Chris Van Allsburg--The Z Was Zapped

We began an author study on Chris Van Allsburg. Last year, I purchased the Chris Van Allsburg from Amanda at One Extra Degree. Well, I feel like I hit the jack pot. Like Amanda, I began searching the internet for ideas about Chris Van Allsburg, and I did not find much....so I decided to buy her packet.

So far we have read The Z was Zapped. This book introduces each letter via a stage using alliterations. The letter in the alphabet usually has something bad happed to it.  We have been discussing figurative language (similies and metaphors). I decided to use Amanda's idea and introduce alliterations and create a book with happy actions for each letter. However, I added a twist to LIVEN up my students dull sentences and see what the students had learned about adverbs and adjectives. I gave them this sentence "outline" as a guide: The adjective  letter of the alphabet adverb verb ..... I assigned letters of the alphabet. We did three together. Then, I set them off to write. On day 2, I had some dental work so I left the actual "making the book" page complete with writing and illustrations for the students to complete with the substitute (trustworthy sub that is great in all grade levels). I was so excited when I returned the next day to see the students work. Here are some examples:

Who is Chris Van Allsburg and a Freebie

On the first day of our author study, I introduced Chris Van Allsburg. I created a Power Point Presentation
available for FREE at my Teachers Pay Teachers Store that I used to help introduce Chris Van Allsburg. After introducing the author, the students completed what we call a 3-2-1. In the 3-2-1, students wrote 3 interesting things about Chris Van Allsburg, 2 questions that they still had about Chris Van Allsburg, and for a twist drew a picture of one book that looks interesting that they can not wait to read. Then, we also pretended to be sculptors and use playdough to create sculptures.
I found this Chris Van Allsburg biography to be helpful.
Tonight, I found an awesome You Tube Video! However, I think I am going to show it as a culmination. (I am a little behind on my posts because we have actually been studying CVA for one week. Therefore, we have read several stories.)
I also found a link from Scholastic about Chris Van Allsburg. It has a place where you can view illustrations in a slideshow format.

Don't forget to visit my store at the links above for your FREE download.
Come back tomorrow for day 2.

Earth Day Every Day and a Linky

Leanne at Teaching Tales is having an

So I decided to join. Pollution is part of the third grade currirulum. I decided to use the Earth Day Theme during the first week in March. I read The Lorax. We discussed water pollution, air pollution, and noise pollution. The students used the persuasive writing prompt: How can you convince your peers to make EVERYDAY Earth Day? We used our four square model to create our main argument and our 3 convincing reasons. Upon the "brainstorming session", student completed their writing on notebook paper. Finishing touches were added by creating Lorax heads and mustaches. This is the final product:

I used ideas from Rachel at The Sub Hub (Teachers Pay Teachers page) for my part of my Lorax unit. The movie also opened the same Friday we  had been studying Pollution so we made these cute trees too.

Next week, I will begin my post on our Chris Van Allsburg study. Stay tuned!



I love blogging!

I HAVE NOT blogged as much this year as I would like, but....

Well, anyway I am so happy to be a teacher blogging. I love to blog stalk (oops! I mean read) other teacher blogs. Anyway, I have met so many dedicated people in our fight to make education be the TOP priority for not only those that teach, but those that are administrators, parents, parents, and just members of society that care and value education. Thank you to all those. Thank you to all those that also share everyday.

I am so delighted to have received such a sweet award from Emily at Circus of Learning.

Here are the rules:

 1. Just post a link back to the person who sent it to you.

2. Follow that person.

3. Pass the award on to some other amazing bloggers.

 So--I am passing this award to:

Building Vocabulary

Vocabulary

     Part of the Georgia Third Grade curriculum is building vocabulary through learning Greek and Latin Roots.

Our county is using some of Tim Raskinki's Building Vocabulary books as a part of Word Study. I have been implementing lessons in a bi-weekly manner. One week a Greek or Latin Root ,and one week a spelling pattern. 

    Basically, I have been doing these rotations for for about 7 weeks. My class readily caught on to the  routine/ format and WOW! It is amazing how the transfer has carried over and stuck. Students are even finding words in their chapter books (making connections, expanding vocabulary, seeing transfer). This is exciting. I have only the Building Vocabulary From Word Roots book. Of course, it does not cover all the roots we use. Therefore, I used it as a guide to adapt and create my own lessons.

Here is a short run-down of what I do each week.

Monday-Introduce--Meet the Root OR Determine the spelling pattern usually through a game (sometimes a discovery lesson which is more student-centered, but sometimes teacher-directed with posters and direct instruction)

Tuesday-Review/Add New Words and Draw/Sculpt the Root-Students choose a word/partners guess the word based on the drawing/sculpture (made of playdoh or clay) With spelling patterns-We sort the "list". New words are introduced. This is also an opportunity to discuss defintions (vocabulary) and students make/play concentration.

Wednesday-Review through teacher created riddles (Extend to students creating riddles/guessing.) Introduce new words through context. Students work with a partner to learn the meaning of two or three words used in context based on background knowledge.Other activities might include making words, playing scattegories type game, or playing a charades type game.

Thursday-Bingo or another type game to review

Friday-Assessment

Here is a link to Teacher Created Materials and Tim Rasinki's video clip on Building Vocabulary.

Here is another link to the products:Building Vocabulary

Be on the look-out for lessons,ideas, and assessment in my store at Teachers Pay Teachers soon.

TAG and I'm IT!

Yikes! I have been tagged three times so I thought I better get to blogging (I mean running! First, I wanted to say I was not even warned that I was in the game. Is this tunnel tag? freeze tag? NO--It's BLOG TAG!

   Rebecca at The Teacher's Chatterbox tagged me first.

Then, Tracey at Our Cool School  got me.

Finally, Keri from Teach Play Smile stunned me too.

SO I have to get goin' and start taggin' too!

OK...

So here are the rules:

1.  Post the rules.

2.  Post 12 fun facts about yourself.

3.  Answer the questions the tagger set for you in her post, and then create 12 new questions for the ones you tag.

4.  Tag 12 people and link them in your post.

5.  Let them know that they have been tagged.

1. My husband and I have been together for 21 years. We have been married for 17 of these years. We met in high school. (Shhh! I am 6 months older.)

2. My husband and I have 3 awesome children. Ashleigh age 11. She is our one and only daughter and princess. She is gifted and talented in a variety of ways. She loves to read, dance, write, and have fun! Dylan, our oldest son, has taught us about blessings and how not to take the little things in life for granted. He a fun-loving, heart-warming, sports lover with Down's Syndrome. Austin is 2 1/2. My husband and I joke that if we would've had him first he would be an only child (NO , not really). He is a typical two year old boy. He loves to read, sing, talk, play with trucks, cars, Elmo, blocks, go outside, practically get into any and everything.

3. My sister is my best friend (Not always--I mean, of course, we had our squabbles as children.). She and I also teach at the same school.

4.  I collect coca-cola items. I am a southern girl--born and raised in Ga.---where everything is called COKE (no matter if it is Sprite, Mr. Pibb, Mello Yello , Fanta, etc.)
5.  I was a cheerleader in high school. Go Red Devils!
6.  I love chocolate. Have you ever seen the shirt-I eat ketchup on my ketchup--Well, I eat chocolate on my chocolate.
7. My family loves visiting Disney.
8. My family likes to camp.
9. I live in a golf course neighborhood and neither my husband nor I golf.
10.  I believe in the phrase--"You only live once."  So therefore, I enjoy life and what it has to offer.
11. I played school as a little girl. My best friend and I even ordered Algebra workbooks (about 36) when we were in the third grade with our allowances for our "class".
12. I love all 4 seasons. I like the fall time because of the beautiful changing leaves and my birthday is in the fall. I enjoy winter because I love Christmas and the joys it brings to all. I like spring because of the "new" life it brings along with the beautiful flowers and weather. I love summer because I get to spend it with my kids.

 Rebecca's questions:

1.  What movie could you watch over and over again?Sweet Home Alabama, Pretty Woman, Fried Green Tomatoes

2.  What would be your dream vacation? Mediterranean Cruise

3.  Do you like to cook?  If so, what dish have you perfected?  Not really, but we are trying to budget and eat at home more often. AND--I make everything good, when I do cook.

4.  Are you tech savvy? Sometimes

5.  What is your guilty pleasure?

6.  What is your favorite book to read aloud to your kiddos? I love reading all books, but my most favorite of all is Love You Forever by Robert Munsch. I always cry, but I read this to all my students--no matter what grade level I am teaching.I will get to read it soon to this year's class because I read it at Valentines.

7.  Are you more crafty or sporty? crafty (not that I have time for either)

8.  Are you an early bird or a night owl? Neither--I go to bed each night around 9:30/10:00 because I have to get up my 5:30 a.m. to have Ashleigh at her clubs by 7:15 a.m. most mornings.

9.  Facebook, Twitter, or Both? facebook

10.  If you were told you were going to be teaching abroad, where would you want to teach? YIKES--I would l prefer England, but would probably enjoy the rewards from a third world country.

11.  Do you collect anything? coca-cola items

12.  What is your most memorable teaching moment? When I was named Teacher of the Year.WOW!



Tracey's and Keri's questions:

.

1. What do you do to de-stress? soak in the bathtub, vent by talking

2. Describe your favourite dinner? I like all food, but I love Italian eggplant parmesan.

3. What do you do on Friday night? Well--before the budget--eat out. Now eat in and family fun. Sometimes, my husband and I have datenight.

4. Do you have any hobbies? scrapbooking, but not in a loooonnnnngggg while

5. Why did you start blogging? a co-worker-Kathy at First Grade A La Carte inspired me

6. Would you rather teacher 20 eighth graders or 30 first graders? 30 first graders

7. How far do you live from where you grew up? 45 minutes ( I teach in same city, but different county)

8. Would you ever teach a member of your family (eg child, nephew, niece). Why or why not? Yes, it would be just like teaching any other child.

9. Do you want to be a principal someday? Sometimes yes, sometimes no

10. Do most people seem pleased or upset when you tell them that you are a teacher? pleased

11. How long does it take you to get to work? 45 min. (no traffic)

12. How much time a week do you spend planning, preparing etc (other than the time spent at school)? Well, I vowed when I had Ashleigh that I would not bring work home, but I still do at times..Maybe one to two hours a week that is not at school,but I go early each morning Tues-Fri because Ashleigh has clubs and I work in my room.

Here are those that I am tagging:

Kathy at First Grade A La Carte

Fern at Fern Smith's Classroom

Dana at 3rd Grade Gridiron

Amanda at One Extra Degree

Abby at Third Grade Bookroom

Miss Bongers at Life in 4B

Misty at 3rd Grade's a Hoot

Angelica at Extra Special Teaching

Kymberly at Tales of a Third Grade

Amber at Adventures of Third Grade

Amanda at A Special Kind of Class

Sandra at Literacy Minute

FINALLY---HERE ARE MY QUESTIONS:

1.What is your favorite t.v.show?

2.  Where were you born?

3. What is your dream vacation?

4.  Facebook? Twitter? or Both?

5. What is your passion?

6.  Are you an early bird or a night owl?

7. Do you have a color scheme or theme in your classroom?

8. Do you read blogs before or after school?

9.What do you love most about the school you teach at?

10. Favorite restaurant?

11. Do you want to be principal?

12. How long is your commute?

Now to go Tag (well I may just do this part tomorrow) because I am in need for some sleep.
Night, night--don't let the bed bugs bite.

4 Square Writing

My school recently started a writing initiative using the 4 Square Writing Method developed by Judith Gould. I have always used a variety of tools to teach writing--

Hamburger Model

House Model

The four squares model template looks similar to this:

We began by using it as a writing tool to aide in reading comprehension. We completed one together in class for our class read aloud book, Muggie Maggie.  We placed the main idea in the middle box, then in the top left box we added a detail. We also added details in top right hand box and bottom left hand box. In the last box, I had the students write a prediction of what they thought might happen next and why. On day two, we added transitions words to boxes 1,2, and 3. We added a favorite part sentence and why in box 4. On day three, after discussing options for Bodacious Beginnings (This is what we call our Writing Hooks.), we added the Bodacious Beginning to the very top. We also added our Enormous Ending at the bottom. Lastly, I showed the students how to take the information from the top, the middle square, and the 4 squares to create a paragraph. The students gasped in astonishment. Each day I sent them back to their desk to practice as we did had practiced or learned. On this last day, the students were so proud of their summaries. I saw light bulbs spark. Each week for homework, student have to read and summarize on Monday----so the results will come in tomorrow morning. 

    Now that we have used this is reading, we are also going to begin a "new" use tomorrow--Learning how to write a persuasive piece. 

    Tell me about the writing in your classroom--OR How do you teach writing?

    For more information on 4 square writing come back often---and of course ---google and pin.

TA-TA for now (practicing for Disney)