Homemade Ornaments to Match Our Winter Poetry!

I love doing this activity with my students. The beauty of this lesson is that you can assess students on use of vivid language but on their appropriate levels! So, this fun and festive assignment is great for a variety of ages!

Should you be hunting a writing activity to go along with the Christmas or "Winter" season, this is a great one!! 

You'll find guidelines, suggestions, a grading rubric, a pre-writing template, and a rough draft handout to help guide the students through the very important writing process!

Pre-writing Handout! 
What I hear, see, etc...

The focus is on writing, obviously, so an ornament is included in activity only to serve as a visual supplement. So, the ornament creations are left entirely up to the students -HOWEVER they choose to make them should be JUST PERFECT. 

Grading Rubric &
 Rough Draft Handout

Eliminating any limitations leaves the doors wide open for creativity and imagination, encouraging students to utilize available materials they have at home. I discourage store bought items in order to cater to student imagination and it helps with those who are unable to go buy materials to make ornaments. The purpose of the added craft is to create a visual supplement that is totally homemade by gathering items lying around the house...the result being a creation representative of the child's Christmas/Winter term assigned! 

Guidelines/Suggestions

A super festive idea is to string some colored lights across the top of the dry erase board, a tree, or just across your classroom wall, hanging the ornaments on the lights (or hang them on fishing line if you are afraid to hang them from light strands... lol). 

Poof! Automatic Christmas/Winter display, student work display, and festive fun all crated by the students...no work on your part! 

In addition to the ornaments on display, you can put their poems up too, under the lights/ornaments or on wall around a tree, depending on which way you'd like to display it all! 

Oh, just a little tidbit...I use the terms "Christmas" and "Winter" because many students in my classes over the years have different beliefs and/or religions and I do not want to single anyone out or offend anyone--so if considering it our "Winter Poetry" writing assignment handles that issue.

---AFTER ALL, the purpose is to write a poem about an assigned word, stay on topic, and dazzle the reader with vivid language in connections with an assigned term. And, the visual display (craft) is supposed to represent the student's term! So, it hardly has to be dedicated solely to Christmas, which allows us all to take part in the fun writing/craft activity! You can find this item in my Teachers Pay Teachers Store or in my Teachers Notebook Shop! (Those links are on the top right of blog--or click images to go straight to the TPT product!)

I ASK YOU...

What do you incorporate as seasonal fun into your lessons? 
Please share some ideas below!! Who knows, if enough ideas are out there, we could keep the kids involved in seasonal fun until we are on Winter Break!

Happy Writing,

Writing Prompt Printable Inspired by "Take Your Dog to Work" Day!

I'm a little late getting this posted....Trust me, I was getting it all ready in time, but, one thing leads to another around here, and I ended up working in the yard all day yesterday and spent day on the lake today--and broken down in the boat!!! Experiences!! Next I know, it's Saturday night! 
Anyway, Friday, June 22, 2012, was designated as "Take Your Dog to Work Day!" How cool is that? I guess not very if you don't have dogs or if you are not an animal person, but I am! That's actually the understatement of the century. I have too many pets! Yes, I could tell dog tales and cat tales all day long. 
How about getting your kiddos to write a cat tale or dog tale? Or, any other animal tale for that matter always makes for a good impromptu writing assignment! The designated day inspired me to create a quick printable that can be used whenever! 
Tells n' Tails n' Tales: "The Time My ______ and I....."  AND Let them do the rest. I included a little section for them to illustrate the main event of the "tale" they are "telling"--- :) Here's a free printable to download if you'd like it!

And, why not go ahead and have a quick "homophone" mini-lesson?

TELL 

TAIL 

TALE

                              What's your favorite writing prompt you've ever assigned????

A Few Inspirational Summer Quotes

I love quotes, and I love Summer! So, here are a few random quotes I found out there I thought I'd post to share. I hope you enjoy!

• If you are not barefoot, you're overdressed. -unknown
• One must maintain a little bit of summer, even in the middle of winter. -Henry David Thoreau
• It's a smile, it's a kiss, it's a sip of wine...it's summertime! -Kenny Chesney
• Summertime is always the best of what might be. -Charles Bowden
• To see the Summer Sky Is Poetry, though never in a Book it lie-True Poems flee. --Emily Dickinson
• In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer. -Albert Camus

• Celebrate summer--sun-drenched days and starlit nights. --Gooseberry Patch
• A perfect summer day is when the sun is shining, the breeze is blowing, the birds are singing, and the lawn mower is broken. -James Dent
• A life without love is like a year without summer. -Swedish Proverb
• I've cut down on a lot of stuff this summer, just so I can hang out and be a normal kid for a while. -Ryan Sheckler (Maybe we should all do this...)
• Like a welcome summer rain, humor may suddenly cleanse and cool the earth, the air, and you. -Langston Hughes
• The bigger the summer vacation the harder the fall. -unknown
• In summer, the song sings itself. -William Carols Williams
• There shall be eternal summer in a grateful heart. -Celia Thaxter
• A single sunbeam is enough to drive away many shadows. -St. Francis of Assisi
• Sun shining. Weather is weet. Make you wanna move your dancing feet. -Bob Marley
• The tans will fade, but the memories will last forever. -unknown
• I wonder what is would be like to live in a world where it was always June. -L.M. Montgomery

What is your favorite thing about summer? Please share the best part about summer time or a favorite quote below!

 Can you tell my school year ends this week? :)

Happy Summer!!

A Series of Educational Sites: "C"

Wonderopolis!

http://wonderopolis.org/

By the National Center for Family Literacy!

I am an email subscribed reader and enjoy the “Wonder of the Day” on this site…it’s pretty cool!

For Example:

4/26/12   #571

Should You Believe Everything You Hear?

4/25/12   #570

How Fast Can a Nose Run?

Some of these daily wonder posts come with  pictures, videos, etc. Many "Wonders" are quite informative and most useful, and others are totally unique in that they include cool points to ponder or interesting tidbits to learn! I love the Wonder "Why is it so fun to monkey around?" (I adore animals if you didn't already know!) It’s like a small dose of “Get your brain exercising…” that never hurts any of us to get on a daily basis!

There’s even a Twitter Wonderfeed: @wonderopolis

So, Question: What is something (maybe bizarre or truly mysterious) that you have always wondered? 

Imagine all of the journal prompts and creative writing activities you could do in class just with this as a springboard! 

You can download this printable for FREE in my TpT Store or directly from GoogleDocs! 

Wonderopolis Writing Prompt PDF

Please tell us in a comment below! I’m sure someone will either have wondered the same or become entirely curious too!

Have a great day! 

Teaching Allegories by Writing Allegories

"Using Picture Books to Teach Allegory..." post on March 21st promised a follow up with student samples. I've finally gotten a chance to take pictures of some of the allegories my students wrote. Then,  I had to email them to myself, etc. You know the drill-as far as getting pics on your computer! 


I have tons of great student work, but here are 5 snippets. After I'd taken pictures, one of my students brought in a POP-UP Children's Book---Allegory with Waffles as characters! How stinkin' cute is that?  He spent hours, and it showed! I will have to be sure to get a picture of it too! 

Poster Display with Allegory Attached

Poster Display With Allegory Attached

                           

                                     

This one is a page in the children's book one of my students created.
Crayons were her Springboard!

Poster Display with Allegory Attached.

                                                                                  

Snippet of Cover for Another Allegory!

Hope you like these! Quite of a variety of approaches were taken for this activity, and I was impressed with the results. 

Regards,

Writing from a Shoe's Perspective!

During our current unit, my classes are reading Night by Elie Wiesel. We have been studying The Holocaust, and as supplemental reading selections, "Walking with Living Feet" and "The Shoes of the Dead" were springboards for a writing activity they did. The first supplemental selection is from our textbook and the second is from one of last year's Scope magazine from Scholastic.

1. The assignment involved the tracing of students' shoes on brown chart paper and on a sheet of white lined paper.
2. Students cut out their shoes, and each student decorated one shoe to look like one of his/her favorite pairs of shoes, thus representing the individual student.
3. The white lined shoe cut out was pasted onto the other brown shoe and students wrote a response to one of the following options:

• What has affected you in your life?
• Overcoming a life-changing experience...
• Something in life that has "moved" you as a person...
• What do you stand for in life?

These are a few of our "shoes" that will join the remaining shoes from the rest of my students! They will be displayed on the wall outside the classroom....as a reminder of all the lives lost in concentration camps and death camps.

We have actually done this activity for several years now! Most of our 8th classes participate. The students always enjoy it! I can't take credit for the idea, but I did want to share what we are doing in class right now that is fun, creative, and "educational" for middle school! 

Regards,

Pictures to Get You Pondering....and Writing...

The Diary of a Not So Wimpy Teacher and Classroom Magic have teamed up to create one awesome Picture Prompt Linky Party! What an incredible idea and opportunity to gain tons of ideas for writing in the classroom...Just imagine the bell ringers, journal prompts, quickwrites, etc. that you'll have compiled for days to come! 
Click on the linky party image to visit the hosting blogs and see more picture prompts and the other blogs participating, and even link up your own as well... 

Here are a few picture prompts I chose to share:

Who knows what great responses you can get out of your students when a simple picture is displayed! Students have wild and huge imaginations! I bet you'll be pleasantly surprised...

FREE DOWNLOAD FOR VALENTINE'S DAY!

POSITIVE COMMENTS & MESSAGES TO STUDENTS! FUN WITH HERSHEY'S KISSES TAGS!

Students can cut out multiple tags to write positive comments to their classmates for Valentine's Day! Download contains 3 pages of printables and a page of notes to the teacher for using this activity! 
Great in any class, grade, or subject area!  Enjoy!

Unique, Significant, and Some Bizarre Holidays/Dates to Note & Maybe Share in Class:

We are all aware of the many well-known holidays such as New Year's Day,  Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Holiday (Birthday observed), Groundhog Day, Lincoln's Birthday, Valentine's Day, Presidents' Day...just to name a few!  

BUT, Did You Know These???

Dates I Don't See on My "Usual" Refrigerator Calendar & I Think Are Pretty Cool!
NOTE: I've started beyond today's date!

Though some dates are the same each year, others vary year to year---

Dates below are for January & February 2012

Those Noted in RED Tempt Me to Plan a Unique Lesson for Class! 
Certainly these make for spectacular writing prompts in various subjects!! 

JANUARY:

Bath Safety Month

National Book Month   --Everyone should find a new book to read!

National Volunteer Blood Donor Month  

National Thank You Month--to remind us to say "Thank You" when we should!

National Eye Care Month

National Braille Literacy Month

National Hobby Month

Days in January:

17th Ditch New Years' Resolutions Day (lol...if you must)

18th Thesaurus Day; Maintenance Day; Winnie the Pooh Day

20th National Penguin Day

21st National Hugging Day & Squirrel Appreciation Day

23rd Chinese New Year* & National Handwriting Day---AND Measure Your Feet Day 
                    (I won't even comment on the feet...)
24th Belly Laugh Day
26th Australia Day 
28th National Fun at Work Day   (I will be sure to announce this at school!)
     *2nd New Moon after Winter Solstice-- Chinese New Year!

FEBRUARY:

American Heart Month

Black History Month (Yes, I knew this & currently teaching a Unit involving it. :))
National Children's Dental Health Month
Chocolate Lover's Month   (Here's a teacher's excuse to eat chocolate for a  month!)
National Bird Feeding Month (I will have to add another bird feeder to my backyard!)
Days in February 
1st   National Freedom Day
2nd National Change Your Windshield Wipers Day
4th Thank a Mailman Day
8th  Boy Scout Day & Kite Flying Day
11th Don't Cry Over Spilled Milk Day (Anyone Teaching Idioms?)& Make a Friend Day
17th Random Acts of Kindness Day; National Public Science Day
20th Love Your Pet Day
21st  Fat Tuesday/Mardi Gras
22nd Be Humble Day, Walking the Dog Day (uh oh...I have 5 dogs...)
26th Tell a Fairy Tale Day
27th Polar Bear Day
28th National Tooth Fairy Day
29th LEAP DAY----Woah---I didn't realize it until today! 
           I am usually pretty good about donating blood, so I will be sure to put that on my "to-do" list for January! February, I must go for my dental check up, especially if I intend to use the chocolate excuse!  
It seems I have lots of planning to do---there are too many good lessons to be taught!

           I truly hope you found this post enjoyable, as I have thoroughly enjoyed conjuring up all sorts of things to do in class....knowing some of these unique holidays! I've enjoyed it so much that I think I may have to do this for every month!! Tune in For Upcoming Months!!! 

Regards,

Link Up Posting for a Crafty Product of Your Choice...

Creative Teaching Ideas, Activities, & Lessons...!

Link up any creative activity in any area--Just choose one that has a supplemental Art or Craft Activity. It can be Free or Priced! 

If you don't want to link a product, just download the ones from others! 

FREE "PRESENTing...ME!" from Connie Casserly! Share, Share, Share!

Download this Free Product from Connie's TpT Store or by Clicking Thumbnail!

Or, find it on her site www.teachitwrite.com in the Lesson Plans: English Tab!

Thanks to Connie for Sharing this With All of Us!

**P.S. I will be posting the next "Get to Know This TpT Teacher-Author" tomorrow...be sure to tune in!!

                                                          Regards,

Take Advantage of My TpT Store's 15% Off Sale!!

My TpT store is having a 15% off sale on 78 PRODUCTS from  Sunday, 11/27 until Tuesday, 11/29!!
PLUS, get an additional discount on Monday, 11/28/11 for the TpT 10% Off CYBER MONDAY SALE!  

Just enter the promo code: CMS28 at checkout to get your extra discount! 
Happy Shopping!!

My TpT Store

                               Regards,

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Ann-Marie-Smith