Peek At My Week...FOSS Friday...oh where did the time go? It's Sunday...

Hey...We made it! It is Friday. Okay, it's Sunday...where did the time go? It was the last few days to spend with my college daughter and the whole family. I took advantage of it! We went to the Eastbay sale! Here in little ol' Wausau is one of the greatest outlets...Eastbay. You know Nike, Adidas, Coverse...but, when it is a sale everything on sale is another 50% off. Nike's for $30.

My kids are set for track...baseball...softball... you name it...deal!

I was looking forward to sleeping to catch up with that hour that I lost last weekend. Anyone else felling that way? I took all of my girls to the spa this week, girls night out. We loved it soooo much. We had tea in beautiful cups, finger foods, and amazing things done (back massage, foot massage, hand and arm massage, and more) We are definitely going back! That is when I have some extra dough. We also were able to go out to eat, and let me say that is a real treat when we can do that as a family. We even had one of the boyfriends along. Always room for one of those cuties that are so wonderful to my girls. Of course, dad picks Buffalo Wild Wings. It was great to look around the table and see my family laughing and talking and just being together! Ahhhh.

Okay, enough already...time for this week's sneak peek... I have a sub on Monday... I am part of a science and math teachers' grant. Off to CESA to hopefully bring something amazing back...I won't hold my breath. I am sad to miss St. Patrick's Day Fun! However, I will post some pics next week of our leprechaun hair and our traps. If I remember.

Time to link up with other bloggers and take a peek at my week. Not only can you link up with Mrs. Laffin's Laughings but you can also link up with Mrs. Will's Kindergarten.


4th graders are working on our school set of chrome books. They will be working on a body systems review by going to How The Body Works facts and quizzes. I made a sheet for them to use that I left at school. Sorry.

3rd graders are working on sound for the first time this week. They will start with a list of what they know about sound and ears. Then they will watch Bill Nye and Sound to get them thinking.  They will use their science notebooks to write down 5 facts that they learned along with illustrations and labels. They will finish up with the sound chambers as an introduction to sound discrimination.

Our kinders are working on the water cycle. I read on a website, can't find it again after a massive search...that they kids could simulate the cycle. I set out blue cubes to represent water. Some of our kiddos were clouds, while others showed evaporation as they picked up the water and placed it into the clouds hands showing condensation, when the little clouds (hands) couldn't hold any more, the rain would fall...precipitation! The water once again accumulated on the ground. When we needed to change jobs, we sang rain, rain, go away... We then made Water cycle bracelets by Katie Hess using the sheets and ideas from Meaghan Kimbrall. Cute stuff.

The Water Cycle in Action!

Our first graders are making roller coasters today! I practice on these kiddos and then do another 4 rounds:) We will start off by asking students if they have been on a roller coaster, we added that onto a graph. We shared how it felt as we were standing in line waiting, how it feels when you aren't tall enough, and how it felt on the ride. Then we read Roller Coaster! Awesome book!
 
Students needed to show a safe hill and a loop. When they had time to build a workable roller coaster we met to share our creations. Then, the students shared what they learned about making a successful coaster. We even discussed potential and kinetic energy.

FOSS roller coasters!

How to get a loop to work? Where should the loop be?

Our second graders will be wrapping up the worm unit by learning about the food chain and producers and consumers. This is a great way to move into our plant unit which we will start next week...even though we have over two feet of snow here yet.

Our fifth graders will be starting their simple machines unit using Caine's arcade as a springboard. I am actually looking forward to this unit this year. Check out why at my TPT store...Simple Machines Unit...building an arcade.

Have a Happy St. Patrick's Day to you! 

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Peek At My Week...FOSS Friday!

Time to link up with other bloggers and take a peek at my week. Not only can you link up with Mrs. Laffin's Laughings but you can also link up with Mrs. Will's Kindergarten.

Here, we are Friday again. My planning day. The peek at my week and the FOSS fun I plan to do. Remember though...I am almost done with two FOSS kids so it is test time for two grade levels. Report cards are next week also, so testing is important so I have a formative assessment to use with all the little ones we did along the way.

4^th graders
will come in with a model of the digestive system They will need to make labels for their system. They will get 10 minutes to label and then each group will share their model explaining the parts. After they are done they will then have their models hung in the hall by our classroom adult by their room. Students will read the next experiment…starch experiment and perform. Potatoes need to be ready. Then they read the digestive system reading. After reading, they observe experiment. They also will do the cracker experiment . They place a cracker in their mouth and chew without swallowing. As they chew ask them to think about the job of teeth, tongue and saliva. They will use notebook to write their thoughts. They will take a quick quiz on the digestive system. When done have them put them in a bucket  for correction.

 3^rd grade
will be working on a review of the water cycle then take the test. Review words and ideas on the water review sheet on table.

When the students are done…have them complete the water cycle sheet in their notebook. Color and describe inside each part.

 kindergarten

Things that are hot and cold. Have them make a picture of something hot and cold on the sheet after making a list on the board. They will fill in the sentence ____________ is hot or _____________ is cold. Then ask how we measure things that are hot and cold. Show them the big thermometer and how it works…hot goes up…cold goes down. Have them pretend they are thermometers by going hot and cold up and down.Skim over the book Hot and Cold by Jack Challenor. Now have them see how a real thermometer works. Ask what they see and check and monitor and fill in the sheet.

Using a thermometer!

                                                   Hot and Cold Sheet

 first grade

They will be working on inclined planes and how it affects speed and motion. Read big inclined plane book, then ask how inclined planes or slopes at different heights can affect the speed. How do they know? Sledding, car, bike… Now have them perform experiments. Walk them through it. Use the clipboards and tubs for first two then as you need bigger incline add the cardboard lid on a chair for the biggest slope. You will need to walk around a ton and read and direct. At the end they can have a car race if good choices are made. Wrap up with the little book or a discussion. If time remains they can draw what happened in their notebook.

First Graders testing slope...inclined plane...and how it effects speed

         









 Second grade

Students are learning about worms. Students will get earthworm book…we use red worms. They will start by telling you what they already know by writing some facts on a notecard. Then they will get a worm from you…you will have to get them out for them . They will get a moist paper towel first…then a black tent, then hand lense, then worm. Have an assembly line on the red circle table. Then the students will be guided by you to do the cover. Use hand lense kids. Then have them do experiment 1 by you taking another tub of worms and using the fork turning the soil over. They watch the reaction of the worms to light. Then they make observations in their book. They then use worms to test light and dark and you can come around with flashlight. They then share results and move onto experiment two. They will get a dry paper towel from you…prepare at lunch time or before school. Have them place worms right in the middle of the two types. Then observe. Share worms at table and results. When done share as large group. Finish by having them write a worm poem in notebook…Worms. ____________,_____________, ______________ Worms.   (three adjectives) illustrate.

It's a hatchling!

Fifth Grade

Our fifth graders alternate classes per day with 4th grade. Otherwise, I always have the same line up each day. They will be taking a test this week to finish up Mixtures and Solutions. When they are done they will be performing an experiment with ammonia to form a precipitate. This activity can be found in my free TPT download at What's The Matter? Mixtures and Solutions activities. 

Have a great weekend! Here is a shot of our rainbow making lesson from my ST. Patrick's Day Fun Pack . I did this with a kindergarten group that won an extra science class! The small cup seemed to work better at mixing the colors of the rainbow... The girls loved it!

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Peek At My Week...FOSS Friday

Another week has gone by and again a week without outdoor recess. Today, here in Wausau, Wisconsin we broke some records today... lowest temperature...-50 windchill. Another record...most negative degrees in a season...55 days last record set was in 1916. It is snowing now and I am SICK of cold weather! Someone just told us at lunch that March is suppose to have a ton of snow....UGGGGGG. So, it got me thinking about what I could do with the kiddos to get them active and "playing" a bit. I tested some of the lessons out with my two classes I have on day 5. SWEET!

Kindergarten- We read the book Playground Day! We will make a list of playground fun. We will then engineer playground equipment for my Polly Pockets. We talked about hot and cold weather fun and how to find things to do even when it's cold out.


First graders-
We are working with the motion part of FOSS. We needed something fun to build so I have the kids making cars out of cans and bottles, the blue straws, white milk straws (the axle), tape, and red wheels. The trial group LOVED it. They will use the sheets I have below to help learn about speed and Newton's third law. They got calculators out to add big numbers when it went past 36 inches. We then made a homemade top to take home. We used a milk straw and a FOSS top pattern on cardstock so it was stiff. Make and takes rock!

Motion Sheets for Balance and Motion Extensions

Second graders-
Second graders are going to be working with worms again. We are using some sheets that I got from a great site...No Doubt Learning and The STEM mom. The sheets are great and the art activity is a stitch.

Third Graders-
We are going to be doing the Water Works FOSS lesson, but I have added my own sheet to learn about potential and kinetic energy. Get Your Water Works Sheet Here.
We are also using two videos. The first for introduction the second for what they could do at home.

Here is a simple fact sheet about the history of the water wheel. I think this is easy enough for our 3rd graders. Water Wheel History

 

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Fourth Graders-
Time for the digestive system. Found some great sheets on TPT. I will be using some sheets from Rose Doerkson's Digestive System Sheets. I am using the sheet that goes with Bill Nye's video:

 

We also will be using her fourth sheet...making a model of the digestive system after filling in the sheet by Brandy Resman. This lesson has got a little bit of everything. Video, labeling, science journaling, and an engineering project. I love getting ideas from others. Got any ideas to share to make FOSS more fun?

Fifth Graders-
Well...my fifth graders are having an interesting week. One class will have science while the other class will not. They are going to what we call 'school forest'. Lots of science happenin' there. Deer necropsy, owl pellets, wolf predator/ prey scent lesson, deer drive and deer capacity activity, native Wisconsin animal museum scavenger hunt, fire building and so much more. The fifth graders stay over night for two nights in cabins. Fun stuff. The teachers stay with them the three days they are there. Not fun stuff. So that means a filler of sorts. I made some lessons for a free download on my TPT store:
What's The Matter?

 

Have a great weekend. I am working on some new stuff...stay tuned!

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Peek at My Week...FOSS Friday

Another week has gone by and big celebrations, too. My husband and I celebrated our 20 year wedding anniversary this Wednesday. Wow...20 years... so to celebrate 20 years... on February 27th and 28th, I am throwing a 20% off sale on all items at my TPT store.

This week, in my classroom we will be:
Kinders:
Are learning the four seasons. Boy was predicting the weather hard by the way this week. We were suppose to get 12 inches...then 10...then 6...now just 2 as it moved west of us. I am glad there isn't another snow day! We will be in school until July making days up. Okay, I digress. Back to kinders.
We will be reading the book:
 

We will be creating a graph to represent our favorite season. I am guessing we are so sick of snow that summer will win hands down! I know that is my vote! We will then use a page from my TPT weather unit that shows the four seasons and can be made into a book.We finished off with a short song and video:

1st graders:
We are starting our motion part of the FOSS kit. I bought a to of cheap dollar store tops for kids to use. We will make a chart listing toys that can show motion. We will define motion and what it is.  We will read the book Motion by Rebecca Olien.


We will add our new word to our science notebooks and illustrate it. Then, we will be spinning tops. We will make the tops that FOSS describes, but we will add a make and take using the FOSS patterns and a straw they can add. We will wrap up by playing a game of simon says...using motion words (verbs).We also reviewed the words from the book with these posters...
Motion words and posters
Here is one for starters...

2nd graders:
2nd graders just finished up their unit on solids and liquids so we are testing out some STEM activities that I am working on that goes with the House That Jack Built. Our second graders will be building different structures helping Jack build a town. This will help our teachers with Social Studies lessons on our town.


We will start with this version and discuss what a house needs. What a neighborhood needs, and what a city needs. We will the build structures to start our town using cups and cardboard to see how big our house can get. We will measure the height and width of our structure.

3rd graders:
Will be learning about erosion, weathering, and deposition. We will be using ideas from the Science Penguins pack I bought as well as the activities and games from Laura Candler. Great game idea, sheets, and vocabulary. We will then do an experiment and this fun vocabulary idea from mailbox...Erosion and Weathering Words.

Here is our activity...

4th graders:
Our fourth graders will be doing day two of the cardiovascular system using my Heart Healthy Science Stations. We will be taking our pulse, learning about our heart rates, and we will be getting our blood flowing. We will then take a quick quiz.

5th graders:
Our bigs are going to be learning about chemical reactions. You know...the fizz quiz. They love chemical reactions...who doesn't! We will start with a list of what we might see, hear, or smell. (wafting technique). We then do the fizz quiz in the cups and make observations...then I demo it in a baggie to show things they might have missed. They love to feel the temperature changes and see the bag expand! We finish up with a bit of Bill Nye.

I am working on the quiz this weekend...typically Friday is my BIG prep day,  but we were short subs, so I taught 3 hours of Phy. Ed. I was told I should be a PE teacher because I was FUN!!! It got me thinking am I not fun is science? Or do they like me in different hats? My hubby, the Phy Ed teacher thought that was pretty funny...I am not quite sure I would want that job everyday. I will stick to science~ have a great weekend.

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Peek At My Week...FOSS FRIDAY

My week starts on Friday, until next week when we have in service on Monday. Planning this post has really helped me get my ducks in a row. I am linking up with two great bloggers to share my week...

Kinders:
Fun stuff "predicting" the weather last week. They loved the game and each class made a forecast prediction for the next day. They sure want it to be sunny, however the forecast for the next seven days is 3 for snow, 3 for windy, 1 for partly cloudy. They are optimists I guess. This week, we are working on what to wear in different weather and how checking the forecast helps us predict what the best type of clothes to wear each day. We will read Jesse Bear, What Will You Wear? We role played what he was doing at different parts of the story. We made cards to mark the temperature and seasons. We then shared different clothes we would wear during each season. We stressed what to wear in the winter...our kiddos don't come prepared at times to be outside. No hat...gloves...boots...

We will make bears that wear a seasonal hat and a shirt to boot. A make and take. We will also match different clothes to the weather you wear them in.Here is the bear with clothes to match to the weather. We are playing a matching game at the end. I then asked their bear to answer...Jesse Bear What Are You Wearing? What season is it? Great closure!

I found this on Juxtapost. Here is a link to a printable copy...Jesse Bear's Clothes.
 

First Graders:
We are balancing pencils on our fingers for FOSS, but then we are reviewing other ways to balance things. We are using scales to understand stable and unstable. We will read the book ...


Super cute book about balancing animals stabilizing a scale.We also worked on a scale and how to balance objects. We wanted to make them stable and equal. We used objects to compare on each side. We learned how to use grams and weigh them as well. We did a sheet to predict which object will be heavier or equal. the students also compared what balance means with a pencil (FOSS). We compared the two meanings of balance.

Second grade:
Our kids are finishing their solids and liquids unit. We will be reviewing  in many different ways. We needed  to work on our solid and liquid vocabulary.We will take the test then work on making a solid and liquid book using cut out pictures to review our vocabulary once again.

Third grade:
We are concluding the water cycle by using the TPT free water cycle vocabulary game. We will also use FOSS centers to work on water cycle words: evaporation stations, condensation observations, and water cycle bags from last week. I gave a quick quiz to see what they remembered about the water cycle. We didn't get to them until now. Over planned. I am sure no one ever does that. Better too much than too little. 

Fourth grade:
We are reviewing the nervous system with a quick quiz. Then we will use the holiday to learn about the cardiovascular system and the heart. Valentine theme here! I used my packet to teach about the heart. We labeled the different colors of blood flow...red with arteries and capillaries...blue with veins. We learned heart facts by reading a great TPT freebie Cardiovascular System Reading. We then used time to learn to take our pulse and wrap up with a scavenger hunt I made in my Heart Healthy Stations TPT pack. We will be doing some of the activities next week as we continue the cardiovascular system.

Here is our starter videos I might use...we will see I need to: 

Fifth Grade:
We are working on a STEM lesson using a student's pet rat. We are learning about lab rats and learning how to make a maze to get the rat to the rice krispie bar... the rat's favorite treat, so I have been told.Science can be a real RAT RACE!

 Here are the sheets we are using...

Well, that is a peek at my week. Some FOSS...some Mrs.H. Either way...we are always trying to make FOSS fun. Any ideas of your own to share???? Send them my way and I can post them for you... Have a great weekend. We have off Monday... for FUN!!!!

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Peek At My Week ...FOSS Friday

First things first... I was called at school this week. My son was playing football and he hit his head and blacked out. Rough game. So, thank goodness I post my lessons on Peek at My Week.  I was pretty ready to let someone look at them and know what to do. I have to plan my week today, so that I can be home with my son this week as he recuperates from a concussion. Now, it's time to plan for the week as I sit in the dark with my son.

Kindergarten:
Kindergartners will be learning more about science predictions by forecasting the weather. We will be watching the weather forecast on The Weather Channel... We will then play a forecasting game that I made with a dice(clouds on three sides, sunshine on three sides). I also made a tally sheet for the kinders to fill out. You can find this unit on my TPT store at Science Patterns and Cycles: Weather for Kindergarten. 

First Grade:
First graders will be taking a quiz on their vocabulary words: stable, unstable, counter weights, and  top heavy.  After the quiz: the students will be working on a circus act. The firsties will be getting a golf ball to balance on after we read the book Circus. Then, my kiddos will be creating a circus clown to make and take...

Here is a video we watched that showed a circus performance of balance beauty... The kids were mystified!

Our balancing clown pattern...

                        balancing clown pattern
Second Grade:
Our second graders are finishing up their solids and liquids unit. Time for...what is between liquids and solids? Oobleck and toothpaste! I put oobleck in a baggie for them to feel. I show them at the end how to make it at home. I read Bartholomew and the Oobleck to start off our time after we review solids and liquids and words to describe them. I then ask what about toothpaste? Solid or liquid. From there... If you would like a copy of my sheets, click and print:) Oobleck Sheet  and Toothpaste Sheet . Hope that helps!

Third Grade:
Round two of the Water Cycle. Students will be watching Bill Nye the Science Guy and the Water Cycle. They will need to answer questions as they go.
 

The students will then create a Water Cycle Poster to explain the water cycle. Here is free water cycle poster project that I made for my kiddos...enjoy!

The Water Cycle Poster Project and Rubric  FREE THIS WEEK! Get your copy today!

 They will continue to work on he activity in their homerooms. The make and take of the day comes from Pinterest... at GirlStart.

Fourth Graders:

Coordination Stations my friends. FOSS at its finest. The kiddos love the challenge. I am working with a small group of students to reteach ligaments and tendons while the others are writing and illustrating what they already know about ligaments and tendons. We will then take a 3 question quiz.   Students will then learn about the nervous system after reading a short passage with a partner.

Nervous System Reading Passage

We will then work on 4 activities that could work as stations. The first is the FOSS lesson on coordination (hand/eye). The students then can play...catch my finger.... tennis ball drop drill... and hand slap. (one person has palms up and one with palms down of the other. The bottom hands must try to slap the top hands).  Before the kiddos are done, they will write in their science notebooks what coordination means and how the nervous system works.

Fifth Graders:

Fifth graders will be following the salt concentration lessons from FOSS as they put the soft drink lesson, George's Marvelous Medicine Lemonade, and salt concentration together. Next week, the quiz. The students will get a study guide to help them connect the vocabulary with the lesson. Here is the sheet they will use...

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Peek at My Week

Linking up today with Mrs. Laffin's Laughings, a fellow Wisconsin blogger. Didn't finish my reflection sheets my fellow teachers...I was enjoying the heat wave here. The winter votex is coming back to our neck of the woods this week. That means indoor recess AGAIN. Poor kiddos. They have suffered over two weeks of indoor recess in the last month already, but the train must move on.

The end of the quarter came and went, but the FOSS train keeps chugging along... chuga, chuga...

Our kinders are at the beginning of their weather unit. First lesson....the sun...then the night sky...now the weather. The kindergarten teachers and I have come up with one I can statement a week for our kiddo to show us. This week: I can draw my favorite type of weather and graph it.

 The first graders are starting their balance and motion unit by learning the key concepts. We will create a chart to show what we know with our new vocabulary. The kids love make and takes, so they will color a  balancing parrot to take home. Balancing Parrot Pattern...

Second graders are still working on solids and liquids. We are working on the messy one... solids in containers. You know the one... lima beans, rice, pinto beans... all over. I am going to make a science notebook sheet to share for reflection. I will post this week for you.

Our third grade kiddos are going to be doing two water and ice lessons this week in FOSS...water as ice and hot and cold water. I am working on a quick sheet for reflection for their ticket out the door. Stay tuned...

Fourth graders are in their human body unit and my post before this shows just what I am doing.  Same goes for the bigs in 5th grade. Mixtures and Solutions continued... Happy Sunday. Have a great week.

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Tomorrow...A Peek At My Week

Back to the grind tomorrow, but feeling ready to go after such a nice break. It's time to remember where I left off so out comes the lesson plan book.  Goofy, my day five starts on Thursday, but I as sooo glad...it's my prep day. I only teach an hour and a half with the rest of the time for getting ready for the end of the quarter planning and figuring out what I am doing next week. Yea, for prep time.

Are you ready????  Today, my goal is to create some fun vocabulary games for one of the stations in kindergarten, first, and second grades. I also will be working on another fun sand activity and also a reading thermometers sheet. Prep before the prep!

Here are two sheets that I made so far that will be part of our sand stations:)

                              Sand Activities

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Sneak Peek

Thanks for stopping by! Five more days and then VACATION! Yea! Not ready yet though...are you? Linking up again with my Wisconsin blogger, Mrs. Laffin's Laughing. Here is a sneak peek at my week and then check out my other posts to show what I will do at the end of the week with my holiday stations:) 

Here is my week in review, this is what my kiddos worked on this week. My day one, or what normal people call Monday's start on Tuesdays right now. Sooooo, I don't get my planning time until Monday. This week however, I had a conference, let's just say I lost all my prep time and learned Nada. I hate that. 

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