Holiday Free Draw Coupon Freebie!

Our kiddos don't usually get to draw just for fun in our classrooms.  We are so busy that pictures and drawing generally have to accompany an assignment.  We also don't use markers a ton because it is just hard for kiddos to draw neatly with makers.

This is where our Holiday Free Draw Coupons come in....
We give these out as part of our teacher gifts for holidays.  Our kiddos LOVE them since drawing just for fun is usually limited to art class or indoor recess.  Our rules are that the kiddos can redeem them only when all work is finished.  They can also use new paper instead of scrap paper and markers during this time.  You've got to love when a free to the teacher gift ends up being a student's favorite type of gift!!!

If you can use these feel free to click on the link above and grab them from our TPT store!

Happy almost Valentine's Day! 



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Penguin Fact and Opinion Freebie

Just a quick post!
 We have been reading The Emperor's Egg by Martin Jenkins this week.  We also pulled in TONS of other fun penguin activities and books this week, because who doesn't love learning about penguins! One of the things that we did is to discuss the difference between facts and opinions.  After lots of discussion, sorts, etc. we set the kiddos loose to come up with their own facts and opinions about penguins. We gave them each a sheet that looks like this...

They wrote facts on two of the penguins and opinions on two of the penguins.  Then they cut them out and added them to our chart.  They had so much fun going back during the day and reading other kiddos' facts and opinions!
Here is a pic of the finished project.

If you want to grab the penguin sheet, headers, etc. just click here!
Have a great weekend!



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Fact and Fiction Sort

This week our story is The Emperor's Egg by Martin Jenkins and we get to do one of our favorite activities with this story.  While reading this story we always touch on fiction and nonfiction books.  Our kiddos love anything hands on so with this we do a fact and fiction book sort. 

Back in the day when colored copies were not life or death I color copied several sets of fiction and nonfiction book covers from our school library.  Then I had them laminated at school and have been using them ever since! 

I start off by giving each table group a set of the book covers and have them sort them into 2 different piles.  Then we talk about why we sorted them the way that we did.  Then I have the kiddos look in their book holders (on the back of their chairs)  and see what types of books they have at their desks.  As a table they sort these into stacks.  As they sort them they have to tell their tablemates why they are putting them into the particular stack. 

Next I pull out all of my extra book orders.  I'm sure we all have these coming out of our ears!!!  I always save them for this particular project. 

My kiddos are always so excited about getting to use book orders for this activity!  Go figure!!!  We look through one of the book orders together and I ask them about different books in the order and we vote on whether they are fact or fiction books based on the cover page they show. 
Then I hand out these.  (click on the pic to grab a copy if you want)



I let the kiddos take a certain number of book orders (usually about 3) and start adding book pictures to both sides of the paper.  They have so much fun with this and usually do a really great job!  It seems that it is still fun to cut and glue in 2nd grade!
Finished project!

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Valentine's Day Craftivity Unit and TPT Sale!

Yay!!!!  We finally finished our Valentine's Day Craftivity and Writing Unit!  We have had such fun doing these with our kiddos, but have been so slow about getting it all together and ready for TPT.  We finally got it all finished tonight so that it is ready for the big sale tomorrow!
Here is what it looks like if you are interested!  Just click on the picture if you want to grab it from TPT.  We will also give away a copy of the unit to the first 2 people who comment!

Happy shopping tomorrow!  I know our wishlists have been getting long, so we are both excited to do some shopping while the boys watch football!  :)

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Groundhog Day activity and a TPT sale!

Seriously, can this cold and flu season get ANY worse???? Between Katie and I we have 5 kiddos and I swear, they have all been sick on and off for the past 6 weeks. My girls are 20 months old now and have managed to somehow catch everything available even though they are at home with either Grammie and Grumpa or Daddy every day! I feel bad because I am pretty sure that they must be catching things that I am somehow bringing home from the kiddos at school. :( Katie just got a message from our school secretary that her youngest just started throwing up. Warm weather and less germs can not possibly get here soon enough for us!!!

So all that to say, that we are running behind on some of the fun stuff that we wanted to be doing because it has been subs, subs, and more subs for both of us lately! We just did our Groundhog Day graphing today and read Double Trouble Groundhog Day by Bethany Roberts. We are pretty sure that you are more organized and with it right now then we are so you might want to tuck this freebie away for next year!
Just click on either of the pics if you want to grab the freebie!

We are also SO excited because Katie has been working SUPER hard on a really, really, really adorable Valentine's Day craftivity and writing unit. We are both head over heels in love with the things in it and our kiddos are LOVING them too! We are hoping to have it finished and up on TPT by the Sunday sale.

We will also make sure we do a quick blog about it with pics and give away a copy or two!!!!
Happy weekend!




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