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Showing posts with label candy cane. Show all posts
Showing posts with label candy cane. Show all posts

Sunday, December 17, 2017

Candy Cane STEAM!


 Hello Everyone!!
We had an awesome week last week and I finally have a second to share!! Getting so close to our winter break can make for some challenging focus issues for our little learners.  We have to do our best to keep them engaged in their learning.  One way to accomplish this almost impossible task is to include STEAM activities in their day!  We were able to get organized enough to make our way through our new unit...Candy Cane STEAM!  Here are some pics!


candy cane science- solid, liquid, molecules, heat energy, etc







Candy Cane Engineering! Trapping an elf!

Here are some quick pics of some of the printables in the mini unit.













If you need to let off some STEAM and want this little unit, CLICK HERE!!!




The kids had a blast with all of this!!  This week we'll have fun with that infamous green guy!!  Talk about engagement!!!   Hope your last few days before break go well!  This is such an exciting time of year for all!!
Look for that excitement and just go with it!!
Till next time...

Joyfully!
Nancy










Sunday, December 13, 2015

Using our Senses, Door Ornaments, Candy Canes, Book Elf Gift Tags, and Happy 2016!

Hello Everyone!!
We have been so busy learning about what good authors do to make writing interesting and visual. This past week we focused on "If You Take a Mouse to the Movies" and used the whole idea of the popcorn to practice using our senses.  Of course we had to pop some popcorn.  What a great motivator for gaining an understanding of sensory techniques.  Sorry I didn't get pics of the actual popping, but I did get some of what we did next!  I cut some simple popcorn shapes.  The kids wrote sentences about what they experienced.



We also worked on some ornaments like the mouse in the story.  That mouse sure was demanding!! He wanted so many things!  We focused on things we need, things we want and things we can give. 





Last week we also were working on heat energy.  We got together with our book buddies and worked on some Candy Cane science.  The mouse would have loved this, but it also went so beautifully with the book -Katie the Candy Cane Fairy!! The fairies' candy canes lost their stripes-- and so did our candy canes!!!





While we were waiting for our candy cane science to "do it's thing, we made paper candy canes! 




Easy to make. Color a border around a square piece of paper. Flip the paper over and roll around a pencil from one corner to the opposite corner! Magically, a candy cane stripe will appear! The kids loved making these!!

The candy cane science activity is included in my Grinch unit.

We love giving books to our first graders for their holiday gifts. Normally we attach a little plastic sparkly icicle to use as a reading helper.  Well, of course we couldn't find any this year.  I went looking for something else we could use for our gift, and finally found some cute little clips with little elves on them.  You could easily make these by gluing on some felt and drawing a face, but I decided to save some time and purchase them. I made a little tag and voila!! A sweet little gift for some sweet firsties!!




Lastly, I have had a ton of  requests for an updated version of my Happy New Year unit.  DONE!
I added a few things to cover what we'll be working on when we get back from our Winter Break. 
Pics??? Of course!!!




We will use this for "Rhythm and Rhyme"











These are just a few of the 80+ pages you'll get in this year's download. 


PHEW!!!  I knew this was going to be a loaded post, but we made it!! Thanks for sticking with it to the end!!  Now off to get ready for Grinch Week!!!  So excited!!
I'll try to take pics along the way and share when I get a chance!! As always, thank you for stopping by our little "Window On Wonder."  I love reading your comments, so don't be a grinch, let me know how things are going!!
Till next time, have a wonderful week!!
Joyfully!
Nancy








Sunday, December 6, 2015

Grinning With That Green Guy!-

Hello Everyone!
I am hoping you all have had a wonderful weekend.  We finally had some time to put up some Christmas decorations at the house.  We are keeping it very simple this year as we focus on the JOY of Christmas rather than the overwhelming commercialism. It feels so good to have made the decision not feel like we have to keep up with the "Grizwalds!" :)  Don't get me wrong, I absolutely loooooove decorating for the holidays, but there are more precious things on which I want to spend my time and resources this year!  
Creating "hand to head to heart" activities for my first graders is just one of those things.  We had a blast talking about adjectives last week and using them in our writing.  As a hands on activity, the kids made little Santa's with big, red, cherry noses!  They turned out great!


Patterns for these are in my Santa's Stuck unit. You'll find the link to the unit in last week's post!

We also added a festive hat to our fun little monster!!

Coming up soon is our Grinch Day!  Wait! What am I talking about?!  I mean Grinch week!! For the past several years, we have done a day or two of Grinchy learning! But I have added so much to the unit to cover what our curriculum says we should be teaching, that the unit is now comprehensive enough to take a week!!
This year I added a section on digraphs, a candy cane heat energy science lesson, and more author's message ideas. (88 pages total!) Here are a few pics!




Unit includes patterns for this cute little green guy and author's message!!













Unit includes lots of math opportunities!









                                                  

I am so excited to share this fun learning opportunity with my kids!   I know in the past I shared my Grinch unit with you, and then I was informed that I couldn't infringe on the name Grinch. But since I am not selling his name, just celebrating and provided a learning experience for young children,  for which  Dr. Seuss had such passion, I am going to re-offer the unit to you for download. I love Dr. Seuss and what he stood for so much. I know he would be so proud to know that we are still discovering and learning through his wonder-filled work!  So many of you already have my old unit, so you are welcomed to re-download this new and improved one! I am trusting you will not sell it! :) Right??? :)


10 more days until Christmas (Winter) break! I love this time of year with first graders! The wonder in their eyes and their sweet innocence are so contagious! I know it keeps me going, and I hope it does you as well!   Till next time, have a fabulous week and enjoy each moment, and every grin!!

Joyfully!
Nancy