Beach Sand: Halloween

Showing posts with label Halloween. Show all posts

Oh. My. Goodness. I feel like I have gone completely AWOL from this little ol' blog of mine. I'm quite sad about it, but it can't be helped. This school year has been BEYOND crazy. I'm lovin' my class from 8-2. They are super sweet and funny...which is my favorite part! When that bell rings, though, it's a whole different story! Before and after school...there is WAY too much going on! New test. New acronyms. Data collection. Assessments. BAM! BAM! BAM! We are getting hit from all sides with so much. The funny thing is no one really knows what the future holds. So as fast we are told about something "new", it's OLD! With a new standardized test looming in the distance things have been quite chaotic. It seems like everyone is in panic mode. Does anyone else feel like that? I've been at this 25 years and I will say this is the toughest one yet!

All I know is I am required to teach the standards. If I do that then they SHOULD perform well on the test, right? (Someone please agree with me!) I am doing my best to stay afloat and TEACH ON!

Since it's Halloween weekend, one of my favorite times of the year, I wanted to give you all a little treat! And if you're like me, retail therapy always makes you feel better! I'm also in an extra good mood because Halloween is my big sister's birthday! We have lots of special treats planned for her...can't tell you what they are here in case she reads this! But I will say that she is the BEST sister in the world. So giving. So caring and patient. And one of the best teachers I know!

Stop by for a little sale going on all weekend.

If you haven't picked up this challenging analogy freebie yet, go and get it at my TpT store. My kids had a blast with this!

I hope everyone enjoys a very spooky weekend!!

Beach Sand and Lesson Plans

Hi all! I feel like I have been so out of the loop with blogging lately! Life just gets so super crazy sometimes! I'm sure you all know how that feels. I'm glad to be back today with Doodlebugs for her Five for Friday linky!

The last few weeks we have been working on story structure, with an emphasis on characters. We have talked a great deal about character traits, motivations, feelings, and actions and how these all work to move the story's plot along and also how characters' actions can effect the events. I created some organizers that deal specifically with main characters. These organizers have a fall theme and are perfect for a seasonal bulletin board display. For November, I have included an acorn and turkey organizer along with a bat, spider, and pumpkin. For October, we used the bat organizer to write about what characters do and say along with the traits they show. The kids enjoy making these and they are perfect for a quick formative assessment.

Click HERE to find these in my TpT Store.

We are one of the few schools in my district that allows the students to dress up for Halloween. The 5th grade, though, has a tradition of assigning a scientist project where the students have to dress like the scientist they researched and present their findings as the scientist. My hubby changed his up a bit this year. He had his students research a science field. For example, students researched paleontology, astronomy, marine biology, botany, meteorology, etc. The written portion included research that explained the field, told why it matters to the world, and included famous scientists in the field. The real creative part came when the kids had to dress like that field. Well, our daughter happens to be in his class and she selected paleontology. Her and I worked on the project together, without showing Dad/teacher at home during the process. He did not see her costume or project until it was due. She created a newspaper using a template in Pages, added photos from a recent trip to the Museum of Natural History, and added some clip art. She wouldn't let me take a picture of her in class....said I was embarrassing her! LOL! Her costume had bones hanging from the sleeves and bottom of the shirt. I made her a necklace with skulls and bones. It turned out mighty cute. The other little girl in the photo below was anatomy. She made a sign with an x-ray on it.

Here is her newspaper:

This student was meteorology! He had a baseball cap with painted batting on top. Hanging down were blue beads and inside the "cloud" were little lights that looked like lightning. So clever! All in all it was a lot of fun and I'm so glad I was able to step in the class and see some of the presentations.

I made these little treats for my teammates. If you drink Starbucks coffee in the small bottles they come in handy for projects like this. On the lid I glued black ribbon around the rim. I stamped and punched out the orange card stock that I glued on top.

The labels are from Martha Stewart which I purchased at Michael's. I simply tied a ribbon around the top and filled with candy corn. Super easy and cute! Everyone loved them!

Halloween week was packed with lots of fun activities. On the 31st we had our school parade in the morning. After the parade, we settled in for some owl activities. Cupcakes, owl pellet dissection, and an owl craft from Oriental Trading.

Our owl study is going to continue next week as we create this adorable Owl Flip Flap book from Simply Skilled in Second Grade. Check it out HERE.

On a personal note, I recently returned from a 5 day trip to New York City with my daughter, niece, and sister. We had a blast! My daughter, Lily, has been begging me to take her for a very long time, so for the past 6 months we have been planning and saving. We had the most fabulous time and we were able to see everything on her list! She was so appreciative and I know she will have some fond memories! The same weekend we were away, my son, 13, was on a trip to Denver to play in a water polo tournament. Though his team did not come back top winners, he played his heart out. His coach told us that "this was Dane's weekend. He was the pillar of the team." To be able to give my children such opportunities makes me feel so blessed. October was a month to remember!

Dane at practice, #8! One of the highlights of our NYC trip was seeing Newsies AND meeting the actors after the show!

Thanks for stopping by!

Beach Sand and Lesson Plans

I am super excited to link up with Denise at Sunny Days in Second Grade for her My Truth Monday series. I think it's going to be a good time! Check out her introduction post HERE and see what it's all about then link up for some truth telling fun!

In the spirit of Halloween, here is...

Join in the and share the things that give you the willies!

Beach Sand and Lesson Plans

Halloween is by far one of my favorite holidays. Pumpkins, costumes, candy, tricks. Who doesn't love that?! I think I am at one of the only schools in my district that actually has a Halloween parade...not fall fest, not Octoberfest, not a storybook parade...but a full on Halloween parade. Parents attend and watch us march through the school. Everyone dresses up! I just LOVE it. My own children have taken part...along with my husband who, by the way, teaches in the adjoining room to me...another post another day! LOL! Traditions like that make for some happy school memories. My team this year dressed as THE SUPER TEACHERS... just how we feel this year (and most years). There is always more to do, more to learn, changes, etc. but the hours in the day stay the same and somehow we make it through...our SUPER POWERS I guess! Our media specialist had the storybook pumpkin contest. After the parade we walked through the library voting with pennies placed in UNICEF boxes. Captain Underpants made me laugh!! Families and kids are so clever and creative.

With the excitement of the parade and the night ahead, my team decided over the last few years to keep the rest of the day "low key". No big party. Instead we have centered the day around owl themed activities...keeping an academic focus, but having fun at the same time. My favorite part of this unit is dissecting Owl Pellets. If you have not done this before PLEASE give it a try. They can be purchased online, but ours come in the science materials we get each year. Do you know what an Owl pellet is?? The bones, fur, etc. that the owl can not digest gets regurgitated...kind of like a cat's hairball. The kids LOVE it! They could have picked through it all day. The pellet comes wrapped in tin foil. The kids make guesses as to what it is. We unwrap it and continue guessing. Then I tell them! The oohhs, yucks, and awwws are priceless. Now it's dissection time. They pick through the fur using tweezers and toothpicks. After they find the bones, they categorize them, and glue them on black construction paper. What a blast!!

How do you celebrate Halloween in your classroom?? Hope everyone had a spooky day!

Beach Sand and Lesson Plans

It's the end of October! Halloween is right around the corner! (I just can't believe that!)

Enjoy some spooky savings over at my TpT store!

Some other bloggy friends are throwing a sale, too! Go to Teaching with Love and The Teacher's Cauldron to check out links to other sales!

BOO TO YOU!!

Beach Sand and Lesson Plans

What a great Halloween Idea Linky! I've been booed by Denise at Sunny Days in Second Grade! Her blog ROCKS!

If you've been booed, copy and paste the above pic and these "rules" into your post.

1. Give a shout out to the blogger who booed you and link back to their site!

2. Share 3-5 October activities, books, products (yours or someone else),

or freebie(s) that you love!

3. Share the Boo love with 5 bloggers. Make sure you check this link to make sure you don't boo someone again:

http://toristeachertips.blogspot.com/2012/10/ive-been-booed-fun-october-linky.html

And don't forget to tell them that they have been BOOED!

Here I go! My first BOO!

This is a fun culminating activity to a unit on maps. My kids just love to use their imaginations when they create their own SPOOKY ISLAND! Perfect for October!

Click here for a free download from my TpT Store!

Here is a FANTASTIC idea from Farley at Oh Boy Fourth Grade! There is a Currently activity for every month! Perfect for writing (expanding sentences, show not tell, etc) It's perfect for the kids to practice reflecting. Such an original idea!

Click here to see these activities!

Now this looks cool! I have never "celebrated" Day of the Dead with my students, but what fun! Thanks to Rachel at the Tattooed Teacher!

Click here to see more!

Who doesn't love Stellaluna? I know I do! This is a perfect reading graphic organizer. Use it after Stellaluna or any October read aloud. Jen at the Teacher's Cauldron has an adorable blog and fantastic ideas! Check this one out there!

I'm BOOing some of my favorite bloggy friends! Check them out for more treats!

Farley at Oh Boy 4th Grade

Jen at the The Teacher's Cauldron

Rachel at The Tattooed Teacher

Kristine at Young Teacher Love

Stephanie at 3rd Grade Thoughts

Beach Sand and Lesson Plans

I love the read aloud! It's my favorite part of the day. I sit in my rocking chair or on my author's chair or sometimes right on the carpet with the kids. No need for a book walk or prereading activity....just read and enjoy! So turn down the lights....get your spooky voice on for five of my favorite Halloween read alouds...not in any particular order: