Bubble Magic!!

Today is Bubble Day!
It is the perfect connection to science.
Discussion again on "gas" with the idea of a sphere and float.
Experimenting with why a bubble is never square.
Reading about bubbles and making words from bubble magic.
Writing a "how to" story on blowing bubbles.
But best of all...blowing bubbles!!

Click for a look at the packet.

It's going to be a "poppin" good day!

Yep today we celebrate popcorn with informational text, a craft, taste test, data collection, and word work and writing activities.  Who says the end of the year has to be boring?  This day will POP!!

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And just like that it is Tuesday!!

How great is that?  For those of us still plugging away that is pretty great!  Although with assessments, finishing up IAT's and IEP's, completing grade cards, and planning end of the year surprises I need every minute I can get.
I always like to make the last few days enjoyable for the kiddos without missing final reviews and curriculum...so I created my Survival Package.  It is perfect for the final two weeks of school.

It includes 6 fun filled topics with curriculum review.

Today is Ice Cream...and what better way to review states of matter than a yummie root beer float!

We will also read text and recall the facts.

Practice writing for detail and finally...

make ice cream cones where the possibilities are endless...

graph favorite flavors

write favorite events from the year

decorate your lockers

decorate your door

So stay tuned as I share the "fun filled, meaningful" ideas I use to end the year!

For just the ice cream packet find it here...

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Ready for a "sweet" treat?

What a great time we had with watermelon!  The last two days have proven to be worth the effort to create this packet.  It really was SWEET!
We began with learning about watermelon...how it grows, the parts of the melon, that it was a fruit.
From there we extended our experience into how does it taste.  While tasting we created a list of descriptive words.
Now that we had actual experience and knowledge about the watermelon we used it as a springboard to enhance our reading, writing, and word work skills.

The kiddos tasted and then collected data about watermelon. 

The poem is adorable...perfect for reading and a great pre activity to the data collection.

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A favorite book of mine but tough to find so there are two other guided reading suggestions.

Perfect and familiar to all...Down By the Bay.

But who has not wondered what happens to those seeds that you swallow?

A darling story and is on UTube if you can't find the book.

This little mini book is filled with informatin about watermelon.

After reading we took a test to see what we remembered.

We then went back and found the answers in the texts.

Word work is plentiful.

Syllables, making words, and parts of speech.

After all of these experiences the children had plenty to write about!

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And today...good times in the SUMMER!

Looking forward to talking about summer plans today as we continue to focus on reading, writing, and word work.  We already completed the little craft and they look adorable hanging in our room.  The door boasts the final countdown!  If you do not get Scholastic New I would highly recommend it.  Their new "SMART" presentations contain videos, vocabulary, and other incredible features.

click here

It's the final countdown...

So Memorial Weekend is near and that always means the school year is coming to an end.  For us it means fourteen more days of school, given that we are making up snow days!  It is a good thing we have air conditioning.  From now until the end of the year I have a great deal of assessment that takes place and I hope to share some of that with you.  Last week we did writing.  I collected a narrative, informational piece, and opinion writing sample.  I then used a rubric to look at the individual students to assess their strengths and areas to improve.  I am impressed.  They really learned a great deal in first grade.

This week I am beginning reading assessment.  I will be using the DRA.  This will be added to the Star and Dibbles testing done throughout the year.  Lots of good data.

But while I am assessing the kiddos will be enjoying this today!
I love this All About Me.  Fun for the end of the year and fun for next year's teacher.
The packet has the kiddos in a skirt and pants but this is a "dummied down" version since I thought it looked just as cute.  My favorite is the "selfie" each kiddo wll create.  The girls have a bow and the boys will have a bow tie.  Simple yet soooo cute.

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We had a "ball"!

Fun stuff today.  The kiddos used their creativity to recall activities we participated in through the year.
They turned out so cute and then they each got a baggie of 'gumballs"!
On each gumball they added an event. Thank you Pinterest!!

Memorial Day Link

For those who could not download the Memorial Day packet please try this.
Click here.

Life Cycle Template

I had a request for a blank life cycle template.  I created this and thought some of you might find it helpful.
Michele

Click here to download.

Memorial Day...a freebie!

Click here to download.

With Memorial Day soon approaching I would like to offer this freebie to you as a way of saying THANK YOU to those who have sacraficed their life for out country and our freedom! 
This packet contains a mini book with informational text about Memorial Day. 
The book ends with the kiddos sharing in writing or in a picture of how they will spend their Memorial Day weekend.
There is a word search that is filled with key vocabulary from the mini book and vocabulary that fits with the description of Memorial Day.
The packet ends with a writing or illustration where kiddos describe who is their hero.
I hope this item might be used in your classroom as a way to educate your class about the true meaning behind Memorial Day despite it being for many the kick off to summer and a delightful three day weekend. Enjoy! Michele

Great finds for end of the year surprise!!

Okay all...I stopped off at Target last night to purchase something totally unrelated to school and found these!  So I raided the $1.00 bins and now I will have goodies to last me forever with some adorable themes.  Oh, and I left the "beach balls" at home so just use your imagination.

Something to the theme of "Glad I "caught" you..." or "What a great "catch" you were..."

Any other ideas?

We had a "bucket" of fun!

We'll have a "bucket" of fun for the beginning of the year.

Any other ideas?

These I got busy on last night!  I can't wait to share them with the kiddos.

We had a "ball" this year.

Kiddos can sign with permanent marker.

This I am giving at the party.

The end is near but hope these give you some ideas!

Michele

Mother's Day freebie!

With Mother's Day just around the corner you MUST stop by for this freebie.  Michele
Click here!

Get ready to "Shop Till You Drop!"

The stores are having a SALE!  I am offering 20% and they are adding an additional discount.
Enjoy and know that we appreciate you and all you do for children and education.
Michele

Waiting for Wings!

Free slideshow design personalized with Smilebox

Worth the wait!!

Welcome May!

Well May is here and we are near to the end of the year.  It is exciting, overwhelming, and sad all at the same time.  But we will embrace it and "welcome May"!
With a new month comes a classroom changeover so let me share some of the things we did here.

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And our bucket lists are wonderful and filled us with anticipation of all we might do over the summer.

They look so cute hanging from our ceiling.

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Happy Thursday everyone!
Michele