Rawr!!!! It's a dinosaur! Nothing gets little ones excited quite like a unit on dinosaurs. We studied dinosaurs for two weeks and then we flipped the classroom for our DINO DIG DAY! Our students rotated through 5 stations and got to see what it was like to be a paleontologist. So FUN! To build excitement before we started the unit I brought in this huge egg and told the students that my dog found it in our backyard. We talked about the size and appearance of the egg and I had ... continue reading...
Search Results for: label/Dinosaurs
RAWR! Dinosaurs and Paleontologists!
Oh, my gosh Y'all! We have had so much fun learning about Dinosaurs! The week before our unit started my dog found (wink, wink) this egg in my backyard. We made inferences about what we thought was inside it based on its appearance. The kids noticed that, "it looked really old" and that it was "Huge". We charted their guesses on the chart below. I told them that I had peeked inside the egg and that I already knew what was inside it. I gave them one clue at a time and we made the ... continue reading...
RAWR! Dinosaurs Unit
To view all of the fun filled learning ideas and activities that we did from my Dinosaurs Unit click HERE and HERE to see our charts, pictures and activities. Here are a few new activities that we did this year.... We read, Can I have a Tyrannosaurus Rex, Dad, Can I please? and wrote what we would do if we had a T-Rex. I want a T-Rex so he can take me to the movies. He would pick me up from school. He would clean up my room. (I love all the labels she ... continue reading...
Dinosaurs, a Freebie and Instagram, Oh, my!!!
Woot! Woot! I LOVE our Dinosaur unit. We started our unit last week. Here are a few pictures of some of the things we do during this unit. We start with a HUGE paper mache egg. I give clues about what's inside and the kids make inferences. Student inference sheet. RAWR!!!!!! While they are at specials a Tyrannosaurus Rex hatches! Schema chart in progress... One of our chit chat morning messages. Student journal ... continue reading...
How to Start Teaching Writer’s Workshop in Kindergarten & First Grade
Do you struggle with how to get started? Writer's Workshop in kindergarten and first grade classrooms is one of the most powerful components. In Writing Workshop in kindergarten and first grade, students are encoding words that come from their thoughts and feelings, which is a much easier skill than decoding. Successful writers become successful readers! So, how do you get started? The answer is simple. Just jump right in!! I usually start at the beginning of the ... continue reading...
Oceans of Fun!
I got up bright and early this morning and drove 2 hrs. in search of the perfect wedding dress for my daughter Taylor. SUCCESS! But, I'm one tired mamma so this is going to be a super quick post! We just started our ocean unit. Nothing gets boys excited more than sharks! (okay...maybe dinosaurs...but they still LOVE sharks too). We used interactive writing to label the parts of a shark. Comparing sharks and whales. Schema Chart Writing ... continue reading...
Teaching with Versions of Goldilocks and the Three Bears Story
23 Versions of Goldilocks and the three bears stories. Read various versions of this classic story. Have fun comparing these fractured fairy tales. 23 Versions of Goldilocks and the Three Bears Story We all know and love this classic story. It is so fun to read different versions of Goldilocks and the Three Bears story. Whether you're comparing and contrasting or just reading them for fun, students are sure to enjoy these fractured fairy tales. #1 Goldie and the Three Hares by ... continue reading...
Chapter 10 Tone: In Pictures and In Words
Chapter 10 Tone. You know the expression, "It's not what you say, it is how you say it." Tone is an important part of composing. Katie Wood Ray says, "...tone refers to the overall blend and intensity of color, light, and shade in a picture, all of which evolve an emotional response." She goes on to say, "When speaking, people use the tools of volume, pitch, gesture, and intonation to set the tone." Illustrators and writers must be able to set the tone visually. Carl's Nose is a funny ... continue reading...
Engaging Readers: Getting it ORGANIZED!
Hey There! Happy Hump day! We've had a few questions about how we organize our new Engaging Readers units so I thought I'd do a quick blog post to show you! These are the supplies I used to organize mine. I used a 1" binder sheet protectors Binder pocket (one pocket holds all four books) ziploc baggies Clear packing tape Printables for the spine and fronts of sheet protectors click HERE to get yours. First, I put our cutie patootie cover (thanks to ... continue reading...
FREE Spine Labels for Binders: Getting Organized!
This is a throwback post that I did awhile back about getting our Guiding Readers units organized. Since this post, I've had quite a few requests to make matching spine labels for the Writing and Math units. So HERE YOU GO! Sorry, it took me so long! We also have a Free Year-Long Curriculum Map for Kindergarten and First Grade. (Scroll to the bottom of this post to grab the map and spines) If you want to read the throw back post carry on! If not, Happy Organizing. ... continue reading...
Leonardo the Terrible Monster Reading Lesson Plans for K-1
Leonardo the Terrible Monster reading comprehension lesson plans with student response activities. Print and teach lessons to engage your students in reading! Leonardo the Terrible Monster This story by Mo Willems is one of my favorite stories to read, especially in October around Halloween. If you are not familiar with this book, it is about a monster named Leonardo. Leonardo is not a scary monster, no matter how hard he tries! He does some research and thinks he finds the perfect little ... continue reading...
Common Core Standards Organization and Wishy Washy!
I've had a lot of questions about how I organize my Common Core Standards and Essential Questions. I display them on posters which are hot glued to ribbon. The standards are attached with velcro so that they are easy to change in and out. (Please excuse the bad picture above. The standards shown are from the 1st grade set. Notice that the clipart images match the standard and that the essential question clipart also matches. This helps the little ones who can't read understand the ... continue reading...
The Gruffalo Lesson Plans | Reading Comprehension for K-2
The Gruffalo lesson plans for K-2. Engaging 5-day lesson plans with differentiated reading response, vocabulary, sentence study, and a craft for this fun story! The Gruffalo A clever mouse outsmarts some woodland animals who want to eat him with the story of a Gruffalo. Little does he know, a Gruffalo is real and loves to eat mice. Your students will love this award-winning story! Through our engaging lesson plans students will strengthen their reading comprehension skills and have fun ... continue reading...
Inferring with Primary Students: The Case of the Missing Toy Sack
Inferring with Primary Students: Christmas Inference Detectives Activities for Kindergarten and First-Grade Inferring with Primary Students: Kindergarten and First-Grade Inferring is an important comprehension skill for young readers to have and I love giving them lots of practice with this skill. We infer each week with the story we are reading, but I also like to give them opportunities to infer outside of the text. Inferring is just putting clues together and using that voice inside ... continue reading...
25 Back to School Read Alouds for the Primary Classroom
25 Back to school read alouds to pick up and share with your primary students to calm their nerves and create a few laughs. Back to School Read Alouds Are you getting ready to go back to school? Maybe planning the first week of school? Then this list of back to school read alouds is just what you need! You and your class are sure to enjoy these lesson-learning, diversity-filled, alphabet-listing, and just plain fun, read alouds during the first few weeks of school. #1 The King ... continue reading...