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Tuesday, February 9, 2016

States of Matter Flip Book!

States of matter is one of my favorite science units to teach. There are so many hands-on activities you can do that makes it fun for the students. This year I found a flipbook on TpT that was the perfect tool to use as a quick end of the unit assessment. 

States of Matter

Here are some examples of the finished product. 




I also like to use my States of Matter Task Cards and "I Have, Who Has" game to review!

States of Matter "I Have, Who Has" Game

States of Matter Task Cards



Monday, February 8, 2016

Valentine's Day Activities

With Valentine's Day quickly approaching, we have worked on a couple fun activities that I would like to share with you!


Valentine's Day Activities

My students completed one of these door posters for Christmas and they loved it! They were excited to see me pull out the papers for the Valentine's Day poster! Here is the finished product:


For each of the holidays/seasons, I have also had my students complete a themed pennant to put up on their lockers. The Valentine's Day pennants are from a bundle that I got on TpT from Aimee VanMiddlesworth. 

Be My Valentine Banner

Here are some of the finished products my students made!





What are some of your favorite Valentine's Day activities?





Thursday, February 4, 2016

BookCase Club-For the Book Lover!

I am the worst gift giver ever, so when Christmas came around, I was struggling to come up with gifts for.... well, pretty much everyone. The one good gift I came up with was a subscription to BookCase Club for my book loving co-worker! This monthly subscription sends 2 books a month in the genre of your choice. I was so excited about this subscription service that I signed myself up as well! I have gotten two shipments so far and have been very impressed. I signed myself up for the mystery genre and have received two great hardcover books each month. Along with the books, comes a handwritten note!


I signed up for the 3 month prepay, which was $28 + $5 shipping. I should be receiving my next shipment very soon! If you are interested in checking out this monthly book subscription, I would love it if you used my referral link by clicking below:



Wednesday, February 3, 2016

STEM Challenge: House of Cards

I am really trying hard this year to do more STEM projects in science. I think it is so important for students to be able to think outside of the box with these hands-on projects. I also love that it challenges students to listen to the ideas of others and work together to complete the challenge. 

I purchased a pack of 10 STEM challenges from Smart Chick on TpT. 

STEM Engineering Challenge Projects ~ TEN PACK #1

The most recent challenge my students completed was House of Cards. Groups were given a deck of cards and were challenged to build the tallest tower possible, using only the cards. Here are some pictures of their work in action!






What are some of your favorite STEM activities?





Tuesday, February 2, 2016

Project Funded! Wobble Chairs!

I was so excited to have my latest Donor's Choose project funded! I had seen other teacher bloggers blogging about the wobble chairs they had in their classrooms, and I knew I had to have them in mine!

My class was fortunate enough to receive 5 Kore Active Wobble Chairs. 

Kore Patented WOBBLE Chair, Active Sitting for Toddler, Pre-School, Kids, and Teens - The Chair That Rocks! - Made in the USA - Black - Teen (18in)

I love that these chairs allow my "active" students to get their wiggles out, without being a distraction to the rest of the class. These chairs have really proven to be a valuable resource.  I use these chairs at my guided reading table, and I also allow students to earn them as a reward. Even my students that actually really need the chairs, work hard to earn the reward of getting to put the stools at their desk for the day. 

Check out some pictures of  the stools in action!




Do you have these stools in your classroom? How are they working out for you? How do you decide who gets to use them? I would love to hear your thoughts and ideas!





Monday, February 1, 2016

Winter Reading Comprehension Activity

Runde's Room has a great set of winter craftivities that my students enjoy putting together each year. Last week we completed the Comprehension Snowman. 

Comprehension Snowmen - A Winter Literacy Craftivity

This was a great assessment for the novels that my students were working on in their small groups. I loved that each of the snowmen had questions that could be used with any book. The questions included all of the important reading strategies that we have been working on, like summarizing, inferring, asking questions, synthesizing, and making connections. Here are some pictures of the finished products!



If you like this activity, check out the December Craftivity Bundle. This week my students will be working on the Figurative Language Snow Globes, which is included in this bundle. I'll be back to share pictures of those!

December Craftivities - Literacy-Themed Craftivities for December

Saturday, January 2, 2016

Stitch Fix #17

I have been so bad about blogging lately, but I am excited to share my latest Stitch Fix with you all! In this box I specifically asked for longer shirts that I could wear with leggings. I was excited when my box arrived to see that I had the same stylist again. Sheri always picks out clothes I like! 

Here is the style card and personalized note from the stylist. I always read the note first!


Now for the good stuff!


I was least excited about the blanket scarf. It's cute, soft, and very warm but it's so big I would use it as an actual blanket before I would wrap it around my neck! I looked ridiculous when I tried to put it on....I'm sure it would look super cute on someone that knows how to put it on correctly, but that's not me. 


This is totally me. Very casual and comfy but for the price I didn't think it was worth it. $58 is just too much to spend on a plain black hoodie. 


I like this shirt. The material is very soft and it's long enough to wear with leggings and boots. The lace detail is cute too! This is a keeper. 


This is my favorite item. Cute design and again long enough to wear with leggings and boots. Keeper!


I didn't care for this sweater. The stripes were NOT flattering at all!

Here is a breakdown of the prices. I was really hoping for a buy it all box, but not this time. Maybe next time!


If you are thinking about trying out Stitch Fix, I would love it if you used my referral link :)