It's Butterfly Time!!!

Do you teach life cycles in your classroom? Each year my class and I study the life cycle of  a butterfly. My teammate across the hall studies the frog. We love to peek in at those tadpoles and they love to peek in at our caterpillars! This year I ordered 10 caterpillars and they are currently eating and eating and eating! Just like in the beloved story, 'The Very Hungry Caterpillar', they are becoming very FAT caterpillars! We check on our caterpillars everyday and record our observations.

We will learn all four stages of the life cycle. As a teacher I am tight on time, as I'm sure you are too! So I try to integrate different subject areas together. I love to mix writing in with science and do so by using this little flip book below. Just have your students fold and cut on the lines shown. Write about each stage under the flaps. Your fast fiinishers can color the front pictures when they are done. To grab this freebie CLICK HERE.

To see my other Butterfly Life Cycle Resources click the pictures below. 

Eagle Cams!

Raise your hand if you and your class love to watch the eagle cams! I do, I do! My classes and I have been enjoying the eagle cams for the last 6 years! I started out watching them when I was with my first kindergarten class. 

There are so many benefits to watching the cams. My class has loved learning about the life cycle of the eagle. The children have learned compassion for animals. We have cried when an eaglet or adult eagle has passed away. We have discussed the weather surrounding the nests including why the Florida eagles lay their eggs earlier than the eagles who live in northern states. We have seen feedings with different animals, watched a mouse run around a nest, and even seen a video of a bear going up in an empty eagle nest to take a nap. We have learned about the laws surrounding the eagles and that young eagles are often mistaken for other types of birds. The children are fascinated. I am fascinated. It is one of my favorite activities to share with my students each day.

I usually start my eagle watching with one of the Florida cams. These eggs hatch around Christmas time each year. Then we move on to other cams where these babies come just in time for Easter. Most of the time there are only two eggs, but occasionally we are treated to three!

There are eagle nests everywhere! If you would like to watch the cams with your class here is a wonderful list. If you know of one that is not listed please let me know and I will add it.

United States

Alaska

Glacier Gardens

California

Big Bear Lake

Humboldt Bay Eagles

Catalina Two Harbors Eagles

Catalina West End Eagles

Sauces Eagles Santa Cruz Island

Fraser Point Eagles Santa Cruz Island

Colorado

Fort St. Vrain Eagles

Florida

NE Eagles Romeo and Juliet

SW Eagles Harriet 

Georgia

Berry College Eagles

Indiana

Notre Dame

Iowa

Alcoa Eagles

Decorah Eagles

Decorah North Nest Eagles

Maryland

Blackwater Refuge Eagles

Michigan

Beulah Eagles (through CarbonTV)

Minnesota

DNR Eagles

Minnesota Bound Eagles

Mississippi

Stewards Upper Mississippi Refuge Eagles

Montana

Miles City Eagles

New Jersey

Duke Farms Eagles

North Carolina

Carolina Raptor Center Eagles

Ohio

Avon Lake

Sandy Ridge

Oklahoma

Sutton Center

Pennsylvania

Hanover Eagles

Pittsburgh Harmar Eagles

Pittsburgh Hays Eagles

Tennessee

Dollywood Eagles 

Blue Bank Eagles

ETSU Johnson City 

ETSU Bluff City

Harrison Bay Eagles

Virginia

River Farm Eagles

Washington, D.C.

Mr. President and The First Lady

Liberty and Justice

West Virginia

Shepherdstown

Wisconsin

Eagles4Kids

Eagle Valley

Canada

Hancock Wildlife Foundation

Hornby Eagles

Please note that there are a number of cams across the United States that are currently offline and therefore have not been included on this list. In addition, if you are having trouble with any of the cams listed above try switching browsers for better results.

If you need some activities to use with your students I have just the thing! My favorite part of this product is the book the children make! They love it! The kids enjoy making it and it really helps to reinforce what we have learned about the eagles. They become eagle experts! Click on the picture below to grab this product for your classroom!

Eagle Clipart by Poppydreamz Digital Art

Leprechaun Traps for St. Patricks Day

My class has been busy making Leprechaun Traps! I have to admit that we had a blast coming up with ideas and designing our traps. Our school's art teacher even came to help out and was having so much fun she didn't want to leave when it was time for her next class! 

Not only did my kiddos create traps, but they also had to write about why their trap was the best. I teach a combo class this year of 1st and 2nd graders so we are having a writing contest. There will be a winner from each grade for the best and most creative writing. The two winners will receive a chocolate Easter bunny on St. Patrick's Day when I announce it! If you would like to use our special writing paper when your class makes Leprechaun Traps you will find that FREEBIE down below!

Here are the pictures of each trap my kids made. Which ones do you think could catch a leprechaun?

Here is a video of what that Leprechaun did to our traps!!! At least he left us chocolate gold coins!

Here is the video of the children discovering their traps in the morning.

Click on the picture below to grab the writing paper FREEBIE!!!

(It comes it two differnent forms. One for your beginning writers and one for your older writers)

Enjoy!!!

Spill the Beans

Want to play Spill the Beans? This is a very popular game in my classroom! I know it will also become a favorite in yours! 

Here are the directions and everything you need to get started. As shown, by the picture below, you need to purchase some red/white bean counters. These can be found at Amazon and come in a bag of 200.

 Use a sharpie marker to write the letters of the alphabet on the white side of the beans. I used the scrabble game as my guide. 

Here is how many beans you need for each letter. 

A=18, B=4, C=4, D=8, E=24, F=4, G=6, H=4, I=18, J=2, K=2, L=8, M=4, N=12, O=16, P=4, Q=2, R=12, S=8, T=12, U=8, V=4, W=4, X=2, Y=4, Z=2  

(You will have a few beans left over to replace any beans that get lost.)

Download the freebie by clicking here or on the picture below.

  The freebie cover comes in a color and a black and white version. Laminate the version of your choice and cut out. Wrap it around a half-size Pringles can and secure with tape. 
(Just a note: Dawn Dish Soap cleans the inside of the Pringles can very well!)

The freebie comes with a recording sheet for your students.

This game can be played with two or more students. Students get a small pile of beans. The children manipulate the beans to create words and record them on their recording sheets. The child who creates the most words wins. For a math center, buy a second set of beans and write math problems on each one.

What I love about this game is that every grade level can play it! Kindergarteners can work on simple word families while older students can create more complex words. Math can be simple addition or complex multiplication. 

I hope you and your students enjoy this game!

How to Make Dice Last

If you're like me you have made some homemade paper dice sometime in your teaching career. Maybe it came in a book you bought at the teacher's store, a product you purchased at TpT, or you downloaded it off the internet. No matter how you got it I would bet that it didn't last long at all! I have had the same trouble...every single time! Of course this is a pain because sometimes I need customized dice to go with a specific skill or concept I am teaching. I am happy to say after many years of squished and busted dice I finally came up with a way to create it where it actually lasts!!! I would love to share it with you!

This is a dice I need for kids to practice trigraphs. The first thing I do is print the dice on heavier paper. The paper I chose was not cardstock. It was in between copy paper and cardstock in durability and heaviness. This made it easy to fold and easy to work with. I purchased it from staples in packs that came in a variety of colors. It is cheaper than cardstock and I have used it for other projects for my students also. Once you print your dice laminate it. It lamiates great and will help it last a long, long time! Cut your dice out and you are ready to go!

Next, fold your dice into a box as shown below. Use clear tape (or strong glue) to secure each edge from top to bottom. This is really important for durability and stability.

Now fill your dice with cotton balls. This will keep your dice from being squished by your students when they hold, roll, or throw the dice. 

Make sure to pack your dice with cotton balls well. Then secure the edges with tape.

Now your kiddos are ready to play! 
And best of all the dice will last!

I hope this blog post was helpful! If you are interested in the particular product this dice game came from it can be found by clicking here or the picture below.

Sale and Dollar Days

 Happy New Year!!!

It's time for some fun to ring in the New Year! First off everything in my store is 20% off through January 3rd! Don't you love a sale? I know I do! 

And secondly, I am participating in the New Years Dollar Deals! Scroll below to see the products I have reduced to only $1.00! And if you would like to see everyone's dollar deal products just go to TpT and type #2016dollardeals in the search box. It will show you all the deals for only a dollar.

My products that are only $1.00 for a limited time are...

(click on the photo to go to that product)