Descriptive Attributes

In first grade, we are learning about descriptive attributes. I modeled how to write a thesis statement and then wrote a paragraph, describing a student in the class. Then, the children had to guess who it was. 

This is my example. My paragraph begins with a thesis statement. We underlined the descriptive attributes. We have been discussing descriptive attributes all week. Before I wrote the last sentence, the children guessed who I was writing about. They got the answer right!

Here are some of their examples.

This was a fun activity that also helped to strengthen their sentence writing ability. We are working hard on improving our conventions. 

American Flag Cut and Paste Activity...Freebie!

Do you know what you're doing yet to teach your students about Constitution Day? Last year, in second grade, I taught my students all about the Preamble to the United States Constitution. First, we read this book:

We the Kids:

The Preamble to the Constitution of the United States

Then, they worked collaboratively to illustrate a page in our class book. It came out so cute! If I do it this year, I will write "Illustrated by Ms. Rosenberg's Class". After all, my students didn't write the words! I realized that after the children worked so hard to decorate the cover and didn't have the heart to ask them redo it!

This year, in first grade, after I teach my students about what the Pledge of Allegiance really means, they will complete this cute cut and paste lift the flap activity, to help them remember the definitions of the real words.

You can do this activity, too! Just click on the image above to download it. If you like it, please let me know! Thanks!

What are you doing this year for Constitution Day?

A Week of Strong Verbs

This week, my writing target skill in first and second grade was all about using strong verbs. Teaching them now, right off the bat, will surely help my budding writers express themselves. We learned how strong verbs help the reader visualize what the writer is saying. Hearing first graders say the word "visualization" is hysterical! Here are some of the activities we did:

We read two great books that are chock full of strong verbs.

My Crayons Talk

by Patricia Hubbard

The Wind Blew

by Pat Hutchins

We made a chart of the verbs from the books and other verbs that came to mind. *The verb toot, refers to a musical instrument. We also discussed how some verbs could also be nouns, depending on how they are used in a sentence.

In second grade, we used picture cards to help us make more lists of verbs.

The children worked collaboratively in groups to find as many strong verbs as they could.

In second grade, the children also worked collaboratively to search for strong verbs in storybooks. They made a list of them and shared their list with the class. We added some of these words to our chart and to our parts of speech word wall.

Together, we looked at a picture and wrote some sentences using strong verbs. The children came to the board and underlined the strong verbs. 

Then, I gave the children their own cards and they worked independently to write sentences using strong verbs. They highlighted their verbs.

In first grade, we brainstormed activities we could do outside and then the children wrote about their favorite outdoor activities, making sure to use a few strong verbs.

We also sang songs about verbs, played verb charades, and worked collaboratively to change the weak verb in a sentence to a strong verb. The children impressed me with all the strong verbs they thought of. Now, I will challenge them every day to use these vivid verbs in their writing and when they speak.

Number Posters Freebie

I just uploaded my cute number

posters to TpT. I have them hanging in my classroom

and I have received several emails from teachers, asking

if they can purchase them. Yes, you can have them, 

but, no, you can't purchase them, because they are

FREE!! 

Just click on the image below to grab them!

If you like them, please let me know. I'm nosy that way!

This is how they are posted in my classroom:

Enjoy!

I'm linking up with Farley's September Currently.

Here is what's on my mind...

Monday Made It!

I have never participated in Monday Made It and each week I try to figure out how I can participate because I am not very crafty. I can do lots of cute stuff on my computer, but, sadly, that's where my talent ends. Then, it hit me! I love my mailbox labels, using binder clips and I can repost how I did that. Yay! I have arrived!

These are my students' mailboxes. I typed out their names, laminated them, and taped them to the 2-inch binder clips. I love this idea because they are easy to update and I don't have to worry about labels falling off. I hope you have enjoyed my tip!

My new blog design...and a giveaway!

I am so proud to show off my brand new blog design!

Thanks to Erika and Misty, I now have

an original, one-of-a-kind, blog, that I just love.

In case you aren't familiar with The Honey Bunch Blog Design crew, let me just tell you that Erika and Misty are two of the nicest people I have ever had the pleasure to work with. And, they can actually read minds! I kid you not! Somehow, they both knew what I was looking for and created a blog design that really shows off the kind of person/teacher I am. I love to have fun and I'm always bright and cheery. Just like my blog!

In addition to their Honey Bunch Blog, Erika and Misty both have teacher blogs you should check out.

I would also like to thank Nikki, from MelonHeadz Illustrations.

She also reads minds and created the cute graphics on my blog. I've never looked so cute! And, I love my silly little children!

In honor of my new blog design, I'd like to offer you all a chance to win an amazing product from Learning Resources. Have you ever seen their magnetic border? I love to put border around the outside of my white board and, in the past, I have had to put my own magnets on the border. Boy, that was a pain! It always fell down! This year, Learning Resources came out with a new product and I just love it.

See the pretty pencil border around my white board? Do you know how easy it was too hang? I just took it out of the package and placed it where I wanted it. The back is completely magnetic! It's totally a teacher's dream!

Learning Resources is so sweet! They asked me if I was interested in giving away magnetic border to one of my lucky followers. Interested? Are you kidding? Nothing makes me happier than giving stuff away. Well, I guess winning stuff is pretty awesome, too!

Anyway, the border comes in 3 designs.

Circles, Pencils, Stars, and Stripes

                                             

You can choose whichever one strikes your fancy.

Since I'm a writing teacher, it was a no-brainer!

Just use the rafflecopter below to enter.

Good luck to you!

a Rafflecopter giveaway