Hunger Games!!

Was anyone else as excited as I was to see Hunger Games this weekend?!? 

My fiance and I went to see it yesterday afternoon and I loved it just as much as I thought I would. I have yet to read the second and third book, but Spring Break is only one week away so I might have to buy them.

I hadn't been to a movie in awhile so I went all out and bought some buttered popcorn, sour patch kids, AND a large diet coke (I also went to Zumba this morning).

Speaking of popcorn....

I posted this popcorn number identification freebie on TpT this weekend. It is great for both your high and low students. Have a look and see if you could use it in your classroom!

Popcorn Freebie

Enjoy!

Susan

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Non-fiction books!

They're done!!!!

My students have been working SO hard on these books for about 8 weeks now and I am proud to say that they are finished and fantastic! Take a look (sorry for the flash - I use my iPhone)

Here's how we did it:

When this first started, I let the students know that they would be completing a research project and publishing their very own book to show what they have learned. Oh, the excitement! They were so thrilled and could not wait to start.

I introduced a variety of "exciting" animals and went to the public library to check out 50 books (the maximum, they would allow). I chose bears, snakes, sharks, owls, whales, and tigers. On the first day I let the students take a book-walk around the room so they could get take a look an decide which animals they may want to research. Then they got to vote for their top 3 choices. Soon after I chose 2-3 students per animal and they started their projects!

We spent a lot of time first trimester distinguishing between fiction and non-fiction books, so my students were already familiar with non-fiction text features. Once we started the process I spent each writing block going through a different page of the book we were creating. I used Gail Gibbon's non-fiction book about frogs for my modeling throughout the whole unit. The students compiled a folder of "sloppy copies" then they would have to schedule a meeting with their editor (me!) before they could publish their pages.

It certainly took a long time, but the students LOVED going through the research process and the publishing process. They loved getting to meet with the editor and then publish their own book. We will be having an author's celebration with some sparkling grape juice to celebrate our hard work!!

You can get the whole book at my TpT store for only a dollar here:

All About Book

Enjoy!

Susan

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The first of many...

Being that this is my 1st blog post (technically 2nd) here is a little bit about me:

My name is Susan Moran and I am originally from Salem, MA. I moved to Las Vegas about a year and a half ago with my boyfriend (now fiance!) and we love it here. The weather is amazing, the city is open and running 24 hours a day, and there is ALWAYS something new and exciting to do only a few minutes away!

When I moved here, the school district was not hiring so I got a job as a fitting room attendant at Nordstrom Rack. While the discount was certainly useful, I knew I wanted to be begin my teaching career ASAP! In October,  I got a call from an elementary school here in Vegas and went in for my very first teaching interview - Eek! That day was a blur. I remember trying to find the perfect outfit, researching everything I could about the school, and scouring through old college papers and portfolios to decide what to bring to my interview. The whole day was worth it when I found out I got the job to teach 1st grade and I would be starting in a month!

I was so lucky that day and I still consider myself lucky to be working at an amazing school, with an amazing staff, and the MOST amazing kiddos! You will hear more about them as I continue to post on my blog. For now, this is what I have for you:

Spring math games!

The weather in Vegas is officially in the mid 70s, my third trimester is starting on Monday, and there are only 12 more weeks of school left!! Yes... I have already started a summer countdown...

With third trimester starting, I looked at our Common Core standards and created some cute math games and centers. They are selling on TpT for $3!

Have a great day :)

Susan

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Coming Soon!

I am currently finishing up report cards - ahh! Is it third trimester already?!?

I will write my first blog post this weekend :)

 Susan

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