1-2-3 Come Teach The Parts Of An Apple With Me

Studying apples was one of my favorite themes for fall. My kiddos really enjoyed our first field trip to an apple orchard, where some of them tasted cider for the first time.

While there, the owner would explain the parts of an apple to us and how to appropriately pick them. 

I was always fascinated by the many different kinds they had growing in their orchard. Mrs. Cotant shared that the United States has over 7,500 varieties of apples! 

I have many favorite apple stories that I share with my students. It's the perfect time to give them a sampling of non-fiction material and plug in some science.

With that in mind, I designed the  Parts of an Apple emergent reader.

* This just the right size booklet, packs a big sight word punch, as I’ve included 58 words from the Dolch lists; picture clues help with the few that are not.

* There’s a full-color copy for teachers, as well as a black & white version for your kiddos.

Make an extra copy of the one in color to keep in your classroom library. 

The basket that was filled with our student-made emergent reader booklets, was always popular. My beginning readers enjoyed the feeling of success they had in reading the pages.

It really helped build their confidence & self-esteem.  I found that they were better "reading risk takers" later on, when they were sounding out and guessing new words in other books. 

* There are 2 size options to choose from. There's the 4-on-a-page size, or the 8-on-a-page pattern, so you can conserve paper by making Itty Bitty booklets.

* I’ve also included a set of 8 pocket chart cards. Use these to introduce the activity and remind students to use the picture clues while reading.  Make an extra set, cut them in half to make an independent puzzle center. 

The colorful anchor chart poster, that labels the parts of an apple is also helpful.

* To reinforce the parts of an apple further, I've included 3, black line worksheet options, for students to color and label.

PK kiddos can simply color theirs, older students can cut and glue the word labels to the appropriate sections, or write in the parts.

In celebration of fall, I've put the Parts of an Apple Emergent Reader Packet on sale for a limited time. It's just $2.95. Click on the link to pop on over to my TpT shop to have a look. 

The featured FREEBIE today is one of my favorite apple crafts.  It's quick, easy, super-fun and the results are truly lovely. Great fine motor practice too. Click on the link for the "Stained Glass" Tissue Paper Apple Craft.

Well that's it for today.  Thanks for stopping by.  All this talk of apples has made me hungry.  Time for a snack.  Wishing you a delicious day.

"Anyone can count the seeds in an apple, but only God can count the number of apples in a seed." -Robert H. Schuller

1-2-3 Come Do Some "M & M" Stuff With Me

I'm a firm believer in making things personal for students.  If you relate things to their world, you quickly grab their attention and enthusiasm for the activity follows. 

With that in mind, I wanted to design some sort of "me math," where students could use a variety of math concepts to answer questions about themselves. 

I find that most students really enjoy sharing this sort of information, and the result of showing them all the math that is a personal part of them, might be quite surprising to some.

The idea of "me math" led to doing something with an M&M theme.  I originally toyed with the idea of each student making a colorful M&M character and filling it with "me math" information, but after I made a list of all of the number-related things that I could think of, that students might be interested in sharing, my list was so long that the idea of getting this inside an M&M creature, was now out.

When I was researching "me math" to see if anyone else out there was doing something along that line, I found quite a few poster and pennant ideas, so I didn't want to go that route. 

No one had done a booklet, or delved into some deeper math extensions, thus my M&M Math & Me booklet was born.

To conserve paper, there are 2 pages on each master.  Pick and choose whatever is appropriate for your grade level. 

Your booklet can be a few pages, or add several math extensions to practice more standards and make a longer booklet, that students can work on a little bit each day for the first or last week of school. 

I've included basic counting, measuring, greater & less than, equations, addition, subtraction, ordinal numbers, time, odd & even, skip counting by 2's, place value, number sentences, comparison, tally marks, and even fractions!

From teeth to travels, I think you'll find the personal math questions interesting and fun.  I was especially excited to find a Scrabble and M&M font to use with the My Name Math pages. 

Choose simple math concepts for kinders, or add a few more difficult pages and send the booklet home to have parents help their child with.   Click on the link to view/download the M&M Math & Me booklet. 

If you're looking for a "me math" poster that your kiddos can make, click on the link to take a look at Melissa Machan's Math About Me FREEBIE.  I absolutely LOVE the poster poem she wrote.   It would be a wonderful introduction to any "me math" activity.

Thanks for visiting today.  Feel free to PIN away.  My "Pin it" button is at the top.  Do you have a "me math" activity you'd like to share with us?  Feel free to leave a comment or contact me at: diane@teachwithme.com

"Math may not teach me how to add love, or subtract hate, but it gives me every reason to hope that every problem has a solution." -Unknown

20 pages

This math and me "me math" booklet, is a wonderful end of the year activity, where students can put into practice all sorts of math concepts that they've learned.  It also works well as an icebreaker for the beginning of the year, to help everyone get to know each other.  This packet will be FREE for an entire year! Woo hoo.  After which time it will be up-dated and put in my TpT shop.  For your convenience, I've included some of the new pages in the PREVIEW.

1-2-3 Come Make A Father’s Day Card With Me!

Since Father’s Day is in June, daddies often get jipped out of a homemade card that their child made in school, so I always made time to do this as a center during the last week of school.

I set up a table with all of the “ingredients” and while I was working on assessments or all of those other end-of-the-year jobs teachers need to get done, my little ones enjoyed making something special for their papa.

Now a days you need to be sensitive to children who don’t have a dad. 

Even though their father might not live with them, they still might have contact, so you don’t want to leave them out. 

Children who didn’t, I asked if they wanted to make a card for their grandfather or someone else special in their life.

I’ve included 2 different blank puzzle piece templates for this purpose. 

You can write in the word, or the person’s name for them, so they can glue their torn paper pieces on top of the letters.

You could also use the blank template for Mother’s Day, Secretary’s Day, or to thank a special volunteer  as well.

To make the cards, run off the puzzle piece template on a variety of colored construction paper.
Students choose one and cut it out.

To make this more of a keepsake, print your class composite and cut students’ pictures into ovals, so they can glue them somewhere on their card.

Cut 1/8th inch wide strips of a variety of colors of construction paper.

Students choose a color, and rip and tear their strips into a pile.

I chose rip and tear, not only because the mosaic effect looks cool, but because it is an outstanding fine motor activity for strengthening finger muscles.

Have children "trace" one letter at a time, with a glue stick, and then place the torn pieces of paper on it, one piece at a time.

Children sign “I love you” along with their name.  

I told my students to save the card for Father’s Day, but I doubt they did.  Little ones are always so excited to share whatever they’ve made as soon as they get home.

Click on the link to view/download the "I Love My Dad To Pieces" Father's Day Card.

Thanks for visiting today. Feel free to PIN anything you think is helpful. My "Pin it" button is at the top of the page.

"Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire." -William Butler Yeats