0 plant unit posted!

I am so excited to show you my newest unit! But first, I must tell you what inspired this packet. Since it is sweet, sweet summertime, I have been doing a LOT of shopping. While shopping, I came across some adorable, mini Terra Cotta pots and mini watering cans. 

When I saw them, I knew that: 

1. I had to have them for school

2. I had to make a unit to go along with them

So... I bought a little pot for each of my future students and 5 mini watering cans {one for each table}. 

But seriously, aren't they adorable???

My favorite part of this packet, are the Plant Life-Cycle anchor charts!  I have them all printed and ready to go! In fact, I have everything in this packet prepared and ready to go! Teaching plants this school year will be a BREEZE! Thank goodness for summer and my motivation for getting ahead of the GAME!

The anchor charts also come with a mini book for students to complete and take home! 

This also doubles as a great assessment!

This Product Includes:
-Lesson suggestion to teach plant parts {with anchor chart and worksheet}
-Plant craft for students to assess plant parts
-Plant observation journal {for students' individual plants in the classroom}
-Life cycle posters {in color and B&W} with mini book for students to take home
-Life cycle activities {assessments}
-Flower game {students get to build a flower using the correct parts}
-Nature walk activity outside {math connection}
-Writing pages
-Plant memory game
-Generic plant practice pages {or assessments}

  

How do you teach plants in your classroom?

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The first two people who comment will get this unit FREE!

{Don't forget to leave your email address!}

Detail: plant unit posted!

0 All About Rocks!

I am so happy to be done with this unit. 

It seems like it took me FOR-EV-ERRRR... and a day...

But all good things take time, right?

This is my first science unit and definitely my largest...

This unit focuses on IGNEOUS, SEDIMENTARY, and METAMORPHIC rocks!

This Unit Includes: Rock Notebook for Students, Rock Notebook for Teachers (very detailed), Worksheets/Assessments, 3 Rock Characters, Cute Rock Craft, Rock Cycle Charts, Rock Type Anchor Charts, 2 Yummy Recipes, a Letter Home to Parents, Sorting Activity, Rock Hunt, Rock Observation Worksheets, Book Suggestions, and more!

Detail: All About Rocks!

0 all about rocks: a science unit giveaway! - CLOSED

I love teaching science to my students, because it can be so fun and hands on.

However, teaching about rocks (Metamorphic, Sedimentary, Igneous) has been a struggle for me! 

I just don't feel like there are tons of fun/useful resources.

That, my friends, is why I have created my own "rocks" resource.

But I must let you know, whenever I create new units, I have my students in mind the entire time. 

What information would they understand? How can I best explain this to them?

And most importantly... How can I make this fun?!

I love to make learning fun (which can be exhausting at times, but so WORTH IT)!

This Unit Will Include (but isn't limited to): A Scientist Rock Notebook for Students, A Scientist Rock Notebook for Teachers (very detailed), Worksheets/Assessments, Rock Characters , Rock Charts (Easy to Understand), Yummy Recipes, Fun Experiments, and Art Suggestions

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To Enter This Giveaway:

To Enter: Become a follower (or already be one) and leave me a comment to let me know.

Bonus Entry #1: Follow my TpT Store and leave another comment to let me know.

Bonus Entry #2: Tell me in another comment why you need this unit!!

Bonus Entry #3: Rate one of my TpT products--either one you recently purchased or my featured freebie!! (Please rate them honestly--I love to get your feedback!) 

Make sure to leave a comment with your TpT username so I know it was you!

*Make sure each entry is a separate comment!*

I will announce the winner when I finally finish this unit...

(Wednesday, Thursday... maybe Friday!)

Good Luck!

Detail: all about rocks: a science unit giveaway! - CLOSED

0 my baby chicks: the birth story

First of all, I just have to say that hatching chicks is the most FUN thing I have done all year!

My students have loved every minute of it and so have I!

Remember this little guy who hatched all by himself??

Well... when I got to school the next morning, he had EIGHT little friends to keep him company.

That means, NINE eggs hatched in the night and my students missed it!

I had such mixed emotions when I first saw all of them--

I was so excited, yet disappointed that we missed it.

Thank goodness we still had 3 other eggs that hadn't hatched all the way.

I left the projector up all day and we got to see one hatch...

we named that one Taylor Swift because she was a famous little chick!

Watching a chick hatch is so exciting!

 My students LOVED it and it was fun to have the other first grade

classes in our classroom watching with us!

We love our baby chicks!

We were able to hatch 11 out of 12

(one was a dud, but that is okay, because we have read Charlotte's Web and they understand).

All of our baby chicks came out healthy and strong except for this little guy...

We named him Wilbur.

 I had to separate Wilbur from the other chicks, because they were pecking him. They knew that he was weak. It is natural for them to peck the weakest one to death so the weak one won't attract predators.

This little guy seriously broke my heart! My students loved him... but now he is in a better place.

I didn't tell my students that he died, I told them that he went to the Chick Hospital and he had to stay there.

I have some students who could have handled knowing that he died,

but I have others who aren't mature enough to know.

We got our chicken eggs from Utah State University and they gave us an assortment from different hens.

That is how we got this little guy, Oreo:

I have tried explaining to my students that he is black because he come from a different hen than the others

 (he is a Silkie chicken), but my students are still convinced that he is the ugly duckling!

My students can't get enough of these baby chicks!

The first thing they wanted to do was name them... so to make it fair, I let them all write down a name they wanted on a little piece of paper, and I drew them out of a bucket.

We named them: Uno (he was the first to hatch), Oreo, Wilbur (RIP), Taylor Swift, Banana,

Sunshine, Summer, Yellow Ninja, Gold, Chocolate Chip, and Star.

My chicks love their brooder box! My brother-in-law made it out of an old kitchen cabinet.

When the chicks are a couple weeks old, I will send some of them with one of my students and the rest will go to with my sister's family. Both homes raise chickens and they are so excited to get more!

However, the program I got them through at Utah State would take them back if I couldn't find a home.

If you haven't ever hatched chickens in the classroom before... DO IT!

It has been the best learning experience for my students.

A special thanks to the cute ladies over at Lesson Plan SOS for their adorable Chick Unit!

If you haven't visited their blog... you need to!   

Detail: my baby chicks: the birth story

0 hatching chicken eggs

My class is trying to hatch chicken eggs...

Here is our incubator:

Here are the cute chicken eggs (we got a dozen):

I put the document camera over the incubator, so we could see it on the projector screen (all day). My students LOVED watching the progress. A few chickens started pecking little holes! 

I even let them stay in for last recess just to watch:

When I left school today, none of them had hatched.

When I went into check on them around 7:30pm... a chick hatched!!

I couldn't believe it!!

Look how cute this little guy is:

I can't wait to show my students tomorrow and I hope no more hatch during the night...

I want them to hatch while the students are there... cross your fingers!

Have you hatched chicken eggs before?

Any advice?

Detail: hatching chicken eggs

0 mrs. potato head | free download |

It is "technically" spring.

Will someone please tell the weather man?

Today we had to have indoor recess due to the snow storm...

I don't like indoor recess.  I don't like snow.

Not. One. Little. Bit.

Maybe if I start planning my spring units, then spring will come?

Maybe...

Last year, when I was a student teacher, I made these with my class:

To plant the grass in pantyhose, you can follow the directions I found here.

Instead of decorating the pantyhose, I decided it would be easier to decorate a clear, plastic cup.

This free download is no longer available! Sorry! :(

Detail: mrs. potato head | free download |