Here is an online store for materials for kids and adults. Check it out!
http://www.wor.com/shopping/#
Friday, December 19, 2008
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Que chulito!
I just found the most adorable site for kiddos in Spanish:
http://us.gusanito.com/esp/
Enjoy!
http://us.gusanito.com/esp/
Enjoy!
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Chocolate Caliente
Ummmm! It's that time of year to get making chocolate caliente. I often make it for my students right before Christmas vacation- they're squirrelly and lessons are going, going, gone! For a class of 18 I use:
1 gallon of milk
2-4 barras of chocolate (Abuelita brand is great or Goya or whatever you have available)
2 cinnamon sticks
1 vanilla bean
1 package of paper coffee cups
Pour milk into a large pot and add the cinnamon sticks, and the vanilla bean. I usually scrape the sticks together a few times before adding and I score the bean lengthwise. Warm the milk without scalding over medium heat. When the milk is warm, add the chocolate bars, continue warming until chocolate has melted, stirring occasionally. When it is ready, pour into a large pitcher and use a molinillo to stir it up. ¡Bate, bate, chocolate!
Serve in the cups. ¡Que delicioso!
*Note: It usually takes about 20-25 minutes for the milk to warm up. I need to do so prior to class as my classes are only 20 minutes long. I suppose if you put the heat up higher it would go more quickly.
1 gallon of milk
2-4 barras of chocolate (Abuelita brand is great or Goya or whatever you have available)
2 cinnamon sticks
1 vanilla bean
1 package of paper coffee cups
Pour milk into a large pot and add the cinnamon sticks, and the vanilla bean. I usually scrape the sticks together a few times before adding and I score the bean lengthwise. Warm the milk without scalding over medium heat. When the milk is warm, add the chocolate bars, continue warming until chocolate has melted, stirring occasionally. When it is ready, pour into a large pitcher and use a molinillo to stir it up. ¡Bate, bate, chocolate!
Serve in the cups. ¡Que delicioso!
*Note: It usually takes about 20-25 minutes for the milk to warm up. I need to do so prior to class as my classes are only 20 minutes long. I suppose if you put the heat up higher it would go more quickly.
Friday, November 21, 2008
Great website!
Check out:
www.elhuevodechocolate.com
Super resources for sayings, proverbs, songs, poems, tongue twisters, word plays, etc.
www.elhuevodechocolate.com
Super resources for sayings, proverbs, songs, poems, tongue twisters, word plays, etc.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Play Money
Play money is a great way to practice a whole host of skills- counting, making change, buying and selling- as well as allowing you to add a cultural element to your activities. If you have a color printer you are all set to print out sets of play money.For my first grade classes, I printed out small copies of Venezuela's Bolívar Fuerte from Google Images, cut them out and put each set in a small ziploc baggie. Each set contained 2 each of the 2, 5, 10, and 1 of the 20 bolívar denominations. I started with just these lower denominations because my first graders can count up to 30, so didn't want denominations that were too high for them to count to.
Our introduction was quite simple- "Show me 5 bolívares" , "Show me 10 bolívares", etc. Each kid had to hold up the correct amount. It becomes more difficult as you give an amount where they have to combine bills to make the correct amount ("Show me 7 bolívares"- 5 +2) Tip: make sure your students understand this concept- talk with the gen ed teachers if you are not sure. Different schools approach addition and money in math class at different times in the curriculum and in different grades. My first graders have experience with working with money, but maybe other schools don't start that skill until second grade. It makes sense to do these activities with students who understand these concepts- you can move a lot faster and in more depth.
Once my students have experience with the various bills, we set up a store with different fruits and vegetables that one could buy in Venezuela. This was a great opportunity to review old vocab and introduce a few new ones. I created prices for products and kids took turns being the vender- first I ask for fruits/ veggies, then the kiddos get a turn. You can take this in a lot of directions- from very simple to more complex depending on the level of your students. I keep the activity simple- 'Two apples, please', etc. Older students could do a lot more with the same type of activity.
Have fun!
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Making Paper Marigolds
Every year my Second Graders make tissue paper marigolds as part of our theme on Days of the Dead. Here are the instructions to make your own with your students:
1) Cut green pipe cleaners in half, making enough so every student will have one. Attach a small piece of green paper into which you have punched a hole to one end, twisting stem around itself so it will stay on. This will serve as a nametag.
2) Take 4-5 pieces of tissue paper, approximately 4 or 5 inches square. I buy them pre-cut from Dick Blick Art Supplies (a catalog-google to find it) or you can buy larger sheets at a craft store and cut the paper down to size. Stack the sheets.
3) Fold the stack in half, creating a rectangle.
4) Fold in half again, taking care to hold onto folded corner in middle of above rectangle.
5) Holding folded corner, cut opposite corner, making a curved cut.
6) To make petals, cut fringe along the curved cut- the more cuts you make, the more petals you will have.
7) Unfold gently.
8) Gently poke the pipe cleaner through the center of each sheet. Doing each sheet separately reduces the possibility of tearing. Bend the end over to keep the sheets from coming off the stem.
8) Scrunch each sheet upwards towards center of flower. Be gentle! I have seen many a flower come off the stem during this last step. Fluff and admire!
1) Cut green pipe cleaners in half, making enough so every student will have one. Attach a small piece of green paper into which you have punched a hole to one end, twisting stem around itself so it will stay on. This will serve as a nametag.
2) Take 4-5 pieces of tissue paper, approximately 4 or 5 inches square. I buy them pre-cut from Dick Blick Art Supplies (a catalog-google to find it) or you can buy larger sheets at a craft store and cut the paper down to size. Stack the sheets.
3) Fold the stack in half, creating a rectangle.
4) Fold in half again, taking care to hold onto folded corner in middle of above rectangle.
5) Holding folded corner, cut opposite corner, making a curved cut.
6) To make petals, cut fringe along the curved cut- the more cuts you make, the more petals you will have.
7) Unfold gently.
8) Gently poke the pipe cleaner through the center of each sheet. Doing each sheet separately reduces the possibility of tearing. Bend the end over to keep the sheets from coming off the stem.
8) Scrunch each sheet upwards towards center of flower. Be gentle! I have seen many a flower come off the stem during this last step. Fluff and admire!
Monday, October 20, 2008
"Pictionary" Sheets
There are many ways to reinforce new vocabulary (or old). Especially at the youngest levels, I really like activities which involve all students at the same time- no time for kiddos to let their attention wander, everyone participates and is part of the activity. One activity I really like in this vein is the use of 'pictionary' sheets- a group of pictures of vocabulary we are working on. This could be anything- colors (as seen in the photo), numbers, family members, fruits, and so on.
These are a great way to work on new vocabulary, building listening comprehension. To use: Pass out one pictionary card to each student (in the photo above, the sheet itself was an activity, coloring the hearts according to color, then used for listening activity). Also pass out manipulatives- little animals, buttons, pebbles, colored pieces of paper, or even candy such as starbursts- one for each kid. The object for the kids is to listen to you, the teacher, as you say a vocab word. They need to then put their manipulative on the picture that corresponds. I usually go through all of the vocab words on the sheet at least once, sometimes twice, mixing it up as I go. As an extension, I then have the kids take turns saying one vocab word, which the rest of us listen to and put our manipulative on the sheet accordingly.
These are also good for quick assessments- I pull kids up one at a time for a comprehension check- "Point to the ____". Then I turn it around and I point to the pictures and the kid says the vocab word.
These are a great way to work on new vocabulary, building listening comprehension. To use: Pass out one pictionary card to each student (in the photo above, the sheet itself was an activity, coloring the hearts according to color, then used for listening activity). Also pass out manipulatives- little animals, buttons, pebbles, colored pieces of paper, or even candy such as starbursts- one for each kid. The object for the kids is to listen to you, the teacher, as you say a vocab word. They need to then put their manipulative on the picture that corresponds. I usually go through all of the vocab words on the sheet at least once, sometimes twice, mixing it up as I go. As an extension, I then have the kids take turns saying one vocab word, which the rest of us listen to and put our manipulative on the sheet accordingly.
These are also good for quick assessments- I pull kids up one at a time for a comprehension check- "Point to the ____". Then I turn it around and I point to the pictures and the kid says the vocab word.
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