Figurative Language Turkeys

We made figurative language turkeys today.  

My class has been using the bookmarks that Addie Williams created (it was a free download) to review similes, onomatopoeia, personification, alliteration, metaphors, rhyme, etc.  I printed off 2 pages (8 bookmarks) from her packet of stuff that was perfect to cover for the 4 days this week.  We did 2 per day.   

Click the picture to take you to TPT.

When I first started this week I was only going to make a little fan booklet from the bookmarks, but then decided that I really needed to create some type of turkey art as well - especially after seeing all the cute primary art that people have been posting on the blogs.  The colors on the turkey above are on the back of 5 of the bookmarks.  When the turkey is turned over, the bookmarks with the figurative language can be read.  I ended up cutting off the clipart from the bottom of the bookmarks before I glued it on so there is a bit of extra clip art that can be added to our Thankful books.  

The students did the same steps.  

Here they are in a bit more detail:

Prep work:  I cut my 12 x 18 brown construction paper into 6 x 12 pieces (3 per sheet).  Those brown pieces I then cut into 2 sizes (7 x 6 ) and (5 x 6).  The 5 x 6 I cut in half to make 2.5 in x 6 in. size.

I also took the bat eyes and the triangle nose from A Cupcake for the Teacher and used them for the beak and eyes of the the turkey.  Those are cut, ready for the kids.  

Click the picture to take you to TPT.

Students will:

1.  Cut out an oval shape with the 7 x 6 paper.  

2.  Take 2 pieces of the 2.5 x 6 inch paper and accordion fold them, then glue onto the bottom of their oval (to create the legs).

3.  Cut out their bookmarks and choose 5 of them for the turkey.  The other ones are theirs to use as bookmarks.

4.  Cut the clipart off the bottom of the 5 bookmarks.

5.  Color the back of the bookmarks, glue onto the back of the oval shape so the writing faces the back and you can see the colors.

6.  Decorate the face using the eyes and beak.  

All done!  The kids saw mine yesterday and are so excited to create theirs today!  

Beyond Question (Clickers)

Do you use this system too?

At our school, each classroom has a set of these "clickers".  A couple of years ago we were able to get a grant to help fund them, then we covered the rest of the cost asking for parent donations.

So, what is it?

It's a way to easily see student responses.

This is the student remote, my teacher remote is similar.

It has a disk that I put into my computer, a receiver that accepts student responses that is plugged into my computer, a remote for each student, and a teacher remote.  By the kids clicking in their answers of any assessment, I can automatically see what areas we need to focus on whole class.  I can either have it broadcasted through my in focus machine so the students can also see the graphs, or I have it on my laptop when I'm using my ladibug and projector (showing the test).

Here you can see that I have strapped the receiver on top of the ladibug.

There are 3 main ways I use it in the classroom:

*When we take a multiple choice assessment the kids usually take the test and record their answers on binder paper/scantron.  After I've already scanned/graded their assessments (like Curriculum Associates or Reading Lions), I hand them back and we review it together (they click their remote on the answer they chose) and then we see as a class what areas we need to work on.  It's an easy way to review a test without having to rework all the problems.

This is what we see when we are inputing responses.
I didn't do a full on powerpoint thing, just accepted answers.

*I also use it as a way to do informal quizzes.  I can program the disk to set up a short little quiz (you can input like a powerpoint).  As the question is shown on the projector/system, the kids click in their answer, and then it shows a class graph.  We can see what specific questions we need to work on.  It also allows me to save the specific file so I can see how each child answered and if I click my teacher remote with the correct answer it will grade their assessment for me.  

This is the bar graph that depicts the kids answers after we did the short review.

*Another way I use it is in the early spring to help with review for the state assessments.  We go over the released test questions - the kids solve, click in, and then we solve together.  It really is a fun way to review.

The options are really endless with this product. 

Can you tell that I love it?

I hope that somehow in my excitement that I made sense trying to explain it.  The grants are still available and it really is worth it.  Between the grant, and using some EIA money, our classrooms just had to come up with a little money.

Just something to think about.  

There's an App for that!

Last weekend my phone went a little crazy with the data plan (like my carrier decided to have it jump from 65-90 percent in 2 days when I wasn't using it) and I used it as an excuse to upgrade to a new phone. I know I didn't really need an excuse but to help justify the cost it helped to say this is either my half birthday gift or it's 6 months late...

Anyhow, a new phone made me take a moment (or two) to go through my apps and see what I love, what I tolerate, and what I never use - to which I deleted a bunch.

I now have a little app folder on my front screen that contains all my teaching phone technology stuff and I found even more things that I've added to the mix.

Maybe you already know it but Class Dojo has a free app? I love using it but it wasn't working well on the laptop. At least not when I have so many screens open for all my lessons that I have to have open with the different powerpoints and brainpop and school email and district websites and grade book and and and... You get the point?

So - it's now on my phone and it is a click away from awarding a point.

Other apps that I use on a daily basis...

Super grader - I have the free version

(So simple to figure out percentages)

Brain pop and Brain pop jr.

(Easy to check on something)

Mad libs

(Mainly with my own son to work on parts of speech- sometimes with the school kids)

Timer

(Fluency reads)

Edmodo

(Still don't know what to do with the class I set up)

Animoto

(I know it's to make videos, but I'm still learning...)

Classroom Organizer

(Helps keep my class library organized and what books I own- has a scanner - but it doesn't work normally on Scholastic books)

Common Core standards

(Easy reference)

There are other ones that I also use (like Instagram, notes, etc) 
but those are the basic ones.

Hope this helps someone!