FURBIT - Parts of Many Animals

Create an imaginary creature for your classroom to capture your students' attention.
Cut out parts of different animals and glue them to a sheet of paper to form your creature.  Introduce the newly created animal to your class and ask them what they think he is.  Name the various animals the new creature was made from.  Write a class story telling where Furbit lives, what he eats, what activities he likes, what habits... OR have students write  individual stories.  Post stories in the hallway with your creative writing.  If you have enough pictures to cut up, each child could do their own imaginary animal.

SCARECROW BULLETIN BOARD

This is a cute bulletin board or door cover.  Use the pattern to blow up the scarecrow to the size you need.  Color the scarecrow and then laminate so you can use it time and again.  I cut the crows out of black construction paper and then laminated.  After you put the scarecrow together you can add straw fringe at the neck, arms, and legs by cutting and crumpling tissue paper.

TURKEY PLATE

This is so cute and easy to make.  It is also a way to use those scraps of construction paper you always have after major projects.  Have students tear seasonal colors into little pieces to cover a paper plate.  One change I made was to trace the student's foot and bent thumb.  The foot is the brown part of the turkey and the thumb was the red part.  Once everyone is finished, demonstrate how to make the eyes and lines needed.  Students can do it with pencil and then when they are satisfied, they can trace with Sharpie Pens.

TEACHER SAMPLE ON DOOR WITH FEATHERS

PEN PAL IDEAS

Here are a couple of form pages to help your students understand the format of a letter.  Below are two of the decorated letters I used for the Pen Pal Letters.  I purchased design paper and ran them through the copier to add lines for the students to use.  As we wrote our letters, I would ask the students to show me some of the skills we had been working on: capitalization of proper nouns, certain punctuation, and of course neatness and nice penmanship-always!  Remember to make copies before you mail the letters out, so you can insert in the Journal/Memory Books.  I also put the letter from their penpal in their Journal/Memory Books.

FACT and OPINION

Cut Fact/Opinion lists apart, laminate, and give to your students to use as Individual Response Cards during Instruction Time.The definitions were put on large poster board, so everyone could see them.

FIELD TRIP MEMORIES

After your students have gone on a Field Trip, you want them to be able to remember the special moments that occurred.  I used several different ways to do this.  One way is to write in the Journal.  Another way is to use the picture below, if you saw a play or performance.  Otherwise you can have the students document their memories on one of the Field Trip forms.  I always put them in the Journal/Memory Book after we were done with them.  Don't forget to thank your parents that accompanied you and helped you in any way to make the endeavor successful.

HELPFUL FORMS

READING CALENDAR

This Reading Calendar was sent out the beginning of each month and due the end of each month.  Parents were taught how to fill out the calendar and the grade system on the back at Open House.  Before the Open House, we filled out the calendar in class together each morning, so the children could get guided practice.  The positive about this calendar was the parents and child saw the grade they would receive for the month for Reading Calendar.  There was no question!

REPORT CARDS

I always like to give my parents a Written  Conference Report.  I fill out what I can before the conference:  child's strengths, immediate need, areas to work on at school and home.  As I conference with the parent I use what I filled out as a guide.  By the end of the conference, the sheet is very full with helpful information.  I copy the sheet and send the original one home and keep the copy in the child's file.  This document keeps us on track in helping the child have success.   On the back of the Conference Sheet is the Reading Record (left)  I used for the children.  It helped the parents see how their child was progressing in reading throughout the year.                                                                                        When children are old enough, they need to start understanding what their grades will be and where they come from.  One way to begin to let them get an idea of the process is the "self report card".  After it is filled out, conference with the child to let them see the differences and why they are there.   

LINED PAPER

Here are some of the lined pages I created for various activities.  I liked the crispness of a computer generated lined page rather than the white lined paper you purchase from the store.  These pages were for final copies.  I used the store bought paper for sloppy copies
For more free lined paper:
http://www.teacherprintables.net/free-printable-paper2.html
http://www.teacherprintables.net/free-printable-paper.html
http://www.teacherprintables.net/free-printable-backgrounds.html

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PARENT APPRECIATION

I always made sure to thank my parents with a note, as well as verbally.  This certificate is a nice way to do that.