A new book, giveaways, and goals!

Follow my blog with Bloglovin Vacation is finally over, so I can get back to blogging and creating.  We spent our vacation in the Smokey Mountains and had a great time.  The weather was beautiful and it was very relaxing.  I was super excited to get home though...my copy of Teach Like a Pirate was waiting for me at the door.  I haven't been able to get very far in yet, but I like it so far.  I'll try to post some of my thoughts as I go through it.  I really can't wait to get through it!

Anyway, I have been spending my time brainstorming things for next year and trying to create things that will benefit me and my students next year.  I just created a common core writing/editing checklist to help my students learn to edit and peer edit AND to help me check off what I have taught already and see how I need to differentiate for each student.  I can't wait to use this next year.  I will give a free copy away!  Just leave a comment from now until Friday, June 28 and I will pick a winner.  Be sure to leave your email address so I can send it to you.

Common Core Writing/editing

Lastly, another giveaway.  I am participating in MindSparks 100 follower giveaway.

MindSparks

My goal this summer is to be more active on my blog.  What types of things are you interesting in seeing on blogs?  

Have a great Tuesday!

Andrea

Summer has finally begun

I'm so happy that it's summer time.  I can't wait to sit back and enjoy my family, the warm weather (finally), and just relax.  I didn't realize how much I needed this break!  Anyway, I wanted to post about  a few things that my students were working on....up until the last day of school.  We learned about the solar system.  I had the students do some research on each of the planets and put together a foldable planet book.  As always, there are things to work on that I will improve upon next year, but the kids really enjoyed this project.

This is the foldable that the kids put together.  

Here is a picture of the cards that they put inside.  They had a picture and the planet name on the front, facts on the back.

We also were doing a pioneer unit.  The students read the book "If you traveled west in a covered wagon".  This is a great question and answer book.  The students looked through the table of contents and picked the 6 questions that they wanted to know the answer to.  We practiced restating a question to answer a question, writing in complete sentences (and in our own words), and picking 2-3 other important facts that support the answer to the questions.  We made our own covered wagon books.

Cover page of their covered wagon book.

I'm participating in 2 giveaways.  I hope that you take the time to visit these blogs and sign up to win some great prizes.  Visit Second grade stories and A Tale of Two K Teachers.

Well, I hope I can find some things to continue blogging about this summer.

Andrea