Five for Friday!

We worked hard and played hard this week....we also ate WAY too much sugar!
Glad it's Friday and heading into a 3 day weekend. Linking up with Doodle Bugs for the Friday 5!

#1: We have been practicing the CAFE strategy, Asking Questions throughout the Reading Process. I used it on Monday to introduce the topic of the Chinese New Year. My kids used stickies to write questions before, during, and after I read aloud the book Happy New Year by Demi. I did some thinking aloud as I read to model this strategy and then the kids wrote their own questions. We shared and posted them. If the questions were answered during the reading, we put a check on the stickie. Questions that were not answered while reading the first book may have been answered during the other read alouds throughout the week, so we referred to this often. It kept them thinking and listening to the books all week.

I know I posted about this previously, but here is how my unit turned out. I was really pleased with it and the kids loved the activities, as well. I think their favorite was creating their own dragon and writing a story and making their own red envelope. I think the envelopes came out great. At first I was going to copy the pattern on red paper, but I decided to let them decorate it  themselves. They got REALLY creative. Inside the envelope, they wrote a note to someone wishing good luck and good fortune.

#2: Back in December I joined a Winter Project Exchange hosted by Maria at First Grade Carousel. (Check out her cute blog!) My kids made starfish ornaments and we had to write about winter in our area. Yesterday I received our package with all these cool projects from around the country. Classrooms from Ontario, California, Ohio, Vermont, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Mississippi, Georgia, and Michigan all sent us these adorable projects and notes about their winter! My kids LOVED looking through these. We all sat on the floor, opened the envelope together,  and read the notes. It was really fun. I would love to connect with another class and exchange letters or projects.  If anyone out there is interested in being Pen Pals, please let me know. (We could Skype, too. How fun would that be??)

#3: My kids have a blast with my Brain Boosters. We did this one this week. I love how this little girl finished the monster picture. She added the bigger monster in the background.

#4: A MUST read for Valentine's Day is Someone Loves You Mr. Hatch by Eileen Spinelli (2 of my boys cried!!). 

I assigned this sequencing activity from Denise at Sunny Days. (I can't find a link to her activity! SORRY!) They completed it and glued it into their Reader's Notebooks. I haven't checked them yet so we'll see how well they listened to the story! A great story for inferencing, too.

I usually use Storyline Online (actors reading books) to share this book. It's fabulous and free! 

Check it out! 

(This year I couldn't get it to load! DARN!)

Another must have for your Valentine library is

How can you not love Herbie and Marylou??

#5: I was certainly feeling the love from my class! Tons of candy and love letters...even a $25 Cracker Barrel card!  The kids were CRAZZZYY on Thursday, but we had tons of fun!

I hope your week was fabulous!