Lesson Plans: Week of January 6th

Well, I guess vacation is basically over… Between a restful 2 weeks, a new washing machine, a nice Legoland trip, this weekend's FB Hop, and the massive giveaway from yesterday, I pulled out my plan book to see what I'm doing this next week because I couldn't remember...  I did prep stuff before vacation, just need to remember what exactly is ready to go!  Linking up my plans with Mrs. Laffin's Laughings!    

 

We are still working on our OCR Medicine Unit.  This story is called The Bridge Dancers.  It's about two girls who live with their mom in a backcountry area - their mom is the Medicine Woman of the area and while she goes off to help someone, the two girls get into some trouble.  The story introduces using natural remedies as medicine, so I like to bring in an aloe plant and some of my aloe gel as realia.  

 

We are starting a new read aloud this week - Stone Fox!  Love this story about determination.  It's a short one, so it should only take a week to really tackle it.  

I have a free mini book pack if you need it! 

For Mentor Sentences we are reading The Three Snow Bears and focusing on complex sentences.  For those of you that aren't familiar with Mentor Sentences, Jivey explains it over on her blog (and I use her products).  

   

On Monday we are having a review day using my Mid Year Review Task Cards.  We will be playing scoot to review the concepts.

The rest of the week we are finishing up Factors and Multiples.  Over break I found some great free resources that I'm excited to use that aren't winter/Christmas specific.

Dots and Spots

Math File Folder Games

Teaching with a Mountain View

In Science we have reached our Earthquakes and Volcanoes unit.  A couple of years ago I found these things over on Pinterest that worked well. 

 

Lava in a cup by Science Bob

Fun Volcano Activity by Preschool Alphabet

We will need to make a lap book - This one is from imanshomeschool.  I really do love this unit! 

As for writing, this week we are using Blair Turner's New Year's Freebie to make goals, etc.  With coming back after vacation we review so much - rules, math skills, reading skills, making goals, etc… that I want them to write about it!  

I hope you have a great week!    

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HUGE Giveaway!! FB Freebie Hop, Gift Card, and Products Galore!

Get ready to HOP people!!

So here is how this works...

Start by going to Tori's FACEBOOK page.  She has all the links to the participating bloggers there.

Click on the "FB HOP" button once you are there.  It looks like this:

Then you will see a whole list of bloggers.  Here is a snippet of what it looks like:

Each of the bloggers have a special freebie just for this weekend.

Download, save, print, whatever you want to do with that freebie and then close out those windows.  You want to get back to the list of bloggers on her Facebook page.  Everything should open up into a new window to make it easier for you to get back to the "hop."

Make your way through all the bloggers as they will ALL have FAB stuff for you...for FREE!!!  

Each new FB page will have the same "FB Hop" image- just find that and click there.

Make sure you like the page to get your free product.

Oh and say "Hi" and "Thanks" while you are there... we love your comments/feedback!

Onto the next thing… the HUGE giveaway!  Out of all those above bloggers, there are 22 of us that want to give you more!  You could win a shopping spree over on TPT at many stores, get a TPT gift card, and win 4 specific units.  Sounds like fun!  Check out the rafflecopter below to enter - it's the same on all the bloggers' pages.  The giveaway will be going on for the entire week, but the FB Freebie Hop is only this weekend!   

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Have a great day!

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It's coming…

Tonight at midnight something amazing is going to happen.  There will be freebies pouring out all over Facebook specifically for primary teachers.  I know I'm not technically a primary teacher anymore but I'm going to be offering up a special freebie too.

Yep, it's something new!  I haven't even posted the full version over on TPT yet.  More information will be coming tomorrow (or here tonight at 9pm PST) about the FB Fan Freebie Hop and a massive giveaway… just wanted you to mark your calendars.  You are going to be busy snatching up all the goodies! 

Have a great day!    

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Blogging Resolutions

Do you make resolutions every year?  Yesterday I was driving home from Legoland, and as there isn't much to look at outside the window, I was thinking about my goals for this coming year.  Personal, Family, School, Blogging - I'm pretty happy with my life.  Of course there are some things that I want to tweak, but overall I am a happy camper.  Linking this up with Diane over at Fifth in the Middle for her Blogging Resolution Party.    

As for the blog, here's what I hope will happen:   

I do love to connect with others, and this past year I feel like I have made some really great friends through here.  I don't feel so alone in the teaching world.  I have gathered so many ideas from you, and they are working great in my classroom.  I have also learned that I can't do everything!  There was one year that I tried to do every single activity in my classroom ideas board at Pinterest.  I felt like I was going nuts being so creative!!!  I need to pick and choose and let go… (or should I say "Le-go"? - Yep, a corny joke I heard over and over the past couple of days.)

Here's how you can find me:

Blog - classroom ideas, what's working, product info (what I'm using from others and what's working from me), giveaways, linky parties, etc.

Pinterest - tons of ideas… I need to remember to pin my own blog stuff more, and pin from other blogs… (I kind of stopped doing that when I switched to Bloglovin since I could just "like" the post.. need to get back to pinning.)  

Facebook  - I love how I can connect with others over there.  I love the instant connections.  That's where I mainly share Flash Freebies.

Instagram - I've become addicted to sharing my own classroom moments and family photos.

TPT/TN - That's pretty explanatory.  I need to remember to write more emails to let followers know what's new in the store.  As for TN, well I keep forgetting to update the store… something else to add to the to do list.  

Overall - THANK YOU for this past year, THANK YOU for reading this little blog, THANK YOU for your continued support.  :)  

Have a great day!  

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Photo Dump of Christmas Vacation (so far)

I'm just going to put it out there - you might have seen some of these pictures if you are following me over on Instagram.  It's been a pretty busy couple of days!

So excited - I'm seeing my BFF in just a couple of days.  We are heading to Legoland (we surprised the boys on Christmas morning), and her family is going to meet up with us on New Year's Eve.  We haven't ever really lived near each other - we met back in college - so I'm SO EXCITED to see her!!!  

Yes, I broke the washer.  I know it was me since I'm the one that tried to wash 2 kids' comforters and towels at the same time.  It threw the basket off balance, made a horrible sound, created a burning smell, and completely died.  It was a good washer - lasted 10 1/2 years with our family of 5.  So last night we had to take the boys and go washer shopping.  Found a great deal on a top ranked model that fit our price range.  It'll be delivered next week… so today I'll be hauling our laundry to my parents (just like I used to do back in college - but x5).

This is my word wall in my kitchen.  A couple of new things were just added - that "Do Small Things with Great Love" was a gift from a student.  Hubby also added a hook to hold up the aprons - yes, plural.  The boys have camouflage ones for those messy spaghetti dinners and when they help me cook,  and then I have my apple and sunflower ones.  The aprons have just been hung on a pushpin before now - I love how it took me 10 years to think of something so simple.

All 3 boys had their first official brother sleepover last night.  My youngest was so excited that he was finally big enough to join them.  I didn't wake them up when I took the picture.  :)  These past days have been so busy keeping them occupied and trying to clean.

This was us on Christmas morning.  The kids rushed downstairs (after I made them wait until 7… 5:15 was just too early!)

For Christmas I was blessed with a lot of Massage Envy gift cards.  It was the only thing that I really had on my wish list (if you don't count a flat iron).  A while back they were having a special - buy 2 gift cards get a free one, and my dear husband and parents picked up the deal.  So I had a "free" one yesterday, and will have another "free" one in January - (the free ones expire in January).

The days have been filled with Legos…

Here's our official Christmas picture.  Little bits did NOT want to get in the picture.

We also had fun painting the extra glass ornaments.

… and my oldest has been cooking us dinner.  

I'm loving this family time!  Hope you have a great day!  

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