Monday, February 27, 2012

Dr. Seuss Rhymes, Leprechaun writing paper FREEBIE, Skittles Math, and HUGE TPT Sale!!

One more added, just in time for tomorrow's BIG SALE!! A rhyming center for Dr. Seuss DAY!
Happy Monday, Peeps! Kerri here...
Well, it rained today and it was C-O-L-D! I'm talking 50 degrees cold! For California, that is COLD, man!! But, now I am home in my PJ's (fat pants, standard, of course!) and I am enjoying hearing the rain outside. It better dry up by tomorrow, or this teacher is going to be G.R.O.U.C.H.Y! You know what I'm saying??




Here is a little baby freebie for you if you plan on having your kiddos write about anything St. Patty's Day/Leprechaun related. Just a little writing paper for you to use....click below!


Did you also know that I made little "Taste the Rainbow" Math Packet to use with skittles LAST March?? Well, my kids LOVED it like crazy last year and I'm sure they will again this year! Here is the link if you are interested in sugaring your kids up teaching your kids important math concepts using skittles:


Finally, have you heard about TPT's GINORMOUS Leap Day sale on Wednesday?? I am SOOO excited! I already have some goodies loaded into my cart which I will be happily buying on Wednesday with this coupon:


Both our stores will have EVERYTHING on sale for 20% off, plus TPT's discount code, well, it's gonna be cheaper than DIRT!!


You can pick up Lindsay's Fabulous Five Senses Unit:


And, you can get all of these from my (Kerri's) store!


Writing Centers:




March Words Writing Pack

What's the Weather? Math and Literacy Centers
We Heart America! Math and Literacy Centers



Hope your Tuesday is full of sunshine and smiles from your kiddos at school!
XOXO Kerri

Saturday, February 25, 2012

Math FREEBIES, and some new TPT Goodies!

Happy Saturday Night, Peeps! Kerri here...
Well, here I am, wearing my "fat" pants, my cozy socks, and my grungiest sweatshirt on a Saturday night (Can I get an AMEN??) 


I know, I know, my husband is such a lucky fella! Tonight we took a walk and I was wearing the above items, plus a hideous scarf, AND my mukluks! I was a HOT mess. He just looked at me and shook his head. HA!! I just love being married sometimes. To be able to take a walk with a handsome man, while you look ridiculous. That is LOVE, man!


I feel like I haven't shared any Math freebies for a while, so here we go... Whilst thinking about what I need to do when I go back to work on Monday (BOO! YAY!), I was thinking that my little friends DESPERATELY need to work on counting forward and backward to 100. Actually, counting forward is pretty easy peasy for them, but counting backwards, well...let's just not recall the "counting backwards from 100" Envisions lesson where I almost pulled my hair out and came home feeling like the WORST MATH TEACHER EVER. yucky...


ANYHOO...To help them practice this RIDICULOUS FUN concept, I made this little worksheet that has BOTH counting forward and counting back from 100. You can use one or both, depending what your chitlins need. I also made a little 100's chart that they can use to help them. 


I plan on giving my kiddos numbers from 1-100 that are printed on colored cardstock and cut out, so they just pull a number, write it in the box, and either count forward or count back (depending on the worksheet). You can have them close their eyes and point to a number on the 100's mat, roll two 10-sided dice and make a number to start on, whatever floats your boat! These worksheets are NOT cutesified (THE HORROR! I know...I'm so sorry) but they will get the job done as a warm up, or math station, homework, whatevs... 


You can download the worksheet (click the link) and 100's mat (click the picture) below:


Here is the Counting on and Counting Back from 100 Worksheet!




On to the TPT Goodies!! 


I am SOOOO proud of my girl, Linds (aka Mrs. Messyhair! Long story, goes WAY back to our Kindergarten days together, but she LOVES LOVES LOVES when you call her that, so I highly encourage you all to do so!!) 
I have been BUGGING HER forever to put this unit on TPT, because it is SO RAD! She originally created it when she was my student teacher and she drew all of the little characters by hand (Did you know she is an AMAZING artist?? It's true!) We used her vintage edition for the next 4 years with our Kinder kiddos, and now that she gave it a facelift AND wrote her own little book to go with it (Did you know she's also an author?? I am so impressed!), it is just so awesome!


 I already bought my copy (she would've given it to me, but I wanted to be her most loyal customer) and I will be doing this little 5 Senses Unit with my kiddos the week after next. CAN'T WAIT!! I hope you all will support her little store and pick up your copy by clicking on the picture below! It's sooo pretty!




I also have been hard at work because A-I had this week off (I know, I'm lucky! But, who'll be laughing when I am teaching until June 23rd?? That's right, all y'all!) and B-I MUST devote the next 2 weeks to report cards, so there will be NO TPTing in my future. I had to bust a move this week. Here's what I have created...(click on each picture to go right there!)




Of course the March Words are posted (one of my best sellers), but I am oh so excited about my new Weather Centers! I will be teaching about weather in 2 weeks, and this will be PERFECT! 


I now have a grand total of 26 Writing Centers posted in my TPT store. I think I may have a problem and MAYBE I need an intervention! Actually, I did this so that every single kiddo can have a mat if I ever want to use them ALL at the same time for my writing block (I showed them on the Friday before break and they about FLIPPED THEIR LIDS, they were so excited!!), OR for every single possible conceivable theme that I may now or in the future ever teach. I have my eye on making a Luau themed writing center, but I think that maybe is just too obscure! I can't help it!! It's so so cute! 


My husband just looked at me and judged me (In his mind, I can tell!) for typing too long. Men! They just don't understand, do they ladies??


Have a Happy Sunday! Hope your Saturday was as WILD and CRAZY as mine!! :)

Friday, February 24, 2012

Five Senses Unit on Sale Now!

Hey friends! Lindsay here . . .

Well, I am SUPER excited to share with you my very first item for sale in my TPT store . . .

Drumroll please . . .

Its my Five Senses Unit!  (Click on the picture below to link up with a bigger preview.)



I seriously feel like I just gave birth to this giant unit - its a monster!  40 pages of scientifical goodness!!  (Is scientifical a word?  Maybe I just invented it . . .)  This unit has been a work-in-progress for weeks and I'm so glad to finally share it with you!  You can check out all the details at my TPT store HERE.

This unit has everything you need to explore the five senses with your kiddos, including:
-Daily, hands-on activities (including student response activities)
-A Five Senses Song
-Literature Connection ideas for each lesson
-A printable student book for your kidlets to complete page-by-page as you guide them through the unit
-Mini posters with a stick kiddo icon for each of the five senses
-A summative assessment worksheet
-Lined writing paper
-Graphic organizers (bubble maps and Step Up To Writing outline)
-And . . . an original mini story by yours truly! :)

Anywho . . . this is one of my all-time favorite units to teach, and I hope that you will enjoy teaching it as much as I do.  I will be doing this unit with my kiddos in March and will post pictures SOON of all of the SCIENTIFICAL action!  (See . . . it IS a word! )

Hope you all have a restful weekend, and don't forget to stop by my TPT store!  My Five Senses Unit is on sale through February 29th, so hurry over and get yours today!  

Lindsay

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Dr. Seuss Graph Freebie and TPT Store Opening!

Hey there my bloggerific peeps!  Lindsay here . . .

As Kerri mentioned earlier, our district gets this WHOLE week off from school.  Sounds nice, right?  Well, I have come to discover that that are quite a few things that can take the joy right out of a week off from work . . . like getting sick perhaps.  Or a teething baby. Or maybe a funeral. Or online traffic school.  Ooooh, or if you are REALLY lucky like me, maybe you will get all that in one week.  Don't be jealous people. Don't be jealous. ;)

Okay, I really didn't get on here to tell you about my pathetically non-relaxing vacation week.  I DID come here to tell you that I love Dr. Seuss.  Like SO much.  In fact, this week I have planning and preparing for Read Across America and Dr. Seuss's birthday next week, and I kept coming across these GREAT quotes from all of his books that I just had to share . . . So, may I present the Top 11 Dr. Seuss Quotes of ALL TIME!!  (There were just too many to only do a Top 10.)

Drumroll please . . .

11. And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.  

10.  I meant what I said, and I said what I meant. An elepahnt's faithful, one hundred percent. 

9. From there to here, from here to there. Funny things are everywhere.

8. A person's a person, no matter how small.

7. Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not.

6. Today was good. Today was fun. Tomorrow is another one.

5. You're off to Great Places! Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting, so . . . get on your way!

4. You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose.
3. Today you are you. That is truer than true. There is no one alive who is youer than you.
2. The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go!
1. Think left and think right and think low and think high. Oh, the think you can think up if only you try!
Yep, he was a pretty amazing guy.  I plan to celebrate him all next week with my kidlets with some fun activities, centers, etc. AND most of all by enjoying as many of his books as we can possibly squeeze into one week! 
At the end of the week, we will be tallying up our class's favorite Dr. Seuss book.  I have posted a Dr. Seuss Graph freebie for you to download at Teachers Pay Teachers.  (Click the image below to access this freebie.)


Be sure to keep your eyes open . . . there will be more to come soon in my brand-new TPT store!
Well, I am off to bed, seeing as how I will be up at 5:00 a.m. with my precious little teething munchkin.  Tootles!

Lindsay

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

March Words Posted!

Hi Friends! Happy Wednesday! Kerri here...
We saw the movie "We Bought a Zoo" today and it was SO darn sweet! I loved it! Anyone else seen it?
I'm gonna keep it SUPER short, because we are about to go and check out the BRAND NEW Fresh and Easy that just opened up TODAY on our neighborhood! I'm so excited! Have you ever been to a Fresh and Easy?? They are totally cool, and their food products have NO partially hydrogenated oils or high fructose corn syrup in them, which is AMAZING!


I just finished and posted my March Words Writing Pack, just in time for March, which is (gulp) NEXT WEEK!! I'm freaking out just a little bit! Where did February go, man?? I am one month older to turning 28 (plus 10...sssshhhh)! I better get cracking on these so they'll be ready for my chitlins next week when I go back to work (sniffle sniffle)!
Here's a sneak peek...


Here's what you get... 6  activities~(the numbers are all WONKY...just ignore them!)



1. Words Mat/Book Cover/Lined Paper-
Make several copies of the March Words on cardstock and laminate for durability. Copy writing paper back to back ( I use 6 pages per book and this lasts the whole month) and fold in half to make a little book, with the cover on the front. I copy the cover on colored paper to make it more festive! :)
Use this writing activity in your writing center for the whole month and allow the kids to write describing sentences about each March word, one word per page.
  1. March Words ABC Order-
Cut apart laminated March Words mats to make individual cards. Students choose 5 words, place in ABC order, and illustrate!
3. St. Patrick’s Day, Dr. Seuss, and Weather Writing Paper-
Use individual cut up March Word cards. Students choose 2-3 cards and write a story using lots of describing words, and then illustrate their story in the box.
4. March Making Words-
Students choose a picture from the March Words Mat, write it in the box, and illustrate it. Next, they find the letters to spell the word. (Letters included in packet-copy and laminate as many sets as you need for students to use). Students will make as many words as they can using the letters from the March word that they chose and write in the boxes.
  1. March Words “Describe Me!”
Students will choose a card and write down a list of as many words as they can think of to describe it. Then, they will use those words and write “I have... or I am...” sentences, such as “I am green and orange.” on the back of the Describe Me! worksheet and illustrate the word they chose in the box provided.
6. March Words Match-Ups-
Students will match up each Cut-up March word card to the laminated sentence card that describes it. After matching, students will choose 5 pictures, write the corresponding sentence on the lines, and illustrate the pictures on the back.

You can click on the sneak peek pic to head on over to my store! Thanks, my friends! 

 P.S. Is anyone else SO SUPER SAD that next week is Parenthood's season finale? WTH?? In FEBRUARY?? I have to wait 7 months to see a new episode?? That is just plain RIDONKULOUS!

Monday, February 20, 2012

Tale of the Tattoo...Part Deux!

Happy Monday, Peeps! Kerri here...
If you notice, it is 9:09 a.m. and I am HOME, NOT at school since we get the WHOLE WEEK OFF!! Aahhh, how glorious it feels! Here is a little pic of my newly completed family tattoo, and I heart it!


I am officially Brent's girl now, there's no turning back!! HA!


That's all I got! We're off to the dentist (praying for no cavities) and then Target, laundry, and more Harry Potter lego madness with my little Katie Bug. She is WAY into it!


Have a great day, friends!!

Sunday, February 19, 2012

Happy Sunday!

Hi Peeps! Kerri here...
Happy Sunday! I just have 3 quick things before I have to head off for church!


1. Saw Moneyball last night, and I REALLY liked it! I'm not just saying that because Brad Pitt is in it, although that is always a good thing :) I don't even understand or like baseball, and I was totally fascinated! Didn't even fall asleep on the couch, which is HUGE for me!!


2. I am getting my hubs and my initials on my tattoo today! SOO excited!! Pictures to follow...


3. I just uploaded 5 more writing centers to TPT, and I PROMISE this will be it for the Writing Centers for a while. I am completely OUT of ideas, and I need to focus on my Katie Bug's 9th birthday, which is this week. Soup Plantation with 10 little girls, here we come!


Here are the newbies for you to check out. Maybe something will strike your fancy?? You can click on Jack and the Beanstalk to go to my TPT store...




I ABSOLUTELY love and ADORE Kirsten from KPM Doodles! She has the raddest blog EVER! Check it out and buy some of her clip art. It is so so cute and whimsical!


P.S. I also got rid of that annoying word verification thing on my comment box. Thanks Kristin (Teeny Tiny Teacher) for reminding me to ditch it! I just know now the comments will flow in, like hers do! :)


Hope you have a relaxing and blessed Sunday!!

Friday, February 17, 2012

Lincoln Art, 100 year old writing, and Writing Centers laminated!

Hi Friends! Kerri here...
I SURVIVED!! Our black and white report day was TOTALLY WICKED! I love every minute of it...Here's a little sneak peek! You can pick up your copy of the report and parent letter here...
                       


We also made our Lincoln Art this week, and wrote about old Honest Abe...since I was feeling lazy and didn't feel like cutting all the pieces for him, we direct-drew him, and glued him on red paper-Easy Peasy, Lemon Squeezy and so darn adorable!!






Um, is this a Jack Skellington Lincoln?? And, he died at the movies? Really?? Too funny! 
He had a long hat-so cute!


We also drew ourselves as 100 years-old and wrote about what our lives would be like. You HAVE GOT to check these out...



Denters (dentures)  HA!


I will read Harry Potter? He's just kissing up to me! :)


I will have pennis. WHAT THE??? It should be "I will have pennies" Dangit! I missed that spell check!




Finally, I laminated and pretty-fied all of my new writing centers! They are all shiny and sparkly!


Zoo Animals, Garden, and Farm Friends

Prehistoric Pals,  Forest Friends,  and Ocean

America, Alice in Wonderland, Cat in the Hat!

Weather,  STAR WARS,  Space!

Winter Games, Arctic Life, and Classroom Critters

Fairy Tales (FREEBIE) and Pirates!!
You can get any of the these writing centers by visiting my TPT store! Click here...


And, don't forget to get your Once Upon a Time Writing Center by clicking on the picture below!

More to come, including Goldilocks and Jack and the Beanstalk. But now, off I go to dinner, my daughter's talent show, and then it's the couch for me!! Toodles, Peeps!

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

100th Day Wrap-Up and a Presidents Day Freebie!

Happy Wednesday folks! Lindsay here . . .

Well, as Kerri mentioned, today we had our wet and rainy 100th Day of School!  That's right. Nothing says fun like torrential downpour and fruit loop necklaces, right?  :)

I just had to share picture of some of our cute projects (more pictures to come later, I promise!). 

First, we made our 100 year old selves for art and wrote all about what it will be like to be 100 years old!


  
I love what the bearded gentleman on the left wrote: "I will sleep as long as I want. I will buy a dog and call him Jingle."   Priorities people . . . priorities.  If you want to enjoy your golden years, you most DEFINATELY need a dog named Jingle!

My favorite of our 100 year old art were the little old ladies with their hair in white buns . . . AND this particularly cross looking 100 year old man.  Isn't he hilarious?!


Then of course we made necklaces, decorated crowns, wrote about what we would do with $100, created gumball machines with 100 gumballs, glued our 100 items brought from home, and made trail mix.  Phew!!!  We were busy little bees today -  and my kids got everything done and said it was the best day ever!  (Cue warm, fuzzy feeling in my heart!)

Here are my kidlets counting 10 groups of 10 fruit loops for their necklaces.  

Writing their "I Wish I Had 100" poems.

Well now that all that madness fun is over, there is still more to do with Presidents Day!  I created this little Venn Diagram freebie to do with my kidlets now that we have learned about both Lincoln and Washington.  They were already making so many great text-to-text connections between the books we had read about both men.  I can't wait to stretch their little brains a bit more and really make them think of more similarities and differences between the two.

Click on the image below to link up with the document.



But the BEST moment of all during our mini-lesson on George Washington came as I was asking some questions at the end of the read-aloud . . .

Me (to students): Now do any of you think you know why they nicknamed Washington "The Father of Our Country?"
Student: Because he looks like my grandpa.

Classic.

Anyhow, enjoy the freebie, and hope you all have a great Presidents' Day holiday.  Our district gets a whole week off . . .not to rub it in or anything! ;)

Happy teaching!

Lindsay