1-2-3 Come Do Some More Coin Activities With Me

The more opportunities you give students to experience coins, the better chance they have of latching on to some sort of comparison, fact or piece of trivia that will help them identify the coins. 

Making the Coin Autograph Booklet is a fun way to do that.  Run off copies for all of your students, or simply make one for yourself and share your teacher’s copy with them.

I did a bit of research to see if I could find the the President’s signatures, and found them extremely interesting. Washington and Jefferson wrote with feather quills, so set up a center activity where your students can write their name with a feather-dipped in paint.  

I did this for a Constitution Day activity and have a template for that you can use.  Click on the link to view/download the quill page from Activities For Constitution Day.

To get some name writing practice in, include an extra page with the booklet and have students collect some autographs of their friends, or to expedite things, have each student sign one paper, and  run off copies for everyone, entitled Your Classmate’s Autographs. Click on the link to view/download the Coin Autograph Booklet.

Set up a center with these 6 coin puzzles and help your students practice counting, counting backwards from 10 to 1, and skip counting by 10's to 100, as they review the various coins.  Click on the link to view/download the coin puzzle packet.

Another way to review coins as well as skip counting by 2's, 3's, 5's, and 10's is with these President trace and write skip counting skip counting cards. 

I used nickels for students to count by 5's with, and dimes when they count by 10's. 

Covers are included if you want your kiddos to make Itty Bitty Coin Counting booklets. Click on the link to view/download the coin cards. 

When I'm studying something with my students, I try and cover several standards. 

With that in mind, I designed 30 grammar coin cards.  Use them as pocket cards and read them as a whole group.   This is an interesting way to review facts about the various coins.  

Using a dry erase marker, call on students to circle any letters that should be capitalized and have them add end punctuation as well.   I made enough cards so that you can pass one out to each student. 

When everyone has shared their corrected card, put several on the board and have children rewrite the sentences correctly on a sheet of paper.  Click on the link to view/download the 30 grammar coin cards.

The Dollar Shapes Up is another money-themed easy reader that reviews shapes.  Click on the link to view/download it.  

Finally, My Buck Book is an easy reader as well, and reviews ways students can make a dollar.  Click on the link to view/download it. 

That's it for today.  Thanks for visiting.  I hope you found a few things that will help your students with coin identification.   To check out lots more money-themed FREEBIES, click on the link to zip on over to that section of my site, and feel free to PIN away.    

" If you are resolutely determined to make [something] of yourself, the thing is more than half done already." -Abraham Lincoln

Using Posters For Writing Prompts

I whipped together some new posters. They make a nice decoration for your classroom and a great way to get students’ minds pondering about a subject.

Use them to instigate a lively discussion or as a jump-start for writing prompts.

On the back of the poster, students can write what they think the quote means, how it applies to them or why they liked or did not like it.

The Abe Lincoln and Washington posters from yesterday's article (scroll down to check it out ) are perfect for your Presidents’ Day activities.

The Horse and Michael Jordan posters can also be used as writing prompts and are especially thought provoking.

Click on the links to view/download these newest editions: Horse Writing prompt poster,  Jordan inspirational posters,  Abe Lincoln or George Washington posters.

If you’d like to view all of the free posters and anchor charts that are available at TeachWithMe.com, then click on the link to zip on over to that section of the cart.

Whenever I found appropriate and short video clips on YouTube, I'd show them before a writing prompt. 

Students found them not only entertaining and educational, but I think it got them in the mood to write.  I also played music that fit the theme as well to enhance the writing atmosphere.

I've found the following awesome clips for Presidents' Day:

Video #1 is a song about the presidents. It has cute black and white pictures of all of them through George Bush. I think it’s a great way to remember them.

Video #2 Is my personal favorite. The graphics are quite sensational + it's less than 4-minutes long. Presidents of the United States are morphed in sequence from George Washington to President Barack Obama. Seeing them morph from one to the other is quite amazing. The music is '”Hooked on America” performed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

Video #3 is a 6-minute clip that goes through all of the presidents with a nice song. Here they count them while a cool collage of pictures for each, including their signatures, flows.

Finally, in Video #4 you'll hear a Rap about Lincoln and Washington. 

I hope you found these helpful!

 Thanks for visiting today. Feel free to PIN anything you think others may find useful.

“Am I not destroying my enemies when I make friends of them?” -Lincoln

Happy Presidents' Day!

It's just around the corner and coming up fast, if the speed at which January blew by is any indication.

This patriotic heart "craftivity" makes a sweet valentine, as well as an easy writing prompt.

There are 5 writing prompt hearts for students to choose from, that they can glue to the back, including a comparison and contrast one.

Use the patriotic heart "craftivity" for fine motor-puzzle practice.  Remind students that the star's stripes are in an ABAB pattern.

I've included a list of Lincoln & Washington quotations that can be used as writing prompts as well, and put on the two presidents' posters.

Post a different quote on the board through the month of February, &/or make an overheard of quotes and have students choose several to add to their blank posters.

They can comment on the back of what the quote means, what it means to them, or why it's their favorite.

I've included posters with quotes and ones without.

I've also added the President's real signatures to the posters. Lincoln's real "autograph" is extremely sought after.. At one auction it commanded a price of over $700,000!

After students have shared, collate their quote posters and make into a class book.

Punch holes in the tops of students' patriotic hearts and hang from the ceiling with fish line.

Click on the link to view/download the Presidents' Writing Prompt Posters

Thanks for visiting.  Feel free to PIN anything you think others might find useful.

"That some achieve great success is proof to all that others can achieve it as well." -Lincoln