5 Ways to Teach Prepositions to Make them Stick

Prepositions, those little words that show the relationship between a noun or a pronoun and other words in a sentence, can sometimes challenge students. They are small words that can be used in different contexts. They are tiny words that can go unnoticed yet are important in connecting parts of a sentence together. With the right activities, prepositions can become a fun and engaging part of the language learning journey. 

5 Ideas to Teach Prepositions

1. Preposition Scavenger Hunt: Hide objects or images in the classroom and provide students with clues that use prepositions to find them. Or consider taking this activity outdoors. This interactive activity reinforces the spatial and relational aspects of prepositions.

2. Prepositions Take Flight: Have students create their "best" paper airplane. Then have students let their paper airplanes take flight and challenge them to use prepositions to accurately describe the landing spots of their aircraft. Of course, you know your students well, so set the expectations before take-off and let them know how many flights their planes need to take. 

3. Sing a Tune: Learning more than 50 prepositions can be daunting, but it is easier when set to a familiar tune. Consider singing a catchy preposition song with your students to help them remember these little words effortlessly. Click the image below if this is something you might want to try with your students.  


4. Prepositions in Poetry: There are different poetry formats that incorporate prepositions. Here is one example. Students choose a noun. Then students write at least 5 lines using prepositional phrases related to that noun. Encourage students to use a variety of prepositions to indicate location, direction, and time. This type of poem is adaptable to various subjects. Think character from a book, content area topic, holiday...the possibilities are open to the creative minds of your students. Showcase students' work on a bulletin board. 


5. Missing Prepositions: Create sentences with missing prepositions. Challenge students to find as many varied prepositions as possible to complete the sentence. For example: The dog was ____ the couch. What prepositions could work? (on, by, near, under) Students will see how these tiny words can change the whole meaning of the sentence.

Transform preposition learning into an exciting and memorable experience for your students. What activities have you done when teaching prepositions?

Summer Bloggin' ~ Two for Tuesday Wk #4

http://www.theteachingtribune.com/2014/06/two-for-tuesday-2_24.html 

Hope  you have been enjoying your summer so far. Thanks for stopping by today! Linking up with The Teaching Tribune for Two for Tuesday. These two items will be 50% today.

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Hook your students into some writing with Here's the Scoop. Here’s the Scoop can be used as part of a center, as an anchor activity, as a whole group activity, or during small groups.  There are sjx writing task cards that focus on the theme of ice cream. The writing tasks are intended to be short writing pieces that can easily be further developed by students if time permits. Students can work independently or with a cowriter. The tasks are designed to tap into student creativity while reviewing different structures for writing.

In addition to the writing task cards, you will find my Roll-a-Cube activity. Six language skills can be found on the cube. Students roll the cube and complete the task. The randomness of the roll keeps students engaged. If you have five minutes before the next activity pull out the cube and roll it. See what ideas students can quickly generate. Or have students record their ideas on an index card as a quick formative assessment. A fun way to recycle skills that we want students to learn and apply!

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Here's the Answer... What's the Question? does not necessarily focus on finding the one right answer, rather it asks students to generate “questions” that have a targeted answer. A different way of thinking for some students. This activity allows for multiple entry points of learning so students at different readiness levels can complete the task differently. As a result, students can see multiple representations of fractions.

There are two different sets of task cards. One set of task cards has fractions of a region, set, or unit of measure. The other set of task cards simply has fractions on them. Denominators include 2, 3, 4, 6, and 8. Depending on the readiness levels of students, different cards and different denominators can be used.

Use this activity as a bell ringer, anchor activity, math center activity, review, enrichment, or formative assessment. Make this activity fit the academic needs of your students.

Don't miss out on seeing what other Two for Tuesdays are being offered today at The Teaching Tribune.
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Summer Bloggin' ~ Week #3 FREEBIE

http://www.theteachingtribune.com/2014/06/its-worksheet-wednesday-3.html

Welcome Back Wednesday. Today I am sharing a graphic organizer that can be used by students during and after reading. Not only do students have to identify character traits, they have to go back into the text to find the evidence.

https://app.box.com/s/3fwlw30malvfgkzcb5i6
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Sometimes students will pick traits that they feel comfortable with, even if I give them a character list with some robust choices. So, depending on the readiness levels of my students, I may suggest a character trait or two that will challenge their thinking or make them look at the character through a certain lens.

Make the organizer interactive by projecting it onto a whiteboard. Have students go up to the board and complete the organizer. Other students then can see if they can add any new ideas. Just a different twist to make this a collaborative effort.

Don't forget to click on the image above to grab your FREEBIE and hop on back to The Teaching Tribune to see some other great resources.
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Summer Bloggin' ~ Two for Tuesday Wk #3

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Summer is in the air, and it's time for Two for Tuesday! These two products are 50% today!

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“Show, don’t tell” can be used by writers and by math students. Rather than tell what they know about different fractions, students can SHOW their mathematical understanding using multiple representations. Show, Just Don't Tell: Fractions is an activity that can be used for whole group practice, small group instruction, independent practice, part of a math center, or as a formative assessment piece. The purpose of this activity is to reinforce that there are multiple ways to SHOW fractions. This activity supports CCSS 3.NF.1 and 3.NF.2.

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“Show, don’t tell” can be used by writers and by math students. Rather than tell what they know about decimals, students can SHOW their mathematical understanding using multiple representations. Show, Just Don't Tell: Decimals is an activity that  can be used for whole group practice, small group instruction, independent practice, part of a math center, or as a formative assessment piece. This activity can be used to reinforce that there are multiple ways to SHOW decimals. This activity supports CCSS 5.NBT.3a.

Glad you stopped by today! Don't forget you can find other great products for 50% off by other bloggers at The Teaching Tribune.
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You Oughta Know: A Blog HOP ~ Symbaloo and Websites TOO

Come join us on the You Oughta Know Blog Hop.

 

Something you Oughta Know for your classroom is Symbaloo. Symbaloo is a way to bookmark websites using tiles that you can color code and organize.

You can then embed the Symbaloo into a blog or create a link so others can visit. This site can be used used by teachers to organize all those wonderful websites, it can be used by students when you want them to visit certain sites for exploration, enrichment, or remediation, and it can be used by presenters to share featured sites with their audience. Or...you can keep your Symbaloo boards private.

Check out a Symbaloo I created for a work session on differentiation that I was able to embed into my blog. Simply click on a button...and travel to that site. Feel free to visit some of the links. Go ahead... EXPLORE... I will share some of my favorites below.

Have you tried out Rewordify? Rewordify takes a complex passage and rephrases it using simpler
wording. The site is undergoing an update soon but for now check it out!

http://rewordify.com/

Another favorite of mine is Wonderopolis! Who doesn't have a wonder? Great way to provide some differentiation based on interest. Check out this site and see how you might use it with your students.

http://wonderopolis.org/

Here is another Symbaloo I created that you can visit by clicking on this link:  Symbaloo for Technology.

Now how can you create one? Visit the Symbaloo site: http://www.symbaloo.com/. You will need to sign up for a free account. They do have an education version but that is not free. Click here to view a quick video on how to set up a Symbaloo wall. This video is just the basics to get you started!

If you give it a try, I would love to hear how it goes or consider sharing your journey. Hope you found this stop on the blog hop helpful...whether it was a site you explored or a Symbaloo wall you are going to build.
Don't forget to go back to the hop and see more great ideas you oughta know that other bloggers are sharing!
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Fill the Bank ~ Summer Bloggin' Week 2 Wednesday

http://www.theteachingtribune.com/2014/06/worksheet-wednesday-2.html

Happy Wednesday! Today I am sharing Fill the Bank. It is a worksheet that is open ended to allow for differentiation. Rather than having one right answer, it has multiple entry points for students with various readiness levels. Students can do the task multiple times and get different answers each time.

When completing this activity, it is helpful for some students to have the actual coins. I always try to incorporate CRA~concrete, representational, abstract in my lessons to help students develop a strong conceptual understanding. By placing the coins on the piggy bank, students are working with the concrete. Drawing, or consider stamping, coins allows students to show the representational value. Then when students are asked to write the amount of money on the line, that is the abstract. CRA in one worksheet!

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Click on the image above and download three different worksheets you can print and use with your students. Don't forget to stop back at The Teaching Tribune and see what other gems you may find!

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Summer Bloggin' ~ Two for Tuesday Week #2

http://www.theteachingtribune.com/2014/06/two-for-tuesday-2.html

Linking up with The Teaching Tribune for "Two for Tuesday." Today these two products will be 50% off in my  TpT shop.

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Check out Place Value Wipe Out which provides tiered leveled recording sheets to target different readiness levels of students while learning about/reviewing place value. Developing an understanding of number sense and place value comes through many varied experiences. Have students RIDE THE WAVE while reinforcing the concept of place value.

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Want to get your students thinking about money? Take a peek at Money Makes Cents. In this download you will find two activities, Money Grab and Don’t Break the Bank. Money Grab can be used with students who have a good understanding of coin values and demonstrate the ability to count coins. Don't Break the Bank can be used with students who have a good understanding of coin values. This activity is a way for students to review counting coins with some strategizing added to the mix.

Thanks for visiting Pam's Place. Looking for some other "Two for Tuesdays"? Stop by The Teaching Tribune to see what other bloggers have linked up!
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Summer Bloggin': Worksheet Wednesday FREEBIE

http://www.theteachingtribune.com/2014/06/worksheet-wednesday.html

Today I am linking up with The Teaching Tribune for Worksheet Wednesday. Here is an area worksheet that might work for your students. Sometimes a quick worksheet can be an effective formative assessment piece to help guide instruction or a practice sheet to foster math talk. Click on the image below to grab your FREEBIE!

https://app.box.com/s/xz70pke24os00r4gvbze

In this freebie, there are four area tasks that are differentiated and increase with complexity. Each task asks students to find area. Choose those tasks that fit the readiness levels of your students. The first task asks students to find the area of tile used by Tim the Tiler. Bess the Bricklayer created some patios. Students need to find the area of each patio using math tools. Carl the Carpenter needs to find the area of irregular rooms. Finally Gracie the Gardener wants to create a nonrectangular garden. The purpose of these tasks is not just to find the answers and for students to say, "I'm done." Some of the tasks embed opportunities for math talk to help students talk the world of math. Check them out here.

Don't forget to visit The Teaching Tribune and see what other freebies other bloggers are offering today.
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Two for Tuesday!


I am linking up with The Teaching Tribune today for "Two for Tuesday." Check out these two products that are 50% off today!

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Gumball Machine Glyph & Summer Sub are activities you can use to kick off the school year while building a sense of community in the classroom.

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Wisdom can begin with wonder! These Wonder Stems and Wonder Journal ideas can be used to help students build their sense of wonder. Use Wonder Stems to activate thinking. Whether its curriculum, a student's passion, or a website such as Wonderopolis, have students explore and learn about their wonders. Connect to the standards while students read informational text and identify key ideas and details. Pick and choose activities from this download to have students demonstrate their learnings. For younger students, activities can be done orally or as a group.

Thanks for stopping by! Click here to visit The Teaching Tribune to check out what products other bloggers are featuring Tuesday for 50% off!
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