Tried it Tuesday - Theme Cards

Well, I'm late to the party over at Fourth Grade Flipper!  I forgot to take a new picture of my theme card bulletin board yesterday and as we all know, a blog post without pictures is just kind of boring... As for my forgetfulness, I'm going to blame my aching legs, stuffy nose, and my desire to head home as soon as I possibly could move after school.

Near the beginning of the year I made these theme cards up for a ready reference for my students.  I shared them over on this post from August.  They have been over on this bulletin board since the beginning of the year.... 

After we read a book we had added it to a di-cut and stuck it up on the construction paper under the theme that it most tied in with... that is until I ran out of the cute little apples, and then I kind of forgot about the routine of adding books.  I was looking around at my bulletin boards yesterday morning and started thinking about making the space work for my class RIGHT NOW.  I wanted that leaf bulletin board for something else, so I took the cards down. 

I am really good about adding to ongoing charts when it's just a matter of having a pen or marker... so I switched what my students had added to these white construction papers, and then my class brainstormed our last unit as well.  The papers are just now taped onto the doors of one of my cabinets, still in the same carpet area as before.  I love how now there is no excuse for not adding the titles onto our lists.  I don't need dicuts or tape... just some markers.  My helpers could even add it up there when we brainstorm together.  

Do you use theme cards in your classroom?  How do you manage them?  

Hope you had a good day!    

What I've Bought Lately...

Confession - I'm a late night shopper!  Usually I'm a late night sleeper, but I just couldn't sleep the other night!  It was bad.  I went through FB, then I went through the 5 pages on my TPT wish list… downloading all the freebies I had stored onto my computer.  I then started searching, and saw amazing resources that I ended up purchasing that very moment.  I don't usually do that.  I usually put things into my wish list, then think about if I really *need* that something for the next day or so or weeks until I click purchase.  I didn't wait though Sunday night.

  I'm excited how I can really get organized in so many different areas this coming calendar year.  

This planner is from A Modern Teacher… it's editable and printable… and PERFECT!

I'm still trying to figure out if I want to use the editable powerpoint version that is included or if I want to print and make a binder for myself.  I do love binders... I like hard copies of materials...
My Dilemma... 

If you are a blogger - it's for you.  If you are a seller - it's for you.  If you like to make to do lists - yep, you too!  I just wanted to share in case you haven't seen it before.  I am in love with it!



I also bought these Solve, Sort, and Sequence Math Activities from Create, Teach, and Share.  They are already printed and waiting for my parent helper tomorrow.  I decided that instead of the kids gluing them onto the mats, I wanted the cards laminated, and cut.  Students will solve the math problems using dry erase on the cards (or post it notes), and then they can put them into the correct sequence on the mats.  That way I won't need to make 32 of each copy, and hopefully they will last me more than just this year.

    
I saw this cute little Mad Scientist Craftivity from Creekside Teacher Tales and couldn't pass him up.  During 3rd trimester I will be turning up the heat on Science Experiments (you know, when we finish the curriculum we have to do), and I wanted this little man in my files.


When Jivey posted these Reading Graphic Organizers the other day I literally swooned.  It could have been because I had forgotten to eat dinner (yep, no appetite lately), but I was also so excited that this covers the next 2 1/2 months of school to change the normal organizers into something special.  I have great hopes for my students using these.   The masters are printed and I just need to copy them!

I am SOOO excited about all of these resources.  What have you found lately?  Feel free to post the links below to some great finds (either something you created or something you bought).  I'm always ready to add to my wish list of great treats for my students!  Hope you had a great day.  :) 

New FB Fan Freebie: Facts Behind the Festivities

I'm a curious person.  I like to know why something happened, or when it happened.  I think my students are the same way - I know my own kids are!  So as I have been prepping for all the upcoming celebrations of the next weeks, I got to thinking that I didn't know the facts behind the celebrations. 

 Yesterday I did some digging and uncovered information that I want to share with my students.  I want them to know why we don't have school today, or on February 10th, or February 17th.  I want to be able to share some background knowledge about Chinese New Year, and the Super Bowl, etc.  I want them to record facts and write about them - because this really is the time of year that there is SO MUCH going on to celebrate our history.  

I went researching over at Time and Date.com.  I typed up my notes, and then made up some lined paper with clip art for the different celebrations.  Then I posted it over on FB for my new Fan Freebie.

I hope this helps you!