Explore the world with my Geoexplorers projects! Perfect for little hands, this do-it-yourself project will let everyone get involved! The project consists of three pieces of paper, two with Stonehenge blocks, and one of the base. Just print the base out on green paper, and print the two stone sheets on white paper (or even better, some stone-looking paper used for scrap-booking!). Each little stone is printed on both sides, with a number on the bottom. Have your students cut out each stone piece (16 total), then have them find the matching number on the green paper, and tape or glue them down. To assess the ability to follow directions from a text, I have written directions included. Each step is broken down to be able to complete the project. Use the sun or a flashlight to see how the light shines through Stonehenge. This is a perfect project for studying an equinox or the seasons. I drew each stone block and the base too. I love making learning "hands-on" for my students, and they loved this project! A map is included as well for the students to find the location they have just studied. The map can be used to create a "Geoexplorers" notebook, and they can revisit the map to show where they have explored. Passports are included if you choose to do more of my "Geoexplorer" lessons. Each lesson includes a unique "Stamp" about the area they have just studied so that they can add it to their passport. Your students can travel the globe in their seats, and they will wonder where you are going to take them next! Just look for more "Geoexplorer" projects in my shop :) Pages Included: Pages 1/2: Description and pictures Page 3: Directions Pages 4 & 5: Stonehenge blocks (Print on white paper) Page 6: Stonehenge base (Print on green paper) Page 7: Stonehenge Passport Stamp Page 8: Passport page 1 and 2 Page 9: Blank passport pages Page 10: Map of other Geoexplorer locations Credits: Any artwork or photographs included in this unit are original art created by myself, and are copyrighted 2020 by Jessi Klancke :) Reproduction without my consent is prohibited.
Check out these great ideas for helping your students feel like part of a classroom community during distance learning & social distancing.
Printable and digital CBT worksheets for school counselors to use with individual students during counseling activities with kids. Cognitive-behavioral approaches are short-term and evidence-based, making them a perfect match for school counseling. These reusable CBT Worksheets are great for introducing and practicing key skills with students. They are also perfect for small group counseling, individual counseling, or emergency problem-solving sessions. These CBT tools will help you cover essential skills such as: Identifying feelings and the size of feelings, Understanding and challenging negative thinking, Reflecting on thoughts and feelings, Problem-solving and testing our thinking and beliefs. What's Included? 15 CBT Worksheets for Individual Counseling with Google Slides TM versions to support students during distance learning. Completed examples of all worksheets are included. Feelings Scales and Feelings Thermometers Feelings Thermometers Riding the Wave Up and Down Meltdown Mountain How Full Is Your Cup? Connecting Thoughts, Feelings, and Behaviors CBT Triangle Think-Feel-Act Sheets Student Think-Feel Slips Round the Bases Flying Your Kite Think - Feel - Act Map Trackers Feelings Tracker Thought Record Testing Our Thinking & Problem Solving 3 Questions 2 Ways to Think About It In Our Control or Out of Our Control Problem - Choices - Consequences - Solutions Details This resource is ideal for all mental health staff in elementary schools, including school psychologists, counselors, and social workers. Special education teachers will also find these resources useful.
Total Pages: 27 File Size: 12 MB
The best 55 Boredom Busters for Teens! From learning life skills to easy crafts, get this teenager activities list to help kids stay busy.
This 13 page social story addresses spitting at others. This resource explains the social consequences of spitting at peers and suggests alternative ways to deal with being upset. This resource contains 2 versions of the PDF; one which allows you to read book online and utilize electronically. The o...
Students love social media! So why not incorporate it into your classroom in a safe and meaningful way? What's Included: All About Me Instagram Profile Activity for Back to School My Top 9 Instagram Activity for New Years Biography Project Instagram Template *If applicable, all future social media template activities will also be added to this bundle Please view preview of individual products for a closer look at the resources. If you have any questions, please feel free to email me at [email protected] ______________________________________________ Let's Connect! Be sure to follow my: ★ Blog ★ Instagram ★ Facebook ★ Pinterest ______________________________________________ Customer Tips: How to get TPT credit to use on future purchases: • Please go to your My Purchases page (you may need to login). Beside each purchase you'll see a Provide Feedback button. Simply click it and you will be taken to a page where you can give a quick rating and leave a short comment for the product. Each time you give feedback, TPT gives you feedback credits that you use to lower the cost of your future purchases. I value your feedback greatly as it helps me determine which products are most valuable for your classroom so I can create more for you. ☺ Be the first to know about my new discounts, freebies and product launches: • Look for the green star next to my store logo and click it to become a follower. Voila! You will now receive email updates about this store. ☺ ______________________________________________ Copyright information: Copyright © 2020 The Collaborative Class All rights reserved by author. Permission to copy for single classroom use only. Electronic distribution limited to single classroom use only. Not for public display. If you intend to share with others, please purchase an additional license.
This is a fun and engaging way to practice determining the difference between latitude and longitude! Students will read a sentence and decide if it is describing latitude or longitude, then glue the box in the correct column. An answer key is included.
Finding the right first day of school activity is hard. This activity is memorable and gives kids a chance to tell their hopes for the year.
How to mail a hug, a special handprint craft to make for someone that you miss. This mail a hug DIY is a special gift great for family and friends.
The Lucky Little Learners memory book kit has you covered with all the printable and digital resources you'll need to create end of the year memory books with your students!
Today we had a blast reviewing body parts in Spanish! In groups, students outlined one member and labeled each body part. Then, they completed an interpretive reading exercise where each group had to read different description of a monster and draw it. The best part about this activity was that we did it OUTSIDE! I ... Read More about Outdoor activities for Spanish students
Make every student in your class feel that they are still connected to their teacher, classmates, and loved ones even when not together. This is an extension activity that goes along with the book “The Invisible String” by Patrice Karst. Works especially well as a Valentine's Day activity or end of the year gift! Give a copy of the template to each of your students. You can either fill them out yourself (as a "gift" from you) or just send it to them as an assignment to do themselves. The template includes a poem, a "Me" and "You" box to draw a picture or insert photographs/clipart, and a heart to write or type names on that can be looped onto a string or piece of yarn (see a picture of the template in the preview). It’s also a “pass it on” opportunity for students to spread that same sentiment to more of their friends and loved ones. They can fill out the template, and send it to someone else. Templates of hearts are also included for you to type the names of each of the kids in your class. You can send these to your students to color, cut out, and loop through a string or yarn. They can hang it up at home, and whenever they see it, it will remind them that their teacher and classmates love and care about them even when not in the classroom. These templates can be printed and mailed, or sent digitally via email or your preferred distance learning platform. This download includes: -Detailed teacher guidelines -A template that can be printed/mailed (for writing and drawing by hand) -A template that can be sent digitally (for typing and inserting clipart/photographs) -Templates of hearts to type the names of your students -A digital version of Google Slides that can be copied to your Google Drive Click here to follow my TpT store and be the first to know about new resources, which are 50% off for the first 24 hours! After downloading this resource, leave feedback to earn free TpT credits for future purchases. Let's Connect! Follow me on: My Blog Instagram Facebook Pinterest
Set of 20 Famous Inventor Coloring Pages or Posters with Short Biographies. Makes a great addition to history interactive notebooks, biography projects, or research units. Print 2 to 4 to save paper and as a starter for all kinds of crafts. Keep these in your early finisher folder for no-prep fun. CLICK HERE to save 30% on this resource in the Famous Inventors Bundle! FAMOUS INVENTORS INCLUDED: Sarah E. Goode John Logie Baird Henry Ford Alexander Graham Bell Samuel Morse Alessandro Volta Steve Jobs James Watt Sir Isaac Newton Nikola Tesla Bill Gates Galileo Leonardo Da Vinci The Wright Brothers Johannes Gutenburg Benjamin Franklin Thomas Edison George Washington Carver Eli Whitney Marie Curie Copyright © Project Based Learning with Elle Madison tags: Thomas Edison, Leonardo Da Vinci, Steve Jobs, Marie Curie, Alessandro Volta, Samuel Morse, Alexander Graham Bell, Galileo, Bill Gates, Nikola Tesla, Sir Isaac Newton, James Watt, Henry Ford, John Logie Baird, Benjamin Franklin, Johannes Gutenberg, The Wright Brothers, Eli Whitney, George Washington Carver, Tim Berners Lee, Sarah E. Goode
This is a great activity to do after your Second Step, Listen Attentively lesson.Students just need a paper and crayons. All shapes and images are easy to draw.Read the directions slowly, as students listen attentively and follow your steps.An example drawing is at the bottom of the page.For more li...
These all about me, back to school art activities for kids are engaging icebreakers. Encourage creativity and build community during the first week back
80 sponge activities you can do in your elementary classroom to make every minute count.
Hello and welcome to the WEIRDEST SCHOOL YEAR OF YOUR CAREER. While last year ended with quite an unexpected twist, not something anyone could have predicted,
This Google Slides resource has a virtual pocket chart created to match every chaining activity in the Skills 1 lessons for 1st grade CKLA!-Works for virtual and in-class learning.-When projected on a board the cards are much larger than a physical pocket chart (this will be useful with some kids fa...
Here's a list of some fun and easy ideas for virtual activities that can be used during a virtual classroom meeting. There are 25 ideas listed and a brief description of each is included. I also provided some helpful links that will help you complete the virtual activities. Don't forget to leave feedback! :) TPT offers credits that can be applied to future purchases! To earn credits, simply rate and comment on the product. Follow my TPT store to get notified of new products! I offer 50% off for the first 48 hours - Follow Me Here You can also follow me on social media --> @atrailblazingteacher This product is for personal use in a single classroom only. No part of this download may be copied, sold, distributed, or edited without the permission of the author. Additional licenses may be purchased from my TPT store. Please do not post this document online; however, feel free to blog or post on social media about the use of this product as long as you credit back to my TPT store with a link. Enjoy!
Natural Resources vs. Man-Made Resources Sort (Real Photos)Natural Resources vs. Man-made Sorting Page12 pictures, real imagesRecording sheetanswer keyUse for review, as homework or pair work.
This anti-bullying activity will help make your school bully-free! Educational and fun, this anti-bullying game is perfect as a bullying lesson or for indoor recess. The game presents children with real-life scenarios. They'll learn to solve conflicts, stand up to bullies, and report bullying to ...
This post contains fun and interactive timeline and mapping activities for upper elementary or middle school students who are learning about Ancient Civilizations and Ancient History! These teaching resources are great for homeschool, distance learning, and/or in the classroom! Most of the activities in this post contain both DIGITAL (Google Slides ~ assigned in Google
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
Get this huge novel unit bundle for the novel Kensuke's Kingdom by Michael Morpurgo. It has many activities, comprehension, vocabulary, and writing resources made specifically for this novel and which will keep your students so engaged! It has the following -Comprehension and Vocabulary UnitThis res...
This is a pre-reading activity unit for Alan Gratz's Refugee novel. I used these activities to introduce my students to who refugees are and the different events in the world that gave rise to the prevalence of refugees. Included in this pre-reading activities unit are the following -My predictions ...
Occupational therapy game & toy reviews. Fine motor, visual perception, eye hand coordination, spatial relations, figure ground, executive function
These fun and easy ice-breaker activities, intended for use with elementary students, can be used on the first day of school or any time you'd like to help your kids get to know one another better and feel more engaged. We’ve been sure to include activities for both virtual and in-person classrooms so that you can utilize them no matter your teaching setup! Keep reading to discover 32 ways to turn your classroom into a welcoming, positive community!
Teach your students about Australia with the help of this crossword. - ESL worksheets
This triangle trade interactive activity is designed to be shared with your students in Google Classroom, One Drive, or you can print them, if you’d like. You will get an explanatory PDF with a link to the document. *The package includes*: A vocabulary activity that students can type responses onto. An interactive graphic with clickable film links and readings An effects of Triangular Trade graphic. A products of Triangular Trade “Drag and Drop” activity A source analysis “Drag and Drop” activity A writing response sheet that students can type on to A “Drag and Drop” vocabulary review ▶️ This resource is also included in my World History Interactive Notebook Curriculum ! AND my World History Google and One Drive Activities Distance Learning Growing Bundle The Benefits of the Digital Classroom: ♻️ Completely paperless--NO COPYING--NO PREP! ♻️ Students work directly onto student pages. ♻️ More engaging for 21st century students. ♻️ Meets technology standards. ♻️ Perfect for the 1:1 school or those incorporating technology use in lessons. ♻️ Perfect for organization of all student materials in their own Google Drive--NO MORE LOST NOTEBOOKS! ✍ Materials may be printed. ♻️ Google Drive is free for teachers and students! ♻️ Students can complete assignments anywhere they have access to their Google Drive. ★How to get TPT credit to use on future purchases★ ♦ Go to your My Purchases page. Beside each purchase you'll see a “Provide Feedback” button. Click it and you will go to a page where you can give a rating and leave a comment for the product ★Be the first to hear about my new products and discounts★ ♦ Look for the green star near the top of any page in my store and click it to become a follower. You will then receive updates about my store. ❤️Connect with Me!❤️ Get free resources and blog updates HERE! Read my BLOG for classroom ideas, video tutorials, and cheat sheets.
The Renaissance Newspaper - Students create a newspaper based on the events of the Renaissance. It's a fun and engaging way for students to delve a little deeper into an aspect of the Renaissance they find interesting. Includes everything you need to get started today. Both digital and paper versions included! Greate for Distance or Online Learning. Includes a link to Google™ Slides so that students can work online - they can add color, photos, and their text into the templates included or create their own! Includes: newspaper-inspired assignment sheets - Two versions of the assignment are included - a one-page newspaper assignment or a 2-page newspaper assignment for older / more advanced students or groups. two brainstorming sheets for students to organize their work self/peer assessment rubric teacher rubric three newspaper templates two student examples **PLEASE NOTE - the content is this resource is NOT EDITABLE.** Renaissance Mona Lisa Project—click the link below to check it out! Modern Mona Lisa Check out my other Social Studies Resources by clicking the links below. Renaissance Resources Rome and the Roman Empire Resources Middle Ages Resources Maps and Mapping Resources Addie Williams, Addie Education, Renaissance, Social Studies
Use these social skills task cards to discuss real social situations. They teach conversation skills, empathy, friendships, dealing with conflicts, and basic interactions. Each set of cards has a specific focus so that you can use the cards with your students to highlight specific skills at a time. Of course, you can always mix the cards to incorporate all skills at once, if appropriate for your students. They can be used for a variety of age/grade groups from elementary to middle school to improve social skills and behavior. Digital Version for Google Slides I have added a digital version for Google Slides, allowing your students to review the task cards and type their responses. To access this version, please download the zip file. Unzip it, and then open the PDF with "digital directions" in the title. This will allow you to open a PDF with a link in a blue box. Skills Targeted • BASIC INTERACTIONS: The blue cards all focus on basic interaction skills, including greeting others positively, maintaining personal space, and politeness. • CONVERSATION SKILLS: The green cards focus on conversation skills, including taking turns, listening and showing interest in others, staying on topic, and noticing others’ social cues in conversations. • EMPATHY: The yellow cards focus on empathy, which includes noticing the feelings of others, being sensitive to others, considering the perspectives of others, and identifying others’ points of view even when you don’t agree. • FRIENDSHIPS: The red cards focus on friendships, which includes thoughtfulness, how to be close but allow for space, and letting others make decisions in the friendship at times. • CONFLICT RESOLUTION: The purple cards focus on dealing with conflicts, including how to negotiate and problem-solve. How to Use Students can use these cards with a partner, in morning meetings, during therapy sessions, during social skills groups, or more. A total of 100 unique scenarios are included! Special education teachers, speech and language pathologists, other support professionals, and even regular education teachers could utilize these cards to help students learn social skills. While all students could benefit from using these to strengthen social understandings, these are ideal for students who need an extra boost with learning and practicing social skills in a safe environment. Answer keys with suggested answers are included. Note that two different sized cards are included! Buy The Bundle and Save Over 20%! { Social Skills MEGA PACK Bundle } Bundle includes over 350 pages focusing on teaching, discussing and practicing social skills. Includes 80 social skills task cards, social scripts, perspective-taking practice, social cue cards, and over 30 lessons with student worksheets. Follow Me! { Click here to follow my store! } Tips for Customers: If you have questions, please contact me through Q & A and I'll get back to you as soon as I can! Please consider leaving feedback on this resource to receive TpT credits! I always strive for 5 stars and love hearing your feedback. Follow my store for notifications about new resources and freebies. Terms of Use: © Pathway 2 Success. One license is for the classroom/personal use for one educator and their students. Materials may not be shared with other educators without the purchase of extra licenses. Materials may not be posted on the Internet where they can be publicly accessed. Personal and classroom use only. Please see full terms of use for more information. Disclaimer: These resources are for supplementary support/education purposes and are not a replacement for education or other necessary supports. Educators, parents, and others who utilize these materials are encouraged to seek out additional support, as needed.
When you are tired of the eye-rolling and endless video-game playing turn to this super fun list of 20 activities for boys, perfect for tweens and teens!
There are different places in the community. Children will read each sentence and write the letter of the place in the community described in each number. - ESL worksheets
Use the book, "Rosie's Walk" by Pat Hutchins to practice comprehension and learn mapping skills using these printable activities as well as digital format in google slides. In these book extension activities students will use position words to help them follow a map and draw a map. Using position words with mapping skills increases students ability to read and use a map. This book with simple language helps students create their own map and visualize locations. The pictures on each page also helps students see where the location is in relation to other objects on the farm. Students will also practice comprehension skills creating and describing the two characters, answering questions, and using a map to retell the story. Whether this story is being used for reading instruction or social studies instruction young children will enjoy all six of these activities. 1. Fox and Hen Character Map 2. Position Words 3. Draw your own map 4. Writing Extension 5. Story Map Retell 6. Comprehension Clip Cards Digital Format: The digital format on google slides allows teachers and students to type and use manipulates to interact with the activities. The digital format has 4 activities which include: 1. Character Map for Rosie and the Fox 2. Position Words with Manipulative 3. Retelling Map with Fox and Hen Manipulatives 4. Comprehension Cards with Manipulative THIS PRODUCT INCLUDES 28 PAGES OF PRINTABLE PDF AND 12 PAGES OF DIGITAL GOOGLE SLIDES. Check out all of my Literacy Book Units: Rosie's Walk. There was an old lady who swallowed a bat. David Goes to School. Duck for President. Jack and the Beanstalk. The First Thanksgiving. Where the Wild Things Are. The 3 Little Pigs. The Day it Rained Hearts. Tackilocks and the 3 Bears. The Biggest Pumpkin Ever. The Little Old Lady Who was not Afraid of Anything. The Kissing Hand. How do Dinosaurs go to School. There was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Shell. and MANY MORE.... If you have any questions please email me at [email protected]. You can also follow me on Facebook to get ideas, notified of sales, and giveaways. Enjoy!!! ***************************************************************************** Customer Tips: How to get TPT credit to use on future purchases: • Please go to your My Purchases page (you may need to login). Beside each purchase you'll see a Provide Feedback button. Simply click it and you will be taken to a page where you can give a quick rating and leave a short comment for the product. Each time you give feedback, TPT gives you feedback credits that you use to lower the cost of your future purchases. I value your feedback greatly as it helps me determine which products are most valuable for your classroom so I can create more for you. ☺ Be the first to know about my new discounts, freebies and product launches: • Look for the green star next to my store logo and click it to become a follower. Voila! You will now receive email updates about this store. Enjoy!☺ *****************************************************************************
Have your students match school supplies with the correct Spanish word with this fun cut and paste activity. This activity is differentiated: One page features only the cut and paste activity, and the other includes coloring by the Spanish color words (verde, azul, etc.) as an extra instruction. Check out my other school supplies themed Spanish products: Spanish scrambled sentences: Los materiales escolares Yo tengo, ¿quien tiene? (I Have, Who Has): Materiales escolares Spanish labels: Los materiales escolares I've also posted a BUNDLE all of these products- BUY AND SAVE! Spanish BUNDLE: Los materiales escolares Enjoy cut and paste activities? Check out this one for body parts: Las partes del cuerpo-Spanish cut and paste activity
Check out the morning meeting ideas with greetings, questions for sharing, activities, games, and messages. Grab a FREE week of morning meeting slides to simplify your routine and build social-emotional skills!
Reading activities: Robinsin Crusoe by Daniel Defoe (Burlington 3rd ESO) - ESL worksheets
Teach Essential Classroom Etiquette with "My Mouth is a Volcano" Engage your students in a captivating journey of self-discovery and classroom manners with this comprehensive resource pack centered around the beloved story "My Mouth is a Volcano." Perfect for tackling the common challenge of interrupting in the classroom, this set empowers educators and students with essential tools for effective communication and respectful behavior. What's Inside: Story Maps: Dive deep into the narrative with interactive story maps that encourage critical thinking and comprehension skills. Reading for Meaning Activities: Stimulate classroom discussion and reflection with engaging activities designed to prompt students to consider and express their thoughts on interrupting behavior. Writing Activities: Foster creativity and self-expression as students explore personal experiences and solutions for managing their "volcano mouths." ❓ Comprehension Questions: Solidify understanding and retention of key concepts with thought-provoking comprehension questions that reinforce learning objectives. Write a Letter to Louis Activity: Encourage empathy and perspective-taking as students put themselves in the shoes of the story's protagonist, Louis, through a heartfelt letter-writing activity. Word Search: Reinforce vocabulary and literacy skills in a fun and interactive way with a themed word search activity. ... and much more! Preview Available: Be sure to check out the preview for a glimpse of each page included in this comprehensive resource pack! This product now includes a digital version you can edit and assign to your students using Google Classroom! ***************************************************************************** Customer Tips: Be the first to know about my new discounts, freebies and product launches: • Look for the green star next to my store logo and click it to become a follower. Voila! You will now receive email updates about this store. ☺ *****************************************************************************
The Geography Unit Combined.
Inside: Staying at home this summer? Find out how to do Summer Camp at Home with this simple daily schedule for toddlers & preschoolers. Some parents hear the word 'routine' and automatically start running in the other direction. They instantly picture a perfectly organized mom holding a clipboard ushering her kids around from one activity to the next. *Reality Check* Real life is messy. There
Catholic Mass Lesson Ideas: Five activities about lessons, games, and activities that can be used to teach students and kids about the Catholic Mass.
Explore measurement with this simple hands-on perimeter activity for kids, a Perimeter Lab math invitation. They'll measure, calculate, and have fun.
Use the book, "Rosie's Walk" by Pat Hutchins to practice comprehension and learn mapping skills using these printable activities as well as digital format in google slides. In these book extension activities students will use position words to help them follow a map and draw a map. Using position words with mapping skills increases students ability to read and use a map. This book with simple language helps students create their own map and visualize locations. The pictures on each page also helps students see where the location is in relation to other objects on the farm. Students will also practice comprehension skills creating and describing the two characters, answering questions, and using a map to retell the story. Whether this story is being used for reading instruction or social studies instruction young children will enjoy all six of these activities. 1. Fox and Hen Character Map 2. Position Words 3. Draw your own map 4. Writing Extension 5. Story Map Retell 6. Comprehension Clip Cards Digital Format: The digital format on google slides allows teachers and students to type and use manipulates to interact with the activities. The digital format has 4 activities which include: 1. Character Map for Rosie and the Fox 2. Position Words with Manipulative 3. Retelling Map with Fox and Hen Manipulatives 4. Comprehension Cards with Manipulative THIS PRODUCT INCLUDES 28 PAGES OF PRINTABLE PDF AND 12 PAGES OF DIGITAL GOOGLE SLIDES. Check out all of my Literacy Book Units: Rosie's Walk. There was an old lady who swallowed a bat. David Goes to School. Duck for President. Jack and the Beanstalk. The First Thanksgiving. Where the Wild Things Are. The 3 Little Pigs. The Day it Rained Hearts. Tackilocks and the 3 Bears. The Biggest Pumpkin Ever. The Little Old Lady Who was not Afraid of Anything. The Kissing Hand. How do Dinosaurs go to School. There was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Shell. and MANY MORE.... If you have any questions please email me at [email protected]. You can also follow me on Facebook to get ideas, notified of sales, and giveaways. Enjoy!!! ***************************************************************************** Customer Tips: How to get TPT credit to use on future purchases: • Please go to your My Purchases page (you may need to login). Beside each purchase you'll see a Provide Feedback button. Simply click it and you will be taken to a page where you can give a quick rating and leave a short comment for the product. Each time you give feedback, TPT gives you feedback credits that you use to lower the cost of your future purchases. I value your feedback greatly as it helps me determine which products are most valuable for your classroom so I can create more for you. ☺ Be the first to know about my new discounts, freebies and product launches: • Look for the green star next to my store logo and click it to become a follower. Voila! You will now receive email updates about this store. Enjoy!☺ *****************************************************************************