Blog Hoppin'

Leaping for a Leap Year SALE

2012-02-25T22:36:00.000-08:00

Click image to access a pdf with links to blogs and TpT stores!

I have my wish list transferred to my inbox and awaiting the sale!!Don't forget L2P9Y for an additional 10% off an already 20% store.

Forces and Motion

2012-02-25T13:21:00.001-08:00

I want to share my new Kindergarten Lesson Plans for Forces and Motions. It covers motion, pushes and pulls, what things move and do not move, force, and gravity.

I have discovered over time that many teachers do not teach this unit... at all! I think this will help you so much.

I happen to LOVE teaching these ideas because THIS is when I intro verbs and collaborate with the PE teacher to do some FUN stuff. Since no one (even me!) likes to write out lesson plans, I did it for you!

I took the full lesson plans for FIVE days. I added charts, activities, and great links to make this unit awesome for you. I didn't have to buy any graphics for this unit, so I made it super cheap... like 50 cents a day cheap.

I teach this after Space and in early spring.

Mary, Sharing Kindergarten

http://sharingkindergarten.blogspot.com/

Carson Dellosa White Board Unit Giveaway!

2012-02-25T08:58:00.000-08:00

Be sure to come on over and visit Best Practices 4 Teaching so that you can enter the contest to win one of Carson Dellosa's new white board units! There is also a link so that you can go ahead and get a free one before the contest if over. There will be five winners, so there is a chance that you can get to of these new whiteboard units for free!!! So, come on and check it out! Oh, and you can come back and enter daily! So plan to come on back tomorrow and Monday, too!!!

Biography Freebie

2012-02-24T22:53:00.001-08:00

This week we began biographies in readers workshop and reports in writers workshop. I began the week teaching the kids about a biography.

Click to Print

I've incorporated many wonderful tools for text features, and I've offered many links to magnificent downloads in the rest of my post. I'd love that you link over and read more about our week long study!

DIY Center

2012-02-24T18:47:00.001-08:00

This is a do-it-yourself center. It is super simple to make and you can use items that you already have at home. I will show you how to make the activity and give you a free printable to go along with it.

Find out how you can go from this:

To this:

Paleontology anyone? Free Mister Bones Activity Pack

2012-02-23T14:58:00.000-08:00

I love the fact that we get to study dinosaurs again! We first learned about dinosaurs back in October. They learned that some dinosaurs were Herbivores and some were Carnivores. This week we read about Mister Bones: The founder of the T-Rex!

The students also got to experience digging bones themselves. I ordered a few excavating kits for the students to practice with! You can order these Dinosaur Fossil Kits for only $2.99 each and they arrive really quickly! I got mine in 2 days! I ordered 6 and had small groups of 4-5 work together. If you don't have time for this, you can always use a toothpick and chocolate chip cookies and dig out the chocolate chips.

Our Grammar and Writing skill was adjectives, so we did a lot of practicing during Writer's Workshop. We started out using adjectives in sentences with this activity. Then they began using it more in their stories.

When they finished digging for bones, they worked on sequencing this event. They wrote about it using this graphic organizer.

Our phonics skill was Long Vowel /oa/ /ow/ and 3-letter blends. They had fun playing the games in centers!

This is a Word Work game that I use with spinners. If you don't have clear spinners, you can just use a paperclip with a pencil.

All these activities are FREE in my Mister Bones Literacy Pack. Click Picture link to download

$200 Amazon Gift Cards Up for Grabs!

2012-02-23T10:17:00.001-08:00

Raise your hand if you love Amazon. I see you.... this is the contest for you! Charity Preston of The Organized Classroom Blog has gathered 11 teacher bloggers and a fabulous sponsor. And good things happen when resources get pooled! Up for grabs is not one, but TWO $200 Amazon gift cards. Details on how to enter are on Sub Hub. Go check it out, and GOOD LUCK!

Dental Health freebie

2012-02-21T15:10:00.000-08:00

Hey friends! It's Erin from Eberhart's Explorers....and I'm gearing up for Dental Health week. Hop on over to my blog to snag a little freebie.

Just click on my button below and it will take you directly to the post. Happy brushing and flossing.

Download Free Animal Picture Writing Prompts

2012-02-21T12:29:00.000-08:00

Visit Sub Hub to download a free document with eight animal picture writing prompts. Download and print the file, or visit the Pinterest board where they all live happily along with many other fabulous picture writing prompts. Many thanks to my husband who took most of the photos.

Picture This!

2012-02-20T09:28:00.000-08:00

Let's engage little learners in meaningful discussions--using picture prompts. Each picture includes a question that the teacher can use to initiate conversation about the topic. Capable writers will be able to write their responses to the questions.

Just click on the picture to hop on over to get these free printables:)

African Art

2012-02-19T16:59:00.000-08:00

Hello!
I just posted some fun pictures of our African Art projects that we did on Friday. Hop on over to my blog to read and see some more of the fun that we had!

now!Board a Portable Interactive Solution and GIVEAWAY!!

2012-02-19T11:20:00.001-08:00

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I've just completed a review for the now!Board. You will just love this portable technology made by Learning Resources.

Check out the video...

The fun doesn't stop with the review, you can enter to win a $100 gift card to Learning Resources. Do I have your attention? Don't miss out...Link here.

Kindergarten Makes Its Mark

2012-02-17T10:57:00.000-08:00

Although I have subbed for four years, I have spent only three of those days in kindergarten. Yesterday was one of those days, and I took some time to note my observations and conclusions. See what you think.

Creative Writing with "The Dot" by Peter Reynolds

2012-02-17T09:43:00.000-08:00

This week we read the story "The Dot" by Peter Reynolds. This is one of our stories from the Reading Street program but can also be purchased at Amazon. It is about a girl who is upset because she thinks she can't draw. With the help of her art teacher, she discovers she is a really great artist.

For one of our activities, the students were given a small piece of construction paper and they were to cut out a circle to represent a dot. Then they were to make something out of it. This is how a few turned out!

We did a little creative writing with this story as well.

I wanted to have a way for the students to experience how the girl in the story must have felt when she tried to draw. I gave the students a step by step drawing activity. Some of the students told me it was hard, but I encouraged them not to give up like the girl in the story. All of them finished and all of them were GREAT!!Here is how a few turned out.

CLICK HERE to download these writing activities

If you follow Reading Street, here are free word cards with long vowel /ea/, and inflected endings /ier/ /ied/ /iest/ to go with Unit 4 Week 2 - "The Dot".

CLICK HERE to download.

She Swallowed a Clover!

2012-02-15T20:22:00.000-08:00

I should hold onto this for a few more days, but I can't! Here is my new unit for the book There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Clover!

I have it on sale until Sunday, so pick it up asap! It has tons of printable, a reading comprehension game, and even a color the answer assessment.

Click here to get to it.

Mary, Sharing Kindergarten

http://sharingkindergarten.blogspot.com/

Be On the Look Out for Leprechauns

2012-02-15T18:38:00.000-08:00

This freebie is from a post a did last year. It is a fun and easy St. Patrick's Day activity. My students loved creating their own "Wanted Posters!" Click the picture above to hop over to my blog and download.

Things to Love about Subbing

2012-02-14T06:53:00.000-08:00

Yes, subbing is tough, and definitely not always fun, but I have found plenty to love about being a sub. And I counted them off in my latest blog post. Go read more at Sub Hub.

Super Sunday in Space

2012-02-12T08:00:00.000-08:00

I have uploaded my Space Lesson Plans Plus Unit to TpT. You can go look at it here.

It has 5 days of complete lesson plans with art projects every day.

(Day 4 is my new favorite because I created this fun activity this week and it was awesome!)

I made an emergent reader, several games and additional activities to add to it.

My kids learned so much this week using these plans and had a BLAST!

I have a simple freebie from this unit on my blog, so go visit and grab the writing activity.

Mary, Sharing Kindergarten

http://sharingkindergarten.blogspot.com/

Butterfly Garden Fun!

2012-02-12T06:30:00.000-08:00

We began this Unit about 6 weeks ago and it definitely was a favorite for me and my students. I bought a butterfly net at Walmart last summer and couldn’t wait to use it this year! When you purchase the net, it comes with a certificate for free caterpillars but you would need to pay the shipping. I was fortunate this year to get caterpillars from our local Butterfly Garden so they could just eat leaves instead of the gel that comes in the cups from the mail order. One of the other first grade teachers did get the mail order so we could compare. I had only a few die but all 5 of hers survived and turned into butterflies.

Caterpillars from the kit

Our Very Hungry Caterpillars from the Butterfly Garden

Our caterpillar ready to shed it's skin

It's now a Chrysalis!

Our Butterflies!

The students kept track of our caterpillars in their Weekly Journal

I also was able to get a butterfly education kit with real butterfly wings and samples of a real Chrysalis. The students used the butterfly wing cards I made in a compare and contrast activity.

We made butterfly glyphs to go with their Butterfly Life Cycle writing.

Blogger is not being nice to me today. Just tilt your head...call it your neck stretch of the day

The students played They Very Hungry Caterpillar game with vocabulary cards.

This Butterfly Math and Literacy Unit is now available on my Teachers Pay Teachers store. Click the link below.

Telling time in kindergarten?

2012-02-11T11:05:00.000-08:00

I know, I know..... Telling time isn't a common core standard for kindergarten! BUT when you think about it, looking at clocks IS another way to practice number recognition. We learned the words "analog" and "digital" and looked at big numbers and small numbers and noticed that one hand on the analog clock was big and the other hand was little. We matched number to number which was one-to-one correspondence. So we really did study numbers in this math center! :)
Here are a few pictures of what the kids did. One activity was making a ladybug clock (after reading Eric Carle's The Grouchy Ladybug, of course! The other was matching digital times on flowers with the analog hands on a flowerpot clock. Spring ideas, for sure, but doesn't wishful thinking make it happen??

New Freebie Site Organized By Subject

2012-02-11T11:02:00.000-08:00

I am in the middle of creating a set of freebie pages that are organized by subject. If you would like to be part of this and contribute freebies as a source of marketing, feel free to fill out the google doc below. It works best if you are a blogger with an active blog to help cross-promote others, but at the very least you will need a Facebook Fanpage that features the name of your store. The websites I am creating are made using Blogger. If you aren't familiar with Blogger, you can create one for free and play with it to learn the ins and outs of posting on them.

Here is the link to my google doc which helps me gather and organize information. If you would like to be a part of this sales endeavor, fill it out and I will get back to you!

Also, we have a fanpage on Facebook that you are welcome to join also, where we will share websites, activities, and other blog posts!

Didn't I Share?

2012-02-11T05:38:00.000-08:00

I try to remember to share all my great stuff, but I left you guys out on a cool freebie and a huge time saver! I made this great unit in January and never shared! So sorry.
This unit is HUGE and has so many ideas to teach There Was a Cold Lady Who Swallowed Some Snow. I added a ton extras onto this pack included an art. (I put the templates into the pack for you.) Just click on the pic above to go to the TpT link. $4 for 60 pages- LOTS of printables.

I have a freebie for you too! I made an emergent reader using this book. It is 10 pages and it is yours for free! Click on the link here to grab it.

I have something new... I am almost ready to share it. Can you hold tight a little longer for something fun, creative, and GREAT!?!

Mary, Sharing Kindergarten

http://sharingkindergarten.blogspot.com/

Escaping on the Underground Railroad

2012-02-10T09:35:00.000-08:00

This week I had a wonderful opportunity to volunteer at my son's school as his grade level was re-enacting escaping on the Underground Railroad. The event was complete with filled knapsacks, a quilt-marked journey, bounty hunters, safe hiding places, snacks, and the Great Lakes (blue paper on the stage). And, yes, we made it to Canada for playing and popcorn. Come read all about it at Sub Hub.

Free Computer Center Directions for Starfall.com and SpellingCity.com

2012-02-09T16:48:00.000-08:00

My goal for literacy centers is to have the students work as independently as possible. Since, I teach first grade, this requires a lot of prep work on my part. One of my favorite centers and the easiest centers to set up is computer center.

I place two students at each computer and have a headphone splitting jack plugged in so that each child can wear headphones and I don't hear the computer! I print my "Computer Direction Sheets" and laminate them. I use Wikki Sticks to circle the games I want the students to focus on. Click {here} to hop over to my blog and download these direction sheets for Starfall.com and Spellingcity.com.

Valentine's Kick Off Week

2012-02-08T21:14:00.000-08:00

We are in Day 3 of our Valentine's Week Extravaganza! Since we will only have 2 full days next week because of PT Conferences, we started our Valentine celebrations early. It has been such a busy week so far and I think my students need a break as much as I do. We have been working on the Long Vowels ay and ai so the students were excitited to find a new game for our Word Work Center.

How many of you have ever played Connect Four as a kid? Well I stumbled on to this smaller version at the local Walmart this past weekend. It was only $2.50! We are working on Long Vowel: ai and ay so I made cards to go with this Connect 4 game plus a blank version to use with any words. Students choose a card, read the word, then take a turn with the game. If they don't read the word, they lose a turn. Click Here to download and enjoy a copy for yourself !

For those of you who use Reading Street, I just added Unit 1-5 vocabulary cards to my Teachers Pay Teachers store. I am using these with this game and a few others in my word work center as well. Just click the picture link below.

Stop by my blog to grab the Day 1and 2 Freebies as well!

Psss...

2012-02-08T20:13:00.000-08:00

I know a secret!

I know how you can get 5 blank sorting activities for Valentine's Day for FREE! If you want to know too, click this picture!I also made a game for my class. I can't keep all the goodness of this game to myself, so I am sharing it with you for SUPER cheap! $1! Game board, optional pieces, 30 question cards, blank cards, and an answer key.

Okay, now you know the secret!

Mary, Sharing Kindergarten

http://sharingkindergarten.blogspot.com/

FREE Lorax Fun... No Thneeds Needed

2012-02-08T09:50:00.000-08:00

I have gotten so excited for the new Lorax movie to be released on March 2, which is also Dr. Seuss's birthday. To celebrate the movie release, the birthday, Earth Day, and my favorite Seuss book of all time, I made a The Lorax Unit for grades K-5. There are at least five activities for each subject. And as if that weren't enough, I also made a free Lorax moustache hat pattern.

Abbreviations Match-Up, the solar system, and a new website!

2012-02-07T18:34:00.001-08:00

What a jumbled list of topics!

Ordinarily by now I would have written an article about some wonderful something-or-other that I have found. But, alas, I am dog-tired. That's the phrase my mama uses after a day of hard work. So...all I have to offer is this really pretty abbreviations matching-game for FREE!!! If you haven't already, please follow me when you go to download and be sure to give me some feedback. One more thing, I didn't have time to make a key before I uploaded it, so have students write down their matches. A key is in the works....but due to problems with my computer and uploading my revised revised version to TpT, I wasn't able to finish it tonight. Hopefully it will be up tomorrow.

I can tell you that I found this really cool website about the solar system that I used to take my kids on a 'field trip'. One of my kids said I was must like Ms. Frizzle. LOL!!! We 'traveled' through the solar system as the captain <me!> gave them a tour of everything from the hot sun to the dwarf planet, Pluto. Let me tell you....as you travel through the asteroid belt, be sure to tighten your seat belt and ALWAYS lean into the turns. If you want to take your kids on that same field trip, go here or here! This link also has information about the asteroid belt, which is the 'funnest' part of the whole field trip, as one of my students reported.

P.S. If by chance you get to bestpractices4teacing.blogspot.com and things don't look right, travel on to the new site!

Valentine's Day freebies

2012-02-07T15:15:00.000-08:00

I made some free printables to go along with your thematic unit for Valentine's Day. These include calendar pieces, writing activity, math activity, word bank vocabulary ideas, poems and an activity for your reading center. Come on by to see what you can print out:)

You can also sign up for my Kid's Reading Activities Newsletter.

Just enter your email address in the space below.

If You Need a Fantastic Graphic Organizer Resource, Look No Further

2012-02-07T08:13:00.000-08:00

Graphic organizers are a must for every teacher and sub to have. Luckily for us all, Laura Candler at Teaching Resources has just published a new book full of them. Graphic Organizers for Reading is jam packed with different types of organizers, along with instructions on how to use them. To read more, visit Sub Hub.

Projects vs Worksheets?

2012-02-06T18:59:00.001-08:00

I totally agree with Debbie Clement when she writes about process vs product! In order for children to take ownership of their product, they need to feel that THEY created it in every way! I am SO NOT a worksheet teacher! I KNOW they have a place in the classroom, but if I am bored making copies of the same paper over and over again, how bored are my students going to be? I truly believe that if a child feels ownership in their work, they will retain it SO MUCH longer than a child who cuts and glues copied pieces of paper from one spot to another. Of course as I said, I DO use worksheets, but they must fulfill a purpose for my students; not just be busy work. The centers do not have to be complicated. Many times the children are simply making a drawing or a cut and glue project.

So... I am sharing some pictures of what my students did today. In one of their literacy centers, they were to create an animal from hearts, (typical Valentine's project!), write the name of their animal, and count and record the number of hearts that they used for their animal. Later in the week, they will write about their animal. I start out the year instructing my students how to create pictures from shapes. We start out simply and by this time of the year, the kids are creating much more complicated drawings/cuttings. I usually provide optional step by step illustrations for the kids to follow and most will use them, but some do not and that is fine. Here is an example of the illustrations that I provide for them..... Click on the image to get a sample copy of this illustration. The hen is the simplest of the illustrations. The lion (which no one chose today!) has 9 steps.....And here are a few finished products I received from the first group of students at this center today. I am so proud of their hard work!One more thing: I do not give my students heart templates to use. I show them how to draw a heart on paper and then cut it out. We do not use the "cut on the fold" type of heart construction. My little ones just don't seem to get the fold vs open part of the paper and I end up using far too much time and TAPE mending little paper hearts! Here is an image of the poem that I use when teaching how to draw hearts. If you would like a copy of it, just click on the picture and you SHOULD get a google doc of it (hope, hope, fingers crossed !) Happy heart making! :)

Winter Activities with Mini Marshmallows

2012-02-06T14:20:00.000-08:00

Hi there! This is Shelley Gray from Teaching in the Early Years. Are you looking for a fun way to integrate math, literacy and art in your classroom? If you have a few bags of mini marshmallows, there are countless activities that you can do in your classroom. And of course, don't forget the hot chocolate and marshmallows to finish up your activity time!

Here are just a few ideas for how to use mini marshmallows in your classroom:

Math Activities:

estimation: If you are working on estimating with your students, put some mini marshmallows in different sized containers and set up an estimation station. Have students use strategies to estimate how many are in each container and explain how they came up with the number.
length: Make a row of marshmallows and measure the length. Alternatively, practice non-standard measurement with marshmallows. For example, how many marshmallows long is a piece of string or a tens block?
making equal groups: Whether you teach multiplication or not, you can have your students make equal groups of marshmallows. For example, give them 12 marshmallows and have students divide them into 4 equal groups, then 3 equal groups, then 2 equal groups. Have students create arrays with the groups and write addition or multiplication equations to accompany them.
addition equations: Give students a sum of marshmallows and have them create as many addition and subtraction equations as they can. For example, 10 marshmallows could be used to create the following equations: 9+1=10, 8+2=10, 5+5=10, etc.
subtraction equations: Give students a handful of marshmallows and have them create as many subtraction equations as they can. For example, with 10 marshmallows students could create the following equations: 10-7=3, 10-4=6, 10-2=8, etc.
patterns and sorts: Use colored mini marshmallows for students to sort and create patterns. Glue the marshmallows onto construction paper and use them as a bulletin board pattern display!
fractions: Use colored mini marshmallows to practice fractions. For example, with two green marshmallows and 3 pink marshmallows, students could create the fractions two-fifths and three-fifths.
greater than/less than: Give students a handful of marshmallows and have them create greater than and less than sentences. For example, 15 marshmallows could be used to create the following sentences: 8>7, 12>3, 6<9, etc.
2-D and 3-D shapes: Have students use toothpicks and mini marshmallows to create two and three dimensional shapes. For more information on this activity, you can take a look at my blog post here.

Literacy Activities:

describing words: Have students describe what the marshmallows look like, feel like and sound like. You could also integrate similes into this activity.
lists: Make a list of all the foods that include marshmallows, or the different ways that they can be used.
recipes: Practice different styles of writing, such as recipe writing. Alternatively, make rice krispie cake as a class and have students write a how-to piece using transition words and step-by-step instructions.

Art Activities:

I saw this activity on Pinterest awhile ago, and just HAD to make one with my own kids at home! We used large marshmallows as sponges (dipped in white paint) to paint the snow, and mini marshmallows as sponges to make the snowflakes. Then, we used mini marshmallows and glue to make the actual snowman, with construction paper for the hat and nose, Sharpie marker for the eyes and buttons, and toothpicks for the arms. I didn't have any glitter at home, but it would make a nice addition to the snow!
Marshmallow snowflakes: Use toothpicks and mini marshmallows to create snowflakes. You can use them to decorate a bulletin board or to hang from the ceiling!

And, don't forget the best part of your "marshmallow" day.....the hot chocolate!

Children's Art: Process vs. Product

2012-02-06T14:00:00.000-08:00

I realize that I am very new here at BlogHopping and that beyond that newness, I'm a little outside the box of the average teacher blog, primarily because I'm NOT a classroom teacher.

Having said that as a pre-amble, I have created an amazing amount of passionate reaction to an article I wrote a few days ago on our collaborative blog PreK + K Sharing. I wrote about the differences between 'process' and 'product' in Children's Art. The responses have been AMAZING in every way.

That article is linked right here..... and I invite you to take a look when you have time. What has TOTALLY amazed me is one of the comments that a teacher left saying she got 'in trouble' at her school for sending home 'imperfect' artwork.

That led me to write a follow up article on my own blog, regarding 'fixing' children's Artwork.

Would you have been tempted to 'fix' this child's stop-light?

I invite you to share your experience with these various 'issues.' It has raised much discussion regarding education in general, and teacher competitiveness as well.

One other amazing development in the last week. Yesterday in the midst of the Super Bowl I had well over 1000 people read my article about childhood obesity, because a pin of the image went haywire. If that is a topic on your mind, click on that link.

Thanks for your time

-- Debbie --

Valentine Freebie and Presidents' Day Plans

2012-02-05T06:42:00.001-08:00

Hey Hoppy Friends!

I have a sweet Valentine Game Board for you!I made this game so you can use it with everything and anything you need this week at school. IT IS FREE! Click the picture below for the link and grab it. If follow me on TpT, you will know every time I make a freebie!

I had a great response to my Light and Shadow Unit last week, so I worked so hard this week to provide you with more help!
This unit is all about Presidents and US Symbols. It is on sale right now, so stop by and look. It is 41 pages long, included book lists, links to videos and games online, covers 5 Presidents, all the US Symbols, and your class is going to have a ton of fun along the way!

Best Wishes on a very Blessed Day

Mary, Sharing Kindergarten

http://sharingkindergarten.blogspot.com/

Fine motor skills

2012-02-04T16:27:00.000-08:00

Does your report card include a grade for fine motor skills? There is so much to do in our classrooms and sometimes teachers forget to incorporate activities to strengthen those little fingers and hands. We do plenty of paper tearing, cutting and pasting, but do any of you have a center specifically for this objective? There are so many activities that promote this skill. Hop on over to see a few ideas that you can use in your center and give those fingers some strength.

It's a Cabinet. It's a Storage Device. It's a... T-chart!

2012-02-03T06:15:00.000-08:00

Some teachers are just so clever! And as a sub, I get the chance to see so many different ways of using the same old things. Check out how one teacher I subbed for uses her boring two-door storage cabinet. She could cover it in posters, but no, she came up with a clever way to incorporate it into the curriculum. Visit Sub Hub to see more.

Make the Most of Downtime

2012-02-02T11:15:00.000-08:00

Downtime for a teacher is troublesome, but downtime for a sub can spell doom. When left to their own undirected devices, many students crumble. Don't let this happen to you! My Down with Downtime product line offer suggested activities to add on to the end of any lesson to occupy the students. And now Reading and Language Arts packets are available to go along with the previously published Math. All sets are great for K-5. Visit Sub Hub to find out the scoop.

A Freebie and Giveaway!

2012-01-31T02:32:00.000-08:00

Pink Tiara Book Blog Tour is come to an end at Primary Graffiti. I'm so excited to offer a HUGE freebie, a new unit, and an AWESOME giveaway.

Maria Dismondy did a wonderful job teaching exclusion as a subtle form of bullying in her beautiful book. You can preview the book with an online reading at my blog too!

Click the image above to link to my blog for your freebie and enter the giveaway!

Free Motivational Poster!

2012-01-30T13:13:00.000-08:00

I just thought I would share this! Have a great week! Click the picture to download.

Enjoy!

What's All the Hubbub?

2012-01-30T09:20:00.000-08:00

It's Sub HubBub, the new monthly newsletter of the Sub Hub blog. Don't miss the first issue Feb. 1. Visit Sub Hub to become a subscriber!

Lights and Shadows

2012-01-28T19:57:00.001-08:00

Hi all! Mary here again from Sharing Kindergarten!

I know you all have all your lesson plans for the week written, prepped, and ready to go...

right! Right?

Okay... well SOME of us might need a little help this week. SOME of us may be looking for a complete lesson plan to teach about light and shadows this week.

Since I have already written, prepped, and planned out my awesome and FUN science unit this week, how about I share it with you?

Here are 5 days worth of Light and Shadow lesson plans AND
-book lists
-supplies needed
-charts already made
-activities planned
-links to great online resources ready

I have to say, this is one of my favorite units to teach, so I hope you choose to use it this week. It is so hands on and fun! And I did all the work for you!

Don't forget to download and use my Groundhog Day Mini Unit this week too! It is completely free.Here's to an early Spring!

Lions, Birthdays, Roaring + Miracles

2012-01-28T07:59:00.000-08:00

HAPPY WEEKEND!!!!! HAPPY Saturday!!!!!!
Happy Re-charge your batteries and take a deep breath!!!!! Happy 100th day or there-abouts-depending on your calendar!!!! Happy to be a teacher? Happy to make a difference? Happy to contribute? Need a pick-me-up?

Happy, happy. Joy, joy, joy!

Every now and then I get to observe something truly amazing. Every now and again I get to participate in something awesome and inspiring. Once in a lifetime I get to learn of a 'miracle' and hear my part in its unfolding.

Yesterday on my blog I retold the story of an amazing set of parents who encountered a miracle, (as documented by Oprah's 'Medical Miracles') and I was one teeny-tiny part of it..... lions, birthdays and roaring: oh my!!!!!!

Since its the weekend, perhaps you have time to read the story? It will bring a host of emotions. Perhaps smiles, perhaps tears -- or maybe both. I invite you over to read for yourself. Priceless. It's the story of the 'Lion Lady.' Pour yourself a cup of warmth and hop on over to RainbowsWithinReach for the rest of the story.
-- Debbie --

If your work includes that of reaching out to children with special needs -- this story is for you! I promise it will be worth your time.

Sweet Secret Code Words

2012-01-26T19:17:00.001-08:00

Hi Blog Hoppers... check out my new game...

It is called Sweet Secret Code Words. This is a class favorite year after year, so I made this game digital for your guys. Check out the details at

Doing What Matters Most

2012-01-25T09:07:00.000-08:00

I was lucky enough to get to review Start Something That Matters by Blake Mykoskie, chief shoe giver of TOMS. It may seem that the book would have nothing to do with teaching and blogging, but there are actually quite a few connections. Read the full review and enter to win a copy of your own at Sub Hub.

Don't Leave Out Math and Science for Valentine's Day

2012-01-24T12:10:00.000-08:00

Valentine's Day is usually all about writing stories and poems, reading holiday-themed books, classroom parties (maybe), eating candy, and exchanging cards. But don't forget that you can celebrate during math and science too. I have just the freebie for you. Check out my Valentine's Day Math and Science Ideas.

RtI resources and Data you can USE!!!

2012-01-23T16:00:00.003-08:00

I came across a new website to me and HAVE TO SHARE!! Yes, I'm shouting. Actually freaking out in a wonderful way. easyCBM has made RtI instruction easy peasy lemon squeezy! Oh. Yes. I. Did!

My school transitions for RtI from 915-945am EVERY MORNING. Since the entire school is moving at once, we have more success transferring kids to various classrooms that will meet their immediate needs. Sounds easy right? With more than 200 students on my grade level alone... easy it is not!

I currently have tier two word reading, tier three comprehension, and tier three math. Wowzers! easyCBM is a one stop shop. I've linked their screeenshots pages so that you can see all the wonderful tools this website provides..AND for FREE!

In Florida, teachers are required to give FAIR (Florida Assessment in Reading) to all students. This website has K-8: letter naming sounds, phoneme segmenting, word reading list, passage reading fluency, multiple choice reading comprehension, math number and operations, math geometry, math measurement, etc. Various grade levels provide different support options and you have access to ALL. Students can take the assessments online or on paper. I used several assessments for a baseline this morning and input the scores this afternoon and received magnificent graphs. Just what MRT would love to see!

You HAVE to check this website out today!! I signed up and had immediate access to files. YEAH!!! By the way..PURE excited here..I'm not getting paid for this. So stop reading my post and go check it out.

Free 100th Day Activities

2012-01-23T15:00:00.000-08:00

Hello, Blog Hoppin' friends. I am Lidia from Kid's Reading Activities. I am very excited to be a part of your community. I have taught 15 years and most of my experience has been in Kindergarten. I am always amazed at how much these little ones can learn.

I love to create reading activities, especially thematic literacy centers and other fun activities. Today, I have some ideas and free printables for the 100 days of school. I have also included a parent letter for a fun family project. In this project, parents will help the child glue 100 small items on a hat. Click on the picture to hop on over to my blog for the parent letter, free printables and more fun ideas.

My free printables.

Celebrating a Baby with Some Math and Writing

2012-01-23T12:45:00.000-08:00

Since all of my long-term subbing jobs have been for teachers on maternity leave, I came up with a baby math and writing activity to help the students feel connected to their missing teacher... and to help the teacher feel missed and appreciated.

I use the baby's stats for a math activity, and then the students make cards for the baby offering it advice for the future. The students (and the teacher) love it! Visit Sub Hub to see all the details.

100th Day Projects

2012-01-22T16:18:00.000-08:00

With the 100th day around the corner, my kiddos are preparing for their big 100th day projects. Since we are in second grade, my kids work on groups of 100 through a 1000. Last year was a BIG success. Many students traveled through our primary hallway to take a look. I couldn't find all my fabulous pictures but did manage to find a few.

Here is the rubric used:

Link over to my blog and check out some of the final projects.

Get Ready For Groundhog Day

2012-01-21T11:46:00.000-08:00

I have to share this simple FREE unit with you guys. I made it for my class, but I think and hope many of you can use it too. I loved the Scrappin Doodle Graphics too much to let it pass.
Please, go grab this from TpT and leave a comment on my blog or rate it for me. (Hit the link to take you there.)
Thanks!

Cupids For Cancer

2012-01-20T19:26:00.000-08:00

Please come and read about the program that I sponsor at my school during February. I challenge you to sponsor a similar <or same!> program to benefit your the oncology department at your children's hospital. What are you waiting for??? CLICK!!!

Valentine Poetry Writing Freebie

2012-01-19T12:48:00.000-08:00

I have planned ahead for you and made a quick little Valentine poetry writing freebie. Read a book, and the students write poems that follow the pattern. Free printable cards are included for students to make their own Valentines.

Love Those Polar Bears!

2012-01-18T19:14:00.000-08:00

Hi!
Just a short post to share our big polar bear hanging in our classroom! It is SOOOOO cool for the kids to see how tall a polar bear would be if he stood up on his hind legs - almost 10 feet tall! My co-partner, Lisa, gave me this idea! I enlarged the polar bear picture to 10 feet on our old overhead. I had to do it in two parts! The polar bear sketch is very skinny because I wanted him to fit in the laminating machine. So, the realism is a little off, but the IDEA of the height of a polar bear is brought into the classroom! I take each child's picture standing next to the polar bear - Wow! A polar bear is big!
Click here to get a copy of the polar bear sketch! It is my first attempt at a Google.doc so bear with me as I learn this new skill! :)

Down with Downtime!

2012-01-17T12:14:00.000-08:00

Greeting, Blog Hoppers! I invite you to check out my latest blog post featuring the first release of my new line of substitute products. This is called Down with Downtime and features subject-specific time fillers based on the Common Core State Standards. Down with Downtime: K-5 Math is now available along with a free sample.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Blog Hop

2012-01-17T05:36:00.000-08:00

Good morning readers and fellow bloggers..... while everyone is still focused on the life and contribution of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and before you put those books, projects and resources away -- I want to direct your attention to a blog hop on this topic that I'm hosting at my personal blog, RainbowsWithinReach. I invite all the blog hoppers to hop on over and take a look at the amazing ideas already linked up!!! Click right here to see the blog hop. If you've written an article that addresses diversity, acceptance, peace and the issues involved in Dr. King's legacy -- please come on over and link up!

Last week as part of my "author-in-the-schools" visit in southern FL I had a class of kindergarten children weave THE MOST ORIGINAL 'dream catchers' as a thank-you gift for my time in their midst. What an awesome project to use in the exploration of dreams: large and small!

This is a brilliant idea brought to fruition by Caitlin Clabby, author of the blog Kindergarten Smiles. I think they would make an AWESOME parent gift for Valentine's Day.

Happy Hoppin'
Debbie Clement

Abe Lincoln's Hat

2012-01-16T12:57:00.000-08:00

Hey Everyone,

It's Hope King from Second Grade Shenanigans here to quickly share how we create our Valentine boxes in my room each year. I know many schools do not allow any form of party or celebration unless it includes academics/standards-based learning...so if that is you...here is a little trick. Valentine's Day is not the only holiday celebrated in the month of February. We also celebrate Abraham Lincoln's birthday on February 12 and President's Day on February 20th. So...why not have a triple threat and combine the three?!?

Fun fact for the day: Abraham Lincoln kept many of his letters and important documents in his tall black hat. Every year, my students make these adorable Abraham Lincoln hats to hold all of our Valentine cards {our version of letters and documents}. After reading Abe Lincoln's Hat, we write facts about him on heart shaped cut-outs. Then the students attach their facts to their hats. On the day of our Valentine's Day celebration, the students place all of their cards into their hat just like Abe! 100% Learning & 100% Fun...all at the same time! Here is a look at how our hats are created!

This fun activity is one of many in my new unit that incorporates Valentine's Day into lots of friendly letter writing fun! You can check out my unit over at Second Grade Shenanigans! :)

Thank you, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.!!

2012-01-16T07:12:00.000-08:00

Hey y'all! This is Anna from Crazy for First Grade! I wanted to share a couple activities with you that I am using to celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.!

I plan to read a lot of literature with my class about Dr. King! Here are a few of my favorite books about his life & legacy!

My sweeties will use what they learned about Martin Luther King to complete this bubble map.

Then they will write up an informational piece about him using the facts on their bubble map.

We'll also watch parts of the famous "I Have A Dream" speech and reflect on our dreams.

I found this PRECIOUS idea from 1st Grade Decades on Pinterest...my newest online addiction. *side note*- You can follow my boards {HERE}!

I'm going to let my students write about their dream on the writing paper below & put it inside their book! Too cute!!

You can download all of these printables {HERE}!

I hope you are enjoying a relaxing Monday off work!!! We sure do have a lot to be thankful for today as we give thanks to such an amazing man!

"Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase."

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Bowing to the King

2012-01-16T06:29:00.000-08:00

Here's hoping many of the U.S. fans have today off in celebration of the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Personally, I feel it is one of the most important days to remember a great man in our history, but it is also a very delicate subject. Come see how I have handled it in second and third grade classrooms. I have had good success getting students to reflect and connect, and I am sharing it with you. It's not a complicated idea and is simply based on my favorite book about Dr. King and its accompanying tear-jerker of a video. Read all about it here.

Say hello to our little friends! Plus a New Literacy Product!

2012-01-15T12:47:00.000-08:00

I am so excited to be on a 3 day break after such a busy 1st week back after our Winter Break! My students will be getting a big surprise when they return Tuesday! Say hello to our little friends that arrived today! We will be spending next week and more learning about the Lifecycle of Butterflies. This is my next upcoming Teaching Unit that will include journals, Math games, Very Hungry Caterpillar game and more! I'll post all this in the next week or so!

Thanks to Tucson's Botanical Gardens, we get to experience all this in our classroom! Not only did they provide the caterpillars, they also gave us samples of butterflies and the Chrysalises they form. We will be taking a field trip to the gardens in March to experience their exotic butterfly garden. My daughter and I went last year and had a blast! The butterflies even landed on my fingers and head!

My daughter enjoyed helping me get the caterpillars into their new home.

Botanical Gardens with my family 2010

Last, but not least, check out the new addition to my Literacy Center Series!

Phonics Fun with ER, IR, UR. There are activities in color and Black/White!
Click the picture link below.

I hope you all have a fantastic holiday break!

Dr. Seuss Fact Family Freebies!

2012-01-15T07:14:00.000-08:00

Hi there! This is Shelley Gray from Teaching in the Early Years. Have you started planning for Dr. Seuss' birthday yet? Here's a little freebie that you can put away for the big event, or that you can use in your classroom right away. These task cards simply need to be laminated and cut, and placed at a math workstation along with the accompanying recording sheet.

This first set of task cards involves addition and subtraction fact families. Students will look at the three numbers on the card, and create two addition equations and two subtraction equations. Three separate levels are included so that you can target the unique differences within your classroom. Level 1 includes numbers to 20, Level 2 includes numbers to 50, and Level 3 includes numbers to 100. To download the addition/subtraction version, please click on the image below:

The second set of task cards involves the operations of multiplication and division. Students will use the three numbers to create two multiplication and two division equations. In this set, Level 1 includes equations up to 5x5 and Level 2 includes equations up to 10x10. To download the multiplication and division version, please click on the image below:

Hope you enjoy these freebies and good luck with your Dr.Seuss celebrations!

Mary from Sharing Kindergarten

2012-01-14T20:10:00.000-08:00

Hi Blog Hoppers! My name is Mary from Sharing Kindergarten…

I am so completely, totally, and truly in love with my job that I want to share what I do with you AND I want to learn from you.

Right now I am sharing lots of links to The Mitten by Jan Brett activities, 5 different 100 number charts freebies from my 100 page Arctic Unit, and loads more.

I posted some game ideas for the 100^th day. Well, actually we play it in my room everyday to learn all our numbers to 100! It is a SMASH.

I am working on another sight word activity right now. Come follow me so you will know when it is completed. Let’s share kindergarten together!

Cherry Blossom Cross Curricular Unit

2012-01-13T23:29:00.001-08:00

Are you aware this year is the centennial celebration of the Cherry Blossom Trees given to the United States by Japan as a sign of friendship? In honor of this remarkable event, Corkey DeSimone wrote a fabulous book called Cherry Blossom Friends.

Here is my unit...

This marvelous 68 page cross-curricular unit aligns with Corkey DeSimone's Cherry Blossom Friends and perfect for spring. This book is written to captivate primary and intermediate readers. Primary students can learn about the animals that thrive in the Cherry Blossom trees through riddles, rhyming, and repetition. I incorporated the riddle in my unit by teaching Haiku poetry which is a short form of Japanese poems with 17 syllables. Intermediate students can learn about the great gift of the Cherry Blossom Trees from Japan as a sign of friendship and the journey to get 3800 trees to Washington DC in 1912. As well, students will learn about the National Mall and all the exquisite memorials featured along the Tidal Basin. What a wonderful way to incorporate discussion for President's Day! Also included in my unit is a 'Monument'al tour guide to assist in these discussions. This year marks the centennial celebration of the Cherry Blossom Trees. I included a book talking about the life cycle of the cherry tree with vocabulary to align. There are so many more wonderful components to my Cross Curricular unit.

I've featured a fabulous unit and post about this upcoming event on my blog. Link here to read all about it!

Greetings, Tips, and a Freebie from Sub Hub

2012-01-13T08:55:00.000-08:00

Hello, Blog Hoppin' followers! I am Rachel from Sub Hub, and am thrilled to be able to post here on Blog Hoppin'. I have been a substitute teacher for 4 years and have been pretty successful in that realm. I am personally requested for most of the jobs I get, and I have been lucky enough to land quite a few long-term positions too. This helps tremendously since a full-time teaching position has thus far eluded me.

Sub Hub is a blog I started to offer tips and strategies to substitute teachers and full-time teachers preparing for substitutes. I offer emergency substitute lesson plans on both the blog and Teachers Pay Teachers and lots of other activities and time fillers. There are classroom management suggestions, and today I am offering some tips for subs to get more work as well as a freebie of a Daily Summary Form. I can also be found on Facebook, Twitter and pinning to my 50-and-counting Pinterest boards.

HAPPY Friday the 13th!

2012-01-13T06:55:00.000-08:00

I'M SOoo0OOOooo000 EXCITED !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is my first post at Blog Hoppin' and I'm ecstatic!!!!!

Thirteen has always been my lucky number + how fitting to receive my invitation to contribute here on the thirteenth!!!! YIPPEEEEEE!!!!!!!! HUGE THANKS to Deanna Jump!

I'm Debbie Clement, nationally award-winning "music lady" and I've written over 100 original songs onto nine albums!!! And what?!?!?!?! You've never heard of me?!?!?!?! I'm working hard to change all that! LOL I keep a happy, colorful blog of my travels and inspiration over at "RainbowsWithinReach" and I would LUV to have you hop over there for a bigger introduction to my work. If you hop directly to this post right here you're entitled to a FREEEEEEE Mp3 of one of my favorite original ditties: "Monster Spray." A fitting introduction indeed!

I'm now turning my songs into children's picture books. I'm author + illustrator of three books and my newest just won a national award!!!! It's entitled, "Red, White and Blue" and would be the PERFECT support for your studies surrounding President's Day.

I ALWAYS have a promo code to receive 10% off the price at my website. Anytime you enter the word 'great' (grass roots are terrific!) as a promo-code you receive 10% off. My husband's golfing right now, I'll ask him to make a special blog-hopping discount when he gets back. I'd like to offer you 15% off, as a special thanks. Be patient. May take us till tonight!

My background as a former elementary Art teacher and a Resource teacher to young children with special needs keeps me always searching for visual arts ideas. My blog is full of visual candy, ideas, inspiration, tutorials and encouragement. This post from my school visit earlier this week has had a couple of teachers in tears..... in a good way.

******Perhaps my greatest way to support you is through my Pinterest collection. At this moment I have 2552 followers of my 10,515 pins!!!! Click right here for direct connection to my Pinterest collection!******

Thanks so much for sharing the spotlight!!! Now happy hoppin'!!!! It's Friday and a l-o-n-g weekend at that. Plenty of time to hop!!!

Debbie
"Changing the world, one song at a time."

***I go where I get invited, making school visits around the country and around the world. Last week was my retro accounting of my visit to Reggio Emilia in ITALY!!!!

Shaving cream and glue winter fun!

2012-01-12T19:36:00.000-08:00

Shaving cream and glue - oh what fun that is!! Equal parts of each, a little paper, and diamond dust glitter and you have a beautiful snow picture! The MOST fun about this picture is that the paint stays puffy! The kids cannot stop touching it! We cut people shapes from the Ellison machine, put out construction paper scraps and let the kids go to town! Fun! After completion, they wrote about their "Snowy Day!"

January Calendar Freebie

2012-01-09T19:55:00.001-08:00

Happy New Year! I'm off to a slow start blogging but a bang in the classroom. I'd like to invite you to visit my blog and grab a freebie copy of the patterned calendar cards!

Penguin word family fun

2012-01-05T20:26:00.001-08:00

We had a great time today sorting word family words! Each student had a word family sorting mat and the baby penguins were put into the middle of the table. I told this story "The baby penguins were having fun playing at the park. All of a sudden, they heard, Time for dinner! You need to come home! Can you help the baby penguins find their home? " Each child then searched for the babies that belonged in their family mat. It was fun to hear them say things like "There are 2 boys and 2 girl baby penguins in my family!" Or "I have 3 boys and 1 girl!" Even though this was a literacy activity, math was also a part of it! Here are some pictures. Click on my name to follow the link to my TPT store to get the mats and baby penguins! It's a freebie! Enjoy!

It's a Brand New Year Giveaway

2012-01-02T06:34:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone,

It's Hope King from Second Grade Shenanigans! First of all, I want to wish all of you a very Happy New Year. I can not even believe that it is already 2012! Seriously...where did the time go?!? I know that many of us are either already back or preparing to go back to those sweet little faces that greet us each morning. So, to start January off right, we are having a big giveaway with some of your favorite bloggers! The winner will receive 11 amazing units that will be perfect for these first few months back to school. It is super easy to enter, so come on over for your chance to win! Wishing you all the best in 2012! :)

2012 Monthly Patterned Calendar

2011-12-29T23:00:00.000-08:00

I've created a patterned Calendar Date Cards file for the 2012 year. This 113 page file has been uploaded to my TpT store for $3.50. Link to my blog, leave a message if you are interested in this calendar file. I'll draw a winner on New Year's Day.

New Years Resolutions...Mission Organization

2011-12-27T08:13:00.001-08:00

Need to get organized? Read my post on PreK K Sharing to help you get started!
http://prekandksharing.blogspot.com/

Christmas Gift Ideas and Polar Express Freebie

2011-12-18T09:55:00.000-08:00

I hope many of you are enjoying the start of your Christmas break! I'm not because we have 5 more days! BLAH!! I have been Little Miss Craft-O-Holic these past few days getting ready for the last week of school and putting together some gifts for my daughter's 3 teachers and my parent helpers! Wowsers!! It was exhausting!!

I saw this super cute idea on my co-workers desk and fell in love!! I decided this would be a perfect gift along with ornaments and gift cards! All you need are the jumbo size binder clips, scrapbook paper, ribbon, and beads or buttons.

I have been working on a new Polar Express Unit but it is not quite ready for my TpT store...sorry. I decided to offer a part of it free and will update you when I finish it. Click the picture link to download.

Polar Express: Build-A-Train

Happy Holidays!

Polar Express

2011-12-15T18:26:00.001-08:00

Click photo to link to my blog and grab your copy of each image above!

Grinch Day and Exploring New Waters

2011-12-14T20:58:00.001-08:00

Click my picture above to link to my recent post with freebies of the images above!

Winter Holidays Tips and Freebies

2011-12-13T11:44:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone! This is Shelley Gray from Teaching in the Early Years. It is hard to believe that the holidays are just around the corner! If you are looking for some great holiday ideas for your classroom or some free printables and activities, you will definitely want to check this out! Rachel Lynette, a TpT veteran, has compiled this free winter holiday e-book featuring tips, ideas and activities from 50 TpT authors, some of which are also authors right here on Blog Hoppin'!

To download this fantastic e-book from Teachers Pay Teachers, click on the image below:

If you do not have a Teachers Pay Teachers account, you can download the e-book from Google Docs by clicking on the image below:

Enjoy! Happy Holidays!

3D shapes Christmas Town Map

2011-12-12T20:00:00.000-08:00

We had such a good time with our 3D shapes unit this year! We have always built shapes from gumdrops and toothpicks, but this year we decided to have our students turn their shapes into something "real!" What that means is that when they created a cone from paper, they decorated it and it became a Christmas tree. A cube became a house and a pyramid was attached to the cube to create the roof! To create the house, children used toothpicks and gumdrops. A rectangular prism and a cube became a Christmas train (This was hard!) and a Styrofoam ball sphere became a light when it was placed upon a cylinder lamp post! We gave the children little Christmas people that they colored and attached to a toothpick and gumdrop. This allowed children to move their Christmas people around the town. Each child made a paper lake and we sprinkled diamond dust glitter around the ground for snow. We used corrugated cardboard as a base with a piece of 12" x 18" construction paper glued upon the cardboard. (We went to our local grocery store and asked for their flattened boxes and then cut them apart!) The children LOVED this activity! AND they could name every shape when they were finished! This could also be done in a Winter unit and be called "Snow Town" or something cuter than that! :)

These pictures really do not show how cute the towns turned out, but hopefully they show what fun our students had with them! :)

The Santa Connection

2011-12-11T19:39:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone,

Happy Holidays from Second Grade Shenanigans! Can't believe I am actually saying that! This year is absolutely FLYING by...sheesh! It is going to be short and sweet for me tonight, but I just have to share this awesome little site with you before I head to bed and prepare to survive one more week before a nice....LONG two week break!

I know that some schools do not allow the "talk" of Santa...BUT...if you do, this site is so wonderful. It allows you to personalize messages directly from the man himself. I know there are lots of other sites that are very similar, but this site is the best I have seen yet! Thanks to one of my sweet, sweet teacher friends for sharing this little gem.

Last week, I created messages for each of my students. On Friday morning, they watched their private message on their laptop. Here are just a few of the adorable moments that I caught on camera! I tried to take a candid shot of each student to give to parents. I think they are just way too precious!

Laptops.....check! Messages ready....check!

Priceless faces and reactions....check...check....check!

I seriously do not know how I caught some of these faces, but they are full of awesomeness!

"Mrs. King, Mrs. King...he knows my name and what I want and how old I am and and and and...oh my goodness!" Too stinkin' cute!

This site also has messages for adults which are hilarious or you can make them for your own kiddos.

If you are interested in this cuteness...you can check it out here: Portable North Pole

Enjoy! I hope that everyone has a fabulous week!

Pinterest "Pin It" Tutorial for blog posts

2011-12-10T09:30:00.000-08:00

For all of you who have joined the world of Pinterest, you might find this tutorial helpful in allowing followers and blog viewers to "Pin" your blog posts. Click the link below to see Julie Ann Art's Awesome tutorial!!!

Happy Pinning!!!

Literacy Freebie, Our Gingerbread Cowboys, and so ready for the vacation!

2011-12-06T23:22:00.000-08:00

I don't know about you but I feel like my kids are on overload with excitment for Christmas to come. I still have 14 days left! Our district decided to start our winter break December 23rd! Hello? Who's idea was that? I may have to take a day off just to take my daughter on the Polar Express train ride that is 5 hours away!!
Oh well, I guess I will have to put up with one more week of classroom management...C-R-A-Z-Y!

I am still in the holiday spirit of giving so here is another Freebie from my Holiday Literacy Center Unit. I have added this and a few more activities so if you have already purchased it, go back and download again for the new additions.

Since we live in Arizona, The Gingerbread Cowboy has always been a favorite of mine and the students! We made Gingerbread Cowboy Glyphs to go with their new ending to the story. Some of them turned out so cute and funny!! This activity is also available in the Literacy Unit.

We still have a lot more fun activities to do and I hope it continues to keep my class engaged! I hope your countdown goes smoothly too!

Happy Holidays!!!!

Buzzin About Bees

2011-12-03T01:10:00.000-08:00

I know that it is winter and all thoughts are on the holidays, but I wanted to briefly share our adventure through a beehive this week. Our Reading Street story of the week was Honey Bees. We also covered the long ee and comparing how communities of insects are like communities of people. The students were begging for more with these little buzzers by the end of the week. I think we may have to go on a field trip to a bee farm soon!

We read our story of the week and watched the Magic School Bus: Inside a Beehive. We also used a few informational books about bees and ants to complete our compare and contrast activities.

The students had fun with the bee themed Daily 5 centers. Felt boards are a big hit in my classroom and fun to make!

The class made bee and ant glyphs during writing and filled them with fun facts about each one.

You can check out my Honey Bee Unit by clicking the picture link below.

Fables Update

2011-11-29T14:17:00.001-08:00

I've added a few additional differentiated pages to the fables unit a few minutes ago. My kids had an enjoyable time working on similes. A few of my babies needed a little extra support. If you purchased the file this yesterday or today, please link here to redownload.

My kids had a hard time with the metaphor 'you are what you eat' so I changed it to 'time is money'. SUCCESS! I did find a minor spelling mistake as we read The Tortoise and The Hare. JUST TO AIR OUT MY DIRTY LAUNDRY. (((WINK)))

As always, I appreciate your support!

Here are a few similes created today!

It's a HUGE sale and FABLES

2011-11-27T22:38:00.001-08:00

Are you ready for an awesome Cyber Monday sale on TpT?!?! Many bloggers, including myself, are offering 20% off the products in our stores on top of the TpT 10% discount (use promo code CMS28 at checkout-valid only on Cyber Monday)! You can also enjoy 20% off our products from November 29th- December 1st!!

Happy Shopping to our Sweet Customers!!!

click photo to download the preview

I've listed this fabulous fables mini unit on TpT for $4. It's on sale for the next week.

I created this fables mini unit to assist my figurative language lessons and align with our weekly selection. Included are fables and figurative language posters, two concept maps, four different fables with aligned vocabulary and follow up activities, writing fables graphic organizer, and scroll paper.

The fables include: The Tortoise and The Hare, The Crow and The Pitcher, The Ant and The Grasshopper, and Belling the Cat.

I used these four Aesop fables to align with Houghton Mifflin Focus on Fables, Theme 2.

I would love to have you follow along at www.primarygraffiti.blogspot.com!

Join Us for Cyber Monday!

2011-11-27T13:02:00.000-08:00

Blog Hoppin' authors are celebrating Cyber Monday in a big way! On Monday, November 28, many of your favorite authors will be holding sales of up to 20% off! Additionally, use promo code CMS28 for an additional 10% off of your Teachers Pay Teachers purchases. So fill up your wish lists, and get ready to shop til you drop!

Please refer to the comment section below for links to individual Blog Hoppin' authors' TpT stores.

2011-11-25T06:25:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone,

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving full of family, friends and good food! I wanted to share a new blog with you. This blog has something for everyone. There are a wide variety of contributors from educators to artists. So grab a cup of coffee or a coke (if you're like me) and check it out.

Turkey Disguise and FREE Turkey Project

2011-11-15T17:26:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone! It's been a while since I last posted so I thought I'd start out by giving away a free turkey project for anyone looking for last minute Thanksgiving ideas. My class made Turkey Table Toppers to save them a place at the Thanksgiving table. Here's how they turned out.

DOWNLOAD FREE (Click link below)

We also sent home another family project: "Disguise your Turkey" - save your turkey from being eaten". So much fun!!!!

We are working on finishing our Pilgrim project and will be posting them on my blog soon! Needing Thanksgiving writing and math center activities? Visit my blog to see my new Thanksgiving Unit!

Holiday Treats and Resource Binder

2011-11-13T15:44:00.001-08:00

Here is a look at my holiday math work stations. The five games are bundled together for $5.00. I placed the bundle on sale through tomorrow night for $3.00. For more information and previews link here.

Did you hear about my states notebook? The kids have enjoyed learning about the different states from our postcard exchange. I take my students on a webquest for information. The links are provided in the file. We check out the state, flag, seal, quarter, motto, nickname, capital, bird, flower, rank, year the state entered the union, famous people from the state, and additional fun facts. After our quest, the kids complete a notebook page for their resource binder. The 111 page file is a free download here.

My kids use the resource binder for everything. Here are a few pictures of how we use our binders...

Book List

Words available in my resource binder download.

Personal Houghton Mifflin focus walls are available in my store for free.

Narrative Expectations, Rubrics, and Checklist

Weather Journal available in my store for free!

Grade accountability sheets in data notebook download.

My student data notebooks should not be confused with my DAN (Data Analysis Notebook) which contains class averages, graphs, benchmark grades, RtI documentation, safety nets, conference logs, running records, etc. I maintain this folder weekly. The data notebook download is for student accountability and has been very successful for my kids.

Click the picture above to link to my blog!

Easy Thanksgiving Turkey Draw and Cut

2011-11-13T10:24:00.000-08:00

Hi!
I thought I would share some pictures of a fun Thanksgiving Turkey project that my students did this week. I am so proud of the way they followed the steps to create them! After they made their turkeys, we brainstormed "turkey" words and then they wrote about their turkey. I was proud of them AGAIN when they could come up with some words about their turkey AND write their words, too!

If you are interested in this project and some more ideas about how to use it in your classroom, visit my TPT store! This is a FREEBIE!

Gobble, Gobble Multi-Digit Addition

2011-11-12T07:02:00.000-08:00

Hi Blog Hoppers! I've uploaded a new set of math work stations for the upcoming holiday. Gobble, Gobble Multi Digit Addition games are available now on TPT!

Click TPT Image above for a direct link.

I'd love that you link over and visit my blog too!

State Notebook

2011-11-01T03:13:00.000-07:00

I created this explosive 111 page freebie for my postcard exchange. The file includes several picture tutorials on creating different notebook artifacts. I've included all sheets in color and grayscale. Also included are links to resource websites and book recommendations.

Click the picture to link. =)

Visit my blog for picture tutorials on different ways to use the product.

Click the picture to link. =)

Veteran's Day Choice Board

2011-10-31T18:26:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween everyone! This is Ashleigh from Ashleigh's Education Journey.

Now that Halloween's over, I wanted to share with you my new Veteran's Day freebie that I think students will really enjoy. I know that we are entering a busy part of the year, but I try to make the effort to teach my students about this important holiday and to encourage them to honor our men and women who have served our country.

There are 9 different activities in this Veteran's Day Choice Board, and students can choose one activity from each row to complete. Students love having the opportunity to make choices in the products they create and are usually very motivated by their ownership in the assignment. You can get your copy by clicking of the picture below.

Go Away, Big COLORFUL Monster!

2011-10-29T05:17:00.001-07:00

Hello!
I just thought that I would share this cute and easy activity that I did with my kinders this week. It is based on "Go Away, Big Green Monster" by Ed Emberley. This is not my original idea, but I cannot remember where I got it! The kids did everything by themselves - which makes them really cute, I think! Some heads are small, some are big, some are square. I contained them to a the size of a regular sheet of paper, but I have seen them done larger! Anyway, after reading the story, the children create their own colorful monster. The paper has this heading " _____________'s Big ___________ Monster". They fill in the blanks with their name and the color of their monster and then create it! Cute, fun, and easy!

Cute 3D Owls!

2011-10-28T16:39:00.000-07:00

Hello!
This week we made the cutest owls from a Styrofoam ball and a paper cup! Here is how we did it...

Supplies: (per student)
1 Three inch Styrofoam ball
1 nine ounce brown paper cup
2 LARGE diameter wiggle eyes
3 inch x 3 inch orange fun foam
3 inch x 3 inch yellow fun foam
8 inch x 3 inch brown fun foam
Natural colored feathers
Tacky glue
Q-tips

Teacher Prep:
Hot glue the Styrofoam ball to the paper cup.
Trace wings onto brown fun foam. To create the wing, draw wavy lines along both long edges. Meet at a point on the top corners.
Trace yellow circles onto the yellow fun foam. I use a milk lid as a template.

Step 1: Students paint the Styrofoam ball with brown paint. Let dry. (I use tempera paint.)

Step 2: Students cut out the wings from the brown fun foam. "Paint" tacky glue in a long stripe down the middle of the wing. Lay the cup onto the stripe to attach.

Step 3: Students cut out two yellow circles from the fun foam. Use tacky glue to attach to head.
Then glue the wiggle eyes on top of the yellow circles.

Step 4: Students use pencil to draw a triangle onto the orange fun foam. Cut out. This is the beak. Glue onto the head.

Step 5: Students draw two "W" shapes onto the orange fun foam. Cut out. These will be the feet. Glue onto the front of the cup.

Step 6: Students use tacky glue to attach feathers to the cup, wings and head.

These owls are absolutely adorable! The pictures here just don't do justice to how CUTE they are! Despite the fact that this is a craft and not art, these owls always end up with their own individuality!

When dry, we compare owls and bats using a Venn diagram (I am sure that many of you do this!)

We also do a nocturnal animal book and those books turn out super cute, too! Here are examples of their owl and bat. They also made a raccoon, firefly, and a moth.

3 D Bats!

2011-10-23T09:46:00.000-07:00

Hi Everybody!
This is Cindy (Kinderkay) and I have another cute idea to do with Styrofoam balls! This week my students made bats from a 2 inch Styrofoam ball and a toilet tissue roll. Here is how we did it:

Teacher Prep:Attach a 2 inch diameter Styrofoam ball to a toilet tissue roll with hot glue. One for each student.
Trace bat wings onto black fun foam with a white crayon. To make a tracing template, measure an 8 inch x 3 inch rectangle. Draw scallops along both long edges. Cut out. Use this template to trace the bat wings. Fun foam is easy for students to cut, so I usually have them cut out their own wings. But they can be pre-cut, too, if desired.

Supplies: (Per student)
1 Two Inch Styrofoam ball (I ask parents to supply this for their own child.)
1 Toilet tissue roll
2 wiggle eyes
1 small black pom-pom
Toothpicks
Black fun foam (8 Inch x 3 Inch)
Tacky glue
1/2 black Pipe Cleaner
2 inch x 4 inch strip black or brown fun fur

Here is how we did it:
Step 1 - Students paint the ball and tube with black paint. My students use Tempera paint because it is cheap! But acrylic could be used too! Also, we made our bats black, but brown paint could be used if preferred!

Step 2 - Using tacky glue and a Q-tip, students attach fake fur to the bottom (tummy) of the tissue roll. I tell my students to "paint" their glue in one long stripe from bottom to top. I have strips of fur pre-cut for them to lay on the glue stripe. They glue on fur to represent the fur of a mammal. I do not have them cover the whole body - too expensive; but it can be done if the cost is manageable for you!

Step 3 - Students now know where the bottom of the bat is, so I then ask them to turn their bat over with the fur on the bottom. Using tacky glue and a Q-tip, they glue on wiggle eyes. This can be tricky because the eyes want to fall off the Styrofoam. Tell students to count to 20 while pressing on the eye. When they remove their hands, the eye SHOULD stay on. If not, try more glue!

Step 4 - Using a small, black pom-pom, students dip one end into tacky glue and attach to head for a nose.

Step 5 - Using tacky glue, paint a stripe of glue down the top of the tissue roll. Lay the tissue roll on the bat wings. Press and hold. Then turn bat over with the wings on the bottom.

Step 6 - Using tacky glue, attach toothpicks to the underside of the wings. These are the bat's finger bones!

Step 7 - This is the tricky part and one that I usually do.... Curve 1/2 of a long black pipe cleaner into a "U" shape. Attach to the bottom of the tissue roll. Curl ends to form a hook. These are the feet.

Step 8 - Students use their black foam scraps to cut 2 triangles. These are the ears. I hot glue the ears to the tops of the head, but sometimes tacky glue will hold them on, too.

Step 9 - Let dry overnight. A pipe cleaner can be attached to the top to create a loop in which to hang the bats or fingers can be inserted inside the tube to make a bat puppet!

My students LOVE these bats and they are really cuter than these pictures show! I used a 45 minute block of time to complete them. Some children needed the whole time and others did not. They were dry the following morning and we did some fun bat flying that day! :) I put on the song "Vowel Bat" by Shari Sloane while the kids flew their bats around the room - what a kick the kids got out of this! We also flew our bats while making a bat sound "Eeee"! (in a high pitched voice) Be prepared for lots of noise! :) If you are interested in more nocturnal animal ideas, visit my TPT store. Click on the bat to get you there!

Rockin with Doubles

2011-10-18T17:14:00.000-07:00

Its the Doubles Rap, Baby! We are diving into doubles and near doubles in class. Nearly a year ago, Heidi Samuelson from Swamp Frog First Graders posted a video tutorial on creating an iPod case out of an envelope for your flashcards. You can link here to see her post.

I gave each of my kids the doubles rap to place in the "screen" of the iPod.

Once the doubles rap was glued on the sealed envelope, the kids colored a border. This allowed for a visual of where they should cut the the top off.

Technology is powerful. The kids love their iPod case and are eager to pull out their math facts.

Here is a sample of another iPod.

I'm including a copy of my flashcards and the Double Rap. Link over to grab a copy!

Has the Daily 5 Gotten You Down?

2011-10-18T16:40:00.000-07:00

Hello and happy Tuesday from Stacy at Mrs. Johnson’s First Grade. I say “happy” Tuesday because the 1^st quarter has finally come to an end for me and my students! And can I say what a CHALLENGING one it was. I am sure there are plenty of you who agree! My little Firsties are sooo adorable but can also be such little testers of my patience!!

When I first started teaching, I taught 4^th and 2^nd grade. I am in my 4^th year of teaching first grade and absolutely LOVE, LOVE it!! But I have to say that this new bunch I have are probably, by far, my most challenging…knock on wood because it will probably happen again next year...ha ha!

Has the Daily 5 got you down?? It got me down about 2 weeks ago when NOTHING was keeping their attention longer than 10 minutes in any of the centers…so I decided to make a few changes and I am loving the classroom life now!!!!!!

The first thing I changed was read to self and read to buddy. Rather than just sending them off with a book box full of books and expecting them to keep their attention on reading the words the whole time, I added a little twist. We have been learning about Main Ideas, Characters, Setting, Cause and Effect, and making Predictions. So I added a chart with one of those headers and some sticky notes. When they read a book, they have to fill out a sticky note with notes about their story. They LOVE IT!! I have students asking if they can read to self and read to buddy as a first choice in centers!

The second center that the students were the most “off task” was writing. It was because they would finish quickly and not know what else to do and would play around or it was too hard for my struggling students. Well, I got myself a small white board and have 3 activities now that I know will keep their attention through at least 2 writing centers. I also differentiated the activities so my struggling writers could do it. I labeled items with numbers to indicate which ones are for the struggling students and which ones are for the on level students. That way it doesn’t label them as strugglers or being better than anyone else. If they don’t finish, they have a folder with unfinished work that they will need to complete first the next time they go to the writing center.

I did the same thing in word work. I got myself a 3 drawer bin with activities in each drawer. They like the variety and the fact that it is not the same thing every time.

For my listening center, I use two players so when they finish one book, they can listen to another. Sometimes I add a writing activity so they can answer questions about what they just listened to so I know they were paying attention.

It does take time coming up with some good activities and games for the centers, but it is worth it to be able to have a calm class for reading groups and readers workshop.

I hope this helps you with any ideas of how to make a few changes for the better! It has done wonders for me!

Halloween Party Planning 101

2011-10-13T06:18:00.000-07:00

A classroom Halloween party has the potential to be a chaotic, sugar-induced commotion. However, it is possible to keep your party under control and maintain structure in your classroom during this exciting time of the year. Here are a few tips for your classroom party:

Plan a menu: If you do not plan what you would like students to bring for your classroom party, you may end up with 20 trays of cupcakes, complete with extra-sugary icing and sprinkles on top. An easy way to avoid this is to pre-plan a menu. Involve the class in planning what types of food should be brought. Include healthy snacks such as cheese and crackers, fruit and vegetables. Then have each student sign up to bring one item. For example, one student could bring carrot sticks, another could bring dip and another could bring cheese. Send a note home to each parent telling them what their child volunteered to bring. This will actually cut down on cost for each parent, as they are only bringing one small item rather than a larger tray of baked goods. And, your classroom will be the envy of the rest of the school, as you will have the best planned party food around!

Plan a schedule for the party: Schedule exactly how the party will work, and write the schedule on the board so that students know what to expect. For example, students might get their costumes on after noon hour, then have a snack, play a game and lastly pass out any treat bags that they have brought for the class. If students know exactly what to expect, it will help to maintain structure in your classroom.

Recruit parent volunteers: There are almost always parents that are keen to be involved in their child's Halloween party. Recruit one or two parents that can help set out snacks, facilitate games or activities and help students with their costumes. Be sure to have tasks planned in advance for each parent volunteer.

Plan an art project for the afternoon: Keep students busy and engaged with a Halloween art project. If you are looking for some ideas for Halloween crafts, you can check out my Pinterest-inspired blog post here.

Create Halloween-themed learning centers: If you are fortunate enough to have some volunteers or assistants in your classroom for Halloween, consider putting each adult in charge of a fun Halloween center in your classroom. At each center, have students complete an engaging activity or game. Some ideas for Halloween centers include:

Print off a pumpkin template and have students create a jack-o-lantern design. You can find lots of Halloween printables on Disney's Family Fun website by clicking here.
Have a volunteer read a Halloween story to a small group and discuss.
Create a Halloween "feely-center" by putting eyeballs (peeled grapes), worms (cold, cooked spaghetti) and other items into plastic containers. Label each container. Then have students feel the items without looking and describe how each one feels.
Play Halloween "Memory." Print off six pairs of Halloween pictures. Have pairs of students place the pictures upside down in an array. Then one student can flip two cards and try to make a pair. The game continues until all of the pairs have been made.

Play a whole-class game: Some fun whole-class games include:

Wrap the Mummy: Have groups of 3 students use a roll of toilet paper to wrap one student up like a Mummy.
What's Missing? Gather 10-12 Halloween items and set them on a tray. Show the students the items one-by-one. Then, have students cover their eyes while you remove one item from the tray. Have students try to guess which item is missing.
Who/What Am I? Write a Halloween-themed character or item on a recipe card for each student. Fasten the card to each student's back (the student should not know which character/item is on his back). Have students mingle around the classroom, asking other students "yes" or "no" questions about what is written on their back. The goal is for each student to try to guess which character is written on his recipe card.

Remember that whenever you play a whole-class game that involves moving around the room (especially on an occasion like Halloween), it is really important to set your expectations before beginning. This will improve classroom management during the activity.

If you are looking for a way to integrate creative writing into your Halloween celebration, I have recently posted a Halloween freebie on Teachers Pay Teachers that you might find useful. Feel free to download it by clicking here or on the picture below.

If you have any other Halloween party tips, please leave a comment below this post! Good luck and Happy Halloween!

Meeting with the Parents

2011-10-09T13:05:00.001-07:00

To me, this is one of the hardest parts of teaching, but one of the most important. We are given the amazing gift of trust by the parents of our students, and we need to let them know that we are doing everything in our power to help their little one grow up to be a productive member of society. That’s a heavy load to carry, huh?

My very first parent teacher conference was a DISASTER. The mom came in with all guns blazing. To this day, I have no idea what she said to me, but she was MAD. I just stood there and nodded my head. (Yep, we hadn’t even gotten to the table yet). Thankfully, after I talked with one of my colleagues, I was reassured me that I was doing everything right, and this mom had some “issues.”

It is always a delicate situation to let a parent know that their child is struggling in school. Especially in Kindergarten. Most parents do not realize that their has been a huge shift in Kindergarten in the past 10 years. My memories of Kindergarten are of rest time, the play corner, and painting. Oh, and my teacher would draw a HUGE birthday cake on the chalkboard whenever it was someone’s birthday. (I was always bummed that I never got a birthday cake drawn on the board for me since my birthday is in December ).

We need to gently let parents know if their child is having a tough time with the curriculum, while still reassuring them we are doing everything we can, and we will not give up on them. We also need to celebrate their success and help them to understand they we will push their child as much as we can. We want their child to learn, and we celebrate their successes! We also have to let them know that we can’t do it alone. We need their support. That’s where goal setting comes in.

In our district our conferences include goal setting. As teachers, we look at the data of our kiddos and set goal for the next time we meet. The goals that we write are SMART goals.

Here’s what that means:

The goals need to be:

S – specific

M – measurable

A – Attainable

R – realistic

T – timely

Yep, they are a bit more work, but it spells out exactly what they kiddo needs to do, when they should do it by, and how we are going to assess it. We also write action steps for the teacher, parents, and student.

So, a goal for Susie Q might be: (this would be an example of a goal for one of my LOW kiddos – I still let parents know that MY goal is for all students to know their letters and sounds by November. I let them know that we can’t go on teaching them to read if they don’t know their letters and sounds! February is the chosen date since that is when our next conferences are).

Susie will read, write, and say the sounds of all 52 letters of the alphabet by February 2012. This goal will be progress monitored through weekly letter/sound checks and a formal assessment will be made through our quarterly Kindergarten assessments.

Action Steps:

1. Susie will participate in whole group, small group, and one-on-one language arts activities.

2. Parents will practice writing, identifying, and saying the sounds of the alphabet for 5 minutes each night.

3. Teacher will work with Susie in small groups to practice these skills.

etc…

I always try to be very specific in what the parents will need to do. I know what I need to do, so I don’t always include that in the action steps. If February comes and little Susie is still struggling with letters and sounds, and I know I have done everything in the classroom, I can then ask the parents if they have done their part at home. If they have – then we have some further testing to do. If they haven’t….well….you fill in the blanks.

Our district has a form that we use to write the goals, but I also send one home to the parents. This form gives me a good idea of what kind of expectations they have for their kiddos and how much they really know about kindergarten. I should add that each fall we have a parent meeting in which we explain to parents the goals and expectations we have for them and their kiddos. If a parent fills in the form with “add double digit numbers” (yes, I got that this year) or “learn letters” – I know that I will have to help the parent understand what Kindergarten really is all about!

You can download the form I send home by clicking on the picture below.

I usually write 1-2 goals for each student. Sometimes they are both literacy, sometimes there is a literacy and a math goal. Sometimes I have to add a behavior goal too!

Here are a couple of other forms I like to have handy for notes during the meeting:

And a time/schedule chart – just fill in your times and the names of your kiddos:

How does your district run their conferences? Do you have any conference horror stories? Any a-ha moments from parents? I would love to hear about it! Leave a comment below!

Be sure to stop by and visit me over at my blog!