Sunday, October 28, 2012

Scientific Method Comic Strips

I wanted a creative way to assess the Scientific Method and had the children create comic strips.  I taught the steps through various experiments.  The children could use one of the experiments we did or create their own example.  They love graphic novels and knew they would love this assessment.  Here are a few pictures:








Saturday, October 27, 2012

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon-Fig. Language

If you are looking for a book that uses similes and metaphors than you need to read "Where the Mountain Meets the Moon."  It is one of my new anchor texts this year.    The chapter book is loaded with rich figurative language that allows the children to use many strategies for comprehension.  


Saturday, October 20, 2012

Common Core Poetry

My school just installed projectors in all the classrooms this year and I have been trying to find  ways to use it in all subject areas.  I downloaded the Kindle app on to my PC desktop and you can view Kindle books on the projector without a document reader.

I purchased The Poetry Friday Anthology (Common Core All Grades K-5)  E-book for $9.99.  You can buy one grade level for $3.99, I recommend all because each poem refers a poem from another grade level to share for comparison, structural elements, styles, themes, etc. This book is worth it!!!
The Poetry Friday Anthology (Common Core ALL GRADES (K-5) e-book) (The Poetry Friday Anthology E-book Series (Grade-by-Grade))
There are 36 weeks of poems for each grade level, but my favorite part is the page after the poem that gives suggestions on how to teach  and share it with the kids.  For example, before reading the poem about a crocodile show a video clip of a crocodile moving, then share the poem.  Go to Amazon and check it out!
Here are my children acting out a poem about football.  We read "Running Back" and "Watching Football."  They were both free verse poems about watching football on TV.  I had three children take turns pantomiming the poem while the children read it with expression and worked on fluency.  It was only my second week sharing poems from the book, but I knew it was a hit, when they came in on Friday asking when we were doing the poems.

I plan to make a binder of the poems we share for partner reading during Daily Five.


Friday, October 19, 2012

Friday's Five Fabulous Finds on Pinterest

The weeks are flying by and I have not had time to post anything new! I know that everyone is in the same boat.  Now that my assessments are completed hopefully things will get back to "normal."  We are implementing new common core curriculum in ELA, math, science, and social studies.  We started Words their Way and have a brand new report card.  Our state has also adopted a new teacher evaluation tool.  I am having flashbacks to my first year of teaching minus the manuals and programs!!! I love Pinterest and blogs and TPT more than ever!

Sunday, October 7, 2012

Carried Away with Idioms (Freebie)


We have been using idioms for the past few weeks.  Here is my daughter modeling my "It's Raining Cats and Dogs" umbrella that I saw on Pinterest.  

I took pictures of the children pretending to hold balloons.  They wrote an idiom on the middle balloon, then added the literal and figurative meaning.




There are so many great books available.  

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