Step into STEM!

Hey all, it's Denise from Sunny Days in Second Grade!

I've heard the term STEM being thrown around quite a lot over the past couple of years. I knew it stood for Science Technology Engineering and Math. And that's about all I knew. So I started researching a bit more and found that it wasn't some big, abstract, scary thing. It's actually a completely doable, fun way for your kids to experiment, collaborate, and problem solve. One of the most popular challenges is the Spaghetti Tower (sometimes called Marshmallow Tower) challenge. In fact, there's a whole website devoted to it, including a really, really interesting TED talk.

All you need for this one are some basic supplies. I put them each in a tin tray just so that I could prepare them ahead of time and have it all ready to go. The tape is the only tricky one. I measured out a yard and stuck it lightly on each table. The kids just ripped or cut off what they wanted as they needed it. You can click here download the document you see below.

It's as simple as that! They can do whatever they want with the supplies they are given, but they can't get any additional supplies. So if they turn all of their tape into an unusable bundle, they have to figure out a solution. The only rule is that the structure must be free standing at the end of the challenge and the marshmallow has to be supported on top. If your kids crave rules and directions like mine, this will be tough. They wanted to ask a million "what if' and "can we" questions. That in itself was a great challenge for them to overcome. They get 18 minutes, which can either feel like an eternity or the blink of an eye depending on how effective the team collaborates together. I used this online stopwatch and projected it on the board so they could always see where they were with time. I was calling out time checks for them, but they were not a fan, so I just let the timer do its thing.

At the end of the challenge, we only had two standing towers. They all tried to basically do the same thing and stick all the strands of spaghetti to the table somehow. Finally one group thought about how to use the string to secure it. I was really rather shocked at their results. I didn't see a lot of risk taking or experimenting. It made me realize just how important these types of challenges and explorations are. 

So after we were done, we talked about what went right and what went wrong. We talked about other things they could try. I asked them what supply they thought was most important and which one they would double if they could. Most importantly, I asked them if they wanted to try it again - and the answer was a resounding YES!

So the next day, we tried it again. But this time we had an additional supply - ten mini-marshmallows. The addition of this new supply combined with their previous experience really amped things up!

This simple activity was so amazing to watch unfold. They had to call on so many different general skills and principles and they had to do it together, which is a big focus at our school. I thought I would be impressed by their efforts on the first day, but I really wasn't. I'm so glad I gave them a second chance, because the growth and risk-taking increased dramatically over just one day. Imagine what it will be like next year when my kids get to participate in a challenge like this every week!

I'm determined to make this a focus in my room next year. I've been collecting some ideas on a new Pinterest board if you want to follow along. Just click HERE.

1

Rigorous, Fun Centers with Zero Prep Time!

Hey friends - Denise from SunnyDays here!

So, one night after spending endless hours printing, cutting laminating and sorting things for the upcoming week, I honestly started to think there has got to be a better way! Now at the same time,  I've been mulling over the fact that we were recently told by a common core implementation team that we need to bump up the rigor of our independent centers. I honestly can't argue with them there.

So true story, later that night while in the shower, inspiration struck me like a thunderbolt! I think I figured out a way to make at least some of my centers easier to prep while providing both rigor and engaging activities for the kids. I'm calling them EZ Prep See-it Centers. EZ Prep for you, See-it for the kids. All you have to do is print out ONE page for the center and and answer sheet for the kids - and done! This is from the preview, it explains the whole idea. You can download the preview here.

Since that original post, I've created EZ Prep Centers for  Beach and Camping, Fall,  Winter Fun, Bowling and Day at the Park, Pirate Adventure and Undersea Fantasy and a FREE Back to School version.

Here's a peek at my newest set, which happens to be my favorite. It's a great one to use at any point in the year and it's going to captivate both boys and girls with the fantasy scenes.

All you have to do is make one color copy of the scene you decide to work with first and then copy the ELA or Math answer sheet for the kids. That's it! Each set contains 2 ELA and 2 Math centers, so really if you use one a week, it will last you all month. These also work great for an early finisher activity. I also have one in my emergency sub folder with the directions to project the scene and let the kids collaborate on the answer sheet. That, by the way, is a great method to introduce the centers to the kids for the first time.

Along with the scene and answer sheets for the kids, I've also created answer keys for you with possible answers. These are really valuable to help you train the kids for how to find what they're looking for. It may be odd at first for a kid to try to list 10 verbs they see when there are no words in the picture! They pick it up fast though and this center has a ridiculously high engagement factor compared to matching cards and writing sets of answers.

Hope you dig this idea as much as I do. I'd love to know what you think!

0

Stepping into S.T.E.M

Hey friends! Denise here from Sunny Days in Second Grade.

Our entire second grade team has been slowly incorporating S.T.E.M projects into our monthly plans. At first, the term S.T.E.M sounded a little daunting, but after a bit of research I found that it's actually quite easy to bring these engaging, hands-on experiences into the classroom.

S.T.E.M of course, stands for Science Technology Engineering and Math. Not all components of S.T.E.M will be incorporated into each activity. Most that I've found seem to be heavily focused on engineering. I've been collecting some great ideas and products on Pinterest if you want to take a look-see.

Follow Denise Boehm's board STEM on Pinterest.

So this year we started out with the cup stacking challenge. It's quite deceptive! It really seems to be an easy task, until you get started and you realize just how much thought and planning is involved. And how one false move can bring you right back to square one!

For this challenge, I broke up the kids into groups of three. Each group got 40 small plastic cups and they had 10 minutes to construct the tallest tower they could using all of the cups. That's it! Easier said than done though. We had lots of collapses and lots of rebuilding - and lots of fun!

In the end, we also had a standing tower from each team. Success!

You'll notice from the picture above that the towers were all almost identical in design. So after we put away the supplies, we talked about ways that we might do things a bit differently next time. I guided them towards thinking of different shaped bases, besides the pyramid. The next day, we tried it again. Same teams, same goal, same supplies, but we now had the experience from the first attempt and what we learned from our discussion. Our results were a bit different this time around:

Notice the round base on this one!

You can see that this experience took very little planning and prep time other than grabbing some plastic cups during my weekly shopping trip (which can be shared by many classes). After this first S.T.E.M. experience, my kids are hooked! Our plan is to incorporate one challenge a month and then at the end of the year invite the parents into the room to complete a challenge with us.

You can read a little more about another popular S.T.E.M challenge I completed with my class last year on my blog. I tried it on a whim for a fun end of the year activity and I knew immediately I wanted it to be a big part of my classroom this year. Give it a try and let me know how it goes!

2

Day 6 giveaway with Fern and Denise!

Today I bring you two teacher legends!

Fern from Fern Smith's Classroom Ideas

Denise from Sunny Days

These gals are da bomb diggity! Like Barney says...Legendary! Like when I see that brown owl, I know it's Fern Smith! Plus I know you know about Freebie Friday!

Fern has over 350 products in her shop, so there is definitely something for everyone here! I love her bundled math games! Tons of options for meeting common core standards! 

I have "known" Denise since I became a 2nd grade teacher 4 years ago. Her Tasty Tuesday made me stop crying about moving to a lower grade! I mean, eating at school! Yes, please! And her name glyph is the very first activity I ever did in second grade! But her easy prep centers are the bestest thing ever! I hope she makes lots more!

Tomorrow we begin the last half of giveaways! Remember the winners are announced on our facebook page!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

3

Denise from Sunny Days!

Hi Friends!
I think I might be the very last blogger to introduce myself, so let's not waste any time. I'm Denise from...

I'm a coffee drinking, beach loving, multi-tasking teacher in South Florida. My first official day back to work is today, which also marks the start of my 20th year in the classroom. What?? I know...I don't look old enough, right? RIGHT? It's ok. I've accepted it... C'est La Vie!

Over on my blog, which you can find HERE, I really try to keep things positive and upbeat. With times being what they are for teachers, I needed to find my way back to the things I love about teaching or I was seriously considering a career change. My blog was my way back. Although not every day is sunshine and roses, I use my blog to focus on the good stuff: the fun ideas, the cute things the kids say and do, decorating my room, and making and sharing resources that make our lives easier. I'd love for you to stop by and visit!

Speaking of making our lives easier, I have a fantastic EXCLUSIVE freebie to share with you. It's a special back to school version of my EZ Prep Centers.

By the end of last year, I just couldn't imagine printing, cutting, laminating, and re-cutting one more little thing. And strange as it might sound,  I was mulling this over in the shower and I had a vision of these types of centers. It was one of those lightening bolt moments that don't come along too often, so I raced out of the shower and started working on it right away before I forgot my grand vision. {Remember, I'm old. I have to strike while the iron is hot.}

The result was a set of centers that required minimal teacher prep (like NO laminating, NO cutting) and still offered the kids that "rigor" that we all need to provide. Just print or project a copy of the picture and give your students a copy of the accompanying handout. That's it! The file contains a complete description, two full centers, rationale and links to more centers. Just click HERE to download from Google Docs. Enjoy!

10