The Twilight house is an impressive piece of real estate located in Portland, Oregon - not Forks, Washington. Stunning Twilight home photos here!

Beautiful ways to decorate those little corners around our homes.

Open House ideas. Great activity for students to do to show during Open house.

Elizabeth Willimas kindly shared this idea. Thanks. www.flickr.com/photos/eliwill/4336873604/

Roasted Parmesan Green Beans- delicious fresh green beans are roasted with a crunchy mixture of parmesan cheese and panko bread crumbs.  They make the perfect side dish for any meal.

This past week, we started a new personal narrative writing unit all about my many memorable firsts. I began this unit with a hook to engage student interest--we talked about roller coasters. Who doesn't have a love-hate relationship with a good ol' roller coaster? Especially in a room of second graders, the feelings are unanimous. "Roller coasters are SO MUCH FUN!" We talked about what it was like to go on a roller coaster for the very first time--how that wait in line feels like forever; how when you get into the cart and put on the seatbelt, your heart starts to race; how as the coaster slowly goes clickit-clackity up the tracks, you are thinking "We are going up so high!" and your heart is beating out of your chest; how at the very top it feels like the world stops for just a moment, and then woosh!; how you scream at the top of your lungs as you zoom down the track and loop upside down. I shared my personal story of the first time I went on the roller coaster The Mantis at Cedar Point, and my students were all in. They couldn't wait to start brainstorming! I modeled how to come up with some ideas to get my students on the right track (no pun intended), and put some common experiences down, like the first time I lost a tooth or the first time I rode a bike, to prevent students from getting "stuck" in a writer's block. Students had to come up with at least 3-5 ideas, but many of my students came up with many more. We did lots of sharing out, and then we each circled one idea on our web that we would write about. The next day, it was time to start some serious planning. I created a pre-writing organizer that would not only engage key information like the "who," the "where," and the "when" but also would engage sensory details right from the get-go. We spent the most time on the "Things on the Outside" section as we went through the five senses. What did I see? Hear? Smell? Feel? Taste? I chose to use the idea of the first time I swam underwater, so I wrote down things like I saw the blue water of the pool, I heard my mom cheering for me, I felt the blazing sun, I smelled chlorine and sunscreen, I tasted salty sweat on my lips as it dripped down my face. Then, it was time for our sequencing organizer to get the meat of our story told using temporal words. I can't wait until we are to the revising/editing portion and can dig into these checklists! If you are interested in this "My Many Memorable Firsts" common core aligned personal narrative writing unit, I just uploaded it to TPT. Just click the picture below! Also, get the "Peer Editing Checklist" as a FREEBIE! :) Click the picture below!

Back to School is right around the corner for us and I am SUPER excited to kick of this school year with some fun, hands-on and engaging resources for The

I am linking up again with Teaching With Nancy's weekly linky - TGIF - Thank Goodness It's Free! Be sure to head over to her blog to pick up some more free stuff! We are finishing up our unit on plants and here are the greenhouses that we made. I have seen similar designs on Pinterest and decided to create one that we could use. Let me pause here to say - SEEDS ARE AMAZING! I forgot to buy bean seeds and remembered that I had pinto beans in my sensory bins! So I just grabbed some from the bins!!! And they grew!!! AMAZING! And did you know that you can use dry bean soup mix from the store to sprout? Here are the seeds on Day 1. And on Day 11. I love planting in plastic bags, because we are able to see all the plant parts! You can grab the Greenhouse pattern and directions below! Just click on the cover thumbnail! ***If you are having trouble accessing the file, please try using a non-work, non-school related account.***

One of our Literacy Curriculum Downloads. Here is what you get! 10 Printable Correct the Sentences Worksheets. Prints a total of 10 pages. The worksheets were designed by Annette Sutherland, owner of Teach at Daycare in Arkansas City, KS. Please see our other great educational items in our store and thank you for visiting.

Finding an exterior paint color to go with a green roof doesn't have to be tricky—here are 10 options.

Make learning about Australia FUN for kids with these super cute Australia coloring pages for kids of all ages to read, color and learn!

Siento una enorme complicidad hacia las preguntas y hacia quienes preguntan. Las preguntas tienen hasta musicalidad: les han puesto dos instrumentos que les hacen sonar, uno al inicio y otro al fin…

Keep your kids busy with fun craft activities by making this spectacular Sydney Opera House collage for Australia Day. Don't forget to add the sparkly fireworks!

Math About Me, Back to School, Freebie

Lapbooks are a fantastic way to gather information and piece it together for easy learning! Use these free printables to create a Little House in the Big Woods Lapbook.

Teaching area is engaging and authentic with this hands-on applied math activity! Students arrange furniture to find the area and perimeter of their house.

array city, math, arrays,

The church on the corner of Cedar and Brewster Streets in Rockland, Maine, might seem to passerby like any other old New England church (were it not for th

How adorable are these?!? This lesson took (2) art classes to finish (and I had JUST enough time to squeeze in one more lesson before the end of the year)! It’s a simple one —but packs in a bunch! …

Teach map skills with a map flip book craft! Check out this differentiated "Where in the World Am I?" booklet.

This is the such a fun little Grass House plant lifecycle activity. This Plant Lifecycle activity is perfect for kindergarten, first, and second grade. Your students will have so much fun creating their own greenhouses and yards full of real grass. What's Included: -directions -printable houses and fences that are labeled with what plants need to grow -editable name houses and fill in the blank houses -four-week observation journal **Please know that by purchasing this resource you are purchasing the rights to use these activities in a single classroom. If you plan to share this resource with other teachers, please send them to my store to purchase individually or you may purchase additional license(s). THIS RESOURCE WAS NOT CREATED TO USE WITH ANY DIGITAL PLATFORM OR EASEL**

10 hands-on ideas for teaching earth changes and landforms in 2nd grade science with engaging STEM earth changes activities kids love!

Get more from Morvold Press on Patreon

Grab these wild animal flashcards with real photos. Use free printable flash cards in a matchig game or to learn 32 animal names!

Identifier: dreamsofyesterda00matt Title: Dreams of yesterdays (in the Orient) Year: 1908 (1900s) Authors: Matthews, Frances E. Morgan (Frances Elizabeth Morgan), 1842- Subjects: Publisher: New York, Cochrane publishing co. Contributing Library: The Library of Congress Digitizing Sponsor: The Library of Congress View Book Page: Book Viewer About This Book: Catalog Entry View All Images: All Images From Book Click here to view book online to see this illustration in context in a browseable online version of this book. Text Appearing Before Image: ve been brought here for buildingpurposes. The same old camels and the same oldturbaned Arab drivers which have been waitinghere since tourists began to visit the place areurging us to ride, and the old camel rebels at theeffort of getting up and down for the convenienceof the riders. Boys and men are selling trophies H4 DREAMS OF YESTERDAYS found in the tombs, and we were much interestedin a couple of men who were excavating, while adozen or so children carried away the sand insmall basins after it had been thoroughly lookedover. The museum here has a fine collection ofantique curiosities, and there is a good hotel,which is well patronized. On the drive back,toward night, on the flat roof of one of the smallhouses a Mussulman was at prayer, his face turnedtoward Mecca, and he seemed entirely absorbedand perfectly indifferent to the curiosity of pass-ing strangers. Some of the little houses are notmore than 10 or 12 feet square, and the peoplelive mostly in the open air. CHAPTER XVIII Text Appearing After Image: ON THE NILE HERE are plenty of dahabehehs onthe river, as in Mrs. Edwardstime, but no tourist patronizes them.Some go by steamboat and come backby train, and others reverse the orderof things, and go by train, with sleep-ing car attached, and come back the slower way.Personally, we would like the boat for the wholejourney. The boats are very comfortable, thestaterooms small, but clean, and the food, whichis well served, is equal to a first-class hotel. Be-sides the regular meals, tea and cakes are servedat 4 p. m. on the open deck; coffee after dinneris also served here. These decks are peculiarlyarranged, having rooms on the ends and a middlesection which is open on the sides, but roofedover, making a delightful place for the river sight-seeing, and we shall never forget how comfortableit seemed after some long excursion on shore. 5 n6 DREAMS OF YESTERDAYS Rain is almost unknown in Egypt, and the risein the river so eagerly looked for is caused byrains that fall in the upper Nile reg Note About Images Please note that these images are extracted from scanned page images that may have been digitally enhanced for readability - coloration and appearance of these illustrations may not perfectly resemble the original work.

Teaching states of matter in kindergarten can be a tricky! Here are some resources to help students gain a solid understanding of the topic!

Go down under as you learn about Australia for Kids with these free printable books filled with information to read, color, andl learn!

An easy-to-build Craftsman cottage with two bedrooms, one bath, and a private front porch for watching the world go by. 2 bedrooms - 1 bath 24' W x 36' D x 20' H 1 story 725 square feet Delivery window: one week.

Many people do not need a guest room all of the time, so they combine a guest room with a home office so the space is not wasted.  Here are a few designer tips and tricks for making a multipurpose home office and guest room.   OrganizedSince a multipurpose room has two seperate functions in one space, everything must be very organized to have a guest room and home office that function well and look aesthetically pleasing together.  There can be no clutter and not too many fussy accessories in order for the room to be able to transition between the two functions.  All of your messy office items (stacks of paper, bills, sticky notes) should be put away when guests are using the room.  It should ideally feel like a hotel suite, and your guests should not feel like they are invading your personal space. Invest in attractive storage containers or baskets to keep your messy stuff out of sight.   Smaller FurnitureYou most likely will not be able to fit a king sized bed in a bedroom with a home office.  Use a twin bed with a trundle underneath for maximum space.  You can even use a murphy bed or sleeper sofa for even more space.   Narrow DeskSince many people use laptop computers or flat screen monitors, a 24" or 30" deep desk is not necessary.  Try to use an 18" deep desk instead.   Photo by Carolyn Reyes - Look for home office pictures Look UpMany people overlook the height of their room.  You can store items higher up on the wall to maximize storage.  Use tall shelving units, wall hung shelving, or bookcases.   Photo by Ashley Bell Interiors - Search home office pictures SecurityIf you have any sensitive information or breakable items (computer) in your home office, you might want to make sure they are locked up prior to having guests, especially if those guests are rowdy children.  Consider having at least one locking cabinet in your home office.     Photo by California Closets Studio City, California - Look for home office design inspiration Murphy BedConsider using a Murphy bed, which is a bed that folds up into the wall when not in use.  You can buy a complete bed or a DIY Murphy bed kit. Photo by Lynne Scalo Design - Look for bedroom pictures Closet OfficeAnother option for a home office in a guest room is to have the office in the guest room closet.  Make sure to provide your guests with alternate places to hang their garments, such as in a wardrobe or armoire.   You might also like the article How to Decorate a Happy Home Office.

Take a look at this stunning split-level transformation of an interior and exterior remodel. This split-level remodel opens up the layout.

La Porte ! La porte, c'est tout un cosmos de l'Entr'ouvert. On dirait toute sa vie si l'on faisait le récit de toutes les portes qu'on a fermées, qu'on a ouvertes, de toutes les portes qu'on voudrait rouvrir. Gaston Bachelard, La poétique de l'espace. (1957)

Many people choose not to use wallpaper in a bathroom as they worry about the durability and practicality in this space. Let us put these anxieties to rest once and for all, and let us introduce you to one of our top design secrets and what will become your new DIY best friend!

Create stunning tin foil art with your kids using a simple technique with aluminum tinfoil to make beautiful designs from flowers to animals.

Back to School Night can be the first time you meet many of the parents in your class. It is important that you communicate all of the information the parents will need to help their child have a successful school year. Here are my top tips for planning an informative and stress free Back to School Night: Have a Sign In SheetHave parents sign in on a sheet as the enter the room. This will allow you to keep track of which student's parents were able to attend. Be sure to send home copies of the

I created this product to make implementing the house system a breeze! Included: NEW: Picture frame designs, stickers, digital house application and house training slides + activities Digital component added! This includes 10 digital house activities, house lounge templates, and a digital wheel how-to! 8 different hand drawn Crests Each crest has 5-6 color options (Over 60 different options) A House system Guide (how to set up/implement) Team building games Meeting ideas Video how-to for ClassDojo Signs to keep track of points House sorting powerpoint (for all 8 houses) House Stories to set the mood of each house (for all 8 houses) All completely editable to tailor to your needs! Digital Point tracking (How to video & digital copies) House Application

Just click on each image to get to the blog post and download your free printables! Kindergarten Math Activities 1st Grade Math Activities 2nd Grade Math Activities

First Week Watercolor Portraits 7 comments Back to School, Bulletin Boards, Self Portraits, Tutorials Every year, my second graders paint a watercolor self-portrait. It is truly my most favorite first week activity of all time. After sharing this picture of this year's portraits on Facebook, a sweet reader asked if I had a blog post about them. Well, it dawned on me that while I have shared my annual self-portraits many times, I've never really shared them exclusively in a post. So, here goes! Every year, I have my students paint a self-portrait during the first week of school (an idea I learned while student teaching many moons ago). I hang these portraits in the room, for the entire year. They really brighten up our space and they are such a joy to look at (this is a picture of my students' portraits from last year). I am not an art teacher and I believe that kids should be encouraged to take risks, so when I task my students with painting their portraits, I pretty much let them "have at it." Don't worry, it isn't a total free for all. I do model the process and I also share examples from years past, like the ones shown below. I just make it very clear that I don't expect their paintings to look like an actual photograph. ;) I always begin by pointing out how much of their body/self they will be painting. I tell them to think about the pictures they see in their yearbooks and how those pictures only show people's heads and shoulders. I explain that they will include only their head and shoulders in their paintings. I then show them examples from previous years (sometimes students move and they get left behind, so I have a few on hand). Once the students understand what it is that they will be including in their portrait, I model the drawing process on the board. I discuss how large the head should be in relation to the paper and show them what this looks like. From there, I show them how I draw a neck and shoulders, hair, and facial features. I apologize that I don't have a photo of this, but essentially, I model and narrate the process, one step at a time. And, then...it's the students' turn. I give each student a piece of white card stock (8x10 inches) to work with. Card stock is brighter and thicker than construction paper, and it just seems to hold the paint better, in my opinion. Then, they start their drawing. Sometimes, I have them draw the outline of their pictures with a black crayon (see below). When I do this, there is NO pencil involved. This helps them to really slow down and visualize before they draw because they know that they can't erase. However, this year, I let them draw with pencil first and then they traced over their pencil lines with a Sharpie. Why did I do that? I have no idea, it was just what I decided to do when I was prepping the materials, but the end result was still fab! Once the students draw the outline of their portrait, they get to paint! Using watercolor is a tricky thing for many second graders. They have a hard time always gauging how much water to use, so a discussion about this (and a little modeling) ahead of time is a good idea. Tip: No matter how much explaining and modeling you do, you'll still have a student or two that uses too much water. Let them use a tissue to blot their paper if you notice this happening. I lay the portraits to dry on the floor, in an out of the way spot. They dry within minutes here in the desert. Once they are dry, I flatten them by stacking heavy teacher manuals on them overnight. I could iron them, but my iron and I do not get along. At all. The next morning, I hang them up and admire the sight before me...all year long. :) At the end of the year, it's always fun to repeat this process. You will be amazed at how much growth your students show. Here are a few examples from last year. Amazing, right? We always get lots of compliments on our portrait display, and the kids are always very proud of them. They love seeing if their parents can guess which one is theirs, and it's fun to see how many parents get it right! At the end of the school year, I send the portraits home as a keepsake. Many parents have commented how much they love them, and they are the perfect size for framing! First week self-portraits are a great way to encourage students to take risks, have fun, and learn to use materials. Beyond that, the students take great pride in their creations and enjoy them just as much as I do, and we have something truly magnificent (that they created!) to look at all year long. :) Share It: