Snowy Day Mentor Text-Nocturne

It is another snow day here in Pennsylvania. We appear to be about half way through the storm and we have about 7 inches on the ground...somehow I am seeing another snow day on Friday as well. While I still have power I thought I would share a mentor text with you that I used with my class earlier this week.

My students and I are in the middle of our historical fiction stories. These stories are probably the largest piece we do all year. It is also a favorite. The students and I spend a lot of time in the revising part of this piece. I use this piece to really help them strengthen their narrative writing skills.

One skill I love to teach them during this unit is a Taffy Sentence. I like to use the book Nocturne by Jane Yolen to teach this skill. The first page has a taffy sentence-and then the taffy sentence is changed slightly but repeated three other times in the book. It really helps students understand how to stretch their thoughts, add "on purpose" details, and create a beautiful sentence.

Example of a Taffy Sentence

Once we have read through the book together, we talk about places and ways we could add a taffy sentence into our stories. I then give my students time to reread what they have written so far and see if they can add a taffy sentence somewhere. It is the sweetest thing when they write one and come rushing over to my desk to share it.

What are your favorite revisiting tips to teach your students during a writing piece?

Spark Student Motivation-Ordering Fractions and a Freebie

Happy Saturday! Even though I barely worked this week with all the snow days and two-hour-delays I am so thankful for the weekend! I'm also super excited to link up with the fabulous Joanne at Head Over Heels for Teaching!

A few weeks ago my students and I began our intensive study on Fractions. For some reason fractions really freak my kiddos our every year. As soon as I say the word they panic...does anyone else have this happen in their classrooms? Due to this, I always start out slow, review the basics, and add in fun activities as often as I can. This really helps to overcome that fear.

To help my students learn to order fractions I give them this Fraction Bar Chart that you can grab for free from TPT. I then give my students a baggie filled with small food items. I've used Lucky Charms, M&Ms, Skittles, etc. This year we used Goldfish because that is what I happened to have on hand. The students and I work together to compare fractions using the Goldfish to mark our spots on the fraction chart.

As the students get more confident, I give them multiple fractions to order. They use their fraction bar charts to identify the fractions and then write their answers down on mini white boards so I can quickly walk around and check them.

Even though this lesson is a little less-mini than most of my mini-lessons my students are engaged the entire time. Of course at the end of the lesson they are able to eat their treat...and that definitely motivates them!

How do you introduce students to ordering fractions?

Workshop Wednesday-Figurative Language Mentor Text and Freebie

Happy Wednesday! I don't know about you, but I am over winter. Today is our second snow day this week. We had a snow day Monday, 2-hour delay on Tuesday, and a snow day today. Currently our school is without power...so maybe snow day number three this week? I might die if that happens!

I'm excited to link up with Jivey at Ideas By Jivey to share a way that I teach figurative language to my students. Teaching figurative language is one of my favorite things to teach. In fourth grade we spend a lot of time on idioms. To introduce idioms I have a few books I love to share with my class.

All of these fabulous books are by Denise Brennan-Nelson. I normally share one a day for the first few days of our idiom unit. I love these books because they are told in a rhyming way, which leaves my students saying the refrain with me (unprompted) every single year. It is the cutest thing when they just can't help but say it with you.

I also love to use the Idiom poster found in this product on TPT. I love these posters because it has students define what an idiom is in their own words, draw a picture of an idiom, find an idiom in a book they are reading, and tell how idioms are different than other types of figurative language. My students complete the poster and turn it in, once I check it over I have them keep it in their writing binder as a reference later in the year. (I wish I had a finished example at home, but they are all with my students in their binders.)

I also like to have my students add idioms to their writing. To do this I give them a list of common idioms.. (Click on the link to grab it for free.) I then have the students choose a story they are familiar with; fable, fairy tale, Bible story etc. to retell using idioms. I find having them choose a story they already know to retell makes it much easier for them to find idioms to add into the story. It is a great way to ease them into adding idioms into their writing.

How do you teach figurative language to your students?

February Currently

I can't believe it is already February! Time is flying by. I'm linking up with Farley for Currently!

Listening: My husband has never watched friends before. We have been watching the entire series and are currently on season 8. I've enjoyed watching him get surprised at the twists and turns of the story line.

Loving: Glen and I call the baby "Little Bit" until we know whether it is a boy or a girl. I'm 14 weeks and cannot wait to feel this little one move.

Thinking: We started registering for baby stuff...there are so many things to consider and look at, it is a bit overwhelming.

Wanting: Naps are my favorite right now.

Needing: I just started a new grad class. Thankfully it is over in March, but I have a lot of work to do for it.

2 Truths and a Fib:
1. Truth-I have broken three bones in my life.
2. Truth-I did student teach in the classroom that I currently teach in. It was an awesome transition.
3. Fib-When I first started taking classes I thought I wanted to teach little ones, that is until I volunteered in a Kindergarten classroom. I prefer the older kids, and I think all Kindergarten teachers are Saints!

What are you up to this month?

Tried it Tuesday-Published Books

Happy Tuesday everyone! I'm excited to link up with Holly for her linky party Tried it Tuesday.

At the end of November I blogged about a book that my students were writing. The students were working together to create a class book. Each student wrote a different page of the story. We then sent the book to Student Treasures to be published.

Earlier this month the published books came in! My students and I were so excited to rip open the package.

Cover

Title Page

The student's parents had a chance to order a copy of the book. I received a free copy. As I was looking through my copy, I discovered that my book was made of the originals. I was so excited to have them bound together in a book, and my students were so excited to be able to take their books home to their parents.

If you are looking for a fun way to motivate your students to write, I highly recommend you check out getting a book published. It was well worth the time and effort!

Players in Pigtails (Social Studies Mentor Text)

Time certainly does fly by! I can't believe it has been over a week since my last post. I'm excited to link up with Collaboration Cuties to share a social studies mentor text with you.



I'm always on the lookout for books that teach students about something they have never heard of before. Players in Pigtails by Shana Corey does just that. This book is during the time period of World War II, all the men were heading off to war and President Roosevelt became worried that the nation's national past time, baseball, was going to fall apart. Philip Wrigley decided to open it up to girls, and that is how the All American Girls Baseball League began. 


My students love the book. Most of them have never heard that girls played baseball, in fact a few of my boys tried to correct me and tell me that girls play softball. They were amazed that the book was based on a true story. I love using this book during our Historical Fiction Unit.

Do any of you have a favorite mentor text for something that isn't very well-known to students?

Special Things are Happening

Happy Saturday! I hope you have all had a wonderful week! I am so excited to share the big news with you!

Glen and I are so excited! I'm 12 weeks along, and baby Hunter is due July 29th. This means that this will be my last year teaching for a little while. I've always wanted to stay home when our kids were young, and now it is here.

So what does that mean for my little blog? I'll still be keeping this blog devoted to education. I have lots of mentor texts and years of activities/ideas that I look forward to sharing with you. This will mean that as I make new products I'll need some of you, my sweet blogging friends, to try out some stuff in your classrooms. Hope some of you don't mind letting your classes be guinea pigs...

I'm looking forward to my next adventure, and looking forward to sharing it with you!