Back to School Postcards and Fraction Benchmarks

Back to School Postcards- Freebie!

This postcard is the perfect way to reach out and make a connection with your students before school begins. Your students will love getting mail from their soon-to-be teacher!

I sent this postcard to my students before school started last year. I took this document to my local print shop and asked them to print it double sided to look like a postcard. This document includes the front and the back of the postcard. Click here to download this freebie.  I would LOVE comments as well :)

 

 

 

Back to School Personalized Postcards- Bundle

 

If you like the freebie and you would like to see more, check out my bundle pack of PERSONALIZED postcards.  There are 24 different designs included. I can personalize the postcards as well. Just email me at bmarsh@bcps.org with which design and your name or grade you would like on the postcard.  Click here to view this product.
 



Fraction Benchmark

 

I just finished a fun activity that I am using this week to teach fraction benchmarks.  This is a wonderful resource to help students learn to estimate fractions on a number line.  Students will estimate whether each fraction is closer to 0, 1/2, or 1.  Click here to purchase this activity from my Teachers Notebook store for $2.00.

 

Five for Friday

I am linking up with Doodle Bugs for Five for Friday.  It's my first time linking up with this:)

1.  I am very jealous of everyone who is already on summer break!  We go until June 14th, so I still have a litle while left.  The last week of school we have Move Up Day.  My soon-to-be third graders will be able to visit the third grade classrooms.  In preparation for this activity, my students each wrote about one of their favorite third grade memories.  They did a wonderful job and had a lot of fun with it.

2.  I saw a really cute DIY craft on Teacher Madness that I wanted to attempt.  It actually turned out great.  You can see the final picture below.  I ordered the acrylic straw dispenser on Amazon for about $25 including shipping.  Then I used scrapbooking paper to decorate and turn it into a pencil dispenser.  For my final touches, I added some letter stickers to spell out "Pencils".  My students think it is the coolest thing ever! :)

3. I am trying to sort, consolidate, throw away, and organize my gazillions of papers.  I am trying to swap from folders to binders for all of my files.  Here's what I have so far...   You can purchase my organizational binder covers and binder spines from my TpT store by clicking on the links below.

Organizational Binder Covers and Spines- PART 1

Organizational Binder Covers and Spines- PART 2

4. I am VERY excited that I finished working on two major items in my TpT store. 

Common Core Bundle: Reading Strategies Printables & Graphic Organizers

This 67 page product is loaded with printables, graphic organizers, writing responses, and comprehension strategy activities aligned with the CCSS for Literature and Informational Text.

Common Core Standards Nonfiction Text Features Posters

28 pages of non-fiction text features!

5. After hearing all of the stories of survival and tragedy in Moore, Oklahoma, everyone wonders what you can do to help.  Teachers Notebook is raising money and already has over $2,223.17 in products donated so far!  Big love and prayers to everyone affected. 



Freebie and Common Core Bundle

This 67 page product is loaded with printables, graphic organizers, writing responses, and comprehension strategy activities aligned with the CCSS for Literature and Informational Text. These activities are ready to be used with ANY fiction or nonfiction text and can be used many times throughout the year.  This reading comprehension pack includes tons of kid-friendly graphic organizers and posters for reading strategies that you use every day.  They are great to put at literacy stations after being taught whole group, at small group guided reading time, and in writing to help organize ideas.  Here's what is included:

Reading comprehension posters with journal starters for the following skills:

1. Make a prediction
2. Ask a question
3. Clarify something
4. Make a comment
5. Make a connection
6. Make an inference

Before, during, and after reading strategy posters

Organizers for the following skills:

1. Predictions and inferences
2. Character traits
3. Story sequence
4. Fact and opinion
5. Story summary- beginning, middle, end
6. Story Map-characters, setting, problem, solution, theme
7. Retelling- somebody, wanted, so, but, then organizer (with examples)
8. Venn diagram
9. Cause and effect
10. Problem and solution
11. Text features

Non-fiction reading makes up a large part of the new Common Core Balanced Literacy lessons. It is essential that our students can recognize and understand text features.  This packet also contains colorful posters to teach 22 non-fiction text features to teach informational text!

They are broken up into four categories: print features, illustrations, organizational aids, and graphic aids.

1. Print features: table of contents, index, glossary, pronunciation guide, and appendix

2. Illustrations: photos, illustrations, and magnification

3. Organizational aids: bold print, bullets, titles, headings, subheadings, captions, labels, and sidebars

4. Graphic aids: diagrams, graphs, maps, charts, tables, and timelines

Common Core Bundle: Reading Strategies Printables & Graphic Organizers

Click here to download this item from my Teacher's Notebook store for $9.00.

 

Maniac Monday Freebie

 

 

Once again I am linking up with Maniac Mondays at Classroom Freebies.  My freebie this week is 22 pages of my Common Core Bundle: Reading Strategies Printables & Graphic Organizers.  Click on the pictures below to download this freebie.  I would LOVE comments or feedback!

 

Common Core Standards Nonfiction Text Features Posters

 

28 pages of non-fiction text features!

Non-fiction reading makes up a large part of the new Common Core Balanced Literacy lessons. It is essential that our students can recognize and understand text features.  This packet contains colorful posters to teach 22 non-fiction text features to teach informational text!

They are broken up into four categories: print features, illustrations, organizational aids, and graphic aids.

• Print features: table of contents, index, glossary, pronunciation guide, and appendix
• Illustrations: photos, illustrations, and magnification
• Organizational aids: bold print, bullets, titles, headings, subheadings, captions, labels, and sidebars
• Graphic aids: diagrams, graphs, maps, charts, tables, and timelines

The following Common Core standards are covered in this packet:

• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.3.5
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.3.7
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.4.5
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.4.7
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.5.5

Click here to purchase this product for $4.00 from my Teacher's Notebook store.

May Writing Prompt Freebie and TpT Sale

 

This week my Maniac Monday freebie is my May Writing Prompt pack.  It is an eight page document and is free for you this week!  Laminate and cut out for a fun center for early finishers. 

 

May Writing Prompt Freebie

 

Teacher Appreciation Sale

 

In honor of Teacher Appreciation Week, Teachers Pay Teachers is  throwing a huge promotion where they tack on 10% off extra of what I did.  You can get any of my products at 28% off their total price.  Just use the promo code TAD13.  Check out all of the great deals at my Teachers Pay Teachers store.

End of the Year Freebie and May Currently

This freebie is great for the end of the year. Students will write a letter to the upcoming students. A letter format is provided and students will fill in the blank. An example is also included. Click on the picture below to download this freebie.  Enjoy!
 

End of the Year Activity- Student Letter to Upcoming Students

 

It's that time...the beginning of May.  I can't believe this school year is almost over!  We get out June 14th, so I still have a little while.  But the countdown for summer is on.  I am linking up with Farley at Oh' Boy 4th Grade for her monthly "Currently". 



 

Make sure to stop by Oh' Boy 4th Grade's blog to link up for "Currently". It's a fun way to connect with other bloggers and check out their amazing blogs.  I love blog-hopping :)

 

Instagram Fun {Teacher Talk Tuesday}

I'm joining up with What the Teacher Wants and Apples and ABCs to share my Instagram account! Follow me at @msthirdgrade!  I need some followers!
 

  

 

 

 Here are some of my recent posts:

How to edit iPhone apps and a freebie

How to Edit iPhone Icons

I recently found an awesome app called CocoPPa.  CocoPPa is an app which enables you to make your favorite image as the "one-touch icon" and place the icon on the home screen.  You can create your very own cute and customized home screens using images submitted by creators and users.

 

Check out my before and after pics of my homescreen.  There are so many cute icons to choose from.  There are tutorials on their website showing you how to revamp your iPhone or iPad.  The only thing to remember is not to delete your original apps.  I just put them in a separate folder.  Have fun!

Another great tutorial I found was from StyleFake.  She has a detailed step-by-step tutorial on how to use CocoPPa. 
 

Maniac Monday Freebie

Once again, I am linking up with Classroom Freebies for Maniac Monday.  Problem of the Week. This week I am sharing my 34 page brain teaser packet.   I use one each week as a P.O.W (problem of the week).  My students really look forward to the new brain teaser each week.  An answer key is provided.

Click here for this fun freebie.  I would LOVE to see your comments.  Enjoy!

Let's Get Acquainted Linky

 

This week I am linking up with Flying into First Grade for her Let's Get Acquainted linky. This week's topic is the 3 most favorite places in your classroom.  Since we spend so much of our time in our classrooms, this sounds like a great one. 

 

#1 My Reading Corner

 

 

#2 My Classroom Library

 

#3 Bulletin Boards and Displays

 

What are your favorite places in your classroom?  Be sure to link up and join in the fun.

 

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

I just finished creating my next novel unit pack.  This is a 36 page novel guide for The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum.  My students LOVE this novel every year and really have fun with it. 

 

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

This unit includes the following:

• Page 1- Cover page
• Pages 2 to 3- Characteristics of a fairy tale
• Page 4- Chapters 1 to 3 summary
• Pages 5 to 11- Chapter summaries
• Page 12- Comprehension questions
• Pages 13 to 14- Character analysis of the Cowardly Lion
• Page 15- Novel vs. movie
• Pages 16 to 19- Vocabulary homework and tests
• Pages 20 to 22- Questions from novel with page numbers
• Pages 23 to 36- Acrostic poems for each character

Click here to purchase this unit from my Teacher's Notebook store for $5.00.  Enjoy!