Test Incentives and Motivational Ideas

It is that time again...time for state testing! In order to get my students motivated and ready to ace the test, I always spend time prepping for their incentives. A few years ago I began to keep a log of the incentives I would use with my students. I finally compiled them into a fabulous go-to resource to make my prep time shorter. 

Here are some examples of incentives I have given to my students. 

Because my students begin to test next week, I am going to give this resource to one lucky winner. The rules to enter...(1) You must leave a comment on this post with your email address and (2) Share this on either Pinterest or Facebook (if you don't have either, tell a friend). I will choose a winner on Sunday at 3:00 PM Eastern Standard Time. I will post the winner, and I will email the winner the resource. Make sure you comment with your email address and spread the word. 

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Easter Grammar Packet GIVEAWAY!

Hi, everyone! It's Blair from One Lesson at a Time. I've always been a lover of words. Reading them, writing them, putting them together, taking them apart....I just love words. So, teaching grammar has never been a chore for me - in fact, I love finding ways to make grammar fun for students! I've even been known to sneak a little grammar work into a math lesson. {Insert evil teacher laugh here.} You can click on the picture below to see more about how I incorporated parts of speech and sentence construction into a multiplication lesson:

Over the course of this school year, I've been working on a series of grammar packets that I am kind of in love with. :) They are aligned with Common Core standards for 3rd and 4th grade and go along with holidays/seasonal events throughout the year. I just finished my Easter grammar packet and I am going to give one away to an All Things Upper Elementary reader!

                 

Here's a peek at what's inside:

-Student cover page

-Easter Adjectives

-Easter Traditions (Identifying Singular/Plural Nouns)

-Hunting for Prepositional Phrases!

-A Basket Full of Possessive Nouns

-Easter Around the World (Mixed Grammar Review/Parts of Speech)

-Decorating Abstract Noun Eggs

-Cracking Down on Plural Nouns

-Comparative and Superlative Adjectives

-A Collection of Collective Nouns

-Color by Code: Present and Past Tense Verbs

-Easter Scramble (Create Your Own Sentences)

-Answer Keys for ALL Pages

If you want to score your own copy, make sure to enter the Rafflecopter down below! There are a few different options for entries - choose one, or choose them all to increase your odds. The Rafflecopter will be open until Thursday at midnight. 

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Thanks so much for stopping by the blog today! Until next time...

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Easy Decimal Game: This Means War!

Right before our February vacation, my fourth graders started decimals.  To start out, I always find it's easiest to equate decimals with money.  .50 is 5 tenths just as it's 5 dimes, and .05 is 5 hundredths just as it's 5 pennies.  They understand that; it's those pesky zeroes that throw them for a loop!  So to practice seeing decimals concretely (and relating them to fractions) we played Decimal War!

The game is easy if you have decimal cards.  Notice that in fourth grade we use units that are divided into tenths and hundredths (there are also thousandths in this set which are great for kids who like a challenge).

The basic directions for Decimal War are:

1. Shuffle the cards. 
2. Deal the cards so that each person has the same number of cards.  Note:  the number of red and green cards each person has does not matter.
3. Players should NOT look at their cards.  
4. Both players flip over their top card at the same time.
5. Determine who has the most shaded area.  That person wins both cards.
6. In the event of a tie, both players will place their next 3 cards face down, and choose 1 of those to simultaneously flip over.  The winner takes all 8 cards.
7. The object of the game is to finish with the most cards.

In this regard, the game is just like the traditional card game of War.  But now comes the math part!

Each player needs to create a T chart with their names at the top.  They write the card they flipped over in decimal form.  Finally, they need to write < > or = in the center to compare who had the greater amount.

This type of War Card Game is easily adapted to fractions, negative numbers, numbers of varying place values, coins, or anywhere that comparing or ordering numbers enters into your curriculum.  I love when I can reuse a format and save time teaching new directions (if the particular class loves it).

[Update: 3/16, I had a request through TPT's Q&A to make this a product.  If you would like a version that includes the cards and is ready to print, I have it for $4 here:  Decimal War Card Game]


If you're looking for more fun math games (or other resources) for your kiddos, you should know that Teachers Pay Teachers is having one of their HUGE sales this Thursday and Friday (2/27-2/28).  You can save up to 28% in most stores with promo code TPT3.  To help celebrate right here at All Things Upper Elementary, we're giving away TWO $25 gift certificates for TPT.  Just click the graphic below so you can enter.  That $25 will go a lot further this week, so don't miss out!   

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Did Someone Say Sale....and a Giveaway?!

Hello friends! Teacherspayteachers is having another one of its annual (and amazing sales). In the spirit of the sale, we at ATUE wanted to do a easy giveaway as an opportunity to give you some extra cash to shop in the form of a TPT gift certificate.

Before we get to the giveaway, lets check out some of the favorite products from our bloggers at ATUE. (Hint...you will need to comment about one of them as part of the giveaway!)

Blogger: Blair Turner

I created this resource as a quick and easy way to help keep track of of my students’ progress. There is an assessment for each Common Core math standard, as well as all the resources you need to track class data and individual student progress

Blogger: MissMathDork

Pi day is just around the corner! This differentiated bundle includes both Area and Circumference of a circle with an embedded craftivity! There are 14 problems for each Tier (3 tiers Area and 3 tiers for Circumference). This activity is ideal for stations, independent or partner practice, or formative assessment. On the answer sheet students should write the heart number, show their work, and give their answer.

Blogger: Jen Bengel

Teach grammar and mechanics for the month of March with these daily printables! Instead of correcting poorly written sentences, invite students to notice what works in well written sentences! These sentences are so much fun and your kids will love them! 

Blogger: CreatedbyMr.Hughes

There are literature response projects, and then there are literature response projects like this!
With TWENTY-FIVE, yes, 25 informative components that are both 3D and flat, your are sure to have a show stopping and informational display that will make you the envy of the school!
And, because the mobile pieces can also be used in an interactive reading journal, this purchase will give you a LOT of options for use in your classroom! 



Blogger: Fourth Grade Studio

This resource has been an idea in the back of my brain for a long time. Teaching mathematical behaviors is as important a part of what I do with my students as teaching them the math content. One thing I have noticed is that students coming to me often are lacking the "perseverance" needed to successfully tackle new and challenging problems. Over time, I have refined my own definition of what "perseverance" means and have worked hard to teach my students how to be energized, thoughtful mathematicians. I am hoping that you find this resource helpful for you and your grade 4-6 students as well! The unit has a ton of stuff--but the heart of the unit is the 24 high level problems that will really test your students' ability to apply these new problem solving skills. Some of the problems have many solutions. Others are tricky to read and interpret. Others require them to simply "dig in" and start guessing and checking!

Blogger: Jennifer Findley

This resource (available for 4th and 5th grade) contains 9 Common Core Aligned Math Centers directly aligned to the standards for that grade level. Take a break from the usual stressful test prep, and let the students have some fun with these centers. They will be preparing for the big test without even realizing it.

Blogger: Deb Hanson

Are you looking for some engaging ELA activities to keep your students focused on standards as spring fever sets in? This craftivity bundle contains three separate resources: Idiom Craftivity for Saint Patrick's Day, Fact and Opinion Craftivity for March Madness, and a Parts of Speech Craftivity to mark the beginning of spring! An added bonus: these (and all!) craftivities create eye-catching bulletin boards and hallway displays!

Blogger: Two Brainy Apples

Easily integrate reading and geography with my interactive notebook Geo Journeys! This edition focuses on significant women in history. Perfect for Women's History Month coming up in March. Students will read informational text about 8 women, complete an interactive organizer for each one, answer Close Read questions, geographical questions, and can complete one of the 3 included writing prompts: narrative, informational, opinion. Activities can be completed either whole group, small group, or independently. Made for grades 4-6.


Blogger: Right Down the Middle with Andrea

Writing is made simple by incorporating this engaging topics into your writing time. You will receive 120 journal prompts in this January-June Writing Bundle. The journal prompts come in two formats. One way is to create a mini-journal with all of the prompts for each month. The other way is a cut-and-paste method where you simply copy the number of topic strips you need for your students, cut the strips, and then tape or paste the topic strips into your students' journals. Your students will love the topics! In addition to the journal prompts, there are 18 essay topics complete with topic sheet/pre-writing organizer, drafting sheets, and a scoring rubric.   

 

Blogger: 4mulafun

Dividing with Whole Numbers seems to continue to be a struggle for students in upper elementary and even into middle school for some. This flippable works students through the process of setting up a division problem, identifying the quotient, dividend and divisor and working through the steps to solve for the correct answer with or without remainders. Added into this packet is also practice for dividing within word problems with three and four digit dividend for more real-world practice.


Blogger: 2 Peas and a Dog Blog

This product will add spice your reading program. No more boring book reports! Students will have a choice of what to read and guidance on how to choose the right book in a specific genre.

Blogger: Amber Thomas

Poetry Month is coming, but with Common Core, who has time for a whole month? In developing this unit I thought about what I learned about "Power Standards" this year in the ELA curriculum committee I serve on for my district. I asked myself, "What do my students need in order to access poetry for the test, and for later on in life?" I wouldn't be able to turn all my kiddos into amazing poets in two weeks, but this mini unit everything they need to know about poetry in fourth grade.

Now that you have let us share some of our favorite resources with you, let's get to the giveaway! Two lucky winners will each win a $25 TpT gift certificate to shop! To enter, all you need to do is:

1.   "Like " ATUE on Facebook.
2. Comment below on one of the featured products. You can comment one that you have and how you are using it, one that is on your wishlist, or one that you would like to add to your wishlist.

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January Writing Bundle Winners!!!

Congratulations to the winners of the January Writing Bundle! 

I had help from my daughter this morning. She drew three names of readers who left a comment with an email address. I was also babysitting my nephew while my sister went to work out (which is what I need to do, too). Well, he wanted to draw three names as well. And so he did. 

We doubled the number of winners! The writing bundles have already been emailed to the winners. Thank you for entering and reading our blog! 

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A New Year...Freebie

It's a new year, everyone! I trust everyone has had a wonderful, relaxing break. I know I have enjoyed relaxing a little and spending time with my family. This week I have been busy gearing up for the journey back to school. We start back on the 6th with a Teacher Workday. The students return on January 7th.

In celebration of ringing in a new year, I am giving away my January Writing Bundle to three lucky readers. To enter, simply leave a comment on this post with your email address. I will randomly select three winners from the comments.

January Writing Bundle

For everyone else looking for something for the kiddos to do when they return, I have a freebie It's a New Year {Writing Activity} ready for your to download. Don't forget to enter the giveaway! I will choose a winner on Saturday morning.

I wish everyone a Happy New Year! 

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Happy 2014!

Hey everyone!  It's only the second day of the new year and I don't know about you, but my year has been fantastic so far! I feel relaxed and ready to return to school tomorrow.  I miss my fabulous fifthies and I can't wait to hear all about what they did over the winter break!  I spent time reading, organizing, watching movies, catching up on my favorite shows, and working on resources for my classroom.  I know some of you may want activities to do with your students this first week back.  I know I need them!  I have included two pages out of my latest resource, "Cheers to a New Year" for you as a little gift to help you get back into the swing of things at school.

 

 

 

 

Oh, did I mention that right now I have a {GIVEAWAY} going on over at my blog?  You can win one of two great prizes: a $20 gift certificate to TeachersPayTeachers or 14 resources from my store! Come on over and join in the fun! I'd love to have you! Just click on the link below to enter.

 

 

I hope your year is a great one filled with much joy and success!  Happy 2014 and thanks for following ATUE!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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FALLing into a Giveaway!

Happy weekend! The bloggers at All Things Upper Elementary are FALLing into a Giveaway just for you!

Some of us have come together and hidden a "Secret Fall Phrase" in our blog posts to share with you what we love most about Fall.

Here is what YOU need to do to enter. 

1. Click on the links below to visit each blogger's blog. Read through their post and look for this phrase, "The part I like best about Fall is _________." 


2. Keep a list of each of the 11 words. Come back and enter them in the first entry of the rafflecopter like this: leaves, weather, etc. Then complete as many of the other entries as you can to get an even higher chance of winning the prize!

So, what is the prize? We will be drawing for TWO $25 gift certificates to spend on TeachersPayTeachers. So 2 of our fabulous readers will have a chance to get some extra resources for their classroom! What are you waiting for? Start clicking and reading! Just click on the blog name below and find the word!

Meg at Fourth Grade Studio

Blair at One Lesson at a Time

Deb at Crafting Connections

Jennifer F. at Teaching to Inspire in 5th

John at An Educator's Life

Heather at 2 Brainy Apples

Jamie at MissMathDork

Amber at Shut the Door and Teach

Andrea at Right Down the Middle

Jennifer S. at 4mulafun 

Leanne B. at Leanne Baur's Creative Classroom

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Beat the Back to School Blues Giveaway! Win Over 50 Grades 3-6 Resources!

 Hello friends! We are approaching back to school season! Our friends at All Things Upper Elementary have a Huge Giveaway planned for you!

 

 We have separated the amazing resources by Math, ELA, and Back to School Resources. Enter the subject(s) you teach or enter them all!

Grades 3-6 Math Resources:

1. Order Up Math Bundle from John Hughes (10 Sets)
2. Grades 4-5 Word Problems Bundle from Meg Anderson(4 Sets)
3. Graphing: Interactive Graphic Organizer and Poster Set from Amy Alvis
4. Flippables Template Mega Pack: Personal Use from 4Mulafun
5. 3rd Grade Math Assessments: Complete Collection from Blair Turner (All 5 Domains)
6. Measurement Wars Bundled: Length, Capacity, and Mass from Miss Math Dork (3 Sets)
7. How To Be a Good Mathematician Posters from Miss Math Dork
8. August Common Core Daily Math Review for 4th Grade from Two Brainy Apples
8. Math Common Core Task Cards Complete Collection: 5th Grade from Jennifer Findley (20 sets)

 WOW! That is a total of 8 Sets and 45 Individual Resources!

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Grades 3-6 ELA Resources:

1. Launching the Reading and Writing Workshops from Jen Bengel (Grades 3-6 available- you choose the grade!)
2. Write with Me Journal from Andrea Bentley
3. 150 Journal Writing Prompts from Common Core and So Much More
4. Flippables Template Mega Pack: Personal Use from 4Mulafun
5. Close Read Question Stems for Literature and Informational Texts from 2 Brainy Apples
6. Dog Theme Poster Bundle from The Peanut Gallery (5 Poster Sets)
7. Common Core Weekly Reading Set for 4th and 5th Grades: 36 Texts from Jennifer Findley (9 sets)
8. Common Core Reading/ELA Binder Covers and Spine Labels

That is 8 resources for a total of 20 Individual Resources!
 
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 Back to School Resources

1. Back to School Hollywood Style from The Peanut Gallery
2. Back to School Mobile from John Hughes
3. Back to School Writing Prompts from Jennifer Findley
4. Getting to Know You Project Kit from John Hughes
5. Back to School Reading and Writing Comprehension Questions from Jennifer Findley
6. Editable Chevron Covers and Spine Labels by Amy Alvis
7. Flippables Template Mega Pack: Personal Use from 4Mulafun
8. Gather Your School Supplies Relay: A Template to Make Your Own Relay From Miss Math Dork


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Good luck and we hope you have a great back to school! 

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