Life...We did Us, Insects and now Plants!

Gotta love the Spring to share all the connections between plant and animal life!

To begin our study the students wrote what they knew about plants and did a pre true or false quiz.  We will take the same quiz again at the end of our unit and see how much we learned.

Our vocabulary is out and ready!  Even the Little Red Hen will play a role in this unit.

This is the ABC order from my new packet on   Plants...Growing  vocabulary!
This was in our word work today.

In the reading station there were leveled books on plants with stickies for collecting new facts.

And in writing we rolled a word and wrote a sentence.  What a success this was!

Our chrysalis are hanging!  Of course they did it while we were away over the weekend.

But they left us four large "skin shedding" treasures.

Today we began our study on plants.  I love teaching this right after insects because the students can see the real life connections on how plants and insects depend on each other.  Last year I purchased these seed starters and I had my best results yet for seed growth.  We planted pumpkin, sunflower and bean seeds.

Here they are all planted and marked with our plant markers.  I put them right next to our chrysalis.

Plants...fingers crossed!

Planned a little today during the ice/rain storm.  Ugh!
But the 'sunshine" is that I put a Word Work packet together for my plant unit.
I like to give the students choices in their Daily Five rotations and these will be perfect!

TpT

Now all I need to do is cross my fingers that the plants grow.  Stop by next week as I will have loads of pictures of the students as they work through our unit on plants.  Michele

Time is "flying" by a FREEBIE!

TpT or Teachers Notebook

It's the final countdown...

well sort of!!  In my mind once I get May planned I am in for the final stretch.

Since May is Tuesday I guess I am well on my way.  Here are three projects I plan to complete to end the year.  I have one more I am working and and plan to put it up as a "freebie" hopefully tonight.  Have a good weekend everyone!  Michele

TpT

TpT

Survival "freebies" for the end of the year!

First the "freebie" for all of my followers!
Yep, a sample of 6 activities to survive the final few days!
TpT (Click here and download.)

And if you like that you can purchase each topic individually or the entire packet  with 7 Topics.
Ice Cream, Popcorn, Summer Birthday Bash, Circus, Bubbles Friendship and Memories.
It is 150 pages in all and sure to keep your class engaged so you WILL SURVIVE!
TpT 

Mother's Day Ideas...Ready, Set "freebie"!!

Just some ideas to help get your "creative juices" flowing for Mother's Day!

Found the Mom and Me on Pinterest.  Created the questions, bought mini M&M's.  Ready for Mom!

Saw this on Pinterest too!  Added button and dangle with beads, created  activities for inside.  Set for Mom!

Got our invitations ready...the date and time is on the rabbit.  Made the star pin for mom.  Freebie for you!

TpT click for freebie!

What I plan to complete the week before Mother's Day.
TpT

What's the Buzzzzzzzzzzz about?

Bees are somewhat like those made by Cupcake for a Teacher.  We loved our insect study on bees.

Magnet madness!

My kids are crazy for all the magnet experiments we are doing.

They each brought in a refrigerator magnet to add to our collection.

Today we experimented with pulling a metal object through water.

This is some "sticky" business!

TpT

Monday and a "freebie" as we begin our Insect Study!

We are watching our larvae from Insect Lore mature.

This is the log we are using.  Students will keep the log first and when we are finished we will  paste our results into a caterpillar.  This is a "freebie"!
TpT or Teacher's Notebook

Here are the cute little insects we made today to stress the parts of an insect.

It is from my packet...Insects...interesting!

TpT

 In preparing for my May bulletin boards I have decided to go with this theme.  If you are interested check out the freebie found:  Teacher's Notebook or TpT
I also have the packet listed below that compliments this "freebie".  With the freebie is a word search.  Goodness thinking how few days are left and how much there is to do I am a bit stressed!

Looking forward to a "poppin" good end of the year!

Can't wait!  Popping corn, tasting party and lot's of popcorn fun!

A "freebie" for a Trash Free Lunch!

What fun our "trash free" lunch was!  It was the perfect ending to our study on ecology to link with Earth Day.
You can get the "freebie" at:
TpT or Teacher"s Notebook

May is on the way! Looking ahead...

Just "monkeying" around!

Simple to make and they look great!

Rain Forest Adventure continued...

Today we focused on the layers of the rain forest and the animals and insects that might be found there.  Our dioramas are perfect with the student's creative touches.  

We LOVE our planet Earth! ...and a sale!!

These are our cute "We love the planet Earth" characters. It's a freebie with word work and writing included.
TpT

This is the bingo game board from the bingo packet.
We used "smarties" for markers since we are SMART about caring about our Earth.
TpT

And finally a guided reading book and activity for ways each student can "make a difference"!
TpT

Our Rain Forest Adventure

Today we began our adventure into the rain forest.  I am  teaching this as well as our ecology lessons.  They all fit so nicely together.

Here is one of the headbands we made after reading Over In The Jungle...a delightful rhyme about animals in the rain forest..  

The Toucan has a colorful beak!  Loved the students creativity!

As a "MATTER" of fact...a freebie!

I had a customer request lesson plans for my matter packet.

As I was preparing them I thought they might be useful for others as well.

I included in the lesson plans my page for the "root beer float" experiment.  Certainly a mmm mmm good experiment to show the three forms of matter and how matter changes. 

                                                                    TpT or the Unit TpT
For me it's back to work tomorrow!  It is always hard to get back into the routine but I was told the actual countdown in days is 35.  Now that seems like a number I can handle!!  Have a good week and check back often this week.  We are doing the rain forest and ecology.  I should have some classroom photos.  Michele

Earth Day Bingo and a "freebie"!

Here is a great idea for a followup activity to your Ecology Unit or Earth Day Activities.
TpT has this for $2.

If you are a follower and would like this for free just email me at: michele0003@aol.com and I will send it to you!!