Our Favorite Calming Apps

Testing, testing, testing.  It's such an anxiety-ridden time for students, and our testing window starts this week and continues through mid-May.  We've been trying to equip the students with a bag of tricks to help ease some of the anxiety.  A weeks ago, the students downloaded several calming apps on their iPads, and they've proven to be very popular!  I wanted to share the list with you in case you want to add a few tricks to your bag, too.  All of these apps are FREE, and who doesn't love that?
Settle Your Glitter

This app helps students practice mindful breathing.  Students select an emotion that they are feeling: mad, sad, silly, or worried.  They pick the level of emotion that they are feeling.  The students shake their iPads to stir up the glitter.  The little fish on the right-hand side increases and decreases in size to help students manage their breathing until the glitter is settled.

Falling Stars

This app is one of the students' favorites!  Students place plants by drawing lines.  They touch the stars which fall on the plants, creating songs.  Students can choose from a small selection of sounds and determine how fast the stars fall, creating an even more intriguing experience.

Sand Slides

This app is another of my students' favorites, in fact, it is the app of choice when they have earned choice time.  Students draw slides and buckets with their fingers to guide the sand into the correct colored chutes.  The challenge happens as the pace of the game continues to build.

Suspension

This app mimics particles floating in water.  Students are able to move the particles around with their fingers.  They can change the color of the particles and draw walls and propellers.  Students can be creative, drawing pictures using the draw walls, creating a barrier for the particles to travel around and disperse color.
Deep Relax

This app is perfect for stress relief or to use if your students do any type of yoga.  Students can create their own relaxing melodies from a selection of 12 free choices, ranging from beach to birds, and cavern to city.  (If you chose to purchase the app, your choices multiply.)  Students can select more than one sound at a time for the perfect mix of relaxation.
Dropophone

Dropophone is a simple app for students to use.  Students make songs by tapping on raindrops that play sound, looping every six seconds.  The drops sound like an orchestra of instruments, creating endless possibilities.  A metronome button is available to start a beat to help keep time.  Want to see how this can work?  Check out the video below. Colorfy

This app is perfect for students who love to draw and color and find relaxation by doing it!  Students simply need to chose a picture and tap to paint!
If you have any favorite calming apps to share, we would love to hear about them!

Book of the Week The Pain and the Great One

Summary:

Our book of the week is told in two parts. The first part entitled "the pain" shows the perspective of an eight year old girl and the second section entitled "the great one" is told by her younger 6 year old brother. They both bring a different perspective to each situation and provide the listener with humor along they way. It is the perfect book for point of view, comparing/contrasting or to introduce your students to the idea of compromise.  Questions:                      What happens when she goes to school without her brother?                       Do you think she deserves a later bed time? Why or Why not?                      How does she describe her brother's drawings?                        Why does she get mad when her brother plays with his trucks?                      Why can't the boy feed the cat?                       The girl has more responsibility with their cousin? Why?                      Both the boy and girl think their parents show favoritism, is this true?                       Why did the author tell the story from each child's perspective?                       Do you have a sibling? How do you feel about them?                       How do the boy and girl annoy each other?                       How do they help each other?                       Did you like the story? Why or why not?  Vocabulary:  Pokey- slow, sluggish Pain - unpleasant feeling Slob- someone who is messy Ordinary- plain or common happening Lovable - deserving of love  Dial- act of typing in a number to call

Extension Activity:

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/The-Pain-the-Great-One-696521

Book of the Week: Farfallina & Marcel

Farfallina & Marcel by Holly Keller

Summary: Farfallina and Marcel were an odd pair of best friends.  Farfallina, a caterpillar, and Marcel, a gosling, did everything together.  One day, Farfallina didn't feel well and needed to rest.  Marcel waited and waited, and finally decided Farfallina would not return.  Weeks later, Farfallina emerged as a butterfly and realized Marcel wasn't waiting for her.  She waited and waited, only to find that he did not return.  By a chance meeting, the two friends reunited, unaware of who the other was until they discovered each other's true identities.  This is a beautiful story of enduring friendship despite time and change.

Vocabulary:

peer - to look closely at something

huddle - to move into a small spot to keep warm or dry 

drizzle - a light rain

fern - a plant with large green leaves shaped like a feather

lonely - to feel alone

glossy - looking smooth and shiny

confused - to feel like something is difficult or hard to understand

flutter - to quickly move back and forth or up and down

solitary - single

disappointment - feeling sad because of not getting or receiving something

brilliant - very shiny or colorful

to vanish into thin air - to disappear

Questions: 

Who is this story about?

Where do the characters live?

What did Marcel mean when he told Farfallina she was eating his umbrella?  

How do you know Farfallina and Marcel were thinking about teach other when they were playing hide and seek? 

Why do you think Farfallina uncomfortable?  

Do you think Marcel was patient when waiting for Farfallina?  Why or why not?

Why did Marcel beat his wings and swim round and round when Farfallina told him her name at the pond?

How did Marcel and Farfallina feel when they found each other again?

When the leaves turned red and gold, what was the author trying to tell you?  

With spring here, it would be a great time to sequence the life cycle of a butterfly!

thebutterflysite.com

The Life Cycle of a Butterfly Wheel

Butterfly Life Cycle Craft

Book of the Week: 21 Elephants and Still Standing

The Brooklyn Bridge took 14 years to build and had many delays. Residents on both sides of the bridge eagerly awaited its completion to make travel easier. In Spring 1883 it was finally complete. Writers and Residents of the area speculated, "How strong was the Brooklyn Bridge?" Never missing an opportunity to promote his circus troupe, P. T. Barnum offered to test the bridge with his 21 elephants. So on an early May morning, the people of the New York area watch with surprise and delight as P.T. and his large crew sauntered across the new construction. Geared toward 2nd and 3rd grade students, but can be used with text dependent questions for older students to think critically about what they read. Written by April Jones Prince. 

Vocabulary:

Gawking: Staring

Pillars: tall structure or column to hold up a building or bridge

Sauntered: walked slowly 

Onward: moving in a forward motion

Savored: enjoyed a moment 

Questions:

What was the story mainly about? 

Who was PT Barnum? Why was he important?

Why did they name it the Brooklyn Bridge? 

How many year did it take to build the bridge?

What does the word sweetheart mean? 

Why were New York and Brooklyn excited about the bridge? 

What was the worry about the new bridge? 

Why did PT Barnum want to lead his Elephants across? 

Do you think PT Barnum was brave? Why or Why not? 

Was his idea successful? How do you know? 

When the news came that the Elephants made it across, did this help ease people's minds about the safety of the bridge? Why or why not? 

Was this a good title for the story? Why or why not? 

What would you change to title to? 

Did you you like this story why or why not? 

Extension Activities: 

Lesson Plan 1

Social Studies Lesson

Read about the Author

Music Video 21 Elephants