Integrate Science with Reading and Writing {FREE Activities Included!}

Hey, teacher friends! It's Jivey from Ideas by Jivey, and if you know me, you know I am PASSIONATE about integrating with mentor texts as much as possible! In this post, I will be sharing how to use a great book for reading and writing while teaching about animal adaptations or attributes:

**The above link is an affiliate link. 

The few pennies I earn on each purchase goes towards future giveaways!**

What Do You Do With a Tail Like This? by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page is a fantastic book to use to expose students to animals they most likely have never seen in real life. It's a great book to use across K-5, but the activities I'm going to share with you in this post are perfect for grades 1 and 2. 

As you read the book the first time, allow them to make a guess at the animal that belongs to the features shown on each page. When you turn the page, it shows the whole animal and describes why that feature is important for the animal. This would be a great opportunity to allow them to write down something new they learned about some of those attributes, or animals. 

There are also SEVERAL animals in the book that have some similarities, as well as differences. Use this book to compare animals, not just with the text, but the pictures of the animals, too!

You will find a video below of me walking you through the book and the comparison activity. This was originally posted as a Facebook Live video, so ignore when I talk about links in the description. :) You will find the "links" below this video instead!

As promised, you can pick up free activities for this book for first and second grade below!

If you teach about animals in first or second grade, you might also love this Animals Reading and Writing pack that provides activities similar to the ones I've shared in this post, and you can even integrate grammar with those same fabulous nonfiction mentor texts in the reading and writing pack by using mentor sentences:

     

Books to help you recharge over the Summer

Hello Friends, it's Erin from The Elementary Darling. The countdown is on! I have about four weeks left before the end of the year, and this is the time that I start planning for the summer and organizing for the beginning of the year. I know some of you are thinking, "She is crazy!" and I might be a little bit, BUT the end of the year is the best time to organize and plan.  Last year, I wrote this post about what I do a the end of the year, and Kristin wrote this post, about planning during the end of the year.

But TODAY, I am going to show you my favorite professional development books. Obviously, I would recommend checking out one or two based on your needs, however they are ALL amazing!

For the teacher that needs to RECHARGE

I love anything written by Ron Clark, but Move your Bus is my favorite. I reread it often to remind myself to be a runner! If you don't know, his co-owner of The Ron Clark Academy is Kim Bearden, and her book, Crash Course will remind you why you went into teaching. It is my ultimate favorite! I also recently found the book Conscious Discipline, thanks to my friend, Theresa from True Life I'm a Teacher. This book is all about teacher mindset. I just started it, and I am loving it!

Throughout this post, you’ll find Amazon Affiliate links. This means I receive a small commission if you purchase something through that link, at no extra cost to you, that helps keep my blog running and helps fund giveaways!

For the teacher beginning Reading Groups

These books are good for reading groups, or ideas for your groups. Even if you have been implementing reading groups for several years, I know you will find something useful in them! These two books are my everything when it comes to Guided Reading. Jan Richardson has everything you need, including strategies and printables in this book for every level of guided reading. The Daily Five book is great for anyone who uses a grouping method for reading.  I also LOVE Word Nerds. This book has amazing ideas for vocabulary instruction. While I would recommend it for 2nd grade and above, it could be modified for Kindergarten and 1st grade.

For the teacher looking for Math Group ideas

I LOVE this book! Debbie Diller is an amazing math group guru, and she has fabulous ideas in this book! It is for grades K-2, so if you have a book suggestion for 3-6, I would love to hear it!

For the teacher looking for Differentiation Ideas 

If you are a GenEd teacher and you have a huge range of student abilities in your classroom, these are my top picks! I got my gifted endorsement several years ago and the book, Teaching Gifted Kids in Today's Classroom is my all time favorite. It has so many suggestions to extend the learning of higher level students.  Advancing Differentiation and How to Differentiate Instruction for Mixed Ability Classrooms are both amazing and so helpful when your classroom ranges in ability levels.

For the teacher looking for IDEAS or Strategies

How many times have we all run out of ideas or needed new fresh strategies for teaching a topic?  I recently found these books this year, and I never knew what I was missing. THEY ARE SO GOOD! You can use these books no matter what ELA format you use. It is literally a book full of strategies for every level. They do cost a little more, but honestly, they are worth EVERY penny. You can find the reading one here and the writing one here. These two will be the ones that I will be reading over the summer!

What professional development books will you dive into this summer? Whether you are reading to recharge, learn new strategies, or try a new method, these books will help you achieve your goal! Do you have an awesome book that I didn't show, leave it in the comments below! Happy Reading!

Winter Writing Favorites

I'm sure many of you agree with me when I say I have a love/hate relationship with bulletin boards. I don't know about you, but I feel a lot of pressure to make my bulletin boards show work that is attractive yet rigorous! (Tell me I'm not alone!)

To gear all of us up for January/February bulletin boards, I've collected a few of my favorites to share with you.

PENGUINS

Who doesn't love penguins? I typically start my informational writing unit with penguin research reports. We do some shared research and shared writing, then students do their own research on a chosen species of penguins. The end project is adorable.

I decided to simplify the process a little bit this year by creating a writing template for the penguin belly, which you can grab for free here. The link also shows how I make the tracers for the penguin body.

BUILDING SNOWMEN...

We don't get much snow here in Georgia, but students love snowmen nonetheless. It's not new information that a snowman is the perfect subject for how-to writing. Start your lesson off by showing (and singing) Do You Want to Build a Snowman from Frozen (bonus points if you dance along).

Allow students to create their own snowflakes for the bulletin board, which can also turn into a great (yet difficult) how-to writing piece.

... AND MELTING SNOWMEN

Another all-time favorite of mine that is more appropriate for the South is a melting snowman. I love this project because it is so versatile! It's great for a creative narrative, but works just as well for a science writing piece about the water cycle. You can find a whole blog post about this project here.



These are three boards that I've done myself, but I also have to share my favorite winter writing activities that other amazing teachers have done. Check them out below!


OTHER FAVORITES

• If I Lived in a Snowglobe
• Catching Snowflakes on My Tongue
• Snowmen At Night
• How to Make Hot Chocolate

Happy creating!

Kristin from School and the City

Spring Into April: Poetry Slam

Happy April, peaches! It's Kristin from School and the City. 

As you know, April is poetry month. What better way is there to celebrate poetry month than by having a poetry slam?

I think kids are more motivated to work when they have something to work for, especially when it comes to writing. We all have kids who aren't avid writers, so it's up to us teachers to facilitate a love for writing by giving them a reason to write!

Most kids do love poetry units and writing poetry, because poetry in itself is just so much fun. But why not make it more fun, and more motivating for all students, by ending your unit by allowing your students to participate in a poetry slam?! Having poetry slam can be as simple or as complicated as you want it to be; It's totally up to you! 

POETRY SLAM MUSTS:

• Students must have poetry written and prepared to share (duh)
• Teach the kids how to be good audience members and how to snap. 
• Encourage the students to dress artistically, in all black. 
• Show students videos of people reading / reciting poetry so they can study and mimic verbal and facial expressions. 

IF YOU WANT TO GO ALL OUT...

• Set the stage! Turn the lights down, gather some lamps, and set the mood. 
• Turn it into a café by providing food or allowing kids to bring snacks. 
• Invite parents, other students, and/or other staff members. (Hint: Inviting admin may or may not earn you brownie points!)
• Find a karaoke machine or some sort of sound system to use so everyone can hear.

CLICK the picture to check out my editable invitations!

Last year, my students worked extremely hard all month creating poetry books using my templates and adding their own pages. They turned out to be great little poets! I can't wait to see how my class does this year. 

What do you think? Will you host a poetry slam for your students? Let me know over at School and the City if you try it!

Have a great April in your classroom... and stay tuned for more April ideas!

For even more ideas from The Primary Peach, be sure to follow us on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook to catch all the latest news and updates!

Spring into April: Making the Most of Share Time

It is so hard to believe April is here!  Just a few more weeks and SUMMER, oh glorious SUMMER, will be here.  Not that we are counting, right!?!?

I know that April can be a tough month.  Spring break and testing can really throw a wrench in daily routines.  Not to mention all the special events looming. Let's see... Field Day, Career Day, end of the year party, and I could go on and on.

One routine that is so easy to lose in the shuffle is share time for writing.  It is so important for kids though. It validates them as authors and allows them to celebrate learning, as well as seek advice from peers.

So, how can you make the most of share time, when time is SO precious at this time of year? Here are a few ideas!

 

Is time short?  Can you barely fit in the five minutes of share time in your reading and writing workshops to begin with?  I highly suggest using a very predicable structure with ingrained routines. 

 When I taught second grade, my kids came to the carpet and sat in a circle.  This way we could all look at each other, and not just me, the teacher! LOL! They brought their writer's notebooks and a pencil.  The writer's notebooks and pencils HAD to lay in the floor in front of them and their hands in their laps. If they were playing with their notebooks or pencils, they went back to their seats.  I was a meanie on this one #sorrynotsorry. I didn't have an author's chair.  Honestly, any extra movement just took time.  We shared from our spot on the carpet.

I love this anchor chart with procedures for the author's chair.  Although, we didn't have a physical author's chair, the procedures were pretty much the same.

source- sorry for the dead link :(

Sometimes, when I was conferencing with students I would ask them to share during share time.  Often, this was because they had done a really good job of applying what had been taught in the mini lesson.  It was also a good way to celebrate struggling writers that would not volunteer on their own.  It prepared them for the share time, so they knew exactly what they would say before we ever sat down in the circle.

We were also really specific in what we shared.  Students could read their stories. Then, they could ask for specific help.  This worked best with my gifted students.  They often knew what they wanted the outcome of the writing to be, but weren't sure exactly how to get there.  They were often able to explain this to classmates and get feedback.  They REALLLLLLY liked helping each other!

Looking back, I should have had these sentence stems to help kids give each other appropriate feedback.   These look great.

source- image only, sorry for the dead link

I love how this one has expectations AND the sentence stems together.  Very smart.

source- yet another image only :(

This one is pretty and has suggestions on complementing and  how improve a peer's writing.  

Some of my friends loved to share.  Others?  Not so much.  They would rather pick at the carpet and melt into the background. I get it.  Sharing can be stressful for some kids.

However, I did feel like all students need the chance to shine.  To make sure that all students had an opportunity, I simply kept a class list on a clipboard by the carpet. Whenever students shared, I jotted the date next to their name.  This helped me remember to call on some kids that rarely shared.  

Looking for ways to change up share time?  Maybe it is getting stale by this time of the year.  Consider these suggestions:

Let EVERYBODY have a chance to share their work or writing by pairing kids up. You can make this as structured as you want.  You can set a timer and when the timer dings, the students must switch so the other partner has time to share.  This keeps one partner from dominating. I would suggest keeping pairs about equal, as far as ability.  This does not embarrass a struggling writer and frustrate a gifted writer. Also, often gifted students tend to push and challenge each other.

(source)

I loved this chart with guidelines for writing buddies or pairs because it gave them sentence prompts and also suggestions of what to fix.

This doesn't need much explanation.  Have small groups of students share.  This can be the table groups they already sit at our you can mix it up a bit.

A gallery walk is always fun this time of year. In this activity, students leave out their writing and classmates rotate around the classroom and comment on each other's writing. I find that this works best with an end of unit activity or a final draft.  We sometimes did these as our publishing parties.  

Students each got a lunch bag and a small stack of blank papers. They would leave out their writing.  Students would rotate around the classroom and comment (using the same procedures for positive feedback as whole group share) on the small slips of paper.  The slips then went in the paper bags so they didn't lost.  I kept the rotations structured and we switched seats at the ding of a bell, like we did when we played Scoot.

When we were done, students could read the feedback in their paper bags.  It was a lot like Valentine's Day! LOL

Do you have any other ideas or suggestions for share time?

For even more ideas from The Primary Peach, be sure to follow us on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook to catch all the latest news and updates!

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A Teaching Pot of Gold: Transforming Student Writing

Happy Spring Everyone!  This is Jessica Zannini from Notes from the Portable and today I want to talk about using mentor texts to transform student writing.  Transformations are one of my favorite ways to introduce a new writing genre.  The rhythm and word choice of mentor texts are fantastic to get students motivated to write.

What is a Transformation?

When teaching transformations you take a great book with a specific pattern that writers can follow. Students write using a similar structure.  Transformations allow students to make reading and writing connections.  

Sample lesson using Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type by Doreen Cronin

1. Read Aloud Click Clack, Moo: Cows that Type, by Doreen Cronin.

2. Ask, "What patterns did you notice in the book?"

3. Have the students look closely at the notes written by the farm animals.  Ask, "What are the parts of this note?" (Greeting, Body, Signature)

4. Discuss the organization/structure of this book. You may want to create an outline that student's can follow.  

5. As a class/group write your own version of the book.  (Ex.  Click, Clack, Neigh: Horses that Text, or Zoom, Zoom, Moo: Cows that Game. An example has been provided for you to use. 

6. You can extend this and have individuals or partners write their own version. 

Click, Clack Maa, Goats that Text

By: Jessica Zannini

 Dear Farmer Brown,

    We goats are tired of the same old trash. We would like to have some fresh flowers to eat.  The flowers will make our breath smell good.  We are tired of smelling bad. 

    Sincerely,

    The Goats

  
“What!” yelled Farmer Brown.  He threw his cell phone on the kitchen counter.  “Goats that want flowers? Who ever heard of such a ridiculous thing!  Goats are supposed to attract the bad things and eat trash. They are not supposed to have fresh breath!”

  In the background he heard:

  Click, clack, Maa.

  Click, clack, Maa.

  Ticky, tack, Maa.

  Dear Farmer Brown,

  If you do not get us fresh flowers we will not eat the weeds that are growing on the farm. We also will stick to one area and not keep the pests away from the other animals.  In addition, we will not socialize with the new horses you get.  How will they ever adjust to the barn without us?  If we get new flowers we will continue doing our job with fresh breath. 

    Sincerely,

    The Goats

    “I guess I will have to give them what they want,” sighed Farmer Brown.  “My new horses certainly will not adjust without them.” 

  
Farmer Brown plugged his phone into the charger and walked to the barn.  “Goats, here are your flowers.  But in order to get them, you have to give me your cell phone.  

The goats decided that they would rather have the flower.  They handed over the phone and thanked him.  Farmer Brown let out a sigh of relief, but when he left the barn he heard:

  Click, clack, Meow.

  Click, clack, Meow.

  Ticky, tack, Meow.

Additional Transformation Books:

1. When I Was Young in the Mountains by Cynthia Rylant 

2.  T'was the Night Before Christmas

3.  Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus (or any of the other Mo Willems Pigeon books.

Don't forget to check out the other Primary Peach posts this month to learn more about making learning magical!

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3rd Day of Winter - Writing Activities

Aren't you just loving all these wintery freebies? I feel like it's Christmas all month long!

Brrrr! It's winter. Hope you're keeping warm where you are. It's Gary from ScrappyGuy Designs. I am joining up with two other amazing Peaches to bring you some fun Writing Activities to help you weather the final days before Winter Break.

Today I present to you TACKY, the Penguin. If you have not encountered these fantastic tales from Helen Lester you are definitely in for a treat. I use it with my Fourth Graders and they always get a chuckle out of this character.

Tacky is an 'odd bird' who is nothing like his counterparts on the ice floe. The others all have perfect singing voices, walk perfectly in tune together, and all look perfectly the same. Well, not Tacky. Tacky favors loud Hawaiian shirts and slapping people on the back while belting out, "What's Happening?"

For some fun writing activities, you could have the students:
*  do a character map on Tacky
*  gather adjectives to describe Tacky
*  create a venn diagram comparing him to Goodly, Lovely, Angel, Neatly, and Perfect
*  write about what other special talents Tacky could have other than the cannonball
*  put Tacky in different situations and see how he would solve them
*  rewrite the ending of the book
*  create a sequence of events that happen as the hunters arrive
*  use some of the great sentences in the book as Mentor Sentences
      *  Quotations
      *   Apostrophes
      *   Commas

But my favorite idea I found on the internet was to have a Tacky Day where the students all get to dress up as Tacky the Penguin.

Then you can have them dress a Tacky cut out for a bulletin board and call it "Odd Birds Unite!"

I love teaching Tacky books because they help build great community as we learn that everyone has something to add to the group. Even if someone dresses or looks a little funny, they could be a very important part of a team.

Oops, before I go. Here's a little freebie from me to you! Happy Holidays.

 

 

 

 

Have your students write about why Santa should hire them to be his newest elf! You can use this with just about ANY holiday book! Check out these suggestions here!

 

 

We love the holidays in Kindergarten and gingerbread activities are among our favorites.  There are so many writing opportunities during this time of year, but I found one that I absolutely love.  It’s called a Wall Story and you can use it with any book. Each student creates an illustration and writes text for a certain part of the story. Then they are put in order and displayed on a wall.    The awesome teacher from Kindergarten is a Fun Place To Be posted these pictures on her blog.  The Wall Story is a great way to write collaboratively in the classroom. Click on the image below to read her post.

Check out this Gingerbread writing freebie!