Comparing the Past and Present

It's another off week for me, which means a flexible schedule in the library.  These are fun because I get to teach a variety of things, make the teachers happy because I'm reviewing concepts (and it gives them a break!), and makes the kids happy because they still get to check out and do something fun!

This week with my Kindergarten and First Graders, we are looking at past and present.  We're also discovering QR Codes for the first time for some of them as well!  Students have had a lot of fun taking the tablets around and scanning cards to watch videos, see pictures, and see what the past was like!  I also have had a past/present picture sort waiting for them to do at one of the tables (complete with hula hoops that are labeled), as well as a cut/paste activity on comparing the past/present.  Plus, there's also the bonus of getting to check out this week!

For those of you that might be confused, our school has a STEM lab ("Innovation Lab") that meets 3 times during the nine weeks and it's during the library resource time.  So, my first week was kind of a dud with teachers signing up for a flexible schedule.  It was brand new to them and some of the sample lesson plans I sent out were a little ambitious and probably scared them off! (Mali marketplace, anyone?).  So, for the second week, I recruited teachers by making up a digital citizenship lesson a K class missed due to a field trip.....and when the word spread that it was like an extra planning period, well, my K-2 teachers went wild and all signed up!  They were really happy I asked THEM what to teach!  I was doing math patterns with my Kinders, pirate maps with the Firsties, weather with the second graders....you get the idea.  Now that we're on the 3rd week, I've been able to have a "soft opening" with my fourth and fifth graders with our Makerspace (planning to roll it all out after Thanksgiving), teaching past/present with K and 1, weather and economics with 2nd, character traits with 5th...you get the idea!

So I wanted to share my Past/Present packet with you because my kiddos have had so much fun with it this week so far!  Click on the title page to see more!

These are "hunt keys" I created for my kids so they could mark off the cards they scanned and watched

Here There Be Pirates!

I had an amazing time with my first graders combining maps and pirates!  My first grade teachers had asked me to work with the students on creating maps.  What better way than with pirates!

We read a book called A Pirate's Guide to First Grade by James Preller to set the mood.


We also read a cool book on maps, to review map skills (there were some pages I skipped if it didn't meet the standards for first, i.e. too high):  Follow That Map!  A First Book of Mapping Skills by Scot Ritchie.


I asked students what pirates and maps had in common to get their juices going.  Then, we had a fun time with a map activity I created, where students had to draw maps (focusing on map keys, symbols, and compass rose) to find the treasure!  I differentiated among the grade level, so there are actually 3 levels of maps I used:  for our gifted class, I gave them the blank map template, then they had to draw their own map key, compass rose, and create symbols.  For another class, I provided the map template, map key, symbols, compass rose, and title BUT they had to cut them out and use them in the correct place.  A third class received the map with the map key, symbols, and compass rose on it, but had to create a title and draw the symbols from the map key on to the map (and there was a space where they could create more symbols, if they wanted to).

It made for a really fun lesson, so I hope you'll check it out!  Click on the picture below to take you to TPT or {here} for Teacher's Notebook.

What IS Veteran's Day?

This week in our resource classes, we are focusing on Veteran's Day.  In music, students will be learning a military medley.  In art, they'll be creating a poppy project.  Here in the library, they'll be learning about what veteran's day is and writing letters to veterans and current soldiers.

I happen to have a student who is a marine and is currently stationed in California, so we'll be sending his unit plenty of letters!  We'll also be sharing that with veterans at McGuire VA Hospital in Washington, D.C.  I also found other organizations that make sure current soldiers, as well as veterans, receive care packages and letters, so I made note of their addresses as well.  This is probably something I'll encourage students to repeat throughout the year as well, not just on a special holiday.  I'm excited and I hope the students will be, too!

The books I'll be using for each grade are:
(PK/K/1):  Don't Forget, God Bless Our Troops by Jill Biden
Coming Home by Greg Ruth
(2/3):  Love, Lizzie:  Letters to a Military Mom by Lisa McElroy
Veterans Day by Elaine Landau
(4/5):  The Wall by Eve Bunting (there's also a Reading Rainbow that goes along with this book that I might be using as well!)

I am using this cute craftivity I originally bought when I taught 2nd grade, and my 2nd and 3rd graders will be creating these this year with their letters:

You can click on the picture to take you to TPT where I bought it.  I noticed when grabbing the link she's added a lot more to it, so be sure to check it out! :)

For my PreK, K, and 1st graders, I created a printable booklet, similar to what I shared on this blog last year, but in an easier format (for PreK and K, I have one that is sight words only).  There's also an informational book you can share with 1-3, but for time sake, I'm doing it with just my first graders this year.  Unlike last year's, this one they'll be able to read and color. :)

For my 4-5th graders, we'll also be writing letters, but on a different template I created.  My former student got a little offended with the term "soldier", so we'll also be using "Dear Friend" letter templates as well!  Just for you, Jaleel! :)

To check out my packet, click on a picture below, or {here} to take you to Teacher's Notebook.

Caps and Patterns

I really wanted to post more than once a month, but that seems to be what my schedule is this year.  My apologies (and I won't even mention my Facebook page!  I told my husband he can take that over as much as he checks his!  Hah!).

Well, Book Fair is over for the Fall and I've had a day to recover!  Onward and forward, right?  This week, I don't get to see my kiddos because they're going to our new STEM Lab called the "Innovation Lab" and working on projects there.  So, 3 weeks out of the nine weeks, it happens, and it happens during Library Resource.  However, our TAG teacher who also runs the Innovation Lab does not need my help.  She does an awesome job with students and I feel like I sit there and babysit.  My first attempt at having a "flexible" schedule those weeks flopped.  No one signed up to come to the library.  Maybe it was the sample lesson plans I sent out?  I admit now, looking at them, they were a bit ambitious (having a "Mali Marketplace" for our 3rd graders, for example), but I was trying to get our teachers excited about using the library, me, the space, the resources.....and nada.  No one signed up.  However, this last time, I was talking to a Kindergarten teacher whose class had missed our Digital Citizenship lesson I co-taught with our ITRT.  We decided to make it up during this coming Innovation Week.

That's when it hit me!  Inviting teachers to sign up and basically hinting at an extra resource/planning time. I handle classes on a daily basis with no extra teacher (just like they do).  Also, my K and 1 teachers were saying how disappointed the kids were that they weren't in library and checking out books (not to mention a few parents complained!).  Bingo!  My K and 1 teachers are awesome and I have 6 out of the 11 (so far) signed up for this coming week and I'm teaching maps (pirate maps!) with first grade and math patterns with Kindergarten.  Both are concepts they've been working on in class, so it's not an introduction but rather an extension with a bonus of checking out books!  Win-win, right?

It also made me feel good that the teachers told me the kids missed coming to library and would be super excited about this coming week!

So, tomorrow starts my first K group so I've been working on what to do with patterns.  I'm using this nonfiction book to review patterns:

Then, I'm going to use the fantastic pictures in these books to have students point out patterns:

Finally, we're going to end with one of my dad's favorite read-alouds (the grandkids love his monkey impression!):


We have other pattern books in the library which are so fantastic - well, they're already checked out!  I immediately thought of Caps for Sale with patterns because a) I remember his caps having to be in a certain order and b) a sequel is coming out and is on preorder!!!  So exciting!

So, I spent this afternoon getting inspired and creative with caps and monkeys and came up with activities to use based on monkeys and caps!  I'm going to set up several stations for students to choose and complete:
a) using pattern blocks to create repeating patterns
b) sorting fall themed erasers and then creating patterns with them
c) color and cut out monkey patterns then gluing them to the vine page
d) create a pattern by coloring caps on a page

The last two can be found in my pack {here} at TPT or {here} at TN.  Stay tuned and I'll post the pirate map activities for the firsties this week!