Charlotte's Web Task Rotations

I am launching my Reading classes this week with a three week unit on Charlotte's Web.  I will use the book as a springboard to teach my classroom procedures, the development of an interactive notebook, as well as several core comprehension strategies.

Halfway into the unit, I will have my first "Reader's Cafe" day (an interactive, hands-on session connected to our current unit and FOOD).  We will be eating edible spiders to honor dear Charlotte from this classic novel.  :)

I wanted my students to create something meaningful along with the edible spiders.  I am going to make some giant webs in the room, and students will complete task rotations at each "web."  Students will be allowed to choose what order in which they complete the rotations, and will display their completed work within each web.

I couldn't find any task rotations tailored exactly for Charlotte's Web.  So, using the book, Reading in Style (Jackson, Morris, Perini), I created my own task rotation cards (modeling after the sample rotation ideas outlined in the book, page 46).

Feel free to use these cards if you complete a Charlotte's Web unit in your own classroom!

Link to PDF file - 

Charlotte's Web Task Rotations 

Free Resources, Matey!

Yo-ho!

I like to start off with a "theme" in my classroom each year for the first week - just something fun and interesting that helps to "break the ice" without having to complete 50 getting-to-know-you activities.  I like to plan a mini-unit that also helps me to engage my students and assess many aspects of their learning.  This coming school year, I plan to use a PIRATE theme (based on the classic novel, Treasure Island).  I wanted to incorporate various literacy skills (to pre-assess writing, questioning techniques, etc.), and I found $3 junior editions of Treasure Island at Michael's (they have several other great titles - great price).

In order to incorporate the theme, I made some signs for Open House and the first day of school that I can frame/display.  I also plan to have welcome cards (using one of the signs I created), eye patches and some chocolate gold coins on their desks the first day of school.

I have attached the signs hoping that someone else can put them to use as well. :-)  I also created a reader's notebook/journal for the Treasure Island book study we will complete.

I posted some snapshots below and links (at the bottom) to the actual PDF files. 

Click on the links below to download files...

Treasure Island Journal

Pirate Signs

EGGcellent Reading Review

     I wanted to share an EGGcellent review activity I recently prepared for my own classroom.

     This time of year, teachers are usually busy reviewing and revisiting key concepts previously taught.  However, many of these review methods are often dry, and not as engaging and enriching as instructional methods previously implemented throughout the school year.

     So, in an effort to make "review" more exciting for my students, I created this "EGGcellent" review activity.  Using the basic concept of an egg hunt, students will engage in a "hunt" for review items stuffed inside plastic eggs.  Upon opening eggs, students will find small cards that will help them to review genres, main idea/details, point of view, author's purpose, etc.  Students will sort these cards according to strategies, and then work to match cards in an appropriate manner (pairing main idea cards with coordinating detail cards, genre cards with appropriate book titles, etc.).  Students will record their findings and work on a provided response sheet.

     I hope this review activity could serve as a useful tool in someone else's classroom as well.  The content covered in this review is geared for 3rd/4th grade students (aligned with Common Core).

Link to task cards:     EGGCELLENT REVIEW CARDS

Link to directions and posters:  EGGCELLENT REVIEW POSTERS/DIRECTIONS

Link to student response sheet:  EGGCELLENT STUDENT RESPONSE SHEET

Book Frame Labels

     I have HUNDREDS of books in my classroom.  I have had very generous family members/colleagues donate books to my library (especially my mother), I have purchased many on sale at bookstores and yard sales through the years and earned free books from Scholastic Book Club orders.  I also have many of my own books from my childhood.  A large classroom library is a wonderful resource, but it can be very difficult to manage and organize.  After 11 years of teaching, I am still trying to organize the "beast" of my classroom library.  I recently purchased some new shelving and plan to overhaul my current system this week.  I bought frames to place on top of the various shelves I bought, so I made some unique signs for each bookcase.  These signs are mainly for my chapter books/novels only.  I have to work on a completely different system for my picture books. :-)

     I worked hard on these signs and thought I would share them with others who might like to use them in some capacity in their own classroom.  I will frame these, but they could be used as hanging signs, labels, etc.  Enjoy!

Click below for a Word document version!

Book Frame Labels

You Make Our Class Colorful!

     I had an extra long weekend due to a snow day and Martin Luther King Day, so I worked on a few projects with my children.  Since Valentine's Day will be here soon, we worked on their Valentine's Day cards and some little gifts for teachers/classmates.  One project I wanted to attempt was one I had seen online a lot - melting broken crayons using a mold.  It turned out REALLY cute, so I thought I would share so that others could use it to make a gift for their own classrooms or children.

     First, I found a silicone mold at Michael's that was heart-shaped.  Then, I (easily) found broken crayons among my kids' art supplies.  I decided to use red, purple and pink to fit a Valentine's Day theme.  After peeling the papers off, I filled one of the molds about half full with broken crayon pieces. 

     I heated the oven to 250 degrees and baked the mold for around 13 minutes.  Some tutorials suggest baking at 275.  Upon removal, I let the pan cool for around 10 minutes, and then I placed it in the freezer to harden the new crayon.

     After around 30 minutes in the freezer, I removed the mold and the new crayon.  The colors that blended were beautiful!  The heart did crack (which seems to be a common problem).  In the future, I will allow the mold to cool longer before I place it in the freezer, to minimize such a drastic temperature change.

     Next, I wrapped the crayon in a small plastic candy bag, and added a little tag I made using the Martha Stewart CraftStudio App for iPad (it's an AWESOME app - I use it for many school-related projects).  I've included a sheet with the tags in this blog post for your own use!  Check out the finished product below!

Click here to download the pink tag (PDF file)

Click here to download the pink tag (Word file)

It's All Greek to Me!

I recently started a Greek Mythology unit in my classroom.  My students are SO very excited and interested in the ancient Greek gods, goddesses and literary characters.  In order to help promote their excitement, I designed a Greek temple for a classroom display.

    
     I found several resources online, but I highly recommend the following file from Teachers Pay Teachers.  The author has rewritten several greek myths in modern day English (at a 4th/5th lexile level).  My students are loving the myths - and they are excellent tools for close reading strategies (Common Core).

     I wanted my students to summarize each myth, as well as focus on character traits for each mythological character.  So, I created some trading cards that could be bound with a metal/plastic ring, stored in a Ziploc, or glued onto a poster.  I plan to use these to help my students compare/contrast the various characters, revisit and recall the theme of various myths, etc.  I hope that they will be useful to another 4th grade teacher struggling to find appropriate resources in order to teach the Common Core standards regarding Greek Mythology.

     Special credit goes to The LibraryFox on Teachers Pay Teachers for the clip art!

 

CLICK HERE FOR A COPY OF THE GREEK TRADING CARDS!