Common Core Tests

I was at a meeting and was perplexed about the idea of not sharing and coordinating county tests for the new Common Core Standards. I feel like the trend is to make the curriculum more similar across the country for students. When we aren't using the same tests county-wide this seems strange to me. Teachers are spending a lot of time making tests on their own. Here are some great tests….

I like these tests because they are challenging, standards-based, and require higher order thinking.

Writing Performance Task and Rubric: link

Math Units:

First grade: Math unit 1 &2

Second Grade:
Unit 1 & 2 Tests

Unit 1 worksheets

Unit 2: Problem Solving, addition and subtraction


Unit 3: Measurement

Matter Unit
Great tests

Georgia's Regions

I don't write the science lesson plans for second grade on my collab team. I write the writing plans. So when I was trying to write a higher order thinking essential question for the 5 Regions science unit I was not very familiar with the standards. Making this critical thinking writing project really combined science, writing, and research in a meaningful way for my students. They loved figuring out the answer to the farmer's problem. Their stories were actually really well written with minimal help from me once I helped them through the first page and demonstrated how to turn their notes into a story. We even had time to research cotton more to determine why it's planted in a certain region and we included those facts in the end of the book.

Georgia's 5 Regions Writing Project

SECOND GRADE COMMON CORE BIG BAD STORY

Writing Workshop has been a joy this year. I have a really challenging class due to the different levels of writing they are at but we are doing a lot of higher order thinking and keeping our standards high for all of our students!

They loved MY BIG BAD STORY. After teaching a narrative writing unit this was a really fun way to encourage them to draw and write details to tell a story. Their stories were so awesome! Best of all my kids were engaged the entire time. I was able to easily differentiate the work for students who have a harder time writing and really challenge students who are great writers.

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Common-Core-Writing-Project-Three-Little-Pigs
BIG BAD STORY

Review Second Grade Common Core Standards

TpT Rock Around the Classroom

ROCK AROUND THE CLASSROOM IN ACTION! 

My students love this game! It helps them review the Common Core standard that we are studying. Played like musical chairs without taking any seats away, they answer the question on the board, and then line up to play again! 
 This can be used as a math center or whole group activity. 

Common Core Math Place Value Unit

Here is a blog documenting the adventures in teaching in the year 2012. Sometimes I want to post total hours spent working on lessons and activities and sometimes I want to post how stressful it is to be in charge of so many little hearts and minds.

Instead I will focus on the fun and the positive: The ideas that worked and hopefully someone else can use them also to make things a little easier.


 Right now I am loving ROCK AROUND THE CLASSROOM! Last year my student teacher brought the activity in when we were learning how to read analog clocks to the nearest 5 minutes.
Click here to see the ROCKING AROUND THE CLASSROOM Activity


It's a simple activity where the kids dance around the classroom to music and when the music stops they sit at a desk, answer a review question on a laminated game board and then after I check their answers they line up to rock around the classroom again. I am now using it as a closing activity for our common core math place value unit. It is a great formative assessment and the kids love dancing around the room.