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Wednesday, September 30, 2015

"OWL" bet you will love this for fall!

A great topic with some delightful literature to accompany it for autumn is OWLS!
One of my favorite stories is Owl Babies.  It is filled with facts about owls with a delightful fiction theme. Sarah, Percy, and Bill are three baby owls who wake to find their mother is missing.  As you read the students will identify with some of the facts true to the owl such as "they wake in their home in a hole in the trunk of a tree".  I included comprehension activities on story elements and sequencing.

Each of the owls has a unique personality.  I created this page so the children can "chat" about Sarah.
Other stories can be available in your room as well such as Owl Moon and Good Night Owl just to name a few by popular authors.
Informational text is also included in the packet.  I created a mini book filled with information about owls and pages to record information after reading. (Reading for detail and information.)
The nice thing about these mini booklets is each child can have their own AND they can highlight and circle words and passages.  When they get home they can reread them to their parents.
These two non fiction books are perfect for the classroom.  I like the National Geographic for the primary child.  This allows practice with the standards for literature.
Finally there is a craft that I used scrapbooking paper and buttons.  I think it would make the perfect autumn bulletin board.  It is offered as a freebie and includes a word search for those who finish creating early.

The packet is also filled with word work and informative writing for your literature centers or for whole group experiences.


OWL bet you and your class will love this!!















Friday, September 25, 2015

What Can I Write About?



WHAT CAN I WRITE ABOUT?
How many times have you been asked that question?
Well I have come up with something that has certainly helped in my classroom.
It is PART of my Constructing a Writing Center Packet with a little tweaking.

In the writing center I begin to introduce the types of writing one at a time.  The practice pages are put in a bin with the choice cards out and laminated.
An example would be that you are introducing how to write a letter.  During center time you encourage students to write letters.  This would be in the center.




Each time you introduce a new type of writing a new bin is put out.  Here is an example.
Because students have choices after all types of writing have been introduced the record their writing in a folder and keep their work their for me to check.  I can take it home to work on or the student can bring it with them to the writing conference.  The check list assures that the child is working on a number of selections and by looking at the date they started I can see how long they are taking.  
They check their own work and I check their work as well.


The topics the kiddos get to choose from are fun and include pictures. Here are just a few examples.






The packet also includes final write pages as well as graphic organizers for idea gathering.
The cards are easy to cut, laminate, punch, and put on a ring.







Thursday, September 24, 2015

DIY Project! (Spookley the Square Pumpkin!)


Cute and simple!  Enlarge the template and run on 12  X 18 construction paper.  
This is made on 8.5 X  11.  Children can draw on the face or cut from paper.



Communities and their helpers!

How would you answer this question?
"WHAT IS A COMMUNITY?"

Would your answer be accurate?
The packet I have designed is meant to answer and define this "big question".

Ideally taking your kiddos on a tour of their community would be the best way to introduce this topic but due to budget cuts in many districts field trips are no longer an option.
In my district we were able to.  We live in a smaller community so we were able to walk around and visit the library, police station, fire station, and bakery(where we got a cookie).  We also spotted a hair salon, shops, grocery store, bank, service station, and more.  When we returned the discussions began and they had an actual experience to relate it to.
If you are not that fortunate here are some wonderful computer links that provide online activities for your class on the topic of communities and their helpers.

There are five books that I feel are a must for this topic.  These pieces of literature have delightful story lines with pictures that will capture your student's attention.



If you have not read On the Town or When I Grow Up...they are a MUST read:)
hese are just a few of the SPECIFIC activities that relate to these stories but they set the stage for so much more!!!
My Home
Activities include illustrations, writing, and a family project.






These are just a few of the SPECIFIC activities that relate to these stories but they set the stage for so much more!!!
My Home
Activities include illustrations, writing, and a family project.
Reading and writing about the Community.  Similar activities are available for Community Helpers.

For Community Helpers I love to have a Career Day.  If you do not feel you will get the parent support for kiddos to come dressed see if you can get props (old things around the house, or use construction paper for kiddos to make props)  The craft can be used to create an amazing bulletin board maybe titled...Our future looks BRIGHT with all these careers!

Finally the packet is filled with Vocabulary for posting and working with.  Here are a few samples.
I included a game board for the class to TRAVEL AROUND TOWN.  Perfect for cooperation, communication, and reading. The second game is BINGO using community helpers.
There are 94 pages of exciting activities some of which are not shown here...goods/services, rural/urban.

Monday, September 21, 2015

Johnny Appleseed freebie mini books!!

If you haven't already picked these up you just might want to!
Find them here.
 
There are two colorful copies of the poems...
And then two mini books for your class to read and color.
Think about the skills they will build while cutting and then reading to put the pages in order.
If you feel your class is not ready for that just cut the pages in half and then staple.
Because each child can have their own, words can even be highlighted!
Enjoy!!




Sunday, September 20, 2015

Happy Birthday Johnny Appleseed!

Just around the corner on September 26th we will celebrate Johnny Appleseed's birthday.
John Chapman was born in 1774, 241 years ago, and is still remembered today.  It is a perfect time to at least share this hero of American Folklore with your class.


Each year I have my class use apple prints and create sweatshirts and t-shirts.  We would wear them on our trip to the apple orchard.

I especially enjoy this packet because it contains activities in every area of the curriculum and a craft for decorating your classroom as well.
There are two mini books for your class with informational text.  One is about the life of Johnny Appleseed and the other is filled with facts about apples.  They are followed with a true/false, opinion/face.  You can teach using text to complete activities.  Have the kiddos highlight the text to answer the true/false.






In the area of literature there are a number of fiction/non fiction books listed.  Many of the stories have comprehension activities for a follow up after reading to the class.  The ones below go with the story The Little Red House.





I have also included poetry in the packet.  I love having kiddos read poetry and they enjoy it too.  Have the class memorize the poem and follow it up with the comprehension activity.
Word work is included with parts of speech, ABC order, rhyme, and my favorite the vocabulary cards for posting or for a literacy center.



Here is an opinion writing activity for your writing center or to use as a whole group.  There are other activities for pre writers as well as graphic organizers.  Another favorite is the picture for an apple orchard and then have your class write captions.  There is a final write page for the writing activities that can be topped with Johnny himself.  The pattern is included.

Mathematics has a number of activities including a game.  Here are samples of the counting by tens and apples to cut out.  Sort them by 2's, odd, even, tens, and more. and what fun with the read aloud Ten Apples Up On Top.


Even science is included in this packet.  Here is an experiment with apples.  But you can have fun with graphing, using senses, float or sink.
I have priced the packet at an affordable price.  $5 for 90 pages.  There are plenty of activities for almost a full week.  I hope you with PICK this and provide some exciting activities for your class!!