I'm Never Taking a Carry-on Suitcase in a Plane!

I went on a trip with my daughter and sister to the wonderful city of Las Vegas.  I'd never been there and was excited to see what all the hype was about. 

BUT,  I'm Never Taking a Carry-on Suitcase in a Plane I was planning on bigger suitcase and then I wouldn't have to worry about what I could, and couldn't take.  My sister and daughter convinced me to take a carry-on, the money I saved would be fun money for Las Vegas.  I'm pretty sure the carry-on I've had forever was too big,  so I bought a new carry-on suitcase.  It was bright and cute, but as I looked at it I saw the tag recommended by  "Disney".   The more I looked and the longer I had the suitcase, it looked like the the circles on it were  Mickey Mouse's head.  I now figured a bunch of kids and I have the same suitcase. Oh well,  I picked out my clothes and rolled them and everything fit!

 The Las Vegas TpT Conference we were attending was wonderful. I'm so glad my daughter encouraged me to go. The bonus is my sister came with us!  The Conference was outstanding with great inspirational speakers and great teachers.  I learned so much! I even won a bulletin board set. (It was given to the conference people who didn't win a door prize) I sure hope my sports bet, "the Minnesota Twins will win the World Series" works out better for me than the door prize. 

The last day of our trip was Saturday and time to go home now I am trying to fit everything in my Mickey Mouse suitcase, even the bulletin board.  I did it!  My sister had to take a couple of things though!  We get  to the airport and we are boarding.  The airport attendant says, "Mam, You can't board because you have 3 carry-ons, please step aside and combine your stuff in your suitcase and you have to zip the extension on your case".  (I had my suitcase, computer and purse, that equals three things NOT two!  I didn't think the computer was personal.)  I knew nothing was going to fit in that  suitcase and I broke the extension zipper on the case while  trying to push everything down and forcing it to close.   Thank heavens my sister was still there so I put my purse in her carry-on  bag and I pulled my swimming suit out of the too small compartment on the pocket front of the carry-on case and that made it look like the extension was closed!  Whew, the attendant let me go!  We get in the plane and now the suitcase would not fit in the too small airplane compartment.  I now was unpacking my case in the plane trying to get it to fit in the compartment. As I was unpacking and rolling up the bulletin board I won, with my computer shoulder strap, My sister said, "What are the bulges on the front suitcase pockets?" I said, "Nothing, I already pulled out my swimsuit."  She digs in the front pocket of my suitcase and pulls out the paper stuffing I forgot to take out when I bought it!  I got the suitcase to fit!

So to say the least, I'm Never Taking a Carry-on Suitcase in a Plane, but I sure hope the Minnesota Twins win the World Series!

National Doughnut Day!

I can't believe I didn't know there was National Doughnut Day! I would have celebrated this day for sure. Really, is there anything better than an Old Fashioned Glazed Doughnut? 

 I remember going to the Minnesota State Fair when I was little, and one of the booths in the food building was French doughnuts. The lines were long, but will never forget those warm glazed French doughnuts.  They melted in your mouth and one was not enough.  That booth is long gone, but not forgotten.  

Another memory was the great book Homer Price and the Doughnuts by Robert McCloskey. I loved this book and thought Homer was so funny. It was a story about a doughnut machine that wouldn't stop making doughnuts and a diamond bracelet played an important part of this story.

I will celebrate Doughnut Day when I go to "The World's Best Donuts" in Grand Marais, Minnesota. 

It's now on my calendar, the first Friday in June,National Doughnut Day!  

Make Donut Day any day in your classroom with this great mini-lesson and  book, If You Give a Dog a Donut by Laura Numeroff and illustrated by Felicia Brown.

The unit features a lower case alphabet game with a dog theme.

 It also has worksheets on money, D sound sheet, art projects,measuring donuts, games, songs and data collecting on my favorite donuts.

Don't let Donut Day pass by without  If You Give Your Dog a Donut and some fun activities.

Fishing Opener in Your Classroom!

One of Minnesota’s holiday is the second weekend in May Walleye Fishing Opener!

I kid you not when I say the ice fishermen are barely off the frozen lake, then all the talk is about the fishing opener.   The fishing opener inspired me to write the fishing theme unit.  I think all children love fishing.   If it’s in a lake, river, pond, ocean, or even a fish pond at a carnival the anticipation of hooking the prize is always there.

I wanted the fishing theme to incorporate both math and literacy along with some fun ideas to go along with it.

Here is my Fishing Theme and some of my ideas!

Vocabulary words

     The unit includes a  Word Find using many of  the vocabulary words

Poems/ Songs/Finger plays

      My very favorite song is..

The kids love the song too.  Even if I don't teach the fishing unit, I teach them this song!  

  

Book List

  I love,love, love this book 

H is for Hook (a fishing Alphabet)

by Judy Young

The illustrations are wonderful, the story is great for the kiddos, but the  factual information on the side is excellent.  I liked this book so much it is part of my own personal library.

Fish Thoughts and Ideas

     Data information- Some of the data I collect is

Have you ever gone fishing?    

Do you like to eat fish?

Do you have a fish aquarium?

       

Fishing Jokes

    Cute to illustrate

Fishing License

   I like to give the kiddos the fish license.  I punch them with a paper punch as they do a variety of activities or complete the worksheets.

Class game to play outside or indoors

   This is a fun game,but the kiddos have to pay attention           to which "pond" has been fished.

Measuring

   Worms!

   We make a snack and eat worms!

Time

The early Fisherman catches the fish!

The are 5  time sheets - teaches both on the hour and half hour.

Addition and Subtraction Activities

 All of the sheets are partner games and the kids each  love the games and the anticipation of each roll of the  dice. 

Story Mats

   These are great to use "Goldfish" to manipulate addition and subtraction story problems.  The kiddos can also generate their own problems with each other.

Graphing

  These sheets I tell the kids these are the fish they have caught and they need to sort and organize their catch!

Go Fish Sight Word Game

I have a sight word list,but left a blank for you to generate your own words.

Photo Session

   Dress up the kiddos and take a picture of the fish that didn't get away!

Let your “Fishing Season” begin in the classroom and catch some fun!

Teaching Tip Tuesday

Teaching Tip Tuesday
It's spring and one of the books I always read is "Make Way for Duckling" by Robert McCloskey.(1941)"  I always talk to the kiddos about this book  and the author.  He was an author and illustrator.  His unique and detailed drawings are beautiful.  Make Way for Ducklings was a Caldecott medal winner for its illustrations.  It's perfect for writers workshop because we talk about the details in the drawings and there is no color just the beautiful drawing. In writers workshop it's funny to listen  to the kiddos ask if their drawing look like Robert McCloskey drawings. When you talk about illustrating in writers workshop go to the Robert McCloskey books and you'll have Caldecott Medal winners in your class.

Earth Day- Re-use!

Earth Day Tidbit- Reuse!  Reuse!

Earth Day is this week and I’m all about how to recycle “copied” paper which can be reused!

Class Pictures

I use “head and body” pictures of the kiddos all year long for Writers Workshop, Math and art projects.  I put the class portraits on one sheet of paper.  This is a perfect way to use the unused copies.  I make an original using a grid so all the heads fit on a sheet, I just copy the original on the clean side of the unclaimed paper. 

  Now I have class pictures ready to use for many projects and I have "reused" the unclaimed paper.

Do you teach Earth Day Activities?  You may be interested !

Earth Day Tidbit!

Earth Day Tidbit- Reuse!  Reuse!

Earth Day is this week and I’m all about how to recycle “copied” paper which can be reused!

Free Play Masterpieces

During Free Play in the classroom I always have an art center which can be painting with Tempera paints, water colors, dot markers, etc.  I love this center, but I don’t put out clean sheets of paper for the kiddos to practice making their masterpieces.  Some kids will paint up to 5 or 6 sheets of paper during the free play time.  I  go the copy room and take the paper sitting in a tray for weeks that is unclaimed copies.

 I use the clean back sides for the painting. 

This is a perfect way to use unclaimed copies for the masterpieces the kiddos paint in my class make during free play.

 Once again, reuse rather than recycle!

Do you teach Earth Day Activities?  You may be interested !

Earth Day !

Earth Day Tidbit- Reuse!  Reuse!

Earth Day is this week and I’m all about how to recycle “copied” paper which can be reused!

Daily Sign-in Book

Each year I have a sign in book (3 ring- binder) for my kiddos.  They must sign their first name or last name each day.  At the end of the year the binder has a stack of papers with one side of the paper blank and in great condition.  I take the paper out and rather than recycle all of it, I cut the paper in quarters and use it for the class daily estimation jar answers or Assessment Pocket Chart questions.

Now I can recycle the paper and know I have reused it!

Do you teach Earth Day Activities?  You may be interested !