April Fool's Day

The best thing about April Fool's Day with 3rd-5th graders is that they are really into it. They love pranking each other and maybe will even jump in and try to prank you as well. I love these silly holidays that just bring a smile to the faces of my students. But what I love just as much is learning about the History behind the holiday. This year, I created a little reading comprehension and writing activity pack that helps students find out all about this fun day. It also looks at how others around the world celebrate and some fun and famous pranks!

I don't know about you, but I am always trying to figure out how to make things fun and keep the kids guessing. My favorite April Fool's Day activity was the year that I made brown e's. Yes you read that right. All day, I told my class that I had make them brown e's and of course it sounded just like their favorite dessert, brownies. When I whipped out the pan and in dramatic fashion removed the foil I went up and down the rows of seats passing them each a brown e. Their faces! Oh it was just too good. 

But later, I did give them an actual treat, although the sound of it is utterly disgusting. We had kitty litter cake. If you are wondering what this is, let me give you a quick rundown. First you crumble a chocolate and vanilla cake together and mix in some icing. You pour it into a clean, unused kitty litter pan, I got mine at the Dollar Tree and even picked up a kitty litter scoop to serve it with. Then to put it over the top, you take some Tootsie Rolls and slightly warm them in the microwave until they are bendable. After that, form them into....I think you see where this is going....kitty poop and drop some here and there, even burying some for an old litter box look. Dangle one over the side if you are that brave. Trust me, the kids loved it, especially the boys!

In case you are interested in sharing the history behind this holiday, you can click on the picture below. Happy April Fool's, everyone!

St. Patrick's Day Activities for your Classroom

Do you bring St. Partrick's Day activities into your classroom and part of your curriculum for the day? I love to sprinkle a little holiday fun into the day while keeping the focus on academics, especially reading and math, with a history twist. Any time I combine history and teach about where the holiday traditions come from, I call that a win. St. Partick's Day activities do not have to be fluff and a waste of a day with busy activities like word searches and coloring pages. They can still be fun, even while learning. Here are some days to spice up your St. Partick's Day in the classroom this year. 

 St. Patrick's Day History Activities

One thing I love teaching is the history behind holiday traditions. Any activity that can help my students understand where the holiday came from or how traditions started is a must for me. I introduce them to these traditions though short articles and sometimes activities that go along with them. In this St. Patrick's Day reading comprehension activity, students will be introduced to not just traditions, but also Ireland (where the roots of this holiday stem from) and St. Patrick (the man it is named for). They will also learn about lots of fun and crazy traditions like the "kissing rock", why we pinch people who don't wear green, and the cute little leprechauns that are in decorations everywhere this time of year. Here's a quick look at this resource.

St. Patrick's Day Math Activities for the Classroom 

Math activities this time of year are a must. We always seem to be knee deep into fractions every year and so games that reinforce the fraction work we are doing is perfect. I love games that are quick, easy, and engaging. Pot O' Fractions is a perfect fit for my classroom math class on St. Patrick's Day. It is one that can be used with partners, a small group, or even as a math notebook activity. 

St. Patrick's Day Art Activities for the Classroom

 Sprinkling in a little art is a must. Not just because it is fun, but also because it can build teamwork. I have a series of activities that are based on the cooking show, Chopped. These activities are team art project. It starts with each group getting a bag of supplies. Inside, each group has identical art items with which they must build something around a common theme. Groups are given a certain amount of time and once they timer rings, they must be ready to share their project. Points can be awarded to make it feel even more like a game and after three rounds, a winning team is announced! I love these art activities because not only are students creating within certain constraints (stretching creativity), but they are building social and teamworking skills, using communication, collaboration, cooperation, and critical thinking. 

St. Patrick's Day Activity: Lucky Race

Another fun way to pack in a lot of content though activities is an Amazing Race-style game. I like to call it Lucky Race for St. Patrick's Day. It has six different legs to the race (or challenges for the teams to complete). Each challenge is an activity that is not only fun, but covers important review skills in math and writing. Students who complete the race have a special treat awaiting them.

So there you have it, several ideas to transform your classroom into a fun and magical learning experience for your children. They will love any effort you put in to make their day extra special. Sometimes you don't have to do a lot. A little goes a long way. If you are interested in any of these resources mentioned above, please click on the pictures to be taken to my TPT store. 

When a Teacher Takes a Trip to the Bookstore

When a teacher takes a trip to the bookstore, it is very rare that he or she is just looking for a book to enjoy. Usually, a teacher will make a detor to the children's book department to look for something for his or her class. Last night while on a trip to Barnes and Nobel with my family, I headed straight for the chidlren's books to see what was new or if there was an older book that I had not previously discovered. I found several different books that were biographies or autobiographies and looked like something I'd like to add to my collection for my class.

 

This memoir is about a Latina who was transformed during her years in Girl Scouts. She developed a love for space and stars. Her troop encouraged and supported her in this love. Later, she went on to become a rocket scientist. 

Have you ever wondered what life is like inside the white house? This is a special look inside the most famous house in America. Learn about the lives of the staff members and the first ladies who work and live there.

This is the true story of the "luckiest girls" who landed a job in a radium factory during World War I. The factories offered a seemingly wonderful opportunity but became a nightmare when the girls who worked there became mysteriously ill. 

 

Trevor Noah was half white and half black. He was born at a time when interracial marriages were considered illegal. Trevor shares the story of his life in this fascinating book.

This is the story of Sharon, the daughter of baseball player great Jackie Robinson. Sharon lives in a time when rights between black and white people are not equal. She struggles to find her voice and help fight for equality.

This is the true story of a Latina gynmast, Laurie Hernandez, and her path to Olympic gold. 

So there you have it, a list of books that are perfect from any upper elementary or middle school classroom.

Book Spotlight: One Grain of Rice

After recess everyday, we have a quiet time in class. During this time, we spend a few minutes engrossed in a book just for the pleasure of it. Students listen along while drawing or coloring or even just relaxing. It is a nice way to transition from active play outside to coming back inside and getting ready for more work in class.

At the start of the year, I checked out a ton of new and familiar books from the library. I displayed them along the tray of the whiteboard. We have been reading them for the past three weeks, but last week, I was running low. I dipped into my own stash and found this old familiar story, One Grain of Rice by Demi. I had completely forgotten about this book and have not opened it or shared it in years. Immediately, I snatched it up and saved it to share that day or the next. It is perfect to not only read for pleasure, but also to reread for learning.

One Grain of Rice is great for many reasons. First, it features a folktale from another culture. The setting of the story is India. I love to bring in multi-cultural books often. It opens up the world to my students who have never traveled the far-away places featured in the story. Also, if provides characters with which some of the students in class can identify. They feel seen and heard.

Second, I love this book because it has a great tie-in to math. It is easy to bring in math skills that are being practiced early in the year such as place value and rounding. It also features doubling numbers. It is perfect to take some of these numbers and use them in math class. It gives purpose and meaning.

Third, there are many, many reading skills that can be incorporated into this book. Comprehension questions can help you go deep. Through a character study you can see the qualities that the strong characters have and how some characters change over time. I 
would also pair this with the Biblical story of Joseph and use the two stories to compare and contrast using a Venn diagram.

Fourth, the illustrations and colors in the book are stunning. The are so well done and bring the book to life, keeping true to the setting and all that is India.

Lastly, this is a great book to use to talk about thinking of others and not being selfish. It is a valuable lesson for all children, and even adults to learn and also internalize.

If you are interested in checking out this book activity pack, click on any of the pictures above.

Setting up a Parent Communication Log

Keeping a parent communication log is essential for teacher documentation. A ----not only helps you keep track of conversations you have had with parents, but also provides a record to look back on when needed.  

Here are five Tips for setting up a parent communication log and having top notch communication with parents throughout the year. 

1. Set up a Binder
It is easy to set up a parent communication log inside a binder as a place to keep everything organized. Having a binder ready at the start of the school year will help you track communication from the beginning and keep all your notes in one place.

2. Communicate Early

Start right away, before class begins if possible. Send welcome letters, mail out student postcards. Once school starts, be sure to make a positive phone call home. That positive phone call will help to set the tone for the year. You DO want to start things off positively. If you do, you will have much more support throughout the year.

3. Communicate Often

Try to find something positive to share with each parent at least twice a month. Send a note. Write a text. Make a call. You will bring a smile to their faces. 

4. Celebrate
Celebrate parents. Celebrate students. Everyone LOVES to be celebrated. Parents love you to see the good in their babies. Parents feel great when you celebrate them too. Do what you can to spread positivity. It will come back to you!

5. Listen

When parents are upset, listen. Think about where they are coming from. Think about why they are upset. Is there something you could change? Be flexible. Be approachable. 

Interested in learning more about communicating effectively with parents? You can find more ideas on my blog here or here.

You can check out some parent communication binders here, here, and here. 

Black-History-Month-in-the-Classroom

I have never really stopped to give much thought to celebrating Black history month in my classroom. It just wasn't something I had really done much before. One of my schools required that we do something and so, out of obligation, I did. However, my views on that are changing.

Last year, I read a book that featured a strong African American girl as the main character. It was a work of fiction. I cannot for the life of me remember the title of that book, but what stands out to me is the reaction of one little girl in my class. She was hanging on EVERY SINGLE WORD. She was memorized. She had found herself in the story. 

My family also took a vacation that allowed us to spend one day in the heart of Montgomery, Alabama, most known for it's place in the civil rights movement. This was home to Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, and George Washington Carver also lived nearby. Being the teacher that I am, I brought along some books so that my own children could learn about these people on our road trip. By the time we got there, they had some idea what they stood for and what they had done for their people and really all of us. 

While spending the day in Montgomery, we took a tour of the place where Martin Luther King Jr. lived and even met some of the people who knew him personally. We visited with his neighbor, who was also the babysitter of his children and purchased her book about her experience. This is REAL history. My children were engrossed in history and loving every minute. A spark ignited in my daughter and when someone asks her what her favorite subject is, she will answer with two subjects, one of which is social studies. 

 We stood in the very place where Rosa Parks refused to leave her seat on the bus that day long ago. We walked the street in front of MLK Jr's house where a famous picture was taken of him marching for equal rights, surrounded by many others. We touched the spot on his front porch where a bomb was planted to kill him. It left a permanent mark that has never been fixed. We went to the church where he was a minister. We relived...history that day, imagining in our minds what it all must have been like. 

Thinking back over the experiences I had on that trip and the reaction of one little girl in my class you finally found herself in one of my stories, I realize that I do need to do more. I need to bring stories that can help this group of students identify themselves and the history of their race in America. It just can't be about the main founding fathers that we talk about every year, we need to allow time for other people that were pivotal in our history too. 

You can see some of the other ways I have brought the African American history to life in my classroom. You can see those here, here, and here. 

This year, I will be honoring some of the people who worked to give equal rights to all people. A few years ago, I created a pack of booklets to help my students study famous Americans. I have recently updated some of the booklets to include a printable story that can be used as the research guild for these booklets. I found several books into one set especially for Black History Month. You can find that here. The great thing about these is that they can be used with your students in a whole class activity, as partner work, in centers, or individually.   

Representation Matters

In the middle of the protests that our nation is facing, it is giving me time to think about how important representation is. I want to share two personal stories with you.

A couple of years ago, I got my hands on a book that I wanted to bring into by classroom. I consciously had a couple of my little girls in mind. As I pulled out the book and began to read it, I noticed that one of my babies sat a little taller, leaned forward a little more, and listened with rapt attention. She was literally hanging on every line. When one of the other students quietly said something to a neighbor, this little girl shushed him right away so she wouldn't miss a thing. It was important. This book mattered to her. It mattered because she found herself between the covers. She saw in that book a mirror into her soul. She was celebrated through this book. Representation matters.

I took note as I read this book, more determined than before to represent my students through books in the classroom. Representation matters.

On a more personal note, I grew up in the 80's and 90's, and while I am white and white people are represented in books of all kinds, I had freckles. And people with freckles were not often represented. Books were filled with all kinds of white children with "flawless" skin. The only books I ran across that focused in any way on freckles seemed to focus on the character hating their skin, instead of loving it. As a result, I grew up hating my freckles too. I a pleased to see more diversity the faces I see now not just in books, but also TV shows, commercials, and print adds. Representation matters. 

While my own experience is on a much smaller scale than people of color, because my race was always largely represented, I can understand in a very small way how they feel being underrepresented by the books, posters, and videos shown and used in classrooms around the country. Representation matters.

As I think about my own classroom now, I am not the majority. I am a minority, even as a white person. I need to do better about representation. Not just for the black students, but for the other students of color as well. My class is made up of a majority of Latino students. They also want to see themselves in the books I read. Representation matters. 

And as I think about my year coming up, I am reading and trying to find good books that will open conversations about how people are treated, even if they are from other races. I want books, not to vilify one race over another, but to discuss so we can all learn and be better, do better. So we can understand one another. We need to have windows through which we can view the world of our classmates who come from varying places and points of view. Representation Matters. 

Below, is a list of books that will help all your students realize that the ALL matter. What books are you sharing with your class? Don't forget, representation matters!

I love, LOVE this book. I features a boy, Ravi,  who recently moved from India. While he DOES speak English, because of his accent, he is seen by others, including the teacher as someone who needs special help. He gets placed in the special ed. pull out class along with another one of his classmates. This is extremely embarrassing to Ravi because in India, he had always been at the top of the class, the best in sports, and one of the popular kids. Suddenly he  himself as a "nothing", a position he had never been in. Now he is on the receiving end of all the jokes, instead of dishing them out to others. Now the shoe is on the other foot and as he realizes that he is the brunt of jokes among the popular kids, he suddenly finds himself in an unlikely friendship, battling against the one popular kid who is a reminder of the past Ravi. 

This is a great read aloud for fourth grade and up, or a powerful book to use in literacy groups from fifth grade and up.

Front desk features a family of immigrants from China and their lives as they try to make it in America. It shows how people can sometimes take advantage of immigrants through low wages and unfair practices. It shows the determination with which immigrants work, however difficult and despite the long hours. It shows the struggle that immigrant children  

have in navigating their new lives and fitting in. 

This book does have a few bad words and because of that, I would suggest it as a read aloud for fifth grade and up. I usually cut out or change bad words as I read because I try  

not to have those kind of books in my classroom, but this one has such great room for discussion and it is well written, despite that one fact. 

Ada Twist, Scientist features a black girl who is filled with scientific curiosity. It just goes to show that people of all color can achieve greatness in the scientific field. I love that it also features a girl in a field (science) that is often times thought of as a field for boys. 

I loved the movie about the little know four black women who were involved in the space race in a time when NASA was dominated by white men. These brilliant women were much needed, but not celebrated at all until now. I am thrilled that they have made a children's book telling the same story. These powerful women prove that any person or any sex or race can achieve greatness.

This book features a child from a family of divorce and different races. She struggles to find out who she is. Many children come from divorced families and are often not represented at all. Many children are also biracial, so they are also looking to find themselves in the books that are presented in class. 

Wonder is the perfect book to build awareness and empathy for all people, including those with physical deformities. While Auggie goes from being homeschooled to being thrown into a class where no kid looks like him, he learns to navigate through many difficulties and the kids around him learn that underneath their exterior, kids with deformities are still just kids wanting to be loved. 

The Lemonade Club is a book that focuses on a little girl who is battling cancer and how her friends rally around her after struggling with differences. This is a great book to teach understanding and empathy and how important it is to continue being a friend even when difficulties arise.

This book features a Latina girl who is proud of her name. Unfortunately, her teacher does not realize how important Maria's name is to her and without considering her feelings, begins calling her by a nickname because after all, there are two Maria's in the same class. This book calls out the need for personal identity that our names can bring. 

Names are important and should be celebrated, despite how different or how much the same they may be. Teacher's should make it a point to make sure to learn how to pronounce each child's name, which to them is a big part of their identity. 

In China and many cultures, multi-generations live together and older family members are revered for their wisdom and age. In this book, the protagonist is suddenly left without his best friend who happens to be his grandmother when she has to move away because of an illness. 

This book shows the importance of family connection across generations. 

The book Fly Away Home focuses on a father who is trying his best to take care of his son, despite their homelessness. They find themselves living in an unlikely home, an airport and trying to keep a low profile. 

This book teaches empathy while bringing the problem of homelessness to the forefront.

What child has not felt they are too tall, too short, too fat, too thin, too whatever to accomplish their dreams? This is the true story of Stephen Curry, one of basketball's best players who at one time was considered "too short" to be any good. 

Just because other's share their opinions of what they think of you does not mean that without hard work and perseverance you cannot bring your dreams to reality.

Mexican White Boy is a book about a boy who is trying to fit in. His classmates take a look at his exterior and make assumptions about him based on how he looks. Follow the main character as he struggles to find his place, despite his mixed race. 

Whatever books you bring into your room, think about the students in your class. Are they represented in the books you have? Even if you have a classroom that lacks student diversity, providing a window into the lives of others can build understanding and empathy. As teachers, we must make that a priority! Representation matters!