Groovy Educator

Last night there were some adorable frogs on our porch.  I filmed one and had fun editing the 30 second movie in iMovie.   Little Frog YouTube Video   It made me think about teaching first grade writing and science.  Children could watch this short clip and discuss/describe the frog's movement.  Also, the children can compare and contrast this frog's movement with that of another animal.  In science one of the topics we study is how animals move.  We read is titled  Move! written by: Robin Page and illustrated by: Steve Jenkins .  The short little clip is a great introduction to the concept of movement before reading the story. Here are a few more resources that may be useful if you are  teaching this topic.  Even though some are geared more towards Kindergarten and Preschool, they're helpful differentiated lessons for struggling students.   Utah Education Network - Animal Mo...

Sorting Rings  Venn Diagrams are a useful tool in just about every subject area.  This tool enables children to compare and contrast objects or concepts.  Graphic organizers help children visualize concepts.  I have a set of the sorting rings pictured above that I absolutely love.  I use them to teach whole group lessons as well as place them in a center for the children to apply what they learned.  I have children either sort objects or words/phrases written on index cards. Suggestions: Reading Compare/Contrast two characters Compare/Contrast two versions of the same story (e.g. The Gingerbread Man) Sort by number of syllables Sort by word endings Math Sort objects by color, size, shape Sort solids by roll, stack, slide Sort numbers by number of digits Sort addition and subtraction problems Science Compare/Contrast two animals (e.g. bird and bat) Compare/Contrast two habitats Compare/Contrast two seasons Social Studies Compare/C...

The majority of these sites are geared towards the primary grades (K-2).  I have used many of these websites in my classroom. Over the course of my career I have taught Kindergarten, First Grade, Second Grade, and ESL classes (aka ESOL, ELL). Please feel free to recommend websites in the comments section.  I will update this list regularly and I am always open to new ideas and suggestions. Just click on the link to view the website in a new window.    PBS Kids Common Core Standards (added Sept.2012)   Free Reading (added Sept.2012)   ReadWriteThink (Courtesy of Lindsey) ABCya.com GameAquarium Primary Games  Seussville AAA Math Cool Math  Math Playground Starfall  Sight Words with Samson  Internet4Classrooms  Mother Goose Caboose  Spelling City  Speakaboos  Storyline Online Tumble Books Book Adventure  National Geographic Kids Discovery Science Ele...