Summer Standards Day 1

I was chosen to attend the Summer Standards Training for the next three days along with several others from my school. A week or two ago, I got a few emails from a lady containing some documents that we would be using at the training and I began to get excited. I am attending the training to gather information and ideas for English/Language Arts K-2. When I opened the attachments from the emails, I found great ideas for teaching the new standards. One of the ideas that really stood out (in fact, I had already shared it with another teacher before today) was a lesson called Punctuanno's Cafe. You decorate the room to look like a cafe by spreading inexpensive, red and white table clothes on the tables or student pods. You can also use those candles you put in the window at Christmas that run on batteries to place on each table/pod. The teacher puts on an apron that has a large period, exclamation mark, and exclamation mark on it (you can adjust this for whatever punctuation you are teaching/reviewing). To hook the students, she tells them that today they are going to Punctuanno's Cafe and ask if they can tell something about the things they see on Punctuanno's apron. This leads into a class review of the punctuation marks and when to use them. The teacher then explains that the students will be given a paper plate, sentences, and noodles. They will not be eating at the Cafe today, but putting the correct marks at the end of each sentence. They glue the sentences to the plate and then use noodles and beans to make the marks. This idea came from our presenter, Vanessa Ritter, who teaches 2nd grade in Rutherford County. She suggested having the students get their materials and then find a spot in the room to sit back-to-back with a partner and complete the activity on their own. When they have finished with their own plate, they reach around and pat their partner's arm and ask if they are finished yet. When both partners are finished, they face one another and discuss and compare their answers. Once both partners agree on the answers, they say "check please" and raise their hands for the teacher to check their plates. This not only attacks the Language standard, but also Communication. This picture is the plate the students will create. I have gotten so many super ideas from our presenter and I plan to be sharing many, many more with you, but there are too many to put in one post. Thanks so much to Vanessa Ritter for a wonderful day and so many wonderful ideas to make learning fun!!!