Today I thought I’d share a strategy I use to help my students communicate their thinking during the inquiry process. See, Think, Wonder is a thinking routine I use with my students to help t…
After reading Wonder by R.J. Palacio, students worked in small collaborative groups to create character posters about each of the characte...
As Spring Break approaches, I find that my fifth graders are in need of some reminders as to what it means to be kind to each other. In general, they are sweet kids, but at times the words they use and actions they take, particularly on the playground, aren't the kindest. Our read aloud for the month is Wonder by RJ Palacio so the theme of kindness fit right into our room. It just so happens that a new book, We're All Wonders by RJ Palacio, a picture book intended for younger readers to access the story, came out this week as well. So the timing was perfect. (the two links above are my affiliate links and will take you to Amazon to buy the books.) I began by asking the students what kindness is. We brainstormed a list of ideas and created an anchor chart. Then I read the picture book to the students. Because we had just finished Wonder, they were so excited to read this new version. When we finished, I asked the kids to think of all the ways, in both the picture book and the novel, that people were not very kind to Auggie (the main character). The kids were able to fill our entire circle map in no time. It was easy to recall how people would scream in his face, recoiling at the way he looked. They remembered the names Auggie was called and the no-touching game that was played. The instantly told me about all the awful things that happened to him. I then asked the kids to brainstorm ways that, if they were in the novel with Auggie, they could be kinder to him. Again, they had no problem thinking of ways they could be kind to Auggie. Next, I asked the students to think about their own real life. I asked them to reflect upon how they personally treat others and how they personally could make better choices when speaking to others. Here is where things got a little challenging. You see, when students are talking about fictional characters, or reading news stories about OTHER kids they don't know being treated unfairly or unkindly, they know exactly what they would do if they were there. Because they aren't there. They know they never will be there. But when confronted with their own lives, and real possibilities for what they would have to do to step in or change situations, it is a bit harder for them. So I asked them to brainstorm 15 different ways they PERSONALLY could show kindness to our classmates. (I drew a lot of inspiration for this next part from Study All Knight's FREE Kindness unit, which you can grab here.) The students then used tempra paint and painted 15 (or so) rainbow sunshine rays. They also drew their own Wonder-Inspired portrait. (I have previously done this before, but had them focus on precepts and writing....if you would like to do that, click here. It is one of my fav lessons too!) The students then glued their Wonder portraits into the middle of the rays, used Sharpie to outline and write the 15 ways they could show real kindness in their lives (one way per ray) and were done. They came out amazing. (See the picture at the top of the post!) What is better though, is that the past two days, my students are actively trying to be kinder to each other. They are watching their words. I have seen people purposefully go up to those who tend to wander during group time and invite them into the group. I have seen students smile at others just a bit more. It truly has been a Wonder. Right now, for a limited time, Amazon has the book available for $3.99!!! Snag up to 4 copies at that price. Use my affiliate link here to get your copy ASAP before they are all gone!! SaveSave
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We're so happy to discover these free downloadable Wonder activity sheets that let kids bring Auggie's wonderful lessons to life through creative activities and games.
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Fun and engaging vocabulary and word work ideas and activities. Here the some freebies and other ideas for your 1st, 2nd, 3rd, or 4th grade classroom.
A wonder wall is an inquiry based learning activity that encourages curiosity in the classroom. When a student has a question, I hand him or her a sticky note to stick up on the thought bubble on the wall, research it, and report back to the class.
Today, 4th grade starting working on their self portraits, inspired by the art of Tad Carpenter, and the fabulous art teacher Katie Allain. You can check out their art on their Instagram accounts, if you click on their names. He's the artist who designed the cover for the book, Wonder! Here's how we created ours! Materials: Sax 90lb paper Sax liquid watercolors Sharpie markers Pencils hair examples Day 1: Talk about the book and movie, Wonder. I plan on playing the audio book, and listening to it while they work. I demonstrated how to draw a simple outline of a face and a simple hairline, like the artist did. I then demonstrated how to trace/color with a Sharpie, and paint with liquid watercolors. I also put up different hair styles on the screen. I think individual copies at their tables would work better, btw :) Here's my fist 4th grade class, working on theirs today!
Okay so my planning day was not too bad. I did manage to get a few things done, but of course there is always more. I can't complain too muc...
Wit and Wisdom Wonder Wheel. Display this whole group, use in pairs, or individually. The wonder wheel prompts students thinking and should aid them when responding in a lesson. This can also be used as a writing technique. Help your students ask and answer questions with the wonder wheel. ...
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#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - Millions of people have fallen in love with Auggie Pullman, an ordinary boy with an extraordinary face--who shows us that kindness brings us together no matter how far apart we are. Read the book that inspired the Choose Kind movement, a major motion picture, and the critically acclaimed graphic novel White Bird.And don't miss R.J. Palacio's highly anticipated new novel, Pony, available now I won't describe what I look like. Whatever you're thinking, it's probably worse. August Pullman was born with a facial difference that, up until now, has prevented him from going to a mainstream school. Starting 5th grade at Beecher Prep, he wants nothing more than to be treated as an ordinary kid--but his new classmates can't get past Auggie's extraordinary face. Beginning from Auggie's point of view and expanding to include his classmates, his sister, her boyfriend, and others, the perspectives converge to form a portrait of one community's struggle with empathy, compassion, and acceptance. In a world where bullying among young people is an epidemic, this is a refreshing new narrative full of heart and hope. R.J. Palacio has called her debut novel "a meditation on kindness" --indeed, every reader will come away with a greater appreciation for the simple courage of friendship. Auggie is a hero to root for, a diamond in the rough who proves that you can't blend in when you were born to stand out.
Are you looking for ways to improve your upper elementary word study or spelling routine this year? You've hit the jackpot! See how I organize and schedule my word study block and routine, differentiate for all levels of spellers, what word study activities have proved successful with students, and
Please Note: All images seen below are of my students artwork only. These photos/lessons are not posted in any particular order regarding the flow of my curriculum. Abstract Self-Portrait Paintin…
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Language is like a big, colorful puzzle, and words are the pieces that fit together to create beautiful pictures, or in this case, sentences. Prefixes and suffixes are special pieces of this puzzle. A prefix is a little group of letters we add at the beginning of a word to change its meaning, like adding […]
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Friends~I finally figured it out-2 for 1 composition books! I have been loving the composition books that have been cut in half recently. I have seen them on several blogs and I have gone to Lowes and Home Depot as suggested to have my 12 books cut in half so that I had 24 smaller books. Doubling my lot! (The kiddos never use a whole page anyway:) Here's my journey for the 2 for 1! I first made several trips to Lowes and Home Depot but they left me defeated. Don't get me wrong the guys that helped me and tried to cut the books were super kind but their saws ate, destroyed, tore, and mangled my books. After the loss of my 2nd book the man at Home Depot suggested that I try Office Max. Look-ie, Look-ie! It was less than $3 to have these 2 for 1 babies cut! Office Max can cut around 8 at a time. I am so super excited about it! Check out my labels below for the front of the books. I am using one for my calendar journals and one for spelling. You can download the labels that I plan to use on the covers for My Calendar Journals next school year by clicking the images below. If you do so, I would love for you to leave a comment and follow my blog so you don't miss any Back to School Freebies!
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Friday was one of those fun, engaging, awesome days of learning. It was play-based, rigorous, and had my operating room of 1st grader doctors begging for more. Today I wanted to share with you more…
