Earth Day activities

Earth Day Pinwheels helped us celebrate this year. Templates can be printed from DLTK kids 

Of course we had to take them right outside for a trial spin!

Book Basket Labels

Book Basket Labels

Free printable labels for the baskets in your reading center!

Fraction Anchor Chart

This poster/anchor chart has been laminated to be reused. During a lesson: In the 1st blank circle I'll add a shaded area that is NOT correctly divided to stress the point that fractions show "equal" parts of a whole. In the area that shows a set, students will write in the fractions to show the number of blue, green, red & yellow crayons. I added a ruler at the bottom to relate fractions to measurement.

Pencil Management

Something as simple as keeping sharpened pencils can make your day with 20+ kids run smoother. They place a broken pencil in the "Needs to be Sharpened" basket and take one from the "Sharpened" basket and continue with their work without disturbing the whole class. 

(I haven't allowed the small handheld pencil sharpeners in my room for years. I can't stand the mess!)

Genre Posters

Beth Newingham's Genre Posters

Classroom arrangement

Student desks are arranged in groups. Student names are on magnetic name cards on the side of each desk all facing the center of the room. (These are for substitutes or other adults who visit the classroom.) Each table has a basket with individual student's book pouches for easy access to reading.

Classroom Library Check-out

"Whooooo's Reading What?"

This is how I keep track of the books checked out from my classroom library. The library card pockets are numbered 1-20. When a student checks out a book, he/she fills out a bookmark with the title and slips it into their numbered slot. When they check it back in, they put the bookmark in the book and put in back in the leveled basket where it belongs. The next time another student wants to check out that book, they can simply take out the previous bookmark and place in their numbered slot. I keep a basket of sliced construction paper and index cards for use as bookmarks.

Science Word Wall

A small corner became home to our Science Word Wall. I make each set of cards as we move into new units.

Compliments Board

This is our "Compliments Board". Any time another adult in the building pays a compliment to my class, we write the compliment down with the date, the name of the adult, and what was said. Once the board is filled with compliments (20), we have a celebration with lunch in the classroom with special treats! The kids love looking at the compliments they've earned and its a quick reminder of how their behavior should be!

Math Word Wall

These are common 3rd grade terms for our Math Word Wall. I'll also post them as a document so they can be printed.