Friday Favorites: Frigid, Windy and Snowy Weather (Definitely NOT a Favorite!)

Happy Weekend everyone!  Thank you for popping in as I link up with Andrea from Momfessionals and Erika from A Little Bit of Everything!

Lovely Landforms!

Do you teach about landforms? Besides learning the basic landforms, we learned about weathering which is the process of breaking rocks.  Of course, living in Massachusetts in the winter, many potholes emerge so I'm always telling the kids to be on the lookout for potholes:

Who knew potholes could be so educational and useful?  In addition, looking out for potholes while driving is a life skill ~ after all, kids start learning to drive years before they sit behind the wheel of a car!  Think of all the money they could save on replacing the tires on their future cars.

Here's an anchor chart I made:

In addition, we made these fun landform books:

Click here or on the picture to check out this free activity on TPT!

What Students Learn in Social Studies in Kindergarden

Many years ago, I participated in an Atlas project for curriculum development for Social Studies.  I wrote about my experience in my Morning Message the next day:

During the professional development, I was noting all this information my third graders were supposed to know.  The next day, we started with the meaning of the Pledge of Allegiance.  At last, I got one student to say it was an oath.  My question - "What's an oath?"  Student - "It's a promise."  That was the beginning and end of what the student knew.  Consequently, we went through the Pledge and discussed how it meant we would be loyal to our country and its flag.

I'd love for you to ask your students to see what their answers are ~ especially if they're a bit older.  Next week, I'll be reviewing the Pledge of Allegiance question again!

Story Structure

Our standards-based report card requires us to assess out students in these two areas:

*Demonstrate an understanding of story structure.

*Determine and summarize important ideas and details of a text.

Click here to get your freebie.

That's all for now!  Please let me know if you ask your own students about the meaning of the Pledge of Allegiance!

Also, remember to check out other blogs here:

Newly Retired! These are the clothes I'm wearing the most!

Hello there!  Today I'm linking up with Andrea from Momfessionals and Erika from A Little Bit of Everything for Friday Favorites!

Due to my husband's esophageal cancer diagnosis and treatment last spring, I retired in June 2024 ~ a year earlier than anticipated.  By the way, the cancer is gone, but the aftermath continues, i.e. inguinal hernias, UTI and pain from surgery.  

Consequently, my teacher clothes are sitting in my closet unworn.  I always wore skirts, dresses, tights, jewelry,...  Now that I'm home fulltime with a new granddaughter, I'm mostly wearing pants and leggings.  Although try to wear my sweaters, I'm still exploring pants that will keep me warm as I live in Massachusetts.  Here are some of my recommendations:

Pants!

In my prior life, I only wore pants on the weekends.  I loved my skirts and dresses, and of course, my tights.  I had a huge collection of tights for every season and every type of weather.  I really loved getting dressed up for school with all my fun and colorful clothes.

The first pair of pants I bought were from Quince:

I got these in navy blue, and I have worn them a lot.  You can pick the length which is helpful when you're short, like me.  I really like how comfortable and polished these pants are.  They're a great alternative to leggings and sweatpants.

Speaking of leggings...

These Yogalicious fleece lined leggings are currently my go-to "pants:"

They come in many colors; have pockets; are warm and cozy; and are comfortable!  Depending on availability, you can get this brand's fleece lined leggings in TJ Maxx!  You can also get non-lined leggings if you prefer.

Moving on to joggers...

I wear these joggers from Yogalicious as soon as they're ready!  I got these at Nordstrom Rack:

The color is a neutral blue, and they are so soft and comfortable!

Thank you for visiting the blog today!  I'm always happy to have you visit.  Make sure to visit other blogs for:

 

Happy and healthy New Year!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? You are important! 12/9/24

Hello everyone!  Today I'm linking up with Unleashing Readers for:

Here's an idea for any time in the winter:  The Important Book by Margaret Wise Brown.

 

After reading the book, you can have the kids write their own important book, using the same format as the book.  Here's the link to this free and fun activity:

The Important Book Winter Poetry Project.

Another book that could be read at any time is:

Meet The Dogs of Bedlam Farm by Jon Katz.

Check out these four working dogs on the cover!  I used to have a black lab mix years ago so this book was a magnet for me!  

In this story, these farm dogs learn how to get along with each other despite their differences.  Now that's certainly an important skill!  I love how this book has photographs and teaches a lesson at the same time.

At home, I'm currently reading Tell Me Everything by Elizabeth Strout.  I'm enjoying the book very much.  

Have you read any of these books?  Please let me know in the comments!