First Week of School Back to School Snack: Freebie

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I know some of you are already back at school. I have not even stepped into my classroom since June but I'm hoping you had an amazing start! I know the first day of school is like no other!  By the afternoon, my third graders are beyond tired and hungry. Their brains and their stomachs are still on summer mode and the school schedule can throw them for a loop. By the end of the day they are spent and so am I. 

Here's an afternoon snack idea that gives them a sweet treat to eat and gives me some more valuable information about what kind of learner they are. This is an edible glyph. Students answer questions about themselves first and based on their answers they will make themselves a back to school bus snack.

Here are the food items that you can use to make these. All of them came from Walmart and the Twizzlers were on clearance! You can substitute ingredients. The bus itself is one graham cracker.  

Here is the glyph paper they need to fill out first. I asked some questions to help me get to know them a little better. They read the question and circle their answer. Under the answer is the food item they are to use to make their snack. 

The little bus treats look something like this when finished. 

I'm thinking they can meet with their team mates first and show and tell their buses. Their friends should be able to tell what their favorite kind of book is and how they like to spend recess just by looking at their bus. 

The little red gumdrop here is actually a smiley face gummy. It represents the people on the bus. 

I am sharing this in my TPT store as a free item in case anyone else wants to do this too. 

The file is editable so you can switch out the food items and the questions you want to ask your kids. 

Click the link below if you want to check it out: 

Back on the Bus Glyph

First Week of School: Five Finger Summary Glove

 I intentionally try to pick out fun books to read those first weeks of school. The launch of readers workshop is such an important time. I feel like it sets the tone for the entire year. I want my kids to LOVE spending time with books. We talk about how lucky we are to have reading time because when we read we get to leave our classroom and escape to other places and meet other people. We get to see what the characters in our books see and feel what they feel and go where they go.

 We can get lost in our books!

I really feel that as teachers we have the power to help instill that love of reading by the enthusiasm we bring ourselves when we read aloud to our kids.  I'm having fun scouring the library for new books and characters to introduce my kids to. 

Here's another great new one that I will be reading aloud on that first week of school.  This one will help me to initiate a conversation about rules and consequences. It's a funny read aloud with a ridiculous storyline that I know my new third graders will appreciate. 

It's called: If You Ever Want to Bring an Alligator to School, DON'T!

It's a super fast read but has enough of  a storyline so that you can review the elements of fiction, in this case fantasy. I'm thinking I will pull out my 5 Finger Story Summary Glove before the reading and we will review the structure of this genre of book. My third graders should have worked on elements of a fictional story somewhat in second grade but it's important for my readers to know what to anticipate when they pick up a particular kind of book. I like going over this again before we launch readers workshop.

My old story glove was pretty worn out so I'm making new ones this summer. 

I also made one with a hand clapper!

It is one of my most used items in my classroom.  

We refer to it before reading most fictional stories!

This book is perfect for reviewing story structure. It has very definite main characters and settings. The problem is straightforward, the events are easy to follow and the solution is clearly stated. I think all my students will be able to have success using the 5 Finger Story Summary Glove to discuss the important story elements of this book. 

Later in the week, I may pull out this Story Summary Street page and some small play cars. I'll have the students use this with another book I will read aloud.  This is a post reading partner activity that encourages kids to verbalize a summary of what they read. 

 The partners will move the car, stopping at each sign to take turns talking about who the characters were, where the story took place, what the problem of the story was, and what important events led to the solution. Discussions about books are SO important and help our readers develop important comprehension skills.  I like giving my readers lots of opportunities to talk about books before I expect them to write about them. I have found my kids are so much more successful when I allow them this time. 

Eventually, my kids will begin recording their thinking about books in writing.

I have several templates that I like to use because they correlate well with the story glove and summary street. 

This first one is a foldable. Students cut on the lines to create doors that open. They can write and draw pictures about each story element.

This one is a one page sheet that allows my students to write/draw about the book they read. 

I'll have my students add this note sheet on the 5 Finger Summary to their reading journals. 

I also like to send a copy home in a newsletter to parents so they can use it when their children read at home. 

I have added these resources to my Teacher Pay Teacher Store if you are interested in making and using these materials with your students. 

Just click the link below: 

Teaching with Props: The 5 Finger Summary Glove

I love using books as springboards for other activities in other subject areas. 

This book is also a great one to use when launching a discussion about why we have rules. 

I wrote a post about how I do this.  

You can read about it here: 

Rules and Consequences

You can find resources to go along with it here: 

The Reason for Rules: A lesson in cause and effect

What are some of the books you plan on using this September? 

Would love to hear!  Email me at youngdor8@gmail.com or comment below.

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Developing Grit: A Graphing Unit

Albert Einstein had grit.

The standards we teach are SO rigorous these days that if we want our students to be successful they need it too. 

I like this acronym using the word GRIT: 

Image from: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhGLrdpr29FEFbkqd4r_dbEBBo350rV-RFOJPLTsM6NHUn5XmH8p1fyXlQ_Q287lAXn2YgERG7R7YUI1l-jgXjv8vhJQnr7rA7eyZBBk3Hnzg4aRVkCDE8VT8rUZew1DHJQRjOsiw0fWg/s1600/GRIT+Poster.JPG

 Learning experiences that cause students to struggle help them develop resilience and tenacity. I  believe I can help my students by using direct, systematic teaching and scaffolding my instruction so that the learning tasks I put in front of them are challenging, yet not completely overwhelming. I owe it to my kids to set them up with the skills needed to face and ultimately conquer the toughest of tasks.

I'm creating math packets that will help my students as they work towards mastering the very challenging third grade SOL math objectives. We usually begin the year with a graphing unit so this will be the set I use first.

Through the use of these materials, I will systematically teach each type of graph. Students will gain practice in asking survey questions, gathering data and creating tally charts, picture graphs, bar graphs and line plots.

I've increased the rigor of some of my questioning and included multistep problems similar to those my students will confront on their end of the year SOL test. 

The teaching pages are on what we call "Slice and Stick" note sheets that we glue in their math journals. That way they will have them there for the year and we can refer back to them as we go along. 

That

These pages begin with "I Can" statements that helps to focus on what it is that we need to learn through the lesson.  At the end, we reflect back on the "I Can" statements and students indicate their confidence level for each one. I find that my third graders are super honest. They will let me know if they just aren't getting it. That then helps me plan my next teaching move. 

After the teaching pages, I made up some question sheets that mimic those that students will need to solve on the end of the year SOL test. They are difficult and will give students  the practice they need in using their grit and not giving up. 

If you are interested in using these yourself, you can find them in my TPT store. 

Click the link below: 

Data Detectives

What do you think about the rigor of the standards we now teach and how are you dealing with it? 

Please share your thoughts... email at youngdor8@gmail.com or comment below. 

I love to hear from you!

First Week of School: Back to School Book and Lessons

Do you ever get tired of starting the year in the same way with the same activities? I do and am always looking for new ideas. Well, I stumbled upon a GREAT new "back to school" read aloud that I have never used before. I'm super excited to try it out with my new crop of third graders this year. It is the perfect book to start the year out with, yet really has nothing to do with kids going to school. 

It has to do with Calvin and Calvin can't fly. 

So I guess it does have everything to do with kids going to school. I know so many of my kids may be walking into their new classroom door feeling worried and unsure of their abilities. They'll be thinking about all the things they CAN'T do. Reading this book will help ease their minds. 

This fun story is called, Calvin Can't Fly (The Story of a Bookworm Birdie) and is by Jennifer Berne.  Calvin is a starling and can't fly because all he wants to do is read. 

Calvin is not your typical starling he is different from the others. 

I love that this book will help me to initiate a conversation about respecting and appreciating individual differences. The first week of school is all about getting to know each other and the very beginnings of relationship building. We will be talking about how it is OK for Calvin to be different and for all of us to be different. 

We'll read how at first, the other starlings made fun of Calvin....

I love the language of this book...I will be sure to stop and talk about some of the vocabulary on this page. It is a quick read aloud but meaty, it's filled with great stopping and talking points. 

 Calvin heads to the library where he spends much of his time with his beak in a book. 

When it's time to migrate, Calvin is in trouble!

I like how we can talk here about how although we all have our favorite subjects and activities, we need also need to spend time learning other things too. 

Here is one of my favorite pages: 

The other starlings do not leave Calvin behind! They figure out a way to help him. 

Another great talking point for the classroom. I want my kids to know that although there will be times they are facing hard learning and they may not get it right away, we will work together to make sure everyone learns all that they need to. We will leave no one behind. 

Well, the birds, including Calvin, start on their journey but run into a problem and guess who has the know-how to save the day?  

Yes, Calvin learned all about hurricanes from reading books! He teaches them and they take cover. 

Calvin ends up learning how to fly and the story concludes with them flying off as one big happy family.  This is a fantastic book to use prior to launching your reader's workshop time. 

It hits home the idea that reading is enjoyable and also how we can learn so much from books. I want my students to feel as though they don't need to wait for me to teach them what they are interested in. They can teach themselves just by spending time with a book!

I started creating materials that I plan on using along with this book. I think I'm going to lead my kids through the writing of their very first book response using this book. I made this one page booklet for us to practice doing what good readers do...we will "Prepare for Reading", "Think Before Reading", "Ask and Answer Questions", "Identify Problem and Solution" and "Describe the Character". 

I plan on doing this all together with lots of discussion. It will serve as my training session. 

I also created a blank response booklet that my kids will attempt to fill out on their own later during the second week of school. I like my students to do some sort of book responding at least once a week on a book that they choose during independent reading time. 

After reading this book, I want my kids to spend time getting to know more about their new classroom family. I'm going to have them play this simple book inspired game. They will simply spin the spinner and move their "Calvin" to a question that they will answer. 

It will give me an opportunity to watch my new students working with a partner and taking turns speaking and listening to each other. Afterwards, they will fill out this "post play" form to tell what they learned about their new friend. 

During writing time, we will talk about how, like Calvin, we all have things we can do well and things that are still hard for us. Third grade gets tough fast. I want my kids to feel empowered and not ever give up on themselves. We will celebrate our talents and talk about goal setting as students write about themselves using this sheet: 

It fits inside this Calvin booklet. Sometimes kids need a break during that first week of school. Having them create a quick craft gives them that mental break while allowing me to check out their fine motor skills and their ability to start and finish a project. 

Plus it can be displayed with the title: We Are Going to Soar in Third Grade. Then kids can read about other kids and hopefully make more connections. 

!

Once I started creating using the themes of this book, I could not stop. 

I think I may do a whole day with Calvin in mind. 

Here is a math page that is also inspired by this book. It will give me a glimpse into what kind of math thinkers they are. The problems are ones that they should have been exposed to as second graders. I included a checklist for students to use after completing each problem. 

I teach my kids to take responsibility for their own learning. 

Part of that is knowing what is easy or hard for them and then focusing on it. 

Again, like Calvin, not everything is easy for us and that is OK. 

We may end week one with a quick and simple STEM activity to allow them an opportunity to work in a cooperative group. I want to see them in action. I can learn so much about my new students by observing them in situations like this one. They will work on designing and creating a contraption to get Calvin from a starting point to his migration destination. I will simply put out a sampling of recycled materials and see what they can come up with. Working alongside each other is the best way for them to bond and building relationships with their new classmates. 

I am including this set in my TPT store if you are interested in trying any of these activities out yourself. Check your school or public library for Calvin Can't Fly. It is an easy book to find!
Or purchase a copy of this sweet book on Amazon.
Believe me, your children will all want to take a turn reading it!

Purchase the Book: Calvin Can't Fly

Click the link below for the activity packet: 

Back to School Book Ideas: Calvin Can't Fly

I'm posting other beginning of the year book recommendation videos here.
Please come visit me here and consider joining my youtube community:

Book Recommendation Videos

Do you have a favorite Back to School Book? I'd love to hear. 

Share below or email at youngdor8@gmail.com

Back to School Graphs: New Friends and Their Favorites

Summer is not so much a season as it is a melody, 

that tune of contentment we hum as the days begin to beautifully blur. 

Sarah Ban Breathnach

So true, summer brings with it so many simple joys that if we are not careful, can go unnoticed. 

We went to the mountains last week and found a quiet spot in the river to swim and sit. 

I could not have been more content than I was swimming in the flow of that cool mountain water. 

Simple abundance exists all around us. Noticing and appreciating each day's gifts can unlock the fullness in our lives. Aren't we lucky as teachers to be able to shed thoughts of school and work expectations for a short while. 

Sweet sweet summer....but then I went to Target. 

Have you been recently? 

They are clearing out summer and filling it in with back to school stuff. 

Stealing my joy. 

It seems earlier each year. I know many who are beginning to plan for the next school year. 

I have a friend who does and says it is because she wants to be kind to her "future self". 

She says planning now helps keep her sane in September. 

How about you? Are you a planning ahead or planning to procrastinate? I'm usually the latter of the two. For those of you who are thinking of the next school year, I am posting some "Back to School" files to my Teacher Pay Teacher store. 

The beginning of the year can be a challenging time for me. I want to devote enough time getting to know my new students yet there is always the push to get right into the academics so we don't get behind at the start. Does anyone else deal with that? It sometimes feels like we don't have the time to ease into the year...so much to teach in one year's time.

To deal with that, I have attempted to combine some "Getting to Know You" type activities with some of our third grade reading and math objectives. We work on graphing right at the beginning of the year. Third graders need to be able to use data to create picture graphs, bar graphs and line plots. 

Here is a file that allows students a chance to survey each other to find out more about one another at the same time they are getting practice in making and analyzing picture graphs. 

This set includes 14 different "Getting to Know You" survey questions, tally charts, symbols and graphing papers. Third graders typically deal with the symbol of a picture graph equaling more that just one. Having to represent data with the symbol equaling 2 or more raises the rigor and requires students to cut the symbol. Having to cut the picture graph symbols out and gluing them onto the graph helps to slow students down and forces them to think about how many symbols they really need. 

You can check out this set by clicking the link below. 

Back to School Picture Graphs: New Friend Favorites

Do you have favorite "Getting to Know You" activities? Would love to hear!

Classroom Library Book Worm Jar: Freebie

Happy Friday! I've got a freebie for you this morning. They have cute jars at the Target One Spot this month. I picked up one with a red lid for a new Book Worm Jar for my classroom. I added a label to the front and will stuff it with book worms (gummy worms)  when we go back to school.

I am also working on a new Book Nook sign for my classroom. I am adding some new reading spots this year and wanted to include them in this rotation poster. 

I will add clothespins with names of my students on this chart. Students are assigned to a special "book nook" during independent reading time. I just move clothespins down each day so students get a new one each time. 

Walmart carries great little plastic rocker chairs for a really cheap price! My students loved them last year so I added a couple more to our collection. 

Check the stores now and in another month when stores discount their dorm room items. I have found great book nooks for cheap prices during these sale times.

I found these "recliner" chairs at Target years ago and they still work great!

I know how important it is to have my third graders spend as much time possible reading quality texts on their level. I try to create a quiet, comfortable and peaceful environment for our reading time.

I've changed up my classroom library set up  a bit and now it will be organized by both genre and leveled readers. I started this last year and really liked it. 

When I go back in the fall, I will add more letters to these baskets. 

I like having books also organized by genre since that is something we teach in third grade. 

By this age, kids really start knowing what they prefer reading.

I also showcase books along our reading wall. These are "Teacher Pick" books that go along with our content area studies. Students tend to grab up these books and I love that since it allows them an opportunity to learn more and dig deeper into the standards that we teach. These kids become science and social studies experts and can add much to our content area discussions based on what they learn on their own during independent reading time. 

We also take turns reading to these cute bookworms that we keep in our class library. 

Third graders still go crazy for stuffed animals. If they want to read to them they need to keep reading the WHOLE reading time. Book worms only want to visit with students who are reading...ha! 

Yes, believe it or not, third graders are NOT too old for this!

Before reading time I pick a "Mystery Reader".  I tell my students I picked one of them, but will not tell who it is. The idea is that I will keep a close eye on that person for the duration of our reading time. If  that person remains a productive reading and do "real reading" the ENTIRE time, they are announced as a "bookworm" and get a gummy worm prize at the end of the reading block.  If they don't stay stuck in their book,  they are not announced but I will go to them individually and talk to them about what I saw and how they can make it the next time. 

I've added the Book Worm Jar label to my TPT store as a free item.  

You can check it out here:

 Book Worm Jar

 So how do you encourage productive reading during your sustained, silent reading time? 

I would love for you to share!

Comment below or email me at youngdor8@gmail.com