Which witch?

Aren't these just adorable??

I totally stole this cute craft idea from Ms. Leslie Ann over at Life in First Grade! Well, not totally. I bought some Halloween scrapbook paper from the dollar bin at Target. I cut each sheet in half and that's what we used for the dresses. She now offers patters, but we didn't use them. Also, Ms. Leslie Ann ended up tying this craft to a sequencing activity. I went another route and had my kiddos further experiment with descriptive writing. I asked them to write 3 or 4 sentences describing what their witches look like.

Then I displayed the witches and their writing on a bulletin board. (I made sure they wrote their names on the back of each item.) The small pink square on each witch is a number I added using post-its. When people walked by they could read the descriptions and try to find the matching witch. After noticing the number, they would fold up the bottom half of the description and check the number on back. If the number of the witch they thought of was the same as the number on the back of the description, it's a match! 

My sweet kids had SO much fun showing these off to the older students and making them guess which witch was theirs! If you want to give it a try, feel free to download the writing sheet. I did make a few design changes because well, that's what I do. Always perfecting... never satisfied... I'm sure next year it'll be something even different!

Best wishes.

Quick Valentine's fun...

Happy Sunday everyone! I'm gearing up for the big day Thursday and thought I would share some freebies!! Besides all of the centers we'll be completing, we will also be making great use of some little hearts I snagged from the dollar bin at Target.

The first activity we'll do is a little coin count. I have 10 heart containers (because I have 10 students). Each lid has a number and inside are some coins. When I say "go," students will open their heart, count the coins, and record their answer. After about a minute, I'll say "swap." Students will have to quickly put the coins back in their heart, put on the lid, and pass the closed heart to their neighbor. I've also played different versions of this game where the materials stay (the heart and coins) and the students travel to other seats with their paper. Either way, after everyone has had a chance to count the coins in every heart, we'll go over the answers. I'll call out number 1. The student with that heart will come to the front, empty the coins, and count them. All other students will count along (I have matching coins on my SmartBoard) and then check to see if they got the same answer. 

The buckets are also from the dollar bin and just a cute way to hold the hearts. Here's the recording sheet. If you would like a copy, click on the picture. It will take you to my TpT store where you can download it for FREE!

Another way I'll be using the hearts is in a part of speech sort. I have a ton of small foam shapes. So I took out some hearts and wrote either a noun, an adjective, or a verb on each one. Then I put that foam heart inside one of the numbered hearts. Obviously, I'll be removing the coins before inserting the foam heart! Just like before, each student will start with a heart. On "go" they'll open their heart and read the word. If the word is a noun, they'll color the corresponding numbered heart on their response sheet pink. If the word is an adjective, they'll color the heart red. And, if the word is a verb, they'll color that heart purple. They will also be writing the word inside of the heart on their paper. After about 30 seconds, I'll say "swap." Students will return the foam heart and replace the lid. Then they will pass the heart to their neighbor. This will continue until we have passed all 10 hearts around. Then, just like with the coins, we'll go number by number and check our answers. 

By the way, I made sure to write the words on hearts that WERE NOT the same color as the answer. For example, no verbs  were written on purple hearts. The response sheet for this activity is included in the download for the coin count. 

Of course, another heart activity is graphing the candy conversation hearts. I'm sure you all do this, too. However, if you're looking to change things up a little, check out my worksheets! Did I mention they're free?!

There are a few questions about estimating and measuring, as well as, graphing.

Well there you have it. Some Valentine freebies for my friends :)

If you're still in need of some centers, mine are a steal at only $5.20 until Wednesday! Click on the pictures to check them out...

Have a great week and Happy Valentine's Day!

Best wishes,

If Santa was stuck in my chimney...

This is absolutely one of my favorite writing activities to do throughout the year!! At this point in the year, the kids know what to expect when we begin the writing process and are really beginning to enjoy it. Although we have not finished our paragraphs yet, I predict they will be absolutely outstanding! Here's how we got started...

On Monday, we began by discussing Santa and what we know about him. The students were more than willing to tell me stories about what he has brought to them in the past. Some of them even swear they've watched Santa fill their stockings! Such storytellers!! Afterwards, I gave each student a bubble map and asked them to imagine they actually found Santa... stuck in their chimney! What would they do?! I took a few quick responses and then asked the students to quietly write or draw their own plan. I really wanted to see how creative they could be. On Tuesday, we turned these ideas into sentences. Together we wrote the topic sentence and conclusion. Then they got with their shoulder partners to read everything out loud. Today we revised our sentences. I always have the students help me revise my paragraph first (one sentence at a time) and they allow them to work on theirs. Again, they met with their partners to read it aloud.  They're really good at finding their own mistakes when they do this! We'll proofread tomorrow and publish Friday. I can't wait to show off the final product!

If you would like a copy of this activity, you can get one for free! Just click on over to my TpT store!

Also, I just finished up my holiday centers. Right now there are 4 math and 4 literacy centers, but I'm working on more. So, hurry and pick them up now so you'll have plenty of time to prep them. 

I can't wait to get started with these centers!! And for my loyal followers, I'll give away 5 copies to the first 5 who comment with something they do in class during the holidays.

Lastly, I have one more freebie for you! In my class, we practice our sight words constantly. So, I'm always looking for different ways to do this. One of the ways my students like best is our Sight Word Scramble. It's simple... the kids read the words and put them in order to make a complete sentence. I have such freedom to make up sentences using any words we're working with... sight words, holiday words, Science vocabulary, the list is endless! 

Here's the worksheet the sentences get glued on. Of course there's room to illustrate! What kind of teacher would I be if I left that out??

This sheet is where I type the words to be used in the sentences. In the spirit of protecting our natural resources, I fit 4 on a page. Each sentence I make up has 6 words or less. When the students get this sheet, they color all of the boxes in each row a different color. This helps them know which words go in which sentence after they cut everything apart. 

Then they unscramble, glue and illustrate. Here are a few finished copies...

You can grab your free copy here. I think that's all I can give tonight. Have a great rest of the week!

Best wishes,

Herbivores, Carnivores, and Omnivores... Oh my!

Real quick.... When I decided to begin blogging this summer, I thought if I just wanted it bad enough, then it would happen. Sometimes I can be so naive!! I have truly learned so much about how to be a better teacher and how to make my lessons more in depth and engaging from reading other blogs. I even found a new energy and passion for my once repetitive job. Now there's this strong feeling of needing to pay it forward. Hence, the blog. However, I grossly underestimated the amount of dedication it takes to create and keep a thoughtful, resourceful collection of ideas and resources I can share with others. Now that the first quarter is over and I have a more realistic expectation of the true demands on my time, I vow to be a more present influence in the blogging community. That is all!

Moving on...

My kids have been learning about animals this month. One of the topics we cover is herbivores, carnivores, and omnivores. The students are always eager to discuss anything animals related which make this activity all that much more engaging. After reading about the 3 groups in our Science book, we color small animals pictures and put them into the right category. 

After reading and discussing the definitions of each, we focus on their teeth. We look at pictures of fossils, bones, and living animals to come up with the conclusion that herbivores have flat teeth, carnivores have sharp teeth, and omnivores have both. Then we get molding! Each student uses play-doh to create one herbivore tooth and one carnivore tooth. Using our SMARTboard, I show an animal picture. The students have to hold up the correct tooth and say the correct group (herbivore, carnivore, or omnivore). If I show a picture of an omnivore, students hold up both teeth.

The next day we draw and make the teeth out of paper. We began with the carnivore. After gluing and labeling, I pass out tiny pieces of blank paper. The students draw something on each paper so they can "feed" the carnivore. Then we turn the paper over and repeat the process for herbivores. Here's the finished product.

 
If you would like, you can get a copy of the posters I made for FREE! Head on over to TpT to pick them up. If you use them, please let me know how they worked out in your class! Have a great week!

Best wishes,

Made it Monday and more...

Let's begin with a picture...

This is what my desk looks like. No, not my desk at school. My desk in my bedroom. Can you guess how thrilled my husband is?! This may not look like much, but I can assure you, it is! Plus there's another pile beside my dresser and somehow my baking station (yes, I have a baking station! You don't??) has somehow become my crafting station. I have never bought/made so many things in one summer before!! I'm counting down the days until I get to go back to school and unload all of this crap these goodies!


So today I put the finishing touches on a pinterest inspired (shock) mailbox for myself. My students are ALWAYS writing notes to me or drawing me pictures. And I truly love them all!! The problem is that they put them on my desk.... everywhere.... all the time! I'm hoping this box will become a collecting place for my student made treasures.

I'm not too happy with how my name turned out, but hey. Whose perfect? And I know pink isn't in my polka dot/red/owl theme this year, but it is my favorite color so I had to sneak it in!


All this crafting has even started to rub off on my hubby. He actually wanted to go to Michael's with my this week! I know!! I could hardly believe it either ;) He decided while I was making my mailbox, he would make a bed for our cat. Our cat is strange. Really strange! But in a cute way! He's ADDICTED to cardboard boxes!!!!!! If we bring one home, the second it goes on the floor, his 6th sense kicks in immediately and he comes running into the room. He'll hop inside and play there, scratch at the corners and eventually fall asleep. See, I told you he was strange! Anyways, my dogs usually comes around sooner or later and rips it to shreds (which is so fun to pick up, let me tell you). So my hubbs decided to buy a wooden box. Genius!! And since he was a Marine, he had to paint it camouflage. I think it turned out pretty darn awesome...

I tried to bribe my cat to get into the box, but he wasn't going for it.


When I wasn't busy painting, I was working on my Back to School centers this week. I originally decided to go with a frog theme and call it Leaping into Learning. So that's what I did. BUT, I've had such a great response (thank you) to the owls that I just had to do that, too!

Leaping into Learning

"Whooo's" Ready for First Grade?

These centers are almost identical. Obviously the graphics are different. There is also one more math center in "Whooo's Ready for First Grade." As always, you can pick these up at my TpT store. Or, the first 5 followers to comment will get the packet of their choice for FREE! PLEASE DON'T FORGET TO LEAVE ME YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS!!! I'm a lot of things, but a mind reader is not one (although that would be cool)! 


Happy Monday friends! What did you make today? Link up and share!

Best wishes, 

Applelicious...

September is one of my favorite times of the year for many reasons! I love going back to school and getting to meet my new kiddos. I love the weather. My birthday is on the 8th. Labor Day means yummy food at the Street Fair in Orange. AND we get to learn about apples in class! This is the first time I get to invite parents in to see what we do and lend a hand. We first begin with a KWL chart. I really like the colors Cara from The First Grade Parade used in hers and I plan to do to same this year.

If you click on the link, you can see how she teaches about apples and get some cute freebies!

I also send a letter home to parents asking for apple donations of all colors and sizes. Once we have the apples, we really get to work! We investigate them with our 5 senses, taste them, make patterns, use them as stamps, measure them and much more. We read apple books and make one of our own. The culmination of our apple unit is always making apple sauce! This is one of the days the kids talk about all year long! 

Here are some pictures from the past few years...

Measuring apples on the balance.

Measuring the circumference of the apples with string and writing in their apple shape books.

Peeling apples wearing aprons and chef's hats!

Apple taste test with graph.

Adding ingredients.

Stirring the applesauce. Smells so good!!

Smushing apples with the potato masher.

I have gathered all of my apple resources and assembled them into one unit. It is 35 pages full of centers, worksheets, templates, graphs and more! If you like the sound of these activities, please check it out at my TpT store. Applelicious is on sale for only $1.00 until Friday! The first 15 (since I have 15 fabulous followers) people to comment below will get it for FREE!!

One last suggestion! If you're looking for an apple craft, visit Mrs. Nelson's Class. She created a free template to go with her apple art. Isn't it cute?!

Best wishes,

I'm on a roll...

A new blog, 4 posts AND two new products in only one week?! I have no life. I'm having way too much fun with this (and my hubby is out of town)!! I had originally wanted to post today about my year in review. Then I decided to check my email "real quick." I should have known better... Checking email led to reading feedback, blog hopping, online shopping (hubby was obviously out of town) and lots of new, a-dor-a-bul graphics. My mind was racing with all the things I now feel empowered to do and I just had to create!! So here are the fruits of my labor...

Polka Dot and Owl Writing Process

I mean come on! How do you see these little guys and not want to hang them all over your classroom walls? So click on over to TpT and pick them up! It's my gift to you!! Don't forget to take a second and let me know what you think. Pretty please!!

Hubs is back in town tonight, but leaving again soon. When that happens, I'm willing to bet I'll be back in the creating and posting mood. So, be on the lookout!

Best wishes,

Hot off the press...

I'm SUPER excited to announce that my very first set of math and literacy centers is complete! Please check it out and be sure to tell me what you think. It includes 6 centers, descriptions, directions and response sheets to be used in October (I know, I know... it's only June! But what can I say? I'm a plan WAY ahead kind of girl). So head on over to TpT and pick it up for FREEEE!! I hope you like it! Oh, and come back later in the week to see what else is new. I can feel my creative juices flowing again already!


Spooky October Centers

Oh, and please pass it along to everyone you know (makes a great gift, HA!)!