Little Voters in Training: Exciting 2024 Election Printables for Kids!

I'm excited about a product that I finished tonight and since it's on sale for $2.40 at the moment, I wanted to highlight it here. I think I'm extra excited because I'm usually making things like this last minute.

Here's everything that's included...

I love asking my kids to interpret data collected and I often do it by asking them to include one true and one false statement about the data like I did on the Tally/Graph page. Often this is tough for some of them at first but through modeling for them and for each other, they become quite adept at doing it.

I have the short reading passage above, So You Want to be President, (that I'll be reading to my students) and then doing the second version of the sheet here: Chit Chat with a Chum.  Yep.  The answers are verbal only.  Of course if you have independent readers, your students can complete the one with written responses.

Who doesn't love wearing a crown?  I've included a girl and bot version here AND colored as well as black and white options. To be clear, I have my students color their in. I include color for myself OR if I feel like giving one to a colleague so they ca join in the fun, I'll print the colored copy our for them.

If you know me, you know I'm a huge fan of open-ended questions such as Which One Doesn't Belong?  I made this one up for Election Day and I've included 10 possible responses to get you thinking. I'm always surprised at what the kids think up! 

The Lift the Flap says True and False Election Statements.  I promise you there is no Fake News here! Pretty basic questions such as, "If you are 16, you can vote in the election."  Kids sort the 8 statements and glue under the correct flap.

I love the sense of community that a class book offers. Each student contributes a page to the book and then we put it in our class library.  This is from my November Class Book packet. We do so many class books that each child gets to bring 2 home in June.  The above can be differentiated by the paper picked.  For the last page, I often add a photo of my class.  While I include a colored cover ready to be printed, I usually ask a student to complete the cover. I like to give options, though!

The poem VOTE TODAY is from my November poetry packet.  I love using poems to support the curriculum.  My entire September Poetry Packet is free and you can see all 22 of them in an earlier Blog Post as well as grab some other free poems. The Pick-a-Prompt can actually be used up to 3 times if you ask kids to pick a new one each time.  Always prove to be very insightful.  You can see my September Pick-a-Prompts here if interested.

I like my "crafts" to be quick and meaningful. This fits the bill! It makes a nice display and won't take your little ones all day to complete. 

If you want to grab my September/October Make a Word Packet for FREE, please do!  So helpful when you want to reinforce our Fundations lessons!

I just realized that I forgot to add the Word Search!  Eek.  I'll add it tomorrow when I have the time. I always like to make two options of the word search: with and without diagonals so you can differentiate for your class.

So all of this for a just $2.40 during the TPT sale...Yea!  I'd vote for it!

Have a great day!

Scholastic News: A Must Have!

Do you subscribe to Scholastic News? I'm lucky that our school pays for the subscription for all of our First Grade classes. If I didn't have it and it wasn't in the budget, I would see if your PTO could purchase a subscription or earmark a fundraiser for it.  It's that good!

What is Scholastic News?

• It's a weekly "magazine" that features timely non-fiction topics that support your curriculum. It's always engaging and I love the way it builds and reinforces nonfiction reading skills. Here are Grades 1-5 recent topics.

• You get 4 issues delivered in a bundle each month. Some months are combined which makes sense. That's 32 issues a year. I think it's a really good deal BUT it still costs around $5-6 per student. So it's not like a teacher could purchase a class subscription on their own.

Here are the themes listed for next year.

While I've always loved the content, it wasn't until two years ago that I fully took advantage of everything it has to offer which includes the digital content.

What's included in Scholastic News:

Print: 

• A magazine for every student (4 sides total. Just the right size for First Graders.)
• Lesson Plans/Ideas to implement/discuss
• Printable activity sheets which I never used until a few years ago.  

Digital:

• The news accessible on any device
• Nonfiction videos that are always spot-on
• Read-Aloud Audio Option which I use
• Interactive activity Sheets
• Games
• Back Issues which I do access. Sometimes videos are the same but often can get short videos that are so well made on a specific topic.

This is what the online version looks like:

For a long time, I simply read the magazine to the kids and discussed it. But a few years ago, after a lot of nudging from my colleague, I discovered the online version and WOW! A great news "magazine" was made even better. (Thanks, Jane!)

How I Use With My First Graders:

Fridays: I share the online version with the kids. This usually takes 30 minutes by the time I introduce the vocabulary, listen to it online (as it highlights each word) watch the video, do the "dance break" offered, and the learning game that is part of it.  No matter the topic, we always learn SO MANY interesting facts! 

Here is my favorite one from this year:

An example of the vocabulary. You click it and it defines the word then asks class to say the word together.

I will definitely do this one again next year.  Truly inspiring!

After We Read On Fridays:

• On Monday or Tuesday, I pass out the extension pages that I make into a booklet  Then I allow the students to work together OR work independently on completing the pages. While most want to work with a partner, I usually have 3-5 that prefer to work alone.

The kids are so engaged and take this seriously. It's a great way to reinforce so many skills as they work.

Here is a free online sample that you can see for yourself.  

And in case you are wondering, I don't know anyone there and don't benefit in any way at all if you sign up.  I just wanted to share a product I truly love!

NOTES: 

• The only thing I'd change that I find really annoying is that you have to print our each PDF worksheet separately.  Why not just have them all together? It would save time. The way it is, I have to open up onw page, print. Then go to next, etc. 
• It seems like my district renews late each year. We usually don't get the print versions of first set until late September. Since you need a code to log on, it's annoying. We are at the mercy of our secretaries. just know that if they received your P.O., they will give you the code even if they haven't sent out the printed copies yet. Just call and ask. 
• I know Second and Third grade teachers who are equally happy and my sister teaches Middle School and uses that version which she loves. I believe it's called SCOPE.

Enjoy! Let me know if you use Scholastic News in your class and what you think?

Fire Prevention Week Activities (October 9-15th)

Are you looking for some ways to reinforce Fire Prevention Safety in a meaningful way that doesn't suck up hours of your planning time or instructional time?  I have some simple ideas for you!

When I was teaching Second Grade, I was going to give a quick mention of Fire Safety Week and move on. But a Firefighter friend of mine told me to ask my 7 year olds the above question.  Not one student answered with the correct answer: ONE. Oh boy...there was work to be done!

If you subscribe to Scholastic News, I suggest starting there. 

If you do subscribe, I hope you're taking advantage of the fabulous online content. Top notch. You also get access to all of the older editions throughout at least the last five years. That means the videos, games, etc. Here are the back issues I saw yesterday.

The Fire Tech tools is one I'll be revisiting this year. If your school has funding available and you're not yet a subscriber, I promise you it's well worth the price. You get 4 "magazines" a month. Each child will get to bring home their own copy. Then of course, the online access which I use all the time.

We often have Fire Fighters come to visit the students.  Most of the time, they bring the truck but while fun and a cute photo op, I think it's best left to the Kindergarten classes. I think it's way more important to have them speak to the kids and introduce/review the importance of Stop, Drop and Roll as well as calling 911 when needed.  Our department brings SQUIRT who answers questions and interacts with the kids. 

After the visit, I have two poems that I like to use to reinforce the lesson shared.

I'm big into Poetry Binders so we add these to them and sing often! Read about a fun way I incorporate poems into my classroom via a Poet Tree! 

Of course I have books available to share with the kids and let them look through. I don't read all of them but do make sure they are easily accessible to the kids.

I usually have the kids make a headband / crown when the Fire Fighters visit. The kids make it as their Do-Now one morning so it's a quick activity.  It's also a good visual reminder to parents to continue the convo at home when they see the kids coming off the bus wearing them.

Another Do-Now (Which is done in the morning after arrival but before I take attendance and school officially starts) is to play a simple, Roll and Cover game.  I just added graphics to support the week but really a basic game. I have them play with a partner. Usually when someone wins one of our games, they pop up and yell, "Winner, winner chicken dinner." In the case, they pop up and yell out, "Stop, Drop and Roll."

Another tried and true activity...Origami Dalmatian Dogs that take under five minutes.

 I like to hang them around a "Fire Fighters Are, Can, and Have" poster we make together. In the past, I had them list a prevention tip or piece of advice on the back to share with the class and their families.

But this year, I'm going to add to our class library and have everyone contribute one page to a class book.  There is a pre-made cover that you can print or have a student color in the page.  (Note: I make these all year long, place in library and at the end of the year, each students gets to take home two of the class books. A great memory!)

Each booklet (Five booklets for each month) comes with lines paper or simply a drawing space for those not yet writing.  Honestly, I let them pick the one that is best for them. Most kids used the lines paper but I usually have 3-5 opt for drawing only.

I added these class books to my store recently. There are 5 books per month. Check out my October Books if interested.

If you know me, you know that I LOVE Which One Doesn't Belong OPEN-ENDED activities. There are always MULTIPLE ANSWERS. I use them for a five minute filler activity, a Morning Meeting Activity, during math (when I'm using my math focused one) and as Do-Nows, too.  One included in my October packet has a Fire Fighter theme. To see these in action, take a peek at my video of the students sharing answers or a blog post showing answers. Hands down, my kids favorite activity.

Here are some FREE Which One Doesn't Belong? slides for you to share with your class. I'm sure you will be amazed at their thinking. 

I hope you were able to get some ideas for Fire Safety Prevention Week here. Are there any you're planning on trying? Let me know. 

The MUST-HAVE Book for the 2020-2021 School Year

You're going to fall in love with One Little Bag An Amazing Journey written and illustrated by the MAGNIFICENT and Oh, So TALENTED Henry Cole.

Why do I think this wordless picture book is AMAZING and Caldecott worthy???

Because I can't stop reading it.

Thinking about it. 

It got me through some tough quarantine days. Seriously. Marie Kondo would be thrilled to know how much JOY it brought me. No other way to say it.

I marvel at the gorgeous illustrations and wonder how Henry Cole could tell such a powerful epic generational love story with NO WORDS.  GENIUS!  Simply GENIUS!  Think about that!

Times a milllion. kazillion.

And I'm not the only one who thinks so:

* "Beautifully effective." -- Kirkus Reviews, starred review

* "Deeply profound... compelling... emotionally resonant." -- School Library Journal, starred review

* "Elevating the life of an ephemeral object to the time scale of love across generations." -- Publishers Weekly, starred review

NOTE: Until I started writing this Blog post last night, I had no idea what others were saying about the book!  To know it's garnered so many well-deserved STARRED REVIEWS makes my heart just want to burst!

The story was inspired by Henry's childhood experience celebrating the first Earth Day. He brought his lunch to school in a brown bag and decided to reuse that same bag for three years. THREE!

The story starts on the endpapers...5 black and white spreads. (The only color in the book is the bag.)

These first pages show the steps taken from tree to bag. Who thought of that?  Really? My full and complete admiration!

When the "official" story begins, you see Dad making a sandwich and placing it in the bag for his son to bring to school. A heart is drawn on the bag. You feel the love.

The bag is ever present in his life: from providing comfort whether it be from the dark or leaving for college (Dad's hand on his son's shoulder just has me feeling all sorts of things as Matthew prepares to leave for college once again!) to comforting / entertaining a baby in his crib.

The bag's use each time is a nod to the power of love and family. Creating special bonds and memories.

I don't want to spoil all the awesomeness of the book for you so I won't.  But oh, my. Pass the tissues.

Please.

And his Author's Note is just full of all sorts of goodness.  

We are a huge book family and over the last few years, we had to scale back our purchasing of picture books and turn to our fantastic library instead.  But, friends...  

This is a MUST purchase.

I'm sad it arrived at my house after the lockdown and didn't get to share it with my kids this year.

But next year???

It's the perfect book to use to launch a beginning of the year class activity and promote class community. Grab it by clicking on the book above.

Challenge your students to use a recyclable brown bag for their snacks and to try to make it last all year...aim for Earth Day and keep on going. (If distance learning, I still think this works. Enjoy your snack/break together.)

Who knows, maybe the challenge could be extended into the next school year. And the year after that. And then the next.

Henry kept his bag for 3 years before gifting it to a friend. His way to honor our natural resources.

Can't you just hear one of your kids saying, "See? One person CAN make a difference!"

It really is a must-read! Grab the activity by clicking on the pic above and consider implementing in your classroom the first week of school. Easy breezy!

Worried you'll have kids who will want to join in but parents don't have a bag? Buy 100 brown bags at the Dollar Store.  Enough for 4 years of classes and some left over to replace bags that might be ruined by those ever occurring juice and yogurt spills.

Let me know if you read this lovely book and use the activity and how it goes. 

And of course tell me if you're also predicting One Little Bag for a Caldecott win!

If interested, here is Henry's Reading Rockets interview.

Since we're speaking of the first week of school, check out my New Teacher Tips.  Not a new teacher? I think you can still find a gem or two listed!  

Have a great day, my friends!

Nothing Stopped Sophie (Women's History Month Book!)

My husband handed me the book Nothing Stopped Sophie: The Story of Unshakable Mathematician Sophie Germain a whole year ago!  A whole year!  During Women's History Month no less.  It sort of got buried under a pile and when I recently asked about a STEM book featuring a strong female character, he said, "What about Sophie?"  Oops!  So sorry I lost track of you, Sophie Germain! After reading it, I'm kicking myself that I didn't read it earlier.  An excellent story and a fun read!

From School Library Journal:

Gr 1–3—An illuminating look into the life and work of Sophie Germain, a self-taught mathematician, who was the first woman to win a prize from the Paris Academy of Sciences. Bardoe's prose injects the title refrain often as the story unfolds. Germain, who came of age during the French Revolution, studied math despite her parents' wishes. Women were not allowed to attend university, but she secretly got notes from math classes and sent in homework using a male name. She worked for six years on a theorem to predict patterns of vibration, and experienced rejection at least twice before her work was accepted. The artwork—created with pen and ink, watercolor, and collage—is truly a sight to behold. McClintock depicts Germain's inner thoughts, often numbers and equations, surrounding her and at times isolating her from others. This makes the penultimate spread of Germain's prize-winning equation extending from her person and wrapping around the male scholars, even more triumphant in comparison. Extended back matter includes more about Germain's life, recommendations for further research and activities, a selected bibliography, an author's note, and an illustrator's note. VERDICT Excellent illustrations elevate the inspiring prose, making it a highly recommended choice to the growing shelf of picture book biographies featuring women in STEM.—Kacy Helwick, New Orleans Public Library

Give it a try!  I'm so glad I did!  You know I love a book when I make a packet for it.  Take a peek and if interested, click on one of the pictures...

Aimed at Grades 1-3.  Some of the activities...

Since Sophie loved numbers and puzzles, I made the numbers 0-9 into a Squiggle Write. 

See more about Squiggle Writing here.  My kiddos love this activity.  Since so many numbers are included, you can use these throughout the year.  Makes a cute display or fun class book.

   

Power bracelets are sure to be a hit!  After discussing book and making connections to our own lives, I have kids make/wear these bracelets with a clear message to the world: Can't stop! Won't stop!

Five reading responses are included and the product preview shows them all.

Who doesn't love a headband?  Sometimes I have kids pick a name our of a hat and make the headband for a friend.  A fun twist!

In First Grade, to make Acrostics easier, we brainstorm a list over a few days and I ask kids to RETELL the story at home and get words for Sophie.  By the time we start this, we have dozens of words on our board.  Kids can pick from them or think up a new word.  

     

If you follow me, you know I am a huge fan of making words.  Why?  Because I can easily see who is APPLYING the sounds/letter combinations I've been teaching each year.  When we first started doing Make-a-Words, the kids had trouble coming up with ten words.  Now?  Some kids make over 100 words each week!  My lower kids can make anywhere from 7-15 words independently now.  That THRILLS me!  I try to give them words with an "S" so they can make plurals. 

Pick-a-Prompt shares are fun because you never know which one a child will share.  You can run these two-sided for kids who write a lot.

   

Two pages of synonyms are included using text in context.  Great conversations stem from this.  Always amazed at the kids' vocabulary. 

A book (Cover, Dedication, page for each kid to contribute, and then ending page where you can put class pic) is also included.  The kids fully can identify with Sophie and can easily think of a time they they were UNSTOPPABLE!

Full preview available in my store. 

I truly hope you can share the book with your class.  Sophie is a great role-model and message taken away from this book will be heard loud and clear.  Promise!

Happy reading!