All I can say is HOW CUTE!!

                        

 

  Ralph Lauren showed his Fall Girl Fashion Show a few weeks ago and all I can say is how cute! These adorable girls are true fashionistas in the making! So many of the looks are fun for school or out and about!    Enjoy the pics!    shttp://www.saksfifthavenue.com/editorial/rlk091911.jsp?sre=jkb2
         

Author Study-Adding Voice to our writing...

                            after reviewing my 3rd graders- writing benchmarks ,

I noticed that they have good ideas, mechanics, and creativity... but...something was missing ?

                                          It was their writers VOICE!

Since we were already enjoying  a Kevin Henkes (hen-kiss) author study, I decided to use our mentor texts and provide the students with examples of how authors use VOICE to make their characters more interesting and enjoyable. Thanks to scholastic.com I found some useful ideas and resources to help me... So here is my plan for the week.  Re-visit these 2 stories and post-it places where the characters show their colorful personalities. 

Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes
Chrysanthemum thinks her name is "absolutely perfect" until she is teased about it at school. The expressive pictures and the cruel behavior of the kids at school make this story one to read to your students when teaching them to identify authentic voice in a text.

                                             

Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin Henkes This story is a favorite for so many students!  Lilly absolutely loves school and her teacher, until he takes away her musical purse because she can't stop playing with it in class. Lilly's emotions and feelings are very expressive and make for a great book to use for teaching students to add more voice to their own stories!

emotion in writing is  one way to add more voice to a story. Stories are fun to read because the characters have a personality, the author gives the characters  VOICE by  using GREAT words to show how they feel.  I also will show & ask students while reading this week to remember to notice ( hopefully with post-its) places where authors use GOOD VOICE and share with them in class.
                                       ( I found  great worksheets)
we will use these during share time and with our buddies while REVISING.
http://www2.scholastic.com/content/collateral_resources/pdf//s//SB1711%20MarEmotionLO1.pdf
http://www2.scholastic.com/content/collateral_resources/pdf//s//SB1711%20MarVoiceCardsLO2.pdf

" You Know Writing Has VOICE If?" (anchor chart)
  * It shows PerSonAliTy
  * It sounds different from everyone Else's
  * It has FeeLinGs & EmOtioNs
  * The words come to LIFE
  * It comes from the HeaRt

Step 1: Now that students understand how to improve their writing by adding more voice to their stories  they will revisit an entry in their Sourcebook( writing notebook)  to find places where they can add more voice, and emotion.
Step 2: Using sticky notes, students will find places where they can add more emotion to a scene, add more exciting dialogue, or add a character's actions to reveal a certain attitude or mood.  
The sticky notes can be placed in the story where the emotions will be inserted.
Step 3: Give students an entire writing workshop to make improvements to their existing piece of writing. They should begin to revise with their writing buddy tomorrow. Writing buddies will be looking for examples of strong voice in their piece of writing. (these steps are from scholastic.com)
How did The Lessons Go? Evaluate:
 I often use checklists to assess student writing. Now that students are familiar with voice, an important trait of writing, they can expect that you will look for it on all future writing assignments. Can my students identify voice in writing? Are my students beginning to add more voice to their own writing?
Which students will need more one-on-one assistance?

Here are some professional books I LOVE to use for writing workshop:
6 + 1 Traits of Writing: The Complete Guide by Ruth Culham
This book provides teachers with information on the seven essential traits of good writing including ideas, organization, voice, word choice, sentence fluency, conventions, and presentation. With this book, teachers will learn how to assess student work for these traits and plan instruction.
Teaching the Craft of Writing by Lola Schaefer
You will find lessons and practical strategies in this book that will help your students identify voice in writing and learn how to include it in their own work. Students find their voices through quick-writes, author studies, guided revision practice, compare-and-contrast exercises, and more.

                               

I love a SALE!

I was excited to find this post on http://seechloeshop.com/

Banana Republic is having a sale shoppers can take 30% off on their entire order!  Full details, codes, and a few fun items to check out at this sale are all inside…

BANANA REPUBLIC

THE DEAL: Take 30% off on your entire order (excludes Timeless collection, Monogram Dresses, Men’s Gavin, Dawson, and Emerson Pants, Men’s Suiting, Bags, Shoes, and Chan Luu) | code: BRHAPPY

THE DEAL: Get free shipping on all orders of $50+, no code necessary!

Check out:

1. Super Soft Scarf Tee - a best-seller
2. Pleated-Collar Blouse
3. Lourdes Pleated Floral Blouse – new arrival (+ lots of sizes left in tall and petite!)
4. Leslie Floral Ruffle Blouse
5. Whisper Cardigan  -comes in 6 pretty colors
   

And on sale for super savings:

1. Sheer Lace Hem Tank – on sale; now $20.99
2. Emma Cowlneck Blouse -  on sale!
3. Ruffled Cable Open Cardigan - now $35.99!
4. Sheer Cascade Open Cardigan - now $29.99
5. Sequin Shoulder Pullover - now $29.99
6. Smocked Pull-On Skirt – now $23.99 (and only a few sizes left!)

Hey, Look! It's a new Dr. Seuss book...

this article is from Time News Feed
http://newsfeed.time.com/2011/04/11/hey-look-its-a-new-book-lost-dr-seuss-stories-to-be-published/

                    Hey, Look! It's a New Book! 'Lost' Dr. Seuss Stories to be Published

Random House has uncovered seven Seuss stories that were published in magazines in the 1950s but have never appeared as books. Acceptable reactions include "Happy as a clam, I am!" and "Oh, the fun words I'll get to say!" 
These stories are reportedly from an era that shows the good Doctor's transition from a prose style to his trademark rhyme schemes, which means they'll be of interest to children's literature scholars as well as the children themselves. The anthology isn't due out until Sept. 27, but that gives readers ample time to brush up on the rest of the set -- and get fully in the loosey-goosey-Seussy mood. The whole lot will go for $15 in hardcover, a bargain for rare rhymes if there ever was one.

•  

BrainPop

What's your favorite thing to do on the BrainPOP website?

My fantastic friend Maria from charmedinthirdgrade.blogspot.com will be a guest blogger on BrainPop!
(so exciting)

Her post today asks what is your favorite thing to do on the BrainPop website? OMG where do I begin? I use BrainPop on a daily basis in my classroom just like most of you I'm sure..

                           It really is informative, interactive, and interesting .  

                                    But....have you ever used these features that Brain Pop offers? ..___



Here are some of the fantastic ways
I use Brain PoP in my classroom:
Besides watching the great movies
and taking the quizzes, I always use the
 graphic organizers on the site!                                                             

Character Map	Complete the Cause	Description/ Prediction Chart	Details and Main Idea	Event/Effect Chart
Feelings Web	Five Circles	Four Column Chart	Generalization Diagram	Ideas/Details

 
One of the MOST helpful features for me on BrainPoP is how the site matches the resources they offer to your  state STANDARDS! (yep its true and its a lil' bit amazing) You just have to look on brainpop.com

HERE IS AN EXAMPLE:

New York	Core Curriculum > Social Studies (2003)
Grade 3	What is a culture? What is a civilization?
	BrainPOP Jr. Mexico

thanks!

          


                                          WoW! 
Two of my favorite bloggers gave me a great "SURPRISE"..
                     "The Versatile Blogger Award"

Thank you SO much for this GREAT award...

                                      

I have to tell a few things about ME and give this great award to a few of my favorite BLOGS!
as soon as I get home.. but.. what a great way to start the day...! thanks a million !
 

Scholastic math magazine...my 3rd graders love it!

I was so HAPPY to get "DynaMath" for my class this year! (thanks Ms.Kim) It is full of interesting & engaging puzzles and word problems. They especially love the High-Interest Content where Scholastic features
pop-culture making math more exciting than ever. My 3rd graders really LOVE it!

 

Some things DynaMath Offers:

Some things DynaMath Offers:

Numbers in the News and Get Real features focus on practical uses for math which help students relate abstract concepts to their everyday life.

Basic Skills Practice Problems follow every feature in the magazine to reinforce skills and assess students' abilities.

High-Interest Content on celebrities, sports, new movies, and pop culture make math exciting and accessible to even the most reluctant learners.

"Problem Solved" activities instruct students in how to use various critical problem-solving strategies.  From comics to crossword puzzles, Dynamathensures no matter what a student's learning style, he or she will be able to grasp important math concepts.

Standardized Test Preparation is a snap with our issue skills review quiz at the end of every issue. These multiple-choice assessments imitate the types of problems students will see on important tests.

Math on the Job is another inspiring feature that shows students how math is used in the most unexpected jobs, from basketball player to animator.

Teacher's Editions include warm-up and extension activities, lesson plans and objectives, valuable strategies for extension activities, and more.

A peek inside the classroom..

This was the WELCOME bulletin board 3rd Grade is F"ant"astic.

Now we have a response to CHRYSANTHEMUM  . 
How did You get Your absolutely perfect Name?

I'm Sorry The chairs were up! My new find was the Party City Siesta Flags..



          





I bought a Kevin Henkes author study package from TPT it had the Worry Box in it! I can't remember whose store it was from sorry.. but....it was an AMAZING purchase & thank you...