Ruck's Rodeo

Mrs. Ruck's Second Grade Class


Saturday, August 23, 2014

Kagan Mix-Pair-Share

Hi friends!  Up next is another goodie that I found on Pinterest to practice our weekly reading skill, problem and solution.  Click here to get your FREE copy from Ashley's store on TPT.

Since I'm quite obsessed with Kagan strategies I thought that this would be so perfect as a Mix-Pair-Share.  The beauty of Kagan is that you teach the strategy once and can use it for any lesson/subject after that.  I'm a huge fan and have included the steps from Mrs. Rio's blog.

I've used Mix-Pair-Share for years and the children LOVE it because they get the opportunity to get out of their seat to learn.  It also entails music and communication, which seems to always put everyone in the best of moods (especially those Chatty Kathys!)

Check out the lost shoe!  I guess he was having too much fun to notice!
In this specific lesson, I had already introduced how to identify a problem/solution in a story on the previous day.  So we took it to the next level by applying this skill to our own lives.  If you notice in the handout, the students might be given a problem such as: the music is too loud during assembly.  They would then mix around the room to the music (or dance) and find a partner when the music stops.  The next step is to talk to their partner about the different solutions for that particular problem and record it in the blank box.  A particular response may have been: cover my ears with my hands.




Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Scoot!

Let's face it.  We all need to get up and move around to stay focused.  My kids need it and I certainly do too.  This simple activity was one of my absolute favorites this year.  Hence the title, it was called Scoot.  The best thing about Scoot is that you teach the steps one time and for the remainder of the year you can use Scoot to review or practice ANY subject.  That's right...supa dupa EASY.  I originally found this gem on Pinterest and used it in this specific lesson to review subtraction.  Here are the simple rules of Scoot:

Teacher:
1. Cut out cards and place one on each desk in numerical order
2. Model, Model, Model how the students will move from desk to desk
3. Call out "SCOOT!" after a few minutes (sufficient time for students to complete problem and find a solution)

Students:
1. Grab a clipboard, blank scoot board, and pencil (with an eraser of course!)
2. Stand behind a desk with a card
3. Solve the problem on the card
4. Find the corresponding number on their scoot board and record answer
5. Move to the next numbered desk when teacher calls out "SCOOT!"

*Sidenote: You'll see my students using dry erase boards to solve their subtraction in the picture below.  However, in the past I have allowed them to simply write their problem directly on the desk with a dry erase marker.  We like to change things up in our classroom.*

The possibilities are endless my friends! I have used Scoot to review place value, comparing numbers, rhyming words, finding the missing digraph, vocabulary, and parts of speech.  Surprisingly, the hardest part was figuring out how to scoot to the next numbered desk.  My silly kiddos had to practice just the movement several times before we actually started.  They loved every second though.  I even heard some cuties pies say, "This is the best day everrrr!"  Hey I'll take that any day!