tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36678940608290014462024-03-14T12:19:10.323-04:00The Open Door ClassroomErin Morrisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15167515232843013627noreply@blogger.comBlogger99125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3667894060829001446.post-62856895475778450332015-02-21T10:58:00.000-05:002015-02-21T10:58:45.113-05:00Cursive Writing Using the Train-Trace-Try Method!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Cursive writing. Everyone has their opinions on whether to teach it to students or not. My personal opinion is that cursive writing is still important for kids. Even though it probably doesn't need as much emphasis as we've put on it in the past, there are several reasons why kids need to be able to read and write in cursive.<br />
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Here is a <a href="http://time.com/2820780/five-reasons-kids-should-still-learn-cursive-writing/" target="_blank">great article</a> from TIME magazine that discusses 5 reasons kids should still learn cursive writing. Two of the most important reasons, in my opinion, include:<br />
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1. Students need to be able to sign their name on important documents, job applications, and more.<br />
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2. Kids should be able to read cursive writing for a variety of reasons. Letters from grandma, important historical documents, etc.<br />
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Okay, I'm getting off my soapbox now! For the past couple of years, I've been teaching cursive writing to my third graders. I didn't love the way I was teaching it and wished that I had more resources to use with my kiddos. So I started doing some research about the cursive writing verbal paths and other strategies to use with students and then put together a <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/COMPLETE-Cursive-Writing-Pack-Using-the-Train-Trace-Try-Method-1712467" target="_blank">COMPLETE Cursive Writing Pack</a>!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBw__VnZFpJxq10L2CZDifeFfP0CwLlnZU2S-enxQKEpc9PArBlQJuviEt86ZIc97v26gDNo2aZDW4vp0YlyA3_KaS1swmOfztWVUkmejWr2SYGrgVS_g7RiIylQlluJ6Iq6yT8tuvtXw/s1600/Square+Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBw__VnZFpJxq10L2CZDifeFfP0CwLlnZU2S-enxQKEpc9PArBlQJuviEt86ZIc97v26gDNo2aZDW4vp0YlyA3_KaS1swmOfztWVUkmejWr2SYGrgVS_g7RiIylQlluJ6Iq6yT8tuvtXw/s1600/Square+Cover.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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This pack is unique in the fact that it uses a strategy called Train-Trace-Try. I came up with these three words after thinking about how we need to scaffold cursive writing instruction. First, students need to be trained how to form each letter. This is where the verbal paths come in.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUG0Zg6z0B5VyELT6Di423SNOqM825LwqFfjXJsv6HiOBJz7zWulh9stJ5V0JJJlzZ6LC79vpolqeLRi96PwNAx-jSjdDF6SNOH-f6lBtquK3-J8dOoFsxcjN02uAWk-SPAZfaotfFd40/s1600/Cursive-+Train.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUG0Zg6z0B5VyELT6Di423SNOqM825LwqFfjXJsv6HiOBJz7zWulh9stJ5V0JJJlzZ6LC79vpolqeLRi96PwNAx-jSjdDF6SNOH-f6lBtquK3-J8dOoFsxcjN02uAWk-SPAZfaotfFd40/s1600/Cursive-+Train.JPG" height="87" width="320" /></a></div>
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In the train step, students can either trace the letter with their finger or with a pencil but the most important part is that they are saying the verbal path in their head each time they form the letter. Saying this over and over again will help the kids remember the formation.</div>
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In the trace step, students can trace the letter several times.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyx-8iYPSSfe_TCfcCJASuhBQo6bIufWCi3Ab-Hw6bUBv8nP0fSbUxL4ASF3ng_pOddC9h2lsy50UZlEcPA_KBwRq7AqQYBGAYLSEdwCqWEhky4crC0TSfJYW5wQsb1dpIHhnUmryywEo/s1600/Cursive-+Trace.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyx-8iYPSSfe_TCfcCJASuhBQo6bIufWCi3Ab-Hw6bUBv8nP0fSbUxL4ASF3ng_pOddC9h2lsy50UZlEcPA_KBwRq7AqQYBGAYLSEdwCqWEhky4crC0TSfJYW5wQsb1dpIHhnUmryywEo/s1600/Cursive-+Trace.JPG" height="88" width="320" /></a></div>
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I've actually found that it's more motivating to students to use a colored pencil during this step. They can see their writing easier and it's fun to use different colors! I encourage my students to still say the verbal path in their head as they trace the letters.</div>
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The last step on each page is to try. In this step, students will try to form letters and words on their own. This is an important step because the kids learn how to link the letters together to form words.<br />
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You can have your students use a regular pencil or a colored pencil for the step. I especially like the <a href="http://shop.crayola.com/art-and-craft-supplies/colored-pencils/eraseable/erasable-colored-pencils-24-ct.--6824240006.html" target="_blank">Crayola Erasable Colored Pencils</a>. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Y90Sltb_s9du1Uwyjoyu5XCKIZ_ztwt-XtzGdwprD3Rd7D7yzYKKA9Thlx3Ryf7b4utFMlJ2M7foiWWXFIJtvAKkxXaAFChRpN_DZjj4uNtntLs4rMmDd8uvAoPWNOZmDSQqeks0dL8/s1600/Cursive+Picture-+Try.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Y90Sltb_s9du1Uwyjoyu5XCKIZ_ztwt-XtzGdwprD3Rd7D7yzYKKA9Thlx3Ryf7b4utFMlJ2M7foiWWXFIJtvAKkxXaAFChRpN_DZjj4uNtntLs4rMmDd8uvAoPWNOZmDSQqeks0dL8/s1600/Cursive+Picture-+Try.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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Also included in this Cursive Writing Pack are lowercase and capital letter posters to display in your classroom.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfwWFu_00Y3erLQ27vJ4WlzWZ7lutceW_F17Gi1L6r9JqcNQIG410loPGIJEM00EhBsjOy1HmrdGh7rpbNE8_osFvBld2eyn2K1HenT7nGq8PnoPQWcdqOwkMOGbKe7STI6Lr_K4T30IM/s1600/Letter+A+Poster.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfwWFu_00Y3erLQ27vJ4WlzWZ7lutceW_F17Gi1L6r9JqcNQIG410loPGIJEM00EhBsjOy1HmrdGh7rpbNE8_osFvBld2eyn2K1HenT7nGq8PnoPQWcdqOwkMOGbKe7STI6Lr_K4T30IM/s1600/Letter+A+Poster.JPG" height="320" width="293" /></a></div>
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To see what all is included, check out the previews below! If you'd like to grab a copy of this cursive writing pack, click <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/COMPLETE-Cursive-Writing-Pack-Using-the-Train-Trace-Try-Method-1712467" target="_blank">here</a>!<br />
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Erin Morrisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15167515232843013627noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3667894060829001446.post-77663968739227906822014-11-05T20:33:00.001-05:002014-11-05T20:33:43.208-05:00Throw Those Math Key Words Out the Window!Total. Difference. Left. Altogether. You know what I'm talking about. The math key words used to teach kids to solve word problems in math. I can picture a certain poster that I used to use when teaching these key words. It was all cutesy with locks and keys (smiling, of course!) and all the key words that would help you magically get the solution to any word problem. I'm going to challenge you to throw those key words out the window. They're not helping kids even though we have good intentions.<br />
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Think about the following word problem:<br />
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Brandon took 6 baseball cards that he no longer wanted and gave them to Benny. Now Brandon has 10 cards<i> left</i>. How many baseball cards did Brandon have to start with?<br />
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When we think of the word <i>left</i>, we typically associate it with subtraction. In the word problem above, however, addition is the operation that you would need to use to solve the problem. Teaching kids to rely on key words doesn't encourage kids to visualize the problem and think about it's structure. It merely teaches kids to hunt for words and solve without making sense of the problem.<br />
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Here's another example of how key words can be misleading:<br />
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Megan made $25 during the bake sale. Afterwards, she had to pay $5 for renting the table. What is Megan's new<i> total</i> of money earned?<br />
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Again, kids would see the word <i>total</i> and automatically assume that they need to add. However, adding the two numbers together wouldn't give a reasonable answer. This is why we need to get away from using key words and instead focus on the structure of the problem. Acting the problems out and getting kids to visualize the problem is helpful (and fun!) for students.<br />
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In the Common Core standards, teachers are encouraged to teach students the 5 common addition and subtraction situations. I like how this statement focuses on the word <i>situations</i> and not key words. The five common situations include: add to, take from, put together, take apart, and compare. I try to use these terms with my students from the beginning of the year and they are really helpful. Here's a brief explanation of each of the situations:<br />
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<u>Add To:</u> an amount is added on to another<br />
Example- "I have 52 baseball cards. My friend gave me 37 more. How many cards do I have now?"<br />
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<u>Take From:</u> an amount is taken from another<br />
Example- I had 145 baseball cards. I lost 25 of them. How many baseball cards do I have now?"<br />
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<u>Put Together:</u> two amounts are put together<br />
Example- Sam bought 67 baseball cards. Max bought 32 baseball cards. How many cards did both boys purchase?"<br />
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<u>Take Apart:</u> the total amount is taken apart<br />
Example- There are 238 trading cards at the store. 100 are baseball cards. How many are not baseball cards?"<br />
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<u>Compare:</u> two amounts are compared to see how many more or how many less<br />
Example- Walmart has 115 baseball cards. Target has 102 baseball cards. How many more cards does Walmart have?<br />
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If you'd like a free set of posters matching these situations, click on the picture below. Enjoy! (And throw those key words out the window!)<br />
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<a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/5-Kinds-of-Number-Stories-Posters-FREEBIE-945664" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDJ0goh7kKa3yjeHO-IAQdYhPO05_TKdE6NPZzJMIvC06yVhW3u9trgYjaNFT0GvfF6v-Hc4QuiyVbupAU_0SqKM7Jabw1F1COBRro7Snl_v4VZAKX0mEzE9qcHNPF_0FxfiguENPpshg/s1600/Collage.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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<img src="http://i1145.photobucket.com/albums/o517/ec106302/esig.png" />Erin Morrisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15167515232843013627noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3667894060829001446.post-12895660610107011092013-11-12T14:37:00.002-05:002014-01-25T16:22:08.241-05:00Helpful Hints!The teachers of <a href="http://imbloghoppin.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Blog Hoppin'</a> are hosting a week long linky party! I'm so excited to participate in today's linky- H is for Helpful Hints.<br />
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<a href="http://imbloghoppin.blogspot.com/2013/11/h-is-for-helpful-hints-linky-party.html" target="_blank"><img alt="http://imbloghoppin.blogspot.com/2013/11/h-is-for-helpful-hints-linky-party.html" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBOA_KqmsN3Z0cFlgkoIrToZAyJO-QvzsohcepUarZy_FnA_vuv5QVwXTJbdMrmBNagHL4ERIXlsI3ddMUq-hZ4VFEpFlSjqr4BXnPuJsfADYghUbF4nAmldxFCiaQgfr49xspGozoEpE/s320/Linky+Button.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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I've got three helpful hints for you today...<br />
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My students use to always argue over whose turn it was to be on the computer. We only have 3 student computers and 20+ students. I decided to assign each student a computer for an entire day. Each card has the student's name on the front and their individual login information on the back. The cards are hole punched and hooked together with a book ring. Each ring of cards hangs from a 3M hook on the computer. My students know each day whose turn it is for the computers and can even check to see when their next day is going to be. It's also really handy having their login information on the back of their card to eliminate questions, disruptions, etc. So easy!<br />
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Last year, I used one turn-in basket for all of my students' completed work. It was a nightmare! The basket would pile up, I'd have to sort the papers, and I'd get overwhelmed and procrastinate with grading (sound familiar?!) This year, I found this really neat 5-basket organizer from <a href="http://www.reallygoodstuff.com/five-up-organizer/p/157746/" target="_blank">Really Good Stuff</a>. I thought about labeling each basket with the days of the week but decided to organize them by subjects. I have mine organized into the following five categories: morning work, math, word study, reading, and other. This has been such a tremendous help in managing papers to grade. It's not so overwhelming and the papers are already organized at the end of each day. I love it!<br />
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We all know that classroom storage space is limited so we have to get creative when it comes to <strike>hiding</strike> storing all of our materials! An easy way to do this is to use the extra cubby space in your classroom. If you have a couple of empty cubbies, use a piece of fabric and Velcro to cover the extra space. You can store a ton of materials by doing this! Whenever you need something, just pull back the fabric, grab what you need, and velcro the fabric back on. It's so simple and looks cute too!<br />
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Alright, those are my helpful hints for today! Tomorrow I hope to blog about activities that I love to use in my classroom. Be sure to head over to <a href="http://imbloghoppin.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Blog Hoppin'</a> and check out all of the helpful hints being shared!
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<img src="http://i1145.photobucket.com/albums/o517/ec106302/esig.png" />Erin Morrisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15167515232843013627noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3667894060829001446.post-8527101119770342102013-11-04T20:57:00.002-05:002013-11-04T20:57:18.124-05:00Using Trifolds in Guided ReadingDoes anyone else struggle with holding your kids accountable for reading their guided reading chapter books? Or what about keeping them focused on a strategy while reading their assigned chapters on their own? These are two of the biggest issues that I face with my guided reading groups. To help with this problem, I started using trifolds to help keep my kids on track while they went back to their seat to read on their own. These have proven to be really helpful for my kids in so many ways. They now know exactly what to focus on when they are reading, they have opportunities to record their thinking, and we are able to have meaningful discussions about our reading when we meet as a guided reading group again.<br />
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Here are some tips for using guided reading trifolds in your classroom: (I'm not an expert, these are just things that work for me!)<br />
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1. Focus on a specific reading strategy for the majority of the book<br />
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This is something that I've learned over the years while teaching guided reading. Instead of changing the focus every chapter of the book, decide on a specific strategy to use for the majority of the book. This is less confusing for the kids and helps them focus on using the strategy over an extended period of time. Find a book that really lends itself to the strategy/skill that you are teaching. For example, in one of my groups we are focusing on inferring character traits. I thought about which book would really lend itself to teaching character traits and decided on <u>Because of Winn Dixie</u>. In this book, you really get to know the characters and there are lots of different traits that can be used to describe each one.<br />
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2. Explicitly teach each reading strategy/skill before using the trifold<br />
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A great way to do this is to use think-alouds. I love to read books aloud to my kiddos (during our reading workshop minilessons) and think-aloud for my students. It really models the thinking that goes on while reading. Before having the kids practice the skill independently on their own using the trifolds, allow them many opportunities to hear you think-aloud and to discuss their own thinking as a whole group. Once students understand the skill/strategy that you are teaching, you can have them try it independently using the trifolds in guided reading. <br />
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3. Plan for time in your guided reading groups to discuss each student's writing in their trifolds</div>
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Do you have times in guided reading when you ask the group a question (What is a summary of this chapter? How would you describe Winn Dixie?) and all you get is blank stares? Ahhh!! It drives me crazy! These trifolds allow you to have meaningful conversations with your students using the writing that they recorded while reading independently. Instead of the blank stares, students are looking at their writing and sharing their thinking with others in the group. This is so powerful! I always encourage each student to use evidence from the book to support their thinking (see the example below where a student referred to a part in the book and wrote down the page number). This makes discussing each chapter so much easier!</div>
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If you are interested in learning more about using guided reading trifolds, you can check out the product below that includes trifolds for 11 different strategies (character traits, character feelings, inferring, questioning, summarizing, making connections, making predictions, setting, unknown words, visualizing and sequencing). The download also includes posters to use while teaching each strategy. Just click on the picture below to see more views of everything that is included! </div>
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<a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Guided-Reading-Trifolds-and-Strategy-Posters-For-Use-with-ANY-Chapter-Book-958201" target="_blank"><img alt="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Guided-Reading-Trifolds-and-Strategy-Posters-For-Use-with-ANY-Chapter-Book-958201" border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbtF57O-fEwtU9ZRzBLgBRO_2a3xDu5dViA2esJaB2mxSuEpPsDfY1oi_2E2-g6hS4VZ-ciIYBXAcoRlNPTEeBiAo5BIlRSWEbz3_3BUxQbK0f8dSEMPyjUGDCGC0sUH6q7ccJGYt2EAM/s400/Preview.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Erin Morrisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15167515232843013627noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3667894060829001446.post-90717911911623916212013-11-02T11:58:00.000-04:002013-11-02T11:58:03.064-04:00November Currently!I absolutely can't believe that it's November already! I love this time of year and everything that comes with it (well except grade cards). I've linked up with the wonderful Farley at <a href="http://ohboy3rdgrade.blogspot.com/2013/11/november-currently.html" target="_blank">Oh' Boy Fourth Grade</a> for her November Currently. Here's what I am currently up to...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilA5nTXP9IBBCAFHXS_0k6NUpC0xKJU7HE_Ge0KEt0QW688k2M-oJbEXgSqOK4rwyYhIJfGbWaIC_Fcl5zBurM3Vr1maLhWxDdCLC0J8WRqkPsvuj2HTrBjhVsTC3fuvt0riNEqBFs2Co/s1600/November-+filled+in.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilA5nTXP9IBBCAFHXS_0k6NUpC0xKJU7HE_Ge0KEt0QW688k2M-oJbEXgSqOK4rwyYhIJfGbWaIC_Fcl5zBurM3Vr1maLhWxDdCLC0J8WRqkPsvuj2HTrBjhVsTC3fuvt0riNEqBFs2Co/s640/November-+filled+in.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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Listening- As soon as it hits November, I give myself permission to start listening to Christmas music. Anyone else???? I know it sounds crazy but it just makes me so happy =)<br />
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Loving- I NEVER get to sleep in. It seems as though my son wakes up earlier the later he goes to bed the night before. Today, however, was an exception. I couldn't believe it when I looked at my phone and realized it was 9:30. Pure bliss!<br />
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Thinking- I only have two more months to prepare for this little girl! We are so absolutely excited to welcome our little Makenna Grace into this world!<br />
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Wanting- Have you had a three day weekend yet? We haven't and I am DYING for one. I always feel like I just need one more day each weekend.<br />
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Needing- I DESPISE grading papers. I wish I would be better about grading them periodically but I always end up procrastinating right up until grade cards. Oh well!<br />
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A Yummy Pin- Easy No Bake Peanut Butter Bars. These are absolutely delicious! I've made them several times and they really only take a couple of minutes and a couple of ingredients.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjriBhidu_QsIzYufK1vgDo7A3AtdLJZEka0hPz-zRkkN_GyRFVXiqf4O9n83eRYcZjq988wvyoVnUmUNfN07pqFUNk4LgCM-QBUG75oz4M9BM_Wlt6ZwkI2BeD55F7MhnZpsBbYY8zR49w/s1600/No+Bake+Peanut+Butter+Bars.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjriBhidu_QsIzYufK1vgDo7A3AtdLJZEka0hPz-zRkkN_GyRFVXiqf4O9n83eRYcZjq988wvyoVnUmUNfN07pqFUNk4LgCM-QBUG75oz4M9BM_Wlt6ZwkI2BeD55F7MhnZpsBbYY8zR49w/s320/No+Bake+Peanut+Butter+Bars.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Here is the pin from Pinterest: <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/97320041919569838/">http://www.pinterest.com/pin/97320041919569838/</a></div>
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And the website where the recipe came from:</div>
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<a href="http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2012/03/easy-no-bake-peanut-butter-bars.html" target="_blank"><img alt="http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2012/03/easy-no-bake-peanut-butter-bars.html" class=" " src="http://media.sixsistersstuff.com/themes/sixsisters/img/six-sisters-logo-lg.png" /></a></div>
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You will be thanking me for these- they are amazing! Alright, that's it folks! Be sure to check out Farley's <a href="http://ohboy3rdgrade.blogspot.com/2013/11/november-currently.html" target="_blank">linky</a> and see what everyone else is currently up to =)Erin Morrisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15167515232843013627noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3667894060829001446.post-22240243196573837652013-10-27T14:04:00.001-04:002013-10-27T14:04:08.241-04:005 Kinds of Number Stories Posters FREEBIE!Do your students struggle with tackling number stories? This is an area of math that my students always have difficulty with. In the new Common Core standards, it says that students need to be able to solve one and two-step word problems involving situations of adding to, taking from, putting together, taking apart, and comparing. <br />
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To help my students with these problems, I decided to explicitly teach the five types of number stories. I created a poster for each kind and we did a lot of practice identifying the 5 types in various word problems and discussing which operation to use to find the answer. This has made such a difference for my students! Number stories are no longer a mystery for them and they are able to tackle them much more easily.<br />
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If you'd like to grab a copy of the posters that I created, just click on the picture below. They are FREE! I hope the posters help your students as much as they helped mine. Enjoy! =)<br />
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<a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/5-Kinds-of-Number-Stories-Posters-FREEBIE-945664" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkn6nrS4noqyBWGZKvUQJ072i7r7QchNV7AJ1UgMDPGTIWN9DZWra5S4fT8hr-FN9oRF1aII_bu0VA9cpjU2VSXj6_beov7MhFz0AGvaMfOBlcQMS3oDiWHApXBr-11EI8_yZJ4uMy2p8/s400/Collage.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
Erin Morrisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15167515232843013627noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3667894060829001446.post-18176268928987749392013-09-25T19:39:00.004-04:002013-09-25T19:39:30.597-04:00Helping Kids Understand the Three Properties of Addition<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Since this is my first year teaching third grade, this was my first time teaching the three properties of addition- commutative, associative, and identity. I knew I was going to bore my kids (and myself!) if I just stated the properties and expected them to remember the meaning of each one. To make it a little more engaging, I used a pan balance, unifix cubes, and hand motions to explain each of the three properties.</div>
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First up was the Commutative Property of Addition. We discussed the base word in commutative- commute. I explained that my commute to work is the drive back and forth. To help remember that commute meant back and forth, we used the hand motion below:</div>
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After we practiced the hand motion a few times, I used unifix cubes to model how the Commutative Property works. On one side of the pan balance, I placed 3 purple cubes added to 5 black cubes (to represent 3 + 5). On the right side of the pan balance, I placed 5 black cubes added to 3 purple cubes (to represent 5 + 3). </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">3 + 5 = 5 + 3</td></tr>
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I then asked the students if the left side or the right side had more. Everyone agreed that there was the same amount. The kids drew the conclusion that it doesn't matter the order in which you add numbers, you will still get the same amount.<br />
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For the Associative Property of Addition, we also discussed the base word in associative- associate. I explained that associate means to put things together or to group them. I showed them an equation with parentheses and we talked about how the parentheses group numbers together and tell you to add them first. To remember the meaning of associate, we used the hand motion below:<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vtIGOHQM-Nk/UkNhXnKygoI/AAAAAAAADUQ/AXm8g1-wt7E/s1600/IMAGE_323.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vtIGOHQM-Nk/UkNhXnKygoI/AAAAAAAADUQ/AXm8g1-wt7E/s400/IMAGE_323.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Next, I used the pan balance and unifix cubes to model how the Associate Property works. On the left side of the balance, I placed 3 purple cubes on top of 2 green cubes next to 5 black cubes. On the right side, I placed 3 purple cubes next to 2 green cubes on top of 5 black cubes. This represented the equation ( 3 + 2 ) + 5 = 3 + (2 + 5). <br />
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( 3 + 2 ) + 5 = 3 + ( 2 + 5 )</div>
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I again asked the kids which side had more. They agreed that both sides were the same and drew their own conclusion that it doesn't matter how you group numbers together in an addition equation, the answer will still be the same.</div>
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Last up was the Identify Property of Addition. This is by far the easiest to understand and model! The hand motion that we used for the identify property is below:</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ch6m4ZI1DQk/UkNhb_LSClI/AAAAAAAADUY/TaYX8qrG4OI/s1600/IMAGE_324.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ch6m4ZI1DQk/UkNhb_LSClI/AAAAAAAADUY/TaYX8qrG4OI/s400/IMAGE_324.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>
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This helped the kids remember that the Identify Property of Addition means "zero change" to the number. To model this property, I placed 6 purple cubes on the left side of the pan balance. I then demonstrated adding zero more (I used my hands to show that I wasn't adding any more!) I asked them which number should go on the right side of the pan balance to make both sides of the equation the same. They told me that I needed to add 6 purple cubes since the number didn't change. They drew the conclusion that any time you add 0 to a number, the number stays the same.<br />
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I taught this lesson yesterday in math and I was totally shocked to see that they remembered the meaning of each Property of Addition today! They were so excited to show me the hand motions and explain the rule for each one. I really think that using hand motions helps the kids to remember the meaning of each property, which in turn helps them apply it to a math equation.</div>
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On a side note- I really like using the pan balance to demonstrate addition and subtraction problems. All too often, kids assume that one side of the equal sign is the "answer". The pan balance, with a notecard taped to the middle, helps them understand that the equal sign really means "the same as." The first time that they see an equation such as 4 + 5 = 12 - 3, they are totally thrown off! The balance is a great visual to help them understand!</div>
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Erin Morrisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15167515232843013627noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3667894060829001446.post-20781787374521635072013-09-22T13:18:00.000-04:002013-09-22T13:18:18.187-04:00Teaching Students How to SHOW not TELL in WritingI was scared. I felt sad. I was really happy. Do these sentences sound familiar to you? These are the types of sentences my students were writing a couple of weeks ago when explaining how they were feeling in their writing. Now they are writing sentences such as, "My heart started pounding and my palms were sweaty." and "I jumped backwards and threw my arms up in the air!" Their writing is so much more interesting and they are really<em> showing</em> how they were feeling instead of just telling it. <br />
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So how did my third graders make this jump in their writing? Meet my newest unit, <a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Now-Showing-A-Unit-on-Showing-not-Telling-in-Writing-882425" target="_blank">Now Showing... {A Unit on Showing not Telling in Writing}</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrWl6ea-Yx-VPA9kfC18ZIjZXKd49-0qi6FbaPDp63jZK4vQzAWLFXTM7JjH4ojjtl9leg6hXOXpJwQWoqKuq6_904pzd4yO39x7VQ2HdVCuj2k0K3b5iI85ZXmfqyUnOOAuzfBNySshs/s1600/Showing+Vs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrWl6ea-Yx-VPA9kfC18ZIjZXKd49-0qi6FbaPDp63jZK4vQzAWLFXTM7JjH4ojjtl9leg6hXOXpJwQWoqKuq6_904pzd4yO39x7VQ2HdVCuj2k0K3b5iI85ZXmfqyUnOOAuzfBNySshs/s640/Showing+Vs.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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To start off the unit, I showed my kids examples of telling and showing sentences. I asked them which type of sentence was more interesting to read. They all agreed that the showing sentences were more interesting. I then explained that over the next week or two, I was going to teach them how to show not tell feelings in their own writing.<br />
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The first activity that I did with my students is called "Feelings Charades." My students LOVED this activity and it really showed them how to describe a feeling in detail rather than just telling it. <br />
Volunteers in our class acted out different feelings while the rest of the class recorded the body language/actions that they noticed (eg. hanging head, shuffling feet, shoulders hunched, etc.) This game helped my students understand how to "show not tell" a feeling in their writing. They loved acting out the feelings and were begging to do more than the six feelings I had planned.<br />
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After we finished the activity, I gave each student a "Showing Feelings Chart" to add to their writing binder. I explained that they could use this chart as a resource throughout the year if they needed help with showing a feeling. There are twelve different feelings explained on the chart.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NPJV8eKLNXA/Uj7u3aMdZpI/AAAAAAAADN8/btuAzDq0L1o/s1600/IMG_0389.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NPJV8eKLNXA/Uj7u3aMdZpI/AAAAAAAADN8/btuAzDq0L1o/s400/IMG_0389.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Later in the week, I read many Patricia Polacco books to my students and had them listen for examples of "showing not telling." Patricia Polacco has many examples in one book alone. For example, in <u>Chicken Sunday</u>, there are 8 examples of a feeling being shown not told. Each of my students were assigned a different feeling before I read the book (different feelings were typed on cars and passed out to each student). While I was reading, they had to listen for an example of that feeling being shown. If they heard an example, they held up their card and we stopped the story to discuss how Polacco had described it. I love using mentor texts in writing workshop and Polacco's books are always so enjoyable for the students. Three of the books that I used in this unit are:<br />
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<img src="http://ts4.mm.bing.net/th?id=H.4862325028292303&w=144&h=183&c=7&rs=1&pid=1.7" style="height: 183px;" /> <img src="http://ts1.mm.bing.net/th?id=H.4658408615969936&w=158&h=188&c=7&rs=1&pid=1.7" style="height: 188px;" /> <img src="http://ts2.mm.bing.net/th?id=H.4722111531256921&w=211&h=188&c=7&rs=1&pid=1.7" style="height: 188px;" /><br />
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For each read aloud, I've included a chart of the "showing not feeling" examples and the page numbers that they can be found on. Also included in the unit are a brainstorming list, practice pages for students to turn telling sentences into showing sentences, and a recording sheet for students to write down showing sentences that they find while reading on their own. If you'd like to check out my unit on TpT, just click the image below!<br />
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<a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Now-Showing-A-Unit-on-Showing-not-Telling-in-Writing-882425" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinSJZBVcaMTwHaDVZGWuVUgRFTjW4MZxofUng7ps5yuPdesEHFodKWT9ctNyB0mk_HEj8Py37XwtzQa-Fm1L7kLlmb1P24lHNfFSIJHgQ4z4DkpVMg74Ds_VjLSiWxmj5Add2ZHzn_M64/s320/1.jpg" width="247" /></a></div>
Erin Morrisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15167515232843013627noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3667894060829001446.post-36599318903713631722013-09-12T21:30:00.000-04:002013-09-12T21:30:28.065-04:00My Classroom Tour... Finally!I am so excited to share my classroom this year with all of you! Since I am looping with my second graders from last year, I wanted to change up my classroom theme a little bit but didn't want to start completely over again. I spent a ton of time sewing and creating things for my room last year and couldn't bear the thought of not using it.<br />
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I came across Schoolgirl Style's <a href="http://www.schoolgirlstyle.com/2013/04/road-trip/" target="_blank">Road Trip theme</a> classroom décor set and knew that it would be a perfect fit for my third graders. A little more mature but still fun and colorful! I love the way it turned out =) Here are some pics from my new classroom...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmERhWyDJuNnPdMn6U6u_aaVr7KTS797ouumSJLGWw0GAqKRr02qpC5K9VpLXVjwd1N26mALzTQMj9ppV98kxFf_5Q9_qMjp1oDszqWgHyTw7hhkkTH7Sv1s7rmDEu_TSvSQ5dgYI9RWo/s1600/IMG_0319.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmERhWyDJuNnPdMn6U6u_aaVr7KTS797ouumSJLGWw0GAqKRr02qpC5K9VpLXVjwd1N26mALzTQMj9ppV98kxFf_5Q9_qMjp1oDszqWgHyTw7hhkkTH7Sv1s7rmDEu_TSvSQ5dgYI9RWo/s320/IMG_0319.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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In the hallway leading to my classroom door, I wanted a fun welcome message for my kids. I saw this idea on Pinterest {<a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/97320041920770657/" target="_blank">here</a>} and fell in love with the hallway display! The cars were actually very easy to make and Melonheadz had the cutest <a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Faces-combo-pack-by-melonheadz-810444" target="_blank">faces clipart</a> that I used for the little third graders in the cars!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFmW9pKJ_hyphenhyphenWV2Wn4QU_kRbta2VmiQ68ITdQvDCi6ek_q0bHTVOR4ulgZQjPcz7TFohGFBMmsWex1Q5ircgN9euUuFYgB0KADFgKx1SQds16BTw1OeONKXJUm4FNYU3R2-SS1cHnHDO0g/s1600/IMG_0318.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFmW9pKJ_hyphenhyphenWV2Wn4QU_kRbta2VmiQ68ITdQvDCi6ek_q0bHTVOR4ulgZQjPcz7TFohGFBMmsWex1Q5ircgN9euUuFYgB0KADFgKx1SQds16BTw1OeONKXJUm4FNYU3R2-SS1cHnHDO0g/s320/IMG_0318.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Don't you just love pennants?! This welcome pennant is hanging right inside my classroom door.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlzIZ2V8BMhyxNpQDiIBLjOJRJnZ5OlaRnYCa6CFGl6sBxadOCZofgSPgXQcVOJoyCareci8f4kMT8WmzwDCKr-JXtemtJuEf4l6DCiiDYr2jzngKB03kMYsXQuw3aAGyFszegzOuk3fw/s1600/IMG_0299.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlzIZ2V8BMhyxNpQDiIBLjOJRJnZ5OlaRnYCa6CFGl6sBxadOCZofgSPgXQcVOJoyCareci8f4kMT8WmzwDCKr-JXtemtJuEf4l6DCiiDYr2jzngKB03kMYsXQuw3aAGyFszegzOuk3fw/s320/IMG_0299.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I have this funky little corridor right inside my classroom door and wasn't quite sure what to do with it. Since I have a massive hallway display (the cute little cars) I decided that I needed a space to display my students' work. I used ribbon, mini clothespins, laminated sheets of black paper, and road trip nametags to make this display. It is so easy to change out student work using the clothespins!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguP9d_XdsQhBs354x6HRTsms6EuQ0k4H73Ln3iaXXIUyadKMlUC4JRYgyYfiGIEbdUTz7CXxqxmtlXYs3NIWhYBF33ASs52hfeKXrrd1-sreh2FHPxHLxqMcoIrqoBdzugkmJCxC7dfos/s1600/IMG_0301.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguP9d_XdsQhBs354x6HRTsms6EuQ0k4H73Ln3iaXXIUyadKMlUC4JRYgyYfiGIEbdUTz7CXxqxmtlXYs3NIWhYBF33ASs52hfeKXrrd1-sreh2FHPxHLxqMcoIrqoBdzugkmJCxC7dfos/s320/IMG_0301.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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Here is a close up of one of the student work displays. (Please don't mind my reflection in the paper!)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh62lSh3M2ikdOB_oVmPLNtAaEnpUG0aIu2dijvX26EunQXgf2i5CaRvM2fUDOQKsxBa3i9hloGLLZhHMwkdD6d44ayU87oEBbvmX4Te9IoE7hXQuNAGod8P46aBX29GjzNFK8VvAtDm7A/s1600/IMG_0311.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh62lSh3M2ikdOB_oVmPLNtAaEnpUG0aIu2dijvX26EunQXgf2i5CaRvM2fUDOQKsxBa3i9hloGLLZhHMwkdD6d44ayU87oEBbvmX4Te9IoE7hXQuNAGod8P46aBX29GjzNFK8VvAtDm7A/s320/IMG_0311.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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This is the area where I display our daily "I can" statements and anchor charts. I stole the idea for the magnetic curtain rods from Christina at <a href="http://secondgradesugarandspice.blogspot.com/2013/07/easy-and-cheap-anchor-chart-display.html" target="_blank">Second Grade Sugar and Spice</a>. It has worked for me very well so far! I'm always looking for more space to hang anchor charts and this idea was perfect!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYd4smsDZeDVWFrt4icVwRwcUkGGyJuKmau9kygMHCSKmQZmDPInXGGkmzxWYU7kRUS3IWlA-5js7pJVlNSIqhQWvHTV7ovXT5zCiSDQTsjuReBmCM3uqisfy8peowkHBZQMboXKrAXn4/s1600/IMG_0302.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYd4smsDZeDVWFrt4icVwRwcUkGGyJuKmau9kygMHCSKmQZmDPInXGGkmzxWYU7kRUS3IWlA-5js7pJVlNSIqhQWvHTV7ovXT5zCiSDQTsjuReBmCM3uqisfy8peowkHBZQMboXKrAXn4/s320/IMG_0302.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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This year, I'm using a vocab wall instead of a word wall. Each week, I introduce the new vocabulary terms as we learn them and add them to the wall. I refer to the words throughout the week and the kids use them for their vocabulary homework. To make the display, I just used ribbon and Velcro. The Velcro makes it really easy to change out the words each week.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3DQLa3p4gWoAE0z6tq9gqbqDXrrKSiMHE5KtDtqmpNcNGckkeqHqZHnloWprSRAtGgkOFafeJRmWkGqN0y7MIWOn4mu1sPQKACxYNw7_lMToa71Dr1G1TJZGEZ75hoPSOzVQMypM265o/s1600/IMG_0303.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3DQLa3p4gWoAE0z6tq9gqbqDXrrKSiMHE5KtDtqmpNcNGckkeqHqZHnloWprSRAtGgkOFafeJRmWkGqN0y7MIWOn4mu1sPQKACxYNw7_lMToa71Dr1G1TJZGEZ75hoPSOzVQMypM265o/s320/IMG_0303.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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Here is a close up of the vocabulary cards. Each card has the term, definition, and illustration of the word.<br />
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I wanted to keep the lanterns that I used in my classroom last year, but wanted to put a new twist on them. In Schoolgirl Style's décor set, there are postcards from all 50 of the states. I decided to name each table a different state using the postcards. My kiddos LOVE being called to the carpet by their state!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj08es8MN_acfr1UeSohNepidmtap9IHNuKcpM6DmfD-hGIqx5UwOHMPLqHGQmqc4BsNJpm-2lQgdDw1q7i_KOuVqHLTzhyphenhyphenNZItWw84ehzuLjOfkBKyjcwgV6jcBClrebO7U_BN921fYDQ/s1600/IMG_0313.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj08es8MN_acfr1UeSohNepidmtap9IHNuKcpM6DmfD-hGIqx5UwOHMPLqHGQmqc4BsNJpm-2lQgdDw1q7i_KOuVqHLTzhyphenhyphenNZItWw84ehzuLjOfkBKyjcwgV6jcBClrebO7U_BN921fYDQ/s320/IMG_0313.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Okay, I have to admit something here- I went a little crazy over the summer buying chapter books for my classroom! With the transition to third grade (and the fact that most of my students have already read the majority of my books), I figured I needed to add many more chapter books. I found these amazing bins on <a href="http://www.reallygoodstuff.com/chapter-book-classroom-library-bins-primary/p/158252/" target="_blank">Really Good Stuff</a> and filled them up in no time!<br />
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Each student has their own chair pocket this year where they store their data notebooks. On each pocket, I put a license plate with the student's name. They are attached to the chair pockets with Velcro so I can easily switch them out!<br />
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Here is our "Road Trip Through the Writing Process" bulletin board! My students always seem to think that once they write their draft in writing workshop, they are done. Does anyone else hear me on this?! I thought my kiddos could use a visual reminder of the ENTIRE process!<br />
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This is our student computer center. Nothing fancy, but my students LOVE when it is their day on the computer!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNaCVZ1X1tbx6hBRLAfa1keqcFLfVtVAJZS2TX1q4JiCJN2eKLe1GzdNcAbF1VZb0JFX4I4jIwNxO78StYTKkJrIMUQB6I4Kc74CwUmYyAOprJ7MuyHhz26Vi_iZXbC1YorfIay1yXYM8/s1600/IMG_0328.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNaCVZ1X1tbx6hBRLAfa1keqcFLfVtVAJZS2TX1q4JiCJN2eKLe1GzdNcAbF1VZb0JFX4I4jIwNxO78StYTKkJrIMUQB6I4Kc74CwUmYyAOprJ7MuyHhz26Vi_iZXbC1YorfIay1yXYM8/s320/IMG_0328.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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I HATE clutter. So last year, I made this curtain to cover up the last few cubbies that I wasn't using. Behind the curtain, there is stuff shoved everywhere! With very limited storage space, I have to hide things anywhere I can!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-ho0rOb45XETjTiTs-sNatE2182Wrw2tLoNd-okO3qhyphenhyphen2bmW5hIgRrf59x9ltxfFI16iJYALIZBQLdopBoi_rPCCozBzfEsERdnxmn1uWo_3M_35Da04j7ZaZkGjhumU5N1V2B5TlJ8E/s1600/IMG_0329.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-ho0rOb45XETjTiTs-sNatE2182Wrw2tLoNd-okO3qhyphenhyphen2bmW5hIgRrf59x9ltxfFI16iJYALIZBQLdopBoi_rPCCozBzfEsERdnxmn1uWo_3M_35Da04j7ZaZkGjhumU5N1V2B5TlJ8E/s320/IMG_0329.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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Okay, can I just tell you that I am in love with this 5 drawer organizer? One of my biggest issues last year was trying to manage my turn-in basket. It would get so full with papers all mixed up and out of order. This organizer from <a href="http://www.reallygoodstuff.com/five-up-organizer/p/157746/" target="_blank">Really Good Stuff</a> is FABULOUS. Each drawer has a different label (morning work, math, word study, reading, and other). It has really helped me stay on top of grading papers. I couldn't live without this thing!<br />
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Alright, you made it to the end of my tour! I hope you enjoyed checking out my classroom! Erin Morrisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15167515232843013627noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3667894060829001446.post-84229487083852010332013-08-19T16:02:00.000-04:002013-08-19T16:32:36.778-04:00Take a Peek at My Back to School Sale Purchases! {A Linky Party}<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5LBkT-9J1_emdN5afQSWSE5RmMTYu3DnDbCbt-lggON-q6wuDR2xZf-iKnen5Pkw7TE6flSHiO_ill81UlA1zvCU7Lkmn6OQQNCrcbEIN7vtok4Ayr2CW9JrYt4p8dNYGK3r44VgMnkY/s1600/Linky+Button.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5LBkT-9J1_emdN5afQSWSE5RmMTYu3DnDbCbt-lggON-q6wuDR2xZf-iKnen5Pkw7TE6flSHiO_ill81UlA1zvCU7Lkmn6OQQNCrcbEIN7vtok4Ayr2CW9JrYt4p8dNYGK3r44VgMnkY/s320/Linky+Button.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Wow! I just now realized how long it has been since I've posted on this little ole' blog. Between switching grade levels, chasing around a 2 year old, and being 20 weeks pregnant, I decided to take a break from blogging for the summer and try to enjoy all of the new changes in my life! I'm happy to say that I'm back and can't wait to share all about my year in THIRD grade!<br />
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This year, I am looping with my second graders from last year and I couldn't be more excited. I had such a fabulous group of kiddos last year and I get to keep them for another year! I usually get so nervous for Meet the Teacher night but last week when we had ours, it felt like a family reunion! It was great to see all of my kids and hear about their summers. <br />
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Since I'm switching grade levels, I am in need of a lot of third grade resources. So what did I do? Went a little crazy shopping at the TpT Back to School sale! I wanted to share some of my finds with you and I hope that you link up and share yours too! Here's what I snagged:<br />
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<a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/3rd-Grade-Common-Core-ELA-Ultimate-Vocabulary-Resource-317913" target="_blank">3rd Grade Common Core ELA Ultimate Vocabulary Resource</a> by Math MoJo</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghqVOKBECo3vvPk4U1iP_W3NfrpR61yevSeX4Oyg8yaYYF2Bum1-vlJBesRgWlAKUGAz-Qn87V4TUueTIOXti-KlUw-TTBwwAYUpDGWK-63XoMnCxGYe_zgjc4aoZGG9UMOwj49OKLTDs/s1600/Common+Core+ELA+Vocab+Cards.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghqVOKBECo3vvPk4U1iP_W3NfrpR61yevSeX4Oyg8yaYYF2Bum1-vlJBesRgWlAKUGAz-Qn87V4TUueTIOXti-KlUw-TTBwwAYUpDGWK-63XoMnCxGYe_zgjc4aoZGG9UMOwj49OKLTDs/s320/Common+Core+ELA+Vocab+Cards.PNG" width="246" /></a></div>
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This year, I'm using a vocabulary wall to help reinforce all of the new vocabulary terms that we learn in third grade. I've already created math vocabulary cards but just didn't have the time or energy to create the cards for ELA. I went searching on TpT and found this fabulous resource! These cards are going to look great on my vocab wall.</div>
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<a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/3rd-Grade-Language-Interactive-Notebook-Common-Core-aligned-770744" target="_blank">3rd Grade Language Interactive Notebook (Common Core aligned)</a> by Nicole Shelby</div>
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<a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/3rd-Grade-Reading-Interactive-Notebook-aligned-with-the-Common-Core-747538" target="_blank">3rd Grade Reading Interactive Notebook (aligned with the Common Core)</a> by Nicole Shelby</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVKSextqSMhfyGLNTVhlT-MtXjyWl2IzicvvRw4z9j3qAIMC3lFmV-bsemeUDcH3vS0YkFt6qi-WPjodAIRme0Ys3PPHWZGT9YLTV0XmI0NT86lswP0ZSbM396vDmkzaeY8TBVYxV7iCc/s1600/Language+Notebook.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVKSextqSMhfyGLNTVhlT-MtXjyWl2IzicvvRw4z9j3qAIMC3lFmV-bsemeUDcH3vS0YkFt6qi-WPjodAIRme0Ys3PPHWZGT9YLTV0XmI0NT86lswP0ZSbM396vDmkzaeY8TBVYxV7iCc/s320/Language+Notebook.PNG" width="246" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQGAKZRlxRx08j0oTpUAMuFiVM60H3vKPYOdXjDyCWv1RTfCggIqU82O7F9oghrVJgKhDzwV1Af9j50LPiOwQu4UGtzGDiSbKqHszHZJ9d-9ooz5KQU1LIhGAf1gKlY_TsBGUnwnhwNxs/s1600/Reading+Notebook.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQGAKZRlxRx08j0oTpUAMuFiVM60H3vKPYOdXjDyCWv1RTfCggIqU82O7F9oghrVJgKhDzwV1Af9j50LPiOwQu4UGtzGDiSbKqHszHZJ9d-9ooz5KQU1LIhGAf1gKlY_TsBGUnwnhwNxs/s320/Reading+Notebook.PNG" width="245" /></a></div>
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This will be my first year using interactive notebooks in the classroom and I am so excited! Nicole has put a TON of hard work into these notebooks- they are over 100 pages each! I think my students will really like keeping track of everything they are learning in these notebooks. Plus, it will be a great resource for them to refer to throughout the year.</div>
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<a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Math-Camp-In-Grades-34-124473" target="_blank">Math Camp-In Grades 3&4</a> by Math & Science with TLC</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji4QKMvok4mUI22DcGCul9E9JUBD3xzjIeZVZWMRNK898uyawMs7O1dntSI-jvWzxtk1zOjMC-s8TvpxncLOwylHOzfot7yXlunmGitqMeRmZ5az6IKI5dF0VnRV-RBlN1crm9iOYABwQ/s1600/Math+Camp+In.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji4QKMvok4mUI22DcGCul9E9JUBD3xzjIeZVZWMRNK898uyawMs7O1dntSI-jvWzxtk1zOjMC-s8TvpxncLOwylHOzfot7yXlunmGitqMeRmZ5az6IKI5dF0VnRV-RBlN1crm9iOYABwQ/s320/Math+Camp+In.PNG" width="247" /></a></div>
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I can't believe I haven't discovered this wonderful store until now. If you are looking for Math and Science resources, <a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Math-Science-With-Tlc" target="_blank">Math & Science with TLC</a> is the place to go! I'm always looking for ways to make math fun and exciting, and what better way than a Math Camp-In! During a Math Camp-In students hike to math "trail posts" (stations), complete rich mathematical tasks and record ideas in their Camp Journal. The Math Camp-In can be used as a day-long program, a mini-unit in the regular classroom, or as a Family Math Night. How fun!</div>
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<a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Common-Core-Mathematical-Practices-Posters-Primary-794600" target="_blank">Common Core Mathematical Practices Poster Set-Primary</a> by Math Coach's Corner</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHRkLbbldB02Om7rK_-lv_-fKRdMlScHC6q9AErT_aQb9s2NiUIqh98D3QOM57OycCuJv04MH9O9lXP8SmoMTz2jtarxJhMHiUkjKBwLYRxBAsZua2rQu805INc9oQbwpe8vmtLJ7uwv4/s1600/Mathematical+Practices+Poster+Set.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHRkLbbldB02Om7rK_-lv_-fKRdMlScHC6q9AErT_aQb9s2NiUIqh98D3QOM57OycCuJv04MH9O9lXP8SmoMTz2jtarxJhMHiUkjKBwLYRxBAsZua2rQu805INc9oQbwpe8vmtLJ7uwv4/s320/Mathematical+Practices+Poster+Set.PNG" width="251" /></a></div>
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We've had a lot of training recently about the 8 Mathematical Practices. When I saw this poster set, I knew I had to have it! (Plus, the kid-friendly language on each poster helps ME understand the meaning of each mathematical practice!!)</div>
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<a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Gr-3-8-MVPs-in-Math-Common-Core-Mathematical-Practices-196403" target="_blank">Gr. 3-8 MVPs in Math-Common Core Mathematical Practices</a> by Math & Science with TLC</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4FdszxA5GAz-8q-PEDYvWlRqryU0bnr36lMdUexAcAb9bHfpw_P7MeVfWYW35LHXT7MMLc3b7RBgNosqhn3lQXkFX920euf8GdVPT9K8-GB52kkt483yRG3_zXwAlGMarxVNnPoResmk/s1600/MVPs+in+Math.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4FdszxA5GAz-8q-PEDYvWlRqryU0bnr36lMdUexAcAb9bHfpw_P7MeVfWYW35LHXT7MMLc3b7RBgNosqhn3lQXkFX920euf8GdVPT9K8-GB52kkt483yRG3_zXwAlGMarxVNnPoResmk/s320/MVPs+in+Math.PNG" width="246" /></a></div>
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This product is another great resource for using the 8 Mathematical Practices in the classroom. It includes 18 cubes with questions for your students to answer before, during, and after problem solving. These cubes will help give me the language needed to ask open-ended questions in math!</div>
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<a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Shades-of-Meaning-Task-Cards-32-Multiple-Choice-Cards-for-CCS-L5-304760" target="_blank">Shades of Meaning Task Cards: 32 Multiple Choice Cards for CCS L.5</a> by Rachel Lynette</div>
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<a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Vocabulary-Task-Cards-35-Activity-Cards-for-Any-List-357175" target="_blank">Vocabulary Task Cards: 35 Activity Cards for Any List!</a> by Rachel Lynette</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMhaCautaPjNF5gBhsmex-B6owcY1ENRwMvO9UcVNRl5riczbFEMpgAoSeig6HGYBZBVa6YL52We__yUTtF6JDkIJMGFnYzG8gbQRrj5GuBHAPVXmASxLAIuE7_dbazZjLwYRN3Y4aLLY/s1600/Shades+of+Meaning+Task+Cards.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="154" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMhaCautaPjNF5gBhsmex-B6owcY1ENRwMvO9UcVNRl5riczbFEMpgAoSeig6HGYBZBVa6YL52We__yUTtF6JDkIJMGFnYzG8gbQRrj5GuBHAPVXmASxLAIuE7_dbazZjLwYRN3Y4aLLY/s200/Shades+of+Meaning+Task+Cards.PNG" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEhE_V57KEGptUfixfRSSZTTNuFbFjHeLrt6nEK4cqMULgZ8WJdXO_XpOWXPlPBKn81qBcp3iRoaheWB5r_gyjGnBh8naNEC8k6SVKD4MuzZ35ZBWhZx8CMbSMysrcIeDIrDsuwL1LnuI/s1600/Vocabulary+Task+Cards.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="155" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEhE_V57KEGptUfixfRSSZTTNuFbFjHeLrt6nEK4cqMULgZ8WJdXO_XpOWXPlPBKn81qBcp3iRoaheWB5r_gyjGnBh8naNEC8k6SVKD4MuzZ35ZBWhZx8CMbSMysrcIeDIrDsuwL1LnuI/s200/Vocabulary+Task+Cards.PNG" width="200" /></a></div>
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Okay, I'm a little embarrassed to admit that these task cards are the first that I've purchased from Rachel Lynette. I'm so excited to try them out in the classroom! Understanding shades of meaning is such a tricky thing to teach so these should be a huge help.<br />
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Whew.... I think that's it! Link up below and share your goodies from the Back to School sale! I just might have to shop a little more before the sale ends tonight =)<br />
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<!-- end InLinkz script -->Erin Morrisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15167515232843013627noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3667894060829001446.post-3001263467016541332013-05-06T21:13:00.001-04:002013-05-06T21:13:54.732-04:00TpT Teacher Appreciation Sale.... It's Almost Here!!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Erin-Morrison" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicpzHyf-_U8Bv_mz_ye4FoToWFZnC5Kh7OzHl90AYTUo1pjA_hroc8OOojqcV5FHhBUDkkIh1aYtKpQmHLUErm539VCqBJmkZpP_fmjTVr1ShIVrSh5hIdXbIDvhhjsFPpAxT98ldyXek/s320/Large2.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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Happy Teacher Appreciation Week! To show you how much I appreciate your support of my blog and TpT store, I am offering 20% off of ALL products in my TpT store for the big sale! From May 7th through Ma 8th, you can save 28% off by using the discount code TAD 13 at checkout. This is a great time to stock up on end of the year items as well as back to school products for next year! My wish list is full and I can hardly wait to snag all of the goodies that I have been eyeing lately!<br />
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Here are some recent additions to my TpT store:<br />
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<a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Customized-Kindergarten-Common-Core-Standards-Posters-Kid-Friendly" target="_blank">Customized Kindergarten Common Core Standards Posters- "Kid Friendly"</a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN9slwSpuI_PwwHprgD7y0SlB9RfvCP9lpueDVcnshr2YLnzCQptR42G7OMlquhqdQ3ICk328jZIxso4UCjWASgM4XUEAlXNeFXnOeoECcZsHaUwO3y-2_yatwzgcWIc8dBT7rjtEwzk4/s1600/Page+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN9slwSpuI_PwwHprgD7y0SlB9RfvCP9lpueDVcnshr2YLnzCQptR42G7OMlquhqdQ3ICk328jZIxso4UCjWASgM4XUEAlXNeFXnOeoECcZsHaUwO3y-2_yatwzgcWIc8dBT7rjtEwzk4/s320/Page+1.JPG" width="248" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Customized-4th-Grade-Common-Core-Standards-Posters-Kid-Friendly" target="_blank">Customized 4th Grade Common Core Standards Posters- "Kid Friendly"</a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfTIDl93VUulvQaQhUAiMvMVR4_AuewgBCJ3B0wPpHvCi75MiEHfuChYMXS80L-aLSz9bFzwDBDoVbf-e_wTm3iMba5lx4W81Zx110F1C7qGJ7T3_z5Dvq5fPB0LrEZpEW9xFE4LSa6Y8/s1600/Page+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfTIDl93VUulvQaQhUAiMvMVR4_AuewgBCJ3B0wPpHvCi75MiEHfuChYMXS80L-aLSz9bFzwDBDoVbf-e_wTm3iMba5lx4W81Zx110F1C7qGJ7T3_z5Dvq5fPB0LrEZpEW9xFE4LSa6Y8/s320/Page+1.JPG" width="247" /></a></div>
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These posters include "I can" statement posters for ALL Common Core standards along with Science and Social Studies posters specific to your state. If you're anything like me, you'll love having a matching set of posters for all subject areas!<br />
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<a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Mom-You-Couldnt-BEE-Any-Sweeter-A-Mothers-Day-Craft" target="_blank">Mom, You Couldn't BEE Any Sweeter! {A Mother's Day Craft}</a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWEnN0weJJBGombbwAWru0qsK1YBIUd5-JdKlc1M-4DBEhx0ixQ9msVaaST89XZX53UlRFPvIHgU-NeGVLZzQ10YJThyphenhyphenc_PLqouu9pFbEZhsDWj0-W48e3zK0cR-V-JQIajX-jDN70ugU/s1600/Slide1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWEnN0weJJBGombbwAWru0qsK1YBIUd5-JdKlc1M-4DBEhx0ixQ9msVaaST89XZX53UlRFPvIHgU-NeGVLZzQ10YJThyphenhyphenc_PLqouu9pFbEZhsDWj0-W48e3zK0cR-V-JQIajX-jDN70ugU/s320/Slide1.JPG" width="247" /></a></div>
<br />This is a cute and easy craft for your students to make for Mother's Day! Three different message boxes, patterns, and directions are included.<br />
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<a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/This-Year-ROCKED-An-End-of-the-Year-Memory-Book" target="_blank">This Year ROCKED! {An End of the Year Memory Book}</a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhK0xP4XmaeXUZXVFEuNM7G5fVoWwIiB0Dknf3YR7Tzmi8rEYfhmsm6NaCEQklktQ-50Se_Gc0LXJwWtIWRhfw6oH6aSQtKWZGQnYV2RFf1A7vpkagpCt5sukOPe_D4hhUwfpdSeENcCM/s1600/Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhK0xP4XmaeXUZXVFEuNM7G5fVoWwIiB0Dknf3YR7Tzmi8rEYfhmsm6NaCEQklktQ-50Se_Gc0LXJwWtIWRhfw6oH6aSQtKWZGQnYV2RFf1A7vpkagpCt5sukOPe_D4hhUwfpdSeENcCM/s320/Cover.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Celebrate the end of the year with your students using this fun rockstar themed
memory book! There are two different versions provided- one features girl
rockstars and one features boy rockstars. This book is printed like a booklet
and will save you on paper! Just print double sided, fold in half, and staple in
the middle.</div>
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I hope you enjoy the big sale tomorrow and Wednesday! Happy Teacher Appreciation Week!</div>
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<br />Erin Morrisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15167515232843013627noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3667894060829001446.post-53845974469151927932013-04-26T21:33:00.000-04:002013-04-26T21:33:32.670-04:00Five for Friday!<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><img alt="fiveforfriday" height="263" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-xMpHMf6BrJI/UXrqrtykAcI/AAAAAAAASPM/CmvfRk0qIbY/fiveforfriday_thumb%25255B4%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="display: inline;" title="fiveforfriday" width="320" /></span></div>
What a crazy, busy, exhausting, rewarding, and fun week! Whew! I.am.exhausted. There's been a lot going on this week so I'm excited to share my Five for Friday from <a href="http://doodlebugsteaching.blogspot.com/2013/04/five-for-friday-linky-party-april-26.html" target="_blank">Doodle Bugs Teaching linky</a>!<br />
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1. We created a class ABC book of collective nouns. It turned out absolutely adorable! This is the first year that I've taught collective nouns (it's new in the Common Core standards) and I think it's now one of my favorite parts of speech to teach. Who knew that a group of bees can be called an "erst of bees" or that a group of peacocks is an "ostentation of peacocks"?! My kiddos were cracking up hearing all these different collective noun names for groups of animals =)<br />
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2. I finally finished all of my paperwork to renew my teaching license! I'm not sure what it's like in your state, but here in Ohio it is quite a process. I'm sooo relieved to have it all completed and in the mail!</div>
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3. We've been working on 3-digit addition so we played Addition Scoot to practice! I'm going to be honest here and admit that I'd never played "Scoot" before and I had to look up the directions! My students really loved playing the game and it was a great way to get my "active" kiddos up and moving!</div>
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4. Over the past three weeks, my students have each been researching a famous person. I purchased <a href="http://www.oneextradegree.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">One Extra Degree's</a> unit called <a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Wax-Museum-Biographies-Bringing-History-to-Life" target="_blank">Wax Museum Biographies</a> and it is by far my favorite purchase ever! This week we started practicing our speeches and planning our costumes. It made for a VERY busy week but it all got done!</div>
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4. The Wax Museum!!! Today, my students "became" their famous person and pretended to be a statue in a wax museum. The entire second grade participated and we held the museum in the gym. Each student dressed up as their person and prepared a speech to give about them. When someone stepped on their "push" button, they came to life and gave their speech. It was absolutely precious! Listening to my students deliver their speeches made me so proud of all of their hard work. I had tears in my eyes listening to them deliver their speeches so confidently! Below is a pic of us in the gym when it was all said and done!</div>
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What a week! I hope you have a fabulous weekend!</div>
Erin Morrisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15167515232843013627noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3667894060829001446.post-65710224293750583772013-04-18T05:30:00.000-04:002013-04-18T05:30:03.403-04:00Acting Out Adverbs!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;">
In the new common core standards, second graders have to be able to use adverbs correctly in their writing. To be honest, I've never taught adverbs before and was a little worried until I found this little gem of a book:</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51KNmegZrDL._SX240_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="248" id="main-image" rel="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/718KomY49ML._SL1030_.jpg" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51KNmegZrDL._SX240_.jpg" style="display: inline;" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If You Were An Adverb by Michael Dahl</td></tr>
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Not only did this book explain adverbs in terms that my kiddos could understand, but it also had some fun follow-up activities at the end. After reading the book, my kids shared some of the adverbs that they heard in the book and we wrote them on a chart. <br />
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When the chart was finished, we tried out one of the activities in the back of the book. It was such a blast! The game is basically played like charades- one student goes in the hallway while you tell the rest of the class what the adverb is (example: gracefully). When the student comes back in, he/she calls on one volunteer at a time to act out a verb (the guesser gets to choose the verb they want the volunteer to act out). The volunteer acts out the verb but has to do it using the "mystery" adverb. So for example, if they call on a friend and tell them to dance, the volunteer has to dance gracefully. The guesser has to try and guess which adverb is being acted out. My kids had such a great time playing this game- they BEGGED me to play it the next day during our morning meeting time. It was a fun way to get the kids up and moving and learning at the same time! =)</div>
Erin Morrisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15167515232843013627noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3667894060829001446.post-37737448894847987202013-04-17T05:30:00.000-04:002013-04-17T05:30:01.433-04:00Words of Advice Wednesday Linky!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUMEJpUPRQywvE3fEjyy2w_ax7rbuBG9cMFLSw8GNaSziE8RkdcACl9uFlgrJqkeWp8hoe_8riJK0ZbzQ6OunA7EaGszbzwLgK65epBilnNjGIrmTYCXEv6q4zeEvSeMUFX4yJdTAqte0/s1600/Words+of+Advice+Wednesday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUMEJpUPRQywvE3fEjyy2w_ax7rbuBG9cMFLSw8GNaSziE8RkdcACl9uFlgrJqkeWp8hoe_8riJK0ZbzQ6OunA7EaGszbzwLgK65epBilnNjGIrmTYCXEv6q4zeEvSeMUFX4yJdTAqte0/s400/Words+of+Advice+Wednesday.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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It's time for the Word of Advice Wednesday Linky! I got so many great ideas from all of you the last time I hosted this linky, so thank you! Remember, to participate, all you have to do is link up a blog post about an issue that you would like some advice on. Please try to keep the issues teaching/school/student related! After linking up, please visit the person before you and the person after you and do the following:<br />
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1. Read their blog post about an issue that they're having.<br />
2. Think of some <em>meaningful</em> advice that you can give them.<br />
3. Write your advice in the comments section of their post. <br />
4. Feel good knowing that you have helped a fellow teacher! =)<br />
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Here is my issue this week- please help...<br />
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Now that my kiddos are starting to read longer chapter books (yay!), it is becoming more difficult to manage their guided reading homework each night. When I meet with their guided reading group, we talk about the previous reading assignment and then I assign the next chapter or two for them to read before we meet again. The kids are supposed to be finishing up this reading for their 15 minutes of reading homework each night, but many of the kids are forgetting to read. Then, when it's time to discuss the chapter during guided reading, they have no idea what it is about because they didn't read it. Ahhhh!!! I always have to send the entire group back to their seats to reread the chapter and the bring them back again a few minutes later to discuss. I feel like this is such a waste of instructional time, but I'm not quite sure what else to do to help remind them to complete their reading assignment.<br />
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This is where I need your help-- what do you do to make sure that your kids are reading their assigned chapters? Do you do a quick "check-in" the day before you meet with their group? Do you have them reread the chapter before calling them up each time? Please help me out with some ideas- thank you!<br />
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Alright, now it's your turn to link up. What do you need some advice on this week?<br />
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<!-- end InLinkz script -->Erin Morrisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15167515232843013627noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3667894060829001446.post-24962717706547948192013-04-16T21:21:00.002-04:002013-04-16T21:22:11.397-04:00Autobiography Writing Unit<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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My kids finished up their autobiography writing unit last week and I couldn't be happier with how their books turned out! They absolutely loved making these books all about themselves =) We started the unit off by reading different autobiographies and discussing what made them interesting. I then introduced the book that they would be writing called "An Autobiography of Me!" Any time they get to publish their writing in a book form, they are so motivated to write. <br />
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We started by filling out the planning page and then I modeled how to turn their ideas on the planning page into complete sentences in the book. Each book has a table of contents, blank photo boxes on each page, and a caption box for each picture. We also took time to review the different parts of a non-fiction book including the table of contents, headings, captions, photos, etc. I let my students choose whether they wanted to illustrate a picture on each page or whether they wanted to bring in real photographs of themselves. I would say about 90% of my class opted to bring in photographs. It was adorable to see them as babies! <br />
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These books turned out great and were a fun way to learn about autobiographies, non-fiction text features, and writing. If you'd like to check out more about this unit, you can click on the picture below to read more about my "It's All About ME! {A Mini Autiobiography Writing Unit}" on TpT. It includes the planning page, student booklet, autobiography poster, and an editable teacher autiobiography book!<br />
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<a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Its-All-About-ME-A-Mini-Autobiography-Writing-Unit" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzztInpnN4U3ckXz7aDD382NsktpKtD2-p7KVfT5mVjW_EGfl3BZRJo_zO8nIlPx21cmVaZk0ikUNn8lwi-sxJjNPWI55_0WcH2Ncsm2rfnPuKygH3D0csSzfWqJZ8ovKM4W2QfHT8o60/s320/1.jpg" width="247" /></a></div>
Erin Morrisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15167515232843013627noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3667894060829001446.post-36594127659417957382013-04-03T13:56:00.000-04:002013-04-03T13:56:02.758-04:00Words of Advice Wednesday! {A Weekly Linky}<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYW7WucFhp95BYd5njhOba3WF8hL_sq2HK6f9bIF4SqWgQXYxfCo3gWdCiyqx0k9eSQ592o8Tw6vPfUPrOMx4JBF87Ix7cCSldU5kQ0Zk_FHaZPyKpiBRvztwus1vYb3mgSepHLqgwSgc/s1600/Words+of+Advice+Wednesday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" mta="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYW7WucFhp95BYd5njhOba3WF8hL_sq2HK6f9bIF4SqWgQXYxfCo3gWdCiyqx0k9eSQ592o8Tw6vPfUPrOMx4JBF87Ix7cCSldU5kQ0Zk_FHaZPyKpiBRvztwus1vYb3mgSepHLqgwSgc/s320/Words+of+Advice+Wednesday.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I am very excited to start hosting a weekly linky party on my blog called Words of Advice Wednesday! Each Wednesday, you will be able to link up a blog post about an issue that you would like some advice on. Please try to keep the issues teaching/school/student related! After linking up, please visit the person before you and the person after you and do the following:<br />
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1. Read their blog post about an issue that they're having.<br />
2. Think of some <em>meaningful</em> advice that you can give them.<br />
3. Write your advice in the comments section of their post. <br />
4. Feel good knowing that you have helped a fellow teacher! =)<br />
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I came up with this idea one day when I was browsing through teaching blogs and thinking, "Wow, everyone seems to have it so together!" It got me thinking about how much I've learned from teachers sharing what's working in their classrooms, but how great it would be to get advice from other teachers on things that <em>aren't</em><strong> </strong>going so well in our own classrooms? Everyone has such wonderful ideas, so why not share the love?! <br />
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Some possible issues that you may want advice about include: organization issues (how do others organize their guided reading binders), whole school related issues (how do you keep the cafeteria noise level down?), student issues (how do you motivate a student who isn't easily motivated?), etc, etc, etc. As teachers, I'm sure we ALL have things that we would love advice on!<br />
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Alright, I'll go first... here is my issue:<br />
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The turn-in basket. It is a MESS. After 7 years of teaching, you would think that I would've developed some sort of system for collecting and organizing papers that are turned in. Just looking at this basket (next to my desk) gives me anxiety. I keep thinking to myself, "There's got to be a better way!" but I honestly just have no idea. I would love your advice or tips on how to keep your finished work basket manageable. Do you take the papers out each day and grade? (ha!) Do you use some sort of organizing folders for each student to turn their work in? Please share your ideas because I would love to figure out a way to make collecting work more manageable!<br />
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Okay, now it's your turn! What do you need advice on? Link up your blog posts and get ready to receive some great ideas!<br />
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document.write('<script type="text/javascript" src=http://www.inlinkz.com/cs.php?id=259370&' + new Date().getTime() + '"><\/script>');</script><!-- end InLinkz script -->Erin Morrisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15167515232843013627noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3667894060829001446.post-37374257592516461602013-03-26T05:00:00.000-04:002013-03-26T05:00:08.348-04:00Flash Birthday Sale!Today is my birthday and I'm having a hard time accepting that this is my last year in my twenties. I seriously can't believe that I'm going to be 30 next year- I still feel like I'm 22! To make myself feel better about turning the big 2-9, I decided to have a sale at my TpT store =) Today and tomorrow, you can save 20% on ALL of my products! To visit my store, just click on the picture below. Enjoy!<br />
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Erin Morrisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15167515232843013627noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3667894060829001446.post-9915009237307423262013-03-22T17:26:00.003-04:002013-03-24T12:57:05.476-04:00My First Five for Friday!<div style="text-align: center;">
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I'm so excited to be participating for the first time in Doodle Bugs Teaching's Five for Friday! Here are my five things from this week:<br />
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1. At 4:10pm today, I officially went on Spring Break! Thank goodness! I think everyone at this point in the year needs a break. I absolutely can't wait to spend time with my little guy all week. Isn't he just adorable?<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My little Grady</td></tr>
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I'm planning on taking him to the library for storytime, to Buckeye Bounce (a bounce place for kids), and maybe to a pottery place to make something with his little handprints. I don't get to do all of these fun things with him during the week due to work so I can't wait to spend all my time with him!<br />
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2. Today my little sweetie pies surprised me with a birthday celebration! My birthday isn't until next Tuesday, but since it's over Spring Break they wanted to celebrate today. One of my students brought me beautiful flowers and a handmade little turtle- so cute!<br />
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We also had Birthday Cake Oreos- I'd never heard of these before and it's probably a good thing. They are delicious!<br />
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3. Today, we had our "Around the World" day in 2nd grade. It was so much fun! The kids rotate classrooms (there are 4 teachers) and each teacher teaches about a different country. The kids get a passport where they answer questions and color a picture of the country's flag. We also play music and try foods from that country. I taught about Italy so we enjoyed some homemade bruschetta!<br />
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You can check out the <a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Around-the-World-Passport" target="_blank">Around the World passport</a> at my TpT store if you're interested!</div>
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4. On Wednesday of this week, we had a staff meeting about "rich math problems." A rich math problem is engaging, open-ended, and authentic. Kids can work in groups or with partners with any math tools that they'd like. The teacher's job is to facilitate thinking and conversation among the groups- not to lead them to the answer but to help them find their own way. I decided to do a rich math problem at the end of the day and it was FABULOUS! The question that I posed was:<br />
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"There are 52 cookies on 3 plates. When I take 14 cookies away from the first plate, there are still 7 left on the plate. The second plate has 12 cookies. How many cookies were on each of the 3 plates to begin with?"<br />
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I placed several different math tools and materials on the reading table and told my kids that they could use whatever they'd like. They worked in groups of 3 and 4 to try to figure out the answer. It was so interesting to see their problem solving strategies!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I put counters, unifix cubes, plates, cups, napkins, and scrap paper out for the kids to use</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This group chose to use plates, cups, and counters to figure out the answer</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This group used only cups and counters</td></tr>
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This was such a great experience for the kids! I really tried to let the kids work amongst themselves and only help guide their thinking when necessary. The problem was pretty tricky but all 6 groups were able to come up with the correct answer. I will definitely be doing more rich math problems this year!</div>
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5. Yesterday in math, we went on our graphing scavenger hunt around the school. This was the first year we've done this and it was a huge success! You can learn more about it at my post {<a href="http://theopendoorclassroom.blogspot.com/2013/03/making-graphing-practice-fun.html" target="_blank">here</a>}. <br />
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Okay, that's it! Whew... what a week =)Erin Morrisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15167515232843013627noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3667894060829001446.post-79492630743908941642013-03-21T20:32:00.002-04:002013-03-21T20:32:07.359-04:00Making Graphing Practice FUN!We had such a blast in math today! This week, we've been reviewing the different types of graphs and charts- tally charts, bar graphs, picture graphs, and line plots. I wanted to do something fun with my students today because each day this week we've been reviewing a different type of graph and it hasn't been all that exciting. To wrap up what we learned about graphs, we went on a scavenger hunt today around the school for different items. I told them that the custodians wanted to collect some safety data about our school and that we needed to help them out. We needed to find how many fire extinguishers, fire alarms, exit signs, and cameras there were in the hallways. So we grabbed our charts and pencils and headed into the hallway. The kids had so much fun looking for these items around the school. Each time we found an item, we marked it on the tally chart at the top of the page.<br />
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When we returned to the classroom, the kids took the data that we collected and turned it into a picture graph and a bar graph. They came up with their own symbol for the picture graph and decided what the scale would be on the bar graph. I left the graphs pretty basic so that they could fill in the title, scale/key, labels, etc. on their own.<br />
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I LOVE to see the kids get so excited about math! If you'd like to download a free copy of this activity, just click {<a href="https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B8KBVSNwJ2FbcXRVNlR4aWFGeUU/edit?usp=sharing" target="_blank">here</a>}. I hope your students enjoy this activity as much as mine did! Enjoy! =)<br />
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Erin Morrisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15167515232843013627noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3667894060829001446.post-39667141173805743222013-03-18T13:13:00.003-04:002013-03-18T13:13:51.677-04:008 Tips for Getting a Donors Choose Project Funded<br />
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Over the past few years, I've been fortunate enough to have eight projects on <a href="http://donorschoose.org/">DonorsChoose.org</a> fully funded. I can't tell you how much these resources have transformed my classroom and teaching. If you aren't aware of DonorsChoose.org, it is a non-profit organization that allows classroom teachers to request materials for their students. After a project is posted, donors from all over the world can donate from $1 to any amount of their choosing. Some of the materials that my classroom has received include: a new listening center station, books on CD, reading pillows, a classroom carpet, math games, classroom laminator and laminating sheets, math manipulatives, magnetic letters and magnetic boards, and chapter books. It is absolutely amazing how willing people are to help and how generous they are. <br />
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Through my experiences posting and promoting classroom projects, I've learned different ways to help a project become fully funded. Now, there are many other teachers who have had a lot more projects funded (some have even had over 100 projects funded- wow!) so this is just my two-cents! =) Okay, here are my 8 tips for getting a Donors Choose project funded for your classroom:<br />
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<strong>1. Post classroom projects that are $400 and under</strong><br />
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You will have the best chance at getting your project funded if it is under $400. If you need, for example, a new listening center, books on CD, and pillows for your students to sit on, you may want to consider posting the materials in separate projects. You could put the listening center and pillows together in one project and then request classroom pillows in another project. Now, there will be times when you would like to request a larger item for your classroom. Just know that teachers have the best success with smaller projects under $400. <br />
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<strong>2. Create a catchy title for your project</strong><br />
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When donors are scrolling through classroom projects on the website, the first thing they will most likely see is your project request's title. Make it an interesting one that will grab their attention! Instead of a title like "We Need Magnetic Letters" consider a catchier title such as "Letters Here, Letters There, Magnetic Letters Everywhere!" Use alliteration, humor, or sing-songy titles to attract attention to your project.<br />
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<strong>3. Write a great opening paragraph</strong><br />
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Along with your title, you will also want to make your opening paragraph interesting. Donors will see the first 2-3 sentences of your project request when browsing through projects. Just as we teach our students, you want to "hook" the reader and make them want to read on! Some ways to do this include asking a question or using an interesting quote that goes along with your project. For one of my projects, I requested math manipulatives and began with "When was the last time you used math? Chances are, you've used math sometime within the last hour. I want my students to be math problem solvers both in second grade and as they grow into adults."<br />
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<strong>4. Use an interesting picture on your homepage</strong><br />
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Another thing that donors will see while searching through projects is your classroom photo. You want to use a picture that represents your classroom and students. Be careful not to post a close-up picture of your students' faces though. I like to take a picture of my students holding up the letters that spell "Thank You Donors!" This helps donors see that the materials go to a real classroom, with real students, and that we are thankful for their consideration.<br />
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<strong>5. Be the first donation to your classroom project</strong><br />
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I've seen great success when I begin the donations by giving a small amount. This shows donors that you believe the materials are needed enough to donate yourself. Your donation doesn't have to be anything major- even a $5 donation will do! When leaving a comment on the donation page, I always write something like "I donated to this project because I believe my students are worth it! Plus, I know how much these materials will benefit my classroom."<br />
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<strong>6. Use automatic updates with Facebook</strong><br />
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A great way to get your project out there is to connect your Donors Choose teacher account with Facebook. Each time you post a new project, get a donation, or complete a project, it will be automatically posted to your Facebook account. You can do this by going to your account, and turning on the automatic updates with Facebook (at the top of your account page). <br />
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<strong>7. Promote, promote, promote!</strong><br />
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Don't be afraid to promote your project request. At first, I was very hesitant to share my project with my family, friends, and students' families. I still try to be cognisant of how often I promote my project- I don't want to drive anyone away by posting too much. But no one will know about your project if you don't get the word out there! I always send an email to my students' families when a project is first posted and include the link if they would like to make a donation. This makes it very easy for them. After the initial email, I don't send any more but I randomly include updates in my weekly classroom newsletter. I will let them know when we receive a new donation, how far away we are from reaching our goal, and tell them my excitement when a project is fully funded. <br />
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Some other ways that you can promote your project are: on your classroom blog (if you have one), through email to friends and family, and by encouraging others to share your project request with their own friends and family.<br />
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<strong>8. Don't give up!</strong><br />
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If your first project doesn't get completely funded, don't give up! It takes a lot of hard work to get it funded but sometimes, it just doesn't happen. I have had a couple of projects that didn't get completed. It was definitely a bummer but I didn't give up. I waited a little bit and then posted another project. If a project has partial funding when it expires, donors who contributed have two choices. They can give the amount they donated to your classroom in the form of a gift card for your next project or can donate the money towards a different teacher's project.<br />
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I hope these tips have helped give you some ideas on how to get a project funded. Be sure to visit <a href="http://donorschoose.org/">DonorsChoose.org</a> and get a project posted. You won't regret it!Erin Morrisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15167515232843013627noreply@blogger.com1398tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3667894060829001446.post-42067214425075324332013-03-14T15:29:00.002-04:002013-03-14T15:29:59.999-04:00Alliteration with Lucky the Little Leprechaun!<br />
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Yesterday, my kiddos made these adorable leprechauns and wrote a sentence with alliteration about them. They turned out absolutely adorable and look great on the clothesline in our room. Check them out! We first started by making charts of nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs that begin with the letter "L". This was quite challenging but the kids had some great ideas. <br />
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Then, everyone made their own leprechaun, named him, and wrote a sentence about it. They had so much fun!<br />
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Some of their sentences included:<br />
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"Lucy the leprechaun likes to leap over lemons."<br />
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"Lori the loving leprechaun loves to lick lettuce."<br />
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"Leo the leprechaun likes to lick licorice."<br />
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"Lucky the little leprechaun lazily squeezes lemons."<br />
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"Lucy the leprechaun likes to lick lemons."<br />
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"Lilly the leprechaun loves to lock people in lockers."\<br />
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If you'd like to create these lucky little leprechauns, you can purchase it {<a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Alliteration-with-Lucky-the-Little-Leprechaun-A-St-Patricks-Day-Craftivity" target="_blank">here</a>} through Monday for 20% off! Enjoy! =)<br />
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Erin Morrisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15167515232843013627noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3667894060829001446.post-17040390500098900202013-03-12T10:26:00.000-04:002013-03-12T10:44:11.489-04:00Monday Made It!<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
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Just in my own true fashion, I'm posting my Monday Made-It a day late... ha! I am so excited to share with you the new items that I've added to my classroom. Up first is Early Finisher board that I purchased and put together from Shelley Gray. A few weeks ago, I decided that I need some more quality activities for my students to do when they finished their work early. I give them different choices such as buddy read, play on the computer, write in their journal, etc. but I could tell that the kids were getting bored and were becoming off-task. I searched on TpT and found Shelley Gray's amazing Early Finisher Board resource. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this and so do my students!<br />
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If you aren't familiar with this board, here's the idea. There are 7 different sections: read it, do it, write it, make it (my students' favorite!), draw it, solve it, and journal it. The activities in each section stay the same for 2 weeks. When students finish their work early, they can choose an activity from the board to do. Each activity has a strip with directions that they glue into their notebook (these are found in the small pockets). All of the materials needed for the activity are provided in the large pocket on the board. On front of the large pockets, there are direction cards for each activity. These cards have Velcro on the back so that they can be changed out each week. </div>
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This board took some time to put together, but it is totally worth it! My students have never been so motivated to complete their work on time. They can't wait to choose an activity from the Early Finisher board. If you are interested in purchasing this amazing resource, click {<a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/The-Early-Finisher-Board-The-Complete-40-Weeks" target="_blank">here</a>} to go to Shelley's TpT store. This product is such a timesaver!</div>
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My next creation is the 3-Digit Addition Spin game from my <a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Addition-with-All-Types-of-Addends-Common-Core-Aligned" target="_blank">Addition with All Types of Addends</a> resource. Since we are doing a lot of testing this week, I decided to let the kids play math games at the end of the day. Last week, we played Addition Scoop from the packet and my students had so much fun. They loved building their own ice cream cones with 3 addends! This week, I created the 3-Digit Addition Spin game and let my students play it in groups of 4. Each table gets two spinners, each with 3-digit numbers. Each person took turns spinning the 2 spinners and recording the numbers on the recording sheet. Then, they added them together and checked with their tablemates to see if everyone got the same answer. They turn turns spinning and recording until the page was complete! Here are some pics of my kids hard at work...</div>
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It's funny how playing a math game is so exciting to them. They totally forget that they are doing math when they get to use a gameboard, spin spinners, or work in groups. I love it!</div>
Erin Morrisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15167515232843013627noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3667894060829001446.post-52528512765749102152013-03-11T21:41:00.001-04:002013-03-11T21:41:39.836-04:00Green Smorgasbord!This Friday, we are celebrating St. Patrick's Day by having a Green Smorgasbord! Each year, we have this celebration and it is always so much fun. The kids are encouraged to bring a treat to share with the class, but the rule is that it has to be GREEN! Some ideas I give them are celery sticks, jello jigglers, pickles, washed grapes, green rice krispy treats, etc. I am always amazed by the creativity that my students' parents put into these snacks. I had a student one year bring green olives and avocado! If you'd like to have a Green Smorgasbord in your classroom, you can download the letter below to send home to your students' families this week. It's FREE so be sure to snatch it up! Enjoy =)<br />
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Erin Morrisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15167515232843013627noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3667894060829001446.post-62331373553408176042013-03-10T20:20:00.003-04:002013-03-10T20:20:41.488-04:00March Currently... Better Late Than Never!I am sooo not on the ball this month with <a href="http://ohboy3rdgrade.blogspot.com/2013/03/currently-march.html" target="_blank">Farley's March Currently</a>. BUT- I didn't forget! Better late than never, right?! Here's what's going on with me lately...<br />
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Listening- I am in love with Blake Shelton's new song. Have you heard it yet? It is one of those songs that I crank the radio up to whenever it is on!<br />
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Loving- This sunshine is fabulous! I loved having an extra hour of daylight this evening. (Even though I didn't love losing an hour of sleep last night!)<br />
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Thinking- SPRING BREAK! Need I say more?!<br />
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Wanting- I saw this pic on Pinterest and really want to find some cute dresses/skirts like these. They would be perfect for spring and summer. Aren't they so cute?<br />
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Needing- Report cards are no.fun.at.all. I am almost finished with them but of course am procrastinating by blogging instead!<br />
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Like, Love, Hate- So you may have been a little confused with this one! Farley's rule was that you had to think of one word only for like, love, hate and that they all had to start with the first letter of your name. Since my name starts with an E, I had to think of 3 things that I like, love, and hate that start with an E. I had such a hard time!<br />
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<li>Exercise- Okay, maybe I don't really like to exercise, but I do love the feeling that I have when I'm finished! My friend, Casi, and I are going to run a 5K this summer and so I'm trying to get in better shape before then. My husband finished part of our basement and made it a workout room so I'm trying to take advantage of it as much as possible.</li>
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<li>Excellence- About a week ago, our school district found out that we were ranked "Excellent with Distinction" by the state of Ohio. This is based off of our state test scores. Even better was that my school was also ranked "Excellent with Distinction"! This is the highest rating that a school or district can reach so it was a very big accomplishment for all of the students and teachers!</li>
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<li>Eggnog- Haha... I really had to think about this one. I absolutely hate eggnog. Just knowing that there is raw egg in it about sends me over the edge. Ewww!!</li>
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Alright, now that I've shared what's currently going on with me, it's your turn! Just head over to <a href="http://ohboy3rdgrade.blogspot.com/2013/03/currently-march.html" target="_blank">Farley's blog</a> and link up!Erin Morrisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15167515232843013627noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3667894060829001446.post-50761577224115468602013-02-25T20:48:00.001-05:002019-09-20T23:06:00.619-04:003D Landform Maps!My students LOVE making these fun <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/3D-Landform-Maps-4881960" target="_blank">3D landform maps</a> each year. Now let me just tell you- I am always wiped out by the end of the day when we make these- but they really are a blast and so meaningful to make.<br />
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I first put the kids into groups of 3 or 4. Then, they used a landform map in their Social Studies book to sketch where the mountains and deserts are located. This just helps them get a start when they begin painting the plains on the map.<br />
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After they have an idea of where the mountains and deserts are, they paint all of the remaining area green. This shows where the plains are located. (The hills and rivers are placed over top of the green paint in the next few steps!)<br />
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Next, we used blue yarn for the rivers. We obviously didn't add ALL of the rivers but just some of the major ones- Mississippi, Ohio, Missouri, Columbia.<br />
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The mountains were the most tempting item to add to the map! The kids were just about drooling as they glued them down. Just a quick note- if you remove the wrapping before gluing the kisses down, they stick better!<br />
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Marshmallows were used for the hills, gold glitter for the desert (I've used brown rice in the past but the glitter stuck MUCH better!) and goldfish for the oceans.<br />
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Each time the kids added something new to the map, they also added it to the key on the right. Their maps also included a title, compass, labels for the oceans, and a box to sign their names. I am so proud of all of the hard work that my kiddos put into these maps! They were rewarded with some of the extra snacks which they were THRILLED about =) So fun!<br />
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If you'd like everything to make these 3D maps, check out my product below by clicking on the image.<br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/3D-Landform-Maps-4881960" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="768" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQd7eSyuNAnj_i9TIedT8pvc8D8CJO2dgyDNDfVUqPvu_rHuLFWrs-LGyuPR19YVYztIGVTPLVNj_6oJh_K3F_0SEWr067QK4U-MtDFwdcIof2iJolzqGBatuFpRdHSeEXdu-4hCXar3w/s320/Landform+Maps+Cover.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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If you are looking for other engaging landforms resources, check out my <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Lets-Explore-Landforms-and-Bodies-of-Water-550676" target="_blank">Let's Explore Landforms! {And Bodies of Water}</a> unit. This unit compliments the 3D landform maps perfectly!<br />
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Happy teaching!</div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Proxima Nova", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span>Erin Morrisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15167515232843013627noreply@blogger.com53