Love Notes and Persuasive Posters

Every morning I check in with my kids.  I call their name from my list and they check their agenda for notes.  They don't often have anything, but I like teasing them anyways.  Of course they tease me right back with no, never, not a chance.  Well this week a couple of my gr3s took it upon themselves to write me notes in their agendas.  They totally made my day!  Here's a peek at their unexpected love notes:

 

A couple weeks back I wrote about our Earth Day activities.  Here is the follow-up activity: creating a persuasive poster and a couple poster samples from my kids.

 

 

honestly mother nature ... and another Earth Day freebie

So last week looked like this:

 

Which resulted in an unexpected snow day  :)  Happy day until we got back to school the next day to a big leaky pipe in the classroom :(  Thank goodness it wasn't around the computers, etc!

 

The next day the crocuses bloomed!  How pretty and full of promise those early bloomers are.  Of course this morning it snowed again.  Honestly mother nature!

 

With Earth Day on Monday, I got a head start this week.  Here is Step 1: The Research, and a little earth day freebie for bigger kids.  The focus this year is on climate change.  How have we have caused global warming and habitat loss and how can we help our local environment?  Click {here} or on the printable below for your copy.  I will add Step 2: The Persuasive Poster next week.  I haven't quite worked it out in my mind!

 

 

Curriculum Connections:

R1.4, W1.5 + OC2.4 

I can identify and order main ideas and supporting details to be used to develop persuasive poster. 

I can use vocabulary and technical terms to discuss climate change.

ML3.1, ML3.4 + VA2.1

I can identify the topic, purpose and audience for the poster I plan to create. 

I can convey a message to a target audience (my peers). 

I can choose words to express my feelings about the environment in my poster.

OC2.7 , ML3.3, W3.7 + VA 1.4 

I can use some appropriate elements of effective presentation on a poster (visual aid) to attract attention: fonts, graphics, colour and layout.

“How can you use these features to communicate your message effectively?” 

I can use a variety of materials, tools and techniques to respond to design challenges.

“How can you use the textures and shapes of sticks, leaves, or stones to express your ideas about the natural environment?” 

(Artist Connection: Andy Goldsworthy)

R1.8, VA1.1 + OC2.3 

I can present information and express opinions / feelings about ideas in texts inspired by the environment. 

I can make a sculpture / draw a picture depicting a solution to the problem of litter in my community.

OC2.2 

I can use appropriate speaking behaviour in small-group discussions and large-group presentations.

Spiders and Bats oh my! + a couple freebies :)

This past week we have been reading informational texts on spiders and bats.  I wanted to start from the beginning so that my students had a foundation to build on. 

We started with a read aloud from a section on spiders.  As the children enjoyed their snack, their job was to listen for important, interesting and cool facts.  After the reading and snacks were away, we came to the carpet and listed everything we could remember from the reading.  I have been alternating colours on my charts this year so the students can differentiate between facts / words.

We focused on facts from the text (not opinions or prior knowledge of spiders).

The children were in groups of 2/3 with a new text on spiders.  The following day they viewed all of the posters "museum style"(idea from: http://tunstalltimes.blogspot.com).

They chose their top 3 facts and wrote them on paper chains.  Next they ordered their facts and wrote out their planning sheet.  We edited together, they wrote their draft and again we met briefly to check for capitals and periods.  Good copies were written on their spider craftivity.

 

On to bats.  Here is a bat companion to spiders.  This time we highlighted important keywords and parts of sentences.  I'd recommend checking out: Kids National Geographic, 42explore, Bat Conservation and even eHow.  All are great for projecting onto whiteboards for an interactive lesson.  Click on the page below for your copy :)

Here's a quick music + sound effects in movies activity.  Perfect during Hallowe'en season!



Retell Subway Art

I'm starting with Retell this week.  So I whipped up a Subway Art poster to get us started!  I have added it to my TPT store for free!  Enjoy :)

Teachers Pay Teachers

I am up and running on Teachers Pay Teachers!  A lot of late nights at the cottage working on my laptop.  But definitely worth it.  I have 7 products available already!  Perfect for the beginning of the school year.  Check these out:




Happy Birthday to You!
 

Begin the year with
Scaredy Squirrel

Comic Retelling of a Story



Reading Buddies

My Reading Club Notes

Word Work Games

iRespond

 

I included an activity guide for each one which has Ontario Curriculum Expectation links.  I have also added pages with Canadian and American spelling of common words (favourite + colour), because believe me the kids notice!

 

Enjoy!





Dear Photograph, Flotsam, Round Trip

Thanks to Missy for this cool idea!  Check out this website: Dear Photograph. 
The students "take a picture of a picture from the past in the present".  Missy thought the students could use a photograph of their vacation and draw the background around the photo.  Or they could do this at home and bring in the new photograph.  Or you could take the picture of your students at the beginning of the school year and repeat in a different season.  So many ideas!

It reminds me of my TLCP postcard project this year.  We found a similar idea in the picture book: Flotsam by David Wiesner.  We supplemented our project with activities for the picture book: Round Trip by Ann Jonas.


Here are the activities we used: Through The Lens.
Oh and check out this art activity: Sunset Silhouettes inspired by Round Trip.

Curriculum Connections:
Drama 1.4 Communicate feelings and ideas using audio, visual / technology to support and enhance work.
Drama 2.1 Express personal responses (thoughts, feelings, ideas) and make connections to drama experiences (characters, themes, issues) in own work.
Music 3.1 Identify the role of music in community today.
Visual Arts 1.2 Create a narrative work considering the foreground, middle ground and background.
Reading Point of View 1.8 First person point of view - writing in role.
Media Literacy 2.2 Discuss: how does music help convey the message of the text?

Personal Recount - Summer Travel Brochure

When I started teaching 10 years ago, I taught grade 3.  My first principal sat down with me Labour Day Weekend and guided me through my first day.  He said get them to write about what they know: their summer holiday.  In other words, write a personal recount or retelling of personal experiences.  The students choose 3 events (highlight favourite moments) from their summer and write a paragraph for each one.  Keeping in mind it is the first assignment, some basic language conventions include:

• paragraphs focus on one topic and include the setting (5Ws)
• written in simple past tense
• use of action verbs (e.g., went, saw)
• use of personal pronouns (e.g., I, we)
• details of and personal responses to the event

If you know me I like to go deeper.  So the final draft will be a Travel Brochure.  It will include photographs (real or digital) and illustrations of the events .  When I get a chance I will post my planning guide and template for the brochure. 

Looking for more info - check out the First Steps Writing Resource Book.  It has some great ideas on recounts as well as an easy to follow assessment guide.

GR 2+3 Curriculum Connections:
Writing Classifying Ideas 1.4 Sort ideas and information for their writing (e.g., use of graphic organizers).
Writing Developing Ideas 1.2 Generate ideas to identify personal experiences (e.g., use of the five W’s).

Writing Form 2.1 Write short texts (e.g., a personal or factual recount of events or experiences that includes photographs or drawings and captions).

Media Litercy Form 2.1 Identify some elements and characteristics of media forms.

Media Literacy Conventions and Techniques 3.3 identify conventions and techniques for a media text they plan to create (e.g., a pamphlet could require titles, headings, subheadings, captions, different font sizes, colour, and illustrations).

Media Literacy Producing Media Texts 3.4 produce media texts for specific purposes and audiences, using a few simple media forms and appropriate conventions and techniques (e.g., an illustrated pamphlet).