FROZEN {Science} Fun Friday

It’s SUMMER!  Woo-Hoo!

If you’re a teacher, like me, you are probably lovin’ the freedom and flexibility.  AHHHH.

However, if you are a momma, you know better than to think that summer is stress-free! #wewish

After about the third day of summer break, you probably heard this…

“Mom… I’m bored!” or “What can I do now?”

If you’re like me, you have a summer to-do list that’s a mile long…

Yet, you feel like summer is your chance to reclaim your Super-Mom status after having just spent the last 9 months of school in a guilt ridden too-much-school-work-to-do-to-be-an-epic-parent mode. #isitjustme #teachingisnevera40houraweekjob 

So just how do we do both?!   
You know… Getter’ Done and be Super-Mom.

Well… I have the answer!!!!

It’s  Camp GoNoodle!

Camp GoNoodle is a free online program for kids to stay active and be creative this summer! If you’re a teacher, then you probably already know and love GoNoodle for the classroom….. but now, as a PARENT, you’ll love this summer extension called…

Camp GoNoodle!

If this is your first time hearing of GoNoodle -- Camp GoNoodle is a great introduction that you can do with your whole family! 

Trust me, your kids will GO CRAZY for Camp GoNoodle!

Here’s How It Works:

1. Head to “camp!” Each Monday starting June 29, a new set of five adventures will appear at campgonoodle.com.   #fourweeksoffun

2.  Go on new adventures every week! Each adventure uses GoNoodle.com’s active videos and games for inspiration, and challenges kids to use their imaginations, get moving, and be outside. Picture building your own DIY jetpack, creating an obstacle course race, or making sushi with things you already have at home. #somuchfun

3. Sing along! Each week includes two brand new camp songs to inspire creativity and movement! #campjams

4. Connect with fellow campers! Share your adventures using the #campgonoodle hashtag on social media to join the camp community. Each week, “Campers of the Week” will be recognized as “All-Stars” and earn exclusive Camp GoNoodle prizes. #lovethatgonoodleswag

5. Earn badges! Complete each week of adventure by printing the weekly badge to hang up, loud and proud. #bestcampever

All you need for Camp is...

 

a free GoNoodle account           a device with internet access          a family ready for adventure

Ready to register for camp? 

Simply go to campgonoodle.com on Monday (June 29^th) and let the fun begin!

Note: If you are a teacher who already has a teacher/school GoNoodle account, you will need to go to this link to sign up to receive Camp GoNoodle emails:

http://gndle.me/1IdCN2F

{This is important because Camp emails are only being sent to parent accounts. GoNoodle knows lots of teachers use their school accounts at home – which is completely fine, they just need to make sure they get those teacher-parents in the Camp email list too!}

So who’s going to join us in celebrating summer with Camp GoNoodle???

Let’s kick this camp off with a summer celebration linky party!

Share a few of your SUMMER loves…

while sharing Camp GoNoodle with rest of this world’s Super Moms (and Dads!)

Here are some of my summer loves...

Now come on, campers! 

 Link Up! 

Below you will find all the needed "camp supplies!" LOL

Copy, paste and fill in your favs!

Copy and post this little camp pic on social media to spread the word about Camp GoNoodle!

And as a BLOGGER BONUS.... GoNoodle will be doing a (random # generator) drawing next Saturday (July 4th) to choose one lucky "linker" to win this awesome Camp GoNoodle prize package!  #campswag

Bloggers... Click below to grab the code to put this full linky on YOUR blog:

get the InLinkz code

Now link up YOUR post below!

An InLinkz Link-up

Brrrr!  It’s been FREEZING here in Indiana these last few weeks...so I figured, why not embrace the cold and have a FROZEN Fun Friday!

You know me… I just had to have a costume to help make this plan come to life!  Here I am as “Anna” from the FROZEN movie…along with my side-kick, Mrs. Kidd, as Elsa!

Are the costumes cute?  Of course…but teacher-friends, let me assure you that what took place in my classroom on Friday was all about the CONTENT not just the costumes.  So why don’t we address that issue right now, shall we?  

I’m a firm believer in the idea that in order to get maximum effort and accelerated learning results from your students, you must first build a relationship with them, and secondly you need to amplify their level of engagement.  The best way I found to do this is by connecting an incredibly exciting learning “hook” to the standard/s you are teaching.

My brilliant friend, Hope King, of Elementary Shenanigans, explains the importance of this concept which she has coined “Setting the Stage 2 Engage” in her TPT Ebook.


If you are looking to re-invigorate your teaching, THIS IS THE BOOK FOR YOU!!!  Check it out! This packet is not a collection of printables, but rather a collection of ideas that you can integrate into your own lessons and instruction to amplify the level of engagement in your classroom.  Is it a little more work than the average worksheet? Of course! But the payout? Stronger work ethic, a significant reduction in behavior management issues, and higher quality work.

But don’t just take my word for it… check out these reviews:

"If there’s one resource you purchase this school year, let it be Set the Stage to Engage! Not only is it packed with detailed descriptions of lessons, ideas, and engaging activities, but it is accompanied by pictures to help you visualize them at work in a real classroom! Hope will inspire a renewed sense of creativity and passion within your teacher-heart, and I guarantee she will spark the enthusiasm you need to make this your best year yet. With a focus on kids, creativity, and content, Set the Stage to Engage is perfect for first year teachers and seasoned veterans alike. Add to your cart NOW!"  
Babbling Abby (Teacher Blogger at The Inspired Apple)

"Set the Stage to Engage is a MUST HAVE for every teacher!! Whether you're in need of ideas & activities that engage & inspire, or just a breath of fresh "teaching" air, this comprehensive resource has it ALL! Hope has thought of EVERYTHING you need to engage your kids in fun, yet meaningful & effective, learning. If you invest in anything this year, invest in Set the Stage to Engage and in turn, you will be investing in an unforgettable school year for both you and your students!"    
Cara Carroll (Teacher Blogger @ The First Grade Parade)

**     **     **     **     **

The idea for this unit came to me while I was looking over my science learning standards, which included teaching my students about the basic states of matter.  I thought, what better way to teach my kiddos about the states of matter than to use water in the forms of solid ice, liquid water and steam?!

Throw in an educational hook of FROZEN and... boom!   Instant student engagement! 

Here is a little bit more about how I “set the stage” for this unit…

I prepped for the day by turning my classroom into a FROZEN theme.   As the students walked around the corner in the hallway they saw this…

Then as they entered they saw the frozen touches I added to the room.  (Nothing overly elaborate, just a few things here and there to help set the stage!)

I grabbed some of the cheap “snow blankets” at the dollar store right after Christmas.  I trimmed the edges to look “drift-y” and draped them over all of my computers, bookshelves, etc.   Kind of amazing what about $8 of snow décor can do!   I also used light blue bulletin board paper (with a white backing) to make icy drifts in the hall, over the windows and around my “teaching table.”

Add a few white paper snowflakes and a few cardboard FROZEN cut-outs... and WA-LA!

On to the FROZEN learning fun…

After a royal entrance, in which I (Anna) introduced my sister, Elsa, to a rousing SmartBoard YouTube, sing-along rendition of “Let It Go!” {The other teachers in my hall MAY have shut their doors at this point.  LOL}, we then admired the “snowy” décor of the room. However, Elsa mentioned that she thought it felt a bit warm in the room and suggested that we chill it down a bit by adding some more snowflakes.   We then taught the kiddos how to make their own paper snowflakes.

Again, nothing overly elaborate in this...but the kids were AMAZED and soooo excited!  LOL (I think as adults we forget the magic that can be found in making simple things like snowflakes and paper dolls!)  It was like Elsa had shared real snow-making powers with the kiddos! {Not to mention, I was one happily disguised teacher as I watched all of the small motor practice this involved, as well as close direction following it required!} #squeezelearningoutofeveryactivity  

Next, we demonstrated Elsa’s magical FROZEN powers right before the students’ eyes! {Folks, this little activity is AMAZING and will leave your kiddos and administrators thinking you just might be the REAL Elsa!}  I had pre-chilled a water bottle in the freezer for about 2 hours and 20 minutes, the perfect amount of time to actually chill the water in the bottle to a temp just BELOW the freezing point, yet soon enough that the water hasn’t actually transformed into frozen ice crystals yet… it’s still liquid!   You GENTLY remove the water bottle, pour into a clear glass, then have “Elsa” put her finger into a cup of crushed ice…and then immediately remove the finger (ensuring there is a small sliver or two of ice chips on her finger) and touch water in the glass.   BAM!  The water in the glass will INSTANTLY freeze!   A.MAZING!  Here is an excellent YouTube video that demonstrates the process:

After peeling the students off the ceiling from excitement, Elsa explained that water is pretty AMAZING itself.  We tag-teamed a lively, simple, but fact-filled presentation introducing “matter” and the three basic states of matter: solid, liquid and gas.   We then did some live observations, using our 5 senses, of objects in all of the different states of matter (ice cubes, water bottles, steaming carafes of water, etc).  And of course, we all know hands-on learning is THE BEST…so we demonstrated the behavior of particles in matter when they are solids, liquids and gases with a little whole-body, balloon-bag skit! 

We threw in a little multi-media presentation too, just to “solidify” the learning.  

{HA! HA!  Get the pun?}

Click on the pic below to go to the actual video.

We checked for understanding by using this little “states of matter” sticker activity that I whipped up.

{I'm working on getting this little mini-unit up on TPT...but I haven't had time yet! Check back soon!}

We wanted to give the kiddos a brain break to let all of the scientific info soak in… so we decided to make a snack!  Earlier in the week I had sent out an email requesting a parent volunteer to bring in a FROZEN themed snack for the day.  Look what this awesome “Grammy” came up with and brought in!

  

I’m not sure exactly where she found the idea…but this one on Pinterest is pretty close!


{Oh!  You’d better believe that the ENTIRE time we were making these snacks, we were discussing if the materials we were using were solids, liquids or gases!}

Next up was Anna’s FROZEN heart experiment…

This will be in my TPT unit too! #searchingforthehourstocompleteit

(You have to do the initial steps in class one day...and wait another day to see the crystallized results!)

And don’t forget our FROZEN FAMILY CHALLENGE!

Here is another one of the activities that whipped up! This little “Saving Olaf” project in order to address these NGSS kindergarten science learning standards:

K-PS3 Energy

K-PS3-1. Make observations to determine the effect of sunlight on Earth’s surface. [Clarification Statement: Examples of Earth’s surface could include sand, soil, rocks, and water] [Assessment Boundary: Assessment of temperature is limited to relative measures such as warmer/cooler.]

K-PS3-2. Use tools and materials to design and build a structure that will reduce the warming effect of sunlight on an area.* [Clarification Statement: Examples of structures could include umbrellas, canopies, and tents that minimize the warming effect of the sun.]

I figured what better way to learn about these standards than by “Saving Olaf?”  (In case you don’t know…Olaf is the sweet and silly snowman from the FROZEN movie!) We built our own miniature snowmen (6 inches tall), placed them inside the shelters we created, placed them outside and observed the effect of sunlight on them.  We made special note of observing which shelters seemed to preserve the snowmen the best. We also compared them to snowmen who were NOT in sunlight-protective structures! We used this opportunity to discuss things like “melting point” and continued our study of the three basic states of matter (solid, liquid, gas). 

This is our "Snowman Village."  
(Uh... It did cross my mind that from afar it MAY resemble an old cemetery.  Eeks!)

 Some project pics...

Ooh!  If you choose to do this activity with your kiddos, you've GOTTA use this little video to introduce the project:

Want to see more pics about our "Saving Olaf" project AND our other FROZEN activities?

Check out this week's kindergarten picture slideshow!  (I make a SMILEBOX picture slideshow like this each week to keep parents informed of what we are up to in kindergarten!  BE AWARE... This picture slideshow is NOT THE BEST... but I'm keepin' it real, people!  I didn't have as much time as I wanted to make it great...so I just "made" it!   #teacherlife   LOL)

Here are some other great FROZEN resources that you might want to check out if you are considering using this theme as a learning hook…

 

Picked these babies up at the Target Dollar Spot last week!

A quick Google search for "FROZEN coloring sheets" will yield dozens of free printables that you can use for fast finishers!

Hope you found an idea or two that you can use in your classroom!

WARM HUGS until next time, my FROZEN friends....