Celebrate Poetry with a Poetry Cafe Night in the Classroom

One of my favorite events in my 3rd grade classroom is our Poetry Cafe presentation.

After spending a few months learning about poetry styles and elements we hold a special night in our classroom to showcase student recitation and performances of fun poems. Students dress in Beatnik style with beret hats and the audience snaps their fingers to show applause. It’s such a fun evening.

The poetry selections students select to perform are student driven, but guided by me. Often poems from poets Shel Silverstein, Jack Prelutsky or Ken Nesbitt are used. We even had a Zoom call with Ken Nesbitt where he shared about his poetry journey and then modeled how he writes a poem!  I put students in quartets to perform their chosen selections and focus on teaching them expression, projection of voices, and poem delivery. To end the show we perform several whole class group poems where each student recites one or two lines to collaboratively showcase the poem.

I love transforming the classroom into a coffeehouse cafe vibe. Add black tablecloths, lamps, battery lit candles, twinkle lights and potted florals. Don’t forget the soft jazz background music! Parents in attendance have told me they felt transported to Italy. Students from years past tell me our classroom Poetry Cafe is one of their favorite memories from being in my class.

Take a peek!

                                        Welcome table with poetry program brochure

                                            Watch video below for room ambiance

                                           Quotes on Poetry bulletin board display

                                               Student poetry books table display.

I read aloud the book Gooney Bird is So Absurd as a lead in to making our poetry books.

                            Poetry scripts for quartet groups and invitation to families.

                                We created concrete shape poems for room decor.

     Our class Poet trees. Students wrote a poem on a leaf to decorate tabletop trees.

                                       Watch poem creation with poet Ken Nesbitt.

I recently started a Facebook Group for teachers to share ideas, questions, and inspiration.

Come Join the group!

 

Modeling Multiplication and Division as Equal Groups Hands on Activity

 Would you like to help your students practice the multiplication and division  skills of equal groups and repeated addition or repeated subtraction in a hands on way?  Try this interactive math activity using hula hoops! Using hula hoops as equal group models, students will place themselves inside the hoops to model multiplication  and division equations. 

A visual PowerPoint slideshow or PDF file has 26 multiplication or division problems for students to act out. Your class will have so much fun with Multiplication Hoopla or  Division Hoopla!

Buy the bundle of both for 20% off.

 

I recently started a Facebook Group for teachers to share ideas, questions, and inspiration.

Come Join the group!

St. Patrick’s Day Craft Project

Your class will show gratitude for what they are lucky for during the month of March through this hands on St. Patrick’s Day Activity. It makes a fun and simple craft decoration to display.

A Turkey head and heart feathers will be decorated and hot glued or taped to wooden skewers with the help of an adult. On each “shamrock” feather students will write about what “I’m Lucky for”. The finished craftivity product is an adorable Apple turkey which can be a table centerpiece or decoration for celebrating  St. Patrick’s Day.

I read this cute book, The Luckiest Leprechaun, as a lead in to the project.

I recently started a Facebook Group for teachers to share ideas, questions, and inspiration. 

Come Join the group!

Valentine Apple Craft | February Valentine’s Day Activity

 Your class will show love and friendship during the month of February through this hands on Valentine’s Day Activity. It makes a sweet, and simple decoration of love to display.

A Turkey head and heart feathers will be decorated and hot glued or taped to wooden skewers with the help of an adult. On each “heart” feather students will write about what “Love is…”. The finished craftivity product is an adorable Apple turkey which can be a table centerpiece or decoration for celebrating  Valentine’s Day.

I recently started a Facebook Group for teachers to share ideas, questions, and inspiration. 

Come Join the group!

Winter Apple Snowflake Turkey Craft | Christmas Gift Ideas for the Classroom

Your class will show gratitude during the holiday season through this hands on Winter apple turkey or Christmas craft. It would make a perfect holiday gift for students to make for their families.

A turkey head and snowflake feathers will be decorated and hot glued to wooden skewers with the help of an adult. On each "snowflake" feather students will write about "Gifts in their life". The finished product is an adorable apple turkey which can be a table centerpiece for December holiday dinner tables.

I recently started a Facebook Group for teachers to share ideas, questions, and inspiration. 

Come Join the group!  (Freebie ideas and giveaways are sometimes shared there!)

Winter Math Craft for Multiplication and Division Fact Families

Help your students master related multiplication and division facts with a winter holiday fact family math craft. Students will create a Fact Family snowman to show the inverse relationship between multiplication and division. These turn out so adorable on a bulletin board titled “Math is Snow Much Fun”.

I am giving away 2 free copies of this newest product over in my Facebook Teacher Group. Come join us!

Charlie Brown Thanksgiving Activities

 If you want a fun celebration for Thanksgiving, do a Charlie Brown theme. Show the video A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving and treat your students with the same meal- popcorn, pretzels, jelly beans, and toast. For toast I use cereal pieces from Cinnamon Toast Crunch. Simply put small handfuls of each item into clear plastic cups and let students have a festive feast.

My students love readers theatre, so using this script is a sure hit!

After viewing the video, you can use this Charlie Brown coloring page for some extra fun.

I recently started a Facebook Group for teachers to share ideas, questions, and inspiration. 

Come Join the group!

Thanksgiving Apple Turkey Craft

Are you looking for cute Thanksgiving craft? Your students will show gratitude and thankfulness with this hands on Apple Turkey project. A turkey head and feathers will be decorated and hot glued to wooden skewers with the help of an adult. On each feather students will write what they are thankful for in their life. The finished product is an adorable apple turkey which can be a table centerpiece for Thanksgiving dinner tables. 

Turkey, Turkey

Gobble, Gobble

Eat too much

Wobble, Wobble

I recently started a Facebook Group for teachers to share ideas, questions, and inspiration. 

Come Join the group!

Distributive Property of Multiplication Hands on Bakery Activity

Help reinforce the difficult skill of distributive property of multiplication in a hands on way with the Distributive Property Bakery. By using cereal pieces or counters on the bakery recording sheet mats, students will build and form a variety of arrays shown via the powerpoint presentation. You can use any type of cereal. For instance I’ve used both Cinnamon Toast Crunch or Froot Loops.

After building the array students will use the distributive property to break apart the cereal or counters into two separate arrays. Finally students record their multiplication equations on the mats.

Included in the powerpoint slides are real photos of several possible ways to solve each problem. I display the photo array samples and have a class discussion about the many ways to solve the same equation. My students always have a blast baking up their break apart arrays to show the distributive property. Give it a try!

I recently started a Facebook Group for teachers to share ideas, questions, and inspiration. Come Join the group!

 

Exit Ticket Assessment Activity: Grade the Teacher

Are you looking for a creative way to assess students or provide test prep? This "Grade the Teacher" exit ticket task is a perfect way to have your students show mastery and understanding of any skill by grading work done by you, the teacher. It provides valuable error analysis, critical thinking and reasoning opportunities. An added plus is that students love playing school and being the teacher. High engagement is always seen when I pull out this lesson. Try it with your class! You can grab it in my TPT store.

Stop by and visit

My TPT store

Pinterest

I recently started a Facebook Group for teachers to share ideas, questions, and inspiration. 

Come Join the group!