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Anchor Charts

Jamboard Ideas for Your Classroom

Anchor Charts, Technology October 27, 2020

Blog header for Jamboard Ideas for your classroom. Includes photo of a virtual gallery walk

Jamboard has quickly become one of my favorite Google™ tools during virtual learning. Jamboard can be found in the Google™ waffle and can also be assigned to Google Classroom™. I will warn you that it can be a little crazy the first few times you do it if you are allowing students to all edit on the same board. But, with expectations and practice it will become much easier and the kids will know how to use it. Below are a few of my favorite ways for using Jamboard in the classroom…

Idea #1 – Interactive Anchor Charts

Jamboard picture of Environment Questions during an inquiry launch.

Interactive anchor chart on Jamboard for end marks

I love creating anchor charts with my students in the classroom – especially interactive ones with post-it notes. I find that the interactive charts really help with student engagement. Teaching virtually has made that difficult. I can create a chart on chart paper, but it’s hard for the kids to see and they obviously can’t interact with it through the screen. Jamboard is the perfect solution for this! I can create my own anchor chart and also have the kids help me like the two examples you see above.

In the first example, we were launching our inquiry unit on biomes and our launch was focused on the rainforest. The kids added questions all at the same time to out interactive chart about what they were wondering about the specific environment we were in.

In the second example, this is a chart I’ve created many years in-person, but made it virtual with Jamboard. I created the headings – periods, question marks, exclamation marks. The students then were given a specific end mark and asked to create a sentence that fits the end mark.

Idea #2 – Independent Work

Jamboard for students to show ways to represent an amount of money

Jamboards can also be assigned to students individually through Google Classroom™. The one above is a differentiated assignment for students to show ways to represent amounts of money. I assigned each student both boards (they were in the same file) and they got to pick the amount they wanted to work with. Then using the post-it notes they came up with as many ways as they could to represent the amount given.

Idea #3 – Virtual Gallery Walk

This is probably my favorite Jamboard use so far. We were trying to figure out away to make a picture gallery walk that was happening in the in-person classrooms virtual. Jamboard to the rescue! We added one photo to each board and assigned it to the whole class with them all editing on the same boards. Students could click through the different boards and add facts and/or questions about each picture.

So in a nutshell – Jamboard is one of my favorite new virtual finds with virtual teaching, but it can also be used for in-person. I love how it makes things interactive and allows students to all be engaged with the same material at the same time. Have you used it before? Let me know below…

Pin for Jamboard Ideas blog post with photo of virtual gallery walk

Addition Strategies

Anchor Charts, Math September 28, 2014

I posted briefly in my Five for Friday about our addition strategies that my second graders have been using, but I had to share more. Most of my kids have basic knowledge of the standard algorithm because of old math programs, etc. Yet, they really don’t understand addition. They have no idea why they’re carrying a ten, they don’t know when it’s a ten or a hundred, etc. Same thing I did when I was in school. Well with Investigations and with my background with Cognitively Guided Instruction among other things, we’ve been working on using different strategies so kids really “get” why they’re adding.

Here’s our anchor chart we created to show our strategies…

On Friday, we completed some story problems because I wanted to show parents at our conferences on Monday how many different strategies there are and how the kids are really understanding their math. The kids did amazing! I’m so proud of how they have taken to these strategies. When we practice addition on our white boards with the strategies, the kids actually groan when it’s time to clean up and beg me to do it every day lol. I love to see them so excited about math.

Here are some of their strategies they’ve been using….

Place Value Model

Empty Number Line

Break Apart

Expanded Notation

Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

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Contractions

Anchor Charts, TPT April 22, 2014

One thing I noticed this year that I hadn’t seen before, is that my students have struggled with contractions. Not only did they not know what word made up a contraction, they didn’t understand what it was, and couldn’t read them either. They often guessed on contractions or ended up saying the two words that made it up – or the two words that they thought made it up.

So….on to contraction practice.

We started by watching a Brainpop Jr video about contractions. Brainpop is a great way to introduce or review concepts. Gives kids a chance to hear the same information you are telling them, but from fun, animated characters.

After watching Brainpop, we created this anchor chart to show what a contraction was and to also list examples. They helped me put this chart together.

Next, we played Contraction Memory. This game can be found in my new TPT pack called Contraction Action.

Here are some pictures of the kids in action – sorry it’s turned weird….

Next, they completed Contractions Around the Room, which is also in my new TPT Pack. I love Around the Room – gets them up and moving and they find it entertaining since they’re not just sitting there.

We then did I Have, Who Has – also in my packet, but I didn’t get a chance to get pictures since I was playing too. Be sure to check out my new TPT packet- Contraction Action in my TPT Store.

Hope everyone had a good Monday!

Learning About Nouns

Anchor Charts, TPT, Writing March 23, 2014

In addition to a review of verbs, we also reviewed nouns mainly focusing on singular and plural nouns and how to make a singular noun plural. We also discussed the irregular nouns and how more than one tooth isn’t tooths….which is always a hard one for them to understand, but after this chart and activity I think we’re getting there.

We started by making an anchor chart together.

Then, after some whole group practice with nouns the kids worked on Nouns Around the Room. Nouns Around the Room can be found in my TPT store here. There are 24 different noun questions ranging from – which word is the noun, make this singular noun plural, and is this word a noun?

The kids had a great time completing this activity and really showed that they have nouns down.

Thanks for stopping by my blog. Be sure to visit my TPT store here and grab Nouns Around the Room!

Learning About Verbs

Anchor Charts, Language, TPT, Writing March 10, 2014

This week we spent two days working on verbs. The first day we reviewed verbs (my kiddos keep getting confused on verbs, nouns, etc) and we started talking about verb tenses. In second grade, the language standard focuses on students being able to use irregular verb tenses – made, swam, ran, etc. The CCSS standard is L2.1.

First, we created an anchor chart together. We reviewed what a verb was and came up with some examples. Then, we used a mini tree map to practice changing the tenses of the verbs.

After creating our anchor chart, the kids went on a verb hunt using picture books. They each could pick a book of their choice and then they had to read each sentence, find the verb, and write the verb in their verb circle map.

Then, on day 2, came the fun interactive activity. I created a Verbs – Around the Room Activity for students to complete. There were 24 cards. Some asked questions on identifying the verb, some on changing a verb to a different tense, and some cards ask what tense the verb was in. This provided more practice on regular and irregular verbs and it is now available in my TPT store. Check it out here…

Hope everyone is having a great weekend! Be sure to check out Verbs Around the Room in my store!

Addition and Subtraction Strategies

Anchor Charts, Common Core, Math February 13, 2014

We spent 2 full weeks working on adding and subtracting double digit numbers with borrowing and regrouping. This is definitely a tough one. Having never taught this in first grade, this was definitely a learning experience for me and for them. But, on a happy note, my kids aren’t freaked out by it. I used my CGI (Cognitively Guided Instruction) training from my previous district, we worked on strategies to make it concrete and they’re getting it!

The three strategies we’re focusing on are….

Place Value – using sticks as the tens and dots as the ones – great strategy for kids who struggle. Helps them to see it out like the base 10 blocks – great way to take it from manipulatives to no manipulatives. Below, the student took the nine ones from the top and the one one from the bottom to make a ten – see the arrow.

Empty Number Line – starting with the larger number on a empty number line and counting up by 10’s, then 1’s

Break Apart Strategy – this one is my favorite – see 2 different ways below of breaking the numbers apart…

Here are our anchor charts that we made for Adding and Subtracting Double Digit Numbers with borrowing and regrouping – each strategy is listed with an example. I let students practice all of the strategies then they can pick the one that works best for them.

Comparing Numbers 2.NBT.4 – And a Freebie!

Anchor Charts, Math, TPT February 6, 2014

I’ve been meaning to post about this standard and post this freebie for a few weeks, but life got in the way. So, better late than never…

A few weeks ago we worked on comparing 3 digit numbers – specifically standard 2.NBT.4. The kiddos did really well with this standard so we only needed a quick few days of practice and they were good to go. Below are some ideas and pictures from our work…

Here’s our anchor chart we created with vocab, symbols, and a few examples. I love creating these math anchor charts and adding to them throughout the lessons. I find the kids referencing them at later times and love that they are referring to them and using them!

We then practiced on white boards. We started with 2 digit numbers and then moved onto 3 digit numbers.

I found a ton of great activities from Sunny Days Common Core Essentials Packet – that can be found here. My kiddos loved playing the Compare and Capture game.

And, here’s a little game I created for students to also practice comparing 3 digit numbers. This game can be found as a freebie in my TPT store…here.
Here are a few pictures from the kids playing…

Roll and Compare - Practice with 2.NBT.4

Hope these ideas are helpful! Be sure to check out my Roll and Compare Game freebie!

Double Digit Addition and Subtraction

Anchor Charts, Common Core, Math January 20, 2014

My kiddos had struggled a lot with double digit addition and subtraction. Some had learned the straight algorithm, but had no idea what they were doing or why they were doing it, and some were trying to draw 44 circles and 23 circles and then count them all up one by one. So…I decided we needed some strategies. We started with straightforward double digit addition and subtraction – no borrowing, no regrouping. We worked on 3 strategies. One each day as to not overwhelm students. After exposing them to each strategy and letting them practice each one, they got to choose the strategy that worked best for them. We worked on place value, empty number line, and break apart. After we went over these, they really started to get the hang of it and problems weren’t taking 8 hours to solve like the drawing 44 and 23 circles :-).

Here are two anchor charts we made to document our strategies.

This week we’ll be tackling regrouping. I plan to go back to these strategies and also have some fun games that I bought from Amy Lemon’s Double Digit Addition and Subtraction Games pack added in for practice.

Hope everyone enjoys the day off!

Text Features Anchor Chart

Anchor Charts, Common Core, Informational Text, Reading January 16, 2014

Over the first half of the year in 2nd grade, we have spent a lot of time working with informational text. While some of the text features have been easy for the kids to identify and use, some have been more difficult. So one morning we worked together to make a Text Features Anchor chart using clippings from National Geographic for Kids, Time for Kids, and the regular Time Magazine. What I love about this is the kids have been referring to it while on their text features hunt at literacy stations. I love anchor charts for this very reason and it’s even better when the kids remember to refer to it on their own!

Skip Counting Activities and Stations

Anchor Charts, Common Core, Math, Math Stations, TPT November 25, 2013

We’ve spent the past week in my second grade class working on 2.NBT.2. They are doing a great job skip counting and below are the activities and stations we did to practice.

To introduce skip counting, we spent time with counting collections. I used pom pom balls, snap cubes, unifix cubes, highlighters, popsicle sticks, straws, etc. Each item had a different number and was given to the partnership on purpose – to help with differentiation. Higher kids had numbers in the hundreds – lower kids had numbers in the 40s-80s. The first direction was just to count and tell me how many the had. I stopped them about halfway through and we talked about how they were counting. Most weren’t organizing the items and most were counting by ones, so we discussed was this a good way or is there a better strategy? I had two groups who had already figured out a strategy. One group was counting by 10s and another by 20s. So, we tried this with an example and decided skip counting was easier and it was easier if you grouped them. We went back to the counting collections and now counted while putting them into groups of 2’s, 5’s. and 10’s.

Next, we worked on a skip counting chart to help us. We colored all of the numbers that were by 2’s yellow, circled all of the numbers by 5’s in orange, and underlined the 10’s in green. The kids did a great job with this and then had a resource to use throughout the week (especially with the Skip Counting Task Cards (more info on this below)).

After making our own skip counting resource, we worked together to create a Skip Counting Anchor Chart.

Throughout the week, I introduced the activities below and then on the last day we used each activity at a station.

Station #1 – Skip Counting Task Cards. I created these and have them in my TPT store here. We used these whole group first and then they were put into a station. This provides students with multiple chances to practice counting from and to different numbers. It also goes up to 1,000 and has a few harder cards to provide differentiation.

Station #2 – School Bus Bump – I found this on TPT here at Lory Even’s store. The kids love bump and now they can play it while practicing skip counting by 10’s.

Station #3 – Ordering the Numbers – I found a ton of great skip counting resources on TPT. Here is a sports one to practice skip counting by ordering the numbers. This one is from a Series of First Grade Event’s store, which you can access here.

Station #4 – Skip Counting Puzzles. The kids loved putting these together. I found some cute Home on the Range ones in Haley O’Connor’s store here.

Station #5 – Counting Collections – More counting practice with manipulatives – they were told to practice counting the items while grouping them in 2’s, 5’s, and 10’s.

Thanks for checking out my skip counting ideas. Be sure to check out my Skip Counting Task Cards in my TPT store.

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