Time Saving Tips for Using Lap books in the Classroom

Hi Dear Friends!

Today, I wanted to share with you some tips on using those lap books and interactive notebooks in the classroom.  I ABSOLUTELY love the end results of lap books and interactive notebooks!  It's the process that can sometimes be frustrating and just plain time consuming.  I've used lap books and interactive notebooks for the past couple of years, so I've learned to streamline the process with my kiddos to make it quicker and less frustrating for me.

Let me give you a little glimpse into what using a lapbook in my classroom used to be like.  We would discuss the lesson, and then it was time to work on the fold-it that would go with the lesson.  Students would spend 5 minutes looking for their supplies or asking to borrow glue and scissors because they had lost theirs.  In the meantime, I have asked my students in several different ways to quiet their voices so that they could listen to instructions.  They would until another student or two began asking for materials they had lost.  Agh!!  Then we would get back to task.  Some students could spend 10 minutes just cutting out the fold-it.  Then the folding....   Yikes!  For some it was so difficult.  AND we haven't even written any information down in our fold-its yet!!!  By the time the lesson was over, I was exhausted and oh so frustrated.    There had to be a better way.

What kept me going???  I received so many positives from parents.  They LOVED seeing these finished lap books!  Most of our curriculum books for science and social studies are outdated, and these lap books are a great way to show parents what their children have been working on.   I think they are a great way to introduce my students to researching for information as well.  My admin. loves to see the lapbooks too!  AND I love, love, using lap books as study guides for tests over the units.

HERE ARE JUST A FEW TIME SAVING TIPS I HAVE LEARNED:

1. Complete 1 fold-it at the end of each daily lesson.  I never save the lap books for a project to do at the end of the unit.  It gives me too much frustration. 

2.  ALWAYS pre-cut the fold-its before passing out to students.  SUCH a HUGE TIME SAVER!  This cuts down on students getting scissors or looking for lost scissors, and etc.  I have parent volunteers that come in on a weekly basis to help.  This is one of the items they are willing to help me with.  

3.  ALWAYS have fold-its prefolded.  This makes it easier for students to already see where to make the folds.   It cuts down on all those hands raised about how and where to fold.  Again, I have my parent volunteers help with this.

4. Have a basket of glue sticks for each group of students.   I always have a basket of glue sticks for each table of students.  I have a designated leader for the week in each group that knows where to get these glue sticks.  It cuts down on time significantly, when the materials that all students can use are  readily available to them.

5.  Have a designated place that all lap books go.  Each of my students have a cardboard book box at the back of the room.  These boxes are numbered to correspond with each students number.  At the end of each lesson, students know to place these in their cardboard book boxes. They also know where to quickly get them before the lesson begins.  It keeps the mess out of their desk and prevents them from getting all bent up or torn up if kept in a folder in their desk.

I would love to hear your tips on using lap books or interactive notebooks in your classroom!

If you are looking for lap books for social studies, science, or literacy units please stop by my store.  I have many to choose from! Just click on the photo below for the link to the social studies and science lap books.

Click HERE for the link to my literacy units with lap books.

Thanks for stopping by Friends!

WONDERS and some FREEBIES

Hey Dear Friends!

This post is all about our new reading series.

Does anyone use Wonders by McGraw-Hill?

Beginning any new series in reading or math makes for an exhausting school year, doesn't it?

Seriously!!

I'm finally beginning to get into a routine with this series and feeling comfortable with it.  FINALLY!

What is Wonders?  

This quote can be found on the McGraw Hill website: "Reading Wonders is the first and only reading program designed specifically for the Common Core State Standards for Reading/Language Arts. Combining research-based instruction with new tools to meet today's challenges, every component and every lesson is designed for effective and efficient CCSS instruction."

These are the positives I have found with this series thus far:

*  The online resources are phenemonal!  The student books, teacher books, and all resources can be found online.  LOVE this!  Students can even access their books and games that go along with what we are studying by going online to their very own account at home.

* There are leveled readers that fit fabulously with each unit that is studied.  The best part about most of the leveled readers is that the stories and content are the same for EACH level.  My students have no idea that their leveled readers differ from another groups leveled readers.

*  The stories that go with each unit have been fabulous for our grade level.  Many of them fit well with our social studies and science curriculum.  The rigor is also very high.

And of course with every series there are some drawbacks:

*  The weekly unit tests were extremely difficult for our students in all grade levels at first.  Since the questions are unlike anything most of our students have experienced, we spent a lot of time modeling and working through the questions together.  This has paid off tremendously as students are now performing well on these tests.

*  There is so much content to sort through each day.  At first, many of us felt panic and stress with trying to fit in everything that was given for each day. It was overwhelming!  Many of us did slow down a bit and spent 10 days on a unit rather than 5.  We have begun to get through the material more quickly as our students are becoming more used to expectations and the skills.

***Even with this new curriculum, I have been able to implement a few special novels throughout the year as well.  ***

Here are just a few extras I have added to our daily life with Wonders:

1.   Vocabulary Notebook

I wanted a place for students to be able to keep their vocabulary words that they have learned throughout the year.  So the students created a vocabulary notebook.  Each week when new vocabulary is introduced, students complete the vocabulary fold its with the definition "in their own words", a picture that makes them think of this word, and a sentence using this word.

This is definitely something I want to do each year.  It took some time at the beginning of the year for my 3rd graders to assemble these notebooks, but it has been well worth it.  Students are also in such a great routine now that writing in their vocabulary fold-its and placing in their notebooks goes rather quickly.  I am generally able to get through everything in Day 1 along with these notebooks during our ELA time.   If you are interested, below is a link and photo to my vocabulary notebooks.  It does not include the fold-its vocabulary words.  These are in my Wonders Mega Packs.

Vocabulary Notebook for Bigger Kids

2. Interactive Reading Notebooks
I also use interactive reading notebooks with this reading series.  I love that the students can paste in their compare/contrast activities between stories, citing evidence from the text that particular stories are of a specific genre, story map fold-its, and even comprehension fold-its in these notebooks.

 The fold-its that you see inside the interactive reader's notebooks can be found in my Wonders Megapacks that I created to use with each week.

 3.  McGraw-Hill Wonders Supplemental Unit Mega Packs

I have created these mega packs for each week that I have covered so far.  Included in these mega packs are:  Fold-its for the reader's notebook, vocabulary station activities, weekly themed skill posters ( I love to send these home with the students in their Friday Folders for the parents.) daily morning warm-ups that review the language activities from the skills during the week, and spelling tri-folds.  Here's a peek from Week 1 of Unit 4:
Vocabulary Activities and Stations

 Spelling Tri-Folds

 Weekly Skills Poster

 Daily Morning Warm-Ups

 

Fold-Its for Reader's Notebook

If you are interested in checking out these Mega Packs click on any of the links below.  I have been working on bundling these mega packs as I finish a complete unit.  I will continue to update as I create these units.

McGraw-Hill Wonders 3rd Grade Unit 2 "The Complete Set" of Mega Pack Units

McGraw-Hill Wonders 3rd Grade Unit 3 "The Complete Set" of Mega Pack Units

McGraw-Hill Wonders 3 Grade Supplemental MegaPack Unit 4 Week 1

I have also created some freebies that go along with week 6 of Units 1-3.  Click on any below to be taken to the link.  Enjoy!

McGraw-Hill Wonders 3rd Grade Supplemental MINI Unit 1 Week 6-FREEBIE

McGraw-Hill Wonders 3rd Grade Supplemental Mini Unit 2 Week 6-FREEBIE

McGraw-Hill Wonders 3rd Grade Supplemental Mini Unit 3 Week 6-FREEBIE

Have a great rest of the week Friends!

 

 

 

It's all about CHOCOLATE... teaching ideas to use with The Chocolate Touch including a couple of FREEBIES

Okay Friends, this post is near and dear to my heart.   I had so much fun planning and organizing it.

It's all about my beloved snack, CHOCOLATE.

I love using food in the classroom.  Nothing sparks the attention of a classroom full of elementary school children, like FOOD.  

So.... let's add food to E.L.A.

 The Chocolate Touch is the perfect novel for doing just that.  This book is rich with vocabulary and a story that almost all students can make connections with.  I LOVE to incorporate themed ELA units with holidays.   The Chocolate Touch is one novel that I will be using around Valentine's Day.

Check out these fun ideas I found for The Chocolate Touch:

1.  Introduce students to The Chocolate Touch, by setting up a hot chocolate bar in your classroom before passing out the books. It's a little over the top, but would be something your students wouldn't forget and would peak their interest with this book.  ( I've used hot chocolate before in the classroom, and in order to have the warm water, I have brought in a couple of large crock pots from home and filled with gallons of distilled water and began heating first thing in the morning.)

Here's a picture with link to a hot chocolate bar that I found from The Taylor House.

2.  Create Hershey Kiss Mobiles with a summary of the story written on the back.  I found this photo from Pinterest, but there was no link back to a blog.  If this is yours, please let me know.  I want to give credit to whom this great idea comes from.

3. Writing Activities

A. Students create their own recipe using chocolate.  Students must  include an ingredient list and a list of steps using time order words on creating this chocolate masterpiece.  ( You can grab my Chocolate Masterpiece Recipe form below for free from Google Docs by clicking HERE or on the photo below.)

B.  Classroom Chocolate Recipe Book- Assign students to ask their parents or look for their favorite recipe that includes chocolate.  Students are to bring in these recipes.  These recipes will be compiled into a classroom chocolate recipe book.  ( Wouldn't this be a fun Valentine's gift for students to take home to their parents?)  If you would like a cover for the recipe book, you can download the editable cover and table of contents below through Google Docs by clicking HERE or on the photo below.

I also created a 79 page comprehensive literacy unit that I can use in the classroom.  It is also includes a Common Core Standards alignment page.  Simply click on any of  the photos below or the link to find out more:

The Chocolate Touch Literacy Unit Mega Pack

This unit includes a 29 page student literacy workbook.  This workbook includes comprehension questions over each chapter, vocabulary words, a vocabulary quiz after every 3rd chapter, and grammar activities after every 3rd chapter.

This unit also includes 15 pages of vocabulary activities.  I like to use these activities during literacy stations, but can also be used as a whole group.

I also created 2 "Close Reading" passages with an activity page for each passage.  

With Common Core, I always like to have a research project for my students to complete.  I created a "Where Does Chocolate Come from?" research project for my students.  It includes a research guide and rubric.  I think they will love learning about the Cacao tree and the process of making chocolate.

Finally, I LOVE lap books to review story elements.  I create 10 fold-its that can be made into a lap book shown below, or placed in reader's notebooks.   We are using reader's notebooks this year, so I haven't decided if my students will create a lap book or use these fold-its in their reader's notebooks.

I can't wait to use these ideas with my students!  I know they will love it, and keeps things creative and fun during the longest part of the winter.

Thanks for stopping by!

Pigs, Spiders,Friendship AND EVERYTHING Charlotte's Web

Hi Sweet Friends!

My brain has been on overload ever since school dismissed for the summer.

Seriously!

 I can't stop thinking about the projects and things I want to create to use with my students next year.

So guess what I'm doing while my Littlest Darling is taking a nap or when all of my Sweeties are tucked in for the night.. including my Hubs?  I'm on my computer.  Ugh!

My first project is checked off my list... It's my Charlotte's Web unit.

I want to use this with my students at the very beginning of the school year.  Last year, I used the "Hour of the Olympics" by Mary Pope Osborne since the Olympics were taking place, but I needed something different to begin this school year.

I LOVE Charlotte's Web!  It is such a wonderful story of friendship, and that's why I thought it would be perfect literacy unit to begin the school year.  I spend a lot of time at the beginning of the school year promoting friendship and teamwork in our classroom.

I also love this story because I can incorporate some of our science with it.  I plan on incorporating our study of animal habitats from our science with this unit.  I also have several nonfiction texts on farms, farm animals, and spiders that I have to go with this unit as well.  I can't wait to teach this literacy unit!

Look at some of the fabulous finds that I hope to incorporate with Charlotte's Web this year:

1.   Decorated Classroom Door

How cute is this?!

I'm not sure who to give credit for this adorable door found on Pinterest.  When I tried to click on the picture, I was not taken to a link.  Sorry!

2.  Charlotte's Web book display in our classroom library

I LOVE this!  What a great way to get the students excited about Charlotte's Web!

This idea came from the Weymouth Public Library.

3. Fun writing craftivity

This cute writing craftivity comes from Rachelle at What the Teacher Wants.

If you click on the link above, you will be able to download the writing form and check out the cute pig craftivity also.

4.  Charlotte's Web online games

Click on the picture above to check out some fabulous online games.  I found Templeton's Word of the Day, Spell Your Web, Templeton's Trashy Poetry, and MORE.

5.  I also found an AMAZING online resource from a school in Missouri.

There are so many resources included on this website.  Just click on the picture above to check it out.

AND here's the literacy unit I will be using with my students:

I created a 114 page Literacy Unit on Charlotte's Web aligned to the Common Core.

It includes:

1. 45 page Student Literacy Workbook that includes vocabulary, vocabulary quizzes, comprehension questions, and language activities

2. A Story Element Lapbook on Charlotte's Web

It includes 9 Fold-Its

3. 3 "Close Reads" and Activities that go with Charlotte's Web

4. 3 Vocabulary Stations that go with each set of vocabulary words

The vocabulary stations are Memory, Race to the Finish, and I HAVE/WHO HAS

5. 3D Farm Research Project that includes a rubric for assessment

6. AND an assessment to use at the end of the unit

If you would like to find out more about this unit, click HERE or click on any of the pictures above.

I would love to hear your ideas and suggestions for using Charlotte's Web in the classroom.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Biographies, Biographies, and MORE Biographies

We have spent the past couple of weeks engaged in a HUGE unit on biographies.  

It has been so much fun for my students, and they have learned so much.

Day One: To begin the unit, I read " A Picture Book of Jackie Robinson" by David Adler.  I chose this book due to movie "42" about to come out in theaters, and many of the boys in my class were so anxious to go see this movie.

After reading this story, I used chart paper with " Facts I learned about Jackie Robinson" written across the top.  Students wrote facts they learned about Jackie Robinson on this chart paper.  Then after discussion about all the facts found in this book, I introduced students to "Biographies".  

I shared with students a power point presentation I had made about biographies and more examples of biographies on other famous people.

Days Two and Three:  On these days, I wanted my students to have some time to explore and look at other biographies.  I have my students seated in 4 groups, so I set up 4 biography stations.  In these stations I had many picture book biographies on famous people.  Each station had biographies on different units we have already studied.  One station had many famous African American biographies.  Another station contained biographies on Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, and other Presidents.  The third station contained biographies on famous people in sports such as Wilma Rudolph, Lou Gehrig, Satchel Paige, and Jim Thorpe.  The last station I had biographies of famous people during the colonial times such as Betsy Ross, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and Samuel Adams.   During this exploration time students were able to spend about 20 minutes at each station.  Each day the students went to two stations.  Students were required to write any facts they discovered about the famous people in each station and what  all of these famous people at this particular station have in common.

Days 5-9: Famous Person Biography Lap book Project

Each student chose a famous person from a list given to them.  Each student would be responsible for researching and finding out information about this famous person which would later be used for their lap book project.  Each student was given a research guide to help them as they found out information on their famous person.  This took us a couple of days.  I was so fortunate to have access to so many IPADS from other classes and the use of our 3 classroom computers.  Students were excited to use this technology for research.

The next 3 days students used the information from their research guide to help them complete their fold-its that would go inside of their famous person lap book projects.  They loved this lap book project!  

The following week I extended the biography unit into interviewing a family member.  Students had to choose one family member to interview. This family member could be a distant relative.  Then students were given a guide to help them create and write 10 questions to ask their relative when interviewing them. I gave the students a couple of days to complete their interviews.  We discussed how the interviews could be done face to face, via e-mail, telephone, or even Skype.

My students put so much thought into their interview questions and in choosing which relative to interview.  This information was going to be used for our "Interview In A Bag" project.

Once students had completed their interview, students had to complete a portrait on their family member and write a biography.  These items would be adhered to the outside of a brown paper bag.  Students also had to select 4 items that best depict their family member.  These would be placed inside of the brown paper bag.   

Finally the last week of our unit was on an autobiography.  Students had the opportunity to write an autobiography about themselves using our project " Me In Pictures".

I had so much fun teaching this unit!  My students really enjoyed the opportunities to research a famous person and interview a family member.

The 3 projects and power point mentioned above can be found in my newest unit " Biography Mega Pack".  If you are interested in finding out more simply click on any of the pictures shown below.

Have a fabulous rest of the week!