We have been talking second grade science!  Specifically, we'll chat about the Next Gen standards on landforms and how to implement hands on activities, science labs, and STEM challenges while learning about Earth's surface.  You can catch up on all of the blog posts here:
In the last blog post I told you how earthquakes seem like the most exotic thing to this Arkansas born and raised girl.

I lied.

Volcanoes are more exotic for me.  #shouldalookedahead

I've never so much as even seen a volcano IRL.  (Yes, I just said IRL in a blog post.  And I'm 34.  But, hey, I just learned what this stands for last week and I'm super proud of my hip self.  Also, I might be going a little stir crazy this afternoon. #InRealLife)

The closest thing to an IRL volcano I've experienced is the baking soda and vinegar kind.

That activity never gets old for me.  I love it every time.  And so do the kids.

But for second graders, I wanted to "beef" up this activity some.  Many kids start seeing this demonstration as preschoolers so I didn't want this to be the same ol' experience.  But mainly, I wanted to make this more of an experiment and have something to test.

And since our focus during this landforms unit is to observe changes to landscapes and landforms, I wanted to tie the experiment in to that idea.
(This post contains affiliate links to help  fund my chocolate addiction and support this corner of cyber space)

Volcano Set Up

For this experiment, you will need...
*paper plates
*play-doh
*empty water bottles with the bottom half cut off
*baking soda
*vinegar
*red dye
*cups to pour
*spoons
*green M&Ms

We used the top half of the water bottle as the volcano structure.  We built a volcano mountain around the bottle with the play-doh.  The volcano will sit on top of the paper plate.

Then, we designed a "forest" of green M&Ms to represent the landscape around the volcano.  Have the students think about where they want to put the forest.  Close to the volcano? Far away?  All around?

Feel free to add "buildings" with brown M&Ms or lakes with blue M&Ms too if you like.

But most importantly, don't forget to sneak and eat a few M&Ms.  Trust me, the experiment isn't as fun if you don't eat the treats! :)

Volcano Predictions & Observations

Once the volcanic landscape is built, we predicted the effects.   We drew a picture of what would happen when the volcano erupted.  Specifically, we talked about the forest.  Would it survive?

NOTE: I did this at home with my 5 year old so he just drew a picture of what the red lava might do.  Second graders could easily write a sentence or two about their prediction. This is a very flexible handout.

Then, we put a spoonful of baking soda inside the water bottle...

and poured red vinegar into the water bottle slowly and observed the effects.

We recorded our observations.

Volcano Effects

The fun thing about doing several volcanoes during your science block is that you can compare everyone's volcano effects.  Give the students time to walk around and observe everyone's effects.  Not everyone's forests will be destroyed.  So, this makes a great conversation.

Why were some trees saved?  Why were some forests completely destroyed?

After our discussion, we wrote down our conclusions about how and why our landscape changed.

You can find this science lab, plus much more science and STEM challenges in this landforms unit.

We have been talking second grade science!  Specifically, we'll chat about the Next Gen standards on landforms and how to implement hands on activities, science labs, and STEM challenges while learning about Earth's surface.  You can catch up on all of the blog posts here:

I LOVE Google Earth!  Since the time it was released, I was enamored by it.  My husband and I would literally sit and travel around the earth just for fun!  I immediately knew I had to use this in the classroom.  When I taught first grade, we used it as a whole group during our Me On The Map unit to show our school, city, and state view.

But as I was preparing this second grade unit on landforms, I knew Google Earth would be the perfect small group project to help kids see how much of Earth was covered in land and water!  Here's a closer look at this activity.
(This post contains affiliate links to help  fund my chocolate addiction and support this corner of cyber space)

I'm Feeling Lucky

Recently, Google Earth added the "I'm feeling lucky" feature.

This feature will take you to a random spot around the globe.  At the beginning of our landforms unit, we are learning about land and water and finding the differences on a map.  So I knew this lucky feature would be perfect for recording data on land and water.

This can be done whole group, in small groups, or individually, depending on your class needs.  My preference is small groups.  So, each group clicks the "I'm feeling lucky" feature and records the name of the location they traveled to.  Then, they write whether the location is on land or water and tell how they know.


Globe Toss Game

Don't have the technology you need to make the Virtual Tour happen?  The same concept can be applied with globe toss, too.  All you need are some blow up globes!

In globe toss, students work with partners or a small group and toss a blow up globe.  They take turns tossing the globe.  When a student catches the globe, they record where their right thumb landed.  Then, they will record the location as a tally under land or water.

Math Integration

If you've followed my blog for much time, you know I'm a HUGE fan of integrating content areas as much as possible.  That's one of the reasons why I love this activity so much.  You can integrate Science, Technology, and Math all in one activity!

The follow up option for this activity is to do a comparing math problem.  Your students can simply compare the number of times they landed on land and water and compare to see which they landed on the most.

Then, for a challenge, have the groups share their land and water data and then have kids solve a multi-step word problem:

How many trips did we take to land?  Water? Which had more? How many more?

By using the whole class data, we've made kids do multi-steps to solve the problem and increased the number sets they are solving!

Area Extension

Another great math integration project is area!  After students have discovered that Earth has more water than land, students will study the area of earth to see exactly how much more water earth has. 

Students overlay the graph paper over a colored world map.  Then, they will color in each square either blue or green to show land or water.  Because my husband insists on thick printer paper, I held my graph paper and map up to my window so I could see it better! :)

If a square has both land and water, they simply color the square to show which it has the most of.  If there is more land, they color it green...

Then, they will solve the area math problem.

This would also make a great math station during station time or a guided math block!

All of these activities, plus tons more can be found in my Next Gen aligned landforms unit!

I'm back with another overview look at our preschool Sunday School unit on David!  In this unit we look at 4 different names to describe David.


David the Shepherd

First, we talk about David as the shepherd boy.  We have an interactive anchor chart for this unit and most of our Sunday School units that doubles as an exploration station too!  We can add the pictures to the anchor chart each week as we review our unit and then the kids can practice matching the pictures and talking about our story!

For this unit, we also have a paper graphic organizer that they add to each week as well!

David the Warrior

Week 2 is all about David and Goliath.

After our bible lesson, we sorted rocks into smooth or bumpy texture categories.  We talked about how David looked for five smooth rocks for his battle.  Then, the next week, this became an exploration station.

Then we made our own sling shot on our graphic organizer with a crumbled up paper wad! :)

David the Musician

During week 3, we learn about how David played music for King Saul.  One of our popular stations is our music station with our play guitar!

David the King

The last week we learn that David finally became king in God's perfect time.  During the unit, they have been building a castle for king David with blocks!

And we made crowns to wear!  Love this crazy crew!


I also couldn't let this unit pass by without sharing this photo. This would be Cooper's cousin...frustrated with his go fish skills! haha!!

You can find everything for this unit here!

Last week, I blogged about writing conferences in the primary classroom.  We talked about how to set it up, what to conference about, and how to manage #allthekids.

Today, we're chatting about what to do after a conference!  You've done a great conference.  It was focused, short and meaningful for the kid... NOW WHAT???

The Power of the Post-It

At the end of each conference, I write down a specific goal based on our conference point on a sticky.  For my emerging readers, I add a visual or example, like writing CAPITALS in all caps.

We go over the point we charted about and I use a highlighter to help us find mistakes to correct.  I use highlighter because I don't want it to be erasable.  We aren't ashamed of mistakes in our classroom because we learn from them and are better people because of our mistakes! Plus, even after it's corrected, it helps mom and dad see what we worked on when the writing goes home.

Then, we stick it on the inside of his writing folder.  The kids learn that when they begin independent writing time, the first thing they do is open the folder and review their conferencing goals.    It's a reminder for them on their specific goals, and it also makes them feel like they've had their own little conference that day--even if I didn't meet with them.  Plus, this routine just pushes them to take ownership of their own writing!

Sure, I could make a cutesy printable to laminate to the inside of the folder.

But sticky notes are WAYYYYY cooler to first graders.  Believe me.

Sure, I could make pre-printed sticky notes so I wouldn't have to write the same thing every. single. day.

But you should see those sweet faces when we make a post-it note sized anchor chart all for just one kid.  It's a precious moment, ya'll.  For real.  Besides, research tells us that preprinted anchor charts have less impact than building and making it WITH kids.  The same goes for post-it sized anchor charts.

Once kids have at least one sticky note inside their folder, I can review that with them the next time.  Like this...

"Let's read over the goals you've been working on during your independent writing time."

Then, when I read over their writing, if I see the same problem again, we revisit it and rework the post-it as needed to help them remember!

Using Conference Points for Share Times

For share time in writers' workshop, I choose 1 or 2 friends from my back table to share whole group.  And I use their conference points to teach the rest of the class.

If I have a kid I had to reteach the mini-lesson to for their conference point, I will automatically share this writing.  This gives me a chance to reinforce what we already learned to day and see how it works in the context of a peer paragraph.

Then, I may or may not choose one more to share with a conference point that I conferenced a lot about that day or that week.  This gives me the opportunity to visit and revisit mechanics skills and other common issues that come up all year long!

As I'm conferencing throughout the week, I also make notes of common conference points.  Then, I use these to plan out our mini-lessons for the next week.  When peer editing becomes a weekly routine later in the year (read more here), I will use the most common conference point from that week as our mini-lesson on our peer-edit Fridays.

Hopefully, you've become as much of a believer in writing conferences as I am!  15-20 minutes each day can change your kids' writing for the better and help direct your planning to be more effective for your kids!

When I first starting teaching, I bought neon colored chart paper and just wrote on chart paper and called it a day.  We charted our information and I taped it up on my "anchor chart wall."

And then, a strange thing happened.  None of my firsties used the anchor charts. #shockface

Because all of the anchor charts looked the same!

So, as I gained more experience, I realized how important it was to make the anchor charts stand out for my early readers.  They needed more visuals, and unusual shapes, colors, or designs to help my littles find them in the room and actually use them!

I started making shaped anchor charts, adding bold visuals and using color and BAM!  My littles were using the anchor charts and I was having SOOOOO much more fun making them!

Here's a look at some of my favorite writing anchor charts!

Shaped Anchor Charts

I love making anchor charts in a shape!  It makes them super easy to find.  Plus, it gives kids an idea about what the anchor chart is teaching about without having to read a word.   I have found that even my lowest babies can at least find the correct anchor chart when they are shaped.  No, they can't read everything on there, but they work on differentiating between and finding the correct anchor chart and then ask a buddy to help them read the information they need!

This good writers chart is one of the first we make at the beginning of the year.  You can read about it more and the checklist kids use that go along with it in this blog post!

The great thing about the pencil chart is that I made it on poster board the first year and laminated it.  Then, each year, I just add our details on the chart and clean it off for the next year!  Don't want to go to even that much trouble?  I have almost all of my writing and grammar charts premade here.  Just print it and laminate and you are good to go!

This Dr. Seuss hat is always a favorite.  I just get white paper and glue red strips on it.  Then, cut draw the shape of his hat with a pencil.  Cut and outline in black dry erase marker and you are ready to chart!  Find the lesson here.

We make this chart when we introduce informational writing.  It's a great way to list out all of the things kids CAN write to teach about!  Read that lesson here.

Opinion writing is one of my favorite to introduce.  But let's be honest, that's just because we eat Oreos and those are totally my favorite store bought cookie.... #teachertruth  You can read this lesson here and find the anchor chart here.

And another one of my laminate and reuse anchor charts!  (Just don't pay attention to that ugly spot the laminator made on my cute anchor chart! #sosad  Read about how I introduce how to writing here.

Illustrated Anchor Charts

Adding illustrations to anchor charts makes them accessible to beginning readers.  And although I love a good shaped anchor chart, sometimes, a basic chart is best.  But I always, ALWAYS add visuals, drawings, or labels with my chart to make it easier to understand and read.

***PRO TIP: Make the anchor chart skeleton before the lesson.  During the lesson, fill in the words with the kids and maybe some quick sketching of visuals.  Then, after the lesson, go back and take the time to "pretty up" the visuals to make them interesting to read.  Then, when you review the chart, the kids will be so excited to see how it looks finished!

This is one of our first charts we make together to set up our routines for Writers' Workshop.

Here's another example of a chart that is enhanced with illustrations.  I gave examples of each of these strategies to help illustrate.  This is one of the many writing charts that you can find pre-made templates for you to just fill in with your kids here.

This narrative writing chart could've easily been a shaped chart.  And I probably would make it that way the next time I do this one.  In fact, I think this one would be great to cut out each piece of the burger, laminate and add the parts of writing to it.  Then, add velcro to the chart and pieces and literally "build" the stories together with kids!

Anchor Charts With A Bold Design

When it's not easy to make a shaped anchor chart, I try to use a bold design with my anchor chart.  Anything that will make it stand out and be easy to find, understand, and use.

This anchor chart is used all. the. time. in my room.  And I think part of it is because of the bold design.  It's fun and engaging and more visual than text so it's non-threatening to read.  Find the lesson for this chart here.

A list of verb tenses on an anchor chart is a waste of paper.  Young kids will just get lost.  But adding words to arrows that symbolize their verb tense helps primary students engage and understand the content better!  Find the resource to teach this lesson here and the anchor chart template here.

Find the lesson plan for this order word lesson here and the pre-made template here.

Foil for an anchor chart?  1000% YES!  I get SOOOO many giggles when I whip out the foil to use as an anchor chart!  For this one shown in the picture, I just printed out the "rolls" on yellow paper, cut them out and glued the pieces to the foil.  Then, we were ready to brainstorm synonyms together.

Another simple tip: it helps to use as many colors as possible when you are listing or brainstorming words, phrases or facts.  It helps the kids read the words more easily because the same color isn't all running together.  And also, when they ask, "Which one says, 'screamed'?" A friend can just answer, "It's green."  That makes it easy for the kid to find the word on their own!

The synonym chart along with almost all of the others in this post are available as pre-made templates to print and fill out with your kids.  Find the bundle of grammar, opinion, narrative, and informative anchor charts here.

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