Five For Friday!

Hello!  It's time for Five Fabulous Activities from last week.

1.  We completed the two-part section of the Math MCAS test!  We worked and prepared very diligently for this test.  Additionally, the kids get to chew a piece of gum during the test - according to "research," chewing gum helps students focus (although I cannot cite the source of this claim, the kids love chewing the gum during the test).  Plus, I give each student a sprinkle of "magic glitter" on their desk.  The "magic glitter" makes them magically smarter and better able to tackle any and all test questions.

2.  We started a new chapter in Science about plants.  Check out these anchor charts that cover the information studied so far.  I love anchor charts!  To review for the quiz that the kids have this Wednesday, I use a web site called Quizlet that allows you to generate review questions for any material, and it's FREE!  Check out this link to learn more:  http://quizlet.com/



3.  On the rug, the kids are sharing stories about a memorable time when they lost a tooth.  A few weeks ago, we read the book:  Throw Your Tooth on the Roof:  Traditions from Around the World by Selby B. Beeler.

  This book is very informative - I know that I learned quite a lot about different tooth traditions.  In some countries, people bury their teeth, use their teeth to make jewelry, and yes, some people actually do throw their teeth on their roof.  Here are some student work samples:

 I have to give credit for this idea to a third grade teacher in Whitman, MA who posted the idea on Teachers Pay Teachers.  Here is the link so you can download her lesson:



http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/FREEBIE-Throw-Your-Tooth-on-the-Roof-Reading-Organizer-287099.  Also, I have added a link to Third Grade Cupcakes so you can visit this talented teacher's blog to get more of her creative ideas.

4.  I started reading a new chapter book - The New Kid by Mavis Jukes - while the kids eat snack.  One of the extra projects the teacher in the book assigns is to make a list of 75 onomatopoeia words and put the words in alphabetical order.  As a reward, the student can earn a homework pass.  Consequently, I offered to do the same because I honestly thought that the assignment would be much too challenging.  Well, I stand corrected - several of my students are compiling a list of these words, and I will very gladly award them a homework pass for their hard work.

5.  My laptop is back after being fixed by our outstanding Technology Department.  Somehow my laptop caught some serious viruses which prevented the computer from working correctly.  I was so upset when they had to take my laptop away for several days to fix it.  I'm hoping one of the computer experts will guest blog here to offer some tips so you can avoid catching these serious viruses on your computer.