Groundhog Day Activites!

 Groundhog Day is a silly but fun holiday to celebrate in the classroom. Even though there is no science to back up the groundhog's predictions, it is a fun tradition to bring into the classroom. I've created a new resource that is full of groundhog activities that are fun and academic at the same time. From a groundhog mini book, groundhog writing pages, how-to-draw a groundhog, to a hat and crafts, these activities are sure to be loved by your students! Click here for the 24 page pack!

Valentine's Day Directed Drawings!

 Valentine's Day is always one of the favorite days for elementary students. It is always a high energy day with lots of excitement! It is always a challenge to keep the students focused on learning on this day so I created an activity pack that will combine the fun of valentines day while aligning with writing skills. 

    Not only will students be learning how to follow step-by-step directions, but they will be practicing writing skills while engaging in fun Valentine's Day drawing. 

    Be sure to check out my How to Draw Valentine's Day Directed Drawings. Included in the pack are eight fun valentine images from valentine animals to a valentine mailbox. Click here to grab the set! 

December Directed Drawing and Writing Centers

 The weeks between Thanksgiving and Winter Break are so much fun and so exciting for students.  An activity I always like to do is my Christmas Draw and Write Directed Drawings. These activities allow for the excitement of the Holiday season, while still working on academics and standards. Students have fun drawing various Christmas related items from reindeer to Santa! Check out the pack here!

October Draw and Write- Directed Drawings for Halloween!

 Each year I pull out these adorable Halloween Directed Drawings and my students get so excited! They are always a fun addition to our writing center and the students love learning how to draw October related items! Included in the pack are two versions of directed drawing/writing formats for the following: Cat, Bat, Owl, Witch hat, Pumpkin, Jack-O-Lantern, Leaf, Candy Corn, Ghost, and Spider!

These are great for first, second, and third grade students! Even my little first graders love giving the more challenging drawings a try! They try their best to create the drawings and are so proud of their work! You can check out the October Pack here! I also have a pumpkin freebie if you would like to try it out before grabbing the whole pack. :)

Crayon Bulletin Board

After posting my classroom reveal I had tons of questions about how I created my crayon bulletin board! Well… this is the place to come for details!

I was originally inspired by this pin and loved the way the box was created. I then decided that I wanted my bulletin board to be more 3-dimensional so I grabbed some construction paper and played around with it until I got the result I was looking for.

To make the box, I used a shipping box that my wobble stools came in. I cut the semicircle with scissors. I then covered the box with yellow construction paper. I just used glue sticks and tape. I folded it like a present and attached the green flap at the top. I glued on the green triangle shapes and used a marker to create the green lines. I then used push pins (lots of them!) to attach it to my bulletin board.

To make the crayons I took different shades of construction paper and rolled them into cylinders. I taped them lengthwise. I created crayon name labels with my students' names and glued them onto the outside of the cylinders.

I then needed to make a cone shape for the crayon points. I cut a square (approx. 8x8") and twisted it into the cone and taped it together. I then trimmed the bottom so it was flat.

Before attaching the cone to the cylinder, I stapled the crayon to the wall. I stapled the inside of both sides of the cylinder to the wall. I then attached the cone to my desired side of the crayon.

To attach the cone to the cylinder, I placed two tape loops (sometimes 3) inside the cylinder. I then wedged the cone inside the cylinder.

Stay tuned for a video tutorial!

If you are interested in the crayon labels you can download them here.

Happy bulletin board Creating!!!

How to Draw Farm Animals- Writing Center!

I am so excited to introduce my newest Draw and Write creation! How to Draw Farm Animals- Writing Center will be a packet I use with my students at the beginning of the year. This unit will be great for introducing how our writing center works. Check out what comes in this 30+ page packet below.

I have two versions of the draw and write. I have used both in my classroom. I will start the year with the draw and write with fewer lines (on the front) and then as my students progress we will move to the two sided version with the lines on the back.

Get the pack here! Be sure to check out my How to Draw Ocean Animals Writing Center, and How to Draw Polar Animals Writing Center!

Happy Teaching!

How to Draw Polar Animals- Writing Center

I am very excited to share a fun writing center that I have come up with. My students have been transitioning from narrative to explanatory/informative writing and I wanted to continue this during my centers time. Writing centers have traditionally been very open to student choice of topic in my classroom. For this new center, I wanted to provide my students with enough support to be able to write an explanatory piece independently.

To keep the students engaged and hook them into this style of writing, I decided to use the wintery theme of polar animals as a subject for the center. Each week I introduce a new polar animal and provide my students with a word bank and basic facts about the animal. The students then have some information to use when creating their own sentences. These resources are displayed for them at the writing center.

The students learn how to draw the animal using the steps on the page. They practice following the illustrated steps, and read the sentences to help them with their drawing.

Then the students write about the animal using the resources and knowledge they have gained. We talk a lot about not copying from the fact page, and instead using the word bank to help create sentences of their own. The writing center has been so engaging and my students have created quality informational writing using it. You can get it here!

Here are some examples from the writing center:

I have some fun art projects to implement once the students learn about the various polar animals. Check out our cute walrus project!

Check out the Arctic Fox and Antarctic Penguin  art projects!

Happy Teaching!!

Penguin Freebie!

With mixed emotions my winter break is coming to an end. I enjoyed the much needed rest and feel rejuvenated and ready to return to my students. I will miss the rest and relaxation though! I know I be as busy as ever once school starts back up again.

Today I have decided to provide you with a fun winter freebie! I have created fun "How to Draw" activities for penguins and polar bears and I would like to offer you my "How to Draw a Penguin" free! Head over to my TpT store to grab the download! I actually have two versions there for you. Enjoy! Don't forget to leave me a comment and tell me if you liked the product!

Happy Teaching!