Free Writing Unit For Grades 1 and 2: Opinion, Narrative, and Informational!

 Free Guided Writing Unit for Grades K-2

Fictional narrative, personal narrative, opinion and informational prompts!

I have another new FREE series that I think you are going to love as much as I do! This one is all about WRITING! I have other writing freebies too (and more to come!) you can see them here!

Have you ever sat down with your child to write and it just doesn't happen? I have been there and I totally know how you feel! When I first started homeschooling my oldest kiddo I used a super strict curriculum and sort of just expected him to follow along - and yeah, that did NOT work out so well!

The truth about writing and kids is that we cannot expect them to just come out with a plethora of papers and ideas. Even if you have a kiddo with a vivid imagination, putting those ideas onto paper, especially when you put them on the spot, can be a challenge. Remember, elementary kids, are still just learning how to put their own thoughts and feelings forward verbally. Writing is a whole other ballgame!

What I have found can really help is to use what I call guided writing. What this does is give your child a simple outline to fill in so that they know what to write and, with your guidance, really can write an entire paragraph or short paper. Really!

Whether they actually put pen to paper and write it themselves or you write down what they dictate to you, this type of writing helps kids organize their thoughts and give them ideas on what they could write about. It also shows them what a certain type of paper should look like.

In this unit, I have included four different papers for your kiddo to write. You could use these throughout the next two years if your kiddo is in cycle 1 (grades 1-2) or you could use one per month or week - I do plan on releasing more! (for older grades too!)

These will also cover the English Language Arts competency (for my Quebec homeschoolers) that states "to write self-expressive, narrative, and information-based texts". In fact, it covers all of those! If you add in typing or reading these out loud on audio, you can also add in the competency of "represents their literacy in different media" Check and check!

Of course, even if you are not following the Quebec education system, you are free to use these in your classroom, homeschool, co-op, or class! I really hope that you do! And that your learners enjoy them!

This unit has the following inside:

• Peronsal Narrative: The first things I did this morning
• Fictional Narrative: If I could fly like a bird
• Opinion Piece: I do / do not like bugs because...
• Informational Piece: All About my Favourite Animal

It also includes some cover sheets you can use to make this into a notebook, and some extra writing pages for final drafts, or just for fun!

 

I truly hope that you enjoy using this unit and that your learners do too! I especially hope it makes your teaching/homeschooling just a little bit easier!

You can download this freebie below using the link under the picture. Just be sure when sharing to share the link to this blog and not to google drive. Thank you!

Download the Free Writing prompts Here!

Free Science Curriculum: My Body for Grades 1-2

Free Science Unit Human Body Systems

For Grades k-2 (elementary cycle 1)

 Have you seen all of my other free science journals? You can check them out here!

I am happy to bring another easy-to-use and free science journal to my science journal collection! Following the Quebec Education Program's learning progression, these journals are made especially for Quebec learners, but can be used by anyone, anywhere! 

They are simple introductions to concepts that are written with the younger age levels of grades k-2 in mind. My hope with these is that they will not only help you fill up your homeschool portfolio every year, but that they will introduce your child to concepts and gets them excited to learn more about them however you choose - through videos, books, or other units. These units cover the bases so that you know your child is on par with the basics required in public school.

This unit is all about the human body and covers the first progression for Living Things in elementary cycle 1 (grades 1-2), which is:

 "Describes the functions of certain parts of the anatomy (e.g. limbs, head, heart, stomach)"

So in this unit, I have included some simple diagrams and explanations about different systems of the body and how they work - since I do consider your kiddos already know what their limbs and head are ;)

Like most concepts taught in cycle 1, it goes into more detail in later grades. The science concepts taught in cycle 1 are meant to introduce students to the simple ideas that make the world around them work. In fact, the only science competency required to teach during these first 2 years is "to explore the world of science and technology" - how fun!

I have, of course, also included some easy and fun worksheets to show what your child has learned that can be put into their portfolio. Some sheets are simple drawing or matching options, while others require some writing or dictation. You can choose to do just one of them or to do them all and stretch the unit out over a few days or weeks. Whatever your learning goals for your child(ren) and whatever their level of learning, it's simple to make these units work for your homeschool.

This journal is the twelfth science unit I have made for cycle 1 elementary. There are 6 more progressions to cover after this which will probably be condensed into 4 more journals for a total of 16. This means that if you use 8 per year you will cover ALL of the progressions for cycle 1. Since these units are short and to the point, that's not difficult to fit in.

I hope this unit helps you in your homeschool or class! You can download the free journal below by clicking on the link under the image. All I ask is that if you wish to share this resource, you share the link to this blog, not the google link directly. Thank you!

Download the free My Body science unit here!

Free Situational Math Problem for Elementary Cycle 2 Grades 3 to 4

 Free Situational Math Problem for Elementary Cycle Two (Grades 3 to 4)

Have you seen my other situational problems? You can find them here on my math freebies page under 'problem-solving' There are problems for all elementary cycles!

Another situational problem is here!

Does that make you feel happy or anxious? How about your learners - do they like solving these longer math problems or do they bring on tears? My hope is that with these simpler problems I am creating, we can all find a happy balance! Your kids will still be familiar with situational problems and how to solve them, but they won't feel overwhelmed by the size of the problem.

If your learner is still feeling frustrated, I recommend taking it slow. On day one, read the problem together and talk about what needs to be done. On day two, write down what needs to be done. Day three, write down some ways you can both brainstorm to solve it. Don't be afraid to really help your child - they are not meant to solve these along at this age. Maybe they'd also like to colour in the catalogue. Day four, begin to solve. Day five, finish it up and review. 

And CELEBRATE! 

GO out for a treat or do something they would like to do - solving a situational problem is quite an accomplishment at this age!

In this situational problem, learners will need to help Tim design his new bedroom. They will plan the layout of his room following certain rules and need to stay within a budget using the furniture catalogue included. 

An example is given of how this problem could be solved on the problem page (as in the image above). I have also included an answer guide - although every kid's answer might be different. That's the fun part of solving a problem like this - it is kind of open-ended. I have also included a checklist that you can use to be sure your kids did everything the problem asked.

Outline pages are also included in this situational problem. Students can use these to write down what they know about the problem, as well as write ideas about how they can solve the problem. Although these pages are usually not required in exams with situational problems, they can come in handy!

The best part, of course, is that this problem is FREE! You can download it under the image below. All I ask is that when sharing this resource you share the link to this blog page and not the direct download link. Thank you!

Enjoy learning!

Download the free situational math problem here!

History Mystery 2: Free Quebec History Curriculum

 History Mystery 2

Who were the Iroquoians Around 1500?

Did you miss History Mystery 1? You can find it here!

Welcome to another fun and quick History Mystery! A fun and FREE new series I am starting for kids to be able to study Quebec History and fill the progressions of learning requirements in small, easy-to-use units.

This second unit focuses on the Iroquoians (Haudenosaunee) and why they have the names that they do. It's a great way to introduce this portion of the history progressions to your learners. The following units will focus on the lives the Haudenosaunee people lived around the year 1500, including longhouses, food, clothing, etc.

The really wonderful thing about these units is how simple they are to use. You can use them on the computer and just fill out the worksheets together with your learner, or you can print out the entire thing and use the QR code with your device to look up the information.

With each unit I provide a QR code kids can use to research the questions asked (it is also a clickable link). The information is on pages either written for kids or in simple words. I also try to not have too much to read in each unit - in this unit, there are 4 small paragraphs to read. 

Since all of the concepts cycle 2 will cover need to be done over 2 years, I suggest taking it as slow as you'd like with your learner, especially if this is their first time studying history. You may choose to just do the research and answer the questions orally in some units, while in others you fill out the sheets for learning portfolios.

Every unit also comes with a badge for kids to collect to show their learning. It's also a great way to remember what they've learned throughout the year. We love to hang up things like this on our dining room wall so we can discuss them over dinner - it's such an easy (and sneaky!) way to review.

Every badge states what they have learned about in the unit. A photo of all of their badges could also make a great learning portfolio addition!

The pages are also all in black and white (except for 2 optional maps at the end, which are also available in black and white) so they are easy on your printer too. I also try to include a fun colouring page in each unit that sticks to the unit's theme. Kids could colour these while you read aloud the research page to them, or colour them later on while you discuss what they learned about what is in that picture. In this unit, it is a longhouse - something that is mentioned in the article but that will be studied further in a later unit.

This unit includes an answer key!

However, you use these pages I hope that you enjoy them! 

You can download this unit below by clicking on the link under the image.

Please feel free to share this unit by sharing the link to this blog post, but not the google drive link.

Thank you and enjoy learning!

Click Here to Download the FREE History Mystery 2

 

History Mystery: A FREE Quebec History Resource for Cycle 2 Elementary

There will be more history units coming! Check this page for more!

 If there is one thing that I see many of my fellow Quebec homeschoolers struggling to teach, it's social studies! We are required by law to follow certain progressions of history every year throughout elementary and high school. We must prove at the end of the year that we touched on these progressions with our kids throughout the year.

The great thing is that the progressions go in cycles - we have two years to teach all of the concepts listed for a cycle. The tough part is balancing what we want to teach our own kids about history alongside having to follow these requirements AND having to prove that we did.

Introducing history mysteries! A new series of free units I will be releasing that follow these progressions but in a very simple-to-follow format and in a way that won't make your kids dread every minute. 

These units will cover all of the progressions as I make them for elementary cycles 2 through 3, and then high school as well. Every unit will have some worksheets that students will fill in using a research method provided in the unit - either a link or a video. 

These worksheets can then be placed into your child's portfolio to show what they learned!

Of course, kids also need to feel validated and rewarded for their learning - as adults we know how valuable this knowledge is, but kids can't always grasp that. So in each unit, a badge will be included once kids complete the unit. They can use this badge in a notebook or hang it up somewhere to show their accomplishments!

In this first unit, kids in grades 3-4 levels of learning (cycle 2) will look at how there came to be people in Canada. They will read 3 short paragraphs in the Canadian encyclopedia online and answer questions to show what they learned. 

I would encourage you to read the paragraphs yourself first, especially if you are planning to have your child do this on their own - or if you are a teacher sending this home as homework. It will take 5 minutes and help you to be a le to answer any questions your learners might have.

At the end of the unit, kids can print out badges in either colour or black and white if they would like to. Each badge will showcase what they have learned so that they can be proud of it!

I really hope you enjoy this unit and it helps you out in your homeschool! Download it below the image by clicking on the link.

Download The History Unit Here

Free Situational Math Problem For Cycle 1 Grades k to 2

 Free Situational Math Problem

Follows the Quebec Competency for mathematics: Solve a situational problem related to mathematics (but can be used by anyone for some math fun!)

Want more situational math problems? Check out my Math Freebies page here! I will be adding more soon!

Have you ever tried to solve a situational math problem with your learners? It can be a really fun way to put math skills into practice using real-life-like situations. Where we live in Quebec, they are a required part of the math curriculum for both public school and homeschooled kids. However, I find them to be a great way to see how much my kids have retained of what we've learned in math.

I especially love making them fun-looking and interactive for kids, not just writing down problems on paper. That is why I am so excited to bring you this new freebie problem for grades 1-2. It's simple, fun (it's mainly coloring!) and includes an answer sheet for parents too! If you haven't seen my other grade 1-2 problem, you can download it here.

In this problem, kids will be designing a basket. They will use organizational skills to organize information in the problem, patterning skills, and prepositional skills. They will also need to fill in some information into a simple table.

There are also plenty of fun pictures for kids to color in. You can take a few days to complete this problem, with younger learners especially! It will give them an opportunity to understand all of the information and give them a chance to colour in math class - that's always fun!

You can download this freebie below. All I ask is that when sharing this resource you share the link to this page and NOT the google drive link - that can really mess things up on my end! Thank you and ENJOY!

Download This Free Situational Problem HERE!

French Verb Freebie Unit: Avoir in the Present Tense For All Ages

Free French Verb Unit: Avoir in the Present Tense

Here is another great FREE French unit for you to use with your learners! You can see all of the other great free units on this page.

If you are trying to teach the verb avoir (to have) to your learners or class, then this unit is the perfect fit! It includes plenty of practice on using the verb in the present tense along with optional conjugation worksheets that more advanced students can use to conjugate the verb in other tenses too!

The mini book is a great way to introduce the verb. Just like my other French verb units, the mini book can be printed and made into a book, or displayed on a screen - your tablet, computer, or TV! It features simple sentences using avoir in the present tense with fun, full-colour photos on every page. It also has a super cute cover.

The verb cards are a great way to have learners practice speaking or writing sentences independently, or if you're teaching a class, to send home with them. I love to print these on coloured cardstock and put them onto a binder ring. That way, as we learn new verbs we can add them on too. All of my free verb units feature these cards.

Finally, there are a few options in worksheets that will suit many different ages and learning styles. There are fun coloring pages with questions prompting kids to use the verb in a sentence, there is a simple coloring page where younger level learners can draw their sentences and say them out loud, and there are conjugation pages that higher level learners can use to conjugate the verb in any tense. 

In this unit, I have also included some sentence prompts that kids can use in their notebooks. Just cut them out and glue one into a notebook page and they can answer the question using the verb.

Download this free unit by clicking on the link below the image below!

Download the free French Avoir unit here!