ritz vs. oreo

5th grade.  compare/contrast.   venn diagram.  food.  there we go.  now i have your attention. :0

here's a simple yet effective to teach compare and contrast for nearly any grade level.

1.  gather in baggies:  one ritz cracker and one oreo cookie for each student

2.  dry erase boards and markers

3.  students will draw the Venn diagram on their boards

4.  label--ritz, oreo

5.  ask students to take a minute to examine their tools (cracker and cookie)

6.  in a small group/workstation you can open up for comments as they occur

7.  guide the discussion/comments as necessary

8. what is the same, what is different about these two items?

9.  use descriptive words as much as possible

10.  transfer learning/pr0cess to another topic--maybe a novel the class is reading, maybe two characters, the possibilities are unlimited

my mom has a pig on her head

well we had some fun learnin' today in kindergarten.  we talked about, read about, drew, and sang about the letter P.  each student (groups of 2 or 3) drew a pizza then put "P" toppings on the slices.  some of the choices included pretzels, pepperoni, peaches, peppers, pie, pigs...

while we drew/colored/discussed/practiced the beginning sound /P/, i remembered the great Laurie Berkner song, "my mom has a pig on her head"....and she keeps it there all day.  i was laughing at my brilliance, and then realized i was singin' a solo, and then horrified, noticed that the classroom teacher was lookin' at me out of the corner of her eye.  maybe i should teach her the song.

overall, we had a great time singing ridiculous objects onto our heads, and eventually the students gave into the silliness, and one fell on the floor laughing.  and i am glad.  pleased as pumpkin punch.  please laugh in kindergarten, and have a little fun with your learning.  

here are the lyrics as i best recall:

my mom has a PIG on her head (3x)

and she keeps it there all day

you can insert any object specific to your category--/P/ words, fruits, veggies, etc.

the photo is laurie berkner, not me--just to be clear

autumnal apron giveaway

rabbit trails.  my mind follows them every day.  all day.  and sometimes into the night.  blog lurking is right up my alley (or garden path).

over here at pumpkinpiecrafts.blogspot.com this lovely lady has taken her time to sew up an adorable apron and is hosting a giveaway.  so hop on over to her blog, follow the directions, and enter your smart self in her drawing.

maybe i should do a giveaway.  maybe i could make an apron.  ( i do know how to sew)

and paint, and scrap, and  and and....

raspberry thankfulness

     our neighbors were out of town over the weekend so they gave us their "share" of produce from a co-op garden/farm to which they belong.

     in addition to great tomatoes (salsa!) we received some banana peppers and an adorable mini-eggplant.  he's just hanging around for decoration now because i don't have the heart to stab him.

     additionally, chloe and i had the opportunity to pick raspberries from the heavy-laden bushes.  the hour or so we spent together was one of those times you can't plan for, but once you realize the greatness of the moments, you are immediately grateful.  i was reminded once again what a good little worker our chloe girl is.  she's not afraid to get dirty, and she didn't complain even once about the prickly bushes.

     so thanks again to the neighbors for the food, but thanks more for the time and place to spend a good hour with my daughter.

maniac.magee

at the other end of the rainbow...

6th grade book club

maniac magee

6 6th graders

40 minutes at the end of the day

and we get the school library all to ourselves

if we could just get an espresso bar, it would be perfect

read-aloud, critical thinking, group discussion

this is super

i love the give and take of a literature circle

i love recommending other books

i love helping students learn (or reaffirm) critical thinking skills

and at some point we will feast on Mars Bars- newly disguised as the Almond Snickers

and shortly after that we will sample some Tastykake Butterscotch Krimpets

because you've got to bring the story to life

it must be relatable

and it should include food

and a lesson plan, state standards,and objectives

today some of our fantastic words were:

repertoire

blarney

and suddenly all i can think of is

Rosa's New Pet/Puppy

she has pink curtains and a green couch

and is apparently an only child because there is an awfully small swingset in her yard with only one swing, and the illustrations show an immaculate home where the fresh flowers stay upright in their vases

good night

sleep tight

i'll be back when i untangle my brain

kin.dee.gar.den

we like

we like sand castles

we work together

we can play

we can read

we like books

now i know my abc's, tell me what you think of me!

from 9:00-9:45 every day i work with small groups of small people with large personalities

i am loooooving these windows of opportunity.  every morning  get excited about trekking down the long hallway to the land of kindergarten.  i looove laying out the magnetic letters and helping the students sound out and spell WE. you would think it could get old, but it doesn't.  the lightbulb moment (you know what i mean) is priceless.  it warms my heart.  i care (and so does their teacher) whether or not they learn their letters.  i want to put forth my very best effort to help each of them in any way i can to give them the necessary tools to be lifelong learners.  it is about reading and writing, and it is about so. much. more.

alphabet tic/tac/toe

the post below is a link to a wonderful blog.  just wanted to share this with all you faithful reader/readers.  certainly don't want to take credit for this myself.

tic-tac-toe, owen in a row

tic-tac-toe, owen in a row