Freebie--Back to School Fun!

I LOVE tying read-alouds into just about everything I can!  I really enjoy reading aloud to my class and if it covers a topic I'm trying to teach--even better because it makes my work  job a little easier.  ("If you love what you do, you'll never have to "work" a day in your life"---right)

I like to read Pictures From Our Vacation by Lynne Rae Perkins, the first week of school.  I love this story.  It reminds me of my own family vacations.  I also read this story again through out the year, because it is a great way to teach visualization AND I believe it is also a picture book recommended in the book No More, "I'm Done" by Jennifer Jacobson.

You may have seen this idea on a past post of mine.  This freebie isn't anything really big, but it is an activity my team and I like to do at the beginning of the year.  I've cutsied it up a bit.  So, here it is.  If you have any questions about it, please let me know.  If you have any suggestions on how to improve it--let me know.  

Click Here or on the picture to get this download.  :)

Together for Our Kids,

Denise

Student Treasures

This year was my fourth year to do Student Treasures with my class.  We actually do it as a grade level.  We don't have to, but we always choose to.  We pick a common theme, which always seems to center around "Saving the Earth".  Each student writes a page and illustrates a page to go along with their writing.  When it is finished, the teacher packs it up and mails it in.  Each student is able to purchase the hardback class book for $20.  The teacher receives one for FREE!  There is are 2 parts that are a bit time consuming on the part of the teacher.  1.  The "final" writing and illustration needs to be done on the special paper provided by the company.  It's a glossy paper, so it needs to be written on with markers.  Because I have 2nd graders, I have them write their finished product with pencil and then I go over each one with a black, thin marker.  After they finish their illustrations, I also go back with the same marker and outline some of the objects just to make them stand out a little more.  2.  In order for the correct picture and writing to be side-by-side, the student's drawing has to be on the back of another student's writing.  No matter how many times I model and say this, I still hear a lot of, "This isn't my paper!"  or "I have Sophie's!  Who has mine?".  

Anyway...it always works out in the end and the results are fabulous!  I'm the biggest procrastinator in my grade level to get this done and even though we give ourselves plenty of time to do it...We are always turning it in at the last minute.  Each year we do it again and the students love reading the books that the other classes before them have written.  

Here are some examples from this year.  The book on the left at the top of the photos was done by my son and his friend in 4th grade this year.  The book on bottom of the same photo was done by my 2nd grade class this year.  The photo on the right is just a sample page of what a student did.  

I am pretty proud of the great job my kiddos did!  Check out their website, Student Treasures.  I promise you will love the end results and be so glad you put in the time.

Together for Our Kids,

Denise