A BIOGRAPHY POEM

This is a great formula poem for any student, but especially for students that seem to have trouble finding words when they write.  Make sure you walk students through the poem while they are filling it out.  Once the sloppy copy is checked, then encourage BEST HANDWRITING on the final copy.  These look great in the hallway outside of your classroom.  You can also post on your class website.


Word Choice:
My adjectives are excellent and thoughtful.
I use a good balance of action and linking verbs.
My nouns are precise; I don’t overuse pronouns.
It is clear that I am not afraid to take risks with new words.
I used a few color and texture words to describe.

WRITING FRAMEWORK - RECEIVING A GIFT

Help children clearly understand what is in a piece of writing.  This
page asks the questions a student needs to answer to complete
the task.

PERSONAL NARRATIVE FOCUS SHEET

This page was the student guide page used after everything was taught to be able to write a PERSONAL NARRATIVE independently.  It is tied into 6 TRAIT WRITING and was used for 3rd graders.  This is only the first paragraph of a 5 paragraph narrative.  You will notice # 2 gives three reasons.  Those reasons will eventually end up as paragraph 2, 3 and 4.  # 1, 2, 3 are the first paragraph.  # 3 will be extended as the 5th paragraph.  After students are finished with their sloppy copy, then have them highlight the NOUNS and look in the Thesaurus for ideas of how to describe the nouns using adjectives. Do the same with the verbs using adverbs.  This is a nice, organized way to teach students how to extend their writing.  Make sure you have extensively taught all of the concepts they will be employing in their narrative.

6 TRAIT WRITING STUDENT CARDS

Teaching Writing can be a difficult task.  One way to make it easier is to make sure students have the tools to be more independent.  Give them Writing Cards that help them with the job they are doing.  First decide what concepts you expect them to be able to demonstrate in their writing.  Copy the concepts on colored paper, place them on small index cards, attach colorful appropriate stickers, laminate and connect with a ring.  Then watch your students begin to use the skills you have been teaching them.   

BIRTHDAY BAG

Need an easy, quick way to celebrate birthdays without much hassle?  This is a cute idea.  It needs some prep work before school begins, but then is easy to manage during the school year.  
1.  Get a colored canvas bag from Hobby Lobby.  I chose a dark color so it wouldn't show dirt.  Either iron on clip art or draw a simple design - like the one on the bag.  Write "OUR BIRTHDAY BAG" with a bright color that shows well.  
2.  Buy a birthday book to put in the bag for students to read with their parents on their special day.  A few ideas:
Another Birthday
by Mary Engelbreit (Illustrator)
Birthdays are fun to remember and easy to love when Mary Engelbreit's frolicking friends and lively art provide the tender and thoughtful tributes. This birthday book takes the place of a birthday card for a special friend.
Birthday Magic
by James W. Baker, George Overlie (Illustrator)
Explains ten magic tricks revolving around a birthday theme.
3.   Get sandwich ziplock bags and fill with:
~ Birthday Bookmark
~ Birthday stickers
~ Lollipop
~ No Homework Coupon
You are now ready to face the school year with one job completed.  I put the baggies in a larger ziplock bag and storied in my cabinet next to the birthday bag.  It was so easy to get the bag with the Birthday Book, grab a treat baggie and wish the student a wonderful day.  Make sure the student knows the book comes back the next day with the Birthday Bag.

ABSENTEE BAGS

 What happens when you have a child that is absent or a child that is going on a trip and missing a few days of work?  I would have a student gather all of the textbooks/workbooks needed and add all the worksheets.  This would create a stack that could be unwieldy for young children.  To help, I purchased medium sized canvas bags from Hobby Lobby.  I found iron on clip art and wording that was appropriate for the bags.  Try to find colored clip art to save time from coloring it yourself.  You can also go online and find clip art to print onto iron on sheets.
Look on posting: http://okscribbler.blogspot.com/2010/09/absentee-sheets.html for the paper work I attached to the stack of worksheets.  I asked that ALL the work come back attached to the front sheet so I could check that everything had been completed. This ensured the student was prepared for the curriculum being presented in class when they returned.

MAJOR ADDRESS

This is a cute way to show your class how we fit into the Universe.  You might do it while you study The Solar System.  I posted it above the doorway so everyone could see it on the way out of the room.

BUILDING RESPONSIBLILITY

This list should be printed on bright cardstock and attached to the front of the HOMEWORK Folder

MY DO NOT FORGET LIST

1. Show my homework folder to my parents.

2.   Do my homework.  Have a parent check it.

3.   Pack my homework and all books in my backpack.

4.   Make my lunch or get lunch money.

5.   Pack a healthy snack everyday.

6.   Bring my library book to school on _____________.

7.   Have my Spanish done by _______________.

I AM BEING RESPONSIBLE.

SUPPLY REMINDER

Send this out early in the year and then again in January to replenish supplies.


Dear Parents,

The first week of Third Grade is over.  I think we had a very positive beginning of the year.  Thank you for returning the many paper documents sent to you from school in a timely manner.  Here is a list of supplies/documents that we do not have:

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Thank you very much for your support.  I look forward to working closely with you this school year.  Sincerely, Jan Snider

HOMONYM FUN

I found this online somewhere - very cute...
Homophones are words that sound the same but have a different meaning.

 We made a riddle for different homophones.

Can you work out what they are?

1. Can you bake with something in the grass?

2. Can a woman have a baby in the sky? 

3. What colour is the same as some one reading?

4. What animal is on your head?

5. A vegetable dripping water.  

6. Not very tough for 7 days.

7. When you look at it you do it!

  8. It walks in the woods, with nothing on.

 9. Begin a letter living in forest.

 10. Wear silver clothes after day.

 11. You ride one when your throat is sore.

12 . Can you eat it and play golf at the same time?

 13. The Queen and the sky both do this.

  14.  A girl's name in the morning.

 15. Part of a shoe in your body.

16. Not a girl floating in the sea.

17. All around and next to the throne.

18. Trapped in prison but not buying.

19.  A tree with lots of grains.

20.  Meaning of a clock and a herb.

21. Hard thief.

 22.  Walk up and down using your eyes.

 23. Are you dull and made of wood?

Homophone Answers

1. Flour / Flower

2. Son / Sun

3. Red / Read

4. Hare / Hair

5. Leek / Leak

6. Week / Weak

7. Sea / See

8. Bear / Bare

9. Dear / Deer

10. Knight / Night

11. Horse  Hoarse

12. Tea / Tee

13. Reign / Rain

14. Dawn

15. Sole / Soul

16. Boy / Buoy

17. Air / Heir

18. Cell / Sell

19. Beech / Beach

20. Time

21. Steel / Steal

22. Stair / Stare

23. Bored / Board