Ladybug Math Fun

I'm enjoying a beautiful spring Saturday.

Last week I was in the midst of state testing, but I was able to add a sprinkle of learning fun into my afternoons.

We did ladybug math!

I hit two concepts: fractions and symmetry

Students received a certain number of ladybugs spots (I did purposely give odd numbers)

The spots were then placed on the wings symmetrically, if possible.

Then the students wrote a fraction sentence and added the spots together.

The ladybugs were placed on a bulletin board with this learning target poster.

Click to download

If you'd like the math pieces of this lesson you can click {HERE}

Credit for the ladybug pattern I used for my math lesson goes to Janet Rainey.

Find more great ideas on my Pinterest page or TPT store

Gift Writing

My students completed our Gifts of Giving Writing this week.

Their ideas were cute and thoughtful.

"First of all, without moms in my life it would be an awful time because they make your day bright."

This student thought that, "... fire is a good thing because we need it to light up a candle

so we can celebrate birthdays."

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December Holiday Read Aloud

Holiday Freebie alert!

Go grab my Rudolph Writing freebie

I always read the story Rudolph's Second Christmas to my students and have them then write their own version afterwards.  The sequel to the original Rudolph has an endearing set of "misfit" characters who, like Rudolph, seem a little different. Santa and Rudolph come to the rescue to bring back Christmas spirit to two children who were "forgotten" the previous holiday season.

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!)

Swap the Squiggle Writing

My class had the greatest time doing Swap the Squiggle writing.

 The idea is to take a random squiggle and create a picture to write a story about. But my twist on this popular idea is to "Swap the Squiggle" which involves a group/team effort in creating the final picture. I have found that this activity helps motivate reluctant writers. What fun! These 15 squiggle writing prompts will be sure to engage your students.

Grab it at my  TPT store

Here's one of the cutest prompts generated today. 5 people worked on this picture.

A story was written about a girl stepping in gum.


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Leaf Writing

I think fall like weather has finally made it's appearance today.

I hope it sticks around. I'm sipping a pumpkin spice latte, as I share a fall lesson my

class did this week.

 First, I asked my students how many of them ever look at the clouds and imagine or "see" another item. We went outside and practiced just that. After the cloud observation,  I handed out fall colored die cut leaves, and had students make a leaf picture to create a story. What imaginations! Take a look.

 

You can get this activity in my TPT store.

A bird

An acorn on a tree

A campfire...this one impressed me!

An eagle

"Leaf" me a comment if you wish!

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Patricia Polacco Magic

Patricia Polacco is one of my favorite authors to use in the classroom.

She is such an engaging storyteller.  My class was riveted to this author study video today.

I plan to now have my students practice sharing a family story of their own with this assignment:

Which Patricia Polacco story is your favorite?


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Gooney Bird Greene - Read aloud Activities in the Classroom

I must say that I adore Gooney Bird Greene by Lois Lowry!
And my class quadruple adores Gooney.

I just finished reading this to my class last week and this one little story has SO many good teaching points for mini lessons. Plus, Gooney Bird Greene models wonderful story telling!

Here's one teacher's take on all the teaching opportunities for this book.

I've made a packet of activities for Gooney Bird Greene
Take a peek. 

 

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Muggie Maggie Read Aloud

A great read aloud for third graders is Muggie Maggie, as she is the main character who refuses to learn to write cursive. By the end of the story Maggie has a change of heart and comes to like writing in cursive. Now, I've never had any students who did not itch at the chance to learn cursive. In fact, I use these wonderful animated cursive links as a learning tool for cursive.

Following my Muggie Maggie read aloud I do this reading response

Grab it {HERE}

Find more great ideas on my Pinterest page or TPT store

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

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Speaking Presentations in the Classroom

I've always done some form of monthly speaking presentations in my classroom.

Some months it's a poetry recital and others it is presenting an animal report or news article review.

My class also LOVES doing Readers Theatre scripts.
Add in the use of microphones for extra fun. I'm lucky to have one from Learning Resources that actually records, but you can get toy microphones at the Dollar stores too.

With the common core standards, being able to speak in front of groups and with groups is pertinent and mastering the art of public speaking is a life long skill that helps build self confidence.

I always start the year with a poetry prompt which helps students appreciate poems as a literary genre.

For grading the presentations I use this handy form.

Grab this freebie at my TN Store

How to Eat a Poem

Don't be polite. 
Bite in. 
Pick it up with your fingers and lick the juice that 
may run down your chin. 
It is ready and ripe now, whenever you are. 
You do not need a knife or fork or spoon 
or plate or napkin or tablecloth. 

For there is no core 
or stem 
or rind 
or pit 
or seed 
or skin 
to throw away.

by Eve Merriam

What are your ideas for fun presentations? Leave me a comment and share. 

Find more great ideas on my Pinterest page or TPT store

Back to School Photo Booth Activity : Framing a Great Year

I know many of you are gearing up to start your first day of school.

I've already been back for 2 whole weeks and have a great bunch of third graders.

I just put the finishing touches on my Back to School"Framing a Great Year" photo booth writing craftivity.

I had a cracked picture frame hanging around in the back of a closet that I drug out to use (minus the  broken glass). Then I posed students holding the frame and grade level caption "Fabulous in ____grade" We followed up with the writing piece! I got this done in one day and it was up on my walls for Back to School Night.

Grab it at my {TPT Store}

Have fun framing yourself a great school year!

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

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Roll and Build Geometry Math

Lakeshore Learning sent me this fun game Roll and Build Geometry for at your seat fun!

The dice is rolled and you build and match the shape with the sticks and pegs.

A variety of 2D and 3D shapes can be built.
It comes in a handy pouch for storage too.

I made up this recording sheet to go along with this great game.

Grab it {HERE}

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Story Snapshot Writing Activity

Take a look at my Story Snapshot Writing Center.

I've never figured out how to manage free for all magazine cut and paste in my classroom.

For one, some of the ads or articles your kiddos may run across as they cut and clip are not classroom appropriate.

So I did the prepping ahead of time.

I used magazines and the "teacher junk mail" packs for sources to get clip happy.

I glued pictures down to backing and laminated them.

Now I have a creative and reuseable "Story Snapshot" writing center.

Who wouldn't want to write about an elephant in a jar?

Fun story starters for the boys

Here's the writing sheet I plan to use

Click picture to download

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Swat It Games Giveaway

Click pictures to view

So my Dollar Tree shopping spree landed me with these Jumbo fly swatters.

My first thought was that these were some overkill fly swatters for a tiny fly.

But I'm not using them to kill flies.

I'm using them for my Swat It team games.

More games to come too! I'm working on one for place value as well as Sight Word sets. So go grab your Jumbo Swatters!

Display the concept cards on your board, split into teams, and call off questions.

Teams have a swatting good time to hit the answers first!

I'm having a giveaway for these games

1 winner will win all 8 games I've made so far

7 winners will get to choose 1 game of their choice

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Spin a Frame Probability Math Activity

Here's my touch of creativity for probability lessons.

It's a Spin a Frame!

This idea came from a simple motion picture frame like this

I made clip art frames to fit each of the 9 frames and it becomes an instant probability center.

Students spin each frame to explore data and outcomes.

I plan to interchange my clip art for year long practice.

What do you think?

I even posted the freebies for you in case you want them.

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

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Dog Days of Summer Giveaway: Dog Themed Writing Pack

In my mind it was a beautiful day for a....dog bath

Not so much on the top of  Harley's list

I wonder EXACTLY what is he thinking?

He's a trooper though because he actually stayed in one spot as I took pictures.

I was living recklessly letting go of the leash, but it worked out.

He's learned to endure his bath because he can sniff out the biscuit I hide in my pocket to reward him.

It's the "I'm free...shake off"

"The most affectionate creature in the world is a wet dog."

~Ambrose Bierce

Pretty boy drying off in the sun

The stinker will actually lay in the shade right by the door to come in unless I stay outside.

I'm heading up to my parent's summer cabin in southern Utah in a few days and only thought it be polite to all in the car to have a clean pup.

Harley will have a week's worth of squirrel chasing time after the 7 hour road trip!

I created this Dog Writing Pack after Harley's bath today.

It's the dog days of summer.

Have you bathed your dog yet?

I'm giving away 2 of my packets in a quick giveaway for my followers!

 

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

Task Card Freebie

Just prior to school ending I received a nice email via my school inbox from a fellow teacher, in a different district, who had run across a popular task card freebie I created called Seven Up Sentences. She was on the search for the author and wondered if it was me, as she wanted to add to her collection. I promised her I planned to make an additional set of Seven Up Sentences this summer. The idea is to take a short and simple sentence and expand it into a sentence with 7 or more words. I encourage use of descriptive adjectives, as well as adding the how or why details.  Grab it {HERE} If you haven't yet picked up the original set you can grab it too!

 

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Bubbles of Summer Fun Gift

It's my last weekend of the school year before....Summer Vacation.

2 more days of school for me...and I'm glad they are BOTH minimum days.

To send my sweet students off for summer I'm busy prepping my "Bubbles of Fun" gift.

Perfect, simple, and fitting, as we all know that in the last days of school students show "Bubbles of  ENERGY!"

Grab the "Bubbles of Fun" notes {HERE}

~Enjoy

Find more great ideas on my Pinterest page or TPT store

Bug Division

Spring is time for bug hunting!

My class completed these bug division math mats.

First we did a nature walk outside to observe spring time bugs.

Then back in class we went to work.

I ran different kinds of bugs on construction paper for students to choose:

butterflies, grasshoppers, ladybugs, ants 

Last they created division equations for their bug jars.

Click to download

Friendship Growing Bucket Fillers

How does your friendship grow?

With Bucket Fillers of course!

My very first post on this blog and my all time top viewed post was on Bucket Fillers.

From that post on, I've created monthly themed bucket filler slips to help cultivate a caring classroom.

You can grab all previous seasonal bucket filler notes {HERE}. 

My newest one for spring is ready to share:

Click picture to download

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!)

 

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Earth Day and The Power Over Trash

Hi all. I'm excited to share with you my all time favorite Earth Day story. It's called The Wartville Wizard by Don Madden.

It's a book with a powerful message about taking care of our world.

The main character, an old man, lives in a town called Wartville.

He picks up litter day after day until one day he tires of picking up after everybody else's mess.

He gains the power over trash and it literally becomes "stick ons" to the slob that left it on the ground.

I've done this cute writing craft following the read aloud and my class LOVES it.

Students explain what would happen if they had the power over trash and then create a person with

"Stick On" trash. So cute!

"I would make the trash people dropped go into their faucets and TV so when they wash their hands trash will pour on their hands. Also when they watch TV all the trash will block the screen"

" I would make the people have bad luck for a long time. After they have bad luck they will know not to litter."

"I would make people eat the trash they littered. So I would either make the food go directly into their mouths or mix it into their food."

You can get this activity for your class {HERE}

 

This is also part of my Earth Day bundle at a discount.

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

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