July Goals & Currently

Holy smokes! July 1st is tomorrow! I'm excited and a little bit overwhelmed with everything that is coming up in July. It's going to be a big month (mom coming to town, flying back to Seattle for a wedding/military retirement party, and best friend visiting for 8 full days!) and before I know it August will be here and it will be time for back to school. This summer is already flying by!!

So, what's going on right now?  I'm linking up with Farley at Oh' Boy 4th Grade for July's currently.  I was going to wait until tomorrow to avoid the "don't post twice in a day" rule, but everyone gave such great advice about being yourself as a blogger on the linky, I decided I wanted to post today...so I'm doin' it! If I'm lucky, I may just be #300.  LOL. This party is more popular than sliced bread.

Listening:  Man, do I love some Indie Rock! I've been building up my master Indie Rock mix all summer.  It's got a little of everything... Mumford & Sons, Imagine Dragons, Young the Giant, Black Keys, AWOLNATION, Atlas Genius, Walk the Moon, Fun, and so much more!!  Do you have a favorite rock/indie rock band?  Please share! My playlist is a constant work in progress. :)

Loving: Let's just say... SUMMER ROCKS!

Thinking: I just can NOT seem to get the furniture arrangement right.  I hate that my computer faces the wall right now.  Ugh! I need a new outlook.  Stay posted... we may have just found my Monday Made-It.

Wanting:  Am I the only one getting a Really Good Stuff catalog every few days?!  They are persistent. It really is full of really good stuff. I could spend so much money on organization stuff alone.  Too bad our water heater went south and classroom funds are now being redirected...boo!

Needing: I guess I should have put a new water heater here, huh?  I really NEED one of those.  Cold showers are the worst! It sort of ties into getting my house cleaned.  My mom arrives in 5 days, so I need to get this place "company ready."  That probably includes having hot water, yeah?

Tips/Tricks/Hints: Pinterest is the best way to keep a record of posts you discover and love. I have bookmarked pages and flagged posts in my reader, but I find Pinterest to be the easiest. It's the visual. It's so much easier to go back and find what you are looking for.  This is especially true if you snag a cool freebie and forget the details.  I'm sure this never happens to you, but just in case... pin baby pin! 

What about my goals? I'm linking up with Jess at I {heart} Recess to talk about my July goals.  Writing them down is the first step to commitment, so here we go...

Personal: Looking for quick and healthy recipes here.  Any suggestions?  You should know in advance that I am bit of picky eater.  Anything with mushrooms is OUT! UGH! Also, I'm not sure about this whole kale thing. 

Family: Yup, my husband works full time AND is in law school.  He is even taking summer classes right now! He's a total rock star.  I look at the books he is reading and think to myself...Yeah... NO! I think I'll stick with my books for Fiction Friday. Thanks!

Health: I'm really proud of myself here.  I've been hitting the gym five days a week.  Okay, you caught me, it was only last week, but you gotta start somewhere. I'm spinning three times a week and doing this athletic conditioning class that is kicking by butt.  Seriously, if I never did another squat, lunge, or burpee I would be thrilled, but I'm guessing all three of those will be in next Tuesdays class. And ya know what!?  I'm going!

School: I spending my summer focusing on improving my response journals.  Science and reading were pretty good this year, but math left little to be desired.  I really want to focus on math vocabulary, because that is where my students struggle.  Please, please share any vocabulary activities you love!  I'm trying to build up my repertoire.

Blog/TPT: Look, I'm already doing it! I'm joining!

Outside the Box: Admittedly, I have never had a green thumb, but this Texas heat makes it nearly impossible to keep your plants alive.  Any tips?  I mean, besides watering them.  I'm seriously thinking of switching to fake. I don't think you could tell from the street. Would my HOA know?

Thanks ladies for hosting such fun linky parties! Be sure to check out Fiction Friday where I review all kinds of great kids books! AND, don't forget to investigate my new Sunday Feature: Favorites from the Year, where I share seasonal/holiday ideas to be pinned and saved for later. Ever thought about having your class create an army of leprechauns?  Today's Sunday Feature, was a quick, fun, following directions drawing activity where you class creates their very own Man of March (aka leprechaun). So Fun!

Toodles,

Favorites from the Year: Man of March (freebie)

Welcome to my very first Sunday Feature.  I'm excited to start this new adventure on my blog and I like having the accountability piece of my readers expecting a post every Sunday. 

I figure it is kind of like going to gym. Left to my own devices, I can come up with 100 different excuses of why I can't go.  But, if I know someone is going to meet me there.  I HAVE to go.  There is no getting out of it.  And, believe me, my gym buddy does not let me off the hook.   So now, I need you guys to do the same.  Don't let me off the hook. You'll keep me honest, right?

Introducing...

About: Favorites from the Year is about getting all those seasonal/holiday projects (or any other proejct for that matter) posted that never made it on your blog during they year.  Any holiday, any season, any project. Then, we will compile them all in one place for easy access. I hope you'll join the fun.

Link up with your favorite projects from the year - or repost your favorites that did make it on your blog.  Why not? I know I missed plenty of great things during the year, so repost your hearts out people.  I'd love to see what awesome things y'all had going on from September through June.

Linky Info: Please post at anytime you feel inspired.  I plan on posting a new favorite each Sunday, hence the Sunday feature part for me.  If you want to join me on this challenge, awesome! The more the merrier.  Either way, the linky will be open all summer. Come one, come all!

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My First Sunday Feature

I'm thrilled to share with you one of my favorite projects of the year.  I wish I could claim ownership of this project, but it is just another great idea that was handed down to me.  What can I say? I'm a thief.  :)

Man of March

Aren't they cute? They are Men of March aka leprechauns!! 
I love the mustaches.

When I first inherited this project it was on a single sheet of paper, typed in courier new.  Honestly, I'm surprised the print wasn't purple. It had obviously been around awhile, but I have no idea where or when it originated.  So, I retyped the directions and let my students go to town.

Materials:

• Man of March directions sheet (see below)
• Crayons, markers, or colored pencils
• Large paper to draw on (12"x 18" is preferred, but anything will do)

Step 1: Give students directions sheets and read through it together.

Step 2: Let students create and draw.

And, that's pretty much it.  I don't do anything else.  I just let them go and you would be amazed with what they come up with. I do circulate during the drawing of the head, because you always have some kids that try to go WAY too small.  I help them. Otherwise...it's a free art project. The directions are very specific and yet allow each child to be creative and make the leprechaun their own.

Here are some more examples. Notice any similarities?  

They all have a brown and green checkered shirt.

 They all have one eye winking and red hair covering one eye.

They all have a baseball in their left hand.

I love this project because while everyone gets the exact same directions, they all turn out different and fun.  Some of my students took a really long time on this project, in fact, some of my very best I never got pictures of because they were still hard at work. Now that's dedication!

Here are the directions:

Man of March Directions

The directions are yours to download.  I hope your class enjoys this March activity as much as mine did.  And...can I just say?  They make the cutest bulletin board.  :)

I can't wait to see what some of your Favorites from the Year are.  Link up and join the fun!

Favorites from the Year

1. Room 4 Imagination	2. The Teaching Thief	3. Hooty's Homeroom	4. For the Love of Teaching
5. Leaping into Teaching	6. The Teaching Thief	7. The Teaching Thief

(Cannot add links: Registration/trial expired)

Fiction Friday: Chapter 3

Happy Friday everyone! You know what that means.  It is time for another round of Fiction Friday.

This week I read...

Escaping the Giant Wave

by Peg Kehert

In the novel, Kyle starts his summer by writing down four goals:  improve his batting average, learn to pop a wheelie, increase his allowance, and make Daren Hazelton leave him alone. Surviving a tsunami did not make the list, but when Kyle’s perfect family vacation to the Oregon coast turns into a nightmare, that is precisely what he must do.  To make matters worse, Daren Hazelton, the bully from school, is on vacation in the same place!

Kyle is babysitting his younger sister, when the earthquake hits and sets the hotel on fire.  Keeping his wits, Kyle gets his sister and incidentally the bully, Darren, out of the hotel safely.  Then, they have to make a choice.  Should they follow the signs on the beach that said seek higher ground after an earthquake in case of tsunami or stay put? Kyle and BeeBee head up the hill, but Darren heads for the beach. That’s when the sirens go off.  Tsunami to hit at 5:30 pm!

Maybe I am just an adventure junkie, but I really enjoyed this book.  The characters were very likeable and BeeBee was an absolute hoot! I loved the entire idea that she is a financial wiz and wants to watch Money Talk all the time. Hilarious! Kyle was very grounded from the beginning. I enjoyed watching him find the courage and strength to not only protect his sister in the face of danger but stand up for himself in everyday situations.

Peg Kehert wrote a fast paced novel with incredible description. The pages flew by.  It reminded me of another book I reviewed last year called, Night of the Howling Dogs, which I also loved and is based on true events. You can’t help but want to learn more about this kind of disaster.  It really is amazing and hard to imagine, even with Kehert’s detailed description. I think the part that really got me thinking was when she talked about how loud the wave was and how you could hear the wave coming. I never thought about that, but absolutely! You hear it, but you can’t out run it. Scary!

I’m predicting this will be a huge hit with my 4^th graders.  This novel would be great for a read aloud,  book club, or just an independent read for your action/adventure lovers.  Great survival story!

Fast Facts:

Survival Story

Grades 3-5 (RL 4.7)

Read Aloud 3-5

Book Club 4-5

147 pages

Guinea Dog

by Patrick Jennings

Now, I bet most of you already know about this book, because so many wonderful bloggers wrote about it last year on Fiction Friday.  I think it was an SSYRA book last year. Anywhoo... I thought it sounded so cute, I had already purchased the book from Amazon when it showed up on our Battle Book list this year and I'm glad it did.

Guinea Dog is the story of a boy, Rufus (yes, that is really the boy's name) who wants a dog more than anything.  The things is...his father has a list of reasons a mile and half long why a dog will never be allowed in the house.  To compromise, Rufus' mother brings home a guinea pig, who he names Fido.  Rufus is less than thrilled about owning a guinea pig.  Actually, he is pretty embarrassed about it.  But, it turns out there is something very special about THIS guinea pig.  Fido can play fetch, run super fast, get along well with other dogs, keep up with Rufus when he rides his bike, growl, bark, and is 100% trainable. In fact, Fido might not be such  a bad pet after all. He might be the perfect pet.

Three words to describe this book are: entertaining, fun, and enjoyable.  It's just one of those books. It is told in first person and Rufus is hilarious.  His views on the world and his family are priceless.  Kids will laugh our loud while reading.  If you are good at reading with different voices and reading conversations, read this book aloud. Your students will love it!

There are also several lists made throughout the book (ex. reasons you should not have a dog, reasons you should have a dog, reasons my family is not normal, etc.) These could be a nice jumping off point for creating a list in a writers notebook for writing ideas down the road.  Just a thought. :)

This will be another big hit for my 4th graders next year, especially my animal lovers.  I enjoyed Patrick Jennings writing style and am eager to read more for him.

Fast Facts:

Grades 3-5 (RL 3.7)

Read Aloud 3-5

186 pages

What children's/YA books have you been reading lately?  What were some BIG hits in your classroom this year?  Favorite read alouds? Favorites from your childhood?  Anything goes here.  We just love to learn about more books.

Link up and join the party! 

Please remember to link directly to your Fiction Friday post, not just your blog and include a link back to me here.  That way everyone can find home base and share in all the great books. 

Happy Reading!!

Fiction Friday: A Celebration of Children's Literature 2013

1. Tadpole Tidbits	2. rubberboots and elf shoes	3. Math is Elementary
4. Lifelong Learning	5. On the Trail of Learning	6. Tadpole Tidbits
7. Math is Elementary	8. Tadpole Tidbits	9. 2ofUM
10. On The Trail of Learning...	11. Tadpole Tidbits	12. Math is Elementary
13. Mrs. Goff's Pre-K Tales	14. 2ofUM	15. For the Love of Teaching
16. Tadpole Tidbits	17. Math is Elementary	18. rubberboots and elf shoes
19. Teacher Park	20. Math is Elementary	21. rubberboots and elf shoes
22. On The Trail of Learning...	23. For the Love of Teaching	24. Fit to be Fourth
25. Math is Elementary	26. For the Love of Teaching	27. 2ofUM
28. rubberboots and elf shoes	29. Math is Elementary	30. Fit to be Fourth
31. For the Love of Teaching	32. For the Love of Teaching	33. Fit to be Fourth
34. Math is Elementary	35. rubberboots and elf shoes	36. Kaylee's Education Studio
37. Math is Elementary	38. Fit to be Fourth	39. Tadpole Tidbits
40. rubberboots and elf shoes	41. Phillipa Knickerbocker Glory review and recipe	42. Jellybeans Morning, Noon, and Night
43. Tiger Hunt - an adventure in Bali	44. Ribbon Rescue - Book Review by Mommynificent	45. Come share about books through the school year too
46. 2ofUM	47. Sir Princess Petra's Talent Book Review	48. Review of Julia Dweck’s Blucy

(Cannot add links: Registration/trial expired)

Windows Into History

Here is the sad truth...social studies often gets put on the back burner at my school.  Reading, writing, math, and science all come first.  After all, those ARE the tested subjects and therefore the most important. Ugh! You are hearing the sarcasm, right?

Social studies often gets taken out of the daily routine or completely integrated into other areas. Now, please don't get be wrong, integration of social studies content is wonderful. Huge fan.  However, sometimes I think it can be tough, especially on your students who are reading below grade level and/or have very little background knowledge. I guess I'm just sayin' that I miss the designated block of social studies time.

But, I digress.  Back to the point...

I love social studies.  I'm not wowed by all the map skills and I'll be honest, the community unit is a bit of a snooze for me (sorry if that's your favorite), BUT I love teaching the history unit!

Since I teach 4th grade, I'm responsible for state history.  And, because I teach in San Antonio, I get to teach Texas history...which is just fun!!

This is one of the projects my students did after we learned about the Alamo.  It can easily be modified to fit any historical topic or subject. 

Here are our  

Windows into History:

Materials:

• Copies of an image relating to topic (use cardstock)
• Crayons, markers, colored pencils
• Black pen or Sharpie
• Scissors
• Glue
• Construction paper for background

Step 1: Read about an important historical event or time period. 

Step 2: Have students write down 5-7 questions and answers about the topic.  Encourage them to use both fact based questions (thin) and thinking questions (thick).

Step 3: Students will write their questions on the image in random places BEFORE coloring.

Step 4: Color around the words so it is easy to read OR use black pen.

Step 5: Students will use scissors to cut around their questions on 3 sides. Show them how to fold the paper to cut the top and bottom.  Then, open up the paper to snip 1 side of the box.

Notice the top question was not cut very well, but he got the hang of it for the rest.  :)

Step 6: Glue onto construction paper and write the answers to the questions under the flap you just made.

Please ignore all the capitalization errors. I tried... I really tried. :)

And, that's it!!

My students loved working on this project and it was a great way to assess their knowledge about the Alamo.  More importantly, they couldn't wait to share.  They wanted to see if others could answer their questions.  Love that!

We completed our projects in 2 days and this was mostly because they all took it so seriously and produced such beautiful projects. I always tell my class, "If you are working and you need more time, I will give it to you.  If you are goofing around, then I won't." They always agree this is fair and with this project, they earned their extra time.

I hope you try sometime similar in your classroom.  This is such a versatile activity and has been around for years, but this was my first time giving it a go.  I will definitely be doing it again.

If you are interested, I found the Alamo image at Enchanted Learning. I also found great resources and lesson plans for teaching about the Alamo at TheAlamo.org. Go figure?  To link directly to the 4th grade lesson plans, click here!  For the 7th grade lesson plans, click here! Enjoy!

And folks... Remember the Alamo!!

Follow Me on Feedly Button - Add Yours Today!

That time is almost here.  It's time to say...

And hello Feedly...or Bloglovin'...or Feedly...or Bloglovin'... It's been a tough decision.

BUT, now that I am fully rockin' the Feedly, I wanted others  to follow my blog easily with Feedly too.

So... I returned to Google.  With one quick search, I found the Feedly suggestion page and in the comments, I found the answer.

One wonderful blogger from...well, I'm not really sure where, but her blog is written in Dutch...

Anyway...one wonderful blogger, wrote the html code for a "Follow me on Feedly button" and posted it. My hero!

You can get the code here: http://lokakid.blogspot.be/2013/04/feedly-follow-button.html

It's super easy and directions are given in both English and Dutch, in case you want to test your language prowess.

Now, we can all easily follow our favorite blogs with whatever feed your heart desires. Please add your own "Follow me on Feedly" button, so all of us Feedly users can stay in touch with one easy click.

P.S. Feedly will keep track of your number of subscribers, so you can still count followers. Cool, huh?

Click above to test the magical Feedly button! 

New Sunday Feature: Favorites from the Year

Two years into this blogging business and I know at least one thing...blogging during the school year is tough.  Really tough.

I take pictures of my student's work and say to myself, "If I blog about this tonight, I can get something up for _____ (insert holiday/season/month/etc.)" And.... two weeks later...ooops! Nothing is posted. The moment has passed.  The holiday is over.  So I say to myself, "Don't worry, Amanda.  Just post about it next year."

And then, guess what?  The next _____ (insert holiday/season/month/etc.) arrives, and I miss that one too.

So, I decided to start a new Sunday Feature on my blog. 

Introducing..

Here is my plan. On Sundays, I will post seasonal ideas that I never got up during the year.  It will be a collection of my favorite projects, writing assignments, and more. 

Now, the next question is...do y'all want to join in? Linky?

Does this happen to you too?  Do you frequently miss blogging dates and deadlines but have great October ideas to share in June? Maybe you have a great leprechaun activity but had a broken computer for the entire month of March? Perhaps a super stealth ninja squirrel hijacked your computer during November, leaving you unable to post about your favorite Turkey Day traditions? Or the elves borrowed your computer during December, but you have the best writing assignment to share?

Whatever it is... let's share now.  Let's just do it!! What do you think?  Summer is the best time to collect ideas, pin for later, and imagine all the wonderful possibilities that come with a fresh year.


So, whatcha think? Start June 30th? Linky or no? I'll post either way, but I thought others might want to join the fun and share too. Feedback please.

Enjoy your Sunday. And, don't forget to check out  Fiction Friday from this week. So many great books!

Guess what? No school tomorrow! Yahoooo!

My Google Reader Solution = Feedly

As you know, I was surprised shocked when I recently logged in to find out Google Reader was disappearing!! What was I to do!??  Many of you offered your feedback and suggestions... thank you!!
 
After hearing from y'all, I googled "Alternatives to Google Reader" to help me make my final decision.  I have to run everything by Google, don't you?

And Google...being Google...came through for me.

I found this great blog post from Lifehacker, called "Five Best Google Reader Alternatives".  I figured with a blog title like Lifehacker, I could trust this guy, right?

Anywhoo... he goes through 5 of the best alternatives and shows you different displays and talks about pros and cons.  Very easy to read and not filled with a bunch of tech mumbo jumbo that this 4th grader teacher wouldn't understand. Then he let the people of the World Wide Web vote.

He wrote a follow-up post called "Most Popular Google Reader Alternative: Feedly." Well, over 1,000+ peeps who follow Lifehacker can't be wrong, so I gave Feedly a try.

Now, I was frustrated at first because I wasn't sure how everything worked.  It has taken be awhile to get used to the format, but I do bold, underline, italicize, all caps LOVE that I can easily access my Feedly account on my computer, phone, iPad, whatever! It has worked seemlessly on all my devices.  The transition from Google Reader to Feedly was easy.  They took care of everything and imported all the blogs I already follow for me.  i.e. I did nothing.

There have  been a few snags along the way.  Apparently when you are important millions of giga-whatever from Google Reader, there are some set backs.   But, I emailed the Feedly team, and they emailed me back within an hour, saying they knew about the bug (my index of blogs was not showing up..boohoo!) and were working on it.  I'm thinking once everything is transitioned this is the right format for me.  They are even working on adding a search feature, which is the one thing I really miss from Google Reader.

**Update** - My Feedly has been fixed. Zippity do da!

So, moral of my story...I'm going with Feedly.  If you use Feedly, you don't need to worry about doing anything, you will just continue to follow this here blog. And a huge thank you for it! 

If you are using BlogLovin', click HERE to follow me.  Or click the cute button below.  Or click the button on the right side of my blog.  Whatever strikes your fancy.  But, please click somewhere so we can stay in touch!

Both seem like great alternatives, so find what works for you.  It's like differentiation on the web! Ha!

Fiction Friday: Chapter 2

Good Morning Book Lovers! It's Friday and you know what that means....

Fiction Friday!!

 

I'm just going to hop right in and tell you about my books of the week.  

(Psst! Are y'all reading this like a game show announcer, because that is definitely what I have going on in my head right now.)

And.... here the books are now....

Edgar Allan's Official Crime 

Investigation Notebook

by Mary Amato

Edgar Allan often feels overlooked.  He's not a great musician like his brother and never wins first place in anything.  He blends in.  When the class fish goes missing, Edgar is determined to solve the case first and have his moment in the spotlight. But what kind of thief steals things and leaves poetry behind?  Something fishy is definitely going on!

Initially, I had a hard time getting into this book.  It just didn’t grab me from the beginning with the story or with the writing.  It was sort of okay, but as I kept reading I found the meat of the story.  And then, I was hooked.  You see it is not really about finding the thief, but about friendship, secret identities and seeing more than meets the eye.   

Edgar is a detective, but his observant nature shows him more than just clues to the case. As Edgar writes, “If every person saw every other person’s sadness, there couldn’t ever be such a thing as a complete enemy because how can you hate somebody who you feel sorry for?” This book is about empathy and understanding. 

I enjoyed Edgar’s character immensely.  In fact, he reminded me of a student I had two years ago so much that I actually pictured my student and I having the exact same conversations Edgar had with his teacher. Talk about a text to self connection!

The mystery behind the stolen goods and poetry was also fun.  I’m proud to say I figured it out pretty early on, but it was well constructed and I liked that the pieces all fell into place at the end. I can’t help but wonder at what point the students will figure out "whodunit".  Or will they figure it out?  Definitely a good read aloud grades 3-4.  The chapters are short and easy to read.  Kids would be hooked, but the heart of the story gives you a great platform to discuss bullying and social issues.

Fast Facts:

• Read Aloud 3-4
• Grades 3-5 (RL 4.5)
• 138 pages 

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Next up, we have...

Fairest of All

by Sarah Mlynowski

Fairest of All is the first book in the Whatever After series. Now, I know you aren’t supposed to say there are girl books and boy books, BUT….there are girl books and boy books.  This is a girl book.  I think this will be a very tough sell to most of the boys in my 4th grade class. I know based on the cover, you all find this very surprising, right? *wink, wink*

Basically, Abby, the uber control freak, and her laid back brother, Jonah get sucked into a mirror and are transported into a fairy tale world.  More specifically, they are transported directly into Snow White’s story and while they are there, they mess it all up. Jonah stops Snow from eating the poison apple, therefore Snow is never poisoned, which means that the prince can not find her and fall in love with her, and well…everything is ruined.  So, Abby and Jonah set out to right this wrong in a silly mixed up fairy tale adventure.

This was a fun read. I think readers of the Candy Apple series or Katie Kazoo will be highly entertained.  The text is a mash up of modern day and fairy tale lingo, which makes for some very humorous moments. I know my niece would have LOVED this book when she was in first and second grade and was completely obsessed with fairy tales and princesses.  As a fourth grader, I'm  not sure she would be as excited about it.  This might be best as a read aloud for girls K-2.  Abby is a smart, witty, and take charge kind of girl. She’s exactly the kind of character we want young girls looking up to.

Fast Facts:

• Read Aloud K-2
• Grades 2-4 (RL 2.8)
• 169 pages
• Texas Bluebonnet Nominee

Now it's your turn.

Please link up and share some of your favorite books.  

Reviews, pondering, lesson ideas...whatever! 

I love learning about new titles or hearing new ways to use favorite titles.

When you link up, please remember to link directly to your Fiction Friday blog post, not your blog. And, please please grab my Fiction Friday button to link back to me so that everyone can enjoy the party.

 I can't wait to see what y'all have been reading.

Fiction Friday: A Celebration of Children's Literature 2013

1. Tadpole Tidbits	2. rubberboots and elf shoes	3. Math is Elementary
4. Lifelong Learning	5. On the Trail of Learning	6. Tadpole Tidbits
7. Math is Elementary	8. Tadpole Tidbits	9. 2ofUM
10. On The Trail of Learning...	11. Tadpole Tidbits	12. Math is Elementary
13. Mrs. Goff's Pre-K Tales	14. 2ofUM	15. For the Love of Teaching
16. Tadpole Tidbits	17. Math is Elementary	18. rubberboots and elf shoes
19. Teacher Park	20. Math is Elementary	21. rubberboots and elf shoes
22. On The Trail of Learning...	23. For the Love of Teaching	24. Fit to be Fourth
25. Math is Elementary	26. For the Love of Teaching	27. 2ofUM
28. rubberboots and elf shoes	29. Math is Elementary	30. Fit to be Fourth
31. For the Love of Teaching	32. For the Love of Teaching	33. Fit to be Fourth
34. Math is Elementary	35. rubberboots and elf shoes	36. Kaylee's Education Studio
37. Math is Elementary	38. Fit to be Fourth	39. Tadpole Tidbits
40. rubberboots and elf shoes	41. Phillipa Knickerbocker Glory review and recipe	42. Jellybeans Morning, Noon, and Night
43. Tiger Hunt - an adventure in Bali	44. Ribbon Rescue - Book Review by Mommynificent	45. Come share about books through the school year too
46. 2ofUM	47. Sir Princess Petra's Talent Book Review	48. Review of Julia Dweck’s Blucy

(Cannot add links: Registration/trial expired)

Onomantopoeia, Oreos, and Outstanding Writing

Hey y'all! I'm excited to share one of my favorite writing activities of the year because it involves two of my favorite things: onomatopoeia and Oreos! Yum!!

I've seen different versions of this activity everywhere.  Clearly, oreos are a hot writing topic and great for introducing persuasive text or how to. However, this is a one day writing assignment used to teach descriptive writing and onomatopoeia. Who knew Oreo cookies were so versitale?

Objective: Students will use onomatopoeia and spicy words to write an engaging descriptive paragraph about how they eat an Oreo.

Materials:

• bag of Oreo cookies
• student examples to act as mentor text
• anchor chart

Lesson:
Review onomatopoeia and generate a list of examples. Then, tell students you have a very serious and important question for them: How do you eat your Oreo?

And just like that...the ALL want to share.

Introduce the task. "Today you are going to describe how you eat an Oreo cookie with as much description as possible" 

Read lots of examples written by other 4th graders. Click here for the original lesson and examples!

You'll notice that each example follows the same pattern, but don't worry about point that out. They catch on fast!  After reading 3-4 examples, stop and ask students the kids, "What do you notice?"

Hopefully They will point out:

• They all start out with onomatopoeia.
• They all describe an Oreo using lost of good adjectives.
• They all write out the steps to eating an Oreo using transition words. (first, then, finally)
• They all wrap up with the author talking directly to the reader. 

After discussing the organization, read a few more examples before sending them off to write... Oreo in hand to eat of course!  Nothing sparks writing like licking frosting and eating cookies.

Students typically write for 20-30 minutes.  These are not long pieces, but they are a lot of fun and an easy piece to take all the way through the writing process.  After editing and revising, I have students publish.

Last year we published on the computer and then posted to their blogs, but you could also publish with good ol' paper!

Here is a simple writing frame I made that could also be used to publish your writing.  Thanks to Michelle at 3AM Teacher for the frame.  It was perfect for our Oreo theme. Download for free at my TPT or TN store.

And... If you want to get really fancy and fun, check out this fantastic bulletin board display I found on Pinterest. How cute is that?!

From Fun 2B In First

I'd love to hear back if you do the lesson, have done something similar, etc.  I love hearing your stories. Happy Writing!!









P.S. Don't forget to check out Fiction Friday from last week.  I reviewed two excellent books and other bloggers linked up with their own fabulous reads.  This is a great way to build your children's literature repertoire.

P.P.S. Also, how is the new font?  I was going for REALLY easy to read as I have noticed my eyes get tired way to quickly when I'm blog reading and deciphering all those super cute fonts.  So, just in case my readers are suffering from the same "I must be getting old" problem - I made the switch.  Thoughts? 

Fiction Friday: Chapter 1

Yahoo!! I'm super excited to announce that Fiction Friday is back! I know I host this linky, but it really is one of my favorites.  I just love any excuse to talk about books. :)

Here is the history...

Fiction Friday began last summer when I set out to read all most of the books selected for our district's Battle of the Books. I wanted to go into the year, ready to excite my students about reading! And, the more books I read, the better I am able to help my kids find books that help them fall in love with reading.

 But, who can possibly read all the great books out there?  Not me.  So, Fiction Friday was born. I can't wait to see what y'all have been reading this summer.

This week I read...

Waiting for the Magic 

by Patricia MacLachlan

The book begins, "It was early on a Saturday summer morning when my mother and father stopped arguing and Papa walked away." Emotional from the first line, Waiting for the Magic goes on to tell the story of William and his family after his father leaves and his mother immediately adopts not one, not two, but four dogs and a cat from the pound.William's life is turned upside down, but he puts on a strong "brave" face to protect his family. What William doesn't realize is that bravery comes in many forms and his new furry friends are there to help. If he is brave enough and listens carefully, he may just start to believe in a little magic that will put his family back together.

The simple, yet powerful language used in this story, conveys the heart break of a struggling family that is easy to relate too. I read this book in one sitting.  I love Patricia MacLachlan's poetic writing style. It's elegant and speaks right to the heart. This would make a great read aloud K-2 and is a good beginning chapter book for grades 2-3. I loved the messages of family, forgiveness, love, courage and of course magic, which is woven through the story so flawlessly. An overall very enjoyable read.

Fast Facts:

• Read Aloud K-2
• Beginning Chapter Book 2-3 (RL 3.0)
• Texas Bluebonnet Book
• 143 pages

Unfortunately, I didn't have time to finish my second book because I was unexpectedly invited to the NBA Finals Game last night (Go Spurs Go!) and I couldn't turn that down.  So, I will share three new books next week and share one old favorite with you today.

How to Steal A Dog

by Barbara O'Conner

In How to Steal A Dog, Georgina Hayes is desperate and looking for a way out.  After her father leaves her family with nothing but a jar of quarters, Georgina, her mother, and her brother are forced to live in their car, trying to pretend life is normal.  Georgina spots a missing dog sign that advertises a $500 reward and thinks she has found the answer.  So, she develops a plan.  A plan to steal a dog and earn some reward money. "Half of me was thinking, Georgina, don’t do this. Stealing a dog is just plain wrong. The other half of me was thinking, Georgina, you’re in a bad fix and you got to do whatever it takes to get yourself out of it."  

Barbara O'Conner is a natural storyteller.  The book reads quickly with each character taking on a unique and memorable voice.  Although the book does tackle some tough subjects, it is handled through humor, love, and an emphasis on doing the right thing.  I read this aloud to my students this year, and they LOVED it. They really connected with Georgina's situation and her desire to help her family even though she knew it wasn't necessarily the right thing.  This book opens the door for great discussions and it was fun to watch my students thinking change along with Georgina as she struggled with stealing the dog.  The book is filled with great quotes that my students came back to long after we finished.  Definitely the sign of a great book!

Fast Facts:

• Read Aloud 2-5
• Chapter Book 3-5 (RL 4.4)
• 192 pages
• Texas Bluebonnet 2008
• School Library Journal Best Books 2007

Okay book lovers, now it is your turn! Tell me about more great books you have read recently or old favorites you just LOVE.  Chapter books and picture books welcome!

Ready, set, link up!!

Fiction Friday: A Celebration of Children's Literature 2013

1. Tadpole Tidbits	2. rubberboots and elf shoes	3. Math is Elementary
4. Lifelong Learning	5. On the Trail of Learning	6. Tadpole Tidbits
7. Math is Elementary	8. Tadpole Tidbits	9. 2ofUM
10. On The Trail of Learning...	11. Tadpole Tidbits	12. Math is Elementary
13. Mrs. Goff's Pre-K Tales	14. 2ofUM	15. For the Love of Teaching
16. Tadpole Tidbits	17. Math is Elementary	18. rubberboots and elf shoes
19. Teacher Park	20. Math is Elementary	21. rubberboots and elf shoes
22. On The Trail of Learning...	23. For the Love of Teaching	24. Fit to be Fourth
25. Math is Elementary	26. For the Love of Teaching	27. 2ofUM
28. rubberboots and elf shoes	29. Math is Elementary	30. Fit to be Fourth
31. For the Love of Teaching	32. For the Love of Teaching	33. Fit to be Fourth
34. Math is Elementary	35. rubberboots and elf shoes	36. Kaylee's Education Studio
37. Math is Elementary	38. Fit to be Fourth	39. Tadpole Tidbits
40. rubberboots and elf shoes	41. Phillipa Knickerbocker Glory review and recipe	42. Jellybeans Morning, Noon, and Night
43. Tiger Hunt - an adventure in Bali	44. Ribbon Rescue - Book Review by Mommynificent	45. Come share about books through the school year too
46. 2ofUM	47. Sir Princess Petra's Talent Book Review	48. Review of Julia Dweck’s Blucy

(Cannot add links: Registration/trial expired)

NF Text Feature Magic Square + Google Reader Help!!

 Three days into summer and I am LOVING it! Ohhh, it feels so good to relax.  For those of you that are still in school - hang in there.  You are almost there!!

Now, as you know, I've been out of the loop for awhile and letting my Google Reader pile up.  I knew it was getting full and the more I thought about, the more overwhelmed I got.  So, naturally... I avoided it.

Then... I finally got my courage up and logged in. And what did I discover?  Oh yeah, that Google Reader will cease to exists in July.  Umm??  Panic mode!!  What?  How will I keep track of all the blog posts I've read and all the ones I haven't??  How will I search my blog postings?? Wha---Wha---What??!?

AHHHH!! I don't like this one bit.  Clearly, I'm not a huge fan of change.

But, I'm dealing.

So, what are y'all doing to solve this calamity?  Are you exporting all your files?  If so, what are you using and how do you like it.  I need HELP people!!

Please advise.

On another note,  how many of you teach text features?!

What?  Really? Me too.
Small world.

This year, I found my students really struggled to remember the different text features and their purpose.  Not quite sure why this was so hard, but... it was. We did all the classic activities: scavenger hunt, making posters, etc. and they still needed more practice.

I created another fun way for my students to review text features with the Text Feature Magic Square. I love Magic Squares because once the kids get the hang of how they work, you can use them for anything.  It is a great way to review vocabulary and it is self-checking.

Step 1:  Cut the squares apart.

Step 2: Locate the one square that has writing on all 4 sides. That is the middle square.

Step 3: Begin matching text features with its purpose.  I used 2 different fonts and sizes to make it easy to differentiate between purpose and name of feature.

Step 4: Check your work! If done correctly, the edge of your reconstructed square should be blank (i.e. no words).

This is one of my favorite activities and my students l-o-v-e it! Please try it out and let me know what you and your students think! I had fun designing this one and was thinking about putting some more together with math and science vocabulary. Thoughts?

You can download this puppy for FREE at my TN store OR my TPT store. Yahoo!!

While you are there, please check out my other free items.  Actually, everything is free.  I'd love some feedback though and maybe a rating or two.  Just sayin'. Hehe.

Also, don't forget about Fiction Friday.  We are back up and rolling this Friday. 

Happy Magic Squaring!! 

School, Summer, and Fiction Friday Revival

Woohoo! I made it! I survived the year and I have earned... yes, EARNED my summer vacation.  It's time for afternoon naps, flip flops, and my return to the blogging world. So, hello again loyal readers and friends!

 

I'm not sure about you, but it was a tough year for me. I don't think that I have ever needed summer vacation more.  We've all had those years, right? 

That class that was just a little extra difficult due to...

a) challenging behaviors (learned helplessness, adhd, oppositional defiance, etc.)
b) low parent involvement or the crazy parent(s)
c) academically low students
d) mean girls and bullies
e) all of the above. 

For me...this year.. it was E- all of the above. Plus, all the pressure for improved test scores coupled with countless hours of intervention and tutoring.  It was a very long exhausting year, no doubt about it. 

But, now it is summer. It is time to reboot.  It is time to re-energize. It is time to get back to blogging and share all the cool stuff we did accomplish this year! Stand by for some great language arts activities, writing projects, math journal ideas, art activities, and more!

It is also time to revive Fiction Friday! For my new readers, Fiction Friday is a linky party I host every week for teachers (or parents) to share books.  Some teachers include lesson plans with the books, while others just share good reads and review the books for us.  It's great fun and we all learn about so many great new titles.  See my Fiction Friday page for more information and check out all the great books I discovered last summer.

So, get ready book lovers. Mark your calendar! Fiction Friday is back starting June 14th. Get ready to link up! I've got some great book to share with you, and I can't wait to see what y'all have been reading this year.

Now...