Happy Birthday California

You know when you get a hair brain idea and decide to run with it?  Yeah, I did that yesterday....

It started out with knowing it was time to create our region maps of California - we have finished the unit and need to move onto Native tribes next.  I decided to tackle the project on Friday, which happened to be California's birthday.  I sent home the note to my families earlier on in the week asking for 1 cup of flour, 1/2 cup of salt to be sent in by Thursday.... then I decided to throw a birthday party...  

Up before dawn to go grab donut holes, blow up balloons, hang streamers in the room and outside on our ramp.  It looked festive and I was pretty proud of myself. :) The look on their faces made it worth it.   Amazing what a little decorations can do to make the day special, I even made myself a shirt to celebrate the day.    

We tackled the salt dough maps outside, then they dried in the sun all day...

We played a few games in between our normal Friday tests, sang Happy Birthday to California, had the treats, did a California coloring sheet, turned on the disco ball, and they even had a party favor - their first homework pass of the year.

It was the perfect end to a pretty perfect week.  I hope you had a great week too!

Mission History Freebie

Know what I love? FREEBIES!  Click the link above to snatch up this Mission History Freebie with you.  It's a peace offering because this little blog has been sitting pretty empty for a while, and I'm sorry about that.  This school year has just done me in... between teaching 32 kids and carting my own 3 boys to school with me... and then homework, grading, cooking, laundry, cleaning, and... and... and... I'm just tired.  

I sometimes wonder if anyone ever comes over to check to see what I've been up to, wonders where I've been... or if everyone already sees my posts over at IG or FB and knows I haven't jumped off the bridge (yet).  ;)  Just kidding...

So, let's talk for a moment about how my classroom is going this year.  This Fall at our PD we were told that we would be doing RCD - ELA (SS) this coming year.  I didn't even know what that was... the acronyms change all the time, but I've learned it's Rigorous Curriculum Development, and my grade level would be taking our Social Studies curriculum and diving deeper to apply our reading standards in a new content area... to make the units integrated.  Sounded great until the part that we needed to find resources to do that...

So I started researching our different units and created reading passages for what my students need to know.  Those informative, interesting, and fun facts that glue their attention year after year.  The passages led to spiral strategy grids... which led to thinking maps... which led to comprehension questions... which led to unit tests... which led to research opportunities for my students to grow deeper with their knowledge.  

California Regions

California Native Tribes

California Explorers

California Missions

California Famous Men of the Gold Rush

California Reading Passages Bundle (5 Reading Passage Products)

I have always LOVED teaching my kids about our California History, but this year it has really flourished with these passages in addition to the research, writing, and activities that we were already doing.  

California History Bundle (Activities and Writing 8 products)

Reminder: this Monday and Tuesday everything will be on sale over at TPT.  Don't forget to use the code (though if you do forget you can contact their customer service to get some help).  

  

Have a great day!

Two for Tuesday: 50% Off - All About California History

I'm taking a break from my glue gun and school crafts to show 2 products that are currently 50% off.  A disclaimer... it's all about California today!

I have decided I like writing reading passages.  Every year I teach these units, and every year I wish I could find Reading Passages that spoke about the men and women that my kids learn about.  I finally decided to write them myself.    

Native California Tribes: Miwok, Cahuilla, Chumash, Yokut, and Pomo Tribes

California Explorers: Juan Cabrillo, Francis Drake, and Sebastian Vizcaino

These are the same format as each other.  Passages, strategy grids, multiple choice, short answer, answer keys, thinking maps... everything I could think of to get my students to dive deeper.  My own boys were my testers - we have gone over a lot of interesting facts over the past weeks.  I personally am so thankful that I don't live back in the 1500's or even the 1700's.  Some of it grossed me out!  

Check them out if you're interested! Now head back to Chalk One Up for the Teacher to check out the other deals. :)  

Monday Made It: My Week was a BIG One!

It's Monday!  Linking up with Tara to share what's ready for school.  

My HUGE project from this past week was getting my students' notebooks ready to go - all 165 of them.  In my grade level we collect supply donation money at the beginning of the year, and teachers get exactly what the students need.  It's something that parents have really liked (which as a parent it's something I like too).  So 165 composition notebooks later they are color coded, labeled, and there are dividers tucked inside (printed off on address labels and stuck on specific pages).  DONE!  

I made up folders for my new Lit. groups.  I know I have my Lit. Buckets for discussion questions, but I also decided to have a writing portion too - so I made up one per group.  They have the sheets from 4th Grade Frolics tucked inside.  I figure that the groups will take turns writing on the specific portions during their time together, after discussion, and that the papers will stay in there for the entire time that we are tackling the novel.  I did choose a bright color for the folder  (I don't have any other orange folders in the classroom) so they can't go missing - at least not easily.  

FREEBIE Time!

In case you missed it this weekend, I uploaded 2 new freebies over to my TPT Store.  One are these birthday cards for students.  I have glow sticks that I have tucked inside a jar for students to get on their special day.  I printed them off on card stock (using the black & white version).  

The other freebie is a collection of my favorite Back to School Essentials.  I told all about them yesterday.  :)  Rainbow Edit, Whole Class Writing Journals, and Monthly Grammar Coloring Sheets.  LOVE them!

I had to make up more Tidy Tubs for my students.  Every year I add a couple more bins to my class collection.  It seems that every year I add more interactive notebook activities or paper projects, and need more of these tubs in circulation.  The Dollar Store has this size in a 5 pack - which is awesome!

I also starting thinking about going deeper in my Social Studies, so I wrote up nonfiction passages about our California Explorers.  This might be the closest I ever get to my childhood dream of being a children's author...   30 pages later it is complete!  I uploaded it last night, and it's presently 50% off.

School is starting to be on my brain ALOT!  Only one week until I'm in Science trainings for the new standards.  I need to finish all these projects!  Have a super duper day!