How does a Spider Eat?

I have the best SPIDER SCIENCE ACTIVITY, and it’s a FREEBIE!! This is a classroom favorite every year!

Read on to see what all I do with Spiders. 

I love to add a little spider information around Halloween. 

This year I did an entire week of spiders! 

I bought an amazing unit from Clutter Free Classroom. 

Everything in this Spider Unit was perfect!

I did make my own vocabulary posters to hang-I like for my kids to have a color visual of their vocabulary words. Find these here! 

 Here are some of things we did this week!

I told you the Clutter Free Classroom Unit is amazing!

Now check out my favorite, the experiment!

Here are the steps to this totally awesome experiment!

Get my FREEBIE here.

STEP 1 - I always do this whole group on the floor. 

I have the kids get the Spider Food! paper (in the packet) 

and a clipboard. 

I give each child a little white cup, 

they draw a spider web on the cup. 

CUP=the SPIDER WEB

STEP 2 - Add the sugar cube to the cup. 

We answer #1. 

We discuss how the insect gets stuck in the net, 

and how the spider wraps the insect in silk.

SUGAR CUBE = INSECT

STEP 3 - The spider uses its fangs to paralyze its prey. 

The kids pretended the straws were fangs.

STRAW = FANGS

STEP 4 - The spider dribbles digestive juices on the insect turning its insides from a solid to a liquid.

GREEN DRINK = DIGESTIVE JUICES

    

    STEP 5 - The Spider slurps out the insect’s insides. 

                All that is left of the insect is wings and skin.

              Have the kids look in the bottom of their cup!

HAVE FUN!!!

Click below for the experiment! 

Math Workshop

Math Workshop!

I LOVE Math Workshop and so do my students! We just had our second week of school but my 2^nd graders are already getting started and learning all the routines of workshop.

Thank you to Clutter-Free Classroom for this awesome Math Workshop Rotation Board! My students love having this visual.

I use six rotations in my Math Workshop.

Table 1 – Teacher’s Choice – Hands on

I change out this table every few days.

This week the kids were working on number words. They were matching them in the pocket chart then writing the word on the Dry ErasePockets. By the way thank you to Peppy Zesty Teacherista for showing me these! I get mine from Amazon. I got the 25 pack – SO WORTH IT!! You can find the number words writing activity for free in my TPT store.

          Table 2 – Teacher’s Choice – Hands on

I change out this table every few days. At this table the kids were working with number relations using hundred charts. 

             Table 3 – Teacher’s Choice – Hands on

I change out this table every few days.
At this table the kids are working with addends and sums.  You can find the addend and sum activity for free in my TPT Store.

Table 4 – Mad Minutes 

This table is always the same. The kids will just do what level they are on.
Get the mad minutes here in my store. The kids do so good here they just grab a timer and see how many times they can do their mad minute before it is time to rotate.

Table 5 – Work with the Teacher

At this table the kids will work with me. This is when we will really work hard on the new concept or practice an old one. If the kids finish with me before it is time to rotate they get to do a math game on the computer. 

Table 6 – Board and iPads 

This area the kids may use the Epson smart pens to solve the math page or they can do a math activity on the iPads. I am using a page by Amy Lemons on the board. 

I organize my math centers into binders, this works so well. 
Click the picture to see how I cleared out all my file cabinets!! 

Check out this post for more great activities for Math Workshop! 

And......click here for more math resources 

Starting Off the Year with an Empty Basket

For the most part in my class we use community supplies. Of course I get those sad faces and every once in a while an upset parent but once I explain my reasoning everything is usually all good! 

Why is the basket empty on the first day? The basket is empty because how the concept is taught the first few days of school can determine successful utilization of classroom supplies.

Some say community supplies does not teach students to take care of their own things, but I disagree. My students are responsible for keeping their group supplies organized, in good shape, and well kept.

I teach my students WITH A LOT OF DETAIL about how to take care of and use each supply. I teach each supply one at a time! I created the posters below and keep them up in the classroom. My students chant these little rhymes all year long!

I use the following rhymes:

Tip Up Before You Cup!

Let the Ink Sink!

Hear the Click Before You Stick!

A Big Space is a Waste!

Scissors Down Safe and Sound!

When You’re Through Close the Glue!

A Dot Does A Lot! A Line is Fine!

Put On the Top When You Stop!

Here is what my supply baskets look like. Each item has a particle place and the students work hard to keep them clean. 

Click on the picture to see what I do during my first week of school!

Sit Spots are AWESOME! So is a GIVEAWAY!!

 I have fell in love with Sit Spots and I can’t wait for my students to see them this year, the possibilities are endless! I read about Sit Spots in a blog post by 2^nd Grade Snickerdoodles, I headed over to the Sit Spot website where I discovered you can get a free sample to make sure the Sit Spots will work in your classroom. I quickly ordered my sample. A few days later I had it and loved it! Next, I ordered my own, THAT WAS VERY DIFFICULT (there are so many shapes and colors to choose from)! I settled on circles in a few bright colors. I also ordered 5 stars; I will use these for my DATA stars (great gains, high scores, most improved, worked hard, etc.). 
 

My Sit Spots came in the mail last week, I opened them right away to check them out (my boys even had a great time playing with them at home).

         

 I have placed them in my classroom, not in any particular arrangement yet BUT so far I love them. They have been vacuumed over, had chairs drug over them, and my boys have pulled them up and put them down TONS already! 
THE SIT SPOTS STAY!

Please excuse the stains on the carpet our school is very old.

Enter the Giveaway below for a chance to win a $50 gift card to Sit Spots! Just follow the steps. GoOd LuCk!!

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