#tbt Ice Cream Contractions

To begin a culmination of the lessons I have created, I will be doing a series of #tbt (throwback Thursday) posts this summer to share those lessons on my blog! The reason that the posts will be #tbt is because these are lessons I have already created and used in the classroom during my field experience. 

To start off my series of #tbt posts...here is "Ice Cream Contractions"! 

Who doesn't love ice cream?! I know I do. Any kind of ice cream will usually hit the spot for me, but when I'm being choosy I love the Cookies & Cream and Birthday Cake flavors from Braum's :) I wanted to bring my love for ice cream into the following learning center I created for second grade (it can work for first grade, too)! 

Here is my learning center: 

In learning centers, I like to have a cover sheet that states what skill the center is targeting and the Common Core State Standard connection for easy reference.  

This learning center could be used as a daily classroom center activity, extra targeting for students who struggle, extra practice for early finishers, and more! It requires 2 students minimum, but can be modified with no huge issues. Contractions (cannot = can't, etc.) are a second grade skill and can be linked to the CCSS here. 

Here are the directions for how to complete the learning center. I like to include directions with the learning center as well!

This learning center is engaging for students because they are getting meaningful practice with finding/sorting contractions as well as speaking them. They are using visual and kinesthetic skills to pair appropriate contractions together. They are also using audial and listening skills to say the contractions out loud. 

My favorite part of this learning center is the ball toss! Kids love games, so why not make learning into a little game? The ball toss locks them in and keeps them focused on pairing those contractions! 

I used one of these squeezie balls in my learning center, but any ball will do! 

Here's the directions for the learning center again: 

• Match all the ice cream tops to their proper cone. 

These just look good enough to eat! 

Another way to do this would be in a targeted teacher-student practice situation. You can give the student a contraction and have them pair it to its proper match given a few choices. This may help learners who are struggling or need things more condensed (Possibly English Language Learners, students with learning disabilities, etc.).

• After you have made the matches, play the tossing game! 
• Toss the ball back and forth with a partner. The first person will say a contraction aloud (example: don't) and the second person will say its proper match (example: do not).
• Use your cone pairs to help you go in order and get through all the contractions.
• Play the tossing game until time is up. 

This learning center is simple, yet fun! It can be added to daily instruction through centers or used for extra practice. 

That's all I have for now! Thanks for reading and have a happy rest of the week :)

Hilary