Super Cyber Savings - A TpT Sale!

Bring on the holiday cheer! The TpT sale is here!

What an amazing way to kick off the holiday season! My little cart full of goodies has been waiting for this moment for far too long. On December 1st and 2nd, TpT is hosting a Super Cyber Savings sale! Buyers will save up to 28% off their on-sale resources! These sales only happen a few times a year, people, so you better bet your bottom dollar there will be teachers everywhere taking advantage of the amazing prices!

When you check out, use the promo code TPTCYBER to receive the extra discount.

OH - and don't forget to dash over and leave feedback for your past purchases. You'll earn CREDIT towards future purchases. It's like FREE MONEY from TpT as a thank you for being you! How awesome is that?!

Jump in your one horse open sleigh and dash thru the snow to Teachers Pay Teachers and start prepping for one of the best sales of the year!

Happy Teaching (and shopping!)

Historical Thinking Skills - My Classroom Must-Have!

Wow! This month is flying by!

Exciting news for this little blog: the lovely Teaching With Smiles nominated me for a Liebster Award! I'm so thankful to be able to connect with other bloggers and I can't wait to share my own nominations for the Liebster Award soon!

First up, though, a much overdue post on a new resource that's close to my heart -

Historical Thinking Skills Activities.

 

Historical thinking is a process students use when analyzing primary and secondary sources. It's not enough to simply read a document or examine an historical image and move on. Students need to return to the text multiple times during their examination. Often, however, I've found that these skills are mainly being utilized by older students in high school and middle school. In reality, the process needs to start at the elementary level. In an effort to bring historical thinking into the elementary classroom, I developed a set of activities that are easy to incorporate into the Language Arts or Social Studies content in the classroom.

The basis of the historical thinking activities is Think and Link.

There are 5 components of Think and Link:

The Source

Students will identify the author(s) of the document. Students will also identify the type of document being analyzed.

 

The Description

Students will describe what they see or read in the document. If it is a picture, they'll describe the image. If it is a document or chart, students can describe the main ideas.

 

The Background

Students will use their background knowledge of the time period to describe the events surrounding the creation of the document.

 

The Purpose

Using their background knowledge, students will form a hypothesis as to why the document was created by using evidence. Depending upon the grade level/complexity needed, the teacher can prompt students to decide whether the source is biased or neutral.

 

The Reaction

Students will describe how people may have reacted to the creation of the document. Essentially - how did this document influence/impact history?

The resource, intended for grades 2 - 5, includes posters, word wall templates, and plenty of activities to both introduce students to the concept of historical thinking and continue the study throughout the year.

Check out the list of resources included:

 

I'm so excited to share these resources with other teachers because I truly believe they will help students make connections between historical events, become confident readers, and deep thinkers. Plus, they were made with Common Core (and similar) standards in mind to boot!

 

Visit The Teacher's Prep store for more information!

 

Happy Teaching!

Currently: November

I was SO excited to find Oh' Boy 4th Grade's blog recently and so thankful that she hosts a fun blog party every month called Currently. Without further ado...

Listening: If you haven't heard of Lindsay Stirling's AMAZING album, Shatter Me, let me be the first to direct you to one of her music videos below. She finds a way to bring classical music into the modern age in a style all her own.

Loving: The weather in Florida this weekend is perfection. The 70s are the sweet spot for fall in the Sunshine State. I can hang out on the back porch in shorts and a t-shirt without sweating - a miraculous feat after the extraordinary heat this summer.

Thinking: I need to up my Pinterest game. I've been using Pinterest for a few months now, but I'm still trying to find a way to connect with others on collaborative boards. If you have any advice for how to FIND great collaborative boards for upper elementary/middle school teachers, let me know!

Wanting: Thanksgiving Break! My whole family will be in town this year for a scrumptious feast. I am on pins and needles waiting for the family fun to begin!

Needing: So...my workout routine has yet to really begin. I promised myself last week I'd ride my bike or go on regular walks at least 3 times a week, but by the time I get home from school it's dark already! Maybe it's time to break out the Wii Fit game. That counts, right? ;)

Reading: I've been on the hunt for new teacher blogs to read. Anytime I find one I like, I immediately become a Bloglovin' follower to keep track of their newest posts. If you have any blogs to recommend, let me know in the comments!

Happy Teaching!

My Favorite Freebies {November Edition}

 

Finally! The holiday season is here! While some people start the celebrating after Thanksgiving, I like to start early. I mean, who doesn't love family gatherings and good food?!

This year, I feel thankful for so many things: my family, my friends, my amazing school, and my new experience on Teachers Pay Teachers this year, just to name a few!

In this season of thanks, I am also thankful for teachers who offer fantastic freebies that we can use in and outside the classroom. Check out a few of my Favorite November Freebies below and click on the links below the pictures to enjoy them for yourself!

Thanksgiving How To Writing Pack

So...many...options! A 32 page freebie?! You rock, Learning is Something to Treasure!

Gobbling Up Descriptive Words

I love that Blair Turner developed a freebie to help students practice creating descriptive words. She made learning a key concept fun!

Thanksgiving Day Writing Activity

So darn cute!! Thanks, Ms. Makinson

 

 

Thanksgiving Banners

Lindsay Jervis...fueling my obsession with banners and pendants again! So many happy feels right now! Thanks, girl!

 

 

My Favorite Dish Thanksgiving Bar Graph

The Schoolhouse Divas are experts at making math fun...and that's a tall order! Also, the turkey on the cover is making me soooo hungry for Thanksgiving dinner right now.

 

Until next time...Happy Teaching!