Activities for 2nd Grade
Post-it Hidden Message Board
Submitted by: Mary Beth
June 24th, 2010
Categories: 1st Grade | 2nd Grade | 3rd Grade | 4th Grade | 5th Grade | 6th Grade | Reading & Writing
Estimated Time: 60+ minutes
Description: I created a Post-it® hidden message board to help encourage my summer school students to read. Each time they read a book and successfully completed a reading activity (story map,timeline, or graphic organizer) on their story they remove a Post-it from the board to reveal a part of the hidden message. In order to completely reveal the message, the class had to read 100 books in all. My students were very excited to see the message unfold and were able to meet their goal prior to the end of our summer school session. This was a positive activity that allowed every student to participate regardless of their reading level or the number of books they read. I will reuse the post-its to set another goal for my regular class in the fall.
Morning Response
Submitted by: Cathie
June 15th, 2010
Categories: 2nd Grade | Classroom Management | History | Language Arts | Math | Reading & Writing | Science
Estimated Time: 0-10 minutes
Description: My students start their day with a prompt on a large chart paper. They then write their response and name on the Post-it® and place it on the chart. Sometimes the chart requires them to place the Post-it as part of a bar graph, or they may be used for students to share out what they have learned about a various topic in social studies or science. We sort them in various ways, use the responses to do math problems including addition, subtraction, mode, range, etc. This activity has been great to get my second graders writing, without having to worry about spelling. It also allows them to share something about themselves each day. They are always anxious to hear everyone's response when we go over them later in the day. This activity also is nice because it gives them something to do as soon as they walk in. I can then submit attendance and lunch count to the office while they busily get their post-it ready.
Question Summary Parking Lot
Submitted by: Donna
June 10th, 2010
Categories: 1st Grade | 2nd Grade | 3rd Grade | 4th Grade | 5th Grade | 6th Grade | 7th Grade | 8th Grade | Art | Classroom Management | ESL | History | Language Arts | Math | Music | Reading & Writing | Science | Special Education
Estimated Time: 0-10 minutes
Description: During class, students jot down questions on Post-it® Notes that I don't answer or don't answer well enough. At the end of class, all students place a Post-it note on the "Parking Lot" on the board. If a student does not have a question, they write "no question" on their note. I collect these notes and answer all questions during my lesson summary. High school students are very self-conscious about asking questions in front of their peers. Since everyone puts a note on the board, no one knows who had questions and who did not.
Genres of a Different Color
Submitted by: Carrie
June 8th, 2010
Categories: 1st Grade | 2nd Grade | 3rd Grade | 4th Grade | 5th Grade | 6th Grade | 7th Grade | 8th Grade | ESL | Language Arts | Reading & Writing | Special Education
Estimated Time: 60+ minutes
Description: It is important for students to learn about the different genres of literature. Using the 6 colors from each assorted colored Post-it® Note, I make a chart with the students to place up on the wall of the classroom. It would look like this: Pastels Oceanside Drama Bashful Fable Butter Fairy Tale Citrene Fantasy Glacier Fiction Heather Fiction in Verse Brights Lipstick Folklore Lime Historical Fiction Cosmic Horror Sunshine Humor Lucky Legend Nantucket Mystery Jewel Tones Cheeky Mythology Crimson Poetry Golden Realistic Fiction Evergreen Science Fiction Cobalt Short Story Majestic Tall Tale Earth Tones Jungle Biography/Autobiography White Essay Cream Narrative Nonfiction Sand Nonfiction Cocoa A play This activity involves categorizing each book that is in the classroom or that comes into the classroom. When a teacher introduces a book that she is going to read, or when a student selects a library book, or even for a larger activity of going through a self of books in the room----the students will try to guess the genre that the book is and when it is correctly identified a Post-it Note will be placed in the book. Take a Post-it Note (select the correct color for the genre from the chart in the room) and place it on the inside of the book cover with only 1/2 inch showing above the pages. Select a student to write the correct genre on the Post-it note and leave it in the book. Eventually all of your in classroom library books will be categorized and by the end of the school year---guaranteed---each student should have an excellent grasp of the different genres of literature. The students may want to Post-it label their own books at home. The students enjoy being "genre detectives" as they try to figure out the genres for each book. Some books may have more than one genre. This activity can be used in all of the grades as well as in Special Education and Title 1 Reading rooms. You will be amazed at how quickly they will catch on to the different genres of literature.
Giving Tree
Submitted by: Dana
June 3rd, 2010
Categories: 1st Grade | 2nd Grade | 3rd Grade | 4th Grade | 5th Grade | Reading & Writing
Estimated Time: 20-30 minutes
Description: Read aloud The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein. Create a poster size tree. Hand out apple shaped die-cut Post-it® Notes. Have students write ways they can give to their classmates and community. Keep the tree up all year and add ideas.
