Saturday, November 30, 2013

Double Mint Math

Hello Everyone!
I hope you all had a wonderful week. Mine was filled with cooking, cleaning, laughing, more cooking, some Christmas decorating, and more laughing!!  It has been great having company here all week!!  So thankful!
I finally had a minute to put together a little math lesson or two.  We will be working hard on different addition and subtraction strategies when we get back. Learning about doubles is a great strategy for kids to have in their repertoire. Knowing doubles and then doubles plus one or minus one gives them another edge with number sense, patterns, number relationships, etc.
Here's a fun way to cement those doubles facts!







Well, this was short and sweet, but more cooking and fun awaits!!! Have a great rest of the weekend!! 
I'll be back soon with an updated "If You Take a Mouse to the Movies" unit!! :)
Joyfully!
Nancy



Monday, November 25, 2013

OH! NO! Santa's Stuck Again!

Hello Everyone!
I want to share a few quick pics from our very busy week before Thanksgiving and an updated ramped up version of my "Oh No! Santa's Stuck" pack.
We had an amazing week with fun activities, our first grade feast and Grandparents/VIP day which for us always comes on the Friday before Thanksgiving break.
Making Butter!!!  
Shake it high!  Shake it low!

                              Celebrating Friendship!
Little Pilgrim Cutie!

Little Pilgrim boy ready for the feast!

                               What a sight!! Our 9th annual feast!!

So Thankful for this team!!! 
We love dressing the part!!

Now I want to quickly share a pack that I created last year using "Santa's Stuck" by Rhonda Greene.
I added a few more written expression opportunities, some comprehension (setting, problem, solution), an oral reading opportunity, a fun song, some rhyming center activities, a word search, another hands on visual connection, and some extra math tub activities.
Here are a few pics from the 55 page unit!











Hands on visual connection comes with patterns












Hope this little pack gets you in the mood for the
 next big wonder!!
As always, thanks for stopping by for a peek. Let me know if you can use this pack, if you want to see anything added and of course, if you spy any typos!!
I count on you to keep me in line and accurate!! I read every comment and take all suggestions to heart!
Now, off to get going on my Thanksgiving dinner!! Friends and fam coming here!! So excited!
Have an awesome week!!
And Happy Thanksgiving to all!!
Joyfully Yours!!
Nancy






Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Turkey Trouble!! Just serve...

Hello Everyone!!
One of my favorite books to read this time of year is Turkey Trouble by Wendy Silvano.  In the story, the troubled turkey finds different way to disguise himself so as not to get eaten on Thanksgiving.  At the end of the story he decides to dress a a pizza delivery guy and brings pizza to the family he is trying to avoid! The kids looove the story and the illustrations.  You have to get this one! Great book to use for problem and solution!
We did a quick Readers' Response to the story.  We brainstormed many different things that could be eaten on Thanksgiving instead of turkey and created a chart.  We picked out our favs and wrote a quick little poem. Then created a fun little turkey to hold our writing.









For your free little activity including patterns, click HERE!! (as if you have time for more turkey!) :)
Okee Dokee!! Gotta run! Fun Feast Day tomorrow!!  Stay tuned!!

As always, thanks for stopping by!! 
Joyfully!
Nancy

Saturday, November 16, 2013

Retelling Thanksgiving

Hello Everyone!
I hope you're having a great weekend!  I wanted to share a couple of quick but very special things. First off, we will be doing so many wonderful Thanksgiving related learning activities this coming week. One of my favs is our Thanksgiving Retelling Story Bracelet.  As the kids are reading a poem about the first Thanksgiving, they are creating a bracelet with beads on a fuzzystick. You've probably seen this idea floating around for a while.  I think it originated with the infamous Dr. Jean. I just love it so much. I updated the poem a tiny bit and can't wait to share it with my kids this coming week.













































You can get your copy of the poem and directions HERE!



Oh...My...Goodness...I am so thankful for these kids and the gifts they give me every day!!
Thankful for you, as well!! Your encouragement has kept me on this joyful journey!!
Nancy

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

"Tree" mendously Thankful and Samuel Eaton's Day

Hello Everyone!
It's that time of year!! We are thankful for so much!  I'm not sure why we wait until this month to express our thanks, it seems as though we should be thankful every day! In first grade we are "tree"mendously thankful and tonight I want to share three things!
I know everyone does something similar around this time of year, but I still wanted to share! The kids wrote what they were thankful for on a leaf shape, cut it out, glued it to a piece of fall colored scrapbook paper and then trimmed around leaving a colored border.  We had our sweet room moms make trees for us out of scrunched paper and we attached the kids' leaves.
Simple and Sweet!






The kids also started the placemats that they will use at our annual Thanksgiving feast next week  Again, being thankful is the focus.  I am so thankful for kids who work hard, never give up, and always give their best! After writing the little poem, they made the cute little turkeys from hands and feet! Darling!!!







The last thing tonight is a response to the "Sara Morton's Day" unit I posted last night.  Almost immediately I got e-mails about the companion book, "Samuel Eaton's Day" and whether or not I had anything on that.  Well, here it is!  A very similar mini unit on character analysis for Samuel Eaton. Hope this helps round out your studies!!


Before I close down tonight, I do want to say how thankful I am for the many blessings in my life. I am so blessed to have a sweet husband and two amazing sons. They are constantly teaching me how to be my best! Thank you to my guys!!

I am also so blessed to have my mom so close by!  She is such an inspiration to me! My first teacher!
 Thanks, mom!!

Thanks for hanging with me tonight as I rambled
 on and on. 
Stay tuned for more Fall fun!
Don't forget to let those around you know how much you appreciate and are thankful for them!!

Joyfully!
Nancy