Free Context Clues Page and a Sale

Happy Teacher's Appreciation Day!

I love this time of year.  The sun is out and it's warming up, the kids know what's up when they walk into the room, and summer is starting to feel like it's getting close (even though I'm going until June 29).  And to top it all off, it's Teacher Appreciation Week!  I'm one of the lucky ones who has parents who spoil us.  Even though we are a Title One school, they really do go all out to give us recognition and fatten us up a little.  May is a great month.

Except of course for state testing, hah.

Our school is still doing MCAS and not PARCC, but it doesn't get any easier.  So I've created a freebie for you to help your students with context clues.  Every year I have a handful of kids who get stuck on a word and don't know how to figure it out.  Often they think it means the same as another word in the sentence (not recognizing that it would be redundant to have the same word twice).  So I whipped up a page that's good practice and easy enough to understand that I can use it for a homework assignment.  To show my appreciation to YOU, I'm offering it free for a limited time.

There is also a sale going on at Teacher's Pay Teachers today, May 5 and 6.  You can save 28% in my store by entering the code THANKYOU at checkout.  Here are some products I have available to get you through to the end of the year:

I wrote all about the Tuck Everlasting resources I developed in an earlier post. When I found the MDESE's model unit for Tuck Everlasting to be cumbersome and, well, tedious, I needed to flesh out their framework to get the kids interested.  I needed to turn the whole class discussions into prompts for reflecting and writing on an individualized level.  They needed time to delve into the vocabulary as well as the figurative language.  I needed them to see their own thinking about the characters change as they progressed through the chapters.  I started small, and have a few free pages available in this post as well, and worked my way up to the full Tuck Everlasting Activities packet.

What can I say, anytime I can incorporate art into my day I'm a happy camper.  Geometry is the PERFECT excuse to draw in math class, haha.  I developed my Tessellations lessons for an after school club that combined math and art, but in years when our school couldn't fund it, I used many of the lessons during our geometry unit in fourth grade.  I have this math/art lesson too:

The kids had so much fun with this "Scoot" style Geometry activity.  I wrote more about how they used sheet protectors and guidelines to position their protractors and drawing triangles correctly every time in an earlier post. 

Finally, if you are one of the lucky ones finishing your year this month, I have task cards to help you involve the kids in the clean-up/pack-up/organization process.  I really feel like in addition to saving me time, it helps them feel a sense of closure to help pack the room.  And having activities that get them up and moving interspersed with quiet reflection time/memory books is important for most learners:

I hope you find some great resources during the sale!  Besides resources geared specifically for this time of year, do you already have other planned purchases in your wish list?  Share your favorite finds in the comments below.

Celebratory Freebies on TPT and Top Ten Upgraded Products

The weather is bleak here in Massachusetts, but I'm on cloud nine this week!  I'd love for you to celebrate a couple of milestones with me. The first is that I'm being featured on TeachersPayTeachers's blog. The second milestone is that at the time of writing, I have reached 600 followers here on TPT. It still amazes me that what started as a little hobby of stretching my writing/design muscles and sharing what I've made for my students with other teachers is reaching SO many thousands of additional students, and helping my own family at the same time.

To show my appreciation, I have lots to share with you.

First, I've been very busy updating and adding on to some of my older products to reflect current practices and standards. Did you know that you can go to your "My Purchases" tab any time to see which products you've downloaded that are "newly revised?" Check out your products, not just from me, but all sellers you've purchased from! Here are my top 10 favorite upgraded products that haven't appeared in your "New Products" Emails include:

1. Organization Tips for Students: Checklists and Action Plans
2. Multiple Intelligences Student Interest Survey
3. Student Interest Inventory: First Day of School Survey
4. Back to School Parent Survey
5. Fall Leaves Bulletin Board
6. Character Education for Student of the Month Packet
7. Substitute Teacher Instructions Packet
8. Teacher for a Day Children's Lesson Plan Template
9. Peer Editing and Revising Packet
10. Persuasive Writing Classroom Job Applications

I've even updated a few of my FREE products:

• Bathroom Pass Printouts
• Hand Washing Reminder Mini Poster
• Nut and Peanut Free Poster
• Catch Up Folder Cover

And finally, for a limited time only, I've made one of my top fractions products free for the week.  The product is my Fraction of a Set Cards (Set 2). This activity is a HUGE hit with my fourth graders when we are practicing finding the fraction of a set. This will only be available for a limited time because it's a big seller for me, but I wanted to offer something extra special as a sincere thank you for helping me to reach these milestones.
 
I hope there's something for everyone here in this list. Thanks again for your interest in my products!

My Thoughts on the Journeys Basal Program

Is your district thinking about adopting Journeys?  My district switched to Journeys after years of Reader's Workshop.  Although I prefer Reader's Workshop to a basal program, sadly it just wasn't an option anymore once the pressures of Common Core got real.  My district wanted to buy something with a "Common Core" sticker stuck on the front of it.  But I've learned to make it work, so I thought it would be helpful to share what I think of the materials.  

In fourth grade, my partner teacher and I agree that most of the excerpted stories and texts are very high interest for the kids, which is half the battle!  The leveled readers are a mixed bag in terms of quality.  Some are great, one in particular was laughably bad (I ended up using it for a lesson in literary analysis; how could we improve the quality of this author's writing?). The texts also have a good balance of fiction and non-fiction as long as you use the second selection with each lesson.  

The vocabulary is probably the best thing about this program.  The words selected are tier 2 words, (for more information, see Beck, Isabel L., McKeown, Margaret G., and Kucan, Linda, Bringing Words to Life) and they are highlighted in the anthology as well as in the leveled readers.  They are used in varying contexts, which is perfect for talking about shades of meaning.  The kit comes with vocabulary cards which I talk more about in this post. 

The workbook is, well, not the best.  We ended up not purchasing any more after the first couple years.  Some of the "transparency" pages are better than the workbook for whole class lessons on reading comprehension skills.  There are also pages for each leveled reader that are a mixed bag.  Some are great, but as with any program be ready to supplement. 

The only thing I missed when our school scrapped the workbooks was the grammar.  It mostly aligned with Common Core, although a few of the pages actually had errors (for example, the linking verbs/helping verbs pages).  Check carefully before assigning, whip out your White Out, and hand out copies of those pages and you should be fine.  Or, if you decide not to use the workbooks, you could try teaching grammar using Mentor Sentences, like my team did.  I created a yearlong Mentor Sentences bundle that I have available for purchase in my store. 

Another downside to Journeys is the lack of written response prompts.  There are no written responses for the weekly assessments; they only show up in the 6 unit/benchmark tests.  Although there are questions for practice for each leveled reader, they don't require more than a single sentence for a response. You would be better off developing your own Close Reading prompts to get the kids thinking deeper about what they are reading.  A text does not have to be at a more difficult reading level in order to practice Close Reading; you can make it work with this anthology.

As for the writing portion of the program, I can't say much about it.  We were encouraged to continue using Writer's Workshop instead of following Journeys' trajectory, so I can't really talk about its effectiveness other than TPTB felt like it was not up to snuff.  I looked it over and wasn't impressed, but I didn't actually teach it.   

I don't know how Journeys compares to other basals (I used Trophies prior, and as it's also by Harcourt it's not much different).  But overall, I think you can make this program work for you. 

Playing with Our Food, Nutrition, and Fraction Line Plots

Fraction line plots did not come naturally to my learners or my teaching.  Then I found a way to relate it to food, and suddenly it made so much sense!

It all started when I discovered the Smash Your Food site.  It's not only educational but also really gross.  So of course, my fourth graders loved it.  We affectionately referred to it all week as "Squish My Food Dot Com."

Originally our Health teacher (yes, my kids have health as a special, which is pretty great) told my class about it.  As you can guess, (sadly) our specialists don't get time built in to bring kids to the computer room, so he could only talk about the site.  He said it was a fun way to see how unhealthy various foods really are.  "You might be surprised to see how much sugar is in some foods."  I was waiting at the door to pick up my class when I heard him so I offered, "Hey, our class has a blog (besides this one).  I can put a link on there and even introduce it during our computer time."

He was so grateful.  :)  I put the link on our blog, and a couple kids tried it that evening.  Then on Friday, during our computer lab time, I set up the program on the big screen for everyone to experience the messy info.

With a quick poll for the median age, majority gender, and the law of central tendency dictating that the majority activity level should be moderate, we looked at the selection of foods available for squishing.

The first vote was for a slice of pizza.

The kids guessed there would be 1 cube of sugar, 3/8 tablespoons of salt, and 3 teaspoons of oil.

Next we watched the press come down and pulverize the nasties out of it.  There goes that oil.  Ewwwwww.

The next screen showed that one of their guesses was correct, but one of them was half of the actual amount!

Although we did spend time on other activities in the computer room, I always give my kids some guided choice time (sometimes they are allowed to read and comment on the blog, other times they are allowed to play any math game I've linked from the blog, and so on).  This time playing on Smash Your Food some more independently was on the agenda, and it was a "smash" hit.  Most kids happily watched every available food get smashed, then went back and watched their favorites on repeat. This was key to give them background information about the nutritional information of foods before reducing them to numbers on fraction line plots. [Update:  This site seems to have vanished and possibly became an app.  The good news is you can still watch a Smash Your Food video on YouTube.]

Investigating Nutrition Information on Fraction Line Plots

In order to capitalize on their excitement, I carried the subject of nutrition into our study of fraction line plots.  You know that pesky common core standard that math textbooks don't cover at all (CCSS Math 4.MD.B.4)?  Yeah, that one.

I plotted some nutritional information I got from the website, plus a few other popular foods.  Having various data points plotted on a fractional number line became more clear to them because they already had some background on the subject matter.

Further Practice with Fraction Line Plots

I created a couple worksheets to help kids practice reading and interpreting line plots with fractions.  One of them is based on the sugar content of the foods we researched.  The other worksheet uses a novel context, which was perfect for homework.

You don't have to do one in order to do the other, but this math concept worked really well in conjunction with the site.  Have you smashed your food with your class?

Update: Due to popular demand, I've created a fraction line plots resource with even more practice! This new resource is perfect for you if you want:
1. Additional practice for your fourth graders
2. Task cards instead of worksheets
3. Differentiated materials for learners who struggle to get started or recall directions.

Here's how I like to use both.  I start with the sugar lesson with the whole class.  I assign the plant worksheet for homework.  Then I use the fraction line plot task cards in small groups/centers on days that we are doing spiral review.  Click to take a look at the preview and see if these are right for your learners!  

Opinion Writing for an Authentic Purpose: Classroom Job Applications

Right before Christmas vacation is a natural time to introduce opinion writing.  Kids love to persuade Santa why they have been good girls and boys.  A call to action is simple:  "Santa, you should bring me..."  Kids are natural negotiators when it comes to Christmas!

After a few free writes to Santa to get the excitement started, it's a good time to move on to persuasive writing for a wider range of topics.  I found a fantastic list of persuasive writing topics here.  Not every topic is appropriate for my fourth graders, so you don't want to simply print it off and make copies.  However, I do keep this list handy for myself to help students who struggle when it comes to thinking of a cause they believe in. 

As the kids are considering their options for their persuasive writing pieces, they need to hear a lot of examples of quality opinion writing.  This book has many great examples, as well as mini-lessons to help you plan your persuasive unit.  I read several examples to my class so they could hear the difference between providing reasons and out and out begging.  "I really, really, really, REALLY want..." does not cut the muster!



We talk about the structure of a good persuasive piece, and begin to analyze what tricks writers use when articulating an opinion.  The idea of using the OREO acronym is not new, but I added my own examples on this anchor chart.  The topic of low performing students being kept off athletic teams came from the Writing to Persuade book.  My fourth graders were very passionate about this topic so we had a debate about it in order to practice providing reasons and examples.  After practicing giving reasons and explanations orally, they were ready to draft.

After the kids created their drafts we moved on to revision. On our first day of revision we talked about up to 3 different points in our writing that benefit from transition words:

• Adding similar ideas
• Introducing examples
• Additional information

I start out with my own list, and add to it as we brainstorm.  Having this list posted as kids write is powerful.  Giving the kids transition words to use in their own writing can help even the most reticent writers get over their writer's block.


The next step in our writing process is to hold peer conferences.  During this time, students ask each other questions about their writing, and also identify their favorite part.


After the conferences we held a share time and I asked, "What was the most important point your partner made?  Did your partner figure out what your most important point was?  If not, tomorrow, we will talk about how to make it more obvious."

On the final day of revision, we talked about more transition words:  adding emphasis.  Instead of all caps, underlining, exclamation marks, and using "very" or "really" once, twice, or fifteen times, these terms create more urgency in our writing. 

As students finish revising they move on to editing, and continue the process from the start with a new topic.  Once everyone has a completed piece we will be moving on to the final independent writing assignment:  Classroom Job Applications.  My fourth graders need to write a cover letter to persuade me to "hire" them to do the job of their choosing.

Of course at the start of the school year, I assign jobs randomly and rotate students through.  However by this point in the year I have a pretty good sense of students' strengths and levels of responsibility.  There are some jobs that some students are more suited for.  So I have created job postings for many of my old jobs, and even a few new ones.

Each job posting has a description, as well as qualifications I am looking for.  This way students have some idea of the examples they need to include in their cover letter.

The kids take their letters very seriously.  In order to take some of the pressure off we talk about which job each person is interested in, so they can change their minds to apply for less sought after jobs before writing the complete letter.  I also let them know I will "repost" each month so if they want to reapply for a job they don't get this month I will reconsider them for the next.


This means that some jobs change hands, but not every single job.  It also means that the kids who can handle more than one job get to do just that, and the kids who prefer to focus on other aspects of their school life don't have a job to worry about.  It's a little more to manage than a straight up weekly rotation, but I feel like it's been really helpful in my classroom.

I have the job application packet available in my TPT store.  It gets the kids excited about opinion writing because it's for an authentic purpose.  Have any of you tried using job applications for your classroom jobs instead of a rotation chart?  How did you manage it?

Freebies and a Cyber Monday Sale

It's hard to believe December starts tomorrow!  For the first time since I can remember, I actually got to RELAX this year on my little 2 1/2 days off.  Our district is sending home report cards the week after next so I took full advantage.  I ate, I exercised, I cleaned, I decorated, and I added to my Cyber Monday wishlist over on TPT.  That's right, Teachers Pay Teachers is once again having their Cyber Monday (plus Tuesday) sale on December 1st and 2nd!  You can save up to 28% off of your purchases by entering promo code TPTCYBER at checkout.  My whole store will be a full 28% off as long as you remember the promo code!  

I'm linking up with Jivey to share with you some of my own products that are on a lot of people's wishlist right now, as well as one that's in my own wishlist.  One thing I have in my own wishlist are these gift tags from Creative Clips.  So cute!

 




Here are a few items from my own store that are in high demand and have kept my own students engaged in their learning each year during the second trimester:

This Long Division Games Bundle provides students with the repeated practice they need to internalize the long division process.  By turning this practice into games and hands on activities, the kids actually enjoy honing their long division skills!

Like the division bundle, this Equivalent Fractions Activities 3 in One Bundle is hands on, and helps students enjoy their math block. 

If you're looking for a more complete fractions unit, I am launching my finished FRACTIONS UNIT on Monday, just in time for the sale.  This product has been months in the making, and I wanted my readers to have the opportunity to get the maximum savings on it.  Check out my most recent product and save 28%! 

If you really want to plan ahead, Poetry Month is traditionally in April.  This is the time to save big on a complete poetry unit for fourth grade.  It has everything you need for high stakes test prep.  This Fourth Grade Poetry Mini Unit helps students meet the standards while also providing opportunities for creativity and appreciation for a variety of poetic forms. 

  

And finally, if you're looking for my best deal, you can save 28% on my largest bundle, my 5 US Regions Unit Plans Bundle.  Normally priced $25, it will cost just $18.75 for two days only! 

So start filling your wishlist, and come back Monday and Tuesday to save a bundle on some fun, engaging resources for your class. 

As a thank you for following along I also wanted to direct you to a few of my favorite seasonal freebies.  There are a few must-haves if you are teaching elementary, and a few if you are specifically teaching fourth. 

1.  Tissue box hygiene reminders.  I rubber-band these to each tissue box in my classroom as a not so subtle reminder!  If you have a sink in your classroom, the place to hang a reminder is not over the sink (where they are already washing their hands).  It's on the tissue box itself.  Slow the spread of germs this flu season!







2.  Holiday Aid for Low Income Students   Here's a seasonal freebie for your class.  It's designed to help target assistance for your lower income students if you have funds from the PTO to provide them with a little something for the holiday.  I'm lucky enough to work in a school where we give to the families in need every year, and this page will help you get started with that.






3. Mentor Sentences for Complete Sentences.   Many grammar tasks ask kids to find what needs to be fixed in a sentence.  As a result, kids are exposed to models of incorrect writing!  Stop reinforcing models of common grammatical errors.  Mentor sentences require them to analyze quality, model writing, then explain what makes it so.

4.  Kinesthetic Map Activity.  This is a fun whole group activity that gets kids practicing continents, countries and directions.  It's not every day you let your fourth graders crawl around on the floor to learn, but I think you'll like this one as much as they do.

5.  Using one half as a benchmark coloring page.  This coloring page reveals a "mystery picture" as kids determine if each fraction is greater to, less than, or equal to one half.  The writing component allows you to differentiate as well as gives students practice justifying their answer. 

I hope you enjoy the freebies and save lots of money at TPT.  Do remember to enter the promo code TPTCYBER when you shop on Monday (and Tuesday) in order to get the full 28% discount. 

One new product that I'm launching today will be FREE for the next two days only is Line Up!  Compare and Order Fractions Movement Activity.  This is a great way to get the whole class up and talking about fractions, justifying their responses with reasons and details.  And I finally had a little time this week to polish it up so that you will be able to introduce it to your class with confidence, just in time to save you 28%.

Happy bargain hunting!