Real World Mathematics-Placing a Book Order

Click on the picture to download this freebie!

Every year, I do a lesson on book ordering...not the online version, but the "real" paper-pencil, let's figure out my total kind of book ordering. I haven't found a student yet that doesn't like to pretend to buy something from those Scholastic catalogs and why not use that to our benefit?! Take any catalog and after this lesson, students will be well-prepared to not only order books, but to practice adding numbers with decimals!
Use if you'd like!
~Erin



Teacher Gifts-Notepads

The past few years my friend Ranesia and I have printed up these really cute/useful "To Do List" pads for our teachers. We have Printshop put them on brightly colored cardstock (printed front/back) and then bind them with the waxy binding that allows teachers to pull off the sheets once they are finished with them. They were a huge hit when we first gave them out and have done it ever since.
I've already got some printed and ready to go (along with a cute flower pen) that my CTL and I can hand out...I'm so excited and thought I'd share!
Use if you'd like!
~Erin




Click on the picture to download the teacher notepad!

Team Gift: 2012-2013 Lesson Planner

In my preparation for a new school year (and my fabulous 3rd grade team), I created a planner for my teachers. I'm hoping to have Printshop print and bind them in an assortment of beautiful cardstock! Because the file is so big, I wasn't able to upload ALL of the pages...there are multiple clones of many of the pages, including 36 weeks worth of planning sheets. With this in mind, I have given you the "meat" of the planner. If you think of anything else I can add to it, please let me know!
As always, use if you'd like!
~Erin

 

Sorry! I wasn't able to download the pictures of the entire file, but if you click on the pictures below, you can download them ALL! Enjoy :)

Reading Response Menu and Activities

I've been out sick for two days now...pink eye (ugh!) and although I could be sitting in my favorite chair reading one of my newest Kindle downloads, I've been working. I've cleaned EVERY room upstairs (including the bathrooms, closet, and attic). I figure, why waste time when I can get some good ole' organizing done...okay, to be honest with you I was organizing all the many toys/manipulatives I can take to my new classroom :)
I packaged up TONS of give-aways and newest (old) school materials. I remember bringing it all home (books especially) and now they are eagerly awaiting the hands of my new students!
Not only did I organize my house (did I mention I've now started on the downstairs and my closet?!), but I've begun to organize all my school files as well! For the past 8 years, I've been creating materials for teachers and as I go through all these goodies, I figured I'd share a few. Now, I am not a worksheet teacher, but I do have quite a few of them that I use as visuals and/or to teach note-taking. These are always placed in our learning journals/student notebooks so that we can refer back to them at a later date.
As I was organizing my files, I came across a Reading Response Menu and Activities that I used in grades 3-5. Feel free to use it in your last few weeks of school to encourage reading and response :)
Use if you'd like!
~Erin


Making Words-UNFORTUNATELY

In my continued quest to model word study lessons, I've created an "UNFORTUNATELY" Mystery Word Activity. I thought it would be fun to read the book Fortunately that goes along afterwards.
I've created the lesson based on use of the SMART Board, but you could easily use index cards and a pocket chart to facilitate it.
The SB lesson (seen below), has students cut out the letters provided, move them around to create words, and then record their words on the blank sorting slip (one word per box). I provided 24 word boxes, but students could really use their journal and/or a whole page depending on how many words they come up with; the Scrabble dictionary listed 640 words that could be made with these letters!
The next step is to have the students sort the words they created in a variety of ways...they can paste these into their journals and then explain their sort. Here are all the things you will need for the lesson...use if you'd like!
~Erin

Click on the picture to purchase the book on Amazon.

Click on the picture to download the SMART Board UNFORTUNATELY activity.

Click here to download the Mystery Word letters.

Click on the picture to download the blank word boxes.

Click on the picture above to download the 640 words you can create with these 13 letters.

Nonfiction Conventions Hunt

As I was creating the SB lesson that outlines nonfiction text features, I thought to myself that we could easily incorporate this into our reading workshop. With the activity below, your students can choose nonfiction books that interest them most and go on a scavenger hunt! I will tell you that my 2nd grader LOVED using this and was able to read quite a few nonfiction books as sources for his scavenger hunt! I will try and locate the SB lesson I used where students were given a nonfiction source and were able to place the sticky notes on the correct convention...it was a good interactive (guided) activity!
Use if you'd like!
~Erin


Click on the picture to download the nonfiction convention scavenger hunt!



I Met My New Team AND Word Study Folders

So I got a chance to meet many of the members of my new 3rd grade team the other night...what an awesome group of ladies! Their excitement and level of commitment to their craft is contagious!
As I continue to prepare the word study scope and sequence, I showed some examples to my staff about what our word study folders can look like. As I was searching images and I came across Meacham's website...wow! There are so many terrific ideas and just not enough time. :) I was happy to finally come across a similar word study folder like I used years ago when I had my last HR class. If you haven't seen Meacham's website, you HAVE to check it out. The only difference between her folders and the ones I used is that I use coin pouches (20 per page) and I had individual word walls in the students folders.  Honestly, you wouldn't really need a word wall that is separate...students could just make it in their journals, but it's just a thought.
I purchased the front/back A-Z letters from Lakeshore for my pocket chart (prior to me having a SMART Board) but I always wanted my students to have their own individual letters as well. For next year, I went ahead and created letter and had them printed front/back; capital on one side and lowercase on the other side. I printed them red/blue (red=vowels & blue=consonants) cardstock, had them cut, and then had them put into groups with four letters of each for each individual student. Since I was ordering for over 800 students in grades 1st through 5th, Printshop was a HUGE help in getting this job completed!
I liked how Meacham had a pocket chart in each folder and though a super cheap way to do this without it costing an arm and leg, would be to get the postage stamp collector pages. They are just like pocket charts and are make with the three hole punch to put in a folder/binder.
I've included the letters, picture of the individual word wall I made, coin pouches I use, and an example of the stamp collector pages. Use if you'd like!
~Erin



Click on the picture to download the A-Z front/back letter tiles.




You can get these on Amazon or click on the picture to get a case of 1000.



Here is an example of the individual word walls my students use.



This postage stamp collector insert would work as a pocket chart...they have many different sizes to choose from.



Additions to Lesson 107

I had the opportunity to go into a 4th grade classroom today to model word study...what a great class! The kids were SO excited and made some great connections when making words; it just made my day. I can't wait to visit all of the other classrooms I will be in the next few weeks.
While I was teaching, I realized that I hadn't posted all the materials I use when facilitating a "making words" lesson...with that said, here are the other materials I use when introducing the mystery word activity.
Letter tiles: I have students cut these out and use them to manipulate and make words. As students are at their desks making words, I have one or more students come up to the SMART Board and make the word...they love it! I included a color-coded version as well that has red vowels and blue consonants.
I also included a "Mystery Word Recording Sheet". After students have done this activity a number of times, they no longer need this sheet...they just make it in their journals/notebooks.
Finally, I included a list of all of the words that can be made from the "mystery word" DEPENDABLE. I always use the online Scrabble dictionary---it rocks!
Enjoy!
~Erin


Click here to visit the online Scrabble dictionary.  Be sure to type in the word you are using in the box "WORD BUILDER".



Click here to download the "Mystery Recording Sheet". I usually print 2 per page so that each student gets a 1/2 sheet and can then tape/paste them into their notebooks.

Click here to download colored tiles. There are 7 per page. 

Click here to download the blank & white tiles. there are 7 per page.

Adapted Making Words-Sequential Phonics Lesson 107

Could I be ANY more out of order?! Okay, so I will explain. :)
I will be going into the classrooms of 3rd and 4th grade teachers this week to model word study lessons. With this in mind, I wanted to use a word that would easily offer discussions (from the students) about a pre/suffix. Soooo...I chose the ABLE ending that we see so ofter in our reading & writing and turned it into an interactive SMART Board lesson!
Use if you'd like!
~Erin

This lesson was adapted from Patricia Cunningham's Prefixes and Suffixes Systematic Sequential Phonics book.

Adapted SB Sequential Phonics Lesson 3

Yesterday was one of our last Instructional Coach meetings before the end of the year. It was certainly bittersweet! I am going to miss the AMAZING group of men/women that I have worked with the past few years. I know that in order for me to grow professionally, going back into the classroom is going to challenge me in ways nothing else can. I think that if I one day would like to be an administrator, having the opportunity to get back in the "trenches" is going to broaden my perspective even more. I am so thankful that when I first came to this district, I began as an ESOL Co-Teacher; it gave me the opportunity to learn K-5 curriculum, build relationships with teachers in ALL content/grades, and branch out professionally in ways I never imagined. The teachers I work with at my school are INCREDIBLE. I've worked in 5 different districts and can honestly say that the teachers I work with now, are outstanding....they have taught me so much in the past 8 years that it is going to be VERY hard to say goodbye.
I guess all of these reflections are coming from the fact that I just got done moving most of my stuff out of my room :( It is almost completely empty and my car (and my husband's) are packed to the gills. All of it will be transferred over to my new 3rd grade classroom just as soon as it is ready.
In my quest to complete a SB Sequential Phonics activity once per day (not quite there yet) here is lesson 3! Use if you'd like!
~Erin

This lesson was adapted from Patricia Cunningham's Prefixes and Suffixes Systematic Sequential Phonics.

Adapted SMART Board Version of Sequential Phonics Lesson 2

I can tell it is the end of the year and my brain is NOT what it used to be! :) Soooo when looking at the SMART Board activity I posted last night I realized that I needed to make a slight change. If you've already uploaded it, go ahead and do it again.... I made the changes to Lesson 1 and went ahead and created Lesson 2...here you go!
~Erin

This lesson was adapted from Patricia Cunningham's Prefixes and Suffixes Systematic Sequential Phonics and Spelling.

Social Studies Glogsgters

For those of you who LOVE Glogster EDU (like me), I wanted to share you a few Glogs I've made to share with my teachers. This year, I had ALL of our 3rd graders Big 6 Projects completed on these and they did a phenomenal job! I even had some 1st grade friends take on the SAME project and was quite impressed with their final products.Anyway, I've included the Glogster I used for Dental Health Week. We did an entire lesson using the book Grandpa's Teeth...which happens to be my new favorite read aloud! One other Glogster was used to help students compare prices and learn how important it is to researach products to see where you can save money (as a consumer)...the kids had a kick out of making thier own comparison shoppoing Glog :)
Use if you'd like, just be sure to document your source!
~Erin

 

Adapted Cunningham Sequential Phonics-Lesson 1: +S, +ES

In preparation of our new roll-out spelling program, I've begun adapting Patricia Cunningham's Prefixes and Suffixes Sequential Phonics that will be used for 3rd grade. I'm still working on adding some additional activities for the "transfer", so if you think of anything please let me know!
~Erin


Click on the picture to download the freebie!