Sunday, August 30, 2015

LANDFORMS and TYPES OF GOVERNMENT interactive notebook activity

AH! 
The first week is over and we are about to begin our second... 
and I must say, I LOVE 6th GRADE!!

I am just so glad that I made the move over. The older kids seems to be my perfect niche. :) 

We have already begun our interactive notebooks, and have completed the first activity, 
the Five Themes of Geography.

You can read about this activity HERE!
I am trying to stay way ahead of the class with creating these interactive activities and this weekend I whipped out TWO more!!

The first one is landforms. 


I am really excited about this one. It takes two pieces of long construction paper and the activity which can be bought in my TpT store HERE!

I love how it can fold up to fit into the interactive notebook and then unfolds to reveal all the different types of landforms. 



AHH! SO COOL! 

Open up the flaps to reveal the landforms defintion and a picture. 


This interactive notebook set also includes posters in color that match the pictures that go in their notebooks. 


I ALSO created my types of government activity for the notebook.


GET THIS HERE!

This includes two flipbooks for unlimited and limited types of government for the kids to write the meanings and research examples. 

It, OF COURSE, also has a mini poster set with each type of government and the definition to use as a teaching tool. :) 

Keep an eye out for my next interactive activity!! 

HAPPY TEACHING FRIENDS!!!







Thursday, August 20, 2015

THE WORLD interactive notebook activity!


Get this activity HERE!

CHECK OUT MY ENTIRE INTERACTIVE NOTEBOOK HERE!!!

This interactive notebook activity gave me some heartache trying to figure out the exact sizes the continents need to be, the best order to glue everything down, what kind of glue to use.... it has been a mess. 
BUT! I finally figured it out to make a 3 day or 3 part 
interactive notebook activity of the world and different features!

WORLD ACTIVITY HAS:
the continents, the prime meridian, equator, tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, and circles of Antarctica and Arctic.  

 ALONG WITH:
making a key, a compass rose, longitude and latitude, and hemispheres.

ALSO INCLUDES:
a flip book of definitions the students create to go along with their world inside their interactive notebook. 

Supplies you will need:
Each student gets 1 piece of blue construction paper

They will also need a copy of the continents, key and flip book found HERE!


You will also need 6 (SIX) different colors of yarn or curling ribbon.
(I found that the ribbon works much better than the yarn because it is thick and can be glued down easier)

Each student will also need map pencils, scissors and glue.


For me, this will be a 3-4 day activity. I only have 45 minutes with each class so I need to break it up, but it can be done in one day, with drying time allowed. 

**note**
I will be teaching each section in some format before it is done in their interactive notebooks. I will introduce and explain each map term using prezi, brainpop, flipcharts or videos, then the students will fill in their flip book and world accordingly.

---------------------------
DAY /PART ONE:

First
they cut out their flip book.

I tell them it is creates a "hula skirt".

They apply glue behind where it says "parts of a map" so that the hula skirt strips can still be lifted up.

Then
give each student a piece of blue construction paper.

They should fold this in half, longitude way
 (hamburger, not hot dog)

Then using the scissors they need to round off the corners so that you get this:

The edges should be nice and rounded.

Have students fold this back up in half twice.
When opened it should make a + going longitude and latitude in the middle.

Thirdly
After teaching to the students what longitude and latitude is, and the main named lines on the globe 
(equator, prime meridian, tropic of Cancer, tropic of Capricorn, Antarctic circle, and Arctic circle)
Students will fill out the definitions of the first 8 flaps in their flap book independently, with partners, or as a whole class.

You can fill out all the definitions at once, but I am breaking it up with the world map and doing just the first longitude and latitude map lines.

Next
you will pass out 6 different colors of curling ribbon or yarn.
I will precut mine but the kids can cut them themselves. (I am on a time crunch and every minute is needed!)
The students will glue down the ribbons/yarn to make the longitude and latitude lines they just learned about.

I did the longitude and latitude lines first since they are dead center. 

Followed by the tropics lines about 3 thumb widths away from the equator line.

Then lastly the arctic circle lines about 2 thumb widths down from the top and bottom. 

LET DRY.
This will end my day one, but if you are self contained or have longer than 45 minutes,  you can set this aside and move onto the next part. 

why am I not starting with the continents first? 
These longitude and latitude lines create a grid for us to use to guide us where exactly to glue down the continents in the next part. For example, the Tropic of Capricorn cuts Australia in half and the top of Africa is above the Tropic of Cancer. 
This is an example of the activity when I put the continents down first, then the longitude and latitude lines. The lines in my activity don't fall where they are suppose to. It is easier and more accurate to do the longitude and latitude lines first. 


DAY/PART TWO:

First
After teaching the students about what continents and the oceans are, have them fill out the definitions in their flip book.

Secondly
Give each student a copy of the continents and labels page found HERE!

Have students use the map pencils to color each continent and the label, matching them correctly. 

Next
cut out all the parts. 
Using the longitude and latitude lines we glued down earlier, students will glue the continents down where they are suppose to go.  Also glue down the ocean labels. This can be guided or independent. I am going to have my students use an atlas to determine where each continent is suppose to be glued down at. 


LET DRY. 

After it is dry, students fold it in half, and glue the back of one side down into their interactive notebook. 
The key and compass rose is glued down on the other folded side.
**I wait until this part to glue it down and not at the beginning just in case a student makes a mistake and needs to start over they can without tearing the page out**


DAY/PART THREE:

First
After teaching about what a map key, the world hemispheres and compass rose are, have students fill out the last 3 definitions in their flip book.

Then
give students the final page with the hemispheres, map key and compass rose.

Pass out strips of the color ribbons for them to create their key.
They shade in the 4 examples of the hemispheres and glue down the compass rose in the corner. 

AND WAH-LA! 

You have an AMAZING world map along with the definitions of all the map parts!!

Here it is with the map closed. 

What it looks like with the map opened. 


HAPPY TEACHING FRIENDS!!



get your curling ribbon at AMAZON!

Sunday, August 16, 2015

7 Ways to Use Tickets in YOUR Classroom


TICKETS!!
Tickets have been used in the classroom, in many different ways, for years. 
They are cheap, easy, and one roll lasts FOREVER. 
They have been time tested and work. Tickets have mainly been used for behavior management, which is a good way, a way that I use in my own personal classroom. 
But lets get creative...
Here are my top 7 best ways to use tickets in your classroom of any age or grade!!



--------

1. Bathroom Passes.
Each student gets 3-5 tickets at the beginning of the week that they write their names on and keep in their pencil bags/boxes. When they need to go the restroom, they turn in a ticket. Any leftover tickets can be turned in for a prize at the end of the week!! 

--------

2. Pairing Partners.
Using the double roll of tickets (where 2 tickets have the same number)  you can take the fights and guess work out of pairing up partners. If you have an even number of students, lets say 22, you will tear off 11 pairs of tickets and put them in a bowl. Each student will draw one ticket and then whoever has their matching number ticket is their partner! If you have an odd number of kids, lets say 23, add a ticket that is a different color or put a star on the odd ticket out and whoever draws that ticket gets to choose what pair they want to work with! 

-------

3. Question Tickets. 
When doing projects or PBLs it is common for teachers to create and use "question cards" which the kids only get a certain amount of and use them to ask questions. (Read about how I use question cards here!
Instead of creating and printing off and laminating these cards, just use tickets instead! 

-------

4. Who will I call on?? 
Using the double tickets, give each child one side of the ticket and you put the other in a bowl. When it is time to answer a question or to come up to the smart board to do something (my kids ALWAYS want to volunteer to come up to the board to use the pen) you can simply draw a ticket out of the bowl and call out the numbers and see who has the "winning" ticket! It will keep them engaged and on their toes!! 

-------

5.  Motivation for Assignments/Assessments.
Pass out tickets for effort, showing their work, taking their time, and making a certain grade on assignments and assessments. Students will write their names on the back of their ticket and put them in a bowl, or box, or anything! Whenever you, the teacher decided it is time, you can draw tickets for prizes.  The kids will be motivated to work their best because they will earn more tickets and raise their chances of winning awesome prizes. 
It will work best if these are special prizes, not prizes the kids already 
get for good behavior.

-------

6. Centers/Stations Assignments. 
Using double tickets, each student will get 1 ticket that will match a ticket on a center or station. 
That is where they will start for center time! Best part of this is that you could laminate the tickets that the kids get and reuse them each day! 

-------

7. Behavior Tickets. 
This one is pretty obvious, and one way I use tickets in my classroom. 
You can read all about it HERE!
Ticket container in my classroom! 


HAPPY TEACHING FRIENDS!! 

Friday, August 14, 2015

Types of Maps Interactive Notebook Activity!!

I am on a ROLL getting my interactive notebook foldables and activities ready for this new school year!! My goal is to have the ones I need for the first month or two done and ready before the first day of school in just one week!! 

This foldable is also a pocket one (I promise the next one will be something totally different!) with 6 different types of maps (physical, political, thematic, climate, resource, and topographic). The kids will make the six pockets and glue the correct definitions down next to them. They will then cut out the maps and sort the maps into the pockets. I love how they will always be able to go back and get a refresher on what the different types of maps are and tucked safely inside are examples!! 

All sorted! The maps can tuck all the way inside the pocket!! 
Get it HERE!!
Learning about maps has never been so much fun! :) 


Happy Teaching Friends!!

5 Themes of Geography Interactive Notebook Foldables

This is the year y'all. 
This is the year I do an interactive notebook and fill it up. This is the year where I don't forget about after a month of really using it. I know we can do it!

I have looked at all the interactive world cultures/geography/social studies interactive notebooks out there for  upper age kids. I even bought one the one I thought looked the best. I hate it! It uses the same boring foldables over and over again with NO pictures! I need variety in my life and I know if I got tired of looking at the same thing, the kids will too! 

So. I am going to create my own as we go through the year and at the end of the year I will put the bundle up on TpT -- until then, you get the individual interactive notebook foldables there. 

We start off with the 5 themes of Geography and I created 2 foldables to use while teaching this. 
Get this HERE!

A pocket with the 5 themes on strips. Kids write the definition or examples on the back of the strips. 

A flip up kind to reveal definitions or examples!
I plan on using both foldables in my classroom when I teach this topic.
We will use the pocket one to write definitions and the flip up one to give examples.

Why use only one when you can use BOTH?

They both fit on one page! 
We will do the pocket kind all together and go over what each theme means, writing the definitions as we go. I will then turn the flip up kind over to them and they will have to find their own examples for each theme working on chromebooks. We willl then share our examples to the rest of the class!

GET THIS HERE!
This product comes in both color and black and white for however you wish to print!!

No time? No resources? Get this awesome poster set from amazon!!


Happy Teaching Friends!

Thursday, August 13, 2015

Teel's Treats FREEBIE!!

AHH!!! Don't we ALL love a good FREEBIE?!

In honor of all the teachers in my district and others starting back on MONDAY to begin or continue working in their rooms and getting organized and ready for the new school year, my supply labels are FREE!!

get this freebie HERE!
This product has 36 labels and 3 sheets of blank labels for you to create your own! 
It features adorable little rascals with a bright and colorful background. 

How could you NOT want this right?! Get it HERE!

Get organized this school year with these handy labels at my TpT Store and check out all the other organizational products there too! 

Happy Teaching Friends!!!

Wednesday, August 12, 2015

Social Studies/Geography Question Sticks

Get your map skills on!!
I am IN LOVE with this little geography review/practice question sticks activity!!

Geography Task "Sticks" instead of cards! :) 

These question sticks paired with an atlas would work perfectly as a station, center, early finisher, or individual/partner/group activity and they fit PERFECTLY on a fat Popsicle stick.

I am using it as an early finisher activity that the kids can go grab a few sticks and an atlas, head back to their desks and answer the questions.

I will use a clothes pin to show the kids which activity they can do if they finish early. If the clothes pin is on "Practice Map Skills" they will do this activity! 

All you need to create this for your own classroom is:

FAT Popsicle Sticks 
Scissors and Glue 
GET THIS HERE!
1. Print and cut out the question strips. 

2. Laminate for durability 

I used the extra thick lamination. All the strips fit on one sheet! 
Get what I used for lamination from Amazon!!

3. hot glue on fat Popsicle sticks. 

4. put them in a pail or cup next to your atlases and you have a ready made center/station/early finisher activity! 

The label is included in the packet from TpT!!

student recording sheet and answer key included in set! 

Students can quickly and easily practice their mapping skills using these questions in a fun way! 

This activity can easily be modified by adding "hints" for each question on the back of the Popsicle sticks!
modifying  for younger kids has never been easier! 

Get the popsicle sticks and gems I used for this activity from Amazon!!

Happy Teaching Friends!!