my version of transparent, collaborative leadership...with a Teamann twist

12 days…

by Leave a Comment

Have you let your students create something this year? Have they had the opportunity to show off their high thinking skills?IMG_4693

I loved 5th grades angry bird’s animal adaptations that they have up right now.  It took something that students enjoy and allowed them to create an adapted animal. Remmeber that our fab fifth graders have this to think about:

5.9 Science Concept. The student knows that adaptations may increase the survival of
members of a species.

The student is expected to:
(A) compare the adaptive characteristics of species that improve their ability to
survive and reproduce in an ecosystem;
(B) analyze and describe adaptive characteristicsthat result in an organism’s unique
niche in an ecosystem: and
(C) predict some adaptive characteristics required for survival and reproduction by
an organism in an ecosystem.

Here’s also a few sites to help your students get digitally creative, :0

 

Build an Online Habitat is where students choose animals and match them to the correct environment by changing weather,  vegetation, animal & biome.
Animal Homes is a great site for little ones to begin learning about different animal habitats.
A student chooses an animal, is given some information to read about the animal, and then draws the habitat for it. Once their drawing is completed they can save or print it.
Students select a wildlife or habitat category button and only the animals that match what you have selected will be shown.
Plant and Animal Habitats from the BBC is another great habitat game where students have to put aliens in their correct habitat after being given
clues about the creature and their habitat.
Wanted: New Home for Frog! is a great activity from EcoKids  where students can help a frog find a new habitat.
In Who Lives Here students match cards to see which animals and plants live around a specific kind of tree.
The Magic School Bus has a fun habitat matching game called The Great Habitat Match.
habitally,
Amber

13 days

by Leave a Comment

A balloon pop is a cute idea for students to do at the end of the year serving as a countdown. Each student writes a reward/activity that they would like to do. Then they turn them into you and you can pick the ones you want to do inside a balloon and blow them up. Then the students get to pop one balloon a day resulting in a different activity to count down for the last few days of school!

 

Pop-ily,

Amber

14 days

by Leave a Comment

This activity includes a worksheet set up as an “end of year” activity AND a blank version for you to adapt as you see fit – I’ve used it for review questions / work and the kids like to use it.

 

 

What can you do in 16 days?

by 8 Comments

One-Can-Do-Button-(0542)We’re winding down and only have 16 days left for our 2012-2013 school year. Instead of thinking of it as “only 16 days till summer” what if we looked at it as “only 16 more days to make a difference”?

We’re going to start a EOY wrap with some fun ideas for ya, but I wanted to give you 16 short and sweet things you can do to make a difference in a child’s life between now and June 7th, 🙂 I challenge you to pick ONE for each day we have left!

  1. Let a child know they are important to you.
  2. Hug someone who needs a hug.
  3. Whisper “You matter.” to someone who may not hear that at home.
  4. Tell a student you were GLAD that they were in your class this year.
  5. Eat lunch next to a student who struggles with social relationships.
  6. Buy a random student an ice cream (I’ll pay!) and ask about their summer plans.
  7. Ask your students what they are PASSIONATE about, and be ready tobe amazed.
  8. Have a conversation with your students, not teach a lesson for one subject.
  9.  Ask how your students want to change the world.
  10. Have your student’s give each a other a compliment.
  11. Take a walk outside.
  12. Discuss your favorite activities or memory from this year.
  13. Ask what they would have done differently.
  14. Color with your students. Even our big kid’s like to color!
  15. Do a happy dance li
    ke no one is watching. (Jenny’s class is GREAT at this!)
  16. Go sit outside (before it gets too hot!) and read an inspirational book. (Sandra would love to suggest one for you! And I have my copy of “Things Change“, by Troy Aikman, if you’d like to borrow it.)

 

These are all easy, free, and a way to make a difference between now and then. A child will remember YOU and the way you’ve made them feel more than they’ll EVER remember a lesson.

Difference makeN,

Amber