Place Value Notebook Package UPDATED (again!)

Upper elementary friends, this just happened:

This was among the first products I EVER made and it is by far one of the most purchased from my store! Because of that, I decided that it was (long past) time for a facelift and some updating.

So out with the old and in with the new! And here is a reminder of the OLD, by the way:

ICKKKKKK, right?!!

Not only did I update the fonts and pictures, but I also added in some more differentiation and made the pages easier to print/cut out. If you have already purchased it, download it again and ENJOY the updates! If you haven't seen it/purchased, click below to check it out:

To celebrate its new look, this product will be discounted through Thursday! :)

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

QR Code Investigation: Penguins

During the winter season, my class did a penguins unit--we studied penguins, but we also learned about finding the main idea, inferencing, informational text, research, etc. I posted about it back in January.

My entire class was involved in the penguin study; I also made a special investigation activity for my GT students to complete. I briefly mentioned the project back when I posted about our penguin unit. Now, I am ready to share it with the world!

I created this QR Code activity to use as an extension for my GT students. My students completed it in partners, though it could also be an independent activity. In the activity, students have a booklet with questions to answer about penguins:

To answer the questions, students must scan a corresponding QR code:

The QR code takes them to a website with text or video for them to read/view, so students must be readers to complete the activity (OR have a partner or teacher for reading assistance).

Here is a sneak peek of some of the pages:

My kids had such a blast with this activity!! So much so, that I had to make another one for them! I'll be posting that one later on in the week. Here is a little hint what the topic is:

Enjoy this product for 20% off, today only!

Happy Sunday to you! :)

Favorite Pins Friday!

Terri over at The Creative Apple does a "Favorite Pins Friday" post every Friday--thought I'd join in on the fun today!

Here are 5 favorites from what I have pinned this week on Pinterest. {Click here to head to my Pinterest boards.}

I LOVE the use of the Skitch app for this activity! For you older grades, this is a GREAT activity for visualizing area and perimeter in the real world! (Of course, this can also be done with printed pictures if you don't have access to iPads for your class.)

HOW. FUN. IS. THIS????!

 

I have been saving book jackets for the past year in hopes of eventually making some sort of banner with them for my classroom library. After seeing these pins, now I can't decide which shape for the banner! Love them both!

The best of Chemistry Cat--nuff said.

I thought this looked like a fun art project (for multiple grade levels). We spend some time learning about life cycles in 1st grade so this project would tie in nicely.

Off to start the day--have a great Friday!

Guided Math: Basic Number Sense

This latest labor of love is one that I plan on using in my own classroom. It is something that I have needed!

During guided math groups, I oftentimes needed a quick review/intervention activity to get groups started or to even use in whole group. Instead of having to come up with one on the fly, I now have a resource that targets standards and is easy to pull from (more intentional):

The teacher portion of the activity consists of a few recording sheets and activity cards.

The cards can be easily stored in the guided math bucket/supply caddy.

The record sheets can be hole-punched and placed in a binder or can be clipped to a clipboard.

And the best part is.....

...this product is TEKS and CCSS aligned! I usually don't do that to my products, but decided that since most people are looking for standard-specific products, I might as well jump on the bandwagon and make it easier for them. I am in Texas so we don't (and never will) use CCSS, so I also included the TEKS for my home state peeps.

My goal is to make an activity pack for every domain covered in elementary, starting with K-2 first and then moving on to 3-5...we will see how that goes and when I can get that finished!! :)

In the meantime, click below to check this one out:

Monday Made It: Pointers 2.0

I made some pointers for my classroom back in 2012. And again in 2013. Then the school year ended in 2014. And the school janitors threw ALL of my pointers away. All of them!!! :O

SO I had to make more...

I probably didn't need that many...... ;)

I did make some for a few friends and also some to give away at a workshop I was teaching. That should explain at LEAST half of them. :)

A fun-filled evening with 2 of my awesome teacher friends!

And this is my new favorite pointer, of course. :) :) :)

Some other cuties.

 

The mini pointers came out ADORABLE.

We used washi tape and duct tape to wrap the sticks and then hot glued the wooden pieces to the sticks.

My husband brought home like 40 of these heavy duty cardboard tubes from work--perfect for pointer storage!

We wrapped the tubes in fun duct tape.

My favorite set!

Here's to hoping these pointers survive the school year! ;)

YUMMY Chicken Fajitas

So, most of you readers don't know me in real life so I must tell you something--

I am NOT a cook. At all. In fact, I HATE cooking! I would rather clean dishes and the kitchen than cook! If I absolutely HAVE to cook, it is not an enjoyable experience for me! I have a 4-year-old and a husband (who actually likes to cook) to feed, so I cook more often than I would like (which, ideally, would be NEVER, haha).

So why say all that?? Because I am about to share a recipe with you!!

I discovered the crock pot method of cooking last year (yes, I went my whole life not realizing the wonders a crock pot can do). Crock pot cooking is a very tolerable way of cooking for me! And it is SO easy and YUUUUMMMMMY!

Crock Pot Chicken Fajitas

Ingredients:

• peppers (whichever colors you prefer)
• onion
• any other veggies you like
• 1 cup water
• 1 pack fajita seasoning
• boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Procedure:

1. Chop those veggies and thrown them in the crock pot! (And in case you are like me and don't know how to cut a pepper, YouTube has some great tutorials!)

2. Put the chicken in the crock pot on top of the veggies (frozen or thawed).

3. Add 1 cup of water and 1 pack of seasoning to the pot by pouring it all over the chicken.

4. Cover it and cook on high for 4 hours and THEN ENJOY! It is delicious!

 (Sorry, no after pic.)

 This recipe was just too good not to share! Try it out! :)