November Deals

Somehow, November is here already! 

Here are a few Dollar Deal resources to help get you through this busy month! 

 

We start the month with a couple of Patriotic Holidays: Election Day and Veterans Day! Here are a couple of freebies to help you out with these special days: 

(Explore each image for the link!)

Write some thank you letters to our Veterans! (This one is free!)

 Celebrate Election Day the way children should!

 Take breaks and learn about the country at the same time!

Help children distinguish between these 6 tricky Patriotic Holidays!

Of course, it's football season! Here's a football-themed game to practice counting to 1,000! 

 

 This game is a true favorite with my kiddos! It's played like "Old Maid", and is guaranteed to get them giggling! (Don't tell them they're practicing an important skill!)

Enjoy this busy month... don't blink, it goes by fast!

Looking at November

I'm looking at the calendar, and I just can't believe we're approaching November already! 

A lot happens in November, but there's no need to fear; I've got your teaching needs covered!

 

Here are a couple of resources to start off November: 

 

This one is on the popular Boom Learning platform:

November Facts Boom Learning

 

These daily writing or oral language prompts are perfect for morning meeting, or daily writing!

 November Morning Meeting Greeting Activities

Make your life easier by sending home these monthly communication brochures:

Parent Communication Brochures - November Edition

This is one of my favorite November resources: Science and Social Studies Activities for November!

Remember Election Day!

I'm sure I'll have the kiddos vote for something, but they won't be voting for president. It's far too controversial! This one's fun! (and free!)  Election Day Graphing Option for Little Kids

  Veteran's Day is November 11th! 

Here's a fun activity to help the children understand what a Veteran really is! This will spark some great conversations!  Veterans True or False

Here's another fun resource to help children learn about Veterans! (On the fun Boom Learning platform!) Armed Services Fun Facts

Once they figure out what Veterans are, they can use this freebie to write thank you notes to them. Thank You, Veterans!

Since Election Day and Veterans Day are both Patriotic holidays, enjoy these Patriotic Brain Breaks! See the image for the link to this freebie! Patriotic Brain Breaks

Of course, everyone's favorite November holiday is Thanksgiving! Check out these Thanksgiving Printables!

Do your students know the +9 trick? (It's just one less than the +10!) Here's a math game to practice +9s! Turkey Nines  (Oh my goodness, they LOVE this game! It works like "Old Maid")

And guess what... there's a freebie (easier) version!  Turkey Nines Freebie!

Want more turkeys? This little bundle includes more turkey learning fun, (including the Thanksgiving Turkey game) at a huge discount!

I hope you find something your students will love for the month of November!

5 Patriotic Options for Veterans Day or Any Patriotic Holiday

The last couple of days, we spent a lot of time discussing what a veteran is and why it's important to honor them. 

(I always like my kids to know WHY we get a day off!) True, they're due for a break (as are the teachers!) We survived a marathon day of teaching and parent-teacher conferences this week, so we deserve a day off to recover!

1.  First of all, there are books! I absolutely love to introduce concepts to children through quality literature! I admit. The Wall gets me choked up every time I read it. As I read it yesterday, the children were totally silent. (My group is NEVER totally silent!) It affected them deeply.

The Wall

America: A Patriotic Primer

H is for Honor: A Military Family Alphabet

My Dad's a Hero

Night Catch

F is for Flag

2.  Next, I like to show some videos. I try to time it so we watch a video on Thursday during snack time since Thursday is popcorn day in our school. It just seems appropriate! Here is a great patriotic video, and the kids really take to it!

 

3.  I play music frequently through the school day. I make sure I have music playing in the morning as the children arrive, but I also make sure they hear music at different times of the day. Sometimes it's soft background music, and sometimes it's lively, fun music. Both kinds of music have their place. Here are a couple that I love!

God Bless America: The Ultimate Patriotic Album

Party Tyme Karaoke Patriotic

   

4.  I did this Veterans True or False activity with my students on Thursday, and it was awesome! Interestingly, our assistant principal came in while we played the game and told the students he was a veteran. My students broke out into applause! (I was so proud!) Of course, most of my little guys went nuts when they found out he drove a tank! Click the image or click HERE for the link!

Do you have active students? After they read this text, they can have a blast moving around to answer the questions in Reading Comprehension for Active Learners: Freedom Isn't Free!

5.  Here's a freebie that I did with my students on Friday.  They wrote thank you letters to Veterans! Their notes were heartwarming and proud to me. They understood how lucky we are to be Americans and have these wonderful people risking their lives for our freedom!

Thank You Veterans Writing Paper

How do you celebrate Patriotic Days?

A Couple of Deals for Veterans Day

Halloween is over; we have Veterans Day in less than a week! 

I've rounded up a couple of fun deals to share with you!

Here's a collection of paper for writing thank you letters to veterans!  After a lesson or two on what veterans are and how they help us, letter writing is an excellent way to culminate the activities.

Thank You, Veterans!

We know they all need to move. These brain breaks will allow them to move and think about their country.

Patriotic Brain Breaks 

I've noticed my little second graders often confuse the different patriotic holidays, so I made this resource to help them keep track of President's Day, Memorial Day, Flag Day, Independence Day, Constitution Day, and Veterans Day. It's really helped them keep track of which holiday is which!

Patriotic Holidays!

Hope your students end up with a good understanding of Veterans Day!

 

Thank you. Veterans!

Wow, I am so grateful for our veterans!  

They preserve our freedom and protect our country.  I've been looking for the perfect activity to help the children appreciate those brave men and women.

 

  I've spent the afternoon searching videos, and have several I want to show!  I've narrowed it down to a couple:

The one above gives a nice collection of pictures of various soldiers performing various duties, accompanied by a powerful song.

This one is a good one, as it uses children's voices. It has good visuals and lyrics on the screen so the children can sing along.

The lyrics are in a language the children can understand.  Very child-friendly!

If I can get through this song without crying, this video gives a nice connection of visuals of soldiers and the USA.

Speaking of "can't get through it without crying," I thought I'd read my favorite book for Veterans Day.  I've read this every year, and I am amazed every year by the look on the children's faces as I read.  It definitely touches their emotions!

The Wall by Eve Bunting

This freebie allows the children to write to veterans they know and thank them for all they do. You can find it HERE.

or make cards instead!

Here's a fun activity to help the children figure out who a veteran could be. Don't tell the kids, but ALL these describe what a veteran could be! 

 

Boom Learning is popular with students as well as teachers! This Boom Learning resource gives the children information about the different Armed Services of the USA!

Perhaps you prefer to focus more on reading skills. This differentiated text describes the 5 branches of service in detail.

Americans, what are your plans to celebrate our Veterans?