First Grade Assessments are unfolding!

So many people have contacted me about doing other grade level assessments in addition to my 2nd grade ones. Sooooooooooo I have first grade unfolding now! I have four assessments for 1st grade and will bundle them when I get all of them done (group of 9 or 10 covering all the common core standards) So far I am focusing on literature and first grade. I will then move on the informational then head off to 3rd grade. I will keep moving through until I get all the grade levels complete. You asked and I am doing my best to get them out there (in my free time ;)

Go visit my store and get your assessment shopping on!

 http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Describe-Characters-Settings-and-Main-Events-Assessment-972583

Thanksgiving Tom the Turkey in Hiding!

In my younger teaching years, and teaching up North, I shyed away from the holidays; too afraid to offend. Then I got older and moved down south where they still dress up for Halloween and march around the school and have Thanksgiving feasts.  I love that I can still do that! I have wonderful memories of marching around the neighborhood in my costume at school and all the neighbors coming out to wave at us. We also knocked on doors yelling trick or treat and never worried about what might be in our candy or if someone was going to grab us up. In a time of having to worry about such things and school shootings and snipers and terrorist and testing that would make any grown man cry, it is nice to be able to just have fun. Do a fun but education activity that isn't necessarily preparing for a standardized test or tied to common core standards. I have created two Halloween activities and yes, they are educational but you know what? They are just fun too! Plain old fun! I also wrote down my Thanksgiving Tom the Turkey activity too so I can share it with you. I have been doing it for years but just had it all in my head. It's now on paper so I can share it with you. I think far too much we are so focused on the standard, the benchmark and all the other measuring sticks we are held to and in turn forget to just laugh and have fun. Enjoy the day. Enjoy the holidays. Because let's face it, they are not going to be sitting around the kitchen table in their 30's telling their kids that you taught the best math lessons they have ever seen. But they will tell them about the time you decorated a turkey to look like the President's Secret Service Detail!

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Lets-Talk-Turkey-934464

Halloween and Thanksgiving Activities

In my younger teaching years, and teaching up North, I shied away from the holidays; too afraid to offend. Then I got older and moved down south where they still dress up for Halloween and march around the school and have Thanksgiving feasts.  I love that I can still do that! I have wonderful memories of marching around the neighborhood in my costume at school and all the neighbors coming out to wave at us. We also knocked on doors yelling trick or treat and never worried about what might be in our candy or if someone was going to grab us up. In a time of having to worry about such things and school shootings and snipers and terrorist and testing that would make any grown man cry, it is nice to be able to just have fun. Do a fun but education activity that isn't necessarily preparing for a standardized test or tied to common core standards. I have created two Halloween activities and yes, they are educational but you know what? They are just fun too! Plain old fun! I also wrote down my Thanksgiving Tom the Turkey activity too so I can share it with you. I have been doing it for years but just had it all in my head. It's now on paper so I can share it with you. I think far too much we are so focused on the standard, the benchmark and all the other measuring sticks we are held to and in turn forget to just laugh and have fun. Enjoy the day. Enjoy the holidays. Because let's face it, they are not going to be sitting around the kitchen table in their 30's telling their kids that you taught the best math lessons they have ever seen. But they will tell them about the Halloween Peeps that expanded or turned nasty brown from the soda you poured on them! http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Halloween-Fun-for-Ghouls-and-Boys-A-Scientific-Investigation-910843

Fall "FALL"owing Direction Activity

I just made this cutie putie activity for following directions! I love it if I do have to say so myself! There are two activities that the students do: Scarecrow drawing/following direction activity and a following directions to create a pumpkin. You divide your class in half and they complete the two activities then switch so they can do both. When finished with both activities they walk around the room looking for their pumpkin match (one child drew and wrote directions and the other child read the directions and tried to draw their partner's pumpkin based on written directions only).

This is a great activity for that Halloween/Fall Festival Day or just for any day in the fall. It focuses on following the directions so it fits with so many standards and is just plain needed to teach direction following in general. Visit my store to see it. This one you will want to do year after year after year! Your students will love it!



http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Pumpkin-Following-Directions-Activity-912447