First Grade Graphing

First Grade Graphing Packet on TpT

Hey everyone! 

I worked hard this past weekend to clean up all my graphing activities that I have made throughout the years. I know M&M and Skittle graphs have been done before but I have also added in Goldfish Colors, favorite pie, favorite animal, etc. This packet has 9 different activities. Some of the activities come with multiple pages and ideas. 

I have 2 other graphs that I didn't include because there are people on Pinterest and TpT that have perfected the graphs already but it is "What is your Favorite Apple" and "Gingerbread Bite Graph" where you graph which body part you ate first on the gingerbread man. One is perfect for the fall and the other around the winter holidays. 

The packet I made is only $3.00 and it even includes tally marks, data interpreting and gathering your own data from materials given or from the class. 

I love graphing because it is an easy break from the other more difficult units but it also includes some challenging questions as well. 

I hope you check it out and enjoy!

Please come back for more tips, ideas and TpT freebies and buys! 

Follow the link for my TpT site: 

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/First-Grade-Graphing-Packet-2877746

Melisa (Wacky West)

Disguise a Turkey

Tom Turkey Disguise Project

This project is a great way for the kids to be creative at home with their families and a great way to decorate the hallways for the Thanksgiving holiday. We would do this project as a grade level and hang/display all the turkeys in the hallways to make it festive. 

Each year we would send home a white and black turkey clipart picture printed on cardstock paper. We asked the kiddos to decorate the turkey so he would not get caught and eaten for Thanksgiving. 

I collected some turkeys my students had decorated throughout the years to show future classrooms but I have included pictures here to give you an idea of how creative they can get and you can show these ideas to your students if you choose to do this project with your class. 

We asked our administration to pick the "Top 5" winners of the grade level and we would pass out awards that I have included in my TpT freebie. I have posted a direct link below. You can award how you want, but it was fun doing it as  grade level and having outside judges. 


To relate the project more to school I had a writing project in place for the kiddos to do once the turkeys were turned in. If a student didn't complete the project at home, I would give them some time in class to complete one with a few materials I had at school. We would each write a funny narrative story about our turkey and how he disguised himself so he was not eaten for Thanksgiving. It was fun for all and the stories are usually hilarious too, showing how creative the students' voices can be. :-)

I hope you have fun doing this project with your kiddos! It is a blast! 

Click on the link for  some of the materials on TpT: 

Melisa 

(Wacky West)



 *Please note that you are free to use the images here for classroom use but they are not to be used in a commercial way or sold in anyway. If you use the images other than for instruction, please ask permission.

First Grade Math Morning Work Freebie

CCSS Based Math Morning Work for First Grade

Option 1 - Beginning of the Year

My first grade team of teachers and I were looking for something simple for our kiddos to do when they came in each morning. We were looking for something that would help with number sense, they could complete on their own and kept them busy. Our students had time in the morning before class started to eat breakfast in the classroom and having morning work and independent activities were very helpful. 

Other teachers also used these as a "do now" or a number talk before math began, it would be something they would go over as a class before they started math. You could also use these as an exit slip or early finisher sheets. You of course can choose what you use it for. 

I created 2 versions as the year moves on, it gets a little more rigorous and adds on another skill level with the part-part-whole boxes. The second version helps when you teach addition and subtraction and your students have a good understanding of it.

Version 2 - Once Addition and Subtraction Concepts Have Been Taught

These 2 versions have 2 to a page. You can cut them apart to use as you wish. I have used these sheets in a variety of ways through the years. 

Here is a list of how I have used them throughout the years: 

1. One year I had a bin with a bunch of 1/2 sheets. The students would eat their breakfast and then grab a 1/2 sheet to complete after eating. They would either turn the paper in for me to check or keep it on their desk for us to go over. 

2. One year I cut the papers apart and made a packet of 5 for the week by stapling them together. I passed out the packets each day and they completed again after eating breakfast. 

3. One year I just stapled 2 pages together and we only did 4 days and I usually had something more fun on Friday. 

I post the number I want the students to use on the board. I usually include the spelling of the number until we have created a poster/anchor chart/math journal page for reference. 
I hope these are helpful for you! You can get them here at my TpT store. Feel free to check out my other goodies and freebies on the page as well!

Click the link for the freebie!!

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Number-of-the-Day-Morning-Work-2859512




Thanks for stopping by!

Melisa (Wacky West)

Pencil War

Are Your Students Eating Pencils?

Some years my students were very good at keeping up pencils. One year I went through pencils like air. I did not know what to do. I talked it over with other teachers, changed pencil policy a bunch of times and turned to Pinterest until I ran into this little gem that SAVED MY LIFE! 

This poster said it all - it was a WAR and I wanted to WIN! This was put together by "The Wise Owl" on TpT and her name couldn't be any better, she is very wise! What is even better, this idea is FREE!!

It is simple and she has it all laid out in her packet on TpT. Click the link here to download. https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Winning-the-Pencil-War-An-Effective-Management-System-343219

Here is a little about the plan - 

Items you will need: 
             1. Pencils (yellow/regular colored pencils)
             2. Pink Erasers (one for each student)
             3. Pencil Bags/Pouches*
             4. Prizes**

*I just buy cheap pencil pouches when they go on sale in the summer before school begins. I stock up so I have enough for the school year and extras for new students. 

**Prizes can be fun pencils and erasers, stickers, wrapped candy like a starburst, etc. I have used treasure box slips as a prize. 



Set up is easy. Use a sharpie to write the name of the student on the bag. Fill with the same amount of pencils in each bag and one pink eraser. She suggests 8 pencils. I have done 6 before and it worked out as well. 



Last, the rules. 
I give the students their pencils bags on Monday and they give the bags back, with all their pencils, on Friday. They must have all their pencils (in relatively good shape) and eraser on Friday to get a prize put in their bag. On Friday, I sharpen all the pencils, replaced old pencils if needed, and replace ones that are missing. It is okay if they have pencils missing, I just replace them, but they don't get a prize. THEY DO NOT GET TO SHARPEN PENCILS DURING THE WEEK. IF THEY BREAK A PENCIL, THEY GO TO THEIR BAG FOR A NEW ONE. 
I was hesitant about the limit but the kids keep up with them when they know they are going to be rewarded. I have never had a kid break all their pencils during one week. 

I have a cup in my room for "missing" pencils that we find on the floor. 

I also allow them to keep "special" pencils and erasers in their bag but they do not count towards their total of 8 yellow pencils. 

THIS IS A GREAT SYSTEM!!! 

Check it out! 

Hope it helps you, like it helped me!

Melisa (Wacky West)

Tile Spacers - The Perfect Math Manipulative

TIP - Tile Spacers are a Great Tool for Math

Local home improvement stores will
have tile spacers for purchase

It is late. I am watching the election results. I want to go to sleep but my curiosity wont let me. I thought I would get on here and give my hands something else to do while I wait on the results. I hope that you were able to get out there and vote! 

Anyways...here is my PSA for tonight...

I am always looking for a great tool in my classroom for math. I feel like the students always do better in math when they can touch and manipulate their math. Seeing the numbers and knowing what they mean is a great way to learn numbers and equations. 

When we use a manipulative in the classroom, math can be loud. I like loud but I do not want the manipulative to be loud as well, the students do not need help raising the volume in the classroom. (Am I right?!?!)

I ran across tile spacers when working with my team of teachers. They are a great tool to use for math. They are soft, quiet, small and cheap. A bag of 500 can be purchased at most home improvement stores for close to 6 bucks. (What a deal!)

I also like them because they are not shaped like anything. When you use bears and other specific shaped manipulatives they can be a problem for playing or stealing. I can tell a math story and we as a class can pretend that these tile spacers are ANYTHING in the world - birds, fish, flowers, cats, kids, candy, etc. 

Check them out! 

Good Night (morning) and Happy Teaching!

Wacky West (Melisa)

Stations and Elkonin Boxes (Ideas and Strategies)

How I Run my Station/Small Group Time and a Perfect Activity for Phoneme Segmentation!!

I like to have activities for my students to do that are easy, fun, and (most importantly) educational. You could use elkonin boxes as a station but I liked to use them as an early finisher activity for my students to go to when they were done with their work or station. Let me explain how I did that. 

This is how I ran small group and stations in my classroom:

1. Each student was given seatwork to complete before going to their station. I do not have the teacher listed as a station, so this gives me time to run stations and give them plenty of work to keep them busy.

            a. The seat work typically went with the lesson

            b. Sometimes I gave out more than one thing of seat work.

            c. The seat work was sometimes skills based, like phonics practice or 

                 spelling practice. 

2. I have a station rotation chart on the wall so students know where to go or what materials to bring back to their desks. The students would turn in their seat work and then go to their station. 

             a. I like to keep stations generic, changing only the words or skill but

                  keeping the station the same so I do not have to do a lot of 

                  explaining each week. 

             b.  I also like to try to find stations that can be completed multiple 

                  times or take a while to complete. 

3. When a student does finish their station I like to have "early finisher buckets" for them to take back to their seat or a quiet place in the room. 

             a. These activities can range but are usually a little more fun but 

                  educational. 

(This was a simple outline of my station/small group time. If you have questions please feel free to comment below or email me! mgriffey1421@gmail.com) 

2 Examples of an Elkonin Box
Freebie from Teacher's Notebook (Link Below)

Elkonin Boxes were a favorite early finisher activity in my classroom. Elkonin Boxes have a picture and then boxes below the picture. There are enough boxes for each sound the word has. I stuck to CVC, CCVC or CVCC words with my students since this was an activity they did by themselves. I have included a picture of a freebie I found and I put the link below so you can grab the freebie!  

I gathered as many freebie boxes as I could find and printed them out on printer paper and then laminated them at school. (Check Pinteret for more freebies, I found TONS on there!!) I cut out each one and then put them in a basket with dry erase markers. When you laminate them, they can write on them with dry erase markers and then erase it and use the box over and over again. Magic erasers help with the marker that is hard to erase. I try to stay away from marker colors that stain like red, orange and pink. Stick to black, blue and green. They tend to wipe away better. 

The laminated boxes can last a while but I usually made new ones each school year. 

The students then use the marker to write the letter they hear when they sound out the word. This helps the child with so many helpful reading, writing and handwriting skills all in one simple activity! 

This is also a perfect small group idea and you could teach it as a small group idea and then put it in the basket for them to complete after they know what to do. 

I typically had 2 markers in a bucket so that 2 students could be at the buckets at one time. I do not like a lot of noise during small group so I limit the students that can use certain materials and activities. You can also make more buckets or make enough so that you can put one at each table group you have in your room. 

I hope this helps!! 

Come back for more activities, ideas and freebies!

Wacky West (Melisa)

Here is the link for a freebie!!!!!

http://www.teachersnotebook.com/product/kskdmad/freebie-cvc-word-work-elkonin-boxes-phoneme-segmentation

Veterans Day Wreath Craft For Kids

Veterans Day Craft For Kids

Each Veterans Day, the school I worked at held a lunch for our Veterans and families. They were welcome to each with their child at our school during their lunch time. We were a military town so the turnout was very high for lunch. We filled the hallways with extra tables and a special lunch was cooked in the cafeteria for all to enjoy. The students decorated the hallways with artwork and letters to the Veterans, thanking them for all they do. 

I was having a hard time finding a picture of a wreath that one of my kiddos made in years past but I found a picture on a website through Pinterest. (What would I do without Pinterest? How did teachers in the past teach without it??!?!?!?!??!?!)

Paper Wreath from Activity Hero (Link Below)

I would use the school's dye cut machine, you could purchase them too, and cut out stars in red, white and blue. We had 2 different size stars and I would cut out a ton for my kiddos to use. (I usually got the help of a parent volunteer to cut the stars out for me if I could round one up!!)

I would buy cheap white paper plates, cut out the middle of the wreath and let the students go to town gluing the red, white and blue stars around the plate. If you are adventurous, like me, I would have a glitter table for them to add glitter when they were done. You can also add stickers, foam shapes, or draw on it with crayons for the added "bling". One year I had my students write a message on a "banner" paper that I made by cutting out a rectangular shape and we attached it across the front of the wreath with a message to the Veterans. You can really do this craft in many ways. 

The wreaths looked great on the wall, were easy and quick for the kids to make and were a big hit with the Veterans. The hallways looked so festive and inviting for the members of our military that have risked their lives for our freedoms. 

Thank you Veterans!

Visit again for more ideas and freebies!!

Wacky West (Melisa)

Here is the link if you want to read more:  http://blog.activityhero.com/things-to-do-on-memorial-day-with-kids/#sthash.uoZkj6DX.dpbs