KABOOM - Great Learning Game for Classrooms

I just found this game online and am obsessed! I can't wait to create a few versions of this activity for my classes!

WHY?

1. It is highly engaging!
2. It lasts for as long as you need it to!
3. It can accommodate nearly ANY content area/targeted skill!
4. It is quick to prep!
5. It costs next to nothing to make!






You need sticks, a cup/holder, and to determine which subject area you want to focus on.

For example - basic math facts:

Or maybe you need to glue on some items:

or labels/tags:



You can do this for vocab, definitions, math equations, sight words, rounding, parts of speech, synonyms, antonyms, story elements, the options are endless!

Once you decide and create - here is how to play...

1.  First student pulls out a popsicle stick.

2.  The student identifies the "answer" or "correct response."  If their answer is correct (determined by either a reference sheet or their peers) they get to keep the popsicle stick.  If they answer it incorrectly, the stick must go back in the cup.

3.  The students continue around the circle, selecting one popsicle stick at a time and answering their question.

4.  Any student who pulls a KABOOM! stick has to place all of the popsicle sticks they have accumulated back into the cup, leaving them with zero.  (It may sound harsh, but it happens OFTEN, so all students will at some point get "Kaboomed!"

5.  The game NEVER ENDS because eventually someone will get a Kaboom! and their popsicle sticks will go back into the cup to keep the game going.

 

Source: http://www.starrspangledplanner.com/2015/03/kaboom-possibly-best-center-game-ever.html

Making Ten

Have students work in pairs. Each student has ten cubes of one color and a blank copy of the chart. Each pair trades one color cube with partner and colors in our chart to match. Fantastic to reach all learners: oral, visual, kinethetic, tactile.

Source: http://owl.li/C2Jzr

Activity Boxes

Came across this blog spot about activity boxes that can be used similar to centers, or as activities for students who need something different to help them with self-regulation. It can help with classroom management.

The objective is to redirect the negative behavior before it escalates.  I have used activity boxes with students that could become aggressive, and violent not only to themselves but also toward other individuals. It also is helpful for children that may not fully understand why they are behaving inappropriately.

Setting up activity boxes is simple.  Sometimes the simplest idea can be the one thing that helps you connect with a student!

There are a few guidelines I like to follow when setting up activity boxes for individual students for the first time.

1.  Include the student in the process.   This is important because the box is intended to help that student re-direct their negative behaviors.  It isn't going to have the degree of success if the student isn't engaged in the materials included in it.  

2. The container should be the size of a shoe box.  My first activity boxes were actual shoe boxes.  I love the Nike shoe boxes that have the flip flap lid. I would go to the Mall and ask for the empty boxes.   Students can pick their box, and help decorate it.  Shoe boxes are compact, and will stack easily in a storage closet.

3.  The contents of the activity box should have an educational value.   Using activity boxes is not intended for a student to get out of doing work, or to play after disrupting class. This is a tool to use to defuse negative (escalating) behaviors.

4.  Go over the ground rules for using the activity boxes.  This would include proper way to use and take care of the materials in the box, appropriate time to use them, etc.  Remember to focus on the positive as much as possible!

Check out photos and examples of activity boxes at - SOURCE

Bucket Covers for art centres

You could use these for a number of centres: art, math, literacy, table groups, endless possibilities..


Love this idea of using buckets for an art, math or literacy center... http://owl.li/uUdyE

Science Centers

Science Centers are a great idea to change up the 'stations' in your class. I know many primary classes have centers for play-based learning and I have seen some classes do 'math centers' and 'literacy centers' but more recently I have been exploring science centers and ways to adapt units to work within this idea.

So when I saw this post I was excited!



Read It - Reading about topic and writing a couple notes. You can be specific with questions for them to answer if you wish. EG: Polar Bears, write two facts about them. or two adaptations for cold environment.

Sort It - With a t-chart or venn diagram students can sort facts about two topics/items. EG: Comparing Grizzly Bears and Polar Bears.  or Frogs and Toads.

Match It - photos to match up or words and definitions or items and facts. EG: photos of animals feet and their environments to match. Baby and Adult animal names.

Create It - read and create using drawing or building or writing. EG: Read about two animals and ten create your own animal that could survive in a different biome, for example camel in Arctic. Could write a story on topic.

Draw It - Draw item for each vocabulary word

Tech It - using tablets or computers. EG: type up information, research information, create etc.

Analyze It - analyze video, photo, article on topic.

Explain It - read on topic, writing to example EG: Read about Black bears and polar bears, compare/contrast them. Maybe answer questions.


Some ideas, templates and more are provided here. But feel free to create your own 'Science Centers'

Boggle Wall

I found this online today and loved it so much, I wanted to share it with you.

I love word games, Boggle is one of my favourites. As a TTOC, it's a fun game to do writing letters on the board, or having handouts. In a classroom long term, you can set up a bulletin board or station for this type of game.

This site wrote:

Arrange letters on a wall (or a wall, desk, cabinet... I've seen some pretty nifty use of space with these!), embedding spelling words, sight words, vocabulary or "bonus" words for students to find using the same rules used to play Boggle. I love a comment on 4thGradeFrolics that suggested making one word using all the letters posted (related to something being taught in class or a seasonal concept) and challenging students to work on it when they have free time. You can change the letters at intervals and present a new challenge to students.

Pinterest has more examples.