Reading and Writing Anchor Charts

Here are a few anchor charts that we have been using in the classroom. Both inspired by pins I found on Pinterest. If I remember correctly, both are ideas from THIS teacher blogger over at The Inspired Apple.


We have been referring to this anchor chart each day during our reading block.
The typos have been fixed. (Haha.) Here's the pin that inspired this - CLICK HERE.

Here's an anchor chart that I drew during a writing lesson on labeling. Pin that inspired this one is HERE.
This cat has really short front legs. Poor kitty!

After the kids labeled the cat on the anchor chart, they got to label me with sticky notes!
As you can imagine, there was an awful lot of giggling during this part of the lesson.

Apple Unit

The kids learned an awful lot about apples last week. Thursday was Johnny Appleseed's birthday. Sadly, I had to miss out because I was in Orlando attending a meeting at the conference office. However, I made sure that our sub kept the kids busy with plenty of Johnny Appleseed activities. Ms. Lisa was even kind enough to bring Honeycrisp apples for the kids to enjoy, fresh from her family's recent trip to Washington state. Thank you, Ms. Lisa!

 Friday's apple activities were definitely the most popular ones of the week. In the morning the class participated in an apple tasting party. We sampled various products made from apples. The kids recorded whether or not they liked each food. At the end of our tasting party, each child voted for their favorite apple product on a pictograph.

 In the afternoon we all had fun with this Johnny Appleseed craftivity, inspired by an activity I found on Pinterest. I think the kids did an awesome job! I love how each creation turned out so differently.

 

Writing Anchor Charts

Thought I'd share some of the ideas the kids have brainstormed during our writing workshop kickoff. It's amazing how intelligent 1st and 2nd graders are. The kids came up with so many ideas, I actually ran out of room on the bottom two anchor charts. Sidenote: If I could, I would create anchor charts all day so long as I was armed with a box of 48 Crayola Crayons, Mr. Sketch markers, and a pad of white easel paper!

First Lost Tooth, First Superstar of the Week, and First Birthday of the Year!

In all the years I've taught, a student has never lost a tooth in class this early into the school year. Exciting! This 2nd grader lost his tooth after having his lunch. He wiggled the tooth a few times, and out it came! He is now part of this year's Lost Tooth Club. He took home our Lost Tooth Club bag, read one of our books about teeth, and shared his journal entry with the class. Can you believe that a 1st grader lost her tooth the following week? It was literally hanging by a thread, and she let me pull it out. That makes two lost teeth in our classroom so far in the month of September.

 
Our first Superstar of the Week was featured earlier in the month. Being Superstar is a really big deal. Every day during Morning Meeting we have a share from our Superstar that helps us get to know him or her better. Here's the schedule that we follow:

• Monday: All About Me poster
• Tuesday: favorite book
• Wednesday: family/baby pictures
• Thursday: talent

On Friday the entire class writes letters to the Superstar. We bind them together in a book. My daughter still has hers from two years ago. I remember her saying that she was going to keep her Superstar of the Week book forever. Seems just like yesterday when she was in my 2nd grade class . . .


Our first Superstar in front of her All About Me poster

 

Birthdays happen once a year, so we try to make them special. Birthday celebrants get a birthday balloon from our birthday bouquet, a birthday bookmark, and a birthday cake certificate from me. Student also write birthday letters to the celebrant, and we bind those into a book like we do for the Superstar of the Week. At lunchtime we sing "Happy Birthday!" to the celebrant. At the end of each week during school-wide assembly, our principal has the entire school sing to all students who celebrated their birthdays during the week.