade teacher

ordered Bill Nye videos to match our standards.

She pulled out the questions that go with the videos 

and designed a Science video notebook.

For nine weeks, the 5th graders watch

three videos a week and take notes while tryin' to answer

a few questions that go with the video.

On Fridays, they take a Science video test

with the same questions from their note-takin'.

This week our videos are 

1. Earthquakes, 2. Erosion, 3. Rivers and Streams.

To help my students organize their notes,

I have them color code the titles on their papers

with the same color for one week.

This helps them visually know which video notes to study.

Week one: red

Week two: orange

Week three: green

etc.

After the video I put up my color-coded notes on the board to see if they 

wrote down the important points.  

They copy my notes into their binder.

If a student misses a video, I search my friend YouTube

and link the video to our Edmodo Science library folder

for them to watch at home.

#3: Study Jams

Study Jams is somethin' else I use...a lot.

They have just about every topic in Science.

This summer I found a list of StudyJams videos

on TpT for Science and Math.

I printed this list and paired the titles with the units in 

our Science textbook.

#4: Symbaloo Science boards

 I have a classroom website geared towards upper elementary.

I have added over a thousand links to my site 

in the past few years.

In Science, I had over 250+ links.

They were a little overwhelmin'.

I condensed them to several Symabloo boards to make

it easier for the kids to search for the site they want to use.

Class website

Example of the Solar System Symbaloo board

#5: Science Leveled Readers & Digital Lessons
We use Houghton Mifflin Harcourt-Science Fusion
We are fortunate to have a digital version of our textbook with
virtual labs, lessons, and leveled readers.
The students are able to access this at home and school.
We also have a consumable textbook and leveled readers
that match each unit. We do complete a lot of
graphic organizers and extension activities to go with the leveled readers.

I really like the virtual labs because sometimes we might not
have all of the materials for an experiment in the class.
Students are able to self-quiz themselves also...
which is an added bonus.
It took me well over a year after our Science adoption to
realize the potential of some of the resources included
and which ones were just fluff.
There is NO possible way to be able to utilize every resource.
We'd be here on the weekends too if so.
Science links to accompany units in 4th Grade Science Fusion &
5th Grade Science Fusion.

#6: Science Vocabulary Word Wall Words and Definition Cards
We use these for word wall words and Science games.

#7: Science passages from ReadWorks

If you are a K-8 teacher and don't already know about 

the benefits of ReadWorks, 

be sure to check out their website.

Good stuff!

Recently I received an email about STEM passages.

Of course I can't locate it now.

The sample below shows one student's color coded answers

 and highlightin' of where she

found her evidence in the passage.

She came up with his method on her own!

#8: FCAT Explorer Science

This program is designed for Florida students in the areas of 

Reading, Math, & Science.

This is presented to us to use by the Florida Department of Education.

If you teach in Florida in upper elementary and middle schools,

but don't have this program...ask your Media 

or Technology Specialist.   

#9: I check out tons of books from the school library and Public library
to go with whatever units we are workin' on...or I let the kids go
check them out.

I'm sure after I post this I will think of a million other things I have
tried recently in Science.

Collaboration....Workshop Wednesday

Oh my goodness...only two more days after today until I am free...

and the kids are free from me!

It needs to HURRY UP already...no really...it does.

I'm linkin' up with my super duper awesome friend

Jivey from Ideas by Jivey for 

Workshop Wednesday.

Today's Topic: Collaboration
*I'm sorry I don't have pictures...I had to leave
school suddenly this mornin'.
Jerm's dad is in the hospital in Dothan
and I'm passin' time in the waitin' room.
(I'm thankful for free wi-fi)
I'm not a good waiter...so, I am armed with
Macbook, iPad mini, iPhone and
chargers for all of them!

Back to collaboration:

Oh man...this is one of my FAVORITE things

to do and talk about.

You've heard me say a million times that I 

live in a pod settin'.

Several years ago, I was movin' from 1st grade

to 3rd grade.  I did not want to move classrooms

even though I would be next door to a Kindergarten class.

A colleague told me it was inappropriate to have a testin'.

grade next door to a little kid class.

I looked at her like she was CRAZY.  

I think I might have even told her as much.

This made NO sense to me.

Why would someone:

#1: Tell ME what to do?

(I'm bossy...bossy doesn't work on me)

#2: Put boundaries on a class?

I'm not an "inside the box" type of thinker.

I am goin' to push the limits as much as possible.

So...knowin' that...I'm sure you can imagine

what my brain was doin' thinkin' about bein' a

3rd grade teacher next door to a K class.

*We could have readin' buddies. (Win-win for both groups)

*We could be fire drill buddies. (Big kids wouldn't have time

to talk because they would be worryin' about lil' buddy)

*My kids could run stations for K as a reward. (Teaches

responsibility and supports positive behavior)
*K kids could have someone to look up to (role-models)

I didn't get my way though and I had to divorce my pod

and move to another pod.  

I was NOT happy.

Luckily, my best friend was in the divorce with me 

and we actually got to move
together to a new pod. 

We liked our old home...it was a hard move.

Since then...our grade levels have changed a few times.

The bestie went back to little kids 

and I went to even bigger kids.

We have proven EVERYONE wrong.

You absolutely CAN have big kids next door to little kids.

We had a 1st and 5th grade class with the accordion wall open

a majority of the time.  

The 1st graders and 5th graders fell in LOVE with one another.

Everyone snot-sobbed when the big kids graduated 5th 

grade and moved on to middle school.
The kids learned so much from one another
and more importantly...we were able to model
for them all the time what it was like to work with a friend.
As they say...two heads are better than one.

Here's my chance to brag on someone else...they
aren't bloggers and they haven't made products,
but they have made a difference...in me!
I would not be the teacher I am today without
my bestie and podmates.
We are all different.  

That's the beauty of it.
We can share an idea and they can piggy-back,
branch off of it, or shoot it down altogether.
We think together, we discuss, we collaborate.
Collaboration helps creativity.
I'm convinced.

Some of the best teachin' moments I have had, have occured

through collaboration.

Collaboration with teachers, collaboration with classes,

collaboration with students, and collaboration with parents.

My kids sit at tables...yep, even in 5th grade.
Why?

Because we are 21st Century Learners
(my bestie wrote this list for our class websites
and posted them for us)

*Students are workin' in teams
*Workin' collaboratively to realize products created by a team
often can be better than those made independently
*Simulatin' today's workplace with a balance of
teamwork and self-reliance
*By workin' together, students are contributin' members
of a group yet recognize their own individual
strengths and talents
*Solvin' problems by participatin' in group discussions
respectfully, acknowledgin' others and their thoughts
and comments
*Sharin' a workspace to promote teamwork, problem solvin',
and social skill development
*Learnin' to use technology and resource skills together
to become critical thinkers and learners

Pretty much the only time kids aren't collaboratin' in my room...
durin' testin' and silent readin'

That's it.
I'm a believer of collaboration.
I don't think anyone could ever get me to shift my thoughts on this.

Happy Wednesday, friends!

Wonderful Websites for Workshop Wednesday....

Guess what...

You can find me over at 

Ideas by Jivey 

today where I'm guest bloggin'

for my super sweet friend, Jivey!

Check out 

Workshop Wednesday...Wonderful Websites

for Reading

and leave some love!

Happy Wednesday friends!

Makin' writing F-U-N! Writing Tips for Workshop Wednesday

I'm linkin' up with my sweet and funny friend, Jivey, from Ideas by Jivey

for Workshop Wednesday.

Today's topic: Writing Tips

Here's my tip: 

Make writing F-U-N!

I like to introduce short videos or clips 

that make the kids giggle.

This week I used a video titled: Ormie the Pig

I totally snagged it off my friend AMC's Pinterest.

(She's goin' to forgive me because I told her 

that I'm one of her favorites...I'm forcin' her to love me)

She has a great selection of Classroom Videos pinned.
If you don't blog stalk her already...go to
Looking from Third to Fourth.

I placed "Ormie the Pig" in my Edmodo library.

Not the actual pig...the video.

I presented the video.

The problem: Ormie can't get the cookies from the cookie jar.

The solution: My students had to come up with a solution
that was NOT shown in the video.
They had to get creative with their writin'.
They had to use a lot of details.
They had to make it so I could see the Ormie video in my head
combined with their solution idea.
They had to paint a picture with their words.

I did NOT help them with these at all.
I cannot take credit for their creativity,
but I can take credit for makin' it F-U-N!

Here are some examples:
I typed them out to make it easier for you 
to see the examples. 

*Ormie is a small pig with a gigantic appetite.
In the short film "Ormie", a hungry pig named Ormie
is trying to get a jar of cookies from on top of a refrigerator.
He does some pretty wacky (and nifty) things to get it down.
If I were Ormie, I would use a robotic arm to lift me up to the cookies.
I would just make sure it was stable!
(Mason)

*Ormie the Pig is just a regular pig who wants to get his hands on a
single delicious cookie.  His ideas are extraordinary, but
they would never work.  So here is what I would do
 if I wanted a crazy cookie...
Since I am secretly an alien from the planet Zorbadore,
I would have an array of laser guns.
It would take me quite a while to pick my gun, but
when I do I would shoot it!
If that doesn't work, I would use my super telekinesis
powers.  That is what I would do to get those warm cookies.
(Devin)

*Ormie really, really, really, wanted cookies,
but the problem was he couldn't get to them!
If I was Ormie, I would have bought a remote control airplane
 and flown it into the jar of cookies.
BAM!
(Zach F.)

*In the video "Ormie the Pig", Ormie sees a refrigerator and
on top of the refrigerator...is a jar of cookies.  If you know
pigs enough, you will know that pigs are chunky monkeys.
But, Ormie has a problem, the cookies are up there and
he's down here.  Ormie goes to the extreme to get the cookies
such as strapping a rocket to his back, but the rocket left
without him.  Finally, when Ormie quit he sat against the fridge...
and the cookies fell!
Right when Ormie was about to eat the cookies,
the cookie jar fell on his head.
Can you talk about bad luck?
Fortunately for me, I have a solution.
All Ormie has to do is take the two toilet plungers,
strap them to his feet and walk up the SIDE of the fridge!
Ta-da!
(Ava)

*Ormie is a pig that really wants some cookies and tries
everything in his willpower to get those cookies.
He just can't seem to get them though.
I think Ormie should try to get a pair of sticky gloves like
spys have and go up the refrigerator on the side without doors.
(Kathryn-Annette)

*Ormie the pig wants to eat cookies.  He can't though because
they are on top of the fridge.  Ormie's problem is that he can't
get the cookies.  If I were Ormie, I would use my
magical wings to fly to the top and get the cookies.  Then, I would
use my duplicating powers to get even more cookies so I would never
have to fly again.  Believe me...flying hurts your back!
(Alex)

*The pig, Ormie, can't reach his chocolate chip cookies
that are on top of the fridge.
He tried many different things. Finally, he gave up and just
sat in front of the fridge and knocked the cookies down, but
then the jar fell on his head.
Poor Ormie!
If I were Ormie, I would dress up as a cowgirl,
get a horse and throw my lasso around the jar!
(Madison)

*Ormie the pig has a problem.  He can't get the cookies from
the top of the fridge.  I have an idea that will help him get the cookies.
Get a grappling hook and shoot it at the cookie jar.
The only problem for that is that he must have good aim.
(Te'a)

*Ormie the Pig has a problem.  There is a bucket of cookies
on top of the fridge and he tries many ways to get it.  If I could help him
get the cookies, I would tell Ormie to get a bunch of books and make
stairs all the way up.  He would need to make it
completely stable so that they wouldn't topple down.
(Jasey)

Everyone also had an illustration to go with their writin'.

Quick, easy, F-U-N!

Happy Wednesday friends!