Informative Reading and Writing and a FREEBIE

Sorry for the long absence. My oldest kitty (17 years old next month) is not doing well. She will only eat if we hand feed her and it looks like her kidneys are failing. We have had her longer than our kids so it is hard to consider that she may not be with us much longer. :-(

So let's catch up...
We are working on informative reading and writing.

 My first graders read all about bats and I have a unit aligned with Common Core if you are interested.

My 2nd graders are reading about spiders.

This year I used my hamburger paragraph unit to introduce informative writing.

We talked about different options for the topic sentence and conclusion and they filled in their own facts. I think scaffolding is very important in writing. The next assignment I will ask them to write two sentences for each juicy detail and gradually provide less support as they get better at coming up with topic sentences on their own.

It's official. My windows have become teaching walls. The students are getting really good at identifying text features. I love when they come to show me they found one in a book they are reading!

posters by Deana with 2 additions made by me

My second graders did a little writing activity, highlighting the proper nouns they used and made the pumpkins free hand.

Here they are hung up with the first graders Where's My Mummy projects.  My favorite response this year was, "When I get scared, my mummy let's me sleep with her and my daddy sleeps in my bed."

Could you use a fun math activity this week? 

My 2nd graders will be practicing making nouns ending in y plural this week.

Have you grabbed my Halloween ABC order FREEBIE?

I'm off to work on my Halloween costume. Do you have yours ready for Friday?