Need a Holiday Present for Parents?

Problem: Don't have a lot of money to spend? Want something useful? Want the students to do the work? Want something really cute that will get saved?

Solution: Make a directed drawing 12 month calendar!
1. Pick a picture to draw. I choose Rhinos who Surf since it matches our Southern California vibe and is a good picture to keep up all year. I use 9x12 white construction paper.
2. Do a directed drawing with kids. If you are not comfortable drawing on the fly then pre-draw it with yellow colored pencil so kids think you are drawing it off the cuff. I always draw with no pre-drawing because I want the kids to know that mistakes are ok. I use black Sharpies and colored pencils. In this drawing I drew the rhino first, then parking meter, then car, then fence and last the waves. I never let students draw with pencil, we always use Sharpies. It's good for the spatial part of the brain.
3. I teach them to do "color power" and demo coloring a nice solid layer.
4. Print a 12 month calendar off of Microsoft templates.
5. Glue onto a 12 x 18 black construction paper background.
6. Laminate.

Results: Parents love them and I hear about them years later. They are easy to store when you are done with the year. Students are really proud of their work! I haven't spent any money and everyone is happy!

What to Get Your Students for Christmas

Problem: What to give to your students as a holiday gift that is meaningful yet won’t break the bank?

Solution: Each year I make coupons for my students. These twelve coupons attached to a candy cane are a huge hit with my 4th graders.  You choose, use some or all.

Result: The students love them! I haven’t spent a ton of money, and I still have shown my students that I care about them with a thoughtful gift!

 

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Christmas-Coupons-for-Students-12-1022118

 

Freebie How to Annotate Bookmarks

Problem: Annotating text is a key part of Common Core and a skill that needs to be developed with my students. They don't always remember all the annotating "tools" in their "toolbox." I needed a helpful reminder that is close at hand for kids to refer to while reading the text.

Solution: Bookmarks are a fast and easy way to keep annotation tips right where they are needed-near the text! These reinforce and remind students of skills they are learning.  

Results:  My students love them. They want several! I've found that fiction and non-fiction annotation tips may vary, so included are two sets.

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Freebie-How-to-Annotate-Text-Bookmarks-1020253

 

Need a Fun Review?

Problem:   You've taught the unit and want to review for the test but how can you make it memorable?

Solution: Make it a Family Feud Game! My class loves these! It takes about 30 minutes and everyone is totally engaged.

Results: Content is not only remembered but students have to classify the information by importance to gain points and their team advantage!

 http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/California-Explorers-Family-Feud-Game-994213

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/California-Indian-Foods-Family-Feud-Game-980913

 http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Geography-Family-Feud-Game-994298

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/California-Missions-Family-Feud-Game-995670

Games Available:

Geography Family Feud
California Native American Food
California Explorers
California Missions

Give them a try and save at the upcoming TPT cybersale!

<a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/SitewideSales"><img src="http://mcdn.teacherspayteachers.com/img/sale_banners/sale_250_120.png?rand=00170" alt="250 × 120" /></a>

Problem: If you teach 4th grade in California you know that resources are difficult to find about the California Native American tribes and if you do find them they are usually not written at an engaging appropriate reading level for upper elementary students.

Solution: We have created this series about Native American Tribes in California. These short expository texts are aligned to the Common Core can be used as guided reading resources, close reading texts, and resource information that you can make digitally available for your students.

Color copy on cardstock and laminate for multiple years of use!

Text, photos and comprehension questions are included as well as a full preview! Please follow us to be updated when we add new tribes. Email us if you want a particular tribe and we will do that one next!
www.teacherspayteachers.com/store/4th-grade-4ever
www.4thgrade4ever.blogspot.com
4thgrade4ever.gmail.com

Veterans Day Free Activity

Problem: How to get students to understand the real meaning of Veterans Day and to make the day personal to them.

Solution: Students will ask their parents to help them compile a list of Veterans in their family and group of friends. They can go back as far in history as they know. They copy each Veteran's info down on a star, then decorate and display at school.

Results: Students are astounded by how many friends and relatives, both past and present, have served in the Armed Forces. The sheer number of stars on the classroom door or windows sends a visual message that this holiday is one where students get to honor their own military heroes.

Background

Twice a year we celebrate the United States Armed Forces. Do you know the names of the two holidays? Do you know the difference between the two?

If you said Memorial Day and Veterans Day, you were right! Memorial Day is a day to honor the men and women who died while serving in the military. It is always observed on the last Monday in May, so the actual date changes from year to year.

Veterans Day honors all people who served in the Armed Forces. It originally marked the anniversary of the end of World War I which ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of the year 1918. That is why we observe Veterans Day on November 11th.

You may notice that Veterans Day is sometimes spelled with an apostrophe and sometimes not. Even though there should be an apostrophe in "Veterans," most sources skip it!

Activity

Have students take home the stars and fill out a star with the name and branch for any family member or friend, past or present. If they know more information, they can add it.

For example:      (Basic Info)  Joe Smith       Air Force

 (Added Info) Joe Smith, Air Force; WWII/Korean War; Radar Operator; Good Conduct Medal

 Students can decorate their stars however they wish. Hang stars on classroom doors. If you want to do as a school-wide activity, have students tape up their stars at the front of the school or another visible spot. Students will get a visual image of how personal this holiday really is for all of us and how important it is to honor all military veterans' service to our country.

Get the free activity at http://www.teacherspayteacheers.com/store/4th-grade-4ever

While you are there follow us for more freebies and fabulous curriculum!

 

My Favorite Clean Up Game Freebie

Problem: How to get students to clean up after themselves?

Solution: Secret Trash Game

The object of the game is for the students to clean up the classroom quickly! 
How to Play: I identify something that is trash, or needs to be put away. Sometimes I pick one thing and sometimes it is several. I don't tell the students what it is. I give them a 1-2 minute time limit and tell them to GO! They will come up to me and say, "Is this it?" but I never tell until the room is clean.
I remind them that it isn't just trash! It can be a chair that needs to be put up or a glue bottle put away. I gather everyone around and announce the winners! In the past I've given a prize from my prize box but I've started doing brag tags this year.

Brag tags are laminated cardstock tags that student collect for rewards. I give them for academic achievements, good citizenship, special events, and celebrations. The students are given a metal bead necklace and collect these all year long.

Results: The classroom is clean without complaint, and they even ask to play Secret Trash! The students love the brag tags! I love them because they are not candy, are inexpensive and easy to make. I'm giving away the "Secret Trash" Freebie on my Teachers Pay Teachers store.
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Freebie-Secret-Trash-Game-Brag-Tag-954577