Hands Symphony

I found Hands Symphony on one of my favorite resources, KB Connected.  I think that it is a great site for composing a tune to email to someone you care about while at the same time spreading life-saving information about CPR.  Even if you aren’t planning to e-mail your composition, your students will have fun with this creative way to make music.  I thought it was appropriate to post a site sponsored by the American Heart Association on Valentine’s Day:)

Valentine Puzzle Purse

According to the Origami Resource Center, Puzzle Purses have been around for centuries in several different cultures.  In Victorian times, they became a Valentine tradition.  You can find specific directions, along with diagrams, for folding your own puzzle purse, here.    As an additional challenge, your students can also create the poetry that goes inside.

QR Code Classroom Coupons (Revised)

In December, I posted some QR codes that could be used as reward coupons in the classroom.  I suggested cutting them out and putting them in your class treasure box so your students could be surprised.  My students loved them – until the website I had used to store the documents expired.  (Tagmydoc.com allows you to create QR codes for documents that you have uploaded for free, but, unbeknownst to me, they are only stored for 14 days.)

I have posted new coupons under my Weebly account, so these QR codes will not expire unless Weebly goes out of business or I remove the site.  These coupons were created with the iPad TypeDrawing app, which I highly recommend.

With Valentine’s Day coming up, you might want to put a QR code in each of your student’s Valentines.  They will enjoy scanning them to discover the reward you have given them.  Or, maybe get an old chocolate box, and let the students choose a “chocolate.”

If you are interested in using more QR Codes, you might also want to check out my QR Code Countdown, QR Code Tic-Tac-Toe,  and my QR Code Interactive Bulletin Board.

QR Codes – Classroom Coupons

QR Codes – Classroom Coupons Answers

Valentine Sudoku

Valentine’s Activities for the SmartBoard, created by SmartBoard Smarty, can be found at Teachers Pay Teachers.  My GT 2nd graders were completely engaged by the Sudoku activity.  Do not be alarmed by the title of the site.  There are many great resources here that are absolutely free.  You do have to register for an account (which is also free) in order to download them, but I have found many quality materials here that make registering well worth my time.  This particular one is in SmartBoard format, but there are also Powerpoints, Word Documents, and PDF files.  While you are visiting Teachers Pay Teachers, you might want to think about starting your own “store” on their site.  Their biggest seller, Deanna Jump, has made over $500,000 by selling her self-designed materials here!