What Rights Do You Have?

In the United States, citizens are guaranteed certain rights many people in other countries dream of having. What better way to show mastery of these basic rights than with a fun, engaging, hands-on activity! The Bill of Rights Match-Up is just the right center activity to add to your treasure chest of resources. 

The Bill of Rights Match-Up is a great resource to use when teaching a unit on government. This resource contains ten badges with the amendment numbers, ten badges with what each amendment states, a recording sheet, and a handout for the students to illustrate the meaning of one amendment. 

Students will match the amendment number card with the card containing what the amendment states. Once the students have sorted and matched the cards, they record their answers on the recording sheet. In addition to the recording sheet and center cards, there is a printable for the students to choose one amendment and illustrate it so that others will be able to understand its meaning. 

How do I set up centers in the social studies classroom? 

Incorporating center activities in the social studies classroom is really not a hard task. Here are some helpful tips to get you started on setting up centers in your classroom. 

• Designate a specific place in your classroom that will work for your center activities. I always found my centers worked better on a table in the back of the room. It allowed the students an opportunity to transition to the center, work independently, have enough space to spread the activity out on the table, and it was free of other distractions. 
• Choose a hands-on activity that goes along with the unit of study you are going to teach. 
• Print the needed activity pages. If the activity requires pieces that will be used over and over by students, I recommend laminating the pieces for durability. 
• Place everything for the particular activity in one spot, such as an envelop, an accordion file, or a tupperware container. 
• If you have more than one center activity per unit, make sure you label the center pieces so students know which pieces go with each center activity.

What are the benefits of using centers in my social studies class? 

• Students are able to be independent learners. 
• Students are able to explore and learn at their own pace. 
• Students are able to take risks without the fear of failure or not having the correct answer. 
• Students become confident in their learning. 
• Students can express themselves freely in the center. 

What do I do when the students complete their center activity? 

Because students are able to work independently and at their own pace, students will complete the center activity at different times. Always have enrichment work or assignments handy for those early finishers. When all students have rotated through the center, take an inventory of the center activity and make sure you still have all of the parts of the center activity. If you are missing a piece of the center activity, make a note of it so you can replace the missing piece before filing the center activity away to use the next time you teach the unit. This will help you be organized and prepared for the next time you pull out the center activity. Clean the center area. Next, get ready for your next center activity. 

If you teach social studies and do not use center activities on a regular basis, I hope you will consider giving centers in the social studies classroom a try! You will not be sorry you tried!

If you teach social studies, check out the Bill of Rights Match-Up. You students are sure to love it!

Happy Teaching! 

Ghostly Nouns

In an effort to get the kiddos excited about this week, check out GHOSTLY NOUNS to assess your students' knowledge and mastery of common nouns and proper nouns.  

In this activity, students sort the ghost cards into two separate stacks: common nouns and proper nouns. After all cards have been sorted, the students use the recording sheet to record the common nouns in one column and the proper nouns in the other column.  There is an answer sheet the students can use to check their own answers, or they can turn it in to be graded. 

This is great as a center activity, as independent work, or as collaborative pair work. For additional practice, there is a sheet for students to sort the common nouns and proper nouns on their own paper.

This is a quick, easy setup activity your students are sure to love! 

Check it out HERE!

Martin Luther King, Jr. Lapbook Success

It's that time again...it is the Hump Day Link-up with Mrs. Stanford's Class! 

This week, a group of second graders used my Martin Luther King, Jr. Lapbook Activity, so I had the opportunity to work with them. I had so much fun! 

They began on Monday with a brief introduction of this famous civil rights leader. I went into their classroom on Tuesday morning to help with the construction of the lapbooks. They seemed very excited and eager to get started. 

The main objective Tuesday was to talk to the students about the lapbooks, what their lapbook would look like after completing it, and how they could use it as a learning and study tool. After our lapbook discussion, we got busy cutting the templates and placing them into the lapbook. 

While I was helping guide the students, one boy raised his hand and asked, "Do you know what is the best part about these lapbooks?"

I responded with, "Please tell me."

With the biggest smile on his face (and scissors in his hands), he said, "Getting to make it ours."

Yes, yes, indeed! They were engaged, happy, and learning. I cannot wait to go back in there today.

To conduct a further investigation of Martin Luther King, Jr., the students will use iPads today to gather information and research about this great, influential leader. 

Click HERE to be directed to the lapbook resource. 

Don't forget to see what others are doing this week at Mrs. Stanford's Classroom. 

Sensational Product Spotlight and Linky

I have a new seller that I would like to introduce you to. Her name is Samantha Harrell and she has some great products for you. One of her newest additions to her TpT store is called Coordinating and Subordinating Conjunctions. If you teach language arts, you need to check out this product.

Coordinating and Subordinating Conjunctions

This product is a wonderful resource to use when teaching coordinating and subordinating conjunctions, as well as forming compound and complex sentences. It is targeted for students in third grade through fifth grade. It is aligned to the Common Core Standards.

Included in this product are cards for your word wall and centers, booklet templates for both coordinating conjunctions/compound sentences and subordinating conjunctions/complex sentences, and assessments with the answer keys.

Above is a photo of two students working in their conjunction booklet. The students put their own books together using the page numbers. This booklet is awesome! For pages 1-10, the students receive instruction from the teacher. Pages 11-17 are independent practice designed for the students to demonstrate their understanding and knowledge of coordinating and subordinating conjunctions. There is even a page designated for partner sharing and collaboration. One thing I really like about the booklets is that there are two of them, one for coordinating conjunctions and one for subordinating conjunctions. (If you look behind the students in the photo, you can see some of the word wall cards that some with this product.)

I am sure that you will love this product! It is very teacher/student friendly and keeps the students engaged! Visit Samantha's store and follow her for resources to use in your classroom.

Now, it's linky time! I am so excited about this new blog and our very first linky party! The wonderful thing about this linky party is that the products are free! Yes, that's right...FREE! Head on over to the All Things Upper Elementary Blog and pick up some fabulous products. Be sure that you thank those donating by following their stores and leaving positive feedback/comments for them.

All Things Upper Elementary Linky

Oh, How I Love Penguins!

Whenever I think of winter, I think of penguins! I think those little creatures are so cute! In addition to being super cute, they even made them tap dance...I am a tap dance teacher, so that just made my day!

I created a Penguin Noun Activity that helps students demonstrate mastery at identifying singular nouns and plural nouns. The students sort the noun cards into singular nouns and plural nouns, record the nouns on the recording sheet, and celebrate their successes!

I was able to teach my daughter a lesson on singular and plural nouns. I set her work table up, and we were ready to begin. She was so eager to learn, it brought a gigantic smile to my face.

After her lesson, she began sorting the nouns into the two piles. She was so proud of herself (and I was one proud mommy) that she got all of them correct the first time.

She then began to record her sorted nouns into the correct columns. AC took her time writing down every word as neatly as she could.

She loved this activity. It is work wonderfully as a center activity in your classroom if you teach singular and plural nouns. To take a closer look at the resource, click HERE. There are two additional worksheets to use with this resource.

Do you have a favorite winter activity you like to use in your classroom? Tell us in the comments below.

Happy Teaching!