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MLK DAY

We are finally getting to Martin Luther King Jr. this week! I wanted to teach my kiddos about him last week but we had so much going on in the classroom and outside of the classroom. It was a crazy week! I cannot believe I am still going! Anyway, yesterday we filled out our KWL chart about MLK and my kids knew quite a bit! I was extremely proud of them! (They did not know everything yet) So, after we completed the chart together we read a non-fiction text about him.  The text is about how a small boy (MLK) was unable to attend the same school as white children.  The small boy had a dream and grew into a man that made his dream come true.  All people treated each other fairly and boys and girls of all color are now able to go to the same school.

If you would like the book then click on the picture to check it out!

After we read the story about MLK students then wrote about a dream they had. We brainstormed together and I wrote their thoughts on my cute little easel.  Then we practiced giving reasons for our dream.  Students then were sent back to their seats to write about their dream and provide a reason.  Lastly, they of course had to make it FLASHY for the hall way so they could "teach" the rest of our school about Martin Luther King Jr. (this is how I motivate them)! ;)

Here are some of the MLK writings and crafts!









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Newbies!

Today will be a short post. I have so busy this week and last! I have gotten a few things created though!

These are both made for first and second grade!




Here is another Valentines Day pack: This is for Kindergarten



This week we are working on Action Verbs and Fact Families!
Here are my creations for those if you are interested!





Last but not least!
Next week we are working on story writing!
I created story writing process posters and templates to go along with each part of the poster!












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What we have been doing and a FREEBIE!

So, I just redid my blog again. I have had the hardest time coming up with a fun bloggy name but I think I have it! "Fluttering in First Grade" !!!

Today is only Tuesday and I am so happy my kids are back into the swing on things! Last week was just about a nightmare! 


This week we are finishing up our Walrus unit. Kiddos are reading some non-fiction text.  They love it (and so do I)!!




Tomorrow we are doing our big SHABANG! A Walrus writing.  We read a non-fiction book.  Took notes on the book and now we are sharing what we know with the school! (Aka: the hallway) :)

We used books from Deanna Jump's Arctic Unit.
Click on the picture if you want her unit! I highly recommend it!


We also used the books in this picture below!


I used a sentence sort from Deanna's unit too as one of my literacy stations.  They kids love cutting and gluing their sentences!  I created a mini-book for the students to cut and paste their sentences into.  I will put it under the picture! :)


Here is the mini-book. It is not the exact one I used because I did not save mine on the computer. 
So, here is a special one just for you!



Here are examples of my kid's books!


Students finished their Walrus Non-Fiction writing! They did such a great job! It is very tough to motivate my students to write! By the look of these Walruses you would never know! They had already written their own non-fiction text about them and then they used their book that they had written to do their final non-fiction writing!









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Literacy Stations

I am so excited about my new revamp of my literacy stations! I completely made it over and it is less stressful and the kids are more engaged and not acting out as much (still have those few... but not as bad).  

Here is a picture of my rotation board (kids love it)!

I gave each group a silly name: Power Towers, Goofy Gobsters, Tricky Ricks, Silly Willies and Cheery Chompers. 

 They are so proud to be a part of their team!  Students are responsible for completing the activity at their first station.  When they complete that then they may move onto their next station.  I added some new stations this week onto my board that are not on the picture below.  (Science, and Sorting (aka another word work).  I also only have students do read to self during the stations and we do read to a partner after stations for 10 minutes as a whole class.  Great time for me to do 2 running records a day.


 
(Got these from Deanna Jump's Blog)


This is where all of my stations are kept.  YES, I said ALL!  I have each station placed inside a bin.  A station captain comes over to this and takes out their station drawer.  This drawer set is the best invention ever.  It has a lid that clicks and it comes all of the way out! It is great! I got it from Joanne Fabrics! Highly recommend it!




I also have to brag... I got an El' cheepo laminator... but I am sooo excited! I was laminating my cards to my walrus digraph center activity pack!

Then I am trying to be a good blogger and Tpt seller by taking pictures of my kiddos doing my activities.  
Today was the first day they tried out my own creations! I was so excited to see my work in action!
Here are a few pictures and if you want some of these pack I will put links at the bottom of my blog!

Here is the Arctic Animal Digraph Pack in action!
Students sort words, and pictures under a heading.  Then they record the words by the correct picture!
Here is a quote from my little one in the second picture, "THIS IS ACTUALLY FUN!" ha ha yaayyy!


Next, I have my students working on sorting long a and short a.  I created a winter pack for this one! Here it is!  She loved it and it was nice to see them actually sounding them out and thinking about long and short a vowel sounds! Yay!


That is all for today! I need to get some papers graded! Grade cards and professional binders are due next week!  Never ending work! I hope next year is easier!  I won't have to recreate everything each year right?

Packs if you are interested!
Arctic animal digraph

Short and Long Vowel Winter Sort

This is a freebie: 
Something I am using to differentiate my digraph station for my higher kiddos.

Searching for digraphs (ch, th, sh, wh)






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