I am linking up with Jasmine at Buzzing with Mrs. McClain for her You Oughta Know Blog Hop. What a great idea!
I am looking forward to reading up on some helpful tips from these fabulous bloggers!
I think that You Oughta Know About PebbleGo.
The PebbleGo Website
PebbleGo is a fabulous resource for research about all kinds of animals, biographies, Earth and space, and social studies. It has a WEALTH of information in a very kid-friendly format. Use of this resource requires a subscription, but our school buys a license to use it and we all love it!
The format allows students to look at certain aspects of each topic under tabs. The information is easy to understand and has buttons for a read aloud option.
To see videos of this database in action, please click {HERE}.
My First Encounter with PebbleGo
In the past our media specialist has given a lesson about it on the SmartBoard, then gives students the chance to use the computers in the media center to look up a different animal on their own. The students each have a clipboard and an organizer to jot down bullets of information that they find. Here is an example of the organizer.
Someone at my school came up with an organizer that matches each tab for each animal. Here is a link to my "jazzed up" version (free) if you would like it. (It is not really that jazzed up. It just has a cuter font, so that makes me happy!)
How I Model PebbleGo in the Classroom
I do a lesson on my classroom SmartBoard so that we can fill out a big version of the organizer together. That way I can model how to access each section of information as well as each of the differentiating features. Also, I can model writing information in a bullet format.On a different day, I model how to turn the bullets of information into sentences, paragraphs, and sometimes nonfiction books complete with a table of contents.
Publishing Our Information
I have a craftivity that kind of matches this organizer for eagles. It is actually a booklet to record and write about observational findings while tuning into an Eagle Cam, such as the one at Berry College. Our class watched the Eagle Cam as often as possible last spring and fell.in.love with the baby and the parents. Apparently they will be back to nest again this fall and will probably lay an egg or two sometime in February. If you would like to read more about that fabulous experience please see {THIS POST} and {THIS POST}. Personally, I see birds in a new and better-informed way. Who knows, I may become a birdwatcher!Look at the students' booklets! They were super proud!
Below is a preview of the eagle booklet resource.
If you would like to check this out on TPT, then please click {HERE}.
New Craftivity
I have a newly posted product that fits the PebbleGo presentation of information perfectly. It is actually a craftivity. I will update this post when I get it uploaded. (I was "supposed to" have it uploaded today according to my self-imposed deadline.) These things take time...as you know.
*** It is officially completed! It was not that huge of a project, but somehow it turned into a longer-than-expected task. Needless to say, I learned lots of new things about working with clipart, ppt, etc.
You can check it out {HERE} if you would like.
Hop on over to the other blogs in this Blog Hop to see what other bloggers feel like You Oughta Know...
I'm looking forward to becoming better informed!
Carrie
Love the student books!
ReplyDeleteTara
The Math Maniac
Thank you! The kids really do too! Thanks for stopping by!
DeleteCarrie
Pebble Go is great for non-fiction science connections. I have used it in my science room before. I am always looking for ideas to tie in science and writing with my teachers. Can't wait to pass it on!
ReplyDeleteRenee at The Science School Yard
Thank you, Renee! Isn't PebbleGo great? I finally finished the craftivity to go with it. Here is the link if you would like to check it out. Write an App for That! Craftivity
DeleteThank you for your comment!
Carrie
Oh I really like this! Your student examples are so cute! This is a great share and can be used in a lot of ways. Thank you! Teaching Science With Lynda
ReplyDeleteThank you, Lynda! I really appreciate your enthusiasm! Also, thank you for the email that you sent all of us blog hoppers. I am going to get that going this week. I wouldn't let myself get online much in the last couple of days while I finished the product that I mentioned in this post. Got to really focus sometimes! Here is the link if you want to check it out. Write an App for That! Craftivity Too bad I didn't have it ready in time for the blog hop. Oh well! Thank you again for the insight!
DeleteCarrie
I LOVE Pebble Go, and use it all the time with my kiddos!
ReplyDeleteTheresa @ True Life I'm a Teacher!
Hi Theresa! Great! Me too! The kids seem to be so confident when they are looking for information on the site...even my low readers. So nice to have a hook for ALL of the students. :-) Here is a link to the coordinating craftivity in case you are in the market for one. Write an App for That! Craftivity Thank you for your comment!
DeleteCarrie
This would be a perfect resource for research projects!! Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteStephanie
Mrs. Cain's Creations
Hi Stephanie! Thank you for your comment! And thank YOU for sharing about cute bunting for the classroom. I need to do that! I have been focusing on getting that last project done. Now I need to focus on my classroom! The teachers return to school in a week and a half! Yikes! Here is a link to that PebbleGo craftivity that I mentioned in the post if you are interested in it. Write an App for That! Craftivity
DeleteHave a great week!
Carrie
I have heard of Pebble Go a bunch of times but never paid attention. But this would be perfect for my science & social studies research projects. I really like how you incorporate the writing instruction by teaching how to write a sentence from a bullet. Great Job! I'm your newest follower!
ReplyDeleteKaren
Smarticle Particles
Hi Karen! Thank you for your enthusiastic comment! And...thank you for following me! I will check out your blog this week. I have banned myself from much online activity until I could get my project completed. (The one I mentioned in the post.) Thankfully I uploaded it today! Here is the link in case you are in the market for a craftivity to match PebbleGo. Write an App for That! Craftivity Now onward and upward!
DeleteHave a great day,
Carrie
Thank you so much for sharing Pebble Go! I definitely want to utilize it this upcoming school year.
ReplyDeleteJasmine
Buzzing With Mrs. McClain
Hey Jasmine! You are welcome! Thank YOU for hosting this awesome blog hop! Can't wait to get all of the posts read this month and next month! I have gotten started though and I noticed that some people had all of the individual buttons on their post. I have been meaning to email you about that to see how I can put them on my blog also, but maybe this way others can see your answer in case they would want to know as well.
DeleteThanks again!
Carrie
The Think Aloud Cloud
I figured it out! Now I need to figure out how to remove the gray background. :-)
Delete