Sharks! -- Freebie

My kids are fascinated with sharks. I'm using that interest as the basis for some extra practice using informational details. These activities are correlated to the Common Core Standards for second grade and use the National Geographic Kids book, Sharks!

Click on the pic below to download.

Hickory Dickory Time -- Freebie

Students match the time on the clock to the analog clock in this freebie.  After they have matched all the pairs, they choose one and illustrate what they would be doing at that time in the AM and in the PM. Click on the pic below to download the Google doc.

Time Bump -- Freebie

Here are two versions of a Time Bump game. The Third Grade version is based on telling time to the minute. Second Grade's version tells time to five minute intervals.

Click on the picture below to download the doc.

Time for Fun! -- Elapsed Time Freebie

It's Time for Fun! Practice figuring elapsed time with this freebie. My kids can figure elapsed time if they have a clock to use, but have trouble when it's presented in a word problem. This freebie is a game I made with graphics from The 3 AM Teacher. If you haven't visited her site, GO NOW!

Just click on the graphic below to download the doc.

It's also time to leave a comment! Please let me know what you think.

Bump the Birds -- Freebie

Here's an oldie but goodie! My kids L.O.V.E. to play Bump games. This one has cute birds from KPMDoodles on it. Students roll two dice, multiply the numbers, and cover up the answers.

Click on the pic to download.

Ugly Animals -- Freebie

 It seems that all kids love animals! Use that interest to develop literacy skills on understanding informational text. These two activities are correlated to Common Core Standards for both second and third grade. The first is on main idea and details. The second is on content-specific vocabulary.

Just click on the pic below to download the doc.

Once There Was a Bull(frog) -- Freebie

I love...love...love this book!

My students love...love...love this book!

So EVERYBODY's happy!

Click on the pic below to download a fun matching game for practice in making compound words. Once the words are made, ask the kids to write sentences with five of the words.

How many compound words can you leave in a comment?

Be Specific! -- Freebie

The word "specific" has just kept popping up on all the test prep materials we are working on, but my students weren't grasping the concept of "specific." How can they choose the most specific word if they don't know what that means?

So I showed them lots of books and asked them to guess which book I was wanting to read. I gave them vague clues, finally narrowing them down to clear, concise descriptions of the book I was wanting. That's when the light bulbs came on for most of them. We talked about authors using the most specific words to help the reader create a picture in his mind. 

This game gives students extra practice in choosing the most specific word for a sentence. 

Click on the pic to download the doc.....and please leave a specific comment on what you do to help your students with this skill!

Cats vs. Dogs -- Freebie

Kids love cats and dogs. They're going to love researching them in these activities based on National Geographic Kids Cats vs. Dogs, by Elizabeth Carney. All activities are correlated to the Common Core Standards for second and third grade.

 Click on the pic below to download the Google doc. Please let me know what you think.

Diggin' Some Facts -- Freebie

Slip in some practice on basic facts and operations on a little higher level with this activity on choosing the correct operation to make the number expression true.

I'll be diggin' your comments, so please leave some!

Be an Informational Text Super Hero! -- Freebie

We got out early today because of the threat of storms. Since I had a little extra time, I've been working on an informational text packet that you can use with either second or third graders. This addresses the Common Core Standards for both grade levels. You can pull out just the parts you are ready for or give the entire packet to your students to complete after reading an informational text of their choice.

Don't you just love, love, love the super cute super hero graphics? They're from Spring Hill Farms. Check out their shop on Etsy.

Be my hero and leave me a comment if you download!

If the Cat in the Hat Came to My House..... -- Freebie!

My kids may be third graders and think they are too big for Dr. Seuss books, but they were captivated by the old favorites, The Cat in the Hat and The Cat in the Hat Comes Back, when I read them today. After talking about rhyme and rhythm, they started getting a little goofy and wondering what would happen if The Cat visited them. (The Cat is actually coming to see them Friday morning, but they don't know that yet.) Their goofiness led to some great descriptions, so I asked them to brainstorm ideas about a visit from The Cat to their home. Tomorrow, I'm giving them this document to use for their final drafts. 

Graphics by KPMDoodles.com  Fonts by KevinandAmanda.com

We also took pictures of each student using this little app on my iPhone. Click on the pic below to get info on downloading the Dr. Seuss Camera-The Cat in the Hat edition. It was definitely worth the $1.99 to hear all the giggles and listen to the ideas for their stories the pics generated!