SUMMER FLASHBACK.....Classroom Camping Theme and writing

This didn't get posted this summer and I decided to do a little flashback session! I really loved this theme and found so many great ideas in the TpT store as well as teachers' blogs. This particular idea just needed a clipart fire, paper and staples!

We made some camp Notebooks to go along with our books and graphs activities. I really had some big plans for these guys, but we never had enough time for everything! Here are a few things we did with them...maybe next summer we can work them into the lessons more!

When we prepared them, I didn't know WHAT we were going to do yet! So they had blank pages.

Later, when I knew what our lessons were going to cover I made pages, copied, cut them apart and glued them into the notebooks. It worked okay, I only had 12 notebooks to glue.

 We brainstormed after our hike, while I wrote everything they said, I also drew simple pictures next to the words to prepare them for doing it on their own.

This was completed after our fishing graph.

We read the big book Under the Waves.

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Step by step drawing activities.

This notebook has a lot of potential and can be individualized for each student if needed. We met in our "Writing Tent" to complete the notebooks. I learned something....even the most reluctant writer will try his best if he can be in a tent!

If you are new to this blog and want to read more about our camping theme, check out the June-July posts here

Paula

Five for Friday.....September 27, 2013

It is time for linking with Doodle Bugs!

1. I've been refining our listening center. It is on our workshop rotation twice a week. It has been a process to teach students how to use the machines and follow the directions. One day we have an audio book, the other day is the card reader. I added a booklet this week to fill in the blanks with a high frequency target word. One of the students need the words "pre-written" with a highlighter, one needs a starter word, then he can continue on his own, and another doesn't need any help!  I also added more specific directions and introduced them before we started workshop. It helped a lot!

2. Next, I displayed the basic directions on the Promethean Board for a group project. The visuals were more effective then me talking!

3. Tumblebooks.com  is awesome! The kids love it and with our amazing Promethean Board, everyone can see just fine. Our school has a subscription to the website.

4. This week I dug out my trusty stamps and scented ink pad. I was once again wowed by the fact that the ink pad is still working! This ink pad and turtle stamps were a gift from my sweet sister almost 20 years ago! I received it in Oklahoma, packed it when we moved to Tok, Alaska, again to Wrangell, Alaska and finally now in the great Mat-Su Valley. Out of curiosity, I looked up Ranger Industries of Tinton Falls, NJ and they're still in business. I didn't see this exact ink for sale but I'm going to write them.

5. Finally I want to share a picture of my youngest daughter and her sweet kitten. She could make a cat food commercial!

There's my week in a nutshell!

Have a great weekend and tell me about yourself,

Paula