Testing Tailgate 2014: A BBQ Bash!

What in the world?!  Seriously, how is it May already?!  How is that even possible?! It’s hard to believe that state testing has come and gone.  I’m really not that sad about it.  It’s just amazing to me that we already had our  Testing Tailgate for the “big game”, and it’s already packed away for next year.  Seriously, this is one of my favorite classroom events. I love being able to pump my students up to show what they know! This year, we took it up another notch. One of my room moms offered to come in to tailgate with us. She grilled hot dogs and brought cookies for the kids.  As soon as those hot dogs hit the grill… as soon as they sizzled…my students were immediately jazzed.  I knew, right then, the tone had been set, and it was going to be a magical day!

Friends, this is such a fun game!  I just drew lines on large gray paper for task cards and wrote letters on little car shaped Easter eggs to “park” on parking spaces to show their answers. I created little car card templates for my file, but I think you could easily use Hot Wheels if you really wanted a prop!

This tailgate themed syllabication game was a hit as expected.  The kids loved the scented erasers I found at the Target Dollar Spot.  Oh, you know, just trying to activate more senses!  😉 

The Antonym Match-Up was fun too! The kids have to find word pairs in the stack of cards, match them, write them on their recording sheets, and create sentences using each word.  I am still on the look-out for plastic ants.  I feel like that would make this center even more engaging! Next year!

Just Grill Me is a fact and opinion sort!  I found the fun grill at Target last year, and I think it is absolutely perfect for sorting the cards.  Adding plates and utensils amps the center up a bit!

Of course, I wanted my students to have more practice with main idea, so I created a few reading selections and an accompanying recording sheet.  This one isn’t particularly snazzy, but it is effective and it reviews a very important skill to master!

Like I said before, I still like to have my kiddos practice with released test selections, so there was a center devoted to it with the blue pens and pennants.  🙂  I am always happy to see them use their strategies! It makes my teacher heart so full and happy!

Of course, no tailgate is complete without sports gear, so we were all decked out in our favorite team wear!  🙂  The kids LOVE this part!

 This year, I gave each kid a VIP sticker too!  It necessitated a fist pump for good measure! Ha!

Our counselor facilitated this little thinking cap activity. The kids wrote test strategies on a sentence strip to create headbands.  I love how they all turned out, and it was a great reminder before the test!

 This is SO simple and basically the opposite of revolutionary, but my kiddos also created testing posters that we hung in the hallway.  They enjoyed creating football themed posters to display words of encouragement.  They even came up with a “team” name–the OAA Achievers.  LOVE, LOVE, LOVE! 

My favorite part of the Test Prep Blitz and the Testing Tailgate has
been the camaraderie that develops and the team spirit that emerges. 
It’s such a fun team-building, confidence-building BBQ Bash!  I am already looking forward to next year!

Speaking of camaraderie…  do you recognize these ladies?!  Do ya? Do ya?
 

It’s Christina from Sugar and Spice and Amelia from Where the Wild Things Learn!  I had the pleasure of meeting both of them through blogging, and we are becoming fast friends.  🙂  They are both so talented, so sweet, and so funny.  We live so close to each other, and we’ve already had a few lunch dates to chat.  I am sure that there will be many more lunches to come!  I am SO thankful for the friendships that have grown out of this little blog.  I am SO thankful for all of my readers too!  I hope you have a wonderful weekend!  Try to relax and enjoy the sunshine!