Lorax and a Memorable Moment

With the movie version of the Lorax coming out this week, I thought a lesson dedicated to this great Seussy classic was in order. So here is what we did. We read the story and then made an anchor chart about the story's four elements. This is a really great story to talk about problem and solution because there isn't a clear solution, it is one that really makes students think!

We also talked a lot about cause and effect. Again, this story is perfect for this discussion because one cause has multiple effects. After our discussion, both whole group and partner, the students completed this independent practice page. You can get it here for free (because I love our readers!).

Then, I had the brilliant idea to incorporate an art project! We made truffula trees. This turned out super cute. For the background we took old crayons and took the paper off then rubbed them horizontally. It made a really need textured sky. Then we used feathers for the tops of the trees.

Memorable moment of the day: So it has been one of those days. You know the ones that seem to inevitably happen right before Parent Teacher Conferences (ours are next week). The ones that leave you exhausted. Well, one of my special friends came back from math rotations without his shoes and socks on. Yep, barefoot. Just walked on into the classroom as if this is what he does every day. Come to find out, he took his socks off during math and put them on his hands like gloves. Then proceeded to wave them around other students' faces. Then he began to kick off his shoes so they would hit other students. Awesome. Can tomorrow be Friday please?!

Anyone else have these types of wonderful moments lately?!

Quick Giveaway ~ Fingers Crossed!

The super cute First Grade Delight is having a quick giveaway! Head on over and enter! Also show her some love, she just passed the 200 followers mark. Yippy! Click on the button below to head over to her blog.

~ Katie and Rebecca

Our First Bloggie - The Liebster Blog Award

We were so excited to find out that the lovely Melanie over at First Grade Brain Sprinkles awarded us the Liebster Blog Award. All we can say is "Thank you!" and we love that we found out on Monday - totally makes a Monday so much nicer! We are so happy that our fellow teacher friends are enjoying out blog!

We are loving being apart of the teacher blog community and we can't believe we have gone so long not being apart of it! So here's what we need to do - share the love with 5 other bloggers and comment on their blogs so they can accept this lovely recognition (and hopefully we can highlight their blogs so other friends can enjoy them as much as we do!). Here are the blogs, who have fewer than 200 followers, that we really enjoy.

Tammy over at 123 Teach With Me
Trisha at First Grade Frosting
Keri at Teach Play Smile 
Sarah at The Eager Teacher
Tammy over at Forever in 1st

Rebecca and I just want to thank you ladies for sharing all of your wonderful ideas!

~ Katie and Rebecca

A Tip for Tuesday

I went to the glorious Target after school yesterday to pick up a few things I forgot on my Saturday run and naturally I came out with more than I went in for. Please tell me I'm not the only one with a borderline unhealthy Target obsession...

One thing I did go in for was a pack of Zoo Pal paper plates. (I am teaching the lowbie group for math this topic and they really need some help with understanding the conceptual side of addition.) As I put the plates in my cart I thought: blog post! I didn't want others in the aisle to think I was a total weird-y for taking a photo of the Zoo Pals plates on the shelf, so I refrained until I arrived a school this morning.

Because they have 3 separate compartments they are perfect for use with small manipulatives. We start by representing a part in each small compartment and then joining the parts in the large compartment to make the whole.

I used these plates when I taught kindergarten and I always use them at the beginning of first grade when we work on addition. (And I guess at the end of February since I am teaching the sweet lowbie group this topic.)

Does anyone else have a simple little tip to share? Katie and I would love hear your great ideas!!

--Rebecca

Another Seussy Freebie...Happy Monday!

Friday afternoon with five o'clock looming (that is the time we get kicked out of the school) I was taking down all of my Valentine decor and getting greenified for March (priorities, I know!), when I came across these darling Suess hat cut outs in my cupboard. I knew at once I needed to do something with them....dun dun dun...a Dr. Seuss rhyming word hunt! Since my firsties have a thing for word hunts, this was just the ticket.

Since your cupboard is probably not hiding some adorable Seuss hat cutouts, I made some for you. Print them out on card stock, laminate them, and hide them around your room. Run a copy of the recording sheet for each student and ta-da! How's that for a quick and easy word work center?

Happy Monday!

Get your free copy here!

--Rebecca

Leap Year Sale, Vowel Pairs, and a FREEBIE - We love the Weekends!

Good morning! Well, this is kind of the kitchen sink of all blog posts, but here we go! Teachers Pay Teachers is having a great sale on Feb. 29th! Yep, it's a leap year. And I feel pretty silly that I didn't even know it until yesterday. Clearly I look ahead! :) So, in honor of getting one extra day this year we will be hosting a sale at our store! The catch, it is just for the one day, but EVERYTHING is on sale for this special occasion! Want to know who else is having a once in 4 year sale? Check out this linky over at Tunstall Times, just click the picture below!

Secondly, I have been meaning to post about my ee/ea vowel pair activity but haven't gotten around to it until today. You might have seen earlier how my kiddos and I acted out vowel pairs (which they loved, by the way).

We in my search for some ee/ea vowel pair activities and supplements I found nada so I made some! With the help of KPM Doodles (love her!) I made my own short story staring "Sleepy Sheep". If you are in need of some ee/ea review/lesson ideas, please check this out at our TpT store.

Lastly, my amazing team and I rotate our math students based on the skills they need (brilliant, right?!). Well, I am working with the extension group and we are reviewing doubles, doubles plus 1 and doubles plus 2. I made this quick Go Fish game staring some of my favorite Dr. Seuss characters Thing 1 and Thing 2. Here is a freebie for you as well - I think it works wonders, especially when I hear my kiddos saying "Do you have a card with the first addend of 9?" Brilliant!

Have a splendid Sunday!
~ Katie

Pin Permission Granted!

Needing permission to pin on pinterest? Yep, looks like it! Thank goodness to all of our fellow bloggers out there, we would have never realized this without them! We will now make sure that what we pin to our pinterest page comes from blogs that have provided permission. If you have any questions about this, head over to Corkboard Connections, there is an excellent post regarding this pinterest fine print awareness!  For all of our wonderful blogger friends, you are more than welcome to pin any of our things!

Happy Pinning!
Katie and Rebecca