Thursday, May 22, 2008

Surrealism

Monday, May 19, 2008



A sample of what can be created in a matter of minutes at http://www.makebeliefscomix.com/



"Bill Zimmerman

Bill Zimmerman is the creator of "MAKE BELIEFS." Bill believes with all his heart in the power of the imagination to transform the world. As a young boy, coping with a troubled family life, he would escape to a better world by reading wonderful books about mythology, the Knights of the Round Table, and the voyages of Dr. Doolittle. For hours at a time, he would read on the steps of his apartment house’s concrete backyard in Brooklyn, New York, and enter new worlds through the lives of the books’ characters and their adventures. His best days were Friday afternoons, when after school he would trek to the local library to take out an armload of books that would get him through the long weekend until school started again on Monday.

Later, Bill became a book author and journalist. He has written more than a dozen books to help young people express their thoughts and feelings. In addition to his book MAKE BELIEFS, his latest books are IDEA CATCHER FOR KIDS and BUTTERFLY WISHES, an interactive journal for your dreams."
Courtesy: http://www.kidsregen.org/about/bios/bill.html



A great set of tools to investigate over the summer holidays

Wednesday, May 14, 2008



Are you creating Literacy Bags for your primary classes. Take a gander here. Why reinvent the wheel.

Tuesday, May 13, 2008



Smilebox makes me smile. Use Smilebox when you want to create something quickly.

Tuesday, May 06, 2008



From the May 6th tappedin session

There are some cute picture books included that help incorporate Science into Language Arts.
...three issues so far - click on issue three and you'll see departments and columns
...also have versions for K-1, 2-3, and 4-5
...going to have 20 issues - each addressing a different theme - life science is coming but if you go to our blog there have been some wonderful life science lessons
...aligned to national science, social studies, and language arts standards thus far
...first issue is all geography - where in the world is the arctic and Anarctica
...you can subscribe via feedburner and get emails whenever new content is added to the site or blog - blog is almost every day
...issues laid out for the next six or so - the november issue is all about putting together a polar festival
...Next issue - out June 1 is weather and climate - August is ice, water, snow
...there are online assessment probes that help to uncover misconceptions - look at issue three under assessment - we modeled those columns on the NSTA books of assessment probes

Please read Kinberly's related blog Beyond Penguins and Polar Bears

"This blog is focused on helping elementary teachers become more knowledgeable about the polar regions and providing best practices on how to integrate polar concepts into their teaching. Ideas for connecting science and literacy through literature and writing, exemplary science activities, incredible pictures, tales of adventure, and stories of indigenous people and amazing animals will be part of each posting."

Contributors:
Carolyn HamiltonJessica Fries-GaitherKim Lightle



This site has been developed by the University of Waterloo to assist Grades 4, 5, and 6 teachers to integrate technology into their mathematics classrooms, through the use of online math. The worksheets can be used with grade 3 students as well. Frequently updated!

Lessons includes:

4th year
Bugs in the System
Picking Dated
Geometer' S Sketchpad or Cybergéomètre
Geoboard Perimeter and Aire
Ordering Decimals
Decimal Handled
Snatch the APPLE
ArithmAttack
Change Maker
MultipliACTION
Dividerama!
Place Value!
How Does My Pattern Grow
Ace Hacker' S Safe

5th year

Interpreting Dated
Fish Tank
Graph Construction
Billy Bug
Geometer' S Sketchpad or Cybergéomètre
Geoboard
Place Value!
Make has Match
ArithmAttack
Builder Ted
Railroad Repair
MultipliACTION
Dividerama!
The Crazy Pattern Machine
Pattern Quest

6th year
Interpreting Dated
Spinner Game
Train Race
Dino Dig
Golf
Geometer' S Sketchpad or Cybergéomètre
Transformation Golf
Tangrams
Geoboard
Shape Surveyor and Triangle Calculations
Grid Game
Mission Magnetite
ArithmAttack
Order of Operations
Ordering Decimals
Decimal Handled
Defend the Egg
MultipliACTION
Decimultiplication
Dividerama!
Stop That Creature
Equation Match

Saturday, May 03, 2008

Why reinvent the wheel. Use these topical units and rubrics. MS word files are down loadable. Thanks for sharing this portal.

Friday, May 02, 2008

Literacy Bags
Good resources with ideas for Literacy Bags.
Would you rather not re-invent the wheel.
Buddy Bags

Buddy Bags are designed to be fun and informative ways for families to share literacy and learning experiences at home. A Book Buddy is a stuffed animal or character that goes home in a special backpack with one student along with books and activities. Look at the pictures below to see the Buddy Bags and activities that your child may bring home.