Explore Tubs -- Social Studies Edition!

Explore Tubs have been a huge hit in my classroom. I love them because it gives my students a chance to play and explore, but keeps the activities related to the science curriculum! Basically Explore Tubs are early finisher tubs that are filled with science related activities. You can read more about my explore tubs here:

What Are Explore Tubs?

Daily Schedule: Theme

Weather & Seasons Explore Tubs

Five Senses Explore Tubs

Objects & Materials Explore Tubs

Living Things Explore Tubs

This is how I have them set up right now.We are in the middle of our "Objects and Materials" unit. The purple tub houses our books for the unit, the middle tubs are my six Explore Tubs, and the last two tubs are LEGO and Blocks from our indoor recess shelf. They fit with our unit, so I let my students "explore" with those as well!

Here are my students in action exploring with these science tubs:

   

      

   

I have only planned my science tubs so far, but half-way into the year I thought, "I need to make some tubs for Social Studies and Health as well!" I teach these three subjects in blocks, so when we don't have science, we don't have explore tubs! Well that is about to change. I have started planning my social studies tubs for next years! Here is my first set for our unit on Manitoba & Canada.

*Canada Books: Why I Love Canada, Our Canadian Flag, Good Morning, Canada, Goodnight, Canada, ABC of Canada, M is for Maple, Canada from Above, Oh, Canada!, Canada 123, I Am Canada

*Canada Puzzles: I found mine at the local dollar stores... check yours! But I also found this neat floor puzzle on Amazon.

*Canadian Symbol BINGO {by me on TpT}

*Pick a Stick Canada Game {freebie found here}: Students choose a stick and have to find that province/territory on the map and place a cube on it. You can also play this game BUMP style--just keep putting the sticks back into the cup or make a couple sets of the sticks.

*Book about Canadian Money: Loonies and Toonies
*Canadian play money {Amazon or Scholar's Choice}
*Canadian Money Pattern Cards {by me on TpT}: Students use the play money to finish the repeating patterns.

*Provincial & Territorial Symbol Puzzles {by me on TpT}: Students match up the flag, flower/tree, and animal/bird to the province or territory. The names of the provinces are on the back of the card so it's a fun self-checking activity!
*Canada Word Search {found on twinkl.co.uk -- you need to sign up to download}

*Find It Canadian Edition {found from Scholar's Choice or Amazon}
*Question Cards {freebie found here}: Students choose a card and have to try to find the object inside the game tube.

Stay tuned for my Community Tubs (teaching this unit next month!), my I Belong Tubs (for September), and my Christmas Around the World Tubs (December). My health units will be Safety Tubs (Fire Safety & Bus Safety in October), Nutrition & Health Tubs (March), and Dental Health (April).

November Currently (already??) and New Products!

Wow, sorry I have been such a bad blogger. I'm trying to get on here at least once a week, but some weeks are harder than others! We have been super busy at school... no Halloween activities or parties (which was actually kind of nice, but I did miss dressing up!) but lots of other things to occupy our time. I couldn't believe Farley already had her next currently up and running... I'm trying to deny that it is November already! Report cards, parent teacher conferences.... eeeek!!! Go check out the other Currently's at Oh' Boy 4th Grade. Don't forget the rule of three!!

So here's what we were up to this week. Even though we didn't celebrate Halloween, we did study pumpkins. We did this cute pumpkin life cycle craft.... it did take a lot of steps to get it finished, but I think it was worthwhile. First we painted a paper plate and a half orange, then we coloured the pumpkin life cycle pieces from A to Z Teacher Stuff found here and glued them to a vine, and then we put it all together to make these cute pumpkins!

We practiced making patterns with these foam leaf stickers I bought from the dollar store. This worksheet was from the blog Just Add Clipart. The kids really enjoyed this! I think I will pull it out for each holiday... just buy some different seasonal stickers! :)

I think I have mentioned how weak my class is before, but it's pretty much like having a class of Kindergarteners. So when I find simple math centres that keep them engaged... woo hoo!! One of the most popular math stations is PLAY DO!! I had my numbers out (posted last year here), but wanted to extend it a bit further. So I created these number mats for the numbers 1-20. Students can create the number and fill in the ten frames to show the number. I also created mats for 2D shapes (circle, oval, triangle, square, rectangle, rhombus, trapezoid, pentagon, hexagon, octagon).

You can check them out at TpT for only $2. Just add Play Do for an instant math centre! Click the picture below to check them out.

Our author of the month for October was Melanie Watt. She is a Canadian author, which I love, and her books are too adorable. If you haven't read the Scaredy Squirrel or Chester books, you must go check them out now! I have a monthly author study bulletin board that I update each month. Can you tell it was Kevin Henkes before? Hehe... darn fading paper! Here is my Melanie Watt display:

I created some posters with some facts about Melanie Watt to display. We read all of her books... there are six Scaredy Squirrel books (the Christmas one is new.... we will read that one in December!), three Chester books, Augustine, Leon the Chameleon, You're Finally Here!, and Have I Got a Book for You! Love them all. Here are some activities we did: a Scaredy Squirrel craft, text-to-self connections about things we're afraid of, and our own emergency kits!

I combined these activities (and more) into a pack for you. If you liked my Clifford Author Study pack, you will love this one too! There are 65 pages of Melanie Watt fun! There are a bunch of activities to go with the Scaredy Squirrel books, Chester books, and other Melanie Watt books. Click the pictures below to check it out at TpT.

That's it for now! I promise to be back again soon. Next week we are doing some 2D shape activities that I can't wait to share. Enjoy the weekend everyone!