One Tough Turkey Inspired Native American Paper Bag Costumes!

After reading the story One Tough Turkey by Steven Kroll, we turned it into a Reader's Theater!  Oh, what fun we had!  My students wanted to make Native American costumes!  See the picture below to see what we can do with a mere paper grocery bag!!!

Costumes made from Paper Grocery Bags!

Bears, Bears Everywhere!!!!

For our Bear Thematic Study, all my students brought their favorite TEDDY along with their favorite BEAR BOOK!!!!  We ended our study with a Teddy Bear's Picnic in the school yard!  When the picnic was over we all played in the leaves!!  YES, THIS IS THE JOY OF TEACHING AND LEARNING!!!

You too can experience ALL this Joyful Teaching and Learning!

Click on the Bear Thematic Unit of Study below!!!

Drama Chronicles - Somebody and the Three Blairs

After reading Somebody and the Three Bears by Marilyn Tolhurst, I have a discussion about what the similarities and differences are with this story and the original version of Goldilocks and the Three Bears.   After brainstorming a list, the students choose a part they would like to play from either story and find other’s interested in working together.  I assist with helping form the groups.   They meet in various areas of the room and create an original play with their own characters to do their own version of Somebody and the Three Blairs.

Please click the Somebody and the Three Blairs picture below for my Reader's Theater of this book!!!

Making a Life Size Stuffed Bear!!!

Such a BIG bear for a little guy!!!

How sweet is that!!??!!!  This little guy told me he wanted to make a "life size" stuffed bear!!  I asked him if he  had a plan of how he'd like to do it.

He said, "I sure do.  First I need to get a book from the library about bears.  Then I need a really big 'measuring stick.'  Then I need a really big piece of paper and all the paper from the trash can.  And I need ALL your staples."  (All the paper from the trash can was to be balled up and used as stuffing!!!)

I was awestruck by this little guy's plan!!  He know EXACTLY what he wanted to do and how to do it!!  He even labeled it!!

It is so very important that we listen to, and honor our students ideas!  He inspired several other students, who made giant bears, too!

Fall FREEBIE!!

Please click on the picture below to download my FREE Raking in the Syllables Literacy Center!!
This is a great independent center I use with my class.  It is also great to use with a small group of children and a parent volunteer!  

This literacy center consists of 4 Rake Sorting Mats.  Also included are 4 sheets containing 32 fall leaves with a word and matching picture.  The words are one, two, three, or four syllables. 

I recommend you laminate, or mount all of the mats and leaves on card stock.  There are extra blank leaves so that you may write in your own words.  I use my student’s names, too!!  They LOVE raking the leaves!!  If you download it, I'd really appreciate positive feedback!!

FREEBIE!!  Click on the picture to get this FUN Raking in the Syllables Literacy Center!!

Goldilocks and the Three Bears Puppets!

Another activity my students LOVED from our Thematic Bear Unit of Study was creating a puppet of one of the characters from Goldilocks and the Three Bears out of anything!!  As you can see in the picture below, many of these were family projects, which was encouraged.  Once all the puppets were at school, the children grouped themselves in various groups and acted out their own versions of Goldilocks and the Three Bears.  Some of the stories had 2 or 3 Goldilocks characters, some had more than one baby, and a variety of other combinations!

If you like doing drama activities with your students, you might really like my Somebody and the Three Blairs Reader's Theater!!

Click this Reader's Theater!!

Shape Bears!

For our Bear Thematic Unit of Study, one of the weekly sharing themes is to create a bear completely out of one of the following shapes - circle, square, or triangle.  I was so proud of my students efforts!  They turned out GREAT!  When they were telling about their Shape Bear creations - they also told how many of that particular shape they used to make their bear.  What a great MATH activity - shapes and counting with a purpose!!!

Circle Bears

Square Bears

Triangle Bears

If you would like to see my Thematic Bear Unit click the picture below!