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Saturday, February 27, 2010

Dr. Seuss, Read Across America Day



Dr. Seuss, Read Across America, Dolch Words and Word
Families

Dr. Seuss's birthday is on March 2nd. Find author study
resources, literature character costumes, a complete list of Dr.
Seuss books, online games, Dr. Seuss quizzes, printables and
select book reviews.
[
http://apples4theteacher-news.com/mail/link.php?id=f1a4ec0drseuss ]

With Read Across America kicking off on the birthday of Dr. Seuss
(March 2nd), we've cross referenced a collection of printable
teaching resources to kick off your unit. Printables are
organized by book titles.
[
http://apples4theteacher-news.com/mail/link.php?id=f1a4ec0drspr ]

A complement to a unit on Dr. Seuss would be Dolch word
activities. Find printable "talking" flashcards, word jumbles,
word search puzzles, alphabetical order worksheets and word
magnet manipulatives.
[
http://apples4theteacher-news.com/mail/link.php?id=f1a4ec0dolch ]

*New* 260 resource pages for word families! Find printable
"talking" flashcards, word jumbles, word search puzzles,
alphabetical order worksheets and word magnet manipulatives.
[
http://apples4theteacher-news.com/mail/link.php?id=f1a4ec0wordfamily ]

Source: ©2010 Apples4theteacher.com Judy Miller
Apples4TheTeacher-News (news@apples4theteacher-news.com)




More Resources: http://mrscjacksonsclass.com/drseuss.htm


Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Texas Independence Day March 2


Texas Independence Day Celebration

Kick off Texas History Month at the Capitol Visitors Center on Saturday, March 5th. Watch the Independence Parade along Congress Avenue beginning at 11:00 A.M., and then come over to the Visitors Center and learn more about the history of our state. The Texas General Land Office will have many documents and artifacts on display, some of which date back to the 1500s. Historical re-enactors from the Spanish, French and Revolutionary eras will be on hand to talk with you. The Visitors Center also features exhibits and films about the history of the Capitol and Texas.

Source: www.tspb.state.tx.us/.../independence_day.htm

Step 1 Visit Washington-on-the-Brazos, where the Texas Independence Convention signed the Republic into being. It's now a state park with state-of-the-art interactive exhibits open year round, with plenty of rousing events during the week of March 2.

Step 2 Travel to San Antonio and tour the Alamo.

Step 3 Watch "The Alamo" starring John Wayne as Davy Crockett.

Step 4 Throw a Happy Birthday Texas party. Suggest that guests come dressed as cowboys or Alamo freedom fighters; serve cowboy camp grub and Tex-Mex goodies, play songs about Texas and tell Texas jokes.

Source: http://www.ehow.com/how_10189_celebrate-texas-independence.html

"Independence is declared; it must be maintained."
Sam Houston - March 2, 1836

Texas Independence Day marks the date that Texas became an independent Republic. Texans will celebrate on Tuesday, March 2, 2010 with parades, festivals, events and family festivities. They celebrate a proud day in Texas history.

http://www.chiff.com/travel/texas-independence-day.htm Texas Independence Day March 2
http://www.tradersguideoftexas.com/blurb/archives/120 Celebrate Texas History in March

www.teacheroz.com/Texas_History.htm History of the Lone Star State

St. Patrick's Day Themes for Teachers


Top 10 Tips for Incorporating St. Patrick's Day Themes in Your Classroom

If trying to develop lesson plans to incorporate St. Patrick's Day themes into your classroom seems as elusive as catching the little green guy, here are some helpful ideas to get you started.

1. A look at the patron saint

St. Patrick's Day was not always about wearing green shamrocks and decorating with leprechauns. Have students take a look at St. Patrick himself and the myths and history surrounding what he did for Ireland.

2. Make your own shamrocks

Younger students will enjoy painting or cutting and pasting to create their own shamrocks. You can also look into the symbolism of the shamrock or discuss why some people think that four-leafed clovers are good luck.

3. Money, money, money

It is rumored that if you follow a rainbow to its end, you will find a pot of gold guarded by a leprechaun. Have students write a story about what they would do if they were the ones that found the pot of gold, or what they would do if they were the leprechaun guarding it. Younger students can be encouraged to illustrate their works, while older students can be encouraged to use spelling words or vocabulary.

4. Green graphs

Have students develop a list of green items that people might have. Is someone wearing a green shirt or pants? Does someone have green eyes? Do their parents drive a green car? You can then graph out the frequency of green items. Or, bring out a box of Lucky Charms cereal and have the kids graph out the different marshmallows that they find.

5. Do you wear green?

Students of different backgrounds may celebrate St. Patrick's Day differently in their family. For instance, their mom might make green eggs and ham for breakfast; they might eat cabbage for dinner, go to the St. Patrick's Day parade, or receive a pinch if they are not wearing green. Have students compare the different traditions or see how many different ideas they can come up with for celebrating the holiday.

6. Irish blessings

The shamrock was originally a sign of happiness and good luck. Have students make their own shamrocks, writing an Irish blessing on each one. Or, if you are teaching poetry, you can use the leaves to write your own limericks.

7. Grow your own luck

If you start early enough in March, you can plant your own shamrocks. Have students plant several shamrock seeds in a cup with dirt. You can also decorate pots with St. Patrick's Day themes to plant the shamrocks in at a later period of time. Children can take care of the growing seedlings, and even look to see if they grow any of their own four-leafed clovers once the plants mature.

8. Write a leprechaun letter

Younger children will get a thrill if they find that their classroom has been turned topsy-turvy by late night leprechauns. You can have them practice their letter writing skills by writing letters to the troublemakers. This can continue through the whole week if the "leprechauns" write back, and you can get creative with the types of stunts that they pull.

9. Leprechauns in literature

Take a trip to the library or allow students to use the internet to see how leprechauns were portrayed in literature throughout the ages. What do leprechauns really look like? Are they considered good or bad luck? You can also look for St. Patrick's Day books to read and discuss as a class.

10. Magic green flowers

This is a good way to discuss how plants grow and absorb nutrients. Get enough white carnations so that each student has one, and put it in a vase with green food coloring added to the water. Students can write about what they think will happen or record the results. This may also be done with other colors, or by splitting stems into separate cups to see what happens.

St. Patrick's Day is a unique holiday steeped in tradition. With some creative activities, you can take students beyond wearing green to some actual learning.

Source: Worksheet Library News at

http://www.worksheetlibrary.com/teachingtips/stpatricksday.html

More Resources: http://www.mrscjacksonsclass.com/stpatricksday.htm

Saturday, February 20, 2010

March Teaching Ideas, Lessons, and Resources



We take a deep look at key events that are celebrated or took place on the month of March. Students will have a blast! Topics include the following:


1. March is The American Red Cross

2. March 2nd is Dr. Seuss birthday.
3. On March 3rd, 1931 "The Star-Spangled Banner" became the national anthem of the United States.
4. The Boston Massacre took place on March 5, 1770.
5. The Supreme Court decision Dred Scott v. Sandford was issued on March 6, 1857.
6. The telephone was invented on March of 1876
7. The construction of the Eiffel Tower was finished on March 31, 1889.
8. Bubble Gum Week is the second week of March.
9. March is National Peanut Month.
10. Coca-Cola was introduced on March 29th, 1886.

March lessons, worksheets, and resources:
Teachers: Planning Ahead?
Here are some resources for teachers who are planning ahead:
March is National Women's History Month
March 17th - St. Patrick's Day
March 20th - Spring Season Guide
April Teacher Guide
April Monthly Teacher Series
April 4th - Easter Teaching Theme
April 19th - Word Problem Week
April 30th - Arbor Day Teaching Theme
May 2nd - Graphing Week
May 2nd - Be Kind To Animals Week
May 9th - International Reading Association Week
May 9th - Mother's Day Theme
May 25th - Memorial Day Theme

About Weekly Teacher Tips Newsletter Feb. 2010
This newsletter is brought to you by Teachnology.com, the online teacher resource center.

More Resources: http://www.mrscjacksonsclass.com/marchthemes.htm


Wednesday, February 17, 2010

MySciLife Grant

Take the time to join and comment during the very brief, important comment phase of the
MacArthur Foundation/HASTAC Digital Media and Learning Competition (ends Feb 22).

MySciLife is a collaborative entry submitted by TeachersFirst, GlogsterEDU, Professor Oliver Dreon, Jr. of Millersville University (PA), and noted high school science teacher Louise Maine of Punxsutawney, PA. MySciLife is a truly innovative project to Bring Science to Life. The MySciLife entry is available for public comment ONLY until February 22 here:

http://www.dmlcompetition.net/pligg/story.php?title=543

Please help TeachersFirst earn a very important grant. We work for you and your students year in and year out for free and ad-free. Now we need YOUR help.
Source:
Candace Hackett Shively
Director of K-12 Initiatives
http://www.teachersfirst.com/index.cfm

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Abraham Lincoln's Birthday is Feb. 12th.




Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) served as the
16th President of the United States from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through its greatest internal crisis, the American Civil War, preserving the Union and ending slavery. Before his election in 1860 as the first Republican president, Lincoln had been a country lawyer, an Illinois state legislator, a member of the United States House of Representatives, and twice an unsuccessful candidate for election to the U.S. Senate. Lincoln won the Republican Party nomination in 1860 and was elected president later that year.

http://lincoln.lib.niu.edu/fastfacts.html Lincoln's Biography-See Teacher's Parlor for Lessons
http://mrscjacksonsclass.com/presidentsday.htm Presidents' Day Theme Unit, Lessons, Links, Activities, Resources

Monday, February 8, 2010

Olympics Go For The Gold Online Project



Catch Winter Olympics Fever
Vancouver, Canada
February 12 - 28, 2010

Olympics Go For The Gold Online Project
Catch Winter Olympics Fever:
an international project
hosted by Mrs. Golubic's Class

Instructions for Participation

1. Register for the project any time between January 1, 2010 and February 27, 2010 by emailing project coordinator, Nancy Golubic at

Please write Catch Winter Olympic Fever: Registration in the subject line and include the following information:

Your name
Grade Level
Name of School
Location of School
Any Olympic ideas, sites, books, etc. you would like to share

Saturday, February 6, 2010

President's Day Presidents' Day or Presidents Day???



The Presidents of the USA-Presidents Day

Presidents Day falls on the third Monday of February. This year Presidents' Day falls on February 15, 2010. Originally Presidents Day was known as Washington's Birthday on February 22nd. Then, America began celebrating Lincoln’s birthday on February 12th. So now both February 12 and February 22 were observed as federal public holidays. In 1971, President Richard Nixon combined the two holidays into one and ever since we have honored all past presidents on the third Monday of February. We celebrate the American presidency and the freedom it represents on this day.

Valentine's Day Parties, Crafts, Games, Gifts




Valentine's Day Fun Ideas

Roses are Red,
Violets are Blue,
Sugar is sweet,
and so are you.

I remember Valentine's Day as being one of my favorite holidays in school. I remember creating mailboxes out of shoe boxes. Friends would slip cards for you in your box. You can make it special for your students where they will have fun memories and learning experiences. It is amazing all the learning that can go on with a box of candy hearts and a few Valentine's. Students learn more in the lessons when they enjoy it! I hope you will find some ideas below to use with your students!

http://www.allcrafts.net/valentines.htm Valentine's Crafts and Projects
http://familyfun.go.com/crafts/ Top 25 Valentine's Day Gifts