Easter Word Hunt

Here are fun Easter Eggs on Amazon if you're interested...

Non-Fiction Animal Report

This is a FREE 'Non-Fiction Animal Report', sometimes called an 'All About' book. I would highly suggest starting this unit by discussing the difference between fact and opinion. 

My class started by picking an animal that they felt they knew a lot about. Next, we wrote down facts about the animal on our graphic organizer. Our school's librarian helped each of my students pick out a book about their animal at the library, and we used the books to write down more facts. 

Next, I used websites like melkids.org, razkids, and epic, to show my kids how to research their topic. We of course added any new information to our graphic organizers. 

  

For the last bit of research, I worked with kids one-on-one to research their topic, with me, at my computer. To hurry the process, I wrote the facts down for them on their graphic organizer. 

Then, we spent a day on each page. I started by showing them how I would start by looking at the facts on my 'Appearance' section and deciding what is the most important. Then, I model by writing my own first page. I end with drawing my picture WITH a text feature ~ labels, a caption, a fun fact, a map... ((I don't do bold words until I'm done writing all 4 pages))

 

The last things we did were the glossary and index, table of contents, and title page, in that order. 

Enjoy! 

Short Vowel Intervention

Upper and Lowercase Matching

Let's hope that by this point in the year our 1st grade friends can all match their uppercase and lowercase letters! This will be a present for our kindergarten friends :) 

Mini Meteorologists

This 52 page packet includes a weather journal for students and teacher pages to explain the activities. There is informational pages for students, experiments, and writing prompts. There are also word/picture cards for your classroom word wall or science area. 

In this journal students will learn about the 4 seasons, thermometers, dangerous types of weather, thermometers, and different types of weather such as - fog, rain, storms, snow....

There are writing prompts and graphs included. 

                                 

                                

                                

Letter Sounds

We're getting close to Christmas Break!! Here is a quick game you can laminate and use with students. This is the kind of thing I love to have my parent helpers do with my kids because it's working on a great skill and it doesn't take a lot of explanation from me! I will also be sending this home with a few students who could use the practice over break. 

Christmas Around the World

Christmas is almost here and it's all my students can think about! Each day, during this last week before the Holiday Break, we are spending some time talking about how different countries celebrate Christmas. This post has a link to my free 'Christmas Around the World' booklet. I've also included some extra ideas on here for some added fun! 

(Click on the picture for a free booklet)

*The United States* 

We're starting in the good old USA. How adorable is this ugly sweater cookie cutter from Michaels?! I rolled out and baked a box of sugar cookies and we used some holiday sprinkles to decorate some ugly, but delicious, sweaters. 

Then we made and decorated a Christmas tree. I found this adorable craft on Pinterest from a website called Krokotak.

(Click on the picture to follow the link)

*Mexico*
The next country on our list was Mexico. 

 We started by reading The Legend of the Poinsettia. (You can click on the pic to take you directly to Amazon)

Then we made these beautiful poinsettia's...

*France*
After Mexico, we moved onto France! In France, they have this really cute tradition where the kids leave their shoes by the fireplace and Santa fills them with little treats. So, while my students and I are completing our booklet page, we leave our shoes in the hallway, and one of my awesome teaching partners fills them with little candies and trinkets I bought at the Dollar Store.


Here is an optional craft from the Website Preschool Crafts for Kids 



*Italy*
When you teach your students about the traditions in Italy, you have to read Old Befana! My students LOVE this book every year!


And here is a super cute La Befana craft to do after reading the book:


*Sweden*
In Sweden, rice porridge is very poplar. One idea would be to make some oatmeal in your crockpot and have kids add toppings to it (I would ask for donations for the toppings - raisins, nuts, cinnamon...)

And get this! Apparently, it's tradition that families watch a Donald Duck Christmas special on TV! Who doesn't like to pop in a movie in the last few days before break!?

Don't believe me? Donald Duck on Christmas Eve


*Germany*
I like to start this lesson with having students write letter to Christkind (a female angel). In Germany, kids leave letter to Christkind on their windowsill and he write back to them. I just write a generic letter back to my students as a whole. 

We then make crowns and join the rest of the school in the singing of Christmas carols. If your school doesn't get together to sing during the last 30 minutes before break (such a nice way to send them off!), then you could carol through the school, through the neighborhood, or just in the classroom. 

Grit

    


((Click on the pic below to download a FREE Grit booklet)) 

How is it almost the 80th day of school?!?

((click on the pic to go to TPT))