Replacing Nouns with Pronouns

I love working with the 8 parts of speech, especially if I use School House Rock. I made this wonderful game for my students to play after watching the videos and some review games.

This is great for a quick review since there are only 10 questions and is multiple choice.

Each question gives students a sentence. The noun to be replaced is highlighted in yellow. Students must decided from 3 answer choices is best to replace the noun.

You can check out my other Parts of Speech products. Mac and PC versions are included!

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Featured Game: Making 10

Each month, I will feature a new product that is great for the classroom. This month: Making 10.

Practicing addition is a basic skill for kindergartners. This games reinforces those skills in a fun, interactive way.

This game is a teacher versus student game. The students answer all the questions and if they get the answer correct, they get the points, but if they get it wrong, I get the points! Great motivator!

Students are given an addition problem with an addend and a missing addend that equals to 10.

Students work out the problems and give their answer. They click on the "Answer Button" to see if they are correct. Then, they click on "Scoreboard" to choose another question to answer.

There are 20 questions in all. It even includes a type-in scoreboard that is used while in "Slideshow Mode."

You can get this game here: Making Ten Powerpoint Game. Makes a great whole class activity, whether you're there or the substitute is there! Here what other teachers are saying:
"My students LOVE this game! They beg to play every day. Thanks so much!" - Donnalyn T.

"Great resource to practice this standard. Perfect for leaving for a sub."  -Kendria M.

Don't forget to check out my other "Making 10" games including seasonal and holiday themed games.

A special thank you to Mercedes for taking these wonderful pictures for me!

Working with Paper Puzzle Pieces

When your working with puzzles, it's always great to have a little guidance. Whether you've been teaching for 1 year or 10 years, it's always great to have some extra help. Here are some tips and tricks for working with paper puzzle pieces.

Tip #1 - Gather your materials!

Let's face it. There are not a lot of puzzles for subjects like the 3 Branches of Government or animal life cycles. Time to grab all the materials, clip art included, for the puzzle you'd like to make. Save some time by having the source materials with you for easy access.

Tip #2 - Find some puzzle pieces!

When you have your designs all figured out, it's time to decide what type of puzzle you want. Do you want the traditional puzzle or something different. Maybe a two piece puzzle or even a 3 or 4 piece. I have a few free puzzle templates in my TPT Store.

Tip #3 - Use strong paper!

If you decide to create your own, print them out on some durable paper. I bought a pack of 75 white cardstock sheets from Big Lots from $2.50. The stronger the paper, the longer they will last!

Tip #4 - Laminate them!

Just about every school has a laminating machine. Once you're done print and cutting them our, get them laminated. Laminating the cards will help them last much longer. If your school doesn't have a laminator, simply take them to Office Max, Staples, or a postal store (like Postal Annex) and have them laminated there, though it can get a little pricy.

 You could always buy your own lamination machine. They can run anywhere from $20 to $100, depending on the model and make. I bought mine from Wal-Mart for $45 (including the 20 thermal pouches). They do sell starter kits for $20 which includes 3 pouches.

Tip #5 - Store them!

Now your cards are ready for student use, but where to store them? I've seen teachers store them in soap bar boxes from the dollar tree. Others have them in plastic bags with rings. If you're on a budget, I'd go for the latter. You can buy plenty of zip-lock sandwich bags and label them accordingly.

Tip #6 - Buy them

If all else fails, buy them already made! Time is always a factor. If you need it by Friday and it's already Wednesday, you may have to buy them yourself. There are plenty of sellers on TPT with tons of puzzle pieces sets.

Tip #7 - Teach Kids to handle with care!

One of the most important tips is to teach your students to handle the puzzle pieces with care, especially if you made them. Whether you plan to use them 1 time or 100 times, students should know that these pieces need to be taken care of properly so that student next year can enjoy them too.

I hope you found these tips useful in your classroom. Don't forget to stop my TPT store for some printable puzzle pieces!

First Day Tried & True Linky Party

Good morning. I'm so happy to be participating in this blog hop. The first day of school will be here before we know it and I can't wait.

The first day of school can be tricky, but I've learned a few things to do on that first day that will get the students thinking! Enter: The Black Box Experiment.

When I did my student teaching some years ago, my mentor and I planned our first day out completely. One thing he did was the black box experiment. When I began my 2nd year teaching, I did this experiment with my 2nd graders. I filled a regular pencil boxes (the same you can get at the store for $0.50 to a $1 right now) with everyday school items. Mostly just some things we found around the classroom. Then I closed it and wrapped it in black bulletin board paper.

On the first day of school during science time, I pulled out the boxes. I had made about 3 to 5 boxes (enough for each table). I didn't tell the students what was in it. They had to use their senses to figure out what was in the box. It was a great experience for them and for me as well.

When I did it with my mentor, we simpy had the students write about it. When I did it with my 2nd graders, I created a worksheet where they could draw what they thought was in the box and write down their reasons. At the end of the day, I used their drawings and posted them on my bulleting board.

The answers they gave were funny while others were spot on (I think everyone knows the sound of a coin). You can gain some insight into their thinking as well as get a sample of their writing and drawing. I remember one student thought there were cards in the boxes. Another thought there was a toy elephant inside!

Through the school year, I made references to that experiment, especially for my struggling students (making the analogy that even though we don't know something, eventually we will figure it out aka open the box). At the end of the year, we opened the boxes and the students were surprised at what it was. Some were happy while others were disappointed. Next time, I plan to put small 2nd grade promotion certificates and small prizes inside the boxes! If you'd like to try this experiment in your classroom, you can purchase this set in my TPT Store. It gives you more details and plans out the entire lesson from start to finish.

Have a happy first day of school! Don't forget to check out other great first day activities!

An InLinkz Link-up