Ecosystems and Actual Size

I've been blogging a lot about what I've been doing with the younger students, so I thought it might be time to show some of the activities I've been doing with my older kiddos.  While centers work really well for the K-2 set, my 3-5th graders have their share of activities as well!

My fourth graders were studying ecosystems, and the teachers asked if I could highlight that in one of my lessons.  I found this FABULOUS series of books we have here in the library (I keep finding these hidden gems I had no clue were here when I was a classroom teacher!)...."What If There Were No..." by Suzanne Slade.  They're more about food chains and webs, but that's where our state standards focus, so it was perfect!

Here are the four we have here in our library that I based my lesson from:
 

I loved the fact that it actually showed you what it would be like if one of the "key" animals disappeared.  For example, in the sea otter book, it kept showing how the sea urchins were increasing and what the ocean looks like in places where sea otters actually don't live anymore!

So, it inspired me to make a fun activity for the kids.  I created cards, based off the animals from the webs in the books, and using dry erase markers, they created food webs on the library tables for a follow-up activity.  You can imagine their shock and joy to be able to write on a table! (wiped off with Clorox wipes afterwards!).  It was a definite hit!

Another book I did with grades 2-5 was "Actual Size" by Steve Jenkins.

 

I just love his books!  After reading it, my second graders used linking cubes that were an inch long to measure out the animals mentioned in the book (as well as a few extras).  The older kiddos used rulers, yardsticks, and measuring tape to go outside and draw using sidewalk chalk, their best representations of the animals.  It was a pretty cool activity!

If you'd like to look at these activities further, click on the pictures below.

 

Sharks and Meerkats, Oh My!

Trying to catch up on my sharing of what I've been doing this year!  I previously posted about hosting our guest author, Ginjer Clarke.  I wanted to share with you some of the activities I did with K-2 before her arrival!

For PreK, K and first, we read the book, Sharks!  I started by showing a collage of different types of sharks and had students give me information that they already knew on sharks (an informal KWL, of sorts, but I've found with my limited time with my Kinders, I usually don't do the written version.  Same with first).  We then read the book Sharks!  The kids loved it!  We then did several themed centers, including Write the Room (I only did this with my Firsties, since it was the first time I'd done it in the library - they did a great job and LOVED IT!) and a coloring page.  I also had plenty of ocean animal books on hand, including sharks, on their level to check out!

With my second graders, we read the book, Baby Meerkats.  I have an actual "life size" meerkat I got years ago from Toys R Us in their Discovery Education line.  I have no idea if its still available today, but it was neat seeing the kids reaction on how small they really are!  They then had a few choices for centers:  Write the Room, a fraction based activity using meerkats, or a coloring page (because they still love to color and create at this age!). 

For my third graders, we didn't do any centers, but focused on the book, Gross Out!  The "Out!" series is wonderfully informative, but a little longer than the other two books I've mentioned.  However, we had a good time getting grossed out by dung beetles, possums, and more!  Fourth and fifth, we took to the Internet and wegivebooks.org to read an e-book "Maxed Out!" about gigantic (and now extinct) creatures.

   

This was a great way to get the kids excited about Mrs. Clarke's visit.  We also had some presales of her books, which she signed while she was here. 

If you'd like to check out my shark or meerkat packet, please click on the link below.  You don't have to use these books with the packets (although I highly recommend them).  I have to say, though, any author that writes about my favorite animal (meerkats), and I am definitely a fan!!!

End of Year Ideas

So, this week and last have been hard because 1) end of year testing 2) disruption of schedules (field day/awards assemblies, etc) and 3) the kids are CRAZY this time of year!  

So, in order to review, but also keep them focused and somewhat calm (hah hah).....I first created an ocean theme that turned into "Animal Afternoons", as my students called it.  We used our writing/read aloud time to explore the oceans and then during reading groups, students worked on murals and ocean-based literacy activities.  It was a big hit!  

In reading groups, I used books I picked up from the Target Dollar Zone on animals, and students picked an animal from the book and filled out an animal matrix.  I have these free on my TN and TpT stores if you like what you see!  Just click on the picture to take you to Teacher's Notebook or here for TpT. :)

Then, as a review for math, we created "Fraction Monsters."  Students had a great time using our scrap we accumulated during the year to create monsters, then during the next lesson, they created fractions based on shapes or colors of their monsters (they had to count the total parts they had used to create their monster).

So, we have an interesting theme in our hallway right now - space, ocean, and monsters!  Ah well, it's the end of the year. :)  It's kept the kids interested while we've been fitting in our 4 end of year tests (reading, math, science, history) and our crazy schedule!  


Next week, we'll be doing some activities for Father's Day, which is new for me...normally, we are out before Memorial Day, but due to that lovely rattle and roll we had in August, we don't get out until this Wednesday.  Two and a half days...think we can make it! :)