Back To School Paper Bag Projects

Have you used paper bags in your classroom recently?  As most of you know... those brown lunch sacks aren't just for lunch anymore.  Ever since I attended a workshop a couple of years ago in which the presenter gave me a glimpse of the possibilities of these paper bags, I've been using them for all kinds of projects at home and at school.  I'm hooked on Paper Bag Albums!!

These are so EASY to make.  All you  need are 4 brown lunch sacks to make 1 album.

Step 1:   Lay the first paper sack down with the flap on the left side facing "up".

Then rotate the other sacks with flap on right then left and so on.

Step 2:  Fold the paper sacks in half

Step 3:  Place 3 hole punches in the folded paper sacks and tie with ribbon.

Voila!   You know have a paper bag album in which the possibilities are endless!!

Just a few of my favorite ways to use these paper bag albums:

1.  We are working on an alphabet paper bag album at home right now.  My son also cuts out photos from some magazines of the alphabet sounds and places them in the appropriate pockets that are made from the paper bag album.  He is creating his own masterpiece while working on his alphabet and fine motor skills.  Bonus!!

2.  A sports album

If your family is like mine, we have oodles of those sports' trading card pictures of friends from each season whether it be soccer, football, and baseball.  The paper bag album would make a perfect sports album for these cards.  I created a cover page and autograph pages to add to these sports' albums.  Then the trading card could be adhered to the page or placed in the pocket of the album.  You can get this FREEBIE sports album here or by clicking on the photos below.

3.  School Albums

I have used these paper bag albums in all areas in the classroom.  We've used them as a home for fold-its that go with literacy units, science units, and social studies units.  I also created a Back to School Album that documents the entire year a couple of years ago as well.

I gave this unit a complete new look!   

You can see more of this album by clicking HERE or on the photo above.

I would love to hear how you use paper bag albums!

A Little Organization goes a long way and an organizational planner FREEBIE

I (heart) being organized.  I realize it may be an obsession of mine.

Seriously!!

My first goal over summer break was to organize my TPT and blog information.

It was a mess Friends!  I had receipts in envelopes all over the house.  Chicken scratches about ideas for new teaching units and blog posts written in several different notebooks.  Talk about an organizational nightmare especially when it came time to do my taxes. Ugh!!!

So I vowed that I. HAD. TO. DO. SOMETHING.

Here's my new and improved organizational system for TPT and blogging.

Doesn't it look fabulous!  I LOVE all the colors!  Makes me want to "invent" something to write down just to be able to write in these new organizers.

The Life Planner is from Erin Condren.  I use this all the time to jot down information, notes, and important events.  I keep a calendar in my Iphone, but I also like to have things written down as well.

This little "baby" below is what I am most proud of:  " My TPT Financial and Product Planner"

I created a planner/organizer in which I could keep all of my needed information about TPT product ideas, blog posts, and tax and financial information.

Inside of this 3 ring binder is:

1. A 2013 Blog Planner from Confessions of a Homeschooler.  You can download this for free by clicking HERE.

2.  All the pages of "My TPT Financial and Product Planner".  You can download this for free by clicking HERE to download this from my TPT store.

Inside it includes:

Product Idea Pages

Each page includes a place to write the title for your project, activities to include in your project, graphics and fonts used, and a completion date.

" My TPT and Blogging Finances" Pages

I created a page for each month. Each page includes an area to write expenses and income  for that particular month.  Also included with this are labels to place on manila folders to create monthly pockets in which to place important receipts.  These folders can be 3 hole punched and placed in the binder as well.

The last thing I have included is " Important Tax Information" for the year.

If you are someone who pays quarterly taxes, there is a page to record this information and the date taxes were paid.

I intentionally kept the year off of this packet so that it could be reprinted each year and a new binder created.  I'm hoping this will keep me organized and all the information during tax season will be at my finger tips. 

If this looks like something that would help you with your product and blogging organization, please click on the photo below for this FREE download.  Enjoy!

Gingerbread Cuties and a December Freebie

Happy Friday Y'all!!

Whoop!  Whoop!

I just had to share with you my Gingerbread cuties.

I think these are just PRECIOUS!

Fridays are usually assessment days, so I LOVE
to add in some extra fun on those days.

We read:

This book had my 3rd graders giggling and exclaiming " Flour Power".

To make the Gingerbread Cuties I had enlarged a copy of a gingerbread man and copied it onto brown construction paper.  I took my students photos using the Photo Booth on my Mac.  LOVE Photo Booth!!   Students cut out their pictures to fit, and used construction paper to "fancy, schmancy" up their little gingerbread person.

December has snuck up on me!!  I have a December calendar Freebie set for you. I hope it's not too late for you to enjoy.

You can download it for FREE by clicking on the picture above.  It will take you to my TPT store for the download.

Have a great evening!

Now to  get to work on my Monday Made It!

Giving Thanks and a Turkey Trot Freebie

Happy Friday my friends!

Oh my word!  

It has been such a busy week.  We've had mid-terms this week which inlcuded grading, grading, AND more grading.

My older children had an amazingly cute concert as well this week. 

How many of you have the whole week off next week?! 

We have school Monday and Tuesday ,but get the rest of the week off.

I'm so excited!  This is the first year EVER that my district has given us off the 

Wednesday before Thanksgiving. Woohoo!

I love reading so many of the blog posts about  "I am Thankful for".  I wanted to include one also.

AND as a small token of thanks to all of you for always leaving me such sweet comments and following my blog, I also have a couple of freebies for you that I created early this morning.  I'm using them with my 3rd graders next week before the Thanksgiving break.

1.  A Thanksgiving making words activity- This is taking the place of a spelling lesson for my kiddos next week.  Just click on the picture below to download this from GoogleDocs.  The mystery word is "thanksgiving".

AND a fun multiplication math review called " The Turkey Trot".  You can play it like the "Scoot" activities.  It is aligned to the Common Core.  I have included those standards on the direction sheet. Just click on the picture below to download this freebie from TPT.

Enjoy! 

November Calendar Set Freebie and an Election Activity pack Freebie

I LOVE Fridays!  How about the rest of you?!

I have a couple of freebies to offer you! 

Thanks so much for following me and stopping by my blog!

First, I have an election activity set that is FREE until Sunday morning.

This goes well with the Government for Big Kids.  We begin

this activity next week in my classroom.  My kids can't wait!

It's called " Let's Elect a Class Mascot".  Click on the picture below to be taken to this free 

download .

AND

since it's almost November, I just made

a new calendar set.  Click on the picture below to download free from TPT.

Enjoy!  Have a great weekend!

I'm also having a  sale this weekend!  Everything in my TPT store is 20% off Saturday and Sunday.

Friday Freebie..... October Calendar Set

Happy Friday Ya'll!!

Can you believe October is just around the corner?!

It's been awhile since I posted a Friday Freebie AND it's about

time I FINALLY posted one.

Just a little thank you for following my blog and all of your kind comments....

I LOVE to decorate for the different seasons.  I try to add small touches throughout my classroom.  Nothing over the top in order to be respectful of my students who may not celebrate certain holidays.

I LOVE to jazz up my classroom calendar.  I have a pocket chart calendar in my classroom.  So I had to share the October Calendar set I created for my calendar.  Here's a peek of my calendar ready for October 1st.

You can grab this set from my TPT store for free.  Simply copy onto cardstock and laminate for durability.  Just click any of the pictures below to be taken to this free download.

Thanks so much for stopping by!  Have a fabulous weekend!

Fearless Fractions, Flash Sale,... and a foldable freebie

I cannot believe that it's already Wednesday!  Time is flying by.  My students are on the countdown to summer.  They only have 6 1/2 more days!!!  There are so many things to fit in at the end of the year...

My last post was about multiplication.... and today's post is about fractions.  I am on this math kick right now.  I have been examining the new Common Core standards and looking at ways I can/need to improve some of the curriculum I teach.  Fractions are very heavily studied in third grade with the Common Core standards.  I LOVE to teach the introduction of fractions and all the cute ideas that can be brought in with the introduction of the concept.. BUT reducing fractions to lowest terms, and mixed fractions, and equivalent fractions... I need to work on find wonderful resources when teaching these concepts to my students.

Here are a few things I am adding/have added to my fraction unit for next year.

Literature.. of course... I love using literature to introduce math concepts.  Here is my favorite book for fractions:   

 

Click on the picture to go to the free worksheets that go along with this book.  They were created by Emily Rush.  

 AND also.. games for the computer and our classroom IPAD. I LOVE using these on our Promethean board also.  Check out this fabulous site.  This school has created a page with games from several different sites that teach many different fraction concepts.  Simply click on the picture below to be taken to this site.  LOVE!

 Don't forget the  FOLDABLES!  I love using foldables with my students  They really enjoy this, and I think it's a great way to reinforce the concepts my students are learning.  I created a foldable for reducing some fractions to their lowest terms.  This is such a difficult concept for 3rd grade.  They are still trying to master those multiplication and division facts.  I chose 3 common fractions that students need to know or be able to visualize that go on the pocket foldable.  They are 1/4, 1/2, and 3/4.  I created fraction cards to go in each of these foldables. Students have to determine the fraction's lowest term.  Here's a picture.  You can click on it to get your free download of the cards and directions.  It's part of the Fearless Fraction Math Station unit I created.

And a shout-out.... Amber from over at Adventures of a Third Grade Teacher has the perfect item for reviewing fractions with your students...Fraction Frenzy Task cards  These are perfect to use before testing. They are on sale right now for $1.60.  Wow!! Click on the picture below to be see more.

I have really enjoyed using engaging/hands-on math stations with my students.  It's a great way to review concepts taught and also help in understanding of a concept.  I created 6 fraction stations for my students in this unit called Fearless Fractions Math Stations.  I can't wait to use these with my kiddos next year. The six stations include:

1. Word fractions- students use their spelling list to create fractions from their words such as fraction of consonants and fraction of vowels.

2. Fraction Film Review Board Game- This game reviews concepts of identifying fractions, adding and subtracting fractions of like denominators, and reducing fractions to lowest terms.
3. Pizza Fractions- Students are given pizza mats with pizzas divided into halves, thirds, fourths, sixths, and eighths. There are also pizza topping cards and pizza fraction cards. Students must decide by looking at the pizza fraction card which pizza to use and how much of the pizza gets the toppings.
4. Mixed Up Match Ups- This game is played like "Old Maid" except the card is the "Mixed-up Elephant". Students are to match cards of equivalent fractions. ( Pictures are included at the bottom of the card to help in matching)
5. Frenzied Fractions in Action- Students have flash cards of adding and subtracting fractions of the same denominator. Students race to the finish line in this game.
6. Fraction Foldable- This is a pocket foldable that included fraction cards. In this activity, students create a foldable. Then they must use the fraction cards and place them in the pockets they belong. This concept involves reducing fractions to their lowest form. The fractions will be reduced to either 1/4, 1/2, or 3/4.

Click on the picture to visit this unit at my TPT store.

I'm having a FLASH Sale on this item until tomorrow at 8 A.M.  You can get this Fearless Fraction Math Stations Unit for half price( $1.50) until then.  AND as a thank you, the first 3 to comment with a fraction activity you use, will get this for free.  Please leave your e-mail with your comment so that I can send it to you.

Have a fabulous evening!  The weather is SO gorgeous here, and my kiddos are in full swing with ball practice.  Their games begin this weekend, and I can't wait.

I'll have to share later with you my new FAVORITE item for taking pictures of my kiddos and videos of their games.

Multiplication Mania and a FREEBIE

Now that we have covered all of our math curriculum this year, I have  begun 2 and 3 digit multiplication with my students.  With our Envision Math curriculum, we begin multiplication early in the fall.  I think our 3rd graders almost see it as a rite of passage for 3rd grade.  Our students are required to memorize their multiplication facts through 12.

I love to incorporate literature with math.  Here's a fabulous picture book I love to use when introducing multiplication to my students.

 

This is perfect for introducing the concept of multiplication.  There are so many pictures of "groups of" items.  I also found some great worksheets and activities that others have created to go with this book.  Here are just a few:

http://www.athens.edu/vinsobm/lesson_13.htm

http://www.saskschools.ca/~mathnews/gr3to5/amanda_bean.html 

One thing I like to do with my kiddos after reading this book is to create a class book of riddles.  Students are each given a page to illustrate and create a riddle for.  The riddle may look something like this:  Which is more 3 groups of 5 stars or 2 groups of 8 hearts?    Then the students illustrate this riddle.   I then assemble the pages to create one large class riddle book.  My students love looking through the pages and solving the riddles.   You can get a free copy of the riddle book I created by clicking the picture below.  Enjoy!  

I also use multiplication stations with my students.  They love these and ask for them long after our multiplication is finished.  Here's a peak of our Multiplication Mania stations...

To celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week and as a thank you for following my blog, I will send the first 3 people who comment below the Multiplication Mania Math stations.