Creative Connections Writing Prompt

Here's another quick and easy writing prompt. This prompt requires students to make a personal connection with a quote about friendship. And besides, who doesn't love Cookie Monster??

 Explain what Cookie Monster means, and tell whether or not you agree with him, and why.

Persuasive Writing Prompt

Are you looking for a quick and easy persuasive writing prompt? 

Ask and ye shall receive...

You have just discovered this ice cave. 

* If you want to play in the cave, write a persuasive paragraph explaining why your parents should allow you to play in the cave. 

* If you do not want to play in the cave, write a persuasive essay explaining why you don't think children should be allowed to play in the cave.

Photo retrieved from http://iwastesomuchtime.com/on/?i=68637

ELA Common Core Resources

I don't know about the rest of you, but I have been overwhelmed by the transition to Common Core ELA standards. I do see and understand the need for exposing students to more complex texts and giving them the chance to really dig into and interact with what they are reading. I'm just struggling with how to handle the transition, especially for my 5th graders who have not had previous exposure to the standards and are just being "thrown in". Not only am I not totally sure how to "unpack" and teach the new standards, but it's difficult to know how to build in the prerequisite skills and experiences they are missing while moving them forward.

What follows is nothing that I have created-- I claim no ownership to the websites, blogs, or activities-- I have merely made a collection of resources that I have found useful. 

STUDENT RESOURCES (**FREE** STUFF TO USE WITH YOUR STUDENTS!!)

•  Newsela- This site is A-MAZING, and I'm not exaggerating. It not only provides nonfiction/informational texts in the form of current event news articles BUT it provides the article on multiple Lexile levels! It does the differentiation for you! AND.... many of the articles come with a quiz or discussion questions, which also are differentiated based on the level of the article selected. Told you-- amazing, right??
• The Learning Network- This site is linked to the New York Times, and provides teaching and learning materials. Includes NYT articles as well as lesson plans and activity ideas.
• FCRR's Student Center Activities- Use this link to access TONS of graphic organizers that are matched to specific CC standards, objectives, and lesson ideas. Activities are organized by grade level, CC Standard, and then lesson/activity title. Because this website and resources are from Florida, they align with Florida's CC Standards, but each is categorized by CC standard, so everyone can use them and easily tie them to their state's specific standards.  

WEBSITES/BLOGS

• "Five Close Reading Strategies to Support the Common Core" blog entry at iTeach.iCoach.iBlog.'s blog. This blog gives some great strategies to teach and use with (intermediate elementary and above) students to help them learn how to access complex texts. The strategies can be first taught, and then used independently by students. They are simple, yet quite brilliant. 

• Hello Literacy's Blog & Website- If you have never checked out this blog or resources by Jen Jones, take 10 minutes and do it now! It's that good. She has great ideas, information, and activities to share, and she shares them in a clear and enjoyable way. If it has to do with literacy and the Common Core, she'll have something about it :)

• School Improvement Network's Common Core blog- I just found this blog, but it looks chalked full of resources. It advertises itself as, "A resource guide to Common Core Standards tools". 
• Create-Abilities: Top Notch Common Core Activities- Although this blog is what many would consider "a regular teacher's blog", the majority of the posts and resources are about Common Core. I especially found the (several) posts about Close reading helpful.

BOOKS

• Pathways to the Common Core: Accelerating Achievement by Lucy Calkins, Mary Ehrenworth, and Christopher Lehman

        There is a brief introductory and a summary of a section on how to help all students access complex texts at The Teacher Studio blog.  

• Notice & Note: Strategies for Close Reading by Kyleen Beers and Robert E. Probst

         I am actually reading this book right now, and I am happy with my purchase. I purchased the book after reading a review at Teaching in Room 6's blog. She also includes some activity ideas and the way she implemented it in her classroom.

Teachers have to eat: Chocolate Chip M&M Oatmeal Cookies

Now that's a lot of adjectives for one little cookie! I was recently introduced to this cookie by way of one of those "cookie mixes in a canning jar" gifts. It was the favor at my sister-in-law's baby shower. Not only did it look very pretty layered in a jar, they tasted really yummy! Since it's a girl **YEAH** the M&Ms were shades of pink. My brain got thinking about how using different colored ones could make it seasonal. So, I got busy picking out the brown, yellow, orange, and red M&Ms and decided to turn them into Thanksgiving/fall cookies :) (You could always use Reese's Pieces and throw in the peanut butter flavor, but I needed these to be peanut free).

The original recipe comes from Bakerella and is shows you how to make it in the canning jars-- super cute which I may just someday try. Enjoy these yummy, super yummy cookies! And here's the thing, I know they look like they'd be a "dry" cookie, but they really aren't, which really surprised me. I mean, of course they'd go great with a glass of milk, but they're not a cookie that you have to choke down. Give 'em a try!

Ingredients:
1 1/3 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup quick oats
3/4 cup M&Ms
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup white sugar
1 slightly beaten egg
1/2 cup butter (slightly melted in the microwave)
1 tsp vanilla

Making them:

1. Preheat oven to  350 degrees.
2. Mix all of the dry ingredients together.
3. Add egg, melted butter & vanilla. Mix until it's "dough like" and all dry ingredients are no longer dry.

 4. Roll the dough into 1 and 1/2 inch balls; place on cookie sheet.

5. Baked for about 10 minutes. This cookie doesn't seem to 'brown' very well, so you can't really go by that. 
6. Enjoy!

 
  

Read to us!

In the day and age of testing and the endless roll out of new standards, some times we forget the simpliest things... Yesterday I read a picture book to my 5th graders. They so enjoyed it, and today they asked if I could read to them again.

Fear not, Standard Sticklers, I made sure to pick a good mentor text which led to a lot of rich discussion and the practice of some essential CC skills. 

Wednesday's pick...

• Grace is a wonderful character to analyze for traits based on her thoughts, actions, and feelings. 
• Good text clues in which to make inferences
• A great story for determining theme
• Has a very positive message about self-confidence and perseverance

Thursday's pick...

• This book is great for inferring Grace's feelings and thoughts; not just what they are, but why she has them
• There is opportunity for self-to-text and text-to-text connection as concepts of family and divorce are discussed
• A few opportunities for predicting
• A great story for determining theme
• Seeing a "known" character on another adventure allowed for deeper character analysis 
• It would be easy to look at story events from another character's perspective (ie. her dad's or stepmother's)

Using Padlet in the Classroom

This year as been a bit hectic and has not been as enjoyable as some. But I must say, while trying to jazz up today's lesson for a central office visit (don't judge.. you know you do it too :)), I decided to try out Padlet.

We've been working on analogies for a little while now, and it was time to take it to the next level-- using it in a brief statement, comparing two dissimilar items (one abstract and one concrete). I found an example with a picture online, posted it on Padlet with brief instruction and directions and let the kids have at it. I was amazed by the finished product! (click to check it out). 

This was the first time they ever used Padlet, but they had absolutely no trouble. It was so easy, and they really enjoyed it. Students don't need to sign-up, no usernames or passwords, no e-mail addresses needed. Only the teacher needs to sign-up (or log-in using a google account). It took literally 5 minutes to set-up/create. I highly recommend trying it in the classroom.

Feel free to share links to Padlets you've created and used :)

Descriptive Writing Prompt

I just finished my report cards *huge sigh of relief* and was rewarding myself with a few minutes on Facebook before bed when I saw a picture (posted by Kids Weather App) and instantly had a writing prompt idea.

Here it is: a descriptive writing prompt

Have students write a description (including sensory details) about spending a night in this "camping bubble". For those that need extra support, you can provide them with a sensory chart to complete prior to writing. For those up for an extension, you can give them other requirements like including a simile, metaphor, etc.