Dollar Sale

If you're looking for some deals on TpT, be sure to check out the Indiana Teachers Dollar Sale!

I'm offering these items:

This math product is included in my unlimited Magnify-cent Math Bundle.

An InLinkz Link-up

Mardi Gras and New Products

I'm so excited that Spring Break has given me the chance to catch up on a few projects and do a little blogging.  I want to share some of the things my class did to celebrate Mardi Gras.  I know it's too late for you to use any of these ideas this year, but maybe in 2015!

The week before Mardi Gras, we read this fantastic book by Candace Fleming...

The kiddos LOVED the story. Not only is the story wonderful, the dialect and voices are hilarious! We had sooo much fun working on our fluency skills with a readers' theater rendition of the story.  My second grade cohorts were gracious enough to allow my students to perform the readers' theater for their classes. We also completed a story elements book-tivity from this TpT product by Shelley Gray.

We made some yummy Gator Pie too.(Thanks for the recipe in your TpT product, Renee Smalley.)

Because we had inside recess everyday for what seemed like FOREVER I was able to give the class some background knowledge on the bayou and New Orleans by watching...

BTW, if you haven't started your own video library at amazon.com, I highly recommend it!  I could stop the movie at the end of recess and it was ready to resume the next recess.  How DID we show movies before SmartBOARDS?

My plans were to spend the next week studying Mardi Gras. Unfortunately, we ended up with a snow day on Monday, a two hour delay on Tuesday, and a one hour delay on Wednesday.   Because of the weather, students from the high school French III class weren't able to come to visit and introduce Mardi Gras in New Orleans to us.  (I do this every year.)  Nevertheless, we had an awesome time in our studies and the boys and girls learned so much.

First, we practiced our close reading skills with reading materials I found, edited, and made into a booklet from a website called Hello Kids. We completed a Mardi Gras brace map and learned several new vocabulary words.

Then I did it...I took a day away from traditional lessons (gasp) and we did several activities!  I think my students learned more doing this than they do in a regular day!

We started out with a King Cake made by one of my super supportive parents.

Later we enjoyed some homemade gumbo also made by a classroom parent.

Now it was time to make our floats for a parade around the school.  You need to know, I had asked parents earlier to send in items we needed such as shoe boxes, crepe paper, beads, coins, toilet paper rolls, and miscellaneous decorating items.  A parent volunteer and my remarkable classroom aide had helped the children wrap their shoe boxes in advance.  We had also watched National Geographic videos about the parades and floats.

Usually, the h.s. students help in float-making.  Since they didn't come this year I got out ALL of the craft supplies we had and turned my kids loose!  One parent was there to help; she manned the glue gun.  I was busy as the exacto-knife person. When our aide was in the room, she helped some kids print images from the classroom computer.  The rest was up to the kiddos!  Here are some samples of the kids at work and what they came up with in less than 90 minutes...

I tell you what, the classroom was one busy place.  Was it quiet?  Not exactly.  But the noise level was very acceptable and the kids were BUSY creating, problem-solving, communicating, collaborating...IT WAS A-W-E-S-O-M-E!  If you would like to see more pictures of our work you can find them here.

Clean-up took less time than you think.  Pairs of kids were put in charge of areas and supplies. Once materials were organized, we tackled the floor. Kids will get a floor spotless if you wrap a piece of packing tape (facing out) around their hands!  HA!

We followed up by putting on our masks and beads and paraded around the school.  Later in the week the class completed a lap book project I purchased on TpT from Homemade Second Grade, and an expository writing project using an artwork idea I found as a free download at schoolisahappyplace.blogspot.com.

Okay, if you've hung with me through ALL of THAT.  I did want to announce that I have some new products up that I am excited about.  I haven't been very prolific as a TpT seller but I am going to try to do more.  I have ideas for summer projects, that's for sure!

I am really excited about sharing the phonics chants with you because they are multi-modality, multi-leveled, fun, easy, and still an effective way to cement that phonics knowledge kids need to be good readers and spellers.  I use phonics chanting with my class and the short, daily practice is helping my strugglers more than just about anything I have tried before.  We use Tucker Sign Reading signs for the motions, but ASL letters or motions you create will work well too.  (It is important to add a kinesthetic element.) My capable kids enjoy it every time and use the sentences and phrases to help their classmates so I know the words, pictures, and motions are things that they have "hooked" onto too.

As for the Frozen-Inspired Math, I decide to create it because my boys and girls are obsessed with that movie. I wanted to have an appealing way to help them develop their subtraction fact fluency.  All of the Magnify-cent Math bundles have been a hit during math stations in my classroom.  Kids never get tired of using magnifying glasses.

Here are my new listings.  

Check them out if you're interested!  

Happy Teaching!

Sherri C.

Credits for background papers: http://frompond.blogspot.com   

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Bubbly-Cute

Teachers for Taytum

I am very excited to be included in one of the bundles for this amazing fundraiser:

Over 40 TpT sellers have come together to create bundles to benefit the March of Dimes.  We decided to put these bundles together in honor of Taytum Connor.  "Teachers for Taytum" will donate all of the profits made from the bundles in Taytum’s honor to help support the research of the March of Dimes, March for Babies.  Please check out the bundles that are available below.  There is something for everyone.

Taytum Connor was born at 29 weeks.  Taytum received medications that are available because of research promoted by the March of Dimes.  Taytum's care in the NICU would not be possible without the research and funding March of Dimes has dedicated to preterm babies.  You can read more about Taytum and the Connor family's story here.

There are several different bundles that are available for purchase.  Check out the different options below.  Click on the bundle picture below for purchase.  Each bundle is only $10... an incredible value and an incredible cause!

Thank you for helping the March of Dimes, March for Babies!

These are some awesome bundles at a great price that you just shouldn't pass up... plus the proceeds benefit a great cause in the honor of a sweet little girl!  Here is a sneak peek of what you can get in each of the bundles!

Thank you so much for your support!
Stephany, Stephanie, & Kathi
Primary Possibilities © 2014 Microsoft Terms Privacy Developers English (United States) © 2014 Microsoft Terms Privacy Developers English (United States) Warning {3} {3} {3} {3} {3} Favorite {3} Favorite