1-2-3 Come Do Some Gingerbread Activities With Me!
I really enjoy it when teachers contact me with special requests, so when Carol in Wisconsin, asked me for some gingerbread alphabet cards to go with her big themed-unit in December, I happily got to work.
To help reinforce Common Core State Standards, I also included a trace and write upper and lowercase worksheet as well as a match the uppercase letter to the lowercase letter one.
There's 5 different assessments + a 3-page tip list of what to do with the cards, including games like Kaboom.
If you too have a request, simply email me at: diane@teachwithme.com and I'll see what I can do. Click on the link for Gingerbread Alphabet Cards
To review even more standards I designed 2 gingerbread sliders and included slider strips for counting numbers to 30; counting backwards from 10 to 0 and 20 to 0; skip counting by 2's, 3's, 5's, and 10's; shapes, + upper and lowercase letters. You can use these to review, assess, and play games with.
Students trace the numbers/letters/shapes. I encouraged an ABAB pattern using red and green markers.
For that finishing touch allow students to decorate with wiggle eyes, ribbons, rhinestones, buttons and glitter. I used white puffy paint for the "frosting." My kiddo's loved that; so easy, but so "Wow!" Click on the link for the Gingerbread Sliders.
I also started working on the winter time cards, and completed the gingerbread ones. The packet includes digital and analog time to the hour and half hour, with a cover to make an Itty Bitty booklet + a tip list of how to use the cards. Click on the link for the Gingerbread Time Cards
I tried to graph every day with my Y5's. Pretty soon the light bulb comes on for everyone. A graph was always part of our table top lessons, and I think my kiddo's really enjoyed coloring and filling in their worksheets.
By switching things up via a theme, interest remained high. I often used shapes inside the themed-item, so that I could review yet another standard. This packet also includes a game. Click on the link for the Gingerbread Graphing Activities
Finally, I also designed the ever-popular shape matching game with a gingerbread theme. I feel as with the above lessons, if you change an activity with a new theme, things stay fresh. Students also feel empowered because they know what to do an can get right down to business. Click on the link for the Gingerbread Shape Games
Thanks for visiting to day. Feel free to PIN away. If you'd like to take a peek at all of the creative-educatonal items that I spend way too much time pinning, click on the big heart to the right of the article.
I design and blog daily so I hope you can pop in tomorrow for the newest FREEBIES. I have lots more gingerbread goodies that I'm excited to share.
"A cookie a day chases sadness away; an entire jar brings it back!" -Unknown
6 pages.
There are several ways to play these gingerbread shape games. You can set them up as an independent center or students can play with a partner.
1-2-3 Come Do Some Thanksgiving Shape Activities With Me
One of the most common symbols of Thanksgiving is the Pilgrim hat. When I was doing research about the Pilgrims for several of the packets, I was surprised to learn that they did not really sport the large brass buckles on their hats and shoes, despite belief to the contrary.
In search of a "buckled up" pilgrim picture, I came across a costume company that sells this "authentic" Pilgrim garb. It is because most of the 17th-century artists also depicted couples this way, that we have come to believe that they all wore buckles.
Buckles didn’t come into fashion until decades after the Pilgrims left England, and were used as a status symbol, since they were more expensive than other fastening solutions.
The Pilgrims did wear the conical hats, which I discovered were called capotains, but they didn’t have buckles, nor did their belts.
Pilgrim boys and men, held up their pants with leather laces tied to their shirts and doublets. These facts have been gleaned from historical records, passenger lists, wills, diaries, and letters that included descriptions of clothing. Buckles later became very popular in England because they were an expensive fashion statement, however, they were not part of Pilgrim dress.
I thought you'd enjoy learning this bit of trivia, which you can share with your students when they do the Shapely Buckle craftivity. Years ago I made a Pilgrim buckle shape booklet, and thought I'd up-date that idea with a new packet.
This one includes a pattern for the Pilgrim's hat, which I cut out of black construction paper. A mini-buckle booklet is stapled together and then glued to the center of the hat.
Children flip the pages to reveal the different shaped buckles. Adding a bit of gold glitter glue to the cover, really adds that finishing touch.
A graphing extension is also included, showing which shaped buckle your students thought would be the best. The large shape cards that feature traceable shape-words, can be uses as pocket or flashcards to review and assess. Make an extra set; laminate, trim and cut into puzzles.
Students can also make an Itty Bitty booklet, as a cover is included. Children trace and color the shape buckles, as well as trace and write the shape words.
I've also included smaller buckle shape cards along with shape word cards to play Memory Match or "I Have; Who Has?" games. Children can match shape to shape or shape to word.
Click on the link to view/download the Shapely Buckles packet. I've shared quite a few Thanksgiving/Pilgrim links in other blog articles and found another one today that you might also enjoy. This link contains 6 short video clips that include interesting Thanksgiving/Pilgrim information from the History Channel.
Since the Penguin Shape packet I & II as well as the Shapely Owls continue to be three of the most downloaded items on my site, I thought it would be fun to make one featuring turkeys.
Teachers can make the large shape-head turkeys for display or review, and then have students choose their favorite shape and make a shape body - turkey bird of their own.
A turkey version of the 4-Corners game can also be played with the large turkey heads. Directions are included in the packet.
There are some turkey shape word cards you can use for pocket or flashcards.
Make extra sets to play Memory Match or "I Have; Who Has?" games, or cut them apart and make puzzles. Click on the link to view/download the The Shape Of My Turkeys packet.
Finally, Susan over in Texas, asked if I could make the Pilgrim Shape Spinner game featuring turkeys. No problem. If you'd like a set too, click on the link to grab it. Turkey Spinner Shape game.
Thanks for visiting today. I hope you can stop by tomorrow for a few more FREEBIES hot off the press.
"What could we accomplish if we knew we could not fail?" - Eleabor Roosevelt
1-2-3 Come Play A Shape Game With Me
Come the end of November, my Y5's could identify their 2D shapes, but I liked to continue to incorporate some sort of shape review with them throughout the year, so they could retain that knowledge.
The vocabulary words hexagon, pentagon and octagon, constantly needed to be reinforced as they easily confused them.
Thus, I like to create games and hands-on crafts that not only review shapes, but other skills & standards as well. The Native American headband does just that.
Run off the shape masters on matching construction paper. Rough cut and have students trim. Make the headbands out of strips of white construction paper that are 3 inches wide and 24 inches long.
Students choose a partner and take turns spinning. Whatever shape they land on, they glue the matching shape to the center of their headband. After the game, students can glue a feather to the back of it.
You may want to give an extra feather to the winners of the game, or an extra shape. (When you cut out the hexagon, pentagon and octagon shapes you will have different sizes of diamond shapes as scraps.)
For extra pizzazz, students can add flat-backed rhinestones to the center of their shapes with glue dots. If you'd like to add some writing to this activity, have students write something that they are thankful for under the shapes.
These things should be the color of that shape. i.e. I'm thankful for the blue sky. You may want to brainstorm with students prior to the writing portion. As children share things that they are thankful for that are those colors, write the words on the board to help with spelling.
If you've studied the Wampanoag people or Squanto you can also have students write a fact that they learned on the feather.
If you need some facts to share with your students I highly recommend the books: Squanto:The Miracle of Thanksgiving by Metxas, Squanto Friend of the Pilgrims by Bulla and Squanto's Journey by Brucha.
I also found several sites that have some good factual information: Wampanoag Fact Sheet is extremely helpful with lots of links and pictures. Plimoth Plantation's site is also an excellent source as is Social Studies for Kids. Current tribal information can be found here. You can also check out ABC Teach, Activity Village & Squanto.
Click on the link to view/download the Native American Headband craftivity. Thanks for visiting. I'll be designing lots more things today, so I hope you can pop back tomorrow for the newest FREEBIES. Feel free to PIN away.
"I don't think the Lord wants any pompous proclamation of thanks on one Thursday in November as much as He would like a little humble service from us every day in the year." -Burton Hillis
1-2-3 Come Do Some Pilgrim Activities With Me!
I'm always open to suggestions for 10-frames templates. They are such a wonderful vehicle for teaching all sorts of math concepts, so it's nice to revisit them each month.
By changing the theme and manipulatives for the cards, you keep things fresh and interesting; so when Kathie, over in Montana, asked for a Pilgrim set, I whipped some together and thought others might enjoy them too. Click on the link to view/download the Pilgrim 10 Frames packet.
The easy reader 1-2-3 Count Pilgrims With Me is a wonderful accompaniment.
The packet also includes:
As long as I was diddling around with my master templates, I decided to make a Pilgrim Shape Game packet too. I've included a shape spinner in the newer shape game packets.
You can continue to use the laminated shape cards in a math center, or you can have students pick a partner and take turns spinning.
Whatever shape they land on, they place the matching shape tile on the twin Pilgrim card. Make extra sets, and reinforce colors too. Using a dry erase marker, students color in whatever shape they spin with that matching color. Click on the link to view/download the Pilgrim Shape Games.
In another Pilgrim-themed math game, students work on their addition skills. They take turns rolling dice to come up with an answer, and then color the sum that they find on the Pilgrim coloring sheet. Click on the link to view/download the Pilgrim additon coloring game.
I See "Sum" Fall Puzzles includes some Pilgrim/Thanksgiving templates and is also a math activity that can be set up as an independent center or played as a game.
You can print, laminate and cut the puzzles to use in your math center, or run them off and have students cut and glue them together. There are blank templates so that you can do subtraction as well as addition. Click on the link above to view/download it.
Thanks for visiting. As always feel free to PIN away. The "Pin it" button is located at the top, on the burgundy menu bar. I design and blog daily, so I hope you can pop on by tomorrow for the newest FREEBIES.
"Not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them, is the true measure of our Thanksgiving." -W.T. Purkiser
1 2 3 Come Do Some Cornucopia Craftivities With Me
Instead of just doing a turkey or Pilgrim theme in November, add some variety with cornucopias! Plenty of Cornucopias is a 37-page packet filled with a nice selection of ideas.
Introduce your lessons by asking if anyone knows what a cornucopia is. I spent some time searching the web for background and enjoyed learning some new trivia, which I put in a 1-page Cornucopia Tidbits page. To reinforce the new vocabulary word, I've included a trace and write worksheet.
My Y5's especially enjoyed the lunch bag cornucopias because we sparkled them up with a bit of glitter glue. I pre-folded the bags over and demonstrated how to twist the bottom to turn it into a cornucopia.
This is wonderful fine motor practice. As you can see by the photograph, these make a lovely bulletin board.
There are two options to choose from. One is simply a coloring page of the fruit spilling out. Students color, cut and glue to the inside of their bag.
To ensure that they used lots of colors, I told my kiddo's that whatever colors they used, we would add those glitter colors.
It was amazing how this resulted in really great coloring! I set the glitter-station up as an adult-run center.
For the other option, run off the fruit patterns on construction paper. Rough cut. Students trim and glue to the inside of their cornucopia bag. I assemble one as a "how to" sample.
The Rip & Tear Mosaic cornucopia is also great fine motor practice. Encourage students to rip the 1/2 inch paper strips into color piles and then rub their glue stick over a certain area and place their "tiles" down.
I show how to press the torn paper around the edges of a food, and then fill in the rest of the area.
Remind students that they can overlap pieces and that there should be very little white showing through.
These also make a beautiful bulletin board. The mosaics really pop on a black background.
The "Plenty of Shapes" cornucopia, reviews 2D shapes. Another activity you can do with this shape craft, is to brainstorm with students about what real foods come in those shapes. i.e and egg is an oval shape.
How many can they think of? I've included a list of my own that you can share with your kiddos, after they've completed theirs.
I've also included a matching "Shape Up!" spinner game.
Children choose a partner and take turns spinning. Whatever shape they land on, they color that shape on their recording sheet.
Encourage students to say the names of the colors and shapes as they play the game.
Students also write down their favorite shape and something in real life that's that shape. i.e. circle-pizza.
3 cornucopia number puzzles, review counting forwards and backwards, as well as skip counting by 10's. They make a nice independent center or something for "early finishers" to work on.
There are several writing prompts + a November Word Search.
Finally, I think your students will enjoy the November word search. A word search is not only fun, but reinforces new seasonal vocabulary as well as spelling.
The Roll & Color Cornucopia game is also a fun way to reinforce numbers and colors.
Click on the link to view/download the Cornucopia Craftivies packet.
Thanks for visiting today. I hope you can stop by tomorrow for some wonderful Indian corn-themed activities.
My daughter's expecting a baby girl any day now, so I have much to do today and much to be thankful for. My feet have definitely hit the floor running! Wishing you a relaxing afternoon.
"He who thanks but with the lips thanks but in part; for the full, the true Thanksgiving, comes from the heart." -J.A. Shedd
1-2-3 Come Do Some More Turkey Crafts and Activities With Me!
The month of November always seems to fly by. There is so much to get accomplished in such a short amount of time. I basically based the month around scarecrows, turkeys, pilgrims and Thanksgiving; reinforcing standards with those themes.
Such as, 1 to 1 correspondence, which is really important for little ones. So they don't get bored doing these counting activities, switch things up by matching your themes.
I designed some sweet turkey counting cards for 1-to-1 correspondence. Print, laminate and trim and put in your math center or do as a whole group activity.
I only included a few numbered turkeys per card, as students are less apt to bump their work and send things flying. It's also less frustrating for Pre-K kiddo's when they are just learning.
Pinching an item and placing however many objects onto the matching numbered turkey, is also an excellent fine motor skill. As you can see in the photo, I used flat-backed rhinestones. My little girls especially enjoyed using this "bling-bling" manipulative. Pony beads also work well.
The cards only go up to 10, but I've included a blank template, so you can program higher numbers. There's also a black and white pattern. If you want, run off copies for your students to color and glue sequins or whatever to the feathers. Click on the link to view/download the 1-to-1 Correspondence Turkeys.
Continue with counting with the Tummy Tickler Booklet. Encourage students to trace the numbers and color however many feathers on the turkey that match the number on his tummy.
So that little ones hands don't "poop out" with so much coloring, or their work becomes scribbling, because they are tired of coloring; have children only color 1 or 2 of the higher numbered turkeys, and take several days to complete the booklet. Click on the link above to view/download it.
My Y5's especially enjoyed all of the daily hands-on craftivities that I set up as independent centers.
I did the Keepsake Turkeys with my 2nd and 1st graders, as well as with my K's and Y5's for many years.
Older students can trace their own hand and foot (with their shoe on) and cut them out. K's can pick a partner to help. (Older elementary reading buddies are also a nice option.)
To expedite things for me, I sent a note home to parents to have this done. I've included it in the packet if you want to go that route.
I just completed the one in the photograph, with Kaiden, my 1-year-old grandson; he added his scribbles and my daughter LOVED it, as did all of the parents in the past.
I used 2 "shoe prints" for the body of my Y5's to make their turkeys fatter and less "shoe-looking". The photo shows them on our "Wall of Fame". I sprinkled the Keepsake Turkeys in with our Indian corn crayon melts. (More on them in another blog article.)
For the beak, cut 1 & 1/2 inch wide strips of yellow construction paper and then cut these into squares. Students fold them into a triangle and glue one half to their turkey, so that the "beak" opens.
I also pre-cut the "wattles". To make an easy wattle, simply cut a heart shape and glue it upside down. (This is what my Y5's did in the photograph.)
I have 2 poems you can choose to put on the turkey's tummy if you want: ("I'm a little turkey, as cute as can be. I'm very thankful, for my wonderful family.") or (This is a turkey oh so fine. Look at the body; the feet are mine! The feathers are traced from my hands too. I made this turkey because I love you. ) Click on the link to view/download the Keepsake Turkey directions and poems.
Thanks for visiting today. Feel free to PIN away. To ensure that "pinners" return to THIS article, click on the green title at the top; it will turn black. Now click on the "Pin it" button on the burgundy menu bar. I design and blog daily, so I hope you can pop by tomorrow to grab the newest FREEBIES.
"It isn't what you have in your pocket that should make you thankful, but what you have in your heart." -Unknown
1-2-3 Come Do A Few More Scarecrow Activities With Me
I thought I was finished diddling around with scarecrows for the season, and was ready to move on to turkeys, until I got a request for some scarecrow alphabet cards.
I enjoy making ABC cards; they don't take that long, so I'm always happy to oblige special requests, even if they come from only one visitor. I think others will also enjoy them as well.
Click on the link to view/download the scarecrow alphabet cards, along with a 3-page tip list of what else to use them for, and some "Kaboom!" cards to make alphabet games even more fun.
A teacher from Michigan, e-mailed me that she really liked The Scarecrow's Shapely Nose packet and wondered if I could make a shape slider of a scarecrow like the puppy pal. Great idea Lynn!
Click on the link to view/download The Scarecrow's Nose Shape Slider. For extra pizzazz I added "straw" that was made by running yellow construction paper through my husband's shredder!
Children are bound to get antsy when doing seatwork, so I liked to include some gross motor activities to help get the "wiggles" out. Brain breaks are equally important. I tried to include my theme whenever I could.
One of my Y5's favorite movement-songs was This Scarecrow. It's sung to the tune of This Old Man. The packet is filled with lots of silly rhyming fun.
I hope your kiddo's enjoy "snapping, clapping, tapping, and slapping" as much as mine did. Click on the link to view/download it.
Finally, because it's difficult to fit in science to an already packed day, I try and design things that incorporate some science, along with a variety of other Common Core State Standards. My Scarecrow's Senses does just that.
Students read, trace, write, add end punctuation, underline the adjectives and color. After asking the scarecrow what he see's, hears, feels, smells and tastes, it's the child's turn to write about their autumn senses. Click on the link to view/download My Scarecrow's Senses.
Thanks for visiting today. I design and blog daily. I hope you can stop by tomorrow for the newest FREEBIES that I so enjoy sharing. Feel free to PIN away. If you'd like to take a look at all of the wonderfully-creative educational items that I pin, click on the heart button to the right of the blog.
"For in every adult there dwells the child that was, and in every child there lies the adult that will be." -John Connolly
1-2-3 Come Do Some Monstrously Fun Monster Activities With Me!
Do you toss in a few monster activities the week of Halloween? Are you looking for some cute and not-so-scary monsters? Well you've come to the right place.
I received so many positive comments about the themed-book bibliographies, that I decided to do one for my all-time favorite monster books too. Click on the link to grab the list of 40; I know you'll find some that will become your favorites too.
After reading some books, make this goofy monster bookmark. Click on the link.
Out of my list of 40, if I could only choose 2 monster books, they would be Go Away Big Green Monster and Sad Monster Glad Monster, both were written by Ed Emberley, and my Y5's LOVED them.
Click on the link to view/download this whopping 40-page monster activity packet that has lessons to go with these books, including pattern pieces that you can pass out to your students, so that they can assemble the matching monster on your flannel board, as you read the story. A Glad/Sad Monster class book is also included in the packet.
Each half of the monster's face shows a different feeling. The monster on our cover is feeling happy and silly. I've also included a Venn diagram comparing the two books.
For more monster fun, I think your kiddo's will also enjoy Monster Math. Click on the link to view/download the packet. This is an interesting and fun way for your kiddo's to review odd and even number concepts from 0 to 30.
If you'd like to work on higher numbers to 100 or 120, as well as skip counting, click on the link to zip on over to the Googol Monster packet. I designed it for 100 Day, but there are lots of monster math activities you can do right now.
Since all of the themed shape booklets have been such popular downloads, I thought it would be fun to make up an easy reader shape booklet with a monster theme.
This is also a great review for numbers 1-10. Click on the link to view/download the Monster Shape booklet. A sweet graphing extension is included.
Shapes can also be reviewed with the Monster Munch A Shape For Lunch activity. Print a copy of my patterns and make a template, so that you can easily create a file folder Frankenstein's monster head.
Tape the sides of the file folder shut, to make the perfect "feeding envelope". Pass out an assortment of various colored "food" shapes.
I edged the black hair with purple puffy paint, and the mouth is neon-orange. The stitches are outlined with silver glitter glue. I added more dimension with "diamond" rhinestone "screws" on the neck bolts that I wrapped with aluminum foil. I also added "monster wiggle eyes" to the yellow circles, so they seem to pop off the page.
Children chant: "Monster, Monster, munch and crunch. What shape food would you like for lunch?" The teacher says a shape, and any child holding that shape puts it inside the monster's head.
Also included in this packet is a mini-monster. I gave each of my students a long green envelope to decorate. We used brass brads for the "neck bolts." Run off the shape templates on a variety of colors of construction paper. Students cut out and feed their monster whatever shape is called out.
Since a huge part of the plot of Mary Shelley's Frankenstien, was the fact that her monster had no name; add to the fun by encouraging students to name their monster and introduce him during circle time.
Once in the circle, have students put on their monster mask. (All 3 of these "craftivities" are in the Monster packet.)
Now that they look like little monsters, help get the wiggles out, by dancing to the Monster Mash.
It's one of my favorite Halloween songs. The link is to a YouTube cartoon video featuring the song.
I've been contemplating whipping up some monster-themed 10-frames and cute monster alphabet cards. If this is of interest to you, shoot me an e-mail and I'll start designing. diane@teachwithme.com
I hope you and your students have a monstrously fun and safe Halloween. Thanks for visiting today. As always, feel free to PIN away. If you 'd like to take a look at all of the awesome-educational FREEBIES that I PIN, click on the heart button to the right of the blog. I did a ton of research, so you don't have to!
"Laughter is the shortest distance between two people." -Victor Borge
1-2-3 Come Play Some Halloween-Themed Games With Me!
As a child I loved drawing haunted houses and spooky things at Halloween. The first and only art contest I ever won was a picture of a witch riding her broom past a crescent moon. I was in 4th grade and thrilled! One of the things that really pops out at you when you're looking at a haunted house is all of the broken and shuttered windows.
I thought it would be fun to make the windows look like the 6 standard 2D shapes. To play the Spooky Windows game, print, laminate and trim the haunted houses. Run off the shapes on a variety of colors of construction paper.
Keep each set in its own Ziploc Snack Baggie and attach with a paperclip to one of the Spooky Windows haunted house mats. Children place the shape cut outs onto the matching spooky window.
You can also play this as a game. Children choose a partner and spin the spooky shape spinner. Whatever shape they land on, they say the name of the shape and place it on their haunted house. The 1st one to match all of the shapes on their house, is the winner.
I've also made the Spooky Windows into a dice game. Here students choose a partner and take turns rolling a dice. Whatever number they roll, they color in 1 matching numbered window and identify the shape. The 1st child with all of their windows filled in, or the one with the most filled in when the timer rings, is the winner.
By having students play with the color spinner, you can also review colors. Whatever shape they land on, they color the matching shape window that color. Afterwards, little ones can color their haunted house. Challenge older students to only color the rectangles. How many did they color?
Also in this packet is a Spooky Windows shape sorting mat. I found that after awhile, most of my Y5's readily identified the various shapes, but when I asked them to find that shape in the world around them, many had difficulty.
i.e. I could show them the shape of a rectangle and they'd say "That's a rectangle." but when I asked them to name something in the classroom that was a rectangle, some of them had difficulty doing so.
Because of this, I also like to design shape activities using pictures of things representing the various shapes, so children can sort them. Print off the shape pictures, trim and keep each set in a separate Snack Baggie. Children can work independently or against a partner to sort the shapes. Turn it into a game, and have students spin the spinner in order to be able to place that shape on their mat.
Another fun way to review shapes with the haunted house, is via a little ghost puppet. Print and laminate the haunted house, trim and cut out the windows. Using an Exacto-knife, I cut out the circle and oval windows completely.
I cut the other shape windows, so that one side was left un-cut, to act as a hinge. You can fold the windows open, or leave them shut, so your students can better see the shape as your ghost puppet pops through it.
Hold the house up in front of you. Manipulate a white ghost (Popsicle stick) through a window or simply have the ghost peek behind the window.
Students call out the shape of the window the ghost is peeking out of.
You can also make a ghost finger puppet by cutting off a “finger” of a white glove, and gluing on 2 wiggle eyes. Use rubber gloves for an eerie transparent look. I experimented with dotting eyes on with a black marker as well as using puffy paint.
I personally like how the ghosts with wiggle eyes turned out. You decide which you like best. Because these are really quick, easy and inexpensive to make, you could set this up as a center and have your students each make one.
Finally, I've included a card game called "Shapely Haunted Houses". These are cards with a shape on them that can be matched to the shape, or shape word cards for a Memory Match or "I have; Who has?" game.
All of these games and "craftivities" are included in the Spooky Windows packet. Click on the link to view/download it.
Thanks for visiting today. I design and blog daily, so I hope you can fly on by for tomorrow's FREEBIES. Feel free to PIN away. To ensure that "pinners" return to THIS article, click on the green title at the top; it will turn black, now click on the "Pin it" button located on the burgundy menu bar. If you'd like to take a look at all of the awesome educational items that I pin, click on the heart button to the right of the blog.
"Faith is building on what you know is here, so you can reach what you know is there." -Allen Hightower