tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31593915432567923072024-03-19T02:47:37.547-07:00City Limit SecondsAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08375406787613835883noreply@blogger.comBlogger44125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159391543256792307.post-8731020865741978862016-10-02T09:39:00.000-07:002016-10-02T09:44:40.067-07:00Unexpected Visit from Wal-MartIt really has been a while since I have been on to share exciting things going on in my second grade classroom. I feel like there is always so much going on but I am going to trying to get on here for a really good post once-a-month...that being said I have something <strong>AMAZING</strong> that I want to share.<br />
<br />
Two years ago I was in search of something for my classroom but didn't have the money to spend out of pocket. A friend sent me to <strong>Donor's Choose</strong>. For those of you who don't know anything about it, I would <strong><em>HIGHLY</em></strong> recommend checking it out. It is free to sign up for teachers. I'd like to do a follow up post on the ins and outs of setting up your grant for Donor's Choose later. <br />
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Anyway, I have had 3 grants filled from Donor's Choose over the last year and a half. Recently, I was looking at getting more technology into my classroom. I tried a year ago to get a tablet grant fulfilled but it didn't get enough donors before the deadline. This school year I thought I would try again. I hadn't had anyone donate and thought maybe I would need to try again in the spring.<br />
<br />
But then something <em>unexpected</em> happened.<br />
<br />
Something I still can't quite wrap my head around.<br />
<br />
I got a surprise visit.<br />
<br />
I was in the middle of my first reading test with my class when my <em>principal</em> walked in. Thinking nothing of it, I assumed he was there for a walk-through. <br />
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But then I saw my <em>assistant principal</em>. I was sitting at my desk and students were coming up to me with their questions.<br />
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Then in walked our <em>curriculum director</em>.<br />
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Followed by my <em>assistant superintendent</em>.<br />
<br />
Then in walked my <em>superintendent</em>.<br />
<br />
I have to admit my heart dropped to my stomach and my first thought was they were coming to dismiss me. (I know they wouldn't come to someone's classroom to do that but I have never had an expected visit from 5 administrators before!!)<br />
<br />
While all these scattered thoughts ran through my head as I kept working one-on-one with a student, I noticed some balloons in the hallway. I thought I saw a 3 and a 0 and I thought, <em>maybe it is for me 30th birthday? </em><br />
<em></em><br />
Then I noticed men in suits (no it wasn't <strong>Men In Black</strong>!!!) and more than a dozen Wal-Mart employees all walking through my doorway. I had <strong>NO IDEA </strong>what was going on. I was panicking thinking my students were going to flip out at all of the extra people joining us that morning. I think they were more in shock than anything else!!<br />
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It turns out, <strong>Wal-Mart</strong> had come to give us a few surprises that morning. Apparently, my administrative team was aware for a few weeks this visit was going to take place. News coverage was supposed to join them for their grand entrance but there was an unfortunate school shooting that had to be covered.<br />
<br />
Wal-Mart had gotten wind of my Donor's Choose grant and had come to <strong>PERSONALLY </strong>fulfill my grant. In fact, they went <em>above and beyond</em> just filling the grant. Several district managers, store managers, department managers, and employees brought thousands of dollars worth of goodies for my classroom. (I think all in all including myself and my students there were over 50 people in my classroom during this visit!)<br />
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<strong>I'm <em>still</em> in shock.</strong><br />
<strong></strong><br />
<ul>
<li>They brought us <em>3 iPads</em> for my classroom with Otterbox cases. (Seriously, these cases are <strong>amazing</strong> to withstand little kid abuse.)</li>
<li>A <em>Radio Flyer red wagon</em> filled with back to school supplies: <em>crayons, glue, highlighters, tissues, hand sanitizer, notebooks, paperclips, bulletin board accents, erasers, pencils, glitter glue, pencil sharpener, construction paper</em> and so much more!</li>
<li>A <em>gift card for $490</em> to Wal-Mart. (After a National study was conducted, on average most classroom teachers spend around $500 per year on classroom supplies.)</li>
<li>An <em>iPad</em> for my use at home and in the classroom.</li>
<li>A healthy <em>snack</em>: lots and lots of apples!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSoZta_-0TShpNl_rrV5ja-n9PZNcz74VJr3e3yepZLXjhwDVrjpbI4pqNNdu5YACxR_SV_vJyHHqPrfo8mGYraJw6unfV1ATLVju2mVNZc6TNtyDjopwDhTildiHazVlJxFgJ1cLLytQ/s1600/walmart+1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSoZta_-0TShpNl_rrV5ja-n9PZNcz74VJr3e3yepZLXjhwDVrjpbI4pqNNdu5YACxR_SV_vJyHHqPrfo8mGYraJw6unfV1ATLVju2mVNZc6TNtyDjopwDhTildiHazVlJxFgJ1cLLytQ/s320/walmart+1.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I felt like a Publisher's Clearing House winner!!!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinzanpA-KNsRGmEyta_4L12BnrpVwLFN21lQWyn7tUL_kKLpcS93900_jKFrOkjFaIZ32TSNlbThJcpSbqoT3p39-FV6XZMuF0LQWeSKXqqYnRcrXnALQZBD9I6RVrv7dFM172p2Bm5vM/s1600/walmart2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinzanpA-KNsRGmEyta_4L12BnrpVwLFN21lQWyn7tUL_kKLpcS93900_jKFrOkjFaIZ32TSNlbThJcpSbqoT3p39-FV6XZMuF0LQWeSKXqqYnRcrXnALQZBD9I6RVrv7dFM172p2Bm5vM/s320/walmart2.png" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This adorable wagon was covered with tulle using our school colors and was such an adorable way to present school supplies! It was like Christmas for teachers!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLsYIGlbM4MB3UgVzhxhre3Rryn4kqom0hJQUlSWIA-6BMuv2tInJTxpGmueO9nkJVxNJeVzbhCpCVLuH8i3wtirlU2vIfsFGkJfn44Ib9qGNEqeV2Ecufkdv6dV_trdIOZkQbbpAPyc8/s1600/walmart6.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLsYIGlbM4MB3UgVzhxhre3Rryn4kqom0hJQUlSWIA-6BMuv2tInJTxpGmueO9nkJVxNJeVzbhCpCVLuH8i3wtirlU2vIfsFGkJfn44Ib9qGNEqeV2Ecufkdv6dV_trdIOZkQbbpAPyc8/s320/walmart6.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Can you tell my kiddos were in shock and SUPER excited? (They also got out of their math test later that day so they were REALLY glad Wal-Mart visited!!)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_vjFplvnEQbaQFi_uzLBYGMPHJS9BdU4ptvjamTweuAwCwaB-Ffq0y2GO8w8EOakIFBHKzRJY4Jp0Z5_dSRdRyFj8YCO5EkVCHJp_018Gi3H29hHBQnUxnRu9npvM-oz5dR5H1TA72LU/s1600/walmart4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_vjFplvnEQbaQFi_uzLBYGMPHJS9BdU4ptvjamTweuAwCwaB-Ffq0y2GO8w8EOakIFBHKzRJY4Jp0Z5_dSRdRyFj8YCO5EkVCHJp_018Gi3H29hHBQnUxnRu9npvM-oz5dR5H1TA72LU/s320/walmart4.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I've never had more volunteers to hold a piece of paper in my life!</td></tr>
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</li>
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I honestly can say I have never been more surprised (well, maybe my husband's proposal but that's about it!!) by anything especially in my professional career. <br />
<br />
Apparently, Wal-Mart visits different school districts each year and chooses a classroom to shower with gifts and goodies. I am beyond thankful and grateful they chose me this year. This is something my students talk about almost daily and we are thoroughly enjoying all of the extra goodies they brought us.<br />
<br />
I cannot guarantee this type of excitement will come with a Donor's Choose grant but believe me, there are companies out there who are more than willing to help out teachers with much needed supplies. I know it seems a little strange asking for such large and expensive items but you never know what you can get if you don't ask.<br />
<br />
<strong>So to everyone all the North Versailles, PA Wal-Mart, from the bottom of my heart. You made this year the BEST YEAR EVER for not only my students but for me as well!!</strong><br />
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Stay tuned for a follow up post on how to submit a Donor's Choose grant.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08375406787613835883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159391543256792307.post-39897313864994269942016-04-03T16:56:00.000-07:002016-05-09T17:06:46.135-07:00Monthly Fluency TrackingSo, I'm gonna say a two letter word that may have some of you reaching for your mouse or a few of you groaning...are you ready??<br />
<br />
<strong>Progress Monitoring.</strong><br />
<strong></strong><br />
Still with me? Ok, I remember my first year teaching kindergarten and in a grade level meeting my principal leaning across the table and said, "Hol, you're monitoring your kids...right?" Enter that panicked feeling and my heart started pounding. I grabbed my mentor teacher after the meeting and had her explain what the heck my principal was talking about. I mean I remember them mentioning this during student teaching and my education courses in college. But to actually put that into practice in the classroom? Oh boy.<br />
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After that, I realized the importance of what I wasn't doing. For a few years, I progressed monitored but never had a great way of keeping my data organized.<br />
<br />
Two summers ago, I sat down and really organized my fluency binder. I'm sure everyone has a different way of keeping their fluency data together. Many of you might have a better way than I do {if you feel like sharing, let me know!!} but here is what mine looks like.<br />
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** Disclaimer, I did not show any of my close read sheets simply because I use about 4 different sets I have purchased off of TpT. There are so many great ones out there and I like having a variety to choose from depending on the student, season, or skill.<br />
<br />
First, I keep my fluency progress monitoring materials in a separate binder from any other progress monitoring. All of my close reads are in sheet protectors. I used to just hole punch them and keep them in the binder. I found I was always cringing when the kids would crinkle the paper as they read. My OCD stepped in and I now have my close reads ready to use year after year without worrying about them being ruined.<br />
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I set up my binder so each kiddo has their own page for every month. They all have a cute seasonal printer friendly graphic in the corner. Sometimes I find myself coloring them in every once in a while. {Like in <em>another meeting </em>:) }<br />
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I print out sheets for the upcoming month during the last week of the current month. Their names or numbers can go on the top line. I keep track of their fluency from their homework and my classroom progress monitoring. You can keep track of the story they read, their words correct and words read and take their percentage from those numbers. RL stands for their reading level. { 92% and lower is a frustration level, 93%-97% is an instructional level, 98% and higher is an independent level}. RT stands for retell which gives me an idea as far as our DIBELS testing.<br />
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Once I finish progress monitoring for the month, I take all of their individual sheets and record each student's data for the entire month on a master sheet. I keep track of their monthly progress for our SLO goals. This counts towards one of my assessment categories and I have concrete data to back up my scores. This information is also useful during parent meetings and IEP, GIEP meetings as well.<br />
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I also use my master data sheets to compare the beginning of the year to the end of the year. Our final DIBEL assessments will be during the month of May. I like to have an idea of where my kids are the month before we test. The first line for each student was their data from September and the second line is from March. I take this binder with me when we have our grade level reading meetings.<br />
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Each month my parents get a progress monitoring report on their child's fluency. I remind both parents and students this is <strong>not a grade </strong>but simply an assessment tool to check their progress. Some parents don't fully understand how to check fluency at home and oftentimes do not have the same data as I get in the class. This is a great way to show parents where their child is for the month. <br />
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Each report has:<br />
<ul>
<li>a line for the student's name</li>
<li>a line for how many words were read</li>
<li>a line for how many words were read correctly</li>
<li>a line for the child's reading percentage</li>
<li>a line for their reading level</li>
<li>an indicator for their reading level {I usually highlight or color in the arrow indicating which level their child is reading for the month.}</li>
</ul>
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Sometimes I will look back and see which student started the year really struggling and I check to see if there is any progress a few months/weeks later. The master spread sheets are perfect for comparing this type of data.<br />
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I have used this data to help my reading team meet when it comes time to split our kids up for enrichment groups. I also use this information when I fill out RTI/RTII forms. Having concrete data to support my concerns is such a life saver!!<br />
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If you are interested in checking out more of this set, hop over to my TpT store and <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Monthly-Fluency-Data-Tracker-K-5-1233802" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>.<br />
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I would love to hear what you do that is different! I am always looking for ways to improve my organizational skills:)<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08375406787613835883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159391543256792307.post-51221222656586305222015-10-11T16:15:00.000-07:002015-10-11T16:15:14.453-07:00Earn those TpT CreditsI feel like this is quite the buzz around seller forums. Why don't buys leave feedback?? Well, I have no answer but maybe people don't realize what they are getting.<br />
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Ok, so let me break this down. This process is very similar to gas perks. You know the drill. You pull up to the pump. Swipe your perks card. Swipe your credit card. Pump the gas. Earn rewards. If you are like me, you will drive out of your way to get to <strong>that</strong> specific gas station to earn your rewards. You know you need the gas so you may as well benefit from it, right?<br />
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We're taking that <strong>same </strong>principal and applying it to your TpT account. If you are already a buyer than you are looking for creative and new ideas. You are trying to meet the needs of your students. You are taking your hard earned money and supporting teachers just like you. Now, we don't get a fancy card to slide onto our key ring. Thank goodness, I think my key ring is heavy enough to pull my ignition out.<br />
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But what we do have is a TpT credit line. How does it work?<br />
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When you purchase an item, you go into your purchases and click on a purchase you have not left feedback for. Can't remember if you have? Below the seller's name, you will either see <strong>You Rock</strong> because you left feedback. Or it will say <strong>Provide Feedback.</strong><br />
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Once you click on the link, it will take you to the main page of the product. You will see 5 categories with ratings from A-F. Once you leave a rating in each category, you are able to tell the seller what you enjoyed about the product. <br />
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After leaving feedback, you can go back into your account and check your TpT Credit tab. Here you will see how many credits you have accrued and use towards future purchases. These credits can be used just like cash when you are at the check out.<br />
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See, I told ya. Easy peasy. Not only are you earning <strong>FREE </strong>credits towards future purchases but you are also helping out the seller by saying what you enjoyed about their products. I know for myself, it is great to hear constructive feedback from other teachers.<br />
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Happy shopping my friends and have a wonderful Sunday!!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08375406787613835883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159391543256792307.post-50748978927452688992015-10-11T09:04:00.000-07:002015-10-11T09:05:34.000-07:00How to: Make a Mummy ExperimentOctober is a month full of spooky and creepy topics. One of my <strong>favorite</strong> lessons ever is when I teach my kiddos about the burial steps the ancient Egyptians took for burying their dead. Yea, part of it is I crack up {inwardly} watching their reactions to "they removed the brain with a metal hook through the nose". They all scream and act as thought they don't want to hear more. But. They. Do. If we didn't have time to learn any more facts, my kids were begging for something new as they walked out the door for dismissal.<br />
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I usually try to pair this activity with the Magic Tree House: <em>Mummies in the Morning. </em>This year it just didn't work out but this activity still ran perfectly. We read one of my favorite books on ancient Egypt. It gives the students step-by-step instructions on what happened during the mummification process. <br />
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I am working on updating my "<em>How To" Make a Mummy </em>product but this post will give you pictures and step by step instructions on exactly how <strong>easy</strong> and <strong>fun</strong> this experiment is!!<br />
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Seriously, this is such a fun experiment and really is not difficult at all. I promise!! Alrighty, here are pictures with step by step instructions...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU-zn4nu0gSky7kHkq9l3FokpzizHTOi23bZ4gUUlXGJHOHKBwULvveU_wpEqWLaGw_NcZoKLtFyfv_8SvtfxRgfif_slTTFy8X7X60uptCFO2tU86Wr9xQb7ytCM6t4GhgVExKvcLbNA/s1600/mummy+23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU-zn4nu0gSky7kHkq9l3FokpzizHTOi23bZ4gUUlXGJHOHKBwULvveU_wpEqWLaGw_NcZoKLtFyfv_8SvtfxRgfif_slTTFy8X7X60uptCFO2tU86Wr9xQb7ytCM6t4GhgVExKvcLbNA/s400/mummy+23.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First I cover my table with butcher paper. All of my ingredients are set up ahead of time. The students <strong>love </strong>walking in and seeing everything read for our experiment.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMLwm6aY2vvocidOW6QRsEUkAIiB_ZhSZ-ARLLLI-FCkoozYjBTco5EhDYoZPE3MuMMW7ehCuS1Gt9cPUO9FL_VQO6556N5iRjgP0dHnm80DlwDhZZQSLw9qC70Kg0TIX6y2DMakeMsjk/s1600/mummy+24.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMLwm6aY2vvocidOW6QRsEUkAIiB_ZhSZ-ARLLLI-FCkoozYjBTco5EhDYoZPE3MuMMW7ehCuS1Gt9cPUO9FL_VQO6556N5iRjgP0dHnm80DlwDhZZQSLw9qC70Kg0TIX6y2DMakeMsjk/s400/mummy+24.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I have my students pretend they are entering an operating room. They all must have hand sanitizer before they can enter the "sterile" environment. The purple bowl is from Dollar Tree and is our water/glue mixture for our wax. The sarcophagus is a box that was painted with tempera paints using Egyptian hieroglyphs. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipSbjssTXInYgFxVciUvoCPdMH-d3O-ozVnB-9TBYJh2urBLIYxpAdjxL_OZX6QOhpbMkc7gE7ObluK2QJSruZzdiL8DlXiLwj1nIA9NgM1xicgfiJ1F4OM6J9MmU-sU23Am7VwbKaY8g/s1600/mummy+25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipSbjssTXInYgFxVciUvoCPdMH-d3O-ozVnB-9TBYJh2urBLIYxpAdjxL_OZX6QOhpbMkc7gE7ObluK2QJSruZzdiL8DlXiLwj1nIA9NgM1xicgfiJ1F4OM6J9MmU-sU23Am7VwbKaY8g/s400/mummy+25.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I used liquid measuring cups for our water, salt, and oil. I have used a cafeteria tray in the past for our "mummy" to sit on while it was being "washed". This year I used bowls and those seemed to work even better. My blue and pink containers came from Target Dollar Spot and Dollar Tree. I took tags and taped them on as labels for our organs. For spices, I used multi-colored glitter to give our mummy some bling. My husband planted pumpkins in my garden so I cannot say the precise size. A medium sized pumpkin would work best. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgprhDp1ujSW7lzE1T47jPUglgwEW_9cI73HyVByoqoUekRJLzg-MkzP8j5w8k9120EjoIiAgevPKKwr69piy2ec3iZ7HKoFbv9yXJeumTwBjSG98bSU3rRhw-cHX7gd7O6F_ZKHU8yuAE/s1600/mummy+26.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgprhDp1ujSW7lzE1T47jPUglgwEW_9cI73HyVByoqoUekRJLzg-MkzP8j5w8k9120EjoIiAgevPKKwr69piy2ec3iZ7HKoFbv9yXJeumTwBjSG98bSU3rRhw-cHX7gd7O6F_ZKHU8yuAE/s400/mummy+26.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My measuring spoons and utensils came from Wal-Mart and Gabriel Brothers. I cheated and swiped a Ziploc baggie of sand from my boy's sandbox. You can get a big bag of play sand from Home Depot for under $4. It will last you for years depending on how many projects you use it for.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEuJfvf_Gm1MBn9G6S2VaPjL5c1cxVcndA9_DXjyiqeRmRtRa4CnwNnWUET8nveY7MUFMacmDSzv6h7tmhBfEbP0WFf7Zg7mqBZW7tWIgGOq7Yyo8deuB22gkZFeXLgkXiPpA-F_qvCTw/s1600/mummy+10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEuJfvf_Gm1MBn9G6S2VaPjL5c1cxVcndA9_DXjyiqeRmRtRa4CnwNnWUET8nveY7MUFMacmDSzv6h7tmhBfEbP0WFf7Zg7mqBZW7tWIgGOq7Yyo8deuB22gkZFeXLgkXiPpA-F_qvCTw/s400/mummy+10.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was one of my favorite shots from the entire day. We were beginning to remove organs from our hallowed out pumpkin. We remove one at a time, place them inside the containers, and remove them from the operating table.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHIRCkuy7GUHX-BlBm7RI5xzKRX_klRkjOZ_nzxfUHCk_LWotnSjLOH36tjr0XQK-80a7wj7ywARZqwTM-mCAgM9P4IEyLCfo0kVsX9rqhibbwUBLAtOHdU1S-yQkveT0pkfPYND5dDF8/s1600/mummy+20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHIRCkuy7GUHX-BlBm7RI5xzKRX_klRkjOZ_nzxfUHCk_LWotnSjLOH36tjr0XQK-80a7wj7ywARZqwTM-mCAgM9P4IEyLCfo0kVsX9rqhibbwUBLAtOHdU1S-yQkveT0pkfPYND5dDF8/s400/mummy+20.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After soaking in the salt, we rinse with water from the Nile, oil, sand (I use cheapest vegetable oil I can find at Wal-Mart.) and the finally spices.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtI0Ys-4Gf7Wun0LSABPyORQohmcz4At0tifq6hmB1TgVw4P73c_AhY6JmONuUJju6jUcMsvnqTo6oRz7_gbeGZEsETZPWzfDhLj494KLeAVuXa4UKtGNE-lDM6_SechxFZSG6GZ_PE40/s1600/mummy+19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtI0Ys-4Gf7Wun0LSABPyORQohmcz4At0tifq6hmB1TgVw4P73c_AhY6JmONuUJju6jUcMsvnqTo6oRz7_gbeGZEsETZPWzfDhLj494KLeAVuXa4UKtGNE-lDM6_SechxFZSG6GZ_PE40/s400/mummy+19.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This really is a student run project. I help out very little and make this extremely hands on. Right here we were washing the sides with water to make sure it was all covered.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh07wRKb8n5xiaZtF_gH0z7TSvBt2XzbouH7Am2Wn5W09ummillQh7UmaLVeqKOy5NDCeszjvShjM_70WejGFScEaoevAeDxEoPnrMXhRoxyGCqEGXITSLjbJ1X7gxRPQEZj6SHaEHmIf4/s1600/mummy+18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh07wRKb8n5xiaZtF_gH0z7TSvBt2XzbouH7Am2Wn5W09ummillQh7UmaLVeqKOy5NDCeszjvShjM_70WejGFScEaoevAeDxEoPnrMXhRoxyGCqEGXITSLjbJ1X7gxRPQEZj6SHaEHmIf4/s400/mummy+18.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We did the same for the oil. Fortunately, I have a sink in my classroom. In years past, I bring in a bucket and fill it with water. I set a roll of paper towels next to the bucket for the students to rinse off their hands.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicv4w0NMFCjMhtEuK1_98K5mtnGyfY-N8lJhzdKa-_RajTkX3aXBLycf0SNeVA-_1IMcC9exFn9nxc7puMvvz1MBmWXwcxP3h8MDMyudROgDyJJdMuci0WWUgPaLWmN4cT8UZZdGDCxNE/s1600/mummy+17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicv4w0NMFCjMhtEuK1_98K5mtnGyfY-N8lJhzdKa-_RajTkX3aXBLycf0SNeVA-_1IMcC9exFn9nxc7puMvvz1MBmWXwcxP3h8MDMyudROgDyJJdMuci0WWUgPaLWmN4cT8UZZdGDCxNE/s400/mummy+17.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After scrubbing our mummy with water, oil, and a little sand we filled the cavity with about 2-3 spoonful's of sand.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs32iDz6bQVJKqpbT0Nzaq0s4ORYrGkocq324Zs5pwj5xv6xHcpGadVN4PItu-HV-dnAueTwaXKaE793P2cBTUs1LuuaDw9qunMcDZprPisNd8QfDcjdmQE4j10Y8rWLLjg1zkns35okk/s1600/mummy+9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs32iDz6bQVJKqpbT0Nzaq0s4ORYrGkocq324Zs5pwj5xv6xHcpGadVN4PItu-HV-dnAueTwaXKaE793P2cBTUs1LuuaDw9qunMcDZprPisNd8QfDcjdmQE4j10Y8rWLLjg1zkns35okk/s400/mummy+9.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We glued on googley eyes and added a few sparkling gems for our "head".<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4DzPn02py_AMMcD2LTMGb6xT6dHOtTdiHiICeCSnRy_qmz8xOQDWgCkewLwbmT4E4uxMplaM70ygRMrljfdp5cbhTV50ZK6D-iNSchkY8xF0o2sJAfNEeZlkQ_QTZ2_WbrAKIcwwM88Y/s1600/mummy+7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4DzPn02py_AMMcD2LTMGb6xT6dHOtTdiHiICeCSnRy_qmz8xOQDWgCkewLwbmT4E4uxMplaM70ygRMrljfdp5cbhTV50ZK6D-iNSchkY8xF0o2sJAfNEeZlkQ_QTZ2_WbrAKIcwwM88Y/s400/mummy+7.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Soaking the linens in wax.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our finished mummy finally laid to rest in the sarcophagus.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0RHLNVLGsVt_4dWjJ8C0a9bKmcXx6aV09yWnyn5Vbac_OIeT3rTpc7wGhaFYcG1Czb62WpwhAHuU6FU-7pJZkZwHORGJu_2lwPs77n8T9ndrBY-dY6yvfhyphenhyphenO4m48icDeuWekk5supIdA/s1600/mummy+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0RHLNVLGsVt_4dWjJ8C0a9bKmcXx6aV09yWnyn5Vbac_OIeT3rTpc7wGhaFYcG1Czb62WpwhAHuU6FU-7pJZkZwHORGJu_2lwPs77n8T9ndrBY-dY6yvfhyphenhyphenO4m48icDeuWekk5supIdA/s400/mummy+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's difficult to get the strips to lay flat but I really tried not to help and let the kids do it on their own. They were so proud of their hard work.</td></tr>
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As soon as my product is completely updated, I will come back and share:)<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08375406787613835883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159391543256792307.post-26093771616770605702015-09-20T19:23:00.001-07:002015-09-20T19:25:52.015-07:00We're HAPPY so let's have a GIVEAWAYI am SO excited to share that I hit a little TpT milestone I set for myself. NO, it isn't the big 20K one. Yet. I think I'll be dancing on my rooftop when I hit that one. No, this is just a little one but nonetheless I am still quite excited. To celebrate I wanted to share a little giveaway. Above my door is a little sign that says, "because we're happy". I am REALLY happy so I need to share!
Since so many of you are the reason I was able to achieve this little milestone, I want to thank you.
I am giving away a $10 TpT gift certificate and my Magic Tree House NO PREP (ELA) Books 1-5 BUNDLE. This is a $28 value all coming your way!!
Fill out the rafflecopter below for your chance to win!
Thank you for all you do for our kids. EACH and EVERY DAY. I am so inspired by teachers. The more of you I meet the more I am blown away. Have a wonderful week and I can't wait to send this giveaway to one of you!!
Good luck!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZNM4tqjCDCf90Ss-PBvOBY_74MbdgxOi4F2BEyKc38DFV4P-iL_Fvksp9HZ8U1UVZL3R6z1ZTcIwhUx3bhulP24WjJ1jxFpokNgXhn00WFHBVsIFo5zVy-WopQfuUfCUxKRAQDiOXYjM/s1600/NO+PREP+COVER+Books+1-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZNM4tqjCDCf90Ss-PBvOBY_74MbdgxOi4F2BEyKc38DFV4P-iL_Fvksp9HZ8U1UVZL3R6z1ZTcIwhUx3bhulP24WjJ1jxFpokNgXhn00WFHBVsIFo5zVy-WopQfuUfCUxKRAQDiOXYjM/s400/NO+PREP+COVER+Books+1-5.jpg" /></a></div>
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<script src="//widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js"></script>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08375406787613835883noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159391543256792307.post-77575241636559872662015-09-20T19:02:00.001-07:002015-09-20T19:02:18.563-07:00Twin Towers Tribute: Patriot Day ActivityI realize I am a little late getting to this but I feel like I am finally catching my breath since school started. Please tell me I am not the only one. I see other people posting beautiful blogs within the first week of school and I was dying. I was so busy filling in bubbles for our GRADE test, juggling Dibels, staff meetings, grade level meetings, sorting through contact information, and trying to keep my sanity.<br />
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I have wanted this book for years and I recently got my hands on a copy of "The Man Who Walked Between the Towers". My class was mesmerized when I read it. I honestly had no intentions of doing a writing project about this but sometimes my best ideas come from spur of the moment thinking.<br />
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We had read about the Statue of Liberty and how it was a gift from the French nearly 100 years after we signed the Declaration of Independence. My kids made the connection between the Statue of Liberty and Philippe Petit who walked between the towers: both were done by the French.<br />
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I struggle talking about 9-11. I feel torn between wanting to tell my kids how terrified I was the day those towers fell. I was in high school. I remember watching my teachers try to comfort us and keep their composure. I remember being picked up by my mom in a panic. I don't think I've ever watched the news so intently. The plane that landed in Somerset was not far from my home. It was gut retching. My students were not alive for any of this. I am actually teaching them about history that I was a part of before their time.<br />
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I tried to direct their attention to not only the terrible actions that were inflicted on our nation that day but the positive moments the towers brought in the past. We worked on writing a simplistic informational piece on the man who walked over 1,000 feet in the air with a 28 foot pole.<br />
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I was so impressed with their writing. I always make my students try writing on their own first. I won't help them until they have made an attempt on their own. Once they think their sloppy copy is ready for the final drafting stage, they have a mini conference with me. We discuss what they did well, what they should improve upon, and then get their "fancy" copy.<br />
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For it only being the 2nd full week of school, I was really proud of how well they did. I'd love to hear what you do/did for Patriot Day!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08375406787613835883noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159391543256792307.post-34708484112231661072015-09-20T18:44:00.002-07:002015-09-20T18:45:53.278-07:00Teacher HackI always feel like I read all of these amazing tips and ideas from other people and want to smack myself in the forehead. Like, "Why didn't I think of that?" Does anyone else feel that as they <strike>stalk</strike> follow their favorites on Pinterest, Instagram, and ugh all of the other social media sites that hog up space on my phone, laptop, and anywhere wifi is available??<br />
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Well, I am pleased to share my own little teacher hack!!<br />
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Happy dance. Happy dance.<br />
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The best part? It's under a buck.<br />
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I know what you are thinking. No way. There's a catch. No seriously. <br />
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My local Wal-Mart has become my "getting out" lately. I'm grimacing as I write this because I know I have now jumped head first into that 25 and over age group, married, with kids. But seriously. I cannot tell you how pleased I am when I scan my code on my receipt and get a little message saying I got money back on my Savings Catcher app!! (If you haven't signed up for Wal-Mart Savings Catcher...DO. IT. TODAY. You won't regret it, I promise!)<br />
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Oh, that hack idea? You still with me?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQKn3jbTqNeqSmZE43pUY9f4NazAe9UhroYKY9KXcXJ1jNLTMubH9KLHlBZGitPNxtzIeEO6xLo9_uHY20k4eerEMv-JJXnb80x6LxF83SLltxZVxyiJKRUWi0j9wcUlzvFL2iYq0rEAM/s1600/flashdrive+pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQKn3jbTqNeqSmZE43pUY9f4NazAe9UhroYKY9KXcXJ1jNLTMubH9KLHlBZGitPNxtzIeEO6xLo9_uHY20k4eerEMv-JJXnb80x6LxF83SLltxZVxyiJKRUWi0j9wcUlzvFL2iYq0rEAM/s640/flashdrive+pic.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I was in the office/stationary section and was looking for any clearance back to school items for my kids and came across this tiny container. My first thought was, "What the heck would someone do with a container that small??" Then it hit me. I am always tossing my flash drives into bags, my laptop bag, and sitting on my table next to my bed. This container holds about 6 (give or take) flash drives securely The sides flip down to unlock and it came in 2 different colors. I am in love with this thing and it was $0.88. I told you it was a steal.<br />
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I would love to hear any of your cheap teacher hacks!! Enjoy your Sunday evening my friends!!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08375406787613835883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159391543256792307.post-40061719928127940262015-09-13T18:36:00.000-07:002015-09-14T13:51:57.402-07:00Pittsburgh Blogger Meet Up & GIVEAWAY<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hey ya'll so recently I was able to join an amazing group of local ladies to discuss one of my obsessions: <strong>TEACHERS PAY TEACHERS</strong>. If these 3 little words ring a bell than you will understand why a couple gals from Pittsburgh didn't make it to Vegas this summer for the big conference. If you don't know what TPT is than I'll fill you in super quick. TPT is an amazing website where teachers (yes teachers not corporations) are able to upload lessons, units, ideas and strategies that they use and have had success in their classroom and <strong>GET PAID</strong>. There are thousands of sellers worldwide and some have been so successful they have earned over a million dollars. Ok, there are only a few who made that much but seriously, isn't that just amazing? <a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/">Teachers Pay Teachers</a><br />
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Wow. So, I connected with a few girls on a PA Tribe via Facebook (Any sellers who are reading this should consider finding a tribe that fits their grade level/state. It is a great way to connect with people in your area.) <br />
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Believe me, I so wanted to go to Vegas this summer but with 2 little guys, an expensive plane ticket, and not really knowing anyone I didn't take the plunge. When I found Laura from Create by The Creative Art Teacher I was over the moon excited that she wanted to try a Pittsburgh meet up! Yay, I could drive and make it home in a few hours. It didn't hurt that I could do a little early Christmas shopping beforehand! I love TJ Maxx and Marshalls!!<br />
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So let's chat about my new friends. Laura is an amazing clip art designer @ <a href="http://createclipart.blogspot.com/">Create by The Creative Art Teacher.</a> Sara @ <a href="http://lovin-little-learners.blogspot.com/">Lovin' Little Learners</a> is quite near and dear to my heart since she is a kindergarten teacher and I spent the first 5 years of my career in kindergarten. Amy @ <a href="http://180daysofreading.blogspot.com/">180 Days of Reading</a> works in K-2 reading (obviously!!) and has some awesome things in her store for $0.50! <br />
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It was amazing to hear how each of these girls started their stores, their triumphs and let's face it...what didn't work for them. I don't know of anyone in my district or any of my teacher friends who are bloggers/sellers so I was thrilled to bounce ideas off these gals. They are all amazing and the best part is we all complimented each other so well. Laura has the art background, Amy is the reading specialist, and Sara and I both teach primary. <br />
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I left with a happy heart, inspired mind, new friends, and SWAG! Yes, seriously Laura was able to get several sponsors for our little get together. I was so thrilled she was on top of this since I was busy setting up my new classroom. After 9 straight days, I had little time for anything else. If you visit Laura's blog you can find out more about all of our sponsors.<br />
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Oh, that giveaway I mentioned before?? We are giving away one of 5 swag bags AND a $25 Sit Spots Gift Card & Classroom Pencil Sharpeners (Grand Prize is a $50 value!!) Sadly, I am not able to enter but YOU CAN! I know my school budget is blown. I mean low!!! I'm sure you could benefit from this great giveaway.<br />
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I'd encourage you to hop on over and check out these lovely ladies blogs also! Feel free to check out their amazing stores. Laura is giving away clip art as part of the swag bag!<br />
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Enter the rafflecopter for YOUR chance to win before it is too late!! Did I mention it was a $50 value?? Wahoo!!<br />
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<a href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/share-code/NThhYTZkOTg5MTIyYmY2MGQ1NmMyMGZlZmFkMjM2OjI=/?" target="_blank">Rafflecopter Giveaway</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08375406787613835883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159391543256792307.post-80874496400136948202015-09-06T08:21:00.003-07:002015-09-06T08:22:15.248-07:00Non Fiction Reading Center<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I know my kids love nonfiction reading but it is definitely more challenging vocabulary and concepts. Trying to maintain their enthusiasm and encourage them to read as much nonfiction in my classroom, I decided to enlist the help from my Scholastic Weekly Readers.<br />
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Now, before you ask, NO I do not purchase these on my own. My building purchases these for each classroom. I don't know how much they cost but I am sure you could ask if these could be purchased for a grade level for a discounted price. There was a Science Spin we did get one year as a promotion but we haven't used it for a few years.<br />
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When I first started second grade, I saw a colleague pulling out a large stack of weekly readers. Ever the curious one, I asked what she used them for. She told me she used them in a reading center to practice text features, vocabulary and social studies/science skills.<br />
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Of course this was a fantastic idea so I decided to try this in my room. I simply save 1-2 from each set per month (typically there are 4 per month) and that gives you quite a pile at the end of the school year.<br />
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I throw them in the laminator and they are good to go. The greatest part is the kids can use a dry erase marker to search for text features like:<br />
<ul>
<li>title</li>
<li>heading</li>
<li>bold faced word</li>
<li>map</li>
<li>picture</li>
<li>caption</li>
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Or they can answer the questions on the back page in a center. Students can use these for research reports, fluency, the list is quite endless when you start thinking of the many ways these can be used. My suggestion is make sure the lamination is thick so they last for a few years before having to relaminate!!<br />
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Have a wonderful weekend my friends!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08375406787613835883noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159391543256792307.post-76843006275563738082015-08-29T13:05:00.002-07:002015-08-29T13:05:25.106-07:00Classroom Reveal for 2015-2016So last year I was displaced and waited <strike>patiently nervously </strike>anxiously for the big bid day when I would find out where I would be for 2015-2016...thankfully I was able to stay in my current grade level BUT I did have to move buildings.<br />
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So 100+ boxes, a very full SUV and I was standing in my new classroom trying to figure out where things were going to go. Does anyone else stand and stare at the room for a good half hour before touching any boxes?? Just me. That's ok...I'm ok with being slightly neurotic:) <br />
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Can I throw in a helpful MOVING TIP for anyone who has to move classrooms? <br />LABEL. LABEL. LABEL.<br />
I created a very distinct label on brightly colored paper that I knew would stick out. I had my building name, my name, and a number on each box. I kept a clipboard of what was inside each box. I have moved 7 times in the last 8 years and I find that this saves me SO MUCH TIME! If there is a box that goes missing it is very easy to ask if anyone has seen "box #35 with clipboards and erasers" than a box that might have had my name on it.<br />
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Ok, back to my room reveal.<br />
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So 9 days later I was finally feeling settled in and ready for my little darlings. School starts for us on Monday so I still have a few hours before the year "really" starts but I am ready to dive on into a new school year.<br />
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In all fairness...I am going to show you what my room looked like when I arrived and after days of throwing garbage, boxes, and outdated materials onto the floor. It was so bad that my custodians were all taking bets on when we would see the floor again. Umm yea. I made a <strong>really </strong>large mess...<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtmksd0mTWd5DL8SwshQl3sGtinuAC2tMV2aLP8nxbfrQoTjsIracfiR6aM3xpHrircwxK1gL-BmCV7K1xDhWMUOm503DQLDzKeZ8y-8gkwq-PWncDHqsU-5u_fiOU7sDiBXL1SpgDu_A/s1600/classroom+blog+17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtmksd0mTWd5DL8SwshQl3sGtinuAC2tMV2aLP8nxbfrQoTjsIracfiR6aM3xpHrircwxK1gL-BmCV7K1xDhWMUOm503DQLDzKeZ8y-8gkwq-PWncDHqsU-5u_fiOU7sDiBXL1SpgDu_A/s400/classroom+blog+17.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So this is exactly what my new room looked like when I walked into it for the first time this summer.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Zidfg25LaE9vpLKHRdbxwnRDWNtUIb7hUlTxwIeFueNetXaz8qNm3-kPfxhTae2IUSCTRZwU1ImgyfsikSW_uGfwWDaCQHm4TURBZWGO8R5PkLbfN6c-hf4r1256YqeukHoZySb9MzE/s1600/classroom+blog+18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Zidfg25LaE9vpLKHRdbxwnRDWNtUIb7hUlTxwIeFueNetXaz8qNm3-kPfxhTae2IUSCTRZwU1ImgyfsikSW_uGfwWDaCQHm4TURBZWGO8R5PkLbfN6c-hf4r1256YqeukHoZySb9MzE/s400/classroom+blog+18.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And here is what it looked like once I started emptying the closet, cabinets, and drawers. Word to the wise, when you move into a room that someone retired from...check everything first. I spent 8 hours going through outdated material that was left behind before I could even get to my things.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNRH49iLdCWolN1htmjYhkQG48yFiQREaBKE0fmVFNFPME2LZxQ8hA306ShLVEFTROzfp1QLT7MvhOASZxUE9EvAVdXjr8uJX4StUs4gk3kGoIQv2yAP1ypILAJKyfTF4fPQoGXqpJU20/s1600/classroom+blog+19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNRH49iLdCWolN1htmjYhkQG48yFiQREaBKE0fmVFNFPME2LZxQ8hA306ShLVEFTROzfp1QLT7MvhOASZxUE9EvAVdXjr8uJX4StUs4gk3kGoIQv2yAP1ypILAJKyfTF4fPQoGXqpJU20/s400/classroom+blog+19.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I started by sorting my boxes into zones before I even opened them. Yes it looked like a big mess but it was organized in my head. I sorted them into reading, math, manipulatives, class supplies, desk, and organization items.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5qhM_5bITyLz81IDoilFjIb26NrJMdqvQmPcnI41LjpKB8Lddci0q9C7VFc421HwU4LgcfFuMx285HImFKDR4J7hxqr2ahx6Ph3RzS3l6Y7ya8x9unpAGE0DI0IWpHOtqqXZS0PAuuMk/s1600/classroom+blog+20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5qhM_5bITyLz81IDoilFjIb26NrJMdqvQmPcnI41LjpKB8Lddci0q9C7VFc421HwU4LgcfFuMx285HImFKDR4J7hxqr2ahx6Ph3RzS3l6Y7ya8x9unpAGE0DI0IWpHOtqqXZS0PAuuMk/s400/classroom+blog+20.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is only day 1 of boxes that I shoved into the hallway. I'm pretty sure the custodians were avoiding my hallway like the plague. Ha!</td></tr>
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I am <strong>so excited</strong> for how my room has turned out so far and I really hope my new kiddos are as excited as I am...Ready??<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF7G5D35-8fAHHIiKCqZqQZcUgYZMSceOq_mfE5nivs_EmUxdR6PFoZU5xptkwplRBJRVi107VCUkyNYv0TyLtMiYQcfdUO4I-IAPhD8ffJvmyEhoW9N5W-XSEyE6jPNkV9qHWISKRPv8/s1600/Classroom+Blog+7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF7G5D35-8fAHHIiKCqZqQZcUgYZMSceOq_mfE5nivs_EmUxdR6PFoZU5xptkwplRBJRVi107VCUkyNYv0TyLtMiYQcfdUO4I-IAPhD8ffJvmyEhoW9N5W-XSEyE6jPNkV9qHWISKRPv8/s400/Classroom+Blog+7.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And here is my room now. Ah, organized, bright, colorful and best of all....DONE!!!!!!!!!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFTi42gQkYtFyBZ3006QNxZie2PR4XWJ0SNr5fC_wYXnsglCIJ-cggy9kr4HNrGWJOyubfF7TnWZHlCx3-n4QBalwzks0X9LUrK_G_wKVl9pO01V8bgmXG38JJNORUJkT5wLl7Ih4VY3w/s1600/Classroom+Blog+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFTi42gQkYtFyBZ3006QNxZie2PR4XWJ0SNr5fC_wYXnsglCIJ-cggy9kr4HNrGWJOyubfF7TnWZHlCx3-n4QBalwzks0X9LUrK_G_wKVl9pO01V8bgmXG38JJNORUJkT5wLl7Ih4VY3w/s400/Classroom+Blog+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I spent a LOT of time organizing my books. I grouped them in 3 Levels (totally my choice) and placed a sticker on each. Then I created labels with coordinating images so the kiddos know where each book goes. Hopefully this will eliminate a lot of disorganization when my kids are using the classroom library!! Fingers crossed:) The bins came from Dollar Tree. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWeWZYzIKtrHW_ZCZfyinq7Ky2GSLmapWYQVs2d2rz1QVucoiiikgSXCVUWCoNpzCxUxGQvPKCikEEKQlsXCh6gSdO4tkf3FA_zk2KPhyr_sbZ2ipxQUq9EsekyXOCrUFZXsj-Su1Sc_s/s1600/Classroom+Blog+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWeWZYzIKtrHW_ZCZfyinq7Ky2GSLmapWYQVs2d2rz1QVucoiiikgSXCVUWCoNpzCxUxGQvPKCikEEKQlsXCh6gSdO4tkf3FA_zk2KPhyr_sbZ2ipxQUq9EsekyXOCrUFZXsj-Su1Sc_s/s400/Classroom+Blog+3.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I have these Book Buddy buckets for the kids to place their books in while they are working through a chapter book. I give them a book mark so there is no arguing over books. Once they are finished with their book and reading contracts then they can return their book and choose a new one. I just <strong>love </strong>Whimsy Clips!! The bins came from Dollar Tree.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih6sBqlwgfIZ9cs34PeeN5rngUkwO4WQly-XxRkMAEOsS1cGMvipIy3VxDtUxNheY_63UZkCcxnFiM7_mk29jKflSc-0zx1fMQtQMPhFR70l2ikINoErbG4TOfsQ00YW1nmwc2kLhxz-E/s1600/Classroom+Blog+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih6sBqlwgfIZ9cs34PeeN5rngUkwO4WQly-XxRkMAEOsS1cGMvipIy3VxDtUxNheY_63UZkCcxnFiM7_mk29jKflSc-0zx1fMQtQMPhFR70l2ikINoErbG4TOfsQ00YW1nmwc2kLhxz-E/s400/Classroom+Blog+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">While my bins didn't get the face lift I wanted to this summer, I did make these adorable signs to help cheer up my daily bins. I found the quotes on Pinterest so I cannot take credit. These bins were in from Wal-Mart.<br />Make Something Monday<br />Time to Read Tuesday<br />What's Cookin Wednesday<br />Be Thoughtful Thursday<br />Let's Have Fun Friday</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxU_q681zE4uEbP0pYtMVGJG8_1oKUdqjH_JkiOOhGNmI3iz4p4vezdnfxUorbSODi5oPqEibDZTWYSxFryoQFryMxcxFV0U7u5lighJlm4R5b-K2pDg010h8JxQrlvhQNIo3A-mtWbRw/s1600/Classroom+Blog+10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxU_q681zE4uEbP0pYtMVGJG8_1oKUdqjH_JkiOOhGNmI3iz4p4vezdnfxUorbSODi5oPqEibDZTWYSxFryoQFryMxcxFV0U7u5lighJlm4R5b-K2pDg010h8JxQrlvhQNIo3A-mtWbRw/s400/Classroom+Blog+10.jpg" width="308" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I jazzed up my math center bins with cute little labels and I think they turned out pretty cute:)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_-9Sr7ofugYUod9edqZf2sUAobFx9FfDSMdSBmRVEYoJe_W6PRv1fHLizOHRT6XFXyBfFgQTigqsKvQUZrkR0PC9LI-QyqN7HLgSmDNX_nmRUsl9_3jTLNX0PjBM4ipFcqs4qQxxMGyY/s1600/Classroom+Blog+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_-9Sr7ofugYUod9edqZf2sUAobFx9FfDSMdSBmRVEYoJe_W6PRv1fHLizOHRT6XFXyBfFgQTigqsKvQUZrkR0PC9LI-QyqN7HLgSmDNX_nmRUsl9_3jTLNX0PjBM4ipFcqs4qQxxMGyY/s400/Classroom+Blog+5.jpg" width="308" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I jazzed up my ELA centers and finally got my phonics centers finally organized into groups of 3-4 different colored shapes. Don't know what I use the felt for?? Check out my post on Phonics Using Old School Felt.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR_QI4yL5ba7BiWhdRhcRn5gbqgK_HBsKabvFeHpoDNrBRb7-0FygU1ll-CB2B_eYWc9CdFN-JhnX1NXhBCIp64RvHHPRLKjOmvmadPdid4gLL-PJV3og2YB_ADhzEXEABYdQVuuGcV9k/s1600/Classroom+Blog+9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR_QI4yL5ba7BiWhdRhcRn5gbqgK_HBsKabvFeHpoDNrBRb7-0FygU1ll-CB2B_eYWc9CdFN-JhnX1NXhBCIp64RvHHPRLKjOmvmadPdid4gLL-PJV3og2YB_ADhzEXEABYdQVuuGcV9k/s400/Classroom+Blog+9.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was definitely a labor of love...it took me days to get my coins and base ten blocks sorted and ready to go for each student. The bins were all purchased from Wal-Mart and Dollar Tree. The magazine file bins were purchased from Amazon. I cannot tell you how happy it makes me to have this <strong>SO </strong>organized!!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUOLeC6tEQRfIklxRkb5fgX1ctCRaQEhlupVBT7PuMZHOxF0IniGfsQnehnMwO82hzPBR7ZOCZD3y-xkRrr0EL1BT9MhIX9qH49f7_IAJPFzaoN9j3EC_JgZXApsivonlgmzeqYnYvPfc/s1600/Classroom+Blog+6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUOLeC6tEQRfIklxRkb5fgX1ctCRaQEhlupVBT7PuMZHOxF0IniGfsQnehnMwO82hzPBR7ZOCZD3y-xkRrr0EL1BT9MhIX9qH49f7_IAJPFzaoN9j3EC_JgZXApsivonlgmzeqYnYvPfc/s400/Classroom+Blog+6.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This corner is where I plan on having my reading and math meetings. I am searching for a carpet but haven't found one I like in my price range yet...so if any of you find one...let a girl know!! Oh and my window cover?? Adorable shower curtain from Wal-Mart. The blue baskets came from Dollar Tree and the pink owl bin came from the clearance section at Ross.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWyq0yFRb0rZZXKyqs2CrvnFomKC1yL3gZk6DjFgIvTY4muusfSBSeaLmubF08_5KUBh9t9vEqYjq935fX_YmCB51l0Bv4Bch3O2uS3e4wAFsxfb6Xi75rQRPfN_1dUZwNqjiIfPoiLLM/s1600/Classroom+Blog+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWyq0yFRb0rZZXKyqs2CrvnFomKC1yL3gZk6DjFgIvTY4muusfSBSeaLmubF08_5KUBh9t9vEqYjq935fX_YmCB51l0Bv4Bch3O2uS3e4wAFsxfb6Xi75rQRPfN_1dUZwNqjiIfPoiLLM/s400/Classroom+Blog+4.jpg" width="308" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I wrote my own phonics curriculum this summer and have all my books organized for each month. Ahh, I <strong>LOVE </strong>being this organized!!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A shot of my classroom door. I don't plan on keeping those book jackets up all year but for now they are good. I love my "because is the new why" poster. Finally got it laminated this year...Again I cannot take credit. I came up with the poster after reading a post from Jen Jones.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A shot from the back of my classroom with my sink.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPXzKvLyfBYnLnTG3KeaT6Wwrrw1nT1kI_xEi0w8KJBPEEj4n0yhTeCZRpebR8x5cpv3fjccdUCD5iNTNxiN0zhiOnMwqSFFV9_AkEIXxLZJHhb_LiJ_PysNNfdVLIbveD87nRl76PGEw/s1600/Classroom+Blog+13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPXzKvLyfBYnLnTG3KeaT6Wwrrw1nT1kI_xEi0w8KJBPEEj4n0yhTeCZRpebR8x5cpv3fjccdUCD5iNTNxiN0zhiOnMwqSFFV9_AkEIXxLZJHhb_LiJ_PysNNfdVLIbveD87nRl76PGEw/s400/Classroom+Blog+13.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love that my room already had a table but I am not sure where it's permanent spot will be. The cute chevron banner was from the .97 party section at Wal-Mart. The colorful material in front of my books on top of my cabinets is tulle from JoAnn Fabrics that I had from a kindergarten project years ago.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHbnyHSo9YoiUpI5kaB4mlzzzjkax3UvdvUCUTZpvJyGlwdgeCKLaXcFQyBrrWKWIzzXhymE4S4ZTjWexIVXIL3ClZzrss1XpUwitk3QEpD5DzTktYEn89zuo6zpszUS0_hEkwCsaXv9g/s1600/Classroom+Blog+14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHbnyHSo9YoiUpI5kaB4mlzzzjkax3UvdvUCUTZpvJyGlwdgeCKLaXcFQyBrrWKWIzzXhymE4S4ZTjWexIVXIL3ClZzrss1XpUwitk3QEpD5DzTktYEn89zuo6zpszUS0_hEkwCsaXv9g/s400/Classroom+Blog+14.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here's a shot from the back of my room. Dr. Seuss pencil bags from Target Dollar Spot and my Early Bird Finisher Morning Work from Second Story Window ready to go!!!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6b3Mk9a9ZmK0kh1x-QWooJTwhlwIEtwh_Sw433rnQpkE59bSlKALazcR2AY2v0f1_nQz6IJ3YSUm4kuly8Ptfu1e2g7mR-MBGzYgh49I9ITBiGXjetu0nBdrLpnGacrJu1WVFh_XnEy4/s1600/classroom+blog+16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6b3Mk9a9ZmK0kh1x-QWooJTwhlwIEtwh_Sw433rnQpkE59bSlKALazcR2AY2v0f1_nQz6IJ3YSUm4kuly8Ptfu1e2g7mR-MBGzYgh49I9ITBiGXjetu0nBdrLpnGacrJu1WVFh_XnEy4/s400/classroom+blog+16.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I don't know why it took me 8 years to realize I could use Command Hooks to hang my pocket charts...shaking my head in shame....BUT I love how they turned out and who can resist my minion????</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaYMXq9SZQ8x1Hx0B8ARUBSkLNlsGbZEdWUM0uhfqeSzYCzMzU3M0OCMKzS8wym-v6KVH2O4Fb9NU-RxlfJEdKqTRqmtc6ifkoLVIJoAYYnwicesiDaP2GW-MW0ywwGn1zfje5qVNwxMA/s1600/Classroom+Blog+8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaYMXq9SZQ8x1Hx0B8ARUBSkLNlsGbZEdWUM0uhfqeSzYCzMzU3M0OCMKzS8wym-v6KVH2O4Fb9NU-RxlfJEdKqTRqmtc6ifkoLVIJoAYYnwicesiDaP2GW-MW0ywwGn1zfje5qVNwxMA/s400/Classroom+Blog+8.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This shot was taken before I added things to my pocket charts. I am waiting for student computers but have my listening centers ready to go and my adorable "girl" minion is there to make my kiddos smile!!</td></tr>
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I forgot to take pictures outside my classroom door...I will have more up once the kiddos get there and we can do out Step into Second Grade material. I would love to hear what you think and would love for you to share pictures of your classroom. Have a wonderful start to the school year everyone!!<br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08375406787613835883noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159391543256792307.post-46805333278874150822015-08-05T07:49:00.000-07:002015-08-10T08:21:16.898-07:00NO PREP (ELA) with Jack & AnnieIf you are a primary teacher, than I am sure you have heard or seen the Magic Tree House series. I fell in love with the series when I was a student teacher. I think we read Night of the Ninjas and I remember my first grade group having a blast. <br />
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I have found so many ways to use this series from K-2. <br />
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During my exit interview, I remember sitting with my wonderful principal and telling her I felt like I didn't push phonics enough this year. She raised her eyebrows because as a Kindergarten teacher than was my claim to fame. BUT now that I moved to second I slacked off a bit thinking it wasn't as necessary.<br />
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Don't get me wrong. I still did it. But not as much as I could have. So, my goal for this coming school year was to find ways to incorporate phonics as much as possible. I have worked like a madwoman this summer making my NO PREP (ELA) sets for the Magic Tree House.<br />
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So far, I have books 1-20 and I am working on 21 as we speak. I am sure things will slow down once the back to school madness begins. I keep seeing all these teachers allowed to go in over the summer to set up their classrooms. Boy am I jealous. I am not permitted inside the building until next week. <br />
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I recently moved buildings so I have about 150+ boxes waiting for me. Ignore the shudder. <br />
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I wanted to share my latest bundle of my NO PREP (ELA) set. This bundle is for books 11-10 and once purchased saves you $15! I also have books 1-10 bundled for $15 in savings as well!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUAZRjzPzKd-KfI6tguSqa8aBq98-8rDqR7DH0ffe6er9gigJRssJE6d3KblHI3ZxoQQI_E1iW1bvhgKLyQ1uQe_pSm2xJr9pu8sBBxzvI32qzCSzXfOikAo_dR3vT39OMRpreMQIhl5g/s1600/book+1-10+bundle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUAZRjzPzKd-KfI6tguSqa8aBq98-8rDqR7DH0ffe6er9gigJRssJE6d3KblHI3ZxoQQI_E1iW1bvhgKLyQ1uQe_pSm2xJr9pu8sBBxzvI32qzCSzXfOikAo_dR3vT39OMRpreMQIhl5g/s320/book+1-10+bundle.jpg" width="246" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixuMdyt2v-eb7Lq2S7DkCaqXfrgkAwtkZcp5Hw7PEPVGMwoA3X21yzuYCHUmbI0PwzzqfIZk7GsEIBNNStWb74XiLE1jX2q5IaTfo8XUMK5HJ-9goO8wu6sXW5qzO6ABjq9bLDuup_B20/s1600/NO+PREP+COVER+Books+10-20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixuMdyt2v-eb7Lq2S7DkCaqXfrgkAwtkZcp5Hw7PEPVGMwoA3X21yzuYCHUmbI0PwzzqfIZk7GsEIBNNStWb74XiLE1jX2q5IaTfo8XUMK5HJ-9goO8wu6sXW5qzO6ABjq9bLDuup_B20/s320/NO+PREP+COVER+Books+10-20.jpg" width="247" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Magic-Tree-House-Books-1-10-NO-PREP-ELA-BUNDLE-1886792">Magic Tree House Books 1-10 NO PREP (ELA) BUNDLE</a></div>
<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Magic-Tree-House-Books-11-20-NO-PREP-ELA-BUNDLE-2002041">Magic Tree House Books 11-20 NO PREP (ELA) BUNDLE</a><br />
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Not sure if you want to take the plunge and get a set or the entire bundle? Check out my store for samples of EACH set! That's right. I took 3 pages from each set and threw them on as freebies so you could get an idea of each set before you buy. They are a great way to practice phonics like:<br />
<ul>
<li>beginning, middle, ending sounds</li>
<li>phoneme deletion</li>
<li>phoneme addition</li>
<li>phoneme switching</li>
<li>syllable counting</li>
<li>and many more phonics activities</li>
<li>long and short sounds</li>
<li>figurative language</li>
<li>text features</li>
<li>parts of speech</li>
<li>antonyms & synonyms</li>
<li>and so much MORE!!!</li>
</ul>
Each set has a unique twist on different skills and activities I created to go along with the book that are perfect for whole group, small groups, enrichment, and RTII.<br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Magic-Tree-House-Books-11-20-NO-PREP-ELA-BUNDLE-2002041">Vacation Under the Volcano NO PREP (ELA) SAMPLE</a><br />
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Also, I created NO PREP Journal covers for the sets. I have a bundle of covers for books 1-10 AND books 11-20 all located in my FREEBIES on my TpT store. Check them out. They are great covers if you run the sets as a bundle for your kiddos. They are simplistic and ink friendly so your kiddos can color them in if desired.<br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Magic-Tree-House-NO-PREP-Covers-Set-2-FREEBIE-2002683">Magic Tree House NO PREP Covers {Set 2}</a><br />
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Once I get into my room, I will be posting and sharing pics of my new classroom {I've only seen in once!} and how I have my room set up! <br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08375406787613835883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159391543256792307.post-31298776212273617372015-07-31T11:30:00.000-07:002015-07-31T12:15:42.690-07:00What's in YOUR cart? BTS 2015 Linky Party<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Anyone else getting that excited/anxious feeling now that August is right.around.the.corner??!! So am I! To top it off, the big back to school sale on TpT is <strong>almost here</strong>! On August 3rd-4th, you can unload that wish list, move it to your cart, and save 28% storewide, using the code BTS15. My cart has been loaded for a while.<br />
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I am joining up with Jenna Rayburn from Speech Room News to share some items I am <strike>super obsessed </strike> so excited to purchase during the upcoming sale. I also plan on sharing a few items from my store that I use each year and a new set I a really excited about. <br />
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Okay, let's kick this off. <br />
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First, I am going to share a few of the items that have been on my wish list for a while now. I was displaced at the end of last school year. I wasn't sure if I could stay in the same grade level and once I knew for SURE I was staying in 2nd grade, I knew I would snag these beauties during the big sale.<br />
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1. Interactive Anchor Charts: Reading Edition from <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/The-Applicious-Teacher">The Applicious Teacher</a><br />
These templates look amazing to help keep my anchor charts, clean, simple, and productive for <br />
my kiddos. I love hanging my anchor charts on my windows to use as a reference during a topic or <br />
skill and cannot wait to use these!<br />
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2. Spelling Homework for any LIST for the ENTIRE year from <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/SunnyDays-">SunnyDays</a><br />
I have so many products that I LOVE from SunnyDays. I wanted to use this homework in a <br />
different way for spelling this year. I plan on taking her idea of spelling homework in a notebook<br />
and using it for ALL of my homework needs. Hopefully, this turns into a great idea and not a <br />
headache!! :)<br />
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3. Dealing with Math Homework: 2nd Grade Math Card Games from <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Teachers-Clubhouse">Teachers Clubhouse</a><br />
I needed to revamp my math centers because I don't care for some of the ones that came with our<br />
current math program. I went to the Dollar Tree and grabbed Jumbo playing card sets and a few<br />
bright baskets so I am ready to go this year!<br />
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And if you want to swing by my store...these are a few of my favorites and a brand new line that I <strike>am ecstatic super excited can't wait to use</strike> thrilled to share.<br />
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1. Interactive Endangered Animals Packet<br />
This packet is great for not only studying endangered animals but teaching your kiddos about <br />
research, writing a research report, and giving an oral presentation. I added full color posters of <br />
each animal to correspond with the animal reports. My kids love this activity.<br />
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2. 2nd Grade Playdough Math Mats<br />
I made these to be used to supplement math lessons and be used in centers. I am making my own <br />
Jello-Playdough for my classroom this year with Jolly Rancher playdough. So excited!<br />
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And drum roll please....<br />
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3. Magic Tree House No Prep (ELA) Books 1-10 Bundle<br />
I am so excited about this! Currently, I am finishing up book #20 and should have a few more <br />
bundles to add. But this is a great way to focus on ELA grammar and phonemic awareness skills <br />
while practicing fluency with these amazing chapter books! <br />
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That's it...I would love to see what you are planning on purchasing during the sale! Be sure to stop by and let me know:)<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08375406787613835883noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159391543256792307.post-81996630275529110232015-07-20T18:20:00.000-07:002015-07-20T18:20:47.136-07:00Building Class Libraries<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS8hfW-EAf0V5NuEjtZKZLLUXmoFZSuDjKuLmBt5x-_NAeVUdtfivkDeohgThSMLkGRXOgql2DNWU10dMXmPwiSB3JGvYCBNPWIISd4mrFONCsgJXiCxVCpqqy2AiQaYZbIKlPkWrHfCM/s1600/class+library+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="494" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS8hfW-EAf0V5NuEjtZKZLLUXmoFZSuDjKuLmBt5x-_NAeVUdtfivkDeohgThSMLkGRXOgql2DNWU10dMXmPwiSB3JGvYCBNPWIISd4mrFONCsgJXiCxVCpqqy2AiQaYZbIKlPkWrHfCM/s640/class+library+cover.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Do you scroll through beautiful classroom library pictures on social media pages and think, "<strong>HOW </strong>did they purchase all of those books? "<strong>WHERE </strong>did they get all of them?" And my personal favorite, "<strong>HOW </strong>can they afford that?!" <br />
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I know I panicked when I went from kindergarten to second grade a few years ago. I had no idea how I was going to build a classroom library without going broke. The year I transferred into second was a crazy year. Now wait, before you think big deal let me explain.<br />
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The year I moved into second, I moved houses Labor Day weekend. I got pregnant with my second son and I am sick ALL NINE MONTHS. My district closed 2 elementary buildings and my building had to move halfway through the year. We were supposed to move at Christmas, so I packed. We didn't move until February so I taught from boxes for 2 months. Once we moved, I had 2 days to unpack and set up a new classroom.<br />
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Yep. Told ya it was a crazy year!!<br />
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Ok, back to that library business. That year I had a <strong>wonderful </strong>parent who had 10 boxes of books and magazines delivered to my classroom. I remember standing in the door when the custodian delivered them saying, "These are all for me?!"<br />
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What happened was this parent went to the thrift store frequently and kept finding books she thought I would enjoy. She said she knew I purchased most of my own things and she thought this would help build a library for the kids.<br />
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Can I tell you I sat down and cried? I couldn't believe it. I never had a parent show so much generosity to me in my career. She got it. She knew I worked hard to make my classroom the best I could for my students but did a lot out of my own pocket. <br />
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After finding out thrift stores were a hidden gem for school supplies, I am a frequent flier. This week alone I was there twice and in just those two trips I bought nearly 80 {Yes, I said EIGHTY} books. Today, I spent nearly $70 but I did buy a few other things also. Most books are marked between 0.25 -1.99. You just have to read the signs. You can tell how long the book has been there by the date on the sticker. Sometimes if the book has been there for a while, the store will clearance the item.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6tBxtevoto7S6_y-lGkbO7FKYJcYIO_jFUD0_L0mqbALUk4LNiVSUhDzapWvM0uBQjkhWLwVG3UrkuutJ2BMtDOb4mFay7EB6nbgMfioBSnc-YahIEjabOD6EYGmxNFAgbnuZ2z_ct6s/s1600/class+library3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6tBxtevoto7S6_y-lGkbO7FKYJcYIO_jFUD0_L0mqbALUk4LNiVSUhDzapWvM0uBQjkhWLwVG3UrkuutJ2BMtDOb4mFay7EB6nbgMfioBSnc-YahIEjabOD6EYGmxNFAgbnuZ2z_ct6s/s400/class+library3.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This particular trip I scored over 20 books, a puzzle, a dvd, and the crate that is in the background for under $20!! </td></tr>
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Each time I go I'm not always lucky. Sometimes I find a bunch. Other times I walk out without buying a single item. The key is to go frequently, park yourself on the floor, and dig through piles of things. I have several hundred books for my kids to use and very few of them were purchased outside a thrift store. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSWJeKtS8vr_BU76VvrvqSJApabSk9Cc8Y8GjHAWiAZKSGSj4FcDUdW73m7jRBFhJkAKbuADpbS8QcFJZ73w0bbrmpCCHWhLFKR9ujR2niS08NJr_5hGgGR00kW_sbLt8DL_oghJLmDQo/s1600/class+library2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSWJeKtS8vr_BU76VvrvqSJApabSk9Cc8Y8GjHAWiAZKSGSj4FcDUdW73m7jRBFhJkAKbuADpbS8QcFJZ73w0bbrmpCCHWhLFKR9ujR2niS08NJr_5hGgGR00kW_sbLt8DL_oghJLmDQo/s400/class+library2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Many retired teachers will donate their classroom libraries over the summer so be sure to check back EVERY WEEK!!</td></tr>
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One of my favorites is Goodwill. They have great employment programs for kids with special needs which is one reason I support them. {I am simply stating my opinion and am not being paid/endorsed by Goodwill or any other thrift store.}<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKEn6vEpv4zGXjPNohKGeN5vddG1GpMYWtVqOVGBJy4glqRtjpbFyWLEWz50pYYEJPZY8sYR2SHu_mO-jKOeMbbTD-UxhS87W7Qw3bOBQx1AfzfCJVjS-HXKnH9exgoSXA2jE1ODS7wSQ/s1600/class+library+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKEn6vEpv4zGXjPNohKGeN5vddG1GpMYWtVqOVGBJy4glqRtjpbFyWLEWz50pYYEJPZY8sYR2SHu_mO-jKOeMbbTD-UxhS87W7Qw3bOBQx1AfzfCJVjS-HXKnH9exgoSXA2jE1ODS7wSQ/s400/class+library+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sometimes you will find many books that are on the same theme. This trip I found so many non-fiction books that I plan on throwing into writing centers that were all around $0.50-1.00 each!!</td></tr>
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So my question is, is there enough gas in the car to find the nearest thrift store?? Check back and let me know what you find!! I LOVE a good deal:)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08375406787613835883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159391543256792307.post-16567801267353847792015-07-10T12:23:00.000-07:002015-07-10T12:23:05.262-07:00NO PREP Sample FREEBIESHoly moly! Between Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, emails, blogs, and periscopes {Ok, I have an account now but have not navigated my way through yet} and Pinterest {did I forget anything?} I swear teachers are lighting up the digital world! <br />
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WOW! I LOVE THIS!<br />
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It is great to be a part of such a social {haha, I had to} group of teachers who are willing to collaborate, share, and inspire one another! I am jealous of those who were able to attend the TPT Vegas Conference this year. From the looks of all the pictures those in attendance are having a blast. <br />
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Sigh. Not that I am not having fun myself but could this rain stop. For just a little bit? My tomato plants are going to either drown or win blue ribbon prizes at the end of the season.<br />
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So if you are following on any of the above social media sites, you may be aware that I am working hard on a NO PREP line for the Magic Tree House. I decided that I needed to add some sample pages for those who were interested in these products but didn't want to take the plunge yet. I have the first book <em>Dinosaurs Before Dark</em> up and posted on my TpT store. I will work on my other stores next. <br />
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Basically in a nutshell, I will be giving away 2-3 pages of the set as a FREEBIE. I may keep them forever or as a flash freebie. I haven't decided. I would love for you to check them out and let me know what you think! Each set does start out with the same phonics skills that I change for each book. The rest of the set covers a wide number of ELA skills for K-2. <br />
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Here's what you will find in the <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Dinosaurs-Before-Dark-NO-PREP-ELA-SAMPLE-1950013">Dinosaurs Before Dark NO PREP (ELA) SAMPLE.</a><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj3TuHpOhRRYeSJpp3UwoMRVSxe-xFiPtegop5oM_elPrkCjqVkHiOAy9kPldZxSHNigEi3jvoVh7CVbBi-IuR9gc2mpCW9LhJio3RJAYmsSrLnXVCz1pmMluKc8ELUkg-AmI77SKKEKg/s1600/Dino+NO+PREP+SMPL+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj3TuHpOhRRYeSJpp3UwoMRVSxe-xFiPtegop5oM_elPrkCjqVkHiOAy9kPldZxSHNigEi3jvoVh7CVbBi-IuR9gc2mpCW9LhJio3RJAYmsSrLnXVCz1pmMluKc8ELUkg-AmI77SKKEKg/s320/Dino+NO+PREP+SMPL+2.jpg" width="247" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Get your kiddos blending with this adorable egg blending activity using words from the text!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5wtOZZmM1a2C-YTF8J3Rh5QU8x_IwQzHNqBYMsInhJcEmEXumV7-WMfSXgZDD18VI8Hq32-fEp7EmTGTyvjJvim-JVRgx3eNWPMuF__lxTanrht9_DMDBwcEXDDL5KJtjgAsbv78lGAs/s1600/Dino+NO+PREP+SMPL+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5wtOZZmM1a2C-YTF8J3Rh5QU8x_IwQzHNqBYMsInhJcEmEXumV7-WMfSXgZDD18VI8Hq32-fEp7EmTGTyvjJvim-JVRgx3eNWPMuF__lxTanrht9_DMDBwcEXDDL5KJtjgAsbv78lGAs/s320/Dino+NO+PREP+SMPL+3.jpg" width="247" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Need practice on those tough root words? Here is a great way to incorporate that skill while reading the novel!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicwGi6io8zBMXXXHbN7sq0ZokrzvBoWWwsaGLfaO01zimdaY_xqPX5Gg2WzhzOMLiieuFx8vCwxXI33_Pti1Gnu9wBBv_XdNRTBSI_gK0Myd5ZIbfJGajfBjR84Xe_HKi5pOfQx4y-jU8/s1600/DINO+NO+PREP+SMPL+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicwGi6io8zBMXXXHbN7sq0ZokrzvBoWWwsaGLfaO01zimdaY_xqPX5Gg2WzhzOMLiieuFx8vCwxXI33_Pti1Gnu9wBBv_XdNRTBSI_gK0Myd5ZIbfJGajfBjR84Xe_HKi5pOfQx4y-jU8/s320/DINO+NO+PREP+SMPL+4.jpg" width="247" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Such a hard skill for my kiddos! Here is a great practice activity that can be used in class, for morning work, a mini assessment or even homework!</td></tr>
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That's it! I will be working on adding more samples to my FREE section on my stores and I hope you check them out and let me know what you think! I LOVE talking to new {and old} friends!!<br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08375406787613835883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159391543256792307.post-44582797598328606422015-06-29T14:15:00.002-07:002015-06-29T14:15:49.288-07:00Magic Tree House NO PREP (ELA) First off can I begin with how much I <strong>LOVE</strong> the Magic Tree House series?? I recently posted about 10 different ways this extremely versatile series can be used in a primary classroom. I have been working on NO PREP packs for each book that focus on phonics and grammar skills. <br />
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Wow. Once I got into these books a little deeper, I found so many <strong>different</strong> ways to teach using these books! So far I have the first 15 books done and bundled in different sets for major savings!<br />
I am working on the 16th book right now and am trying to include as many CCS for K-2 as possible. To check out all of my NO PREP resources <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Holly-Hawley/Category/NO-PREP-ELA">CLICK HERE</a><br />
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<span id="goog_233110031"></span><span id="goog_233110032"></span><br />
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These packs are posted for Kindergarten through second grade but certainly can be adapted for students in the intermediate levels who are struggling with particular skills. The pages follow words from the text along wit clip art but could be pulled for different uses as well. You certainly do NOT have to read the text to complete these units. The books are simply to incorporate as many ELA skills as possible into one neat and tidy theme. <br />
<br />
<div>
All of the sets begin with the same type of pages for phonics practice:</div>
<ul>
<li>beginning sounds</li>
<li>medial sounds</li>
<li>ending sounds</li>
<li>phoneme split</li>
<li>phoneme delete</li>
<li>phoneme switch</li>
<li>syllables</li>
<li>real vs. nonsense</li>
</ul>
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Each set does not have the same set of skills covered. Some have similar pages or skills that are focused on. Please don't think I simply switched out the graphics for each set and they are all the same! Trust me, I would be done with the entire series (and I heard book #53 is just released!!!) by now. I really am trying to focus on as many necessary skills for K-2 as possible.<br />
<br />
<strong>Text Features</strong><br />
<ul>
<li>diagrams, glossary, title page, index</li>
</ul>
<strong>Parts of Speech</strong><br />
<ul>
<li>nouns, pronouns, proper nouns, verbs, adverbs, adjectives</li>
</ul>
<strong>Grammar/ELA Skills</strong><br />
<ul>
<li>Using your senses to describe words</li>
<li>Possessives</li>
<li>Synonyms vs. Antonyms</li>
<li>Compound Words</li>
<li>ABC Order</li>
<li>Rhyming</li>
<li>Dictionary Skills: Guide Words</li>
<li>Homophones</li>
<li>Figurative Language: Hyperbole, Onomatopoeia, Simile, Personification, Alliteration</li>
<li>Sight Words</li>
<li>Which Word Doesn't Belong (a word that does not begin with the same letter)</li>
<li>Comparing Facts</li>
<li>Venn Diagrams</li>
<li>Fact vs. Opinion</li>
<li>Quotation Marks & Punctuation & Contractions</li>
<li>Spelling Practice</li>
<li>Long & Short Vowels</li>
<li>Verb Tenses</li>
<li>How many words in a sentence</li>
<li>Sequencing</li>
<li>Riddles</li>
<li>Cause & Effect</li>
<li>CVC Words</li>
<li>Apostrophes</li>
<li>Blends</li>
</ul>
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<strong>Writing</strong><br />
<ul>
<li>Haiku Poetry</li>
<li>Describing Characters</li>
<li>Describing Settings</li>
<li>Writing Friendly Letters</li>
<li>Addressing Envelopes</li>
<li>Creating a scene (adding details to a picture and writing about it)</li>
<li>Writing Details</li>
<li>Main Idea</li>
<li>Sentence scrambles</li>
</ul>
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<ul>
</ul>
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Whew! I am sure there is more that I missed but this should give you an idea of what you are exposing your little ones too with this series! The best part is they can be used for small groups, homework, morning work, centers, and so much more! They are ink friendly and can even be bundled together for a packet as you go through the book!<br />
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I would love to hear what you think!!<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08375406787613835883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159391543256792307.post-39480419718285296492015-06-27T08:13:00.000-07:002015-06-27T08:13:10.018-07:00Fine Motor Skills Practice-Pre-K LevelSummer means I am able to spend a lot more one-on-one time with my boys. Especially my older one when the younger Hawley is taking a nap. Ah, I love those few stolen moments during nap time with my kiddo. <br />
<br />
{He's actually sitting on my lap right now playing with my hair as I write this.}<br />
<br />
So, the oldest Hawley boy is going to Pre-K this fall and we couldn't be more thrilled. We have been working on some fine motor skills since he needs a little extra practice in this department. I was searching for ideas on Pinterest one day and I cannot remember the source {If anyone finds the originator please let me know!} and found a game for 3-4 year olds. <br />
<br />
Materials:<br />
<ul>
<li>handful of plastic beads {If you are like me I am sure you have a few rolling around in a craft bin somewhere!}</li>
<li>plastic bag or container</li>
<li>pipe cleaners</li>
</ul>
That's it. See, I told you it was cheap! Easy peasy!<br />
<br />
I bent down one end of the pipe cleaner to create a stopper for the beads. I placed about 10 at a time on his high chair tray {sometimes he works better when he cannot jump up from the table and run away}<br />
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<br />
I picked up a bead and told him to "pinch" and showed him to pinch the sides of the bead. Next, I showed him to "slide" the bead onto the pipe cleaner all the way to the bottom. I kept repeating these words and he eventually got the idea on his own. {We are also working on speech so anyone who has a child in need of fine motor/speech practice this is a great easy activity!}<br />
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<br />
Our littlest Hawley boy has a decent attention span when the activity is engaging. He has sat and done this several times this summer already and once for as long as 20 minutes.<br />
<br />
So there you go, a quick fun-easy activity to pre for Pre-K! I'd love to hear {or see!} how your kiddos enjoyed this!<br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08375406787613835883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159391543256792307.post-44043645416591267302015-06-26T20:31:00.001-07:002015-06-26T20:31:53.402-07:00Summer Bargain FindsI am having so much fun relaxing with my family, enjoying time with my boys, not waking up to an alarm clock and....going shopping! I was displaced this spring and had to pack up my things and move across the district. While I was up to my elbows packing, I discovered there were things that needed pitched and things I desperately needed to replace. That's a good excuse to go shopping right??<br />
<br />
Summer means I am able to spend a <em>little </em>longer in stores and peruse the clearance sections. Just this week I was able to snag some very exciting things for my classroom (and my at home classroom for my boys too!)<br />
<br />
1. <strong>Home Goods</strong><br />
<strong></strong><br />
Sometimes if you check the clearance aisles closely you can find great buys like my brand new homework tray I scored for $5 today!! I love this clean look for my desk!! So excited to take homework home now. Hmm, well maybe not once I have to start checking it but at least the bin is pretty!<br />
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2. <strong>Ross</strong><br />
<strong></strong><br />
This store is highly unpredictable but every so often I am able to find something that is so perfect and the price is to die for. Take this <strong>adorable</strong> canvas tote. My 11 month old sat and stared at the whimsical owl the entire way through the store. I grabbed it for less than $4. Wahoo!!<br />
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<br />
3. <strong>Goodwill</strong><br />
<strong></strong><br />
Anyone who knows me knows I <strong>LOVE</strong> going to the Goodwill. You have to check each aisle carefully and be willing to rummage through things but you can find great buys! I have snagged several puzzles and educational games for my own boys as well as my classroom. I also find books to add to my classroom library. The best part is they are usually priced at .25!<br />
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4. <strong>Carson Dellosa</strong><br />
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Sometimes you can find things in their clearance that make is so worth the shipping! I got these great fish for my son who needs to work on his fine motor skills. These fish come in different colors and different ways to represent the number. They can snap together or be strung together. We have worked on sorting by color and stringing the fish so far and he <strong>LOVES</strong> them! I also grabbed the alphabet one which had been on clearance too!<br />
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5. <strong>Wal-Mart</strong><br />
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I have to admit I never really walked through the party section of Wal-Mart before. But as I was walking by the other day, I saw this adorable table cloth and bunting banner. Each were .97 and I knew I would find a use for them somehow! Who can pass up such a deal?!<br />
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6. <strong>Dollar Tree</strong><br />
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I saved one of my favorites for last. I LOVELOVELOVELOVE the Dollar Tree. I had grabbed these bins for a different projects and found they were perfect for sorting my read alouds by genre/month/seasons. I had a hard time finding them at the end of the year. I think I have stopped in 8 different ones in the Pittsburgh area over the last 12 weeks but I finally found them. They are sturdy, cute, and have so many functions! I love using their variety of organizational bins. The best part is they are only $1.<br />
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I also wanted to share a cheap way to decorate your classroom, home-school room, or even a toddler room! Take a dust jacket off a hardback book, laminate and hang! I have every one of my dust jackets laminated and plan on putting some of my favorites in frames and using in our playroom for a cheap and adorable decoration!<br />
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I hope you are enjoying your summer and I would love to see what you are snatching up for your classroom!!<br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08375406787613835883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159391543256792307.post-67555453351732253232015-06-15T13:03:00.000-07:002015-06-15T13:06:36.236-07:0010 Reasons to LOVE the Magic Tree House SeriesThis is one of my <strong>all time</strong> favorite children's series. EVER. I use this series in my classroom in so many different ways and I have been reading through them with my four-year-old. The fact that he will sit and listen attentively and ultimately fall asleep to each night is a blessing.<br />
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If you have never read the series, let me give you a little background. The series is based on a brother-sister duo, Jack and Annie, who live in Frog Creek, Pennsylvania. They stumble across a tree house in the woods and discover they can magically travel through time (Past, Present, and Future) by using books inside the tree house. Eventually they help a magical enchantress, Morgan le Fay and a wizard Merlin preserve magic and history for Camelot.<br />
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Still not convinced? This is the top ways you can utilize this series in your classroom.<br />
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<ol>
<li><strong>Read Alouds</strong>. As I mentioned before, I use these in my classroom and with my children at home. Before you go and say 4-5 year-olds won't sit and listen. They will. Trust me. I read the first 25 books with my kindergarteners for years. They literally sat on the edge of their seats waiting to find out what happened. My son simply adores the series. He is working on his speech and this series has presented an expansive vocabulary to him in a captivating way.</li>
<li><strong>Beginning Chapter Book Readers</strong>. Are your little darlings ready to stretch their wings and begin to read on their own? This series is great for captivating their attention, using simple sight words <strong>BUT</strong> throwing some challenge words into the mix as well.</li>
<li><strong>Vocabulary/ELA</strong>. We've all heard it. They need more vocabulary. They need to be submersed in it. This series offers such a wide range of vocabulary you could work on the entire book for 2 weeks and have 15-30 new words to focus on. Check out my Magic Words: Read the Room sets for different vocabulary ideas <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Magic-Words-Read-the-Room-Amazon-theme-1238972">{HERE}</a>. I also have created a NO PREP line for the first 11 books in the series. The first 10 are in a bundle. They cover phonics and grammar standards for K-2 while using vocabulary and topics found in each book. Check them out <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Magic-Tree-House-Books-1-10-NO-PREP-ELA-BUNDLE-1886792">{HERE}</a></li>
<li><strong>Writing</strong>. Oh.My. The possibilities are <strong>endless</strong>. Do you want to work on poetry, creative writing, informative writing, persuasive writing, grammar, letters, etc.? No matter what you want your little ones to write, there is a way to incorporate this series.</li>
<li><strong>Text Features</strong>. I love how Mary Pope Osborne has included the <strong>captions</strong> in the text in <strong>bold</strong> <strong>face</strong> print. You can use time lines, captions, illustrations, maps, etc. while reading each adventure.</li>
<li><strong>Non-Fiction</strong>. There are so many different topics this series touches on: biomes, landforms, food webs/chains, animals, ancient civilizations, different cultures.</li>
<li><strong>History</strong>. My all time favorite book in the series is <em>Tonight on the Titanic</em> because I had a distant relative who was on the ship. At one point there was a fantastic exhibit with actual artifacts taken from the wreckage in Tampa, FL. That was <em>years</em> ago but well worth the money if anyone ever gets a chance to go. Your kids can learn about the Civil War, the Revolutionary War. They can meet famous inventors like Albert Einstein and presidents like George Washington and Abe Lincoln.</li>
<li><strong>Geography</strong>. One of the best lessons I have ever done is when my kindergarten team took <em>Afternoon on the Amazon</em> to the extreme. We pained our hallway to look exactly like a rainforest. I'm talking rocks and water on the floor with pihranas. Jungle vines and birds hanging from the ceiling. A volcano and waterfall painted on the stairwell door and elevator. We used the idea from <em>Flat Stanley </em>and got Polly the Parrot (introduced in the book <em>Pirates Past Noon</em>) to fly all over the world and send postcards. We used a large word map and tracked her progress. That year we got nearly 100 postcards from all over the US, Afghanistan, India, Ireland, the Caribbean, Africa, Mexico, France, England, and so many other places. At the end of the unit, we had our kids choose a location Polly visited and do a large writing project. Check out my interactive notebook on biomes <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Interactive-Biome-Packet-a-landform-and-biome-study-1427706">{HERE}</a></li>
<li><strong>Science</strong>. There are so many different wants to incorporate science into the series. One of my favorite lessons was when my class read <em>Mummies in the Morning</em> and I had them actually prep a mummy for burial. Check out the lesson for more details<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/How-to-Make-a-Mummy-a-writing-activity-923811">{HERE}</a>. Want to include animals and geography studies? Check out my animal interactive notebooks <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Interactive-Arctic-Animal-Packet-a-biome-and-animal-study-1452250">{HERE}</a></li>
<li><strong>Captivating</strong>. I would not waste so much of my time on a series that <strong>I </strong>didn't enjoy so much. I was first introduced to the series as a teenager when my mom was trying to get my younger sister to read. I completely forgot about the series until I was student teaching and my first grade class was reading <em>Night of the Ninjas.</em> Children will love the characters. Annie is a free spirit and adventurous. Jack is methodical and cautious. But the two siblings balance each other out while learning and having fun at the same time.</li>
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So there you have it my friends. Ten different reasons why I think this series is a <strong>MUST READ </strong>in primary classrooms. I'd love to hear which book is your favorite and how you use the series with your kiddos!<br />
<strong></strong><br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08375406787613835883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159391543256792307.post-3874563033142208102015-06-02T19:09:00.001-07:002015-06-02T19:09:49.340-07:00YearLONG Writing PortfoliosThis post is completely dedicated to <em>why</em> I save <strike>keep</strike> <strike>hoard </strike>my student's writing projects all year long and send them home at the end of the year. I have to admit that in the past I would have my kiddos complete a writing project, display it for my class to see, take it down and send it home. Ugh, I'm sure half of them didn't survive the bus ride home. All that hard work. All that dedication. DOWN. THE. DRAIN.<br />
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Last year I decided to try something different. Not only did I switch grade levels but I wanted to change things up. Instead of having my kids not remember anything we did throughout the year, I wanted to save their work and collect it in a portfolio as a keepsake.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqGWERyVXOvxTejFPsPODEO-skEpxxO624zwN_dzKm73YTg47nFS3Fge9SyDvG433G___nXTGg8CF7nfzhsuxMEqEQLjt2_629A7bOsipza8lqSJv45D_PwCBDP9wAy9z7lzyuEipaBbM/s1600/portfolios2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqGWERyVXOvxTejFPsPODEO-skEpxxO624zwN_dzKm73YTg47nFS3Fge9SyDvG433G___nXTGg8CF7nfzhsuxMEqEQLjt2_629A7bOsipza8lqSJv45D_PwCBDP9wAy9z7lzyuEipaBbM/s320/portfolios2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Who wouldn't want a year book to show their families of their writing accomplishments??</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Now, before you begin saying "What was she thinking? Where did she keep all of that? How did she pass it out?" There is a method to my madness.<br />
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First, my writing projects are not your typical 8 1/2 x 11 standard paper size. Most projects are large sheets of paper glued together with a writing project and sometimes craft attached. There is NO way that kind of project would fit neatly into a binder. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnMAyFpnK8G4q_aDysJu53V-wsEWP3atDRGSQhK-kVXfUkUV21zaETXR0-JtxxZybxCh-L9fvqlfXtla9LsMUQF7ID_KpbhjySdy6b1y1_wYwnijHOeHe3UgMEOCzVA1zLAOtSVp_l5XU/s1600/portfolios5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnMAyFpnK8G4q_aDysJu53V-wsEWP3atDRGSQhK-kVXfUkUV21zaETXR0-JtxxZybxCh-L9fvqlfXtla9LsMUQF7ID_KpbhjySdy6b1y1_wYwnijHOeHe3UgMEOCzVA1zLAOtSVp_l5XU/s320/portfolios5.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The small 1-inch binders worked perfectly after we folded their<br />
projects down.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Last year, I tried to have my kids put their projects in a few at a time into their writing portfolio binders. Hmmm....not my best idea. The projects did not fit in their binders well AND sit on a shelf inside a hidden cupboard. <br />
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So, this year I tried something completely different. I grabbed a large box and hid it on the other side of my desk (out of everyone's view) and would put their writing projects inside the box after I took it down from the hallway. Of course, by the end of the year the projects were piling up nearly twice the size of the box. BUT the system totally worked. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk2U9cAADwm9RW7DiIbKSVuxoYjFV0sFWrc2fBIFJz4WK8llMUmHhk_qrtrjAEuob9BVxs2R1n-IhZe9QTLPrOS23jnbJOOU1bRjbprKjJqTTqjhmMNAdGOuky-chLu2Sv_4DpQ09eK58/s1600/portfolios3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk2U9cAADwm9RW7DiIbKSVuxoYjFV0sFWrc2fBIFJz4WK8llMUmHhk_qrtrjAEuob9BVxs2R1n-IhZe9QTLPrOS23jnbJOOU1bRjbprKjJqTTqjhmMNAdGOuky-chLu2Sv_4DpQ09eK58/s320/portfolios3.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is a sample of a student's portfolio in the correct order BEFORE <br />
I helped them fold down some of their larger projects. Like I said, there<br />
is NO way this would have fit neatly on a shelf!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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I lost my voice the last week of school.<br />
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I know most would say perfect timing, right?<br />
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Wrong.<br />
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After having an asthma attack at school and losing my voice for nearly 5 days that was the last thing I wanted.<br />
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While my kiddos were busing completing their end of the year Memory Book I started sorting through their projects by month. Yep, it took a while but it made the process so much easier!!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPYIXh-GjhSPHyfXKClypgEBRkIK84-7_mOZq-AWEh9Dhs9_Q0Ouxlnn_Eaygz0kzr7a0ATt-S4k1FrLMgBrqorom4bBEjaE6RhR-qYzsOKNwRKRDDCuC2hWmFllyFAgU2K4j0sO287kk/s1600/portfolios6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPYIXh-GjhSPHyfXKClypgEBRkIK84-7_mOZq-AWEh9Dhs9_Q0Ouxlnn_Eaygz0kzr7a0ATt-S4k1FrLMgBrqorom4bBEjaE6RhR-qYzsOKNwRKRDDCuC2hWmFllyFAgU2K4j0sO287kk/s320/portfolios6.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I really feel like this picture does not portray how many writing projects there were. <br />
We did 35 writing projects and I have 23 kids so that really adds up!!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />
Today was the big day and I had my kids make a writing cover while I finished sorting their projects. I cut and glued them to the cover and they really made the binders <strong>pop</strong>. I had the kids open their binders and keep all of their projects on their desk. <br />
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Once they were all passed out, I had the kids move their projects from their desk to their chairs and I would announce the project I wanted them to find and wrote the title on the board. We went through each month and put the projects in order for the year. By the end of our project, the kids were amazed to discover we did 35 (yes 35) writing projects this year!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTAbRxdQnjD3kWjWu0ZgHEPOg1RnWhbfOoOKErKPDORK5QSj59OlYV4WKFqCH5rD99CO04BVngJH1laZfr2w-qocccIHVIWXHkhJtimauhE29-XjghT9t2HzAbf8NFYxnFiEYTCQHhOR8/s1600/portfolios4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTAbRxdQnjD3kWjWu0ZgHEPOg1RnWhbfOoOKErKPDORK5QSj59OlYV4WKFqCH5rD99CO04BVngJH1laZfr2w-qocccIHVIWXHkhJtimauhE29-XjghT9t2HzAbf8NFYxnFiEYTCQHhOR8/s320/portfolios4.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is a sample of a portfolio AFTER I helped organize and <br />
fold some of the larger projects down to fit inside the binder.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />
Once they were organized, I helped fold down some of their larger writing projects, place inside a plastic grocery bag and voila we were done!<br />
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The best part of this project was listening to the kids shout out things as they read their old projects. <br />
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"I remember this!" <br />
"This was so much fun!"<br />
"This was my favorite project!"<br />
"I completely forgot about this!"<br />
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What do you do with your writing projects? I would love to hear other ideas!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08375406787613835883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159391543256792307.post-23016835674979118322015-05-28T11:15:00.002-07:002015-05-28T11:16:06.367-07:00Butterfly ReleaseI cannot say I have ever had a year where I have had more critters and animal things in my room than this year. We have been talking about butterflies and working through their life cycle and stages. The kids have been watching so closely to see any changes and check on <em>their </em>butterflies like concerned mother hens.<br />
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Today was the day we set them free. Well, <strong>most </strong>of them.<br />
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We took them outside and they got a chance to get a close-up with the magnifying glasses. This was a great way to see the detail on the wings and the body parts.<br />
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It was quite muggy today which was perfect because the butterflies were flapping all over their house before we even got across the school parking lot. The majority of the butterflies left but we still have a few reluctant to leave our classroom. <br />
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We will try again tomorrow. I don't think the kiddos minded because they were quite sad <strike>depressed </strike>when I said it was time to set them free. We will see if their enthusiasm persists the second round!!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08375406787613835883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159391543256792307.post-53437095919043109502015-05-28T11:07:00.002-07:002015-05-28T11:16:24.021-07:00Thrift ShoppingI always think of the line from <em>Friends</em> when Monica talks about how excited she gets on Saturdays when her <em>People</em> Magazine comes. I usually feel the <strong>exact </strong>same way when a new teacher catalog comes in the mail. It is so crisp, clean, colorful and just <strong>begging</strong> to have pages that are dog-eared and scribbled over with <strong>WANT THIS</strong> or <strong>NEED THAT</strong> or <strong>THIS WOULD BE PERFECT</strong>. Unfortunately, my budget could never allow me to buy <strong>EVERYTHING</strong> I think I <strong>need</strong>. <br />
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But I discovered a solution. Thrift shopping.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This group is working on a Melissa & Doug Space puzzle I purchased from Good Will for $0.99. The shelves also show items I have bought from thrift stores.</td></tr>
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I don't know what kind of thrift stores are near your home/school but I have found some of the BEST ones for school manipulatives and supplies is Good Will. These are just a few of the items I have bought over the years for less than $2.00 for my classroom:<br />
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<li>books (chapter books, picture books, encyclopedias, and so many more!! Almost <strong>all</strong> of the books for my classroom student library have come from the thrift store.)</li>
<li>bins/containers</li>
<li>puzzles (I'm talking Melissa and Doug and Leap Frog puzzles)</li>
<li>flashcards</li>
<li>Games (I have bought everything from Battleship, Operation, Monopoly, Clue, Guess Who to math, science, and literacy games for centers. Many times the pieces are already separated into baggies ready for you to use!! YAY!!)</li>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8P8B6opx58oE6nEQ8R9EYCc4POko1WfcqAVA_CzIL-zZwJ8ZDYZavLZY4eQPLQc-o84aDkfTu_DQ-Rbn0umGV-Qhnqb8yskCBFwnwTW0Mf-C9aWwyylu8SDAWfbeJpMhrsck1IAGJuJk/s1600/games2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8P8B6opx58oE6nEQ8R9EYCc4POko1WfcqAVA_CzIL-zZwJ8ZDYZavLZY4eQPLQc-o84aDkfTu_DQ-Rbn0umGV-Qhnqb8yskCBFwnwTW0Mf-C9aWwyylu8SDAWfbeJpMhrsck1IAGJuJk/s320/games2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This group is playing Operation. The sound does NOT work but the light does so it is a WIN WIN for me!! Quiet but fun!</td></tr>
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I have found that in order to find something you have to walk into the store with the mindset that you are <strong>NOT</strong> looking for something in particular. Recently, I have been finding pre-school and kindergarten games and resources for my boys at home. In the last 2 weeks I have gotten about a dozen puzzles and games and spent less than $15. Who can pass up an I SPY puzzle for $0.99?? I mean I cannot walk into the Dollar Store and get that type of quality.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid5qZiThmnTA19sTpF9HXugZoYKUAc3hunbTlAIYLBCkhGGX072m9uIvDB8fANqpUDYwEI0nv6pSPRsoL_SCgWkYTkiexymPAbLVwFNsKZiiYT7-b9Dt0Nk1MHYZmLNjyCykUP9dhVfM4/s1600/games1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid5qZiThmnTA19sTpF9HXugZoYKUAc3hunbTlAIYLBCkhGGX072m9uIvDB8fANqpUDYwEI0nv6pSPRsoL_SCgWkYTkiexymPAbLVwFNsKZiiYT7-b9Dt0Nk1MHYZmLNjyCykUP9dhVfM4/s320/games1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My kiddos did an entire unit on Dinosaurs and we finished money so this was a great way to have them practice their money skills while playing Dinosaur Monopoly at the same time. It is time consuming but they loved it!</td></tr>
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So before you fire up the credit card and start ordering things for next year, try hitting up your local thrift stores. The best times are when people are clearing things out for garage sales. (Spring/Fall)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxVP_ZivsQXZHh3ObIPkzpJ-Mt5PY-JtTxybtq1idsC842UtGPyKuVLPZyFaz-uMvSmdINhqwSKdTi2Aksp16E1e4z1e0V6DjJx6WVd42qWfU4SNF3LGGGDHIs2i5A_3y6jFACE7GdRrc/s1600/games4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxVP_ZivsQXZHh3ObIPkzpJ-Mt5PY-JtTxybtq1idsC842UtGPyKuVLPZyFaz-uMvSmdINhqwSKdTi2Aksp16E1e4z1e0V6DjJx6WVd42qWfU4SNF3LGGGDHIs2i5A_3y6jFACE7GdRrc/s320/games4.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was a great way to practice building words off of each other. They even got creative with book titles!!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This group is working on a Leap Frog puzzle of the United States.</td></tr>
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Here are some shots of my kiddos using some of our games as a reward for the end of the school year. They are thrilled that the games they have stared at all year are finally allowed to be pulled off the shelves!! I would love to hear what you find at bargain prices for your classroom!!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I rescued this Guess Who game from a garage sale. It doesn't hurt to say you are a teacher!!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08375406787613835883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159391543256792307.post-72126334924198892232015-05-22T19:09:00.001-07:002015-05-22T19:09:51.820-07:00Chocolate Tank<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here is our 3rd place winner reading about the Chocolate Dirt Bike.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of our little inventors presenting to the Chocolate Tank Panel.</td></tr>
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Have you ever had a really great idea and you wonder if it will play out as perfectly in real life as it did in your head? In my last post, I shared my student's team writing project after our novel study of <em>Charlie and the Chocolate Factory</em>. When I found the pop-up version on the book I knew I had to come up with something fun to do at the end of the book. Somewhere in the mix, my mom had told me about this show <em>Shark Tank.</em> (I don't know about you but after teaching 23 eight-year-olds then coming home to my own kiddos, I don't actually see <strong>new</strong> t.v. shows very often!!)<br />
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I got the idea that I could take the idea behind <em>Shark Tank</em> (trying to persuade someone to get on board with something you created) and combine that with my novel study...and then the idea for Chocolate Tank was born.<br />
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What is Chocolate Tank you ask? Simple.<br />
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After we finished our factories, I told the class they were going to be designing their own candy. It had to be an <strong>original, never-before-seen creation.</strong> Their job was to convince Willy Wonka and a few Oompa-Loompas that their candy should be the next candy coming out of Wonka's Factory. <br />
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So, the brainstorming began. Their first task was to draw their prototype. I gave them a sample. I created "Candy Umbrellas" which were made from Twizzlers and candy canes. We had several writing conferences during the stages of their writing with many different versions of a persuasive essay graphic organizer. After about a week of writing and redrafting and a week or so of rehearsals and completing their posters...they were ready.<br />
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My principal and our reading and math coach were all on our "panel" and after hitting the Dollar Spot at Target, I grabbed some silly glasses, re-used my plastic top hat, and a sparkly wand. The kids were being judged on several different areas by the panel:<br />
<ul>
<li>creativity</li>
<li>eye appeal</li>
<li>originality</li>
<li>eye contact</li>
<li>speaks clearly</li>
<li>speaks loudly</li>
<li>enthusiasm</li>
</ul>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Ja7zV6whmZJ7pqBOfolVhzYqUd7NieBJ7NIppxOd8h-a5LkEFsIMlDbGTom-u9LOG9Aswkq-j2n9IsNF2ShWmneVI8mTzV896na-83wDxU3VGY_K88nwvGNf_07ktinMKAdM7A9i5Ys/s1600/CT1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Ja7zV6whmZJ7pqBOfolVhzYqUd7NieBJ7NIppxOd8h-a5LkEFsIMlDbGTom-u9LOG9Aswkq-j2n9IsNF2ShWmneVI8mTzV896na-83wDxU3VGY_K88nwvGNf_07ktinMKAdM7A9i5Ys/s320/CT1.jpg" width="271" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The panel asked the Inventors questions before completing their scores.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb4ShdGtNcDh6D3dHvu6SJuPMA0Z478XHSWn-Hh-knyRJiLgVItp263t7Aj97nZkRN-HyHkp7RPEPQ5oRyOp471Nur4i0xaMP0A540M3Wl4vWUFXshqqw9w7INxT2AI3L4PKK374ODqlQ/s1600/CT2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb4ShdGtNcDh6D3dHvu6SJuPMA0Z478XHSWn-Hh-knyRJiLgVItp263t7Aj97nZkRN-HyHkp7RPEPQ5oRyOp471Nur4i0xaMP0A540M3Wl4vWUFXshqqw9w7INxT2AI3L4PKK374ODqlQ/s320/CT2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Each Inventor got a chance to show off their drawings and essay to the audience and panel.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijI1MJnIdh9MmtnLJYbssvn-79agZGzpHOVVpuhdIt5JQr_3dvqC89OE7NlW8tNwevy6hQsYJNZ7T7Ecbob_OP17RrU2rYk1CEzEujsboiBFFXcZ7FaraPGff_x4fQO5gULHpabd2P0hI/s1600/CT5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijI1MJnIdh9MmtnLJYbssvn-79agZGzpHOVVpuhdIt5JQr_3dvqC89OE7NlW8tNwevy6hQsYJNZ7T7Ecbob_OP17RrU2rYk1CEzEujsboiBFFXcZ7FaraPGff_x4fQO5gULHpabd2P0hI/s320/CT5.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Oompa-Loompas were waiting for someone to make them laugh. Willy Wonka just wanted to hear how much money these new ideas were going to make.</td></tr>
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Thankfully, I had a few extra hands to help add up all the scores behind the scenes while I made sure my kiddos were ready to present. I have to say the morning of the event our rehearsal did not go as smoothly as I had hoped BUT they killed it! I was blown away by their inflections and enthusiasm! They could not have done a better job and made me SO PROUD! Our panel was phenomenal getting our audience (parents) to be actively involved. There were so many times when the entire room was in fits of giggles, cheering, and at one point singing and dancing. Ironically, the song was NOT <em>The Candy Man</em> or any of the Willy Wonka songs.<br />
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This was a great way to not only end the unit but the year. We had over a dozen parents arrive in support of our little inventors. It was a very close tie but we ended up with 3 winners: Bad Medicine (a candy that helps gross tasting medicine go down a little easier), Triple Lemon Pac Man (lemonade drops that when added to water create a lemonade that reduces ones thirst), and Candy Dirt Bike (a completely edible dirt bike that even creates hot chocolate when you lick the engine!).<br />
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I am so grateful to everyone who came and supported the kids...seeing their faces light up at the sight of their parents made all the word <strong>WORTH EVERY MINUTE. </strong><br />
<strong></strong><br />
Here's what the set up looked like BEFORE everyone arrived!!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4si0VqNcPTtux1gf5fIR_ZmgHtF63rz6xpV4l53BSN1ZluFMiPBi3o8lYlg5qvA6MXe8MoKCS1HHJSOCTObUg9aBO8S7u4Dw74NSOe_wmTOIzjVPv_q5gso6ph_byDseckB97gqYZc0w/s1600/CT10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4si0VqNcPTtux1gf5fIR_ZmgHtF63rz6xpV4l53BSN1ZluFMiPBi3o8lYlg5qvA6MXe8MoKCS1HHJSOCTObUg9aBO8S7u4Dw74NSOe_wmTOIzjVPv_q5gso6ph_byDseckB97gqYZc0w/s320/CT10.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The parents were part of our audience and sat in designated seats. </td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdCYL6tAUO-0nnMX8mNi3xNNs66fAKjCneQg4mHlTIE4ar8qkc7YFEQgu63yESITnUChEFjCME5DQ_4WxoX3PJHGNvRyxImqyiixjopQS9uu6NaF0MlOhAZVfzKLCJF8B9VpPwA_lAuak/s1600/CT9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdCYL6tAUO-0nnMX8mNi3xNNs66fAKjCneQg4mHlTIE4ar8qkc7YFEQgu63yESITnUChEFjCME5DQ_4WxoX3PJHGNvRyxImqyiixjopQS9uu6NaF0MlOhAZVfzKLCJF8B9VpPwA_lAuak/s320/CT9.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pre-Chocolate Tank photo shoot.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilQh1uJirX8FCMjUsVORNDQ1aB37KRXfj5VHr9-kESQn1aNotrMo7WV14SKN1rYlbTHOZuSkPNrznIpd4JBmg163taaqoiUAAvNLh-f5hrep5Z0Acos3kvv0549sZCCapVixOIMJS5qYU/s1600/CT11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilQh1uJirX8FCMjUsVORNDQ1aB37KRXfj5VHr9-kESQn1aNotrMo7WV14SKN1rYlbTHOZuSkPNrznIpd4JBmg163taaqoiUAAvNLh-f5hrep5Z0Acos3kvv0549sZCCapVixOIMJS5qYU/s320/CT11.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inventors had VIP seating for the event.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVu74WIf7zQsP4G5l1iDc2nl-IE8b9dA6XhgM6iZGQPopbAikwk-7vHyxce3TDSGzpArljPbW3yeYWiVpoX8cFpUrCta8tVfA8iAF2fUrGtqZ-hHTFbnvryRcz5vHDnw7JSxlm0iXsEwo/s1600/CT6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVu74WIf7zQsP4G5l1iDc2nl-IE8b9dA6XhgM6iZGQPopbAikwk-7vHyxce3TDSGzpArljPbW3yeYWiVpoX8cFpUrCta8tVfA8iAF2fUrGtqZ-hHTFbnvryRcz5vHDnw7JSxlm0iXsEwo/s320/CT6.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Their team writing factories were proudly on display along one wall.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0n4Spy9hAdJPXGrY3YTTOIDGtk1bAZclvNAQZZlzRh1SGqD5wZPdjczkuuHBGA2SEszBcQc_KVPVdJEwiBMmm1oM2K3AWclbPHLmtCz6vY0F3oRduLkO9jlKMFEVaAaeSLx1P4CpmR0Y/s1600/CT7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="127" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0n4Spy9hAdJPXGrY3YTTOIDGtk1bAZclvNAQZZlzRh1SGqD5wZPdjczkuuHBGA2SEszBcQc_KVPVdJEwiBMmm1oM2K3AWclbPHLmtCz6vY0F3oRduLkO9jlKMFEVaAaeSLx1P4CpmR0Y/s320/CT7.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our <em>Charlie and the Chocolate Factory</em> anchor charts were hung as extra decoration.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjQ_doQc0Ti8yLMD8B04wMhkCgwQGcbjUKrC4mdub5bSkwMd_hOP9dpEwxTBwfN24h1h_m_sKk6vBUKDLjJGrCZJN73BewCta_C2jy_eqKIW33871XCGJNzAxp66A6CG8fgNU_yn17pF4/s1600/CT8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjQ_doQc0Ti8yLMD8B04wMhkCgwQGcbjUKrC4mdub5bSkwMd_hOP9dpEwxTBwfN24h1h_m_sKk6vBUKDLjJGrCZJN73BewCta_C2jy_eqKIW33871XCGJNzAxp66A6CG8fgNU_yn17pF4/s320/CT8.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our panel's table with all their rubrics ready to go!<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08375406787613835883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159391543256792307.post-13245300138012378382015-05-07T10:58:00.001-07:002015-05-07T10:58:46.470-07:00Wonka's Chocolate Factory Writing Extravaganza <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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At the end of last summer I came across this amazing 3-D pop up book at my local Ollies. I knew this would be a fantastic unit to use with my class. At $2.99 <strong>HOW </strong>could I pass that up?! What a <strong>DEAL! </strong>I started researching on Teachers Pay Teachers.<br />
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For those of you who may not know, it is a website where teachers create and share lessons and activities they use in their classrooms and get <strong>PAID</strong> for their original ideas. We're always staying up late or after school anyhow making things for our classrooms...this is a great way to <strong>SHARE </strong>our ideas and get a little paycheck as an added bonus! I currently have a store on 3 different teacher resource sites and am loving how this has made me an even better teacher by challenging myself to make something better-exciting-creative-engaging-hands on. <br />
<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Holly-Hawley">{Teachers Pay Teachers}</a><br />
<a href="http://www.teachersnotebook.com/shop/hhawley">{Teachers Notebook}</a><br />
<a href="http://www.syllabuy.co/holly-hawley">{Syllabuy}</a><br />
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Have I lost a great deal of sleep sitting in front of my computer. Yep! Does my husband roll his eyes when I tell him there is a new sale or new seller I fell in love with? Absolutely!<br />
<br />
I found this great writing project where the students actually BUILD the factory while doing a major recall of the main events from the story. They write about the:<br />
<ul>
<li>Chocolate Room- Where Augustus Gloop is overcome with gluttony and falls into the chocolate river and ends up in the pipe.</li>
<li>Television Room- Where Mike Teavee thinks he knows better than Mr. Wonka and ends up shrunken then stretched after being teleported by the television.</li>
<li>Nut Room- Where Veruca Salt finally learns her lesson that she does NOT get everything she wants for a reason and goes down the garbage chute after trying to take a working squirrel.</li>
<li>Inventing Room- Where Violet Beauregard realizes that <em>perhaps </em>always chewing gum is not the greatest idea when she finds herself the color of a blueberry.</li>
<li>Willy Wonka- The crazy inventor himself and why he was in desperate need of a child to visit his factory.</li>
<li>Oompa-Loomas- These little cocoa bean fanatics actually are teaching moral lessons throughout the story.</li>
<li>Charlie Bucket- The little boy who started out with not a penny to his name and became the wealthiest of all because he was of good moral standing.</li>
</ul>
Heidi McDonald is the author and creator of this <strong>AMAZING </strong>project.<br />
<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Charlie-and-the-Chocolate-Factory-Large-Group-Project-Roald-Dahl-88939">{Affiliate Link to Factory Writing Project Click HERE}</a><br />
<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Heidi-Mcdonald">{Link to Heidi McDonald's TpT Store Click HERE}</a><br />
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This project took my students a solid week:<br />
<ul>
<li>creating character anchor charts to help with our juicy writing </li>
<li>of meeting with their team members</li>
<li>discussing what they <span style="color: black;">wanted </span>to write for each section</li>
<li>writing their rough draft</li>
<li>writing conferences with me</li>
<li>rewriting</li>
<li>coloring the poster</li>
<li>assembling</li>
<li>presenting their poster to the class</li>
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This was such a fun activity and I certainly plan on using this again. The kids loved this as their culminating activity to their novel study of <em>Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. </em><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08375406787613835883noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159391543256792307.post-62180997472602241682015-04-30T07:55:00.002-07:002015-05-28T11:16:35.175-07:00Behind the Scenes at the Gemini Theater<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We just had our field trip this week and scheduling and planning our field trip this year has been a nightmare. Thanks to all the wonderful snow this winter our initial field trip was cancelled so we were scrambling to find somewhere to accommodate over 100 second graders. We found this wonderful little theater on the outskirts of Pittsburgh. The Gemini Theater had a wonderful staff that engaged our students and interacted with them during the play. <a href="http://geminitheater.org/">{Click HERE to see the Gemini Theater's website}</a><br />
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The Gemini has a wide range of plays and activities that they offer to children of all ages. They also host a summer acting camp that looks very exciting to future actors/actresses. <br />
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When we arrived each child was able to receive a "magic scarf" that they used during the play. We watched their interpretation of Hans Christian Anderson's <em>The Little Mermaid. </em>The play focused on taking care of the oceans by keeping them clean and sanitary. The actors also touched upon eating healthy to make sure you feel your best! Both were great pieces of advice.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The crab and little mermaid introducing themselves.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The students looking at the scenery.</td></tr>
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After lunch, the students were able to have a crash-course on acting and using your emotions to express different things. We also had a back-stage tour on where the props and costumes were kept and how the lighting affects the stage.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walking along the corridors <em>behind </em>the scenes.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Props behind the stage. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the actors (Ursula) giving us our tour.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A dressing room.</td></tr>
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It was a great cultural and learning experience for the students and they certainly enjoyed their day!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFxAv8vOCSRw42JhcZdKwgG0w1Y5FVgLU1C8Dj1sdt0fjTHpJX0etA7fsF_hnnXle500iK-Yy48WselmJErz2XI_6XMQzGS1BzsgWp21n-Omec0w1Mnzut_KDPEHDMFlwCK1MdQrBQBHs/s1600/field+trip+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFxAv8vOCSRw42JhcZdKwgG0w1Y5FVgLU1C8Dj1sdt0fjTHpJX0etA7fsF_hnnXle500iK-Yy48WselmJErz2XI_6XMQzGS1BzsgWp21n-Omec0w1Mnzut_KDPEHDMFlwCK1MdQrBQBHs/s1600/field+trip+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Acting classes</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08375406787613835883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159391543256792307.post-32960869353714468382015-04-29T11:18:00.000-07:002015-05-28T11:16:47.681-07:00Life Cycles: from egg to chick<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUtWHmpdIr4LjcPWQSVpWC6xwGYP686FAeW4xgF9xq-1uqe9diKpZj-MDorzNhtVYA5mT-K-gF14kB_8V83M09sH8KC6-i8oEnWdSCIAb0ZEtpzt_-xkAA-uveRnMEV-mOKD3g1HFynJU/s1600/chicks+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a> </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO5dA6RyIEosGoMvhmXlRwq3Xg24DOR8-EFQ0ImzBBiaLMEnqUcBQjjlIhnUbmmv2JxJEwFVvcA6p-2EKZTsnaFylTNX2GUioiX0_1i6ua4TsXxjmVhJLN4f4i9D4B7Ax3FE3QTcvjxp0/s1600/chicks++7+-+Copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO5dA6RyIEosGoMvhmXlRwq3Xg24DOR8-EFQ0ImzBBiaLMEnqUcBQjjlIhnUbmmv2JxJEwFVvcA6p-2EKZTsnaFylTNX2GUioiX0_1i6ua4TsXxjmVhJLN4f4i9D4B7Ax3FE3QTcvjxp0/s1600/chicks++7+-+Copy.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Anyone who knows me well enough
knows how much I <b>LOVE </b>teaching science in my classroom! We have been
discussing life cycles in our classroom {frogs, butterflies, bees, sharks, and
chicks}.When I got the go ahead from my principal last fall, I could hardly
wait for spring to come. I think this is my favorite activity this year.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Thankfully I have a <i>very </i>accommodating
principal who encourages me to include science through my teaching! Originally,
I was going to hatch chicks in my classroom. During a recent building move, a
former principal of mine discovered extra incubators. We were able to have an
incubator for each grade level {Kindergarten, First, Second}.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">On my farm, we have 22 laying hens
so I gathered eggs {with the help of my wonderful husband!} for 2 days and
brought in eggs for all 3 grade levels. Since my classroom had eggs laid on 2
different days, we marked them with stars and flowers to keep them straight. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">On the first day we watched a
YouTube video on what was developing inside the egg each day. </span><a href="http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=life+cycle+of+a+chick+youtube&qpvt=life+cycle+of+a+chick+youtube&FORM=VDRE#view=detail&mid=150EC2999E782C6FD961150EC2999E782C6FD961"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">{Click HERE to WATCH}</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> This 3-D video was an amazing way to show the
students what is happening inside the egg each day.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">We tracked the progress each day on
chart paper.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHEQj-WmVyTe4TZTjIlW5YfJXa3ePgpeYiPCvmf8Q9_1BA9-xssB_4x7M5FT5JqRrQoh2UXB80iXe1-HtaFrIGKd37qJfKG5gaae0DDL-DjliRa9-gddN7snsErbFhdFG94CCyITlDA8k/s1600/chicks+10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHEQj-WmVyTe4TZTjIlW5YfJXa3ePgpeYiPCvmf8Q9_1BA9-xssB_4x7M5FT5JqRrQoh2UXB80iXe1-HtaFrIGKd37qJfKG5gaae0DDL-DjliRa9-gddN7snsErbFhdFG94CCyITlDA8k/s1600/chicks+10.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Day 1- <b>tissue</b> develops<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Day 2- <b>heart forms</b> and begins
to beat<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Day 3- <b>blood vessels</b> develop<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Day 4- <b>limb</b> develops (wings,
legs) <b>brain and eye</b> develop<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Day 5- <b>elbow and knee</b> develop<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Day 6- <b>digits</b> form (beak)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Day 7- <b>beak</b> continues to
develop, <b>egg tooth and comb</b> develop<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Day 8- <b>feathers</b> develop and <b>feather
tracts</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Day 9- <b>mouth opening</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Day 10- <b>claws</b> begin to
develop<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Day 11- <b>tail feathers</b> begin
to develop<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Day 12- <b>scales</b> begin to
appear on legs (shank) and feet<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Day 13- <b>eyelids</b> are now
visible<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Day 14- <b>head turns</b> <b>to the
large end of the egg for the air pocket</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Day 15- <b>gut draws</b> into the
abdomen<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Day 16- <b>feathers begin to cover
the body</b> of the chick<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Day 17- <b>head begins to tuck</b>
between the legs<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Day 18- (IMPORTANT DAY: We stop
turning the eggs!) <b>embryo fills space</b>, <b>yolk sac is absorbed</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Day 19- <b>yolk sac draws into the
abdomen</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Day 20- <b>internal and external</b>
<b>pip</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Day 21- <b>hatching</b> begins</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigflcEIKCDBYOzBnh9HIjsvzntv68pqtki4d51gOXb28Pr85a5eWPa5o1_WAMjs9tm7mJMTOgZ5O5RYoZ8BkY9LOEKixwJIz0AXtjbyEtgHZfjlYlVcthu-Aspw9gxNw5i_LGhnnols_8/s1600/chicks+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigflcEIKCDBYOzBnh9HIjsvzntv68pqtki4d51gOXb28Pr85a5eWPa5o1_WAMjs9tm7mJMTOgZ5O5RYoZ8BkY9LOEKixwJIz0AXtjbyEtgHZfjlYlVcthu-Aspw9gxNw5i_LGhnnols_8/s1600/chicks+4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">We purchase the majority of our
supplies from Tractor Supply but of course they can be found elsewhere. These
are the supplies we used in my room to hatch chicks:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<ul type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">sav-A-chick Probiotics and Electrolytes </span><a href="http://www.tractorsupply.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/SearchDisplay?storeId=10151&catalogId=10051&langId=-1&pageSize=&beginIndex=0&searchSource=Q&sType=SimpleSearch&resultCatEntryType=2&showResultsPage=true&pageView=image&searchType=1000&cm_askwd=&autoSuggestURL=AutoSuggestView%3FcoreName%3DMC_10001_CatalogEntry_en_US%26serverURL%3Dhttp%253a%252f%252ftsc-prod-lb01.crossview.inc%253a3737%252fsolr%252fMC_10001_CatalogEntry_en_US%26catalogId%3D10051%26storeId%3D10151&searchTerm=sav+a+chick"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">{Affiliate link Click HERE}</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">gallon jug (I saved an old milk jug)<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">baby chick feeder </span><a href="http://www.tractorsupply.com/en/store/harris-farms-baby-chick-feeder-for-quart-jar"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">{Affiliate link Click HERE}</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Chick Starter food </span><a href="http://www.tractorsupply.com/en/store/manna-proreg%3B-medicated-chick-starter-5-lb"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">{Affiliate link Click HERE}</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">chick water feeder </span><a href="http://www.tractorsupply.com/en/store/harris-farms-screw-on-fount-base-1-qt"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">{Affiliate link Click HERE}</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">incubator (this has an automatic egg turner but is not
necessary to use) </span><a href="http://www.tractorsupply.com/en/store/farm-innovators-pro-series-circulated-air-incubator"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">{Affiliate link Click HERE}</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">fish tank or clear container<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">heat lamp </span><a href="http://www.tractorsupply.com/en/store/producers-pridereg%3B-brooder-lamp-with-6-ft-cord"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">{Affiliate link Click HERE}</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">heat bulb </span><a href="http://www.tractorsupply.com/en/store/producers-pridereg%3B-heat-lamp-r-40-250-w-red-sb-pack-of-2"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">{Affiliate link Click HERE}</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">pine shavings </span><a href="http://www.tractorsupply.com/en/store/tractor-supply-coreg%3B-flake-premium-pine-shavings-covers-8-cu-ft"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">{Affiliate link Click HERE}</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">a few extension cords<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">thermometers<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">and of course...the eggs! (Each room have at least 9,
my classroom had 15.)<o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">**We had success using a desk lamp
with a 60 watt bulb and covering a fish tank with aluminum foil in lieu of a
heat lamp.**<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLvxowGEfNjZ-htcxdQVuK2FjUWwTNXgwGAPvRAlcZw3kvpy_zHv7Rt1mQW3keiN0ts_e32TqckDiV3X5MedmJhNBIRTSjmbGUeCUNXjxJ4-vMH0fJn12fW7wBUw4hWVh8dW0qWKgzr5Y/s1600/chicks+3+-+Copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLvxowGEfNjZ-htcxdQVuK2FjUWwTNXgwGAPvRAlcZw3kvpy_zHv7Rt1mQW3keiN0ts_e32TqckDiV3X5MedmJhNBIRTSjmbGUeCUNXjxJ4-vMH0fJn12fW7wBUw4hWVh8dW0qWKgzr5Y/s1600/chicks+3+-+Copy.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUtWHmpdIr4LjcPWQSVpWC6xwGYP686FAeW4xgF9xq-1uqe9diKpZj-MDorzNhtVYA5mT-K-gF14kB_8V83M09sH8KC6-i8oEnWdSCIAb0ZEtpzt_-xkAA-uveRnMEV-mOKD3g1HFynJU/s1600/chicks+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUtWHmpdIr4LjcPWQSVpWC6xwGYP686FAeW4xgF9xq-1uqe9diKpZj-MDorzNhtVYA5mT-K-gF14kB_8V83M09sH8KC6-i8oEnWdSCIAb0ZEtpzt_-xkAA-uveRnMEV-mOKD3g1HFynJU/s1600/chicks+5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">We read many different books on the
life cycle. Many have beautiful photographs of the stages for the students to
see. We read this book in class. </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Egg-Chicken-Lifecycles-Camilla-Bedoyere/dp/1848352247/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1430242519&sr=8-5&keywords=egg+to+chick+life+cycle"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">{Affiliate link Click HERE}</span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHkb1ODX9uJNDHJHa-t1D9aQQa4Xh-wBuuOwSy3KLgOWSCP-pj_n2RRKnz08rQfT08uavnCRndVngN8MSLBXx4gGKFxylh8iwKdkG13GgjoZDc9S1HcpHGgY_MVQz_yrUZ3a5bMtvouug/s1600/chicks+2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHkb1ODX9uJNDHJHa-t1D9aQQa4Xh-wBuuOwSy3KLgOWSCP-pj_n2RRKnz08rQfT08uavnCRndVngN8MSLBXx4gGKFxylh8iwKdkG13GgjoZDc9S1HcpHGgY_MVQz_yrUZ3a5bMtvouug/s1600/chicks+2.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The students completed a writing
project on what happens during the stages of the chick life cycle. They wrote a
generalization about the beginning, middle, and end. I left the choice of facts
up to each individual student. We added the chick popping out of the shell as a
creative touch and they are proudly on display in the hallway.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The students also learned about the
parts of the egg while it is developing. I created a diagram that was hanging
to use as an anchor chart during the process. I also created a diagram of the
adult hen as another anchor chart.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh98-2XS4mNzbOfsxCXkmwXNNWPShaOFRfpXny_XHQ4Zh3gzL2FxBqzPhuX7Nl5hGGUTF79XUnpoQi1Tr0vQ37nR8XmcGTq1gYM1glpPb2Varopww8SPhLy01dhzQVRB7FQvWUJS2vnIJQ/s1600/chicks++12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh98-2XS4mNzbOfsxCXkmwXNNWPShaOFRfpXny_XHQ4Zh3gzL2FxBqzPhuX7Nl5hGGUTF79XUnpoQi1Tr0vQ37nR8XmcGTq1gYM1glpPb2Varopww8SPhLy01dhzQVRB7FQvWUJS2vnIJQ/s1600/chicks++12.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZHz_RCJzRiX4yVdTWN3inGiRdNjtIPZ9HiKQIob5FT7qgs0uNSm7OrpZIMhlW7fQVtGs_QTxuyeurFLJa_DM3tfbJv30xt3gbGVTLFsuaSbhYy7gOI3dhwnHgbjU5RLlNqCpKSV5Orns/s1600/chicks+11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZHz_RCJzRiX4yVdTWN3inGiRdNjtIPZ9HiKQIob5FT7qgs0uNSm7OrpZIMhlW7fQVtGs_QTxuyeurFLJa_DM3tfbJv30xt3gbGVTLFsuaSbhYy7gOI3dhwnHgbjU5RLlNqCpKSV5Orns/s1600/chicks+11.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">We had <b>SO MUCH FUN</b> during
this entire process. I think this will be one of those activities the students
will remember for years to come. Many students will never be able to have such
a hands-on approach to a life cycle from start to finish. There are so many
different projects and activities that can be used with this project and best
of all it meets CCS for life cycles in 2nd grade! WIN WIN!! We are still waiting for a few more to hatch but so far in 3 grade levels we have 11 chicks!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">What life cycles do you talk about
in your classroom? I'd love to hear!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
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