It's the end of the year...as we know it...SLIDESHOW!!
Dr. Seuss Week - March 3rd to March 7th
I turned the decorating over to my 6th graders this week for Dr. Seuss Week. Our school is having a door decorating contest, and I left it to the kids to plan what they wanted to create. I had each group choose a Dr. Seuss book of their choice. They then decided what they wanted to create to represent their book. I asked them to think about what lesson the book teaches, and to include that in their creation. Some groups had an easier time at this than others.
Once they created their plan, they put it into place. They created a main artistic image, and then created a border of words from their book which were "Seuss-tastic". In the end, I think each group did a fantastic job!
For our class door, we each created a Cat in the Hat hat and bowtie to glue onto our picture. Each one includes a "speech bubble" in which the students wrote their favorite Dr. Seuss quote.
Once they created their plan, they put it into place. They created a main artistic image, and then created a border of words from their book which were "Seuss-tastic". In the end, I think each group did a fantastic job!
For our class door, we each created a Cat in the Hat hat and bowtie to glue onto our picture. Each one includes a "speech bubble" in which the students wrote their favorite Dr. Seuss quote.
Math Love is In the Air!
If I am going to decorate, I want to make it count (literally and figuratively!). After taking down Christmas, my room was looking sparse and sad. So, I decided to put some life into it, while preparing my walls for our upcoming work with decimals and continuing number sense.
Although my penguin door was a lot of fun, I decided to make my door serve two purposes. It is cute, but it also reviews our Mathematical Practice Standards. I refer to these often in my class, and ask students to demonstrate that they are able to utilize these practices. I had to "stretch it" a little to make it work with an acrostic poem for VALENTINE. However, I like how it turned out.
Although my penguin door was a lot of fun, I decided to make my door serve two purposes. It is cute, but it also reviews our Mathematical Practice Standards. I refer to these often in my class, and ask students to demonstrate that they are able to utilize these practices. I had to "stretch it" a little to make it work with an acrostic poem for VALENTINE. However, I like how it turned out.
Another decoration/activity is our Decimal Sweethearts. I made this Sweethearts box from butcher and construction paper. I traced the logo using my projector. The hearts on the wall each have decimals written on them. I will be using these in a number of ways. Students will use these decimals to review place value, match other hearts which have equations to the answers on the wall, and create equations from the decimals on the wall. It will serve as a math center for multiple activities, which makes it worth the effort. Plus, it's colorful and fun to have on the wall! (By the way, those are door stops on the wall. This wall is between my closet and coat room doors.)
Christmas Time is Here! (Well...almost!)
I explained to my students that Christmas time is my favorite time of year. They all promptly reminded me that it isn't even Thanksgiving yet! We didn't let that stop us though. Christmas and winter decorations are beginning to grace our walls. Here are some pictures of what we have so far. Stay tuned for more!
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Christmas Cards for the Troops
A friend of mine put out a call for Christmas cards to send to her husband's military unit stationed abroad this Christmas. My students answered the call with these amazing cards! We wrote Christmas Cinquain poetry which accompanied their artwork and well-wishes for the holiday season. This is a sampling of some of my favorites!
Christmas Bookmarks for Everyone!
Every day we start out with 30 minutes of silent choice reading. Students and teachers are able to choose a book of their choice and immerse themselves in another world for 30 solid minutes. I love the calm that comes over the classroom as we all settle in with our books. We reserve the last 5 minutes for a "buddy book talk". I ask the students, "Where did you get lost today?" They share with a buddy where "they" (their main character) was in the book from a first-person point of view. I love hearing the kids as they say things like, "I just volunteered as tribute, and I don't know if my family will forgive me!" "I have been hiking in the mountains for days and I haven't seen a single soul! I hope I don't die!"
So, to accompany our reading time, I decided that the best Christmas gift I could make for them would be a personalized bookmark. After much perusing on Pinterest, I found a few inspirational ideas. See them here.
Here is my own construction paper and cardstock version. I plan to print each of their names and glue it to the back before laminating them. My total cost on this project was only $11 to cover the cost of the circle punches, but I was able to get a 15% teacher discount at my local craft store. Every penny counts! I have yet to decide if I will add a ribbon to the top of the flower bookmarks, but it would be a nice touch.
So, to accompany our reading time, I decided that the best Christmas gift I could make for them would be a personalized bookmark. After much perusing on Pinterest, I found a few inspirational ideas. See them here.
Here is my own construction paper and cardstock version. I plan to print each of their names and glue it to the back before laminating them. My total cost on this project was only $11 to cover the cost of the circle punches, but I was able to get a 15% teacher discount at my local craft store. Every penny counts! I have yet to decide if I will add a ribbon to the top of the flower bookmarks, but it would be a nice touch.