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That Day That Teachers Dread?

Did you realize April Fool's Day is coming??? Some teachers absolutely dread this day. Are you one of them?



I'm a true believer in any opportunity to laugh! As a matter of fact, laughter is healthy! (See THIS blog post on the benefits of laughter!)  It's also great for the brain! (See THIS blog post on brain fitness!)

I do enjoy making the kids laugh, and I enjoy their humor.  But I kind of like to "beat them to the punch".

I set the rules first thing: April Fool's Day is about making people laugh. It is NOT about making people mad.

I stuck around for a while after school today setting up some things that will hopefully lead to a few laughs.

I wrote the morning letter for Monday. I usually write about the morning routine, reminding them of their daily responsibilities, and if anything unusual were going to happen on that day. Monday's letter says we're going on a field trip to Disney World. The schedule is set up with the word "field trip" at the top, and nothing else!

Here's the date for Monday:  (They have actually earned 25 minutes, not 325!)
The Day That Teachers Dread? I'm one who looks forward to April Fool's Day in the classroom. Here are plenty reasons why, including some fun resources!

When you're 7, seeing things you normally see, but upside down, is pretty funny.  (Note the calendar arrow pointing to August, rather than April!)

The Day That Teachers Dread? I'm one who looks forward to April Fool's Day in the classroom. Here are plenty reasons why, including some fun resources!

Again, upside down is pretty funny when you're 7.
TThe Day That Teachers Dread? I'm one who looks forward to April Fool's Day in the classroom. Here are plenty of

  Some of the names and stations for the morning literacy block are upside down... great stuff.  

The Day That Teachers Dread? I'm one who looks forward to April Fool's Day in the classroom. Here are plenty reasons why, including some fun resources!

This is where we often put "exit slips" for reading.  They put a post it on their number, telling something about the story they read.  I put a post it with a personality trait on their numbers. Hopefully this will make them smile!

The Day That Teachers Dread? I'm one who looks forward to April Fool's Day in the classroom. Here are plenty reasons why, including some fun resources!

How do I bring April Fool's Day into reading?  I bring out my joke books! (These are affiliate links to Amazon.)
And, of course, who understands the sense of humor of a seven year old better than Robert Munsch? (More affiliate links to Amazon.)
How do I bring April Fool's day into Math?  With Problem-solving!  Check out my April Fool's Day Math  Stories!

Explore this image for a link to this fun resource!

Looking for more learning related to April Fool's Day?

Explore this image for a link to this popular resource!


Interestingly, I have several of the same ideas, plus a few more on last year's April Fool's Day post! HERE is the link to see that one!

Have a happy April Fool's Day!  
I hope you hear loads of laughter!

The Day That Teachers Dread? I'm one who looks forward to April Fool's Day in the classroom. Here are plenty of reasons why, including some fun resources!


What's Your High and Low?


I have a little tradition in my classroom that I've been doing for years at the end of the day. It's called "High/ Low". (In some circles, it can be called "Rose and Thorn.") It's when we reflect on our day and decide what was the best part of the day and what was the most challenging part of our day. 

What's Your High and Low? This blog post is about a little tradition I've been doing at the end of the day in my classroom and it's always a big hit. It helps me learn about my students and build relationships with them.

I got the idea from an old romantic comedy starring Bruce Willis and Michelle Pfeiffer called The Story of Us.




 It was a cute movie about a married couple with two children who were struggling with their marriage. Every evening at dinner the family would share their high of the day and their low of the day. That got me thinking about ending the day in the classroom the same way. I tried it, and it worked out better than expected!

Sometimes people ask me why I let the kids focus on their low of the day... don't I want them to be positive? Well, yes, of course I want them to be positive, but sometimes they have something that is bugging them, and it makes them feel better to get it out. (Just like the rest of us!) Besides, it helps me know what's going on in the classroom. (And even though they don't mention names, I usually know exactly who they're talking about, and can address it privately later!)

In the beginning, there's usually plenty of modeling on my part. My high might be about a success the class had that day, "I was proud when the class got a good report from the art teacher," or "Everyone caught on to adding hundreds today!"  Sometimes, it's an individual success, "John turned 8 years old today," or "Mary has a brand new baby brother."

I'm particularly careful to model what a low would sound like, since I don't want this to be the focus, and I want them to know I care about them. It might sound something like this, "Fred was out sick today," or "Fran got hurt on the playground today," or maybe "Someone hurt George's feelings." More than anything, it's important to model positive feelings. This is when you learn about your students and build those important relationships.

High/ Low of the Day usually works best at the end of the day. However, it can be used in the morning for special events, such as High/ Low of the month, High/ Low of vacation, High/ Low of a holiday, High/ Low of a test, and so on!

Here's another blog post about how I do High/ Low by having the children hold a Beanie Baby when it's their turn, then tossing the Beanie to the next person: How to Have Them Happy When They Walk Out of the Classroom.

What's Your High and Low? This blog post is about a little tradition I've been doing at the end of the day in my classroom and it's always a big hit. It helps me learn about my students and build relationships with them.



Maple Weekend

It's the end of winter here in New England, and we're enjoying a New England tradition:  Maple sugaring!

Maple Weekend: Facts, videos, and books to help children learn about how Maple Syrup is made!

Over the last couple of weeks, we've seen many a maple tree with buckets attached!  Yep, when the days get warm but the nights are still cold, that's the right conditions for getting that sap flowing! They collect that sap and boil away!

  • Did you know it takes 40 - 50 gallons of sap to make one gallon of maple syrup?

I love to use children's literature to teach science and social studies concepts.  
This topic includes both, a little history of the New England area, plus the science of trees and sap, as well as states of matter and evaporation!

Want to learn more about how maple syrup is made?  Here are a couple of informational books for kids about the process.  

Here are a few realistic fiction books that share the experience of maple sugaring:
It's truly a fascinating process!  There are several "Sugar Houses" in my area, and a true hint that winter is nearing an end.  The State of New Hampshire officially declared this "Maple Weekend" and many Sugar Houses are opened to the public this weekend!

Here's a little video I found on Youtube that demonstrates the process.

Doesn't it make you wonder how people figured out that draining trees of sap and boiling it like crazy would make a yummy liquid?  Did they try oak trees and pine trees?  How did they know to drill a hole in the tree and put a bucket underneath?  

Here's one fiction book that suggests how it might have happened, back in the days when Native Americans lived peacefully with the earth in the New England area:
Don't you just love books that put you in a totally different time and place? Historical fiction is one of my very favorite genres, how about you?

Do you have maple sugar farms where you live?


Maple Weekend: Facts, videos, and books to help children learn about how Maple Syrup is made!


What Does a Bunny Have to Do With Easter?

Did you ever wonder where the bunny came from? Or, for that fact, baby chicks? Or eggs? 

What do all these things have in common?


What does a bunny have to do with Easter? Did you ever wonder this? Here's the answer, and several book suggestions for the occasion!

I often wondered that, so I looked it up, and it all made sense. Rabbits, chicks, and eggs all represent new life.


It is also appropriate that the date of Easter is close to the Spring Equinox. Again, we're talking about new life: rebirth, the world comes back to life.  

It all goes together, doesn't it?
Here are a few books about Easter that I found!  

Here are a couple of books with a Spring focus!

What post about Easter would be complete with this classic?

or this one?

Happy Easter!

What does a bunny have to do with Easter? Did you ever wonder this? Here's the answer, and several book suggestions for the occasion!
This blog post contains links to items on Amazon. These are affiliate links. If you use them, I'll make a small profit from your purchase, but it won't affect what you pay Amazon!  If you use them, THANK YOU! (It's not much, but every bit helps!)

Recreating the Setting


We've been enjoying Dr. Seuss all week!  We've had lots of great discussions on his use of nonsense words and rhyme.  I've read several of his books this week, and the kids are starting to realize that even though most of his stories are made of silly words, silly characters and silly situations, he has some real things to say in his stories.

Today we read The Lorax.  It's one of my favorites, and it has something important to tell us.




As I read, the children were very enthusiastic, and I had lots of great comments throughout the book.  They realized real fast there were similarities between this book and the book I read last week for the Booking Across America project, A River Ran Wild.  (Also dealt with damage to the environment.)


After a great discussion on Dr. Seuss and his lessons, the children paired up and made some great structures based on The Lorax.  Some were designed to look like the factory of the Once-lers, others made Truffula Trees, and others made the creatures so beautifully created by Dr. Seuss.

Check out their structures!  Don't you just love kids creating with blocks?


Here's a Truffula Tree

Here's the factory of the Once-lers.

Here's a machine of the Once-lers.


Here's what the land looked like before the Once-lers destroyed it.

Here are some Truffula Trees.

Here are some of the Once-ler factory workers.

I hope you've been enjoying Read Across America week as much as I've been!

Making Slime

I've been wanting to share my experience with making slime with my students last week, but life sure gets away with us, doesn't it?  
 
Making Slime: When studying States of Matter with my second graders, we made two different kinds of slime. This blog post contains the recipes for both!

  My district has a wonderful Distance Learning program, and our Tech person is able to bring the cameras right into the classroom!  We were lucky to be connected to an enthusiastic teacher from the Ann Arbor Hands on Museum. 

Making Slime: When studying States of Matter with my second graders, we made two different kinds of slime. This blog post contains the recipes for both!

Click HERE for their website!  (Ever notice how the kids tend to tune out their regular teacher, but pay attention to a total stranger?). Well, we had all the "slime materials" all set up, which certainly helped hold their attention this dismal day during the week before vacation.  (We are no fools, we know when to schedule the good stuff!)

Making Slime: When studying States of Matter with my second graders, we made two different kinds of slime. This blog post contains the recipes for both!

The activity started with a lively discussion of the three basic states of matter and the differences between them. The children even got out of their seats and moved around like solids, liquids, and gases!  (This is a group that needs to move!)
Making Slime: When studying States of Matter with my second graders, we made two different kinds of slime. This blog post contains the recipes for both!

Then we made the first batch of slime.  One big advantage of having someone else do the teaching is that I get to pay attention to their reactions, which is great fun when watching the kids dig their fingers into slime!

Slime #1

  • borax powder
  • water
  • white glue
  • green food coloring (optional)
Making Slime: When studying States of Matter with my second graders, we made two different kinds of slime. This blog post contains the recipes for both!


Mix separately: 
6 teaspoons glue, 6 teaspoons water and food coloring (optional)
1/4  cup water and 1/4 teaspoon borax
Mix together slowly.  When slime has formed, pick up and knead it.

The first slime had the consistency of silly putty, and they actually got to take a little bit of that home. 

Making Slime: When studying States of Matter with my second graders, we made two different kinds of slime. This blog post contains the recipes for both!

Slime #2

2 parts Cornstarch  to 1 part water
Making Slime: When studying States of Matter with my second graders, we made two different kinds of slime. This blog post contains the recipes for both!

The second slime was messier and very interesting. If you tapped it quickly, it felt hard. If you slowly touched the slime, it was drippy, and, well... slimy!

Making Slime: When studying States of Matter with my second graders, we made two different kinds of slime. This blog post contains the recipes for both!

In conclusion, we realized that the slime was neither a solid, liquid, or gas. It was a state known as non-Newtonian fluids. Some other substances with this same state are jello, blood, and...boogers!  If you know second graders like I know second graders, you can bet there was a strong reaction to that tidbit of information.  And they will definitely remember it!


"Loved it!"
"It was squishy!"
"It was gooey!"
"Slimable!"

Making Slime: When studying States of Matter with my second graders, we made two different kinds of slime. This blog post contains the recipes for both!

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