Figurative Language Spring Templates

Next week I'm still working on Figurative Language.  I really can not stop working on it at this point in the year.  I just wanted to make it fun for my students though... so I made up 3 cutesy templates for them to fill in.

To decorate the classroom for March, they will fill in a rainbow with words from our Dr. Seuss texts.

Later on in March we will use the flower template to brainstorm more examples.  

Then in April we will use the little butterfly.

All 3 of them have spots to fill in with examples of Hyperbole, Alliteration, Onomatopoeia, Metaphor, Simile, and Personification.  There is also an additional grid to brainstorm more examples.  

There are 2 of each type of template - words on the shape, and words off the shape in case you wanted to bubble cut the shapes out.  Click the images to go and check it out from TPT.

Hope you had a great day!

Dr. Seuss' Birthday and Pins

This morning I woke in a panic.  I knew February was quickly flying by, but this morning it occurred to me that after February comes March, and that was next week!

So, instead of sleep I've been downstairs on the computer updating my Dr. Seuss activities for this year... you know, changing the date, etc...

Every year, for as many years as I can remember I've celebrated Dr. Seuss' birthday.  

When I taught Kindergarten I brought in eggs & food coloring and scrambled them.  The kids were grossed out every year.  This year I want to do this for my students.    

When I taught 2nd grade, the team would each choose their favorite Dr. Seuss read aloud and we rotated rooms to share with the other classes.  The kids really enjoyed that - having the teachers switch around instead of them moving.  

In 4th grade I still celebrate.  I give Dr. Seuss credit for helping teach my students to read.  So I give my students an invitation to attend a Read In.  Pillows, Blankets, Books, PJ's... it's a full invitation just like a party.  I also use this Read In for another fundraiser for my classroom and turn it into a Read-a-thon for technology.  Last year we raised enough for a Kindle Fire and a NowBoard.  This year I'm hoping for more MP3 players and another Kindle Fire.    

I also bring in a couple of Dr. Seuss books (and ask my students to bring in their favorites), and we make up a figurative language book like the below picture.  It's not my picture, but it's the same idea.  I give them the outline of a Dr. Seuss hat and they cut it out on top of another piece of copy paper.  We then staple the 2 papers together, one staple in each section of the hat.  They then cut the top paper on the specific lines so it's becomes flippable.  They write the titles to the different sections out just like below, and then we dive into our books to then write examples under each section.  Just another way to practice Figurative Language.    

How do you celebrate?  

Linking up with Learning in Wonderland Pinspired Linky.

Figurative Language Lesson (for my Observation)

You know when you think everything will be perfect, that it will be great lesson, and then it didn't work out as planned?  Yeah, that happened today.  
The story this week is full of Figurative Language.  Maybe you have the same story, "McBroom and the Big Wind"?  It really is perfect to do a treasure hunt for the different types of figurative language.  Well this week is review week, so I thought to have a bit of fun with it today.  
My students first reviewed the different types of figurative language by watching this video from School Tube.   They loved it.  

We actually watched it twice - once before my observation really began, and then another time after it started.  The second time through they sang along with the chorus.

  I then gave them this paper (it's a freebie), and we defined the different types together - like I said, it was review - giving an example and drawing a little picture.  
I used these posters for review from Every New Beginning Blog
She has everything ready to go with definitions and examples... Perfect!
So far, so good with the lesson...  
Then part of my students left for music, and it was like a stampede exited from the classroom.  I know I am extra sensitive during an observation, and usually they tip toe out... not today though!  
The part of my class that stayed with me continued on with a treasure hunt looking for personification and similes until it was time to write a response to literature complete with Author's Purpose.  I thought that we would be able to take a concept and then search for clues in the text - giving them time to make a little list before we reconvened - but they weren't quite there yet.  
Instead it turned into a "find it on this page", and then "put your finger on the example", so I could check their understanding, before we added it to the treasure hunt binder paper that was stapled to the above page (now take a deep breath)...  We still identified like I said in my objectives, and overall it was a decent lesson, it just wasn't in the exact way that I had dreamed it would be.    
I'm sure you can relate.
Hope you had a great day!