Kites, Kites, Kites! {With a FREEBIE!!!!!!}

We're gearing up for a fun week in 3rd grade language arts!

This is our last week of switching for classes and I want to do something fun with my ELA kiddos while reviewing writing standards.

So... we're having KITE WEEK!

Tuesday I'm going to show my kiddos how to make a kite and we're going to write our opinions about flying a kite, as well as write our own similes, metaphors, onomatopoeias, and alliterations about kites!

On Wednesday, we'll make paper kites and fly them.  Then my kiddos will write a narrative about their fun time, as well as review the characteristics of narratives with this fun book:

Thursday (our last day of switching), my kiddos will write their own kite how-to paragraphs... either how to fly a kite or how to make one.  I'm also going to assess on idioms and writing dialogue with quick assessments from my Snapshots packs.  I've LOVED LOVED LOVED using these half page assessments as quick checks to make sure my kiddos have maintained their skills as we've learned them throughout the year!  We usually do a grammar and comprehension Snapshot every Friday.  They are super quick, easy to grade, and give me a great indication about students' progress on standards.  Love them!

On Thursday, kiddos will also be able to use my crafting supplies to make their own symmetrical kite in their kite booklets {keep reading more info on the booklet!}.

I've done kite making every year and it's a huge success... and they really fly!

Friday is a huge event at my school called... the community picnic!  It's just what it sounds like... a picnic for our school community.  We'll have a bouncy house, inflatable obstacle course, and other fun things to do.  Our book fair is also going on and there will be hot dogs and chips for everyone.  It's such a fun, positive day!

For the kite fun, we're going to make this book {instructions and a printable for making student kites}... just print, cut, and staple on the lines.  We're going to add streamers to the back when the booklets are done!

Don't forget to leave some lovin' if you enjoy the freebie!

How are you winding down your school year?  Anything fun planned?  Our last day was supposed to be May 29... but, thank you Polar Vortex!  Our year now goes until June 5!

What We've Been Doing, Writer's Notebook WINNER, and a Sunny Saturday FREEBIE!

It's been a busy busy week in Room 108!

Check out what we've been doing...

We've been brushing up on character traits and motivation.  We met in small groups and used our "Character Traits" Thoughtmarks and passages from Readworks.org to find PROOF to support our thoughts about character traits...

We also practiced character traits with these pages from my "Character Traits:  Match it!  Prove it!" pack...

Can you read what they say?  The kiddos were given a character trait at random and had to read the scenario.  Then decide how a person with that particular trait would react to the situation.  I LOVE this activity.  It really forces kids to think about how having a certain trait would cause a character to react in a certain way.  They all know how they would react and this makes them think about how one's personality causes them to respond to challenges.

Anyway- I loved the third one... what would you do if you were disrespectful and (the jist of the story is...) you received a birthday gift you didn't like.

My friend wrote, "I would say no and throw it on the floor and stomp on it and punch him in the face because I did not like it and it is not a good video game".  I love the first one too... what would you do if you were grouchy and a storm was coming and your little cousin was afraid?  This dearie wrote, "I would tell him to go outside and see if it is storming and if it's not, I would yell, 'If it's not storming, then don't worry about it!'  Why?  Cause I'm tired of listening to him whining about his fear of storms though I'm scared of storms too!".

My kiddos really got into it and LOVED sharing their responses!

We also took a break and did this cute writing project... Denise at Sunny Days in Second Grade posted a similar project on Instagram and I just had to do it with my class!  So, I downloaded Ashley Hughes' free sunglasses clipart on TpT and this was born...

Did you know you can use a HOT GLUE GUN to stick papers on cinder block walls??????  That's how these puppies are stuck!

Keep on reading and you may find a freebie related to this project!

And... WRITER'S NOTEBOOK GIVEAWAY WINNER!!!!!!!  I posted these last week and have had such positive feedback from buyers, wish-listers, and my friends who proofed these packs for me!  I'm going to leave them on sale for $2.50 off for the rest of the weekend if anyone would like to take advantage of that!

Thanks to everyone who entered to win their choice of the 1-2 pack or the 3-5 pack!  The winner is...

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Congrats, Tania!  I'll be sending you your choice of Writer's Notebook packs!

And, if you didn't win but would still like a freebie, click the picture below to download the sign we hung with our "Looking Forward to Summer" writings!

That is all, friends!  Have an enjoyable Memorial Day weekend!

Ultimate Writer's Notebook GIVEAWAY!

Did you see my Ultimater Writer's Notebook for grades 3-5 that I posted last week?  Click the pic if you missed the post!

Well, I've added a grades 1-2 friendly version of the product on TpT!  From today until Friday, you can enter to win your choice of the 1-2 or 3-5 pack!

Click either pic for more info and enter using the Rafflecopter below!

Winner announced this weekend... and both packs are on sale until the end of the giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Using Hula-Hoops: Part 2 {A Bright Idea!}

It's that time again... BRIGHT IDEAS LINK UP!

Last month I shared about how we use hula-hoops in my room to designate personal space:

Did you know you can also use them to make super engaging VENN DIAGRAMS???!!!

Here are my sweeties sorting pictures in an activity my student teacher did a few weeks ago...

This year I taught an after-school program on Wednesdays.  One of the last weeks, we read two articles on bees.  I have each group of students 2 hula-hoops and nine strips of paper.  To compare and contrast the information in both articles, students had to write differences and similarities on the strips and place them in the spots on the hula-Venn diagram.  They loved it!

So, if you have some hula-hoops, they aren't just for recess!

Check out these other great bright ideas by clicking to the blogs below and keep up to date with me by clicking my social media icons under my header!

An InLinkz Link-up

Interactive Writer's Notebook {New!... Yay!!!}

It's almost Friday!  I'm getting ready to eat a bagel on the couch with my backpack for sure!  {Who knows what I'm talking about?!}

I just put the finishing touches on an ULTIMATE Writer's Notebook pack and we've been using the resources to help us review what we've learned in writing this year.  I can't WAIT to start using this on Day 1 in the fall.  My kiddos are loving this so much, they are asking to stay in at recess to add pieces we aren't using right now so that they can work on these over the summer!

Over 100 pages with "Teach Me" pages to help direct instruction and then "My Turn!" pages for students to practice each skill... from general writing conventions/grammar to opinion, informational, how-to, and narrative writing!

Lots of flap books and other opportunities for students to interact with their writing!

Check it out on TpT!

I'd love to know what you think!

Do You Want the Good News First or the Bad News?

I'll give you the bad news first... TpT is having some technical difficulties right now and it's difficult to make a purchase!

The good news is, TpT is AMAZING and they are extending the sale for an extra day due to the technical difficulties they are having!  Yay!  One more day to save 20% at loads of great shops AND get an extra 10% off by using the checkout code!  Hooray!

Some of my goodies I'm recommending are...

Quick assessing...

Lots of writing practice...

Homework motivation...

My FAVORITE!  "Thought"marks which are bookmarks with a purpose!

Easy, easy, easy... cute, cute, cute... and something for everyone!

These have saved me this year... I spend less than 5 minutes each week getting my newsletter ready!

Happy EXTRA DAY OF SHOPPING!

HUGE HUGE File Update!!! {Please Download the Pretty New Version!}

I love passing out awards in class... I pass out a few every Friday and it's a weekly tradition that my kiddos look forward to all week long.  I firmly believe that it is important to teach kids to celebrate the successes of others... not only that, but when I pass out awards on Friday, it gives me a chance to dote on a student for something he/she has done during the week and the other kiddos get to hear and vicariously learn the desired behaviors!

Anywho... every year I also do a big awards giveaway at the end of the year... but it's sometimes hard to come up with awards for everyone.  Problem solved!  A few years ago I made a pack of fillable End of the Year awards.  They were so cute and I loved them so much...

But, the pack just got a HUGE update and looks SO much better!

If you own my "End of the Year Awards", please go to TpT and re-download them.  The new pack is editable in Powerpoint so you can use your own favorite fonts/colors/sizes to type in students' names!!!!

Click the pick to head over and check them out!

Will the Real Ben Franklin Please Stand Up? {3rd Grade Wax Museum}

The past month has been an exciting time in 3rd grade... we've been researching, writing, and prepping for our 2nd annual Wax Museum!

Each 3rd grader chose a historical figure to research and become for our Wax Museum Open House, which we did on Friday for about an hour during school.

After researching their chosen person, each 3rd grader created a timeline of their person's life and wrote a speech as that person.  They were responsible for coming up with a costume, *hopefully* memorizing their speech, and we had an Open House on Friday where families and other students came to listen.

It was pretty amazing!

Check out these pictures from our day...

These are my Presidents... George Washington, Theodore Roosevelt, Ulysses S. Grant, Abraham Lincoln, and George W. Bush!

Amelia Earhart...

Betsy Ross...

Neil Armstrong...

Sacajawea and Pocahontas...

George Washington Carver, Davy Crockett, Johnny Appleseed, and Dr. Seuss!

And... the most realistic Ben Franklin ever (aside from the actual Ben Franklin!)

We LOVE Wax Museum... can't wait for next year!

And... did you see this???

Save 20% at my store and get an EXTRA 10% when you use the code TPTXO!