Teachers pay teachers and Norte Dame Science Units

I have been using teacherspayteachers.com for a while now.  I love the site.  I uploaded my first document tonight.  It was a activity that I made for the performance assessment for one of my science units.  For years I have used a weather wheel for years.  The kids love making them but for the last few years I have changed from the pre-printed ones to this one where the kids have to draw their own pictures.  I don't know what the difference is with coloring and drawing but most of my kids prefer to draw then to color.  I prefer it too.  So, I adapted the standard color wheel.  

I am also looking through the work I have done for years.  The things that I LOVE and that the kids seem to like as well.  I am going to add those once I get back to school in the fall.  So, for now, go get my free weather and seasons wheel.  :)

Part of the training I went to last week with Norte Dame and the Archdioese of Oklahoma had me working on science units for the.  It has been a very LONG and grueling process.  But,  I feel like I am a better teacher for it.  I am going to post a few of the things that I have done as part of it.

Here is one of the activities.  I tried it out on B.  He had a blast.  See how happy he is!!!! 

The Performance Assessement:  Illustrate an animal in its habitat including it's needs and it's life cycle.

The conversation went like this.

Me:What kind of an animal do you want to draw?
B:  A Dinosaur (Green pink and blue image in the middle)
Me:  Now where does he live?
B: in a cave (purple thing to the right)
Me:  What does your dinosaur need to stay alive?
B:  Sun, water and food (orange at the top and the three light blue on the left are  the glass of water and an apple)
Me: If this is an adult dinosaur what was it before that?
B:  Kid
Me: And before it was a kid?
B:  A baby (orange on the bottom left)
Me:  And before it was a baby?
B: an egg (the brown on the bottom left) 

The assessment is designed as a group at activity but each child is doing different animals.  Then once the entire group has finished you can put them into a book and discuss each animal.   I hope it turns out in the classroom as well as it did at home.  I was really able to see what B knew and what he did not.  He knew that a dinosaur need food but not the right kind of food.  He knew that it needed water but it does not drink from a glass.  Can't wait to see what this little guy learns this year in Pre-K. 

More pegs

I really do have a problem.  I made more pegs.  They turned our pretty cute though.  Three little pigs,  2 boys, 4 girls, and a special doll just for  my daughter.  :)

I also painted this evening.  I made two aprons.  A greeting apron and a goodbye apron for my greeter to use.  I hope they like them.  I saw the idea here.  YES I copied.  The best teachers steal everything they can get their hands on.   That being said, I am  so excited for the Teaching Bug.  I truly is a great idea. 

I feel that I have been "crafty" mom all summer. Hopefully it will not make the summer go so fast. 

Peg dolls

I have this "problem."  Really, I don't think it is a problem but my kids do.  I make things for my kids knowing they will end up in my classroom at some point.  And it will probably be sooner than later.  In April, when I do our superhero unit,  I bought some pegs to make these superheroes. I never got around to making them.  So, that has become a summer project.  I am sure that B has no idea that in April I will be taking these lovelies to school.  Now the fun part is that B painted the base coat on all of these so they are not "perfect" which drives me crazy.

 These are the villians that Dusty wanted.  Red Skull enemy to Captin America.  General Zod enemy to Superman (I thought Lex was superman's enemy but I guess since I am a girl I just don't know anything.)  And of course Riddler and Joker are enemy of Batman.  The funny thing about some of the other super heroes that I found was that they really did not have "enemies".  If you look closely you can see Thor.  I am still working on him. 

I also made some pretty cute pirates.  Charlie has requested some princesses and the Scooby Doo gang.  Dusty wants the Ghostbusters and Tombstone (we will see if I get those done), and Little Orphan Annie.  I think I might also try to make the Littles and a few families for my doll house.  These have become quite fun. 

Sheets as backdrops

I have this obsession.  At least I think it is an obsession.  I LOVE to add back drops to my dramatic play center.  Each year I seem to add a new on.  This is my newest one (Fifth).  I added it this year for our "God's Superhero"  Unit.  They kids just love it.  It just give a backdrop to their play.  This one cost $6.  I bought a black flat twin  sheet from Wal-mart.  It took me about three hours one night to paint this one.  I used white, gray, and yellow acrylic paint. 

 My Fourth one was a Chicka Chicka Boom Boom coconut tree.  I actually use that one flat on the ground and the kids either use letter vests to "be" the letters or they use it as a goal for throwing alphabet bean bags.  It is a lot of fun but I can't seem to find a picture of it.  This was my third one to make.  It is the back drop for my week on endangered animals and dinosaurs.  I have a set of Dinosaur masks that I printed from Sparkle box.  I love to watch them with this one.  This one took about a week to do because I used so many colors.  It was super fun.  In the summer I bring them home and my kids put on plays. 

This was my very two. My daughter had a princess birthday party.  We used the  "castle" as a place where the kids could go in and build castles of their own.  The dragon allowed the boys to have  a blast fighting the dragon without hitting each other with the swords.  I can't wait to see what else I come up with this summer.  I have been toying with the inside of  a fire station for fire safety week.  Maybe I will do a fire place with Christmas tree this year.  What do you think I should try?

I call them friends.

I have wanted to have a teaching blog for a while now.  Never jumped in.  Today is the day!  I finally signed out today (or the last Friday in May).   It is  a great feeling to turn in all my "information" for the year knowing that I have a full three months (any teacher knows this is not true) before I will be back in class.   I say that for all the "people"  who swear that the reason to teach is June, July, and August.  For me, I am in "class" for 7 days in June,  a day in July and our report back day is the 5th of August.   This year was a little different then most. Most people who know me know one very important thing.  I am a mess.  I just can not seem to get organized.  Well, not this year.  My assistant (she is a blessing from God) stayed for three extra days to help me go through and reorganize my classroom.  I have taught in this same school for 8 years now.   I had a lot of stuff when I started.  I have a  lot more stuff!  Thank you Karen Cox for great inspiration.  I have looked at her sight Pre-kinders for years.  Last summer she posted this post about how she organizes everything.  I worked on my trade books over spring break.  I loved how easy that was for the remainder of school.  Then, when school was out.  My assistant and I pulled everything out of the closets and went to work.  It felt so good to close down my classroom knowing how much easier it would be when I go back in August.