Butterflies!!!!!

We only have 18 more days of school!  I can't believe this year has gone by so quickly.  

BUTTERFLY UNIT 

This is the butterfly book that we use at our school.  However, we will use a different one next year thanks to a Pinterest find.  Here is the link http://tekyteach.blogspot.com/2011/03/butterfly-investigation-book-download.html

I made this diagram on the board and tried to illustrate the best I could.

Then the kiddos used these different noodles, leaves, and sticks to complete a paper plate life cycle of a butterfly.

Worksheet they completed for an assessment after we did the paper plate life cycle together.  

1.  We made a caterpillar out of pompoms and a clothes pin.  

2.  They made a chrysalis out of a paper bag and put their caterpillars in.

3.  Then I had them to paint these coffee filters as an "art project".  I told them to just be creative and make a work of art.  What they don't know is that these are going to be the wings for their butterfly.  The caterpillar will magically change into a butterfly(well, with a little help from Ms. Kizzire).

4.  I will gather the coffee filter up with a pipe cleaner.  You just twist it and make the antennas with it as well.  Then hot glue it on.  

5.  Place it back into it's chrysalis and let the kids open them.  Depending on their age, they will think magic happened!!!!!!

Here is a shot of when they opened them!  So much fun!!!!!!

LEARNING ABOUT DIFFERENT LIFE CYCLES

 Ladybug Glyph...I will post  a finished one soon.  They are very cute and it ties into my Tennessee state history that I am starting to teach next week.  The ladybug is our state insect.  Work smarter, not harder.

This is a repeat from a previous post but again, I try to work smarter, not harder, and tie in as many activities and standards to different subject areas as I can.  

Symmetrical butterflies....step by step

2.  Make a hamburger fold with the construction paper.

3.  Chose two colors of paint and place them on opposite sides.  

4.  Fold paper and use fist to press out wings.  Go up and down.  Open and this is what you have.

5.  Paint bodies and give them antenna.

 WE have butterflies!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Working caterpillars into math!

Earth Day!

Lucky me!!!!!!!  I was at the beach during Earth Day activity time but I left some things for my sub to do and I thought I would share them.  

They read this book and had a discussion about 

keeping the Earth clean.

They completed this simple work sheet to help them remember important ways to be helpful.

 We made this chart about how we could help the Earth!  Excuse my terrible drawings.  

Frog and Toad

I have been teaching Frog and Toad All Year for the past week and wanted to share some activities with you.  Some of them are Pinterest inspired and others are my own work.  We are still not finished with our frog unit but this is all of Frog and Toad for now.  Hopefully some of this will be useful to you.

I always start my morning off with morning meeting and I tried to incorporate some of the book into the activity.

This was a character chart that we made to up the children identify which character traits went with Frog or Toad.

The students got to draw their favorite part of the book and tell why it was their favorite.

They made a double bubble map of Frog and Toad and compared and contrasted the two characters(using both physical and character traits).

 We made Frog or Toad and then wrote about the character.  Some of them look like aliens because they have black eyes.  haha

This is the comprehension test that we are going to take tomorrow.  

This is where we moved onto learning the life cycles of frogs and toads and where they live.

Beautiful day!!!!!

Today is an absolutely glorious day in Nashville.  It's 68 degrees and the birds are chirping away!  I love this weather.  It has been too hot here lately.  
  
So I got an email from my principal stating that Monday would be a team planning day.  I have never had a WHOLE day geared toward team planning but it should be interesting.  She wants us to plan for the first 9 weeks of next year(which by the way starts in July, yep JULY!)  This is a wonderful thing for us to do, however, I haven't even planned what I am teaching this 9 weeks.  Oh well, I always roll with the punches.  


We are on spring break this week and I vaguely remember leaving my room in a mess.  I am super organized so, every year about this time, I open up cabinets and start cleaning out.  I was hoping to finish some of this on Monday.  Will keep you posted!  


On a positive note, I do know that in reading next week, I am going to teach Frog and Toad All Year Round.  I will be posting some cute activities and work that we are doing next week.  

First Post EVER!!!

So, I am trying this new blog thing.  It is inspired by all of the wonderful teacher's blogs on Pinterest! 


I am on spring break this week and my days have been spent on Pinterest thinking about school.  I can't believe it!!!!  I have been waiting for spring break all year, and now I am literally bored to death.  Good news, I have gotten a lot of great ideas to take back to my kiddos next week!  That's all I have for now but in the weeks to come I hope to be able to post somethings on here from my classrooms, hits and fails alike!  


Have a wonderful Easter weekend!  And remember that Christ loved us enough to die for us!