Saturday, November 12, 2011

Happy Veterans Day and Many More!

It has been awhile since my last post...but it has been a busy time. A load has been lifted with our school's levy passed, so that means job is safe for the next 5 years unless our state does something weird.

That aside...we have been busy in room 204! Especially this Veterans Day. I feel like these holidays are important to focus on with my students so they can learn to respect and honor these days early on. My students had already read the book The Wall by Eve Bunting and had several connections by having family members being soldiers...so I knew this would be a very important activity for them.

As I was planning I knew my main goal was to teach my students how Veterans Day came to be, and then have them create something that would honor the day as well. We had done something for 9/11, so I wanted it to be a little bigger than just our class creating a memorial quilt. Taking the idea of a memorial wall, I thought it would be great to get the whole school involved. So, I just emailed everyone telling them the idea of building a wall where each student creates a brick. On it they would reflect on what freedom and peace mean to them and then a quick thank you to Veterans. I was amazed by the response...here is the end result:



It was great having the school come together for this :) What was great is that the students REALLY did connect...one of my students dedicated his brick to his family members that served:

Speaking of holidays we also had students prepare for the Thanksgiving season and write down what they are thankful for...surprisingly this was harder than the Veterans Day activity:



It certainly has perked up the hallway :)

In between it all we have started our opinion writing unit, and as part of their generating ideas, we had students listen to an NPR "This I Believe" broadcast, where a kindergartner wrote down 100 things he believes in. This sparked our students to then write a list of their own. They then picked one and started to write three reasons why they believe that statement they made. Here are some examples mid process:


Sorry for the sideways glance...can't get it to rotate!

Before this we looked at different opinion pieces and discovered they had things in common. So, we made a chart "toolbox" to refer to as we write our opinion pieces.

 To end my post...should be a piece of cake :) We had fun with idioms! Students watched the cartoon "Symphony of Slang" as well as saw different examples of idioms to understand what an idiom is. We then gave them their own idiom, to practice using it in a sentence and what that would look like if it was taken literally..they loved it!




Caught up for now...next week I hope to share some of the great things we are doing with Main Idea and Details!

43 comments:

  1. I love this! Just found your blog on Pinterest!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Love this! My principal is obsessed with idioms right now, so I would love to borrow this idea! Is there any chance that I can get the worksheet you created? I love your font, or else I would just make it myself :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. The Idiom worksheet is so adorable! Is there any chance you could make it available to download?

    ReplyDelete
  4. This is the answer to teach about idioms! Thank you for sharing. I would love a copy of the worksheet if you don't mind sharing.
    Zander_Cindy@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  5. I too would love a copy! Your idiom idea is just what I was looking for!!! Peachykeane98@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  6. Can you copy to me as well? heatherwteach@hotmail.com

    Thank you!!

    ReplyDelete
  7. I would love a copy too! Stephbrachtenbach@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  8. I have a school in Rome, Italy and would love to have a copy of this worksheet to teach our ESL students about Idioms! Thank you so much!
    treehouserome@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  9. Here's one, ladies:
    https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B2ImZwzbdwY9NWExZTUwOTktNTE2Ny00MGQ5LTk5N2UtZjY1NzMzZWRkZTIy/edit?pli=1

    ReplyDelete
  10. Thank you so much - I can't wait to use it! Where did you get the actual idiom examples from that you gave the kids? Just curious! Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  11. I would love a copy of the worksheet if you are sharing. This is exactly what I have been looking for! jrisser@thejanusschool.org
    Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Just brilliant! I would like a copy of the idioms sheet as well please please please!!! allitill@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  13. If you are sharing your worksheet and examples students glued on the bottom I would love one! Thank you!!
    kregier@gips.org

    ReplyDelete
  14. I am working on idioms with my students... If you are sharing, i'd love a copy of what you created to give to students to draw and use the idiom in a sentence. Thanks!
    christina.trimble@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  15. Love your charts and ideas, but you may want to correct the spelling of "separate" in the Opinion Writing Guide.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Any way I can get both worksheets? stuartj80@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  17. Would love the pages on idioms if you are willing to share! i_teach_u@hotmail.com
    Thanks!!!

    ReplyDelete
  18. I would love a copy as well! rjriefstahl@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  19. May I please have a copy of your idiom worksheet?? Thanks so much in advance...kcityteacher@aol.com PERFECT for my ESL kiddos!

    ReplyDelete
  20. Thank You Laura for this great idea. I already make it in Spanish Version.

    ReplyDelete
  21. I would love the copies as well. dcampos@lcps.k12.nm.us

    ReplyDelete
  22. I too would appreciate a copy of the idiom worksheet s.moore801@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  23. Wow, what a cute idea for idioms. How do I get a copy of the worksheet?

    ReplyDelete
  24. I too would love a copy! Thanks for your post. jennifer.maxfield@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  25. We are just beginning idioms. I would love a copy of your worksheet and ideas of idioms you gave the kiddos.
    Love this idea!
    ~ Angela

    ReplyDelete
  26. I really like your worksheet for teaching idioms. I would love a copy and also the ideas for the idioms, if you don't mind sharing! Thanks so much!
    darvijackson@centurytel.net

    ReplyDelete
  27. May I also have a copy of your idiom worksheet? It's brilliant! Thanks.
    carolinert26@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  28. Could you please post your idiom examples? Thanks in advance!!

    ReplyDelete
  29. I would love an idioms copy! need it soon pretty please!

    ReplyDelete
  30. I would like a copy of your worksheet! lanep@kerensisd.org

    ReplyDelete
  31. Would LOVE your idiom worksheet please!! :)

    ReplyDelete
  32. Can i get a copy of the idiom worksheets? I would love to use them in my autism social group! Herman@me.com

    ReplyDelete
  33. Hi I would also love a copy of the idiom worksheets. Where can I find them ?

    Thank you !!!
    em_fairclough@live.com

    ReplyDelete
  34. Do you have a template for the strategy Don't Take It Literally? Thanks...

    ReplyDelete
  35. All I have to say is, "Ditto!" Great graphic organizer. If you don't have it available to download anywhere, may I get a copy, please?
    Thank you.
    hcheng@smfcsd.net

    ReplyDelete
  36. I love the Don't Take it Literally activity. Do you have a copy that you wouldn't mind sharing? Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  37. Any chance you are able to share the "Don't take it Literally" worksheet? Would be so grateful if you did. Or if you have a Tpt store?

    ReplyDelete
  38. شركة تنظيف بالقطيف باستخدام افضل مواد التنظيف التى تساعد فى اازالة البقع والاتربه حيث اننا لا يوجد لنا مثيل زورونا من هنا
    شركة تنظيف بالقطيف
    شركة تنظيف منازل بالقطيف
    افضل شركة تنظيف منازل بالقطيف
    شركة تنظيف شقق بالقطيف
    شركة تنظيف واجهات زجاج بالقطيف
    شركة تنظيف.كوم

    ReplyDelete
  39. خدمات تنظيف بالمدينة المنورة
    شركة بيتى هى شركة تنظيف بالمدينة المنورة لدينا العمالة المدربة التى تقوم بخدمات القضاء على البقع والاوساخ بتوفير اجود المنظفات المستوردة التى تقضى على الاوساخ وتزيل البقع ونحن لدينا العمالة التى تقزم بتنظيف الشقق بالمدينة المنورة وتنظيف الفلل بالمدينة المنورة والمنازل بالمدينة المنورة وجميع خدماتنا بأرخص الاسعار .
    تنظيف سجاد بالمدينة المنورة
    http://www.bateiy.com/cleaning-medina/

    ReplyDelete
  40. Could I please have a copy of the idiom worksheet??

    ReplyDelete
  41. I would love a copy of the template you used for the Veteran's Day project and the idioms if you don't mind sharing it. Thank you!

    ReplyDelete