"Rip" Roarin' Regional Fun

One of the units I teach in Social Studies is the regions of the United States. Specifically, how regions are formed. This is usually based upon similar climates and geographical features, landforms, products, agriculture, natural resources, waterways, culture, industry, etc. I like to introduce students to the various regions and how the states can be grouped by having them create a color coded map using tiny torn pieces of construction paper. They use a different color for each region. I think this provides a fun fine motor strengthening activity that gives our kinesthetic and visual learners a way to comprehend this concept.

This is an up close photo of our torn mosaic maps.
I had the kids label each region
after they were laminated.

This is the hallway display of our torn mosaic region maps.

After all of the regions have been introduced, each class in my grade level focuses in on one region to really dig into the  physical geography, products, natural resources, and landmarks within regions. To help make this a fun experience that kids will remember, I pretend we are embarking on a train tour of the Northeast, as it is a major hub for all railroad systems in the U.S. As students come back in from lunch recess, they receive a train ticket to board our classroom train (chairs lined up in rows). Sometimes something as simple as moving chairs can get kids excited to learn new things. This is where we embark upon our virtual tour of the region. I use a powerpoint with colorful photos and important information about my key teaching points coupled with links that take us directly to some virtual tours of landmarks along the way. For the most part, I chose the locations that our "train" would stop because they embodied one or more of the key elements I need to teach as part of my third grade geography unit. For example, one that stands out is the virtual tour of the Hershey Chocolate factory in Pennsylvania. I chose it because of its location. The factory chose to locate in this state because its climate and landforms allow for excellent dairy farming, which is needed in milk chocolate production. This year I had my kids "hop off the train" and work in the factory for an afternoon where they each took on a role packaging Hershey Kisses. Although this can work as a very basic introduction to economics (which comes later in the year), I used it  more of a way to help kids remember the humid climate and rolling plains associated with this area in the U.S.A. 

This is an example of one of the train tickets each student received,
along with there very own VIP pass to work at the
Hershey Chocolate Factory in PA for an afternoon.

This unit continues to be tweaked and updated every year that I teach it but the inspiration for the virtual tours and activities came from various teachers who also share their resources via blogging/classroom websites. Hopefully this post will inspire others to continue to make their teaching interactive and engaging.  

eReaders in the classroom

Last year I wrote a grant to get a set of 12 Kindle eReaders for my classroom, but alas I didn't get it. However, the amazing PTO at my school deposited a sum of money into classroom's accounts this year after a particularly stellar fundraising event. Needless to say I put that money to good use immediately and purchased two Kindles from Amazon. I know what you are thinking...why didn't you get the color version from B&N Kelley?  I just felt that Amazon offered so many more quality ebook's for kids at the levels that I know I need. The selection was just better. I also wanted the ability to have kids take notes as they are reading, which it turns out is a bit harder than I anticipated. However, kids these days never cease to amaze me with how quickly they can pick up "techie" stuff. Especially when it is this cool! 

Above you can see a photo I took of the two Kindles my class has with their beautiful new cases that I got at the one and only Target. I am still waiting for the earbuds I ordered to come in so that my kiddos can use the read aloud feature. I have started loading them up with great books already. FYI... A to Z Mysteries are currently only $0.88 y'all! Just in case you're in the market for a thrilling mystery written at the third grade level. 

Below I posted another photo of the text up close. It is quite large and I haven't even increased the font size yet. Some of the other great features that Kindle offers to students include the ability to highlight words or entire passages as well as to define tricky words using Wikipedia which is already loaded on it when it comes, text read aloud feature, ability to take notes while reading, rather than using a gazillion (yes, that is a real number) sticky notes, and books you purchase are available almost immediately. No more waiting 2 weeks for the snail mail. 

While I am still in the trial and error phase with the new Kindles, I can say that the kids LOVE them and are more excited about reading than ever. Also, my struggling readers no longer have to worry about feeling pressured to "pretend read" huge, fat chapter books that they can't comprehend because nobody else can see what they are reading! I loves it! It looks like I'll be looking for ways to increase my classroom eReader collection next year as well. I'd love to hear from anyone else who currently uses eReaders with their kids so drop me a line anytime. 

Revamp your Writer's Workshop

If you know me well, you know that I love to read professional literature, along with the occasional mindless mystery or love story.  Recently a friend of mine recommended this little gem by Jennifer Jacobson. I think she has a fascinating view on how teachers can support the development of our young writers into confident, risk takers! I couldn't put this book down! I absolutely love how she encourages teachers to stop telling our kids what to write, how much to write, how to spell words, etc. In short, teachers should provide a solid structure to their writing period, coupled with best first instruction using quality mentor texts and modeling. We should give up some control over what is being written and focus on how it is being written. She provides ideas about how to structure your workshop in a way that supports independent writers.

Every year about this time I start looking for ways to "freshen" up some of my classroom routines to keep kids energized. While I already have the framework laid for a successful writer's workshop with my third graders,  I can't wait to start implementing some of her suggestions. While this book provides a wealth of fresh takes on writing, here are my top five faves that good teachers kind of already know, we just struggle to give up this much control over our writers.

1. Spelling-Stop spelling words for your kids. In essence, if you have taught spelling strategies such as syllabication rules and have a strong word analysis program in your classroom, then just let your kids write. If we spell words for kids, they develop a kind of dependence on adults as well as a need for perfection which can limit their content. This is not to say that we shouldn't hold our kids accountable for spelling those "no excuse" words that all schools have (see no. 2), but we should be thoughtful in how we teach kids to spell.
2. Editing-we need to hold our kids accountable for spelling thier high frequency writing words so that their readers feel respected. Jacobsen suggests putting a dot in the margin on the line to show your writers that something on that line needs to be looked at again, rather than just circling incorrectly spelled words. They do the hard work of editing.
3. Revision-this is a step that needs to be taught, including how to perform "surgery" and add spider legs to drafts. Real writing is often messy, with lots of cross outs and such. We should let our kids see our draft work in its true form.
4. Publication-not every piece needs to be brought to final publication. This is something I know already but I am often guilty of picking one piece, as well as the prompt that I want my kids to write to and take through the whole process. Jacobsen suggests letting kids publish their own best work, chosen by them, when they want. What an idea! Authentic publication!
5. Author's purpose-I am such a rule follower. I often only have my kids write pieces that are required third grade products. Heres a novel idea...why not let our kids practice their writing craft and the skill I have taught in the genre they want? This provides a genuine author's purpose for our kids. I loves it!

So, if you are in the market for a quick read, I highly recommend this book. It has doable ideas that can be implemented fast. Did I mention that I really like this book? 

Valentines Day iPod gift for kids

I absolutely LOVE holidays! One of my favorite things to do is plan holiday parties for my kids at home and my kids at school. After I have the decorations and activities planned, I like to come up with something fun to give them each as a gift that is fairly inexpensive. Last year I found this great iPod on a site called Family Fun. All you have to do is wrap a box of candy hearts in construction paper, print out a playlist and menu button to glue on the front, and then add two Hershey kisses with string as the earbuds. These were cheap, easy to make with a little help from a parent and the kids loved them. You can bet that these will be on my third graders desk this Monday.

Link to download and print out the playlist and menu button:

http://familyfun.go.com/assets/cms/pdf/crafts/RockCandy_3.pdf

Teaching...It's a Hoot!

I am extremely passionate about what I do and I love going to work each day. These past few years I've become a bit obsessed with creating a resource for my kids and families to help keep everyone informed about our class happenings. My class site has grown drastically from the year that I first launched it. My inspiration comes from so many of the fabulous teachers around the country that share their ideas. In fact, I am so often inspired by something I read on someone else's blog, I figured it was about time I contributed some of my own thoughts about teaching. Thanks for stopping by!

Contact

Meet Mrs. Randall

Sorry about this picture but seriously... I thought this was hilarious! Thanks so much for stopping by my third grade teaching blog. I have been teaching for ten years now and I can't imagine doing anything else with my life. I created this blog to give back to the online teaching community that has given me so much inspiration and encouragement over the years. I also maintain a classroom website if you are looking for some more ideas for your own classroom.

Thanks again for stopping by!