The Thematic Fanatic !!!: March 2014

Saturday, March 15, 2014

ELA Interactive notebook for Primary Grades: Fiction, Nonfiction and Word Study

The foldables and activities can be used with any fiction or nonfiction book. The activities in this product are meant to be simple so that primary students can do them and don’t spend a lot of time trying to construct them. This way, you can spend more time on instruction than on construction.

Included in this product:

- Fiction and nonfiction foldables

- Graphic organizers

- Word study activities (nouns, adjectives, verbs, synonyms/antonyms, word endings).

To grab a copy, click here.

Saturday, March 8, 2014

Rock Star Classroom theme

As many teachers do, I try to think of classroom themes to change up my room. Each year I have taught a different grade so I used to changing classroom themes a lot. I have already decided to do a rock star theme. I'm super excited! After perusing Pinterest for hours (I have an addiction!) and searching blogs, I have gotten so many ideas.

I love how The Inspired Apple does her classroom management. So I definitely will be doing a similar classroom manage system. I'm thinking about glitter cardstock or cardboard to make a sturdy version. I will definitely laminate (I have a laminator at home)!

There are many other things that I have found for behavior folders, word walls,etc. Seriously, Pinterest and Google are the best things that have every been created! I seriously think pinning should be professional development. IF this was the case, I am well over my professional development hours.

The other thing that I really like to incorporate into my classroom is music. I am all about using music for transitions in my classroom. It saves my voice from having to repeat certain transition expectations. Plus, it is a really good way to let them get the wiggles out while doing other tasks simultaneously. So when I was thinking of songs, I quickly realized that a lot of rock 'n roll songs are not appropriate for the elementary classroom. Therefore, I dug deep and made a decision. Why not stroll back and do some classics and oldies that have the rock 'n roll/soda shop feel? This is when I got really excited. I love oldies but goodies. I have come up with some songs and their functions. There are some that I'm not sure what I should do with yet, but I am determined. This is what I have compiled for my rock 'n roll classroom playlist so far:

1. Rockin Robin- Jackson 5

2. La Bamba- Ritchie Valens (line up song)

3.Yakety Yak- The Coasters (clean up song)

4.Lollipop- (lunch song)

5. purple people eater (fun song for Halloween)

6. rock around the clock

7. Name Game (brain break)

8. Wipeout- (switch centers song)

9. Abc

10. The Twist (brain break song)

11. The Lion Sleeps Tonight

12. Old Time Rock and Roll

13. Stand By Me- (goodbye song)

14. I'll Be There- (Good morning Song)

I hope that these ideas inspire you to shake up things in your classroom. Happy Planning!

Social Studies Interactive Notebook: Community Helpers and Communities

This interactive notebook unit has a variety of community helpers and rural, suburban and urban communities. These activities were designed to be simple yet effective, so that more time can be spent on instruction instead of construction of the activities. Once copied, students will mostly just have to cut and fold.

Interactive notebooks are increasing in popularity and are effective and engaging in instruction. I hope to create more interactive notebooks for social studies for the elementary level because there are not many "kid-friendly" resources at the elementary level.

Included in this unit are:

- Simple foldables for community helpers and communities

- Can, Have, Are charts for community helpers and communities

- Booklets that can be used as an end of unit assessment or to be a mini chapter book for each community helper and community

- Community helpers in this unit: police officers, doctors, nurses, chefs, construction workers, veterinarians, garbage collectors, crossing guards, teachers, farmers, postal workers and firefighters.

- Communities: urban, suburban and rural.

- Can be used for 1^st-3^rd grades and differentiation

To grab a copy at Teacher's Notebook, click here.

To grab a copy at TpT, click here.