Organizing and Displaying those Common Core "I Can" Posters

Hi Sweet Friends!

As I type this post, I have only 5 days until I officially report back to school.  Our students begin next Wednesday.   I'm anxiously awaiting my class list for this school year.  I am so excited to find out the sweet little darlings that will be in my class this year!!  

We should receive our list either today or tomorrow.

I wanted to share with you how I organize and display my "I Can" Common Core Posters.  There are so many adorable " I Can" posters offered through many fabulous sellers on TPT.  You can find something to go with any theme in your classroom. 

This year I am displaying my " I Can" Common Core Posters on a large bulletin board display.  Last year I used ribbon and velcro to hang my posters.  It just didn't work for me, so I traded the ribbon and velcro for a bulletin board with those plastic pocket charts from the Dollar Spot at Target.

Here's a peek:

AND a close up:

This bulletin board was so easy to put together.  I added a border that matched my classroom colors and then purchased 5 clear plastic pocket charts from the Target Dollar Spot.  I alternated the colors yellow and red to go with my classroom theme.  Then I printed out my 3rd grade " I Can" Common Core posters and laminated them.    I then placed the standards in the pocket chart that I knew my students would begin working on at the start of this new school year.   

AND then I needed a way to organize my "I Can" posters for easy access to change in and out of my pocket charts.

I purchased this from Wal-mart:

It's a plastic file organizer.

Then I labeled each pocket with the different Common Core Areas and placed my posters in the correct area.

Now I have a very organized place to keep all of my posters.

If you are interested, you can check out my "I Can" Common Core Posters at my TPT store  by clicking on the links to each grade level below the picture.

Common Core " I Can Posters" Polka Dot and Bee Themed

2nd Grade Posters

3rd Grade Posters

4th Grade Posters

2nd Grade Posters

3rd Grade Posters

AND 1 more thing...

Does anyone use a checklist with their students to help them be responsible for the standards that they have learned?   I created a Student Friendly " I Can" Common Core checklist for my 3rd graders.  I place these in a file folder and students keep these in their book box in their team's shelf.  As we prepare for assessments in the different areas, I ask my students to take out these folders and we discuss the standards.  This year, I plan to create some stations for students who are struggling with a particular standard so that they can go to this station and get some extra practice as well as one on one or small group time with the teacher.

Click HERE if you would like to find out more about this product.

I hope to have a 2nd grade and 4th grade Student Friendly Checklist out very soon.

Thanks so much for stopping by!  I would love to hear how you display and organize your Common Core standards.

Enjoy the rest of your week!!

Adjectives, Adverbs, and Articles Oh my!

Hi Dear Friends!

My students have been practicing for their big state assessment next week.

Ugh!  

I've been trying to make it engaging and fun as I can.

I don't think I'm being very successful.

We will all be so happy when this assessment is over next week.  

For those of you taking the Illinois assessments next week, "Best of Luck" to your students.

Amidst all of this assessment preparation, we've been working on adjectives during our ELA mini lessons.  Take a peek at what we've been up to.

1.  Listed below are some fabulous books to read with your students when introducing adjectives.

2.  Adjective Song

Hey Adjectives! by the Grammarheads

( Just click on the picture above to be taken to the YouTube link.)

3. Adjective Gallery Walk

For the adjective gallery walk, I put my students in groups of 4.  Each group was assigned a particular noun.  Their job was to come up with at least 8 adjectives that could be used to describe this noun.  Then each group had to write 8 sentences on chart paper using these adjectives.  When finished, I hung the posters around the room and the students walked around looking at the sentences and identifying the adjectives used.

4.  Adjective Task Cards

I LOVE task cards.  Many times I will post these around the classroom and use as a whole group activity.  My students enjoy the chance to get up out of their seat, and they love using the work mats to record their answers. 

These activities mentioned above and much more can be found in my Common Core Adjective and Adverb Mega Pack *Bundle*.  Click on the preview pics below to find out more.

I'm having a flash sale until 3 pm CDT February 27 on my March to the "Core" Morning Warm-ups. Click on the picture below to find out more. 

Have a great rest of the week!  I just had to leave you with this adorable pic.  We spent one of our snow days at the local indoor swimming pool.  My littlest guy just had to wear his swim goggles.

Friday Fraction Assessment Freebie

HaPpY HaPpy FrIdAy!

It's only been a two day work week for me. I'm kind of liking it!!!

 I have been able to get so much work done around the house.   

We  got our first two snow days of the year this past week.

I'm loving these snow days!!

AND what's the best thing to do on a snow day?.... go shopping.  I know sounds CRAZY, but generally the roads are fine by afternoon.  So I was able to take advantage of one of the snow days and have a mother/daughter day.  I loved this one on one time with my daughter.   With 3 boys in the house (4 if you count my husband) , this time is definitely needed.

I wanted to do a quick post on a fraction assessment I created for my students this past week.  We did get our fraction assessment in on the 2 day school week.  My students rocked it!!!

I used my Common Core Fraction Bundle with my students. 

  For the review I used the Fraction Task Cards and then gave my students the assessment the next day.   You can download this assessment for free from TPT by clicking on the picture below.

Enjoy!  Thanks so much for stopping by and have a fabulous weekend!

I get to visit with my family.  Can't wait!!

President's Day Resources

Okay, I know it's about a month before President's Day but a teacher has to be prepared, right?!

I admit I have this TeRrIbLe OCD compulsion.  I LOVE to be organized.  I stress out if I am not.

Just ask my husband.

Our weeks are so busy shuttling our kiddos to practices, homework, meetings, and oh yeah, my new workout regiment.  

So I spent a few hours researching some ideas for President's Day.  Take a peek at all of these ideas.

1.  Picture Books to use with President's Day

2.  Craftivities

This is a free download from my TPT store.  Just click on the picture above to be taken to the free download.

Take a peek at these ADORABLE Presidential Portraits.  This inspiration comes from Patties Classroom.  Just click on the picture below to check out Pattie's post.

3. President's Day videos

This is a cute song about Washington and Lincoln found on YouTube.  Just click on the picture above to be taken to this link.

This is a YouTube video about the first five Presidents.  Click on the picture above to be taken to this link.

George Washington video on BrainPop.  Click on the picture above to be taken to this link.

Abraham Lincoln video on BrainPop.  Click on the picture below to be taken to this link.

4.  President's Day Lapbook for Bigger Kids
I absolutely adore Lapbooks.  They work so well with the Common Core Standards.  I love to use them as a study guide for our social studies and science units.  I'm working on one for the American Revolution right now.   I just had to create one for President's Day.  I can't wait to use this with my students.

You can find this "President's Day Patriotic Lapbook for Bigger Kids" in my TPT store by clicking HERE or on any of the photos above.

5.  Free resources from TPT
Take a peek at several fabulous and free resources from TPT.  Simply click on each picture to be taken to the free download.

President's Day Printables by Michelle Tomaszewski

President's Day Art Swap by K. Ratliff

President's Day ABC Order by the CrAzY Schoolteacher

I hope these are some helpful ideas for President's Day.   Have a blessed week friends!  It's mid-term this week for my school district so I have papers I need to get to work grading.  I can't believe we are already halfway through third quarter.  This school year is flying by!

And since I LOVE to give away my newest units, the first 3 to comment about an activity they use for President's Day in the classroom will receive my newest unit " President's Day Patriotic Lapbook for Bigger Kids" for free.

Nonfiction text and Animal Habitat Investigative Literacy Unit

Hi Amazing Friends!

I have had a bit of absence from my blogging lately.

I've been enjoying my down time with my sweet family and friends!

I hope you all had an amazing holiday!

Now that our house seems back in order.... all of those new toys have found a place in our children's rooms, I am ready to get back to blogging and creating.    Although as I write this, our entire downstairs floor is littered with Legos, Buzz Light Year, Cabela's trucks, and on and on.  

**Big Sigh**

Teachers in my district go back to school next Wednesday.  This is when my panic sets in every year.  I just can't help it!   Although I've known for several months when the BIG STATE TEST is, I seem to put it out of my mind.  AND then January comes!  I suddenly begin to panic.  Do any of you feel this same way?

So as I've been playing with my kiddos over break and eating WAY TOO MUCH  ( Thank goodness this new fitness plan with my friend doesn't begin until next week.),I've been thinking about IT.  You guessed it... SCHOOL, and how I can incorporate my lessons and units so that I don't feel like I spend these next few months teaching to the test.  Ugh!!! Dislike!!!

When we come back to school, we will be reading several nonfiction texts from our basal reader.  Along with some other great nonfiction texts from Scholastic News and texts I have in my classroom library.  These nonfiction texts are about animals.  In science we will begin our unit on animal habitats.  My goal is to blend these nonfiction texts from our basal with our science unit into a large investigative literacy unit.  I  plan to incorporate the animal habitats and information to create literacy rich stations to use during our reading time that are aligned to the Common Core.

Here are just a few things I will be using with our Animal Habitats Investigative Literacy Unit:

 

This is by Rachel Lynette and is absolutely fabulous!  It can be used with any nonfiction text. Click on the picture above to be taken to the link for more information.

2.  Online resources for research for kids

http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/ 

http://www.kidsbiology.com/animals-for-children.php

http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/sciencefacts/animals.html

3.  Animal Habitat Investigative Literacy Unit for Bigger Kids

I created this unit to incorporate into our reading and writing stations.  This 45 page mega pack comes with 5 different activities that are aligned to the Common Core Standards.  

Included are:

- Animal Habitat Research Project- this project takes you through each step of the research process and includes a rubric for assessing each student's project. - I am incorporating this part of the unit into our writer's workshop.

- Animal Habitat Matching Cards with a Student Work Mat- perfect source of nonfiction text and a great way for students to incorporate what they have learned about animals and their habitats.

- Habitats and Biomes Main Idea Task Cards with a student work mat- Students read nonfiction text about a particular habitat.  Then students must choose the main idea of this piece of nonfiction text.

- Animal Habitat Inference Task Cards with a student work mat-  Students read each set of cards that have nonfiction text with clues about a particular habitat or biome.  Students must make an inference about which habitat the card is  referencing.

-Animal Friends Point of View Postcards-  Students pose as a particular animal from its habitat and must write to an animal friend.  Students must write about the location of their habitat, climate, dangers faced in their habitat, and other animal friends in this habitat.

I'm excited to begin this unit with my students.  I LOVE how our animal habitat unit in science will be easily incorporated with our reading.  We will also be using Rachel Lynette's activities to discuss nonfiction text features.

I would love to hear your suggestions on activities to use with our animal habitats or great nonfiction texts that could be used with our unit!   

AND for the first 3 people who comment with a nonfiction book or kid friendly website  that would be great to use with our animal habitat unit, I will send you my "Animal Habitat Investigative Literacy Unit for Bigger Kids".

Enjoy your down time my friends!!!