Grammar OCD

National Grammar Day is March 4, 2012 - it's a day to speak and write well and help others do the same. Check out the website www.nationalgrammarday.com to read grammar myths, funny typos, and links to other grammar sites. Free classroom materials for all grade levels!

P.S. Please don't check this post for grammar errors.

Simple Machine for the Builder

Simple Machines Set from Lego? Are you kidding me? Where was this when I was teaching third grade! Third graders and Legos go hand-in-hand. Visit LEGOeducation.us for more information!

The Countdown to Christmas

Rediscover the magical train ride to the North Pole. Visit www.polarexpress.com for suggestions on using the book across the curriculum - games, activities, discussion guides, and a Christmas countdown calendar.

Concept of Counting

A Great Way to start to learn to skip count!

Alpha Oops! H Is for Halloween

Halloween can only start with H, no matter how the ABCs normally go! The misbehaving alphabet has it's own Halloween story. Click on title link to order!

Read for the Record

On October 7, 2010, read Ezra Keats' The Snowy Day and help set a record for the most people reading the same book on the same day. The book can be read for free at wegivebooks.org. For every copy read, the Jumpstart organization and We Give Books will donate a book to a child in need.



Register your class today!

National Drop Everything and Read Day

The goal of National Drop Everything and Read (DEAR) Day is to make reading together a regular part of every family's daily routine. The event is celebrated on April 12, the same day children's author Beverly Cleary was born. Host a DEAR event in your classroom on April 12, then make it a daily event. You can find free reproducible activities by clicking on the posting title.

Now's The Time

to enter a contest for your school to win a visit from author Jan Brett and take a look at her newest book, "The Easter Egg." For more information about this and other contests - such as to win lunch on the Jan Brett tour bus (which is totally the cutest tour bus EVER), an Easter egg hand-painted by the author, or a copy of "The Easter Egg" for your school - click on the posting title to go to www.janbrett.com - click on "Contests" to learn more!

Curiosity Day

Honor author, H.A. Rey - who along with his wife Margret, authored the Curious George series, by holding a "Curiosity Day" this fall in your classroom. You can prepare to celebrate the famous monkey's natural inquisitiveness by clicking on the posting title and downloading a free event kit which includes a planning calendar, book lists, games, coloring pages, decorating ideas, and much, much more!

First Day Book

In this picture book, "Amelia Bedelia's First Day of School," Amelia hops on the bus and later glues herself to her classroom seat - on the very first day of school!

Download a free teaching guide to all the Amelia Bedelia books by clicking on the posting title.

Read Across America Day

March 2, 2009, is Read Across America Day (an NEA project). For the latest information, details about events happening around the country, booklists, a resource kit, and more, visit the site attached to the posting title. Happy Reading!

Celebrating 40 Years

March 20, 2009, is Very Hungry Caterpillar Day!



Click on the posting title to be directed to a site where you can request an activity kit to share Eric Carle's classic story with your students. The activity kit includes: 40th Anniversary Poster, Reproducible Activities, Temporary Tattoos, A Happy Anniversary card to send to Eric Carle, and curriculum connections for the classroom. There are also links for activities that go along with other books published by Penguin.

Elf Glyphs

My plan was to post more often with this blog! I thought for sure I'd have the time to research topics and come up with ideas, pull from my archives - but I find myself taking this from a friend's blog - thank you Rebecca! My December post is long over due and classrooms are running out of time!

You can find the patterns and rules to make your elf glyphs at www.mathwire.com. Send along an email of your finished projects if you decide to do them!

Eric Carle's a Blogger

How exciting! Click on the posting title to check it out!

Fact and Opinion

Another "Mailbox" Idea

Turkey Fact or Fiction
They know he's usually the center of attention on Thanksgiving, but what else do your students know about Tom Turkey? Create a fact vs. fiction game with the facts below. Cut out 20 feathers from construction paper. Write one fact on each feather. Program each of the remaining eight feathers with false statements about turkeys; place them in a box. Place the box of feathers at a center and create an answer key. Have a student pick a feather, read the sentence, and place the fact feathers in one pile and the fiction feathers in another.

Turkey Facts:

Male turkeys are called toms.
Female turkeys are called hens.
Young turkeys are called poults.
The long piece of loose skin hanging beneath the turkey's lower jaw is called a wattle.
A tom's beard is a tuft of stiff feathers on his breast.
Many domestic turkeys have white or light-colored feathers.
Wild turkeys have brown or bronze-tipped feathers.
Wild turkeys usually weigh only about ten pounds.
Only wild turkeys can fly.
Wild turkeys rest in trees at night.
Turkey eggs are tan with brown specks.
Turkey eggs are twice as big as chicken eggs.

ELECTION IDEAS

Duck for President

Read Duck for President by Doreen Cronin with students. Suggest that the class have an election for a new boss of the barnyard. Have students recall the different types of animals in the story; then list the animals on the board to identify election candidates. Over a few days, encourage each youngster to make a poster for his favorite candidate and ask each of several students to tell the group why he thinks his chosen candidate is the best. On a designated day, have each youngster vote for his favorite candidate by secret ballet (ballot pattern). Count the votes with students and record the results on the board. (If there is a tie, determine how to resolve it with student input.) Declare the top vote-getter the boss of the barnyard.

Election Day Song
(sung to the tune of “Down by the Station”)

The day for elections
Is early in November.
It’s always on a Tuesday,
When people vote.

See the voters at the polls,
There they can cast their ballots.
Vote! Vote! Count! Count!
See who wins!

Presidential Characteristics

Aside from citizenship and age requirements, political candidates must possess certain qualities. Have students brainstorm what these must-have attributes are. Honesty? Objectivity? Global awareness? Calmness under pressure? Have the class vote to reduce the list to ten characteristics. Then have each student individually rank each item in the list in the order of its importance. Tabulate students’ opinions for each separate trait. Then divide students into groups to graph the results on posters, creating a presidential profile.

New Release

We're decorating cupcakes here today!

What Fear?

"The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything," by Linda Williams

This story works perfect for an interactive read aloud! In the story, an old lady walks home one night and is followed by shaking clothing, amongst other things. Everything that follows her ends up being the perfect makings of a scarecrow. Bring in articles of clothing that match up with the story and encourage your students to wiggle and shake their props as the story is read again, or retold by another student.

Click on the Posting Title for a link to a Readers' Theatre that goes along with the story as well or check out this post reading activity that encorporates Science.

FIVE SENSES REPORT
Under each heading, list at least three words to describe a forest:
Sights
Sounds
Smells
Colors
Tastes

Use the words in a five senses report

The forest is (color)_______________________
It sounds like____________________________
It tastes like_____________________________
It smells like_____________________________
It looks like______________________________
It makes me feel like_______________________

Walk to School Day

International Walk to School Day - October 8, 2008
This day encourages students to exercise and communities to create safer walking and biking routes. For ideas on how to organize an event, promotional materials, and more, visit the link that is attached to the posting title!

E-Mentoring Program

Free for Title 1 Schools
In2Books is an e-mentoring program that pairs students with adult pen pals to correspond about books they read. New to the site is Student Place, which is designed to help students choose books they would like to read based on genre, reading level, and more. It's all for grades 3-5. Visit the site attached to this posting title to learn more.