MIA & Problem/Solution Freebie Game

So I've been missing in action all week - spent the week in the hospital - so not fun. Of course, this is my "haha" for lesson planning all the way to Thanksgiving break the day I went into the hospital. So much for trying to get ahead. I still don't know quite what's wrong, but I am going to try to go back to work on Monday. Hoping all stays well and that I can survive the week until I can get in for a follow up with my own doctor on the following Monday. While I was sick, I apparently picked up some new followers so I am giving away my newest game to the first 3 people who comment below with their name and e-mail so I can send it your way. Made this game up today since I am working on problem and solution in class next week. Thought this would make a fun center game.

 

You can also purchase these at my teachers pay teachers store or my teachers notebook store.

Hope everyone has a great week. :) 

Fall Favorites/ New Item Freebie/ Currently Linky

I love Fall. Even though I live in Florida and fall is just an illusion (especially with the heat and crazy stormy weather we've been having lately), I love the season. I just got my classroom all decorated for fall (the kids love it, but they ain't seen nothing yet - Christmas is even more fun).

Right now I am reading The Kid Who Ran For President by Dan Gutman with my 5th graders. It is on the lower end of the 5th grade Lexile range, but I am finding so much to teach from it. First we have talked about the election process, the rules of government, the ages/rules etc. for the different offices. Second, the book is rich with idioms and figurative language. Then, an unexpected teaching lesson came about. I have a few old copies of the book and bought 17 new ones to make a class set since 17 of my old ones walked away over the summer. Well, interestingly enough the book isn't EXACTLY the same as the original. Names have been changed to protect the innocent or not-so-innocent. LOL Instead of jokes about Arnold "The Terminator", now the jokes are about Chuck Norris. The new book references Google, You Tube, texting, etc., while the old one references calling directory assistance and using a video camera. Why? Well the book was originally published in 1996 BEFORE all that stuff came out. What a great lesson for my kiddos who think that stuff just always existed. We even turned it into a center where they looked up the dates the stuff was invented - and get this - they actually asked to do that! I LOVE it :) SO much better than just reading a boring old textbook story, they are actually diving in and getting to know characters and learn about real life, plus they are developing a love for books.

In keeping with the fall theme, I just made a fall/Halloween/Thanksgiving center at my teachers pay teachers store for the younger grades (2-4) for practicing ABC order, making words, and finish a story prompt. Check it out at here. Comment below - first one to comment favorite fall memory will win a FREE set. PS - I will be holding a 10% off sale on all my fall items and a few others October 8-10 at teachers pay teachers.

Finally, I am linking up with Farley at Oh Boy 4th Grade for her Currently October Linky Party. She has also created a cute set of Currently's for use in your classroom. Check them out at her blog.

Cause & Effect Game Fall/Halloween Edition & Winter Edition

Just created and posted a cause & effect game for use in literacy centers to go with a fall/Halloween theme. These are for sale in my Teachers Pay Teachers store. I hope you enjoy them. I know I am looking forward to using them in my classroom! My kids loved the first cause & effect game I made so I am sure this one will be a hit too. :) Click on the pictures to go to the store.

 

I also made a game using a winter theme with sentences about the snow, Santa, Hanukkah, Christmas, giving gifts, families, and New Year's to engage students while practicing cause and effect. I think my kiddos will really like this one! These are also for sale in my Teachers Pay Teachers store. Click on the pictures to go to the store.

New Stuff / Freebie Linky Party

I am linking up with 2nd Grade Pad in her Favorite Freebie Linky Party.  My favorite freebie I have created is a group of 3 since they all go together. I have made black & white polka dot jobs & classroom numbers, black & white polka dot calendar icons, and black & white polka dot classroom objective signs/labels.

The story behind these is this year our school wide theme was detective and I could not find much to go with it. Plus I was in a car accident in May which left my summer funds pretty depleted. After trolling Pinterest and blogs all summer, I decided to try my hand at graphic design and make my own things for the classroom. I have had a ton of downloads of these items from my teacher pay teacher store.

Hope you can enjoy these items!

So I spent some time this morning making new games for my classroom and that I could put on TeachersPayTeachers.

I have created two new center games working with prefixes and suffixes.

You can download samples of the games or purchase from my store. The games are geared for 3rd-5th graders. The first 3 people to comment below with their e-mail address will get a free copy of my new games.Also, the first 5 new followers will get a copy of these games and one item of their choice of my TeachersPayTeachers store so send your friends on over.

Here's a "snapshot" of the new games. Click on the pictures to go to their pages on my tpt store.

Daily 5 & CAFE

OK, so I have been trolling the Internet this summer (via Pinterest my new, most favorite addiction), and I have come across the world of Daily 5 and CAFE. This is NOT something I have seen implemented in my school anywhere, but I LOVE it. I am looking for comments on those of you who use it, especially in the upper grades on how it works. I "did" centers all year last year (as I have "done" centers every year since I began teaching), but I don't feel it's meaningful. I try to come up with fun, creative centers. I have made many fun, cutesy games that allow them to practice the skill we have been working on, but I love how authentic the work seems to be in the Daily 5/CAFE from what I have seen. Do you still include "games" for practicing weekly skills or computer time? I think I have seen Daily 3 for the upper grades, which maybe would then allow for these others. I have found some wonderful ideas on blogs, but looking for advice. Please post your comments/thoughts here. All suggestions are WELCOMED! Thanks

Book Report of Choice Project

     Another book report project I enjoy doing with my students is the book report project of choice. Students all fill out the same packet which asks them to find publishing information, describe main characters and setting, summarize the main events, identify/illustrate the problem and solution, and write a book recommendation.

    In presenting the book, the project is differentiated in that students select which style they want to use to present:

• Scrappy - make a scrapbook of the main character's life
• Artistic - create a poster showcasing the main events in the character's life
• Dramatic - act out the major events from the book
• Constructive - build a scene using materials of choice
• Choice - students can submit other ideas - most of mine choose to create a Power Point or a Windows Movie Maker file

This is a fun project, because it's always so neat to see what the students come up with for their projects. This is usually the second project my students do during the year.

Click here to get a free copy of the first page.

Click here to purchase my book report project of choice.

Cereal Box Book Reports

     Another fun thing we do in my classroom, is cereal box book reports! However, we add a special twist. Students read a biography about an athlete of their choosing and have to come up with a creative name for their "cereal" based on either what their athlete does for a sport, their name, or the team they play for.
     Students decorate the front of the cereal box with a picture of the athlete in their uniform and with any equipment the athlete would need to play their sport, as well as the cereal name and the athlete's name.

     On one side of the box, they list their athletes' ingredients: this is a listing of facts about the athlete: parents, siblings, date of birth, place of birth, teams played on, current age, awards, etc.
On the other side of the box, students list the "nutritional value" of their athlete. This is something they come up with on their own. EX: 60% determination, 10% great coaching, 20% parental support, 5% faith, 5% practice time = 100% great athlete. On this side, students also glue on their bibliography.

     On the back, students write a four to five paragraph essay in chronological order about their chosen athlete. They are given a research packet to help guide them on finding information and what should go in each paragraph. One of the main parts is about learning how their athlete "gives back" to help others.

     Inside the cereal box, students make "cereal". They use strips of paper to write down the awards and achievements of their athlete.

     On the day of sharing our reports, students get to wear their pajamas and bring in cereal, a bowl, and spoon. (I provide the milk.) This always makes the first big oral presentation of 5th grade a lot more relaxing. Students only share at their table and everyone is having fun eating the cereal so it helps calm down the nerves about oral speaking.

     I started doing this with one other teacher on my team, and now almost all of our 5th grade teachers do this as the first project of the year. Usually, our principal and assistant principal come around and look at all the projects too and listen to some of the speeches which is fun for the kids. Finally, I take pictures of all of them to post for curriculum night next to their projects. Which makes something easy to share too.