Iguana Awareness Day is upon us! It's either September 8th or the second Saturday of September - I've seen conflicting reports and that's ok! Any excuse to talk about iguanas is fine with me. Get the pattern from PlanetJune. More from this designer, June Gilbank aka Planet June: See more of June's great patterns at
What is there not to love about a 10-minute cooked side recipe? This stir-fried Korean zucchini side dish (hobak bokkeum) is sweet and tender with quintessential Korean ingredients such as garlic, sesame seeds and scallions.
Visual aid for explaining the second birth to children.
Welcome to Little Quilts! We're so excited to participate in the "A Flair For Fabric" blog tour sponsored by Martingale. It started on November 18 and we hope you're enjoying the "up close" look at all the creative designers in the book! We've been designing scrappy little quilts for more than 25 years, and designing fabric for Henry Glass for almost as many. It's so much fun to collaborate on a book like this. With such a wide variety of designers, the result is a book with something for everyone! "A Flair For Fabric" is a great way to see the creative process at work. Our books have an autographed book plate from all the designers, but if you'd like an autographed copy from Little Quits personalized to you, order the book from our website, and request an autographed copy in the comment section. We have a special price on the book, too - just $19.95! Remember, purchasing the book is a gift to the Red Cross...all the designers are donating their royalties to this wonderful charity that helps so many people everyday.. Our project in the book features a reproduction of something near and dear to our hearts - antique doll quilts. We absolutely love the interplay of fabrics in these little treasures and have been inspired to replicate the balance of prints in our quilts. Shown below, our project, "Days Gone By", is a good example of our 'make-do' strategy of design. At Little Quilts we like to put similar but slightly different fabrics together when doing patchwork. It lets us use up some of our stash! Some of the fabrics in the light parts of the nine patches are not all the same fabric. In the dark parts of the blocks they might also be a similar color, for example ...browns...but we'd use more than one brown in the block. We love to make up stories while doing patchwork. Perhaps we were pretending we were a girl from the prairie working in a covered wagon on her patchwork and the lighting was not very good...so we picked up a fabric that we thought was the same, but was not exactly like the other ones. This is the method we use while making what we call 'planned scrap quilts.' One of the fabric styles we like to use to give our quilts a "reproduction" feel is shirtings. We'd like to know if you have any shirtings in your fabric collection and how you're using them. Comment below and you will be entered into a drawing for an eBook copy of "A Flair For Fabric" or a fabric bundle provided by Henry Glass. We're also giving away a bundle of six fat quarters from our new fabric line, "A Touch of Baltimore" along with three shirting fat quarters. Don't miss tomorrow's stop on the blog hop with Liz and Beth of Lizzie B Cre8tive. They have a fun, whimsical style you're sure to enjoy. It's not to late to participate in the blog hop. Here is a list of all the participants...you'll love visiting all their creative blogs! Tuesday, November 18: Launch at Martingale’s Stitch This! blog Wednesday, November 19: Dana Brooks Thursday, November 20: Leanne Anderson Friday, November 21: AllPeopleQuilt.com Saturday, November 22: Janet Nesbitt at the Sewing Cabinet Monday, November 24: Linda Lum DeBono Tuesday, November 25: Anni Downs Wednesday, November 26: Kim Diehl at the Sewing Cabinet Friday, November 28: Jill Finley Saturday, November 29: Amy Hamberlin Monday, December 1: Margot Languedoc Tuesday, December 2: Little Quilts Wednesday, December 3: Lizzie B Cre8ive Thursday, December 4: Heather Mulder Peterson Friday, December 5: Jacquelynne Steves Saturday, December 6: Wrap up at the Henry Glass blog
Spooky Tree Kandinsky Inspired Circle Art adds a Halloween twist to Kandinsky's Concentric Circles. A fun colour-mixing art project for kids.
If you know me, you know I am in loooove with Daily 5! Ever since incorporating it into my classroom last year, I have loved seeing the variety of skills and strategies my students are working on each and every day. I also love that the segments are short, so we all stay motivated and the energy for learning stays high. I have been wanting to redo how I teach math for a while. As a student, I truly adore mathematics, but as a teacher, I was getting bored. Our district was looking into several programs to adopt and I was piloting Everyday Mathematics. It was definitely a change from our old textbook, but I liked how it mixed things up and spiraled around to keep kids fresh on many math concepts. The district ended up choosing Math Expressions (Please share your experience if you use this!) and this decision allowed me to stop teaching Everyday Mathematics "with fidelity" and monkey around with starting Guided Math/Math Rotations/Small Group Math/Math Centers/etc. for the remainder of this year. I.am.in.love! I know there are many ways of doing this, so I am just sharing what I have been trying and what works so far with my schedule. Some of my greatest inspirations are Elizabeth from Fun in 4B and Dana from 3rd Grade Gridiron. I also have TONS of wonderful links with pictures on my Math Pinterest board-- there are so many inspirational teachers out there :) :) First up, the 3-4 rotations that I use: Teacher Time- spent with me on the rug in a small group, ability-based for the unit, learning a new concept. Lesson Work- practicing the new skill from Teacher Time (usually book work or a worksheet) independently at their table spot. Math Centers- this has been using some of my Word Work Centers as well as my Winter Math Centers. Fact Practice- this is the "I'm Done" center for those students who finish Lesson Work early. I also have Fact Practice as a choice for Math Centers. Some days students don't get to this at all, but I'm ok with that since Xtra Math is a part of our Star Homework each night. Because of time constraints, I could only divide up my class into three groups, so that really limited my use of the cute M-A-T-H or B-U-I-L-D centers that are out there. I just couldn't imagine trying to have super-short Teacher Times or trying to spread one lesson across two days :( With three groups, I am able to meet with kids for 15-20ish minutes and that seems to be just right :) I also tried to keep things aligned with how I do Daily 5 in my class. Because that is so successful, I knew it would be easy for my kids (and, to be honest, on me!) if we started it off the same and ran our math time the same, using some of the same activities as well as the same lingo (like Teacher Time). I began by making an anchor chart of the four rotations as a class: To make the smaller signs, I adjusted my print settings to print 2 signs on one sheet. We then practiced the bottom two rotations over the course of a few days. Because I started this mid-year, it was very easy to build stamina. I started by dividing the kids into two groups and they practiced either Fact Practice or Math Centers. We then reflected on what worked/what needed improving and tried again. I slowly added Teacher Time and then Lesson Work, so that by the end of the second week, we were in full swing. To help things along, since the content does change much more often than in D5, I made small signs to hang on my side white board that listed either the learning target or question as well as the assignments and center choices for kids' reference: This has been a lifesaver because now students have a quick reference point to not only know what we'll be studying in Teacher Time, but they can manage their own Center and Fact Practice time, therefore not interrupting me during Teacher Time (win!). You KNOW I have bookmarks with these rotations, right?! :) I need to go to Bookmarks Anonymous ;) Each student has one and it makes it easy for me to say "Picture 2" and they all know where to go. To learn how to make your own bookmarks from PDF pages, click HERE. To be honest, now that we have been doing this for a while, we don't need these anymore, but I love them just the same and, when our geometry unit is over soon I am going to me remixing the groups, so these will come in handy again soon :) As with everything, the devil is in the details, so prepping is the key. I spent a looooooong time making sure the kids had activities and trying to account for "dead time"-- thus, the Fact Practice option. I also wanted to make materials accessible and easy to get to, so there wouldn't be any excuse for not getting started right away. I am currently storing all of the centers and flash cards in my lovely, colorful cart I purchased from Joann's (50% off and free shipping coupon-- woo hoo!) I will be back soon for more details on how I have been doing Math Centers-- we are using a Bingo Board similar to Word Work and it has worked out well so far. Do you use Math Rotations or something like it? How's it going? PS- I don't have these chevron signs on TpT yet, but is it something you all would be interested in? Let me know and I can get all of the colors together for use in your own classroom-- it's the same chevron as all of my other products HERE. *UPDATE 2/18/13: These are now available for purchase in my TpT Store HERE. All 7 chevron colors are included for every slide as well as a plain background option. Be sure to download the Preview to see an example :) Thanks for such great feedback- I hope you enjoy using these in your class :) :)
On Saturday I went to a local quilt show with DD. The show was the second "Quilts in the Wolds" show organised by Lindsey Patchworkers. This is a hanging that a group of members created for Lincolnshire Wolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, it shows many of the attractions of the region. DD and I were both focussed on water/seascape related projects, and even choose the same piece as our "visitors' choice". Our photographs are mainly along this theme. As ever, if you are in a picture and would rather not be or if you object to my sharing the work you exhibited please email me and I will remove it immediately. These miniature seascapes are by Sandra Goldsbrough: This usual perspective on Stonehaven Harbour by Pat Cave was inspired by a workshop with Janet Browne: This unusual presentation, of the wonderfully named Barefoot Beach near Naples in Florida, was stitched by Gill Lewis. It was difficult to take a photograph but the detail in the work was lovely, it was as if it was possible to walk right onto the beach. There were two traders, a sales table, a raffle and a tombola. All the prizes in the tombola were "inspiration bags", gorgeous colour co-ordinated collections of fabric, thread, beads, ribbon etc. Sara and I had several goes on the tombola and came away with three bags of inspiration between us. Oh, and there was cake :-) Well done Lindsey Patchworkers, a great exhibition and DD bought loads of fabric and is really inspired to get stitching again now that she has finished studying for a couple of months. For more pictures have a look at the report from Louth Eye (and interestingly, no pictures of seascapes!) Just a couple of looking and buying pictures to finish:
Happy Saturday! I hope everyone is having a fabulous weekend! Mine is about to include a nap! :) I am super excited and proud of my new pro...
On Saturday, we celebrated our daughter's second birthday with an Eric Carle, Very Hungry Caterpillar themed birthday party. Our lit...
Gigi Hadid Pasta , Let’s learn how to make the Gigi Hadid Pasta at home! It’s super easy to make but tastes like so much effort went into it. What is the Gigi Hadid Pasta?
Our first week of school in first grade! Check out how we spent our first few days of getting to know each other.
Students read a short paragraph about carnivals, circle the main idea and write 3 details.
Hey guys! How is your Saturday? For most, it is the first weekend off since the holiday break! I hope you are using it to rest rest rest! I...
Second grade multiplication lessons, second grade division lessons, multiplication and division situations, hands on learning for multiplication
Pointillism art lesson for kids is always a great one, as painting with Q-tips and other mediums to make dots that create a wonderful image as a whole is an exciting and fun journey. This
Looking for the top Rosé Quotes & Rosé Sayings for International Rosé Day that takes place the second Saturday in June? Epic Rosé Quotes, Rosé Puns & Rosé Sayings Rosé all day, as they say.
Not sure what to teach the first week of 3rd grade? Here's what we did!
When we first started making this peanut butter soup recipe for our family nearly ten years ago, it seemed so odd to put peanut butter into a soup. Since then, I’ve learned that this is also called Groundnut Soup or African Peanut Stew. We still call it “peanut butter soup” in our house!
Fractions Practice Page Color the shapes in each row to match the fraction. Get more 1st grade worksheets from my shop. Click here.
It's Five for Friday time again, so I'm linking up with Doodle Bugs on a Saturday because I'm always running late like that :)! I have lots of pictures
Understanding space – foreground, middle ground, background as well as overlapping can be quite challenging for elementary kids. This assignment aimed at demystifying the concepts through a f…
Ever have a student who knows the addition doubles facts inside out but hasn't transferred that knowledge to subtraction? Well, here's a free resource to help them make that connection. Popcorn Photo by etorres69 There are two
Good Morning and Happy Saturday!! I sure am happy it's Saturday..this was an exhausting, yet busy week! Today I'm linking up with Doodlebugs Teaching for her Five for Friday! We've been hard at work researching and taking notes for our big Endangered Species Research Project. The kids are SO Excited and get so upset as they are learning more about why these animals are critically endangered. If you're interested, you can find these note taking pages along with the booklet we plan to use to present our final project with in my TpT Store. We've also been working on linear measurements this week. Third graders are required to be able to measure object to the nearest one-fourth inch. We've been practicing a lot with worksheets and measuring things in the classroom…. BUT what better way to practice measurements than getting outside and having some fun?! I invited some 6th graders to come in and teach my class how to make paper airplanes. The kids were so excited and it was also a great way for them to practice their listening skills! We then headed out to fly our planes and measure the distance that it traveled! If you'd like to try these activities out with your students, you can click on the image below :) Be sure to follow me on Instagram or Facebook for more fun updates ;) Also got to take some time out for some fun this week! We got to meet up with some friends from Washington. They're visiting Hawaii so we met them for some Happy Hour :) She is a second grade teacher…our classes were pen pals last year! We're also continuing to work on poetry and figurative language. This is always a tough one but fun at the same time. So far, we've covered simile and metaphors, alliteration, idioms, and onomatopoeias. I'm kicking myself right now because as I'm scrolling through my photos I realized I only took pictures of our alliteration pages! Landan the Lizard lights a leaf Marry the monkey makes a monster with a magical science kit Emmeline the elephant loves to eat eggplants everyday. Ayven the alligator loves to eat apples any day he sees one. Jayde the jaguar got a job at the jungle's Jamba Juice. Pretty Pam made chicken pot pie with pickles and peas. We're also did a science experiment today. The kids were so excited learning about the scientific method. Thats my week in a nutshell! Hope you enjoy your weekend :) I'm off to finish some work I had started throughout the week…and hopefully get a new Facebook Fan Freebie posted for you all sometime this weekend ;)
Weekend Warriors: November Necessities {Saturday's List} 5 comments Freebies, Weekend Warriors How on earth is this month almost over? Thanksgiving is only a week away! Shock aside, I am looking forward to our traditional sopapilla and oh-so-unhealthy sweet potatoes. These foods are necessities for sure. ;) Speaking of necessities, my fellow Weekend Warriors and I are sharing our November Necessities this weekend. The following are all items that I need in my classroom. When I run out or don't have them, I feel like I'm at a loss, that's what makes them necessities! First up, Post-it notes. I use them for everything! I write notes to the students on them, I use them to access students' background knowledge at the start of a new unit of study, I write quick notes to colleagues on them, I use them to record important reminders, and to even make short shopping lists for those after school errands that I tend to run all to often. As you can see, I have a thing for the bright, pretty pads. The standard mellow yellow just isn't my thing. While we're on the topic of Post-its, my Post-it easel pad is another necessity. My principal bought us these a few years back for making class charts, and I am slightly obsessed! It is basically a giant Post-it note. We use them when we do shared information gathering, shared writing, and various types of brainstorming. And, I love that I can hang up our poster and move it around easily since it isn't stapled to the wall. My "We Missed You!" folders are another necessity of mine. I have used these for years! It is the easiest way to collect assignments that an absent student needs to make up. Throughout the day, I just make a pile of the assignments we do on that student's desk. At the end of the day, I sort through the pile and place it in one of these folders. Then, I use a Post-it note (see, they are invaluable) to write a due date. The student takes the folder home and brings it back when the make up work is completed. You can grab these covers {HERE} for free! I don't know about you, but markers are another necessity in my classroom. I'm talking about those special "teacher markers." These Papermate markers are my all time favorite! Hmm, I think I'm missing a color or two in this picture. Anyhoo, the colors are awesome and the fine tip makes them perfect for editing students' writing, recording grades in my grade book, and so on. Be sure to check back tomorrow! I have a few more necessities to share with you! In the meantime, head on over and visit these lovely ladies to see what kinds of things they can't live without. A Burst of First Hippo Hooray for Second Grade Creative Lesson Cafe Sailing Into Second Bright Concepts 4 Teachers Crayons and Whimsy Primarily Speaking Second Grade Perks Lucky To Be In First Saddle Up Second Grade A Sunny Day In First Grade The Tutu Teacher First Grade Smiles InLinkz.com Share It:
It's Saturday and I am officially on Spring Break!!! I don't like that it is so early, but I am so glad for a break! I'm linking up with Joanne to share how I survived the day before Spring Break with sixth graders. This past week, we were all wired, teachers mostly! We had benchmarks to keep our students focused! It worked for the most part. I knew Friday I would have to be creative or go crazy. I purchased this game during the big sale at the end of February. I have seen many out there, this is the BEST!!!! source This game comes with the option of using one quadrant or all four. I made all the boards and they were magically laminated in a days notice. (That never happens!) I lucked out that the aide who laminates had some extra time. As I was at home tossing and turning at 5am one morning, I started thinking, "How is this Battleship game going to work?" I don't have enough dry erase markers, I need erasers (socks in my guess), students need different colors, etc... I started panicking. Then, I thought, they can just write it down, we can use x's and o's for hits and misses. I finally just got out of bed and started my day. Am I the only teacher who brainstorms in her bed? Friday comes, first period, I explain and it all goes well! I played with a student, we had so much fun! Second period, I played again with a student, it was still fun. Third period, I didn't want to play, I had reached my fun-o-meter . So, I made a group of three. It worked! I was surprised, but they totally got it. Some of the kids didn't though. I needed to be up and moving around. In retrospect, I should have done this class with quadrant one only. But, the challenge was good for them too. My afternoon classes went beautifully. It was a little loud, but heck, they were playing a game, that's to be expected. My afternoon classes also came up with a solution for the folders falling. They used our privacy folders. I thought it was pretty smart of them to pull them out! This is how my board looked for game two. I marked all the misses and hits I guessed. This is how one of my boards looked for my ships. I only had to mark when they hit my ships. The beauty of teaching math is, it can fun. Games are PERFECT for math. Students were practicing ordered pairs. They were engaged! I was hoping for a walk through. But of course, glad it didn't happen. Plus, it was a great way to keep sane the Friday before Spring Break!!!
Mary Cassatt's work focused on mothers and children, which is why kids will love learning about her with these simple Mary Cassatt Art Projects for Kids.
