We recently started reading about early English colonies like Roanoke, Jamestown, and Plymouth. Colonists had to have amazing constitutions to survive life in the new settlements, but what has been more amazing to my students (and me) is the trip from England to the new world on the ship.

We did a little extra digging into the voyages on ships like the Mayflower. The Mayflower was a merchant ship and not really intended for voyagers. The 102 passengers mainly stayed in the gun deck or "tween" deck in a space that was about 80' long, 24' wide, and a ceiling height of about 5 1/2'. To give you a little comparison, a school bus is usually 40' long, so the Mayflower is the length of two school buses parked one in front of the other.

In order to visualize the parts of the ship a little better, the students are creating cutaway Mayflower diagrams with 14 main ship parts labeled. We defined the ship parts first and then searched Mayflower diagrams and pictures to draw our own cross-sections of the ship.

I found this SITE and this SITE with reliable definitions for the students, but there were plenty of other online resources. Google images had great results too. I gave the students this Mayflower Ship Parts Handout, and they completed the definitions first. After we compared definitions, students used legal sized white paper (and rulers) to draw, label, and color their diagrams. We did not quite finish before spring break, but I love the way the diagrams look so far. This has been a great activity to enhance my history content as well as work with proportion and measurement.

Caitlin
The-Room-Mom.com

Explorer Infographics

I recently attended the SCCTE teacher conference where I gathered many great ideas, but my favorite session shared strategies for creating visual arguments with infographics as a variation on the persuasive essay. The presenters used this project with college and high school level students. I needed to make some adjustments but wanted to try it with my 4th graders. My students just finished reading about famous explorers, and I fiddled with some activity ideas until I came up with a way to use the infographics.

Explorer v. Explorer

• We started with a little background reading to get a feel for the format of comparing two topics based on data. I paired students and had them read various Who Would Win? books by Jerry Pallotta. They noted the format of the book and how the author compared two wildly different animals. We then discussed how a "winner" is chosen based on the statistics and facts.

• Keeping the Who Would Win? books in mind, the students chose two explorers we had studied during our explorer unit and spent a day doing further research. The students were looking for data or numbers they could compare between their two chosen explorers. The students located basic biographical facts as well as stats like number of voyages, length of voyage, size of the crew, sponsoring country, areas conquered, etc. 
• The students completed this Explorer v. Explorer Planning Page.

• We then created individual free accounts at Piktochart.com. I gave the students a class period to create a "test" infographic. We started with one of the free templates and clicked around on the tools and tested different formatting options. We had the most fun creating charts and tables and using the icons. 

• Currently, my students are completing their Explorer v. Explorer infographic. The side by side comparison is forcing the students to think about why one explorer might be "greater" than another even though these men were often ruthless.

Now that the students have the hang of Piktochart, I think we will use the site again. It would be fun to create visual displays for other topics in science, math, reading, or really any subject. They work well for timelines or as a way to share small blocks of information about a single topic.

To see an explorer timeline activity that the students completed as a pre-activity leading up to the infographics, CLICK HERE.

Happy Comparing!

Caitlin
The-Room-Mom.com

Mini Post-it Rubrics

This week, I collected a short writing assignment from my students that asked them to create a billboard slogan that summed up key ideas in our One and Only Ivan Novel Study so far. I wanted to quickly grade the assignment with a rating that was more specific than a checkmark at the top of the page.

I had a vague memory of something I had seen on Pinterest that showed a piece of copy paper with six sticky notes attached and a brief explanation about running Post-it notes through a printer. I started messing around with 3" x 3" box shapes in a Word document and designed a template for mini rubrics that would print on Post-it notes. I love these rubrics.

I opened a new Word document and set the margins to .6" on all sides. I inserted a square shape and set the size to 3" x 3". The shape had "no fill" and a black outline. I right clicked on the shape to choose "add text" and typed the line items I needed for the rubric. Once I completed the first rubric, I copied and pasted the box five times for a total of six boxes on the page. I moved the boxes, so I had three rows of two boxes each and printed one copy.

After I had one printed copy of the rubrics, I went back to my Word document and removed the black outline from the edges of each box. On my hard copy of the rubric, I attached six Post-it notes with the adhesive strip along the top edge of each box. To print, I ran the paper through my printer according to the icons for printing in my feed tray. On my printer, the side with the sticky notes is face down, and the sticky edge of each box inserts first. When the paper exits the printer, the finished page is face up.

After my rubrics were finished, I made more Post-its for my son's close reading homework assignment. He needed to add sticky note thoughts while reading the last few chapters of From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. He codes each of his ideas while he reads, so we created printed Post-its to make his notes neater. He circled the type of comment he was adding and then wrote his thoughts. CLICK HERE for the close reading Post-it template.

OB = observation
OP = opinion
CT = character trait
P = prediction

One drawback to Post-it note printing is removing six individual sticky notes, reattaching fresh notes, and printing again. I needed 35 copies of my mini rubrics and had to run my template five times through the printer. It is a little time consuming. The other drawback (for me) is the smudging I had with my ink jet printer. Since the sticky notes are loose at the bottom, the words did not print cleanly on all parts of each Post-it. I am anxious to try running the page through my laser printer at school.

Happy Grading!

Caitlin

TheRoomMom

Alternative Ideas to Daily Reading Logs

My Dream: All of my students have a book in their hands at all times and run to the library for the next great book choice as soon as they finish the previous great book choice.

My Reality: A handful of students run for the bookshelf; a handful of students walk to the bookshelf, and a handful of students have to be pointed in the direction of the bookshelf.

Since not all students are avid readers, it is nice to have an accountability system in the classroom to track and encourage independent reading. It does not have to be a daily reading log (insert opinion here-- I loathe and detest dislike daily reading logs for upper elementary readers).

In the primary grades when students are learning to read, a daily reading log works well, so students can improve fluency and build their sight word banks. In the older grades when students are reading to learn, I am in favor of more independence when it comes to free reading.

There are many options that do not involve the teacher (and parents) tracking a daily reading goal, which turns reading into something a student HAS to do not something a student GETS to do. There is a big difference in the mind of a student, and motivation is a huge piece to building readers.

1. Have students Track Completed Books, not daily minutes or pages. When students finish a whole book, they log the book title and pages (and maybe reading level too). This works well for all level of readers. Some students may read one longer book or many shorter books. Teachers can monitor by informally checking with each student once a week to ask about book titles and how far along in the book the student is. When a book is complete, the student records the book on their Student Reading Log; the teacher logs the book too. Everybody has a record.

2. Have a short class book chat each day and assign students specific days to present a book. Students read aloud a short passage from their book that they pre-select and briefly discuss what is good (bad?) about the book, character(s) they like, events that are exciting (sad, funny...). Students must have something new to present each time it is their turn. Depending on how many students go each day, a student would need to present a book chat about every two weeks. That would encourage continuous reading. This 5-minute task also provides practice with oral reading fluency and public speaking. 

3. If you use the Accelerated Reader system at your school, assign each student a point goal for each month or grading period (or week). Students can self monitor to reach their point requirement. Easier books have lower point values, so students would need to read more books. If a student chooses a more challenging book, the book might take longer to read but provide more points. Teachers can differentiate reading levels by assigning different point goals to low, middle, and high readers. Set benchmarks throughout the time period (earn X amount of points by this date).

  

4. Require brief assessments when students complete a book to quickly check for comprehension. Complete a short recommendation form; take an AR test, fill out a Book Buddy Bookmark. Avoid big projects or lengthy writing assignments for independent book choices. Save those projects for the books and stories you read as part of language arts class. First of all, that is too much grading for a teacher. Secondly, when students know they will be required to "think deeply" about a book in assignment form, they read less. It interrupts the pure enjoyment (and free part) of a "free" reading book choice.

Other Book Motivator Ideas

• Allow students to set a personal reading goal. I love Penny Kittle's Book Stacks for middle and high school readers or the idea of a "Tower of Books." 
• Write Read Me Blurbs about a book (or even a hashtag style comment) on strips of paper and insert the paper on the shelf with the book, so other students may read the comments to encourage new book choices.

• Each time a student completes a book, he/she can write the book title and author on a piece of paper and add it to a jar or container of some kind. The teacher draws book titles from the jar and that is the book that the teacher will read next. A student may not add titles to the teacher jar unless he or she has read the book.
• Have students keep a Book Journal. At the end of a block of time (one month, one grading period...), review the book titles and make assessments about the styles of books, book author choices, length/difficulty of books, plots, likes, dislikes, and improvements in reading abilities from the previous book journal reflection. Keep the reflection on its own page in the book journal.

Please share any of your student independent reading ideas in the comments below and happy reading this school year!

Caitlin

TheRoomMom

What to Buy at the Back to School Sale

Planning to shop the Teachers Pay Teachers Back to School Sale? Me too. I am having a tough time prioritizing what I need. If you are in the same boat as I am, check out some great Lesson Deli sellers "must haves" and happy shopping! (Don't forget to use code BTS15 at checkout.)

The Grammar Flip Chart: This product includes easy to follow notes and tips for all of the essential parts of speech and sentence structures. The product includes 3 options for building the flipchart (cascading cards, binder ring, Dollar Store photo album). Click HERE to see the product.

Greek and Latin Root Bundle: 40 weekly lessons including hands on activities. Great for Daily 5 Word Work! Click HERE to see the product.

Decimal ZAP Bundle: Zap games are quick and easy to implement. Add them to a corner of your room for early finishers to pick and play. Click HERE to see the product.

4th Grade Social Studies Spiral Review: This 30 page set will have your students reviewing key concepts for the new Learning Standards in 4th grade all year long! Click HERE to see the product. (5th grade version also available)

Common Core Club 4th Grade Math Membership: This growing bundle is a great value. Purchase an entire year's worth of 4th grade math resources that includes task cards, games, homework, and assessments. Click HERE to see the product.

ELA Made Easy: An Upper Elementary Resource Bundle: If you are looking to implement the Daily 5 in your classroom, this bundle will make your life very easy! Click HERE to see the product.

Personification Spot It and Steal It Game: Personification is a breeze to teach with this engaging, hands-on game! Click HERE to see the product.

The Lesson Deli

Pinterest: A Baker's Dozen

I love Pinterest! Whether I am searching for a fabulous dessert, the next craft project, or an idea for the classroom, I'm on Pinterest. Today I'm bringing you some favorite boards from the Lesson Deli ladies.

1. Diane from Fifth in the Middle just loves Bright Ideas for the Classroom. This board is full of great ideas that you can easily incorporate into your classroom.

2. Everyone loves a good chuckle, especially with memes. The Pensive Sloth has created a board full of School Memes & Funnies.

3. Are you looking for some physical science ideas? Check out Physical Science in the Middle Grades for ideas to teach vocabulary and get hands-on STEM activities.

4. Good boards for history and social studies are hard to find. 5th Grade Social Studies from The Whimsical Teacher is filled with great geography and history pins.

5. Need a gift idea for a teacher? Caitlin from The Room Mom has gathered some terrific ideas on her board: Good Teacher Gifts.

6. Fractions are a hard concept for kids to master. For some fabulous fraction ideas, check out Math Rules! #Fractions by Interactive Learning from Miss Stefany.

7. Stefany also has a board for tutoring. Check out Tutor Tools for tutoring and teaching ideas.

8. How organized are you? I know I can always use some help in this area. Amy from Teaching Ideas 4 U has a solution. She's created a Classroom Organization board to help us all out. Many organization ideas posted here.

9. Amy also has an American History board for grades 3-8.

10. For those of you that are teachers in Ohio, you need to check out this board! Jennifer from JB Creations has a Pinterest board for Ohio Teaching Resources.

11. Another board Jennifer offers is Education. You can find all sorts of goodies here that pertain to the classroom.

12. I have several teaching boards on my Pinterest account. My favorite board, however, is my Recipe board. I love to bake and collect recipes. You might just find something to make and take into the teacher's lounge.

13. The Lesson Deli offers several boards on Pinterest for teachers of the middle grades. We have boards on math, reading, writing, social studies, science, holidays, classroom ideas, and teacher humor.

Be sure to check them out and follow us!

Novels...to Test or Not to Test?! A Novel Resource Round-Up LINKY

As a language arts teacher I always love encountering other upper elementary language arts teachers in other districts and states because I love hearing what takes place in other classrooms.  Questions I seem to find myself asking most frequently:

What novels do you love to teach?
How do you group kids?
Do you utilize a reading program? 

With so many tests being administered to my students on a daily basis one thing I NEVER assess my students on are the novels they are reading.  Perhaps this sounds crazy, but here is a breakdown of a typical week on my 6th grade instructional team...Pro-Ohio reading assessment, Pro-Ohio math assessment, weekly reading fluency assessment, weekly math assessment, spelling test, and maybe a science or social studies test.  EVERY WEEK!  So when we complete a novel unit as a whole class or students complete a novel independently, I seek out project-based resources for my students to complete to extend their learning.

This is my favorite sight in my classroom...

As a language arts teacher, I have spent countless hours sitting in the book store hovering over pages of different novels in hopes of finding the perfect tales to engage my students and make them enthusiastic readers.  I want them to reach the point in each novel where putting the book down is the hardest challenge they face, not worrying about the assessment at the end to check their comprehension.  To enhance their reading ambition, I created this I'm Finished...End of Novel Projects for Grades 4-6 resource in order to make completing novels even more fun for my students.

Click on the image for a sample project:

Teaching for 15 years makes a teacher wise…As teachers we are always looking for resources to make our students’ time in the classroom most meaningful and productive.  Like you, I don’t have a moment to waste with my instructional time.  Rather than TEST, complete some sort of book report, or answer MORE reader response questions, I want them to extend their thinking as well as share what they have learned and enjoy sharing about the book that has just been completed.  My hope is that another student might find the project so intriguing, they can't wait to read that book as well.
 
I would love for you to comment, link up a blog post, or link any free or paid resource that you utilize in your classroom to reinforce a love of reading in your classroom...

An InLinkz Link-up

Dear Diary... I want my boy students to read more.

Looking for book recommendations that boys will devour? Suggest book titles that are a hybrid of the diary book format and a graphic novel.

What features will these books have?

1. The book is written in 1st person, and the speaker has a conversational "kid-speak" voice (very casual).
2. The main character is usually not a popular kid at school and has social dilemmas.
3. Most books have a graphic element to them. They include doodles and cartoon drawings in the margins and/or images that make the page look like a piece of notebook paper. They often have fun fonts.
4. The main character is usually a reluctant reader or a struggling student in some way.
5. There is a lot of white space on the page, and it is easy to finish the book quickly.
6. And here is my final little observation. The majority of the books have a male main character-- especially the ones targeted at 3rd+ grade levels.

• The Strange Case of the Origami Yoda series by Tom Angleberger
• The Great Hamster Massacre series by Katie Davies
• I Funny: a Middle School Story series by James Patterson
• What the Dog Said by Randi Reisfeld
• The Creature From My Closet series by Obert Skye
• My Life as a Book series by Janet Tashjian
• Justin Case series by Rachel Vail
• Stick Dog series by Tom Watson
• Timmy Failure series by Stephen Pastis
• Love That Dog by Sharon Creech (click for novel unit)
• Hate That Cat by Sharon Creech (click for novel unit)
• Diary of a Worm series by Doreen Cronin (picture book)

Here are a few additional book recommendations that are in a letter style rather than a journal or diary format.

• Dying to Meet You series by Kate Klise (click for novel unit)
• Regarding The Fountain series by Kate Klise
• Letters from Camp by Kate Klise
• The Naked Mole-Rat Letters by Mary Amato
• Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan (click for novel unit)
• Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary
• The Gardener by Sarah Stewart (picture book, click for activities)

After reading a book that has a letter/diary component to them, review parts of a letter and write to the author of the book. My students and I write one author as a group at the beginning of the year. We research the author's contact information together and send a batch of letters. After that, I use the project as an early finisher activity. If students need an independent activity, they hunt down an author's e-mail address, physical address, or publisher's address and create a letter to the author. We send and receive AUTHOR LETTERS all year and post the letters in the classroom. It is a great way to motivate reading.

Another easy classroom activity is to have students write from the point of view of a main character and prepare an additional diary entry or letter that could be in the story. The students can choose to add their entry to the beginning, middle, or end of the story. The additional writing should address a question or problem that the story left unanswered, so the students have an opportunity to draw conclusions based on the text.

Happy Reading!
TheRoomMom