Emmy Mac's Class: Trade and Grade with Ms. Landers' Class

For this month's Trade and Grade I hooked up with Kim Lander from Splish Splash Ms. Lander's Class.

I had the privilege to review her Splish! Splash! An Ocean Unit. Oh my goodness this package is amazing!!!!

This package is over 100 pages of AWESOME!!! Kim starts off this unit by giving you a variety of CAN/HAVE/ARE Graphic Organizers for many different ocean creatures, Titles for the Anchor Charts, and Venn Diagrams.

To begin this unit we brainstormed as a class the different types of creatures that live in the ocean. Many of the creatures that we brainstormed, were included on in Kim's Ocean Life unit.

Language Centres

Kim includes 3 Language centres for your students to work through. My kiddos absolutely loved the centres.

Centre #1: Fishy Wish

In this centre students sorted the different words by deciding whether the -sh sounds was in the beginning, middle or end of the word.

What I Love

I love the fact that Kim included 20 words in this centre. It is the perfect number, not too many, it's just right. I like that each card included the word as well as the visual to help my little readers. It allowed everyone to be successful at this centre which is key! I also love that Kim included a page for students to write the words down in the correct column.

Centre #2 Whale's Tail

We have been talking a lot about word families lately, and how sometimes a word that rhymes doesn't always have the same spelling. So this was the perfect centre to reinforce this concept with my students. In this centre students worked together to sort the words by their ending (-ale and -ail)

What I Love

Again, I loved that Kim included beautifully clear pictures (clip art) that helped students determine what the words were. Some of these words, my students were not familiar with i.e. quail, but the majority of them were able to figure it out by using their "Eagle Eyes" and the fact that it was a rhyming word.

Centre #3 Alphabetical Order

In this centre students put the adorable ocean word cards in ABC order. This was the favourite centre for most of my class.

What I Love

I love that this activity can be differentiated for different learners in my class. Kim included 28 words which allowed me to pick the the words I wanted my students to work on. I chose to use 20 words with my kiddos. But, she also includes sheets for 12 and 24. I also appreciate that she included the visual for each of the words.

Math Centres

So not only does Kim include 3 great Language Centres but she also includes 3 amazing math centres as well!

Centre #1 Swimming Into Place Value

This game was one of my students' favourites. Students pick a card make that number out of base ten blocks, then they spin the spinner to add or subtract a number. Students determine the answer by deciding if they need to regroup.

What I Love

We have been working on place value so this was the perfect activity to consolidate their learning. Kim includes 2 options for this game, both addition and subtraction. Again a perfect opportunity for differentiation. Some of my students played the addition game and some of my students decided to play the subtraction game.

Centre #2 Comparing Numbers

In this activity students flip over two cards. They then compare whether the number is greater than, less than, or equal to. The cards that Kim included have a variety of number representations, i.e. base ten, tens frames, addition sentences to 20 and the numbers.

What I Love

I love that Kim included different representations for the numbers. This activity was great for building number fluency. My students especially loved the adorable clam shells that they used to show less than, more than, and equal to.

Centre #3 Beach Time

In Beach Time students match the half past analog clock to the digital clock and then record their answers.

What I Love

I loved that the students were not overloaded with cards to match. Half past is one of the hardest times for most of my students, so I love that they are just practicing the half past. I also like how this game encourages students to self check.

Overall Things That I Love

I love how easy it was to set up. Print, Cut, Laminate and Play.
I love that her instructions have graphics so the students can figure out what to do themselves.

I love that all of her math centres are multi-strand! Which is great for review and consolidation.
I love that she included a book list to help getting us started with the unit. I also appreciate that many of them were books that my students could read themselves.