Sunday Store Update

Here's what's new since last Sunday:

You know how I love to make memory books with my kiddos.  I decided to make them official looking this year instead of having my kids just write on pieces of paper...  I'm even going to use the binding machine at school. :)

  My kids somehow have "seemed" to forget what order they solve multistep problems.  I don't know why I didn't think of making these earlier in the year (probably because I wasn't creating things back when I taught this lesson), but they will be completing these task cards tomorrow.  It's all about review.   

I was going through my computer files and realized that I never shared the research questions my students use to look up information about their specific tribes.  I also created a narrative that goes along with it since my kiddos love writing narratives.  It's all about making it personal for them in order to draw connections.  

If you are interested in learning more about any of these products, just click the images above.  
I hope you have a great day!  

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Almost 400...

Just a quick post for today.  It is my anniversary, and I do have to go and change out of my sweats into something decent to wear out on my fancy date with my honey.  I have no clue where we are going, and it may not be fancy, but anything will be a step up from the leaky diapers and kid puke of this morning.  11 years... we have been through a lot!
Anyway, I know the blog is getting close to 400 followers - which totally is a crazy thought in itself.  Didn't we just celebrate 300?  200?  100??  I love giveaways though and wondered if any of you bloggers/shop owners would want to help me out with a big bash to celebrate?  
Please comment below or email me at ilovemyclassroom@ymail.com
Hope your day is fabulous!

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Five for Friday!

What a week it has been!  Ever have that feeling like you probably are sick, but are in denial?  That's me... the past 3 days a stomach bug has been making me feel gross but the week was so busy there wasn't time to make sub plans.  

Anywho!!

Linking up with Doodle Bugs Teaching to once again share 5 random moments of my week.

1. Simplified Fractions - Nacho Style

I found this freebie and decided to print it out for groups to cut, sort, and glue. It took about 30 minutes. Then I corrected it and called the groups over. The kids had to explain why the chip wasn't in the right spot (simplified vs needs to be simplified.) Great review!

2. District Writing Test

3 days this week we were writing basically all day to complete our test. It was a response to literature. The kids did a great job with identifying the lessons the author wanted them to learn.  I am officially done with writing lessons - not that we will stop writing - but now it's onto the test prep crunch!

3. Congruent, Slides, Flips, and Turns

My students have finally reached the end of chapter 21. Usually by this time of the year we are done with the book and already in full review mode. Not this year though. I did an art project with the lessons. (Yes, I squished them together.) They folded a piece of paper, traced their hand, cut it out, and then glued it to another paper. That side of the paper they wrote that their hands were congruent, and decided how many degrees to turn it before gluing. The other side of the paper they did it again and decided whether to slide or flip. They got it and today we moved onto symmetry.  They chose what side they wanted the class to see on our bulletin board.

4.  Whales vs. Elephants

This week we began our Communication unit in OCR.  The story talks about infrasonic communication - specifically with elephants and whales.  I went to an old favorite website - LearningPage.com and printed off fact sheets about 2 different types of whales and an elephant, and in groups they created a triple venn diagram.  My little kids felt like even bigger kids with having to compare 3 animals at the same time.  We sat/laid outside in the sunshine to create these diagrams.  

5. Easter Egg Symmetry

Today was Symmetry DAY!  I know I probably could have just glossed over this lesson since they totally already knew how to do it, but I really wanted to do something fun since it is Friday... so I found these whole page Easter Eggs and let the kids color for a change.  My only requirement was that the completed egg had to show symmetry.  I didn't want something with a lot of graphics on it to start since they are in 4th grade and these kids especially love to draw.  I love spring art!

Other news... my mom is out of the hospital!  Yay her!!  They figured it out to be a reaction to one of the medications that she was prescribed due to her pinched nerve.  Thanks for praying!!  

Other other news... I am finding it way too easy lately to spend money on TPT.  In the past I have limited myself to sales, but now with state testing so close and all the review that needs to happen and the need to try to make it fun, I have been filling and emptying my cart way too often.  Just last night I had 2 separate shopping sprees... Look what I bought!

Hope you had a great week!  Tomorrow is our anniversary - 11 years!  

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Workshop Wednesday - Graphic Organizers

I'm linking up with Jivey today to tell about Reading Graphic Organizers in my classroom.  I've shared these posters way back last summer after I made them for a Monday Made It...  They hang over my whiteboard.  The kids write it out on a piece of binder or copy paper, and then stick them into their binders.  Copy budgets are an issue, so it was important they could create it themselves since we use them every week.  

We preview the story on Mondays after we define our weekly vocabulary.  The kiddos just draw a simple 4 square on the back of their vocabulary words in their composition books and make connections as we go through it quickly.  

On Tuesdays, they take a piece of copy paper and draw the basic outline of the Story Map.  This works well for a fiction story... not too great for a nonfiction one though.  This version is free in my TPT store.  I gave each student one copy of this at the beginning of the school year, they keep it in a plastic sheet protector in their binders for easy reference when creating their own.  
I was thinking about the Story Map lately - wanting to change it up to work on more skills each week - more than just summarizing, so just last week I created this.

  It includes Making Connections, Predict, Asking Questions and then figuring out how to Clarify the issues.  It also has the basic Story Map that they enjoy drawing and a place to Visualize the story on the back of their paper.  Just something I'm thinking about for next year to add in more of the skills each week. I'm sure there is room for improvement though - any suggestions?  I just uploaded it to Google Docs at this point, since I'm sure there is something that I will want to add...  
Maybe it will help someone else though.  Enjoy!
Hope you had a great day!  Newest news with my mom is she is feeling a lot better and her sodium levels have gone up a point. She just needs to gain one more point until she is able to go home.  Thanks for praying!    

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Say a Little Prayer Please...

I'm a Christian and I believe in miracles.  My mom needs one please... so if you are so inclined, could you say a little prayer for her?
9 years ago my mom had her first heart attack, and it was a humdinger of a one... ended up with a quadruple bypass as a parting gift from the cardiologist.  Since then she has had 2 pace makers, numerous stints, and other health issues that sometimes relates to her heart, other times relates to her sodium (or lack of sodium) levels.  
I'm not at the point of completely understanding how one's life can revolve around doctor's appointments, or medications, or sodium levels... other than what I hear from her during our daily talks. Yes, daily... I love my mom and she's basically the only one in my family that allows me to vent about school (since she taught for 37 years herself).  
Well, last week she wasn't feeling good.  My parents had gone on vacation - since that's what retired people do - and she developed a pinched nerve due to having to sit in an uncomfortable wheelchair for hours and hours visiting Hearst Castle... so she wasn't able to get around and move... and the muscle relaxers afterward made her tired, so she didn't eat... and somehow her already low sodium dropped to an even lower/dangerous level.
There is a reason I didn't go into medicine like my sister - I don't like hospitals or blood or dealing with medication or seeing people in pain.  Yet, I have now learned that my mom's 122 sodium level is very close to the 120 coma & stroke level... so yes, it's been a little scary. 
I have also learned that dangerously low sodium causes people to become very confused and forgetful. Like not knowing the day, year, birthdate, president... it was 1944 there for a while.  
Yesterday morning my parents had an eventful day starting with a fall (due to a dizzy spell), a call to 911, a ride in an ambulance, and then a bunch of tests.  Over 36 hours later and her levels remain the same.  They need to go up or tomorrow there will be more tests regarding her kidney functions. 
So, if you have a moment - you could you please say a prayer for her?  
Thank you so much!

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Spring Break Bucket List, Sunday Store Update & Sale

Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone!  I need to remember to wear green today, don't want to be pinched!!

Today I'm linking up with Brigid to let you in on my bucket list for Spring Break.  I still have 9 school days left until Spring Break... not that I'm counting or anything... ha ha!  Yeah, like none of us are counting!! :)

Okay - here's my plan for break:

1.  Drive to Pismo Beach with the family...

We love to go for part of our break.  We stay at the Sea Gypsy Motel.  It is directly on the beach.  I've stayed at that same hotel my entire life...   

2.  I will walk every morning on this beach and on this pier.  

3.  I will go shopping on this main street... they have a magically delicious frozen yogurt place about 1/2 way down the street.  This is about a 3 minute walk from the hotel.  


4.  I will most likely eat at Splash's Cafe, Giuseppe's Cucina Italiana, and Old West Cinnamon Rolls sometime during our stay...

5. ...and will most likely go with my mom and my sister to shop at the outlets.

 

6.  We will also take the boys to the Dinosaur Park - it overlooks the ocean.  :)

7.  I will also spend a lot of time reading.

8.  I should probably do some laundry... or some cleaning... or some organizing... or some grocery shopping when we get back home.

9.  If I get inspired, I might create some more things for my class and for TPT.

Of course there is a chance that none of #8 or #9 will get accomplished... :)  

Sunday Store Update:

Here are the things I've added to the store since last Sunday.  Thanks to All Things Upper Elementary and Mrs. Wheeler for the adorable buttons!  Mrs. Wheeler is having a linky party - so check it out! Everything is still 20% off the rest of today.    

Main Idea Caterpillar

Gnome Activity Templates

California Regions

ELA Review Example Book

Have a great day.  

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Main Idea Caterpillar FREEBIE!

Before I dive into sharing what my class did the other day, I wanted to remind you about my 20% off TPT sale that is going on this weekend.  Happy Shopping!

Our lesson the other day was on main idea and supporting details. We are getting ready for the district writing test and needed to review finding author's lesson...

First we went through all the stories so far in our anthology and the kids brainstormed the theme/lesson the author was trying to teach us.

From there the kids chose a story, took a caterpillar body and wrote out the main idea. They looked in the texts and found supporting details to back up their conclusions.

We turned them into 2 caterpillars hanging over the windows.  The girls wanted pink, the boys wanted blue... I needed 2 of them since space was an issue to hang 32 of them...

This is free in my store. I hope it helps someone!

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