Everything, Everything

I'm here with another book review for you! I loved this book too. This was a quick, easy read. I finished it on the train ride from Providence, Rhode Island to NYC. I would give this book a 4/5 stars. It is about a girl named Maddy. She has a disease that forces her to stay inside her house. She is pretty much allergic to the world. The only people she really has a relationship with are her mom and her nurse. One day a boy moves into the house next door, and Maddy is willing to risk everything to be with him. 

When I finished this book, I couldn't wait to see the movie. I rushed to the movie store, only to find out it doesn't come out on DVD until August. So.... I will try to patiently wait until it comes out on DVD. 

Adult Book Review!

I am a reader. I love to read any chance I get. I think my husband thinks that the only thing I do all day while he is at work is read....he doesn't always notice the clean house when he walks in, just me sitting on the couch reading! haha 

I just got back from a two week vacation and read a lot of great books that I will be sharing with you over the next couple of days.  The first book I want to share with you is called Defending Jacob by William Landay. 

I would give this book 4/5 stars. I really enjoyed this book. It is definitely a book that hooks you and makes it hard to put down. The book is about Andy, an assistant district attorney, who is called to the scene of a young boy who has been stabbed to death in a local park. The story all changes when it's Andy's son that is accused of the murder. Lots of evidence leads to Andy's son, but Andy believes in his son's innocence. The books gets better and better as you read on, and you will be shocked by the ending! 

Have you read this book? What did you think? I would also love to hear what books you have been reading! 

Uber/Ibotta-Ways to Save $

Have you used Ibotta? It's a great app that saves you  money on lots of different purchases. I usually use it to save on groceries. I can browse through coupons and decide which ones I might use. After I have made my purchases, I scan in my receipt and then I get money back. To date, I have saved close to $200. 

The newest way to save on money on Ibotta is through Uber. If you are someone who uses Uber, I definitely recommend downloading Ibotta. You can now save $1 on each Uber ride you take. The more rides you take, the more rewards you can unlock. After taking 3 Uber rides, I earned an additional $5.00 off my next Uber ride. 

If you are interested in dowloading Ibotta, I would love it if you used my referral code by clicking on the image below. 

New Reading Series-Journeys

This school year we will be using a new reading series, Journeys by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 

I would love to know if any of you use this series. If so, what do you like/dislike about it? We were told that we cannot use ANY supplemental materials, and I am really struggling with that. I have been using so many great materials that many of you have created, and now I won't be able to use any of them! Do you have flexibility at your school to add materials that you feel are beneficial, or do you have to strictly stick to the given reading series? 

STEM Challenge: Catapults

My students had so much fun working on the last STEM challenge of the year....catapults! They did some research on catapults, and then I gave them a toilet paper tube, paint stirrer, rubber-band, and a marshmallow. I told them that their challenge was to see who could launch a marshmallow the farthest using the given items. 

This was a super easy project to put together, and the groups did a great job trying different options to create the catapult! 

1st Summer Project

Hooray for SUMMER!! I actually had a great class this year, but let's be honest....I'm thrilled to be out of school for the summer! I have so many projects that I want to get started on and have already finished the first one. I bought a dresser at a garage sale a while back and couldn't wait to redo it. Here is the before and after pic: 

Before

After

What projects do you have lined up for the summer?

Circuits!

Electricity and magnetism might be my favorite science chapter. The students always get so excited when I tell them they are going to build their own circuit. I love seeing them work together to build a working circuit out of the materials I give them. Below are a few pictures of the circuit building!

When we are done with this unit, I love using task cards and a game of "I have, who has" to review!