Markdown Monday: January 11

Markdown Monday linky party is up and running over at Kelly and Kim's Kindergarten Kreations! For the next 24 hours my Martin Luther King, Jr. pack will be on sale....

50% off!!

Click the link above to head over to Kelly and Kim's blog for the links to all of the other fabulous products on sale!

Are you searching for a fun way to teach American Heroes, Martin Luther King, Jr., or expanding your Black History unit? Do your students need to strengthen their fine motor skills? Does your school system require you to teach character traits to students?

This lapbook is a fun, interactive way for students to learn about Martin Luther King, Jr. It covers Georgia standard SS2H1, but the unit can be used to teach many other standards as mentioned. It includes the following components:

*Directions and pictures for assembling the lapbook
*Helpful Hints
*Cover page
*2 Timelines - a primary and an intermediate version- your choice
*Character Traits Booklet: honesty, compassion, and civility
*Vocabulary Pocket
*12 Programmed Vocabulary Cards
*Editable Vocabulary Cards- create cards of your choosing
*Interesting Facts 
*My Life Compared to Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Life
This lapbook can be used with a variety of reading passages, books, or websites.

Click HERE to go to my TpT store. Remember, the 50% off is good for the next 24 hours (give or take a few hours)!  ;)

Ten on Ten

Rachael over at The Classroom Game Nook is hosting a fun linky!

The point of the linky is to share ten pictures on the tenth of the month showing things that have been happening in your world. Here we go!

We started a tradition where we buy the boys a meaningful ornament each year so they'll have something for their first tree when they move out. I love the stories behind the ornaments and of course the ones they've made at school go on the tree.

Fortunately, we got to spend Christmas with my husband's family (and they traveled to us this year!!!). The boys had a blast with their aunt and uncle. #familyfun

Speaking of Christmas and decorations, this was our tree in the library this year. The media specialist before me didn't do much in the way of decorating, so the kiddos were thrilled! I got lots of compliments from my students (and parents and staff). #gome #andthevolunteerthatbuiltit

I spent a lot of time over the holidays watching football. My Clemson Tigers are playing in the National Championship tomorrow.

GO TIGERS!!!

"Cookies in the Castle" took place the last week before our break. Essentially, students got a little cookie snack and time to read for pleasure. #happyreaders #happylibrarian

I finally completed this unit! I started it the end of last spring, but life happened. #movedfromclassroomtolibrary

You can find it HERE.

My 100th Day Celebration pack is complete!! I am just waiting for it to come back with the green light from my proofreader and then it will be added to my shop. #justinthenickoftime

Check my shop for this one. It will be on sale 20% off when I add it. There will also be a small freebie pack of samples. :) 

My favorite Christmas present this year!!  #lovethestructure  #compartmentsgalore

Two of my littles have December birthdays. We celebrated at Urban Jungle with laser tag and other games. We brought the cake and they provided the pizza, drinks, and paper products. The boys had a blast, and I had nothing to do but watch them have fun. It was well worth the money in my book! #nostressparty

I have a fantastic principal!! She let me go and meet with a more experience media specialist in my county for some mentoring. I snapped some pictures of her floor plan because we need to tweak ours a bit to make more effective use of our space.

That's my Ten on Ten! Head on over to The Classroom Game Nook to see everyone else's month in pictures!

Five for Fraturday: January 9

Kacey over at Doodle Bugs Teaching is hosting her weekly linky party. It is always super fun to see what everyone has been up to in their classrooms and in their personal lives! Here is my week in a 5 snapshots.

My Alma Mater is in the College National Championship game!!! Be still my racing heart! Do not call me on Monday evening as I will be busy cheering, yelling, moaning, jumping up and down, etc. as if I am actually in Arizona watching the game from a front row seat! (Or possibly an extra coach / referee that they had no idea they needed!)

I L.O.V.E. that our Coach Dabo Swinney gives the glory to God as does our quarterback Deshaun Watson. This team just has my heart! I want them to win soooooo badly!!

GO TIGERS!!!

I took my 3 boys to see Star Wars: The Force Awakens over the holidays. Oh.my.goodness.  They were enthralled! It was the best $30 dollars I spent the entire break. No bickering, no arguing, no rolling around on the floor like wrestlers....#enthralledboys #happymomma

I am working on my next unit. If I don't get extremely busy this weekend, this celebration will come and go before I get this uploaded to my TpT store. It's time to brew some more coffee and find my motivation (which is hard to do since it is raining.....again. ~sigh~ I could never live in the Pacific Northwest.

I spent every spare moment this week continuing to clean out nooks and crannies in the media center. Our building is getting renovated this summer which will include new carpet, ceiling tiles, updated light fixtures, and paint. Since this is my first year as a media specialist, I was a little reserved in the cleaning out this summer since I wasn't sure what I would actually need. Well, if I haven't used in yet this year, I've started purging. The custodial staff either loves me or dreads the sight of me!! #ibribewithdonuts #noworries

Marting Luther King, Jr. day will be here before we know it! I have a fantastic lapbook in my TpT shop that covers the main events surrounding his life, positive character traits that he embodied, a timeline, relevant vocabulary, and an opportunity for students to compare themselves to MLK. You can check it out HERE.

One of my favorite activities to help students understand that people have the same needs and many of the same wants involves using eggs. I bring in 2 eggs- one white and one brown on the outside. We discuss how the eggs look the same and different on the outside (with the obvious difference being the color). We then crack the eggs and compare them. Of course the inside looks essentially the same. We then apply that same principal to people. This works really well in the younger grades where this concept can be somewhat abstract. The students would then record their observations and conclusions.

Have a fabulous weekend!

Markdown Monday Linky Party: January 4

Well, it was back to work for me today! #earlyalarm #noooooo!!!

At least today we got to ease back in with a teacher work day. #thankyouLord That means I had time to run by Starbucks for some life giving java since the work day starts at 8:00 instead of 7:10. Can I get an "Oh yeah?"

Moving along to Markdown Monday...I did some work on unfinished units over the break. Go me! 

Markdown Monday is sponsored by Kelly and Kim's Kindergarten Kreations. Click HERE or on the picture to head to their blog to see what else has been marked down for the week!

The following is a great way to teach Georgia history or it can be incorporated into a unit on Native Americans. Did you know that Mary Musgrove was the richest woman in Georgia and the largest landowner in the colony of Georgia? Can this be used to discuss equality? Yes; yes, I think it can. 

The lapbook can be found HERE.

I will leave it on sale through Friday. 
#happybacktoworkweek

Happy New Year Sale!

Thank you to Happy Little Kindergarten for the graphic!

New Year's Eve has arrived and my mind is torn between planning for the new year (resolutions, lesson plans, meal plans, etc. ).  And like most women I know, Christmas clearance and bargain shopping are on the list, too! Everything in my TpT Store is currently on sale 20% off! Click HERE to browse my shop.

If you teach 2nd grade, I'd recommend you check out the following unit for celebrating the 102nd Day of School! You can read all about how I used the unit and see it in action HERE.

I firmly believe that we are currently have developmentally inappropriate practices in place in the primary grades. You will see that I have included art activities that require students to utilize their fine motor skills. I believe that the shift to all academics all.the.time has left a large gap in students' skills. You can incorporate as many or as few of the crafts as you choose depending on your situation and your administration. I would encourage you to try to fit at least one into the unit. The animal cage is a particularly good one as it incorporates creativity, coloring, cutting, and threading the yarn through the holes.  Okay, I'm stepping off of my soap box now! #dontgetmestarted

Another fantastic resource for January is my Martin Luther King, Jr. lapbook. 

This lapbook allows older students to continue to practice fine motor skills (let's be real; all 2nd and 3rd graders are not proficient in this area). There are more activities than will realistically fit on the lapbook which means you get to decide which activities will be most beneficial for your class or for individual students. Students will research MLK to complete the vocabulary, timeline, character traits mini book, interesting facts, etc. As the teacher, you can structure these lessons to be independent, partner, small group, whole group, or any combination therein. Click HERE to check out this resource. 

Happy New Year friends! #clearanceshop #saleshoptilyoudrop!

American Heroes: Mary Musgrove and Tomochichi

It is finally complete!! My American Heroes Series: Georgia Edition has now been put to rest with the publishing of this lapbook.....

 Normally, this packet would be $3 but for the next few days it will be on sale for $2. Click on the picture to link straight over to it in my TpT store.

Keep reading if you want more information on what is included in the packet. I am also including links to all of the other lapbooks in this series.

American Heroes lapbooks allow you to cover the required curriculum while also providing much needed fine motor practice, character trait instruction and development, and flexibility in grouping students.

This lapbook is a fun, interactive way for students to learn about Mary Musgrove and Tomochichi (Georgia standard SS2H1), but the unit can be used to teach many other standards as mentioned. It includes the following components:

*Directions and pictures for assembling the lapbook
*Cover page- 2 options; 1. Option 1 allows students to make one book that covers both Musgrove and Tomochichi. 2. Option 2 allows students to make two separate books.
*2 Timelines - a primary and an intermediate version- your choice
*Character Traits Booklet: dependability, trustworthiness, and honesty
*Vocabulary Pocket
*18 Programmed Vocabulary Cards
*Editable Vocabulary Cards- create cards of your choosing
*Interesting Facts 
*My Life Compared to James Oglethorpe's Life
*Short Answer Comprehension
*Short Answer requiring text evidence to support their answer

This lapbook can be used with a variety of reading passages, books, or websites.

This lapbook completes my second bundle in my American Heroes Bundle 2: Oglethorpe, Musgrove, and Tomochichi.

You can purchase the other lapbooks here:
American Heroes: James Oglethorpe
American Heroes: Jimmy Carter
American Heroes: Jackie Robinson
American Heroes: Martin Luther King, Jr.
American Heroes Bundle 1: Carter, MLK, and Robinson

I hope you find something that will help you in your quest to make learning more meaningful for your students.

Back to School Sale on TpT

Teachers Pay Teachers is hosting their back to school sale, and I am participating! When you use the code BTS15 you will receive a total of 28% off of everything in my shop!!

These are some of my top sellers in my store. Click on any of the pictures to head directly to my store. :)

This is a great unit to use for an animal study / research and includes math, reading / research, writing, and craftivities.  It can also be used to celebrate the 102nd Day of Second Grade.

If you teach 2nd grade in Georgia, this is a must have unit for you! This lapbook focuses on James Oglethorpe and his contributions to the founding of the state of Georgia. Check it out!

 Geometry Games Galore is a comprehensive unit that covers both plane and solid shapes. It has components that can be used from kindergarten through third grade. It was designed for 2nd grade, but because it is leveled for below grade level, on grade level, and above grade level it can be used in a multitude of settings! If you are looking for a unit that will help you get a Level 4 in TKES for differentiation, this is the unit for you!

Are you looking for a math center to teach place value that requires few materials and minimal time to prepare? If yes, then this is the center for you! Again, this center has differentiation built into it by having 3 different levels. All you need is the cards and clothespins. It will be one of the easiest centers you ever make!

Last but not least are decor items. I am using both in my media center this upcoming year and the colors coordinate very nicely!

     

There are so many fantastic resources for sale by fellow teachers. Head on over and see what you can't live without this year!

Monday Made It: July 20

It's time for Monday Made It with Tara over at 4th Grade Frolics!

Unbelievably, I only have one more Monday in my summer vacation after today. I return to work officially on July 30th. :( I much prefer the "unofficial" work day. You know, the one where you stop by school, move a few things around, unpack your desk, sip your Starbucks, and then leave after a few hours to go home and read a good book!

This morning's post will be short and sweet; I have two days of training for Blackboard this morning. Have any of you used Blackboard? If so, I'd love to know what you think!

On to the MMI...I finally finished the bookends that I saw early in the summer right here on MMI. I tried to find the original post, but was unsuccessful. If this was inspired by you, please let me know so I can give you credit!!

This is the beginning. The ampersands (love.that.word.) came from Michael's on sale, and the wood was from the scrap pile in the hubby's workshop. Love.that.man!

 A word to the wise- this project used almost that entire bottle of paint you see in the top right corner. The hubby says I should have painted water on the wood first so that it wouldn't soak up so much paint. Who knew?

 I decided to try to paint the edges in a different color. Can you see that edge? Ummm hmmm. I wasn't feeling it either, and I was in too big of a hurry to wait for the paint to dry so I could tape it off to get a clean line. So, I did what any teacher/mom on a deadline would do....

 I painted right over that orange with blue! My need for neatness has been satisfied. Ahhh...

 Next, I Mod Podged the entire piece of wood. Then I painted Mod Podge on the back of the scrapbook paper that had been cut to size, lined it up, and smoothed out the wrinkles using a stiff plastic grocery bonus points card.

 Repeat the procedure on the top and then put a layer of Mod Podge over the whole thing to protect it.  The white film you see will dry clear and make the entire thing a little shiny!

 Attach the ampersands with some good old fashioned hot glue, or you could use E6000. I prefer the hot glue because it's faster and doesn't stink nearly as badly!

 Here's the view from the end. I love the way the scrapbook paper adds a pop of color!

The final product: an inexpensive project that will help you feature books from your classroom library!

If you made it all the way to the end of this post, head on over to my TpT store where my top selling bundle is about 40% off.

How many more Mondays do you have left of vacation? (Just know that if you say 3 or 4, I may have to hate you. Just sayin'!)

Head on over to 4th Grade Frolics to see what all of your blogging friends have been making. You may find something you can't live without!