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Monday, July 28, 2014

Monday Made It - It's a Traffic Light!

It's time for another Monday Made It. This week I made a traffic light for the school's welcome bulletin board. Be sure and check Tara's blog 4th grade Frolics for other great "Made It's".


Saturday I went over to school to work on a couple things for the school's welcome bulletin board. This year the welcome display is going to have a racing theme. “Racing off to a great year!” I have a few more things to make, but those will have to wait till the teachers return. (I need their pictures!) I'll post a picture of the finished display as soon as it's complete. As part of the display I wanted to make a traffic light. I checked the teacher idea box – otherwise known as Pinterest – and found a few ideas. Of course I had to change it up a little. Got to use what’s one hand. My light:

 

 
 
 

To make my light I used:

3 ice cream buckets from Wal-Mart. The rectangle shape worked great.

White Christmas lights

Black construction paper

Black poster board

Small piece of red, yellow, and green tissue papers

A boat paddle

Bucket of rocks

Lots of hot glue

Duct tape –

Carpet knife and scissors

 

 Step One:

Duct tape the 3 ice cream buckets together. It doesn’t’ matter what color you use. With the carpet knife I cut hole in the back of the top bucket to feed the Christmas lights into the buckets. I also cut small holes in the bottom of the top and middle sections of the traffic light. The carpet knife sliced the plastic like butter.

 


 

Step two:

I took the black poster board and made the front and sides of the traffic light. To make it look like a traffic light, I glued tissue paper on the inside to make it look like a traffic light. I hot glued the poster board to the ice cream tubs and had the top part of my light.

*Hint* If anyone else makes one of these, don’t glue to front of the light on until you have already attached the light to the stand. I had to take it off to connect it to the boat paddle.

 


Step three:

Create a light pole! I used a boat paddle. That’s what I had. Didn’t figure the boys would use it in the next month or so. If you are going to use this for a long time, use a piece of wood or thick PVC pipe. Mine was meant to be temporary. I wrapped the paddle with black construction paper and scrapes from the bulletin board paper in the library.

 


Step four:

 I placed the stand (boat paddle) in a bucket, filled it with rocks to make it sturdy. Another mistake I made was attaching the light to the upright paddle.* Hint* I would advise attaching the traffic light to the stand before you place it in the bucket of rocks. I almost burnt a couple fingers in the hot glue. Ice cream buckets are made of very thin plastic. I could feel the hot glue melting the buckets as I attached them to the paddle. Make sure to watch the placement of the cords to the Christmas lights. You want to be able to plug them in after all this hard work. My finished traffic light!!!  I'll tape the extension cord to the back. It will only be on during open house or special occasions. Don’t want to get into trouble with the fire marshal.

 


Go check out other great Monday Made It’s on Tara’s blog! Might find something you just have to make for your library or classroom.

I need to go by school and shelf those books. That was my "read it"  stack from last week.

Friday, July 25, 2014

It's a Fabulous Friday! And the winner is....

My Friday has started off to be fabulous! I have a winner for the Genre Subway Art! Giving things away is so much fun.


Congratulations to Karen B! Look for my email. This was so much fun I might have to have a giveaway more often.  I'm actually working on my Monday Made It. What about a little fun for the weekend? Who can guess what I'm making for my latest bulletin board? I posted this picture last night on Instagram.
*Hint* 3 ice cream tubs, Christmas lights, poster board, duct tape and of course it will involve the hot glue gun!

 Leave me a comment and I'll send a $5 TPT gift card to whomever guesses correctly first. Your guess must be posted by Midnight (Eastern Standard Time) Saturday. My MMI usually goes live Sunday night.

Monday, July 21, 2014

#IMWAYR July 21st

Once again it's time for "It's Monday - What are You Reading?" Check out other reads with Jen at Teach Mentor Texts and Rickie & Kellie at Unleashing Readers.

This past week I caught up on some newer picture books. I love going by Barnes and Noble or any other bookstore and preview picture books. I did find a few I want for the library. Found a couple I'm not purchasing.... WARNING!!! There are several. I was waiting out a rain shower/storm.

Hits:


Duck and Goose Go to the Beach by Tad Hill I love Duck and Goose. If you haven't read any of Tad Hill's books you are missing out. They are perfect for the little guys. In this one Goose follows Duck on an adventure to the beach. Once at the beach Goose has to convince Duck to enjoy the adventure. 5 Stars

Pardon Me! by Dianel Miyares What happens when a little bird keeps complaining while others share his perch? Would be cute to pair up with Little Big Mouth Frog.

Don't Push the Button by Bill Cotter Would be a great read aloud! You know the kids are going to want to push the button...

No Dogs Allowed! by Linda Ashman and Kristin Sorra Cute nearly wordless picture book about the opening of Alberto's restaurant.

Ninja! by Arree Chung  Cute Cute Cute  I could see several of my students acting out this story. Even my teenagers boys wanted to be ninjas when they were little.

Pigs Make Me Sneeze by Mo Willems  Gerald starts to sneeze whenever Piggie is near. He's convinced he's allergic to Piggie. I just adore Mo Willems.

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore by William Joyce Follows Morris's life jouney of loving books. Somehow I missed the short film.

This is Not My Hat by Jon Klassen Another great hat story. Great illustrations.

This is a Moose by Richard T Morris and Tom Lichtenheld   The director gets upset when Moose doesn't act Moose-like.

Mama Built a Little Nest by Jennifer Ward and Steve Jenkins I'm going to have to get this one for my science collection. Loved looking/reading about the different birds' nests. With Steve Jenkins it's usually a hit.

Bad Bye, Good Bye by Deborah Underwood Story of a little boy who is sad about moving but realizes the new house is better.

Part-time Princess by Deborah Underwood When the little girl sleeps at night, she dreams about being a princess and all kinds of adventures. Cute. I've got to get this one for my girls who want another princess story.

Hooray for Hat! by Brian Won Liked this one slightly better than This is Not My Hat. The elephant finds a hat and discovers he can cheer up his friends by sharing.

Neutrals: (Didn't dislike them, just wasn't moved by them....The kids will enjoy them.)


Hopper and Wilson Fetch a Star by Maria van Lieshout
Dog vs. Cat by Chris Gall  The two pets compete for top spot.
The Dark by Lemony Snicket Laszlo must overcome his fear of the dark.

The Girl Who Wouldn't Brush Her Hair by Kate Bernheimer When the little girl refuses to brush her hair a mouse moves in.... I was grossed out right there. Hate Strongly dislike rodents. The kids would enjoy this one. Great for teaching the importance of good hygiene.

Mustache Baby by Bridget Heos Cute just not my favorite. Maybe it will grow on me....The book not a mustache.

Misses:


What does the Fox Say? by Ylvis, Christian Lochster, and Sevin Nyhus
It was better as YouTube video... Unless you're a huge fan, save your money and get a great book instead.

As you can see, I found several to add to the library's wishlist. If only BTSB had a buy one get one free...Hopefully I'll have a great fall book fair.

Keep Reading! Have to finish Champion by Marie Lu...


Sunday, July 20, 2014

Monday Made It - Genre Display and a Giveaway!

I'm so excited to have another post for Monday Made It. Check out other great creations on Tara's blog 4th grade Frolics.  Yes, I know it's Sunday, but this is going to be a busy week.

I went by school and fixed a new display for the library. (This idea could easily be used in a classroom reading corner.)  My students are in a reading rut! They like to read the same old stuff over and over. I want my students to branch out to new authors and genres. To help them do this I'm going to have a genre of the month club.

New bulletin board and genre display! I didn't have a bulletin board on this wall, so I faked it! Hot glued black paper up, added cute boarder and instant bulletin board. If  this program is successful, I'll order a real bulletin board for the wall. I even added a place for the students to recommend books to other students. Hung some dust jackets and pictures of books for cheap decorations. I'll change those monthly with each new genre. Going to start the year off with Mystery. Yes, those clips are the cheap ones from Dollar Tree. (Supposed to chip bag clips.... They are strong enough to hold paper.)


 
 

(Might have to switch this basket for a black one. My red's don't match... I'm probably the only one who notices.)


I wanted some cute letters for a heading and had a "brain blast". My READ banner is just a few feet over what if I had a genre banner to match? Duh... I created a little banner to hang above the new display. I thought it turned out great. Added two black poms for a little pop.




I  saw a cool mini anchor chart stand on "Falling Into First's" blog. (Thank you, Stephanie!) The post included directions. Insert big gigantic light blub! I had genre posters hanging in the library. These are from Primary Paradise's Spectacular Story Elements. LOVE THEM! What if I displayed them on a stand? Maybe my students would actually read them. trip to Lowes, little help from the teenager in cutting PVC pipe, little duck tape (redneck engineering teacher creativeness...) = cute anchor chart stand.  I had to add some red or black, hence the red duct tape. I did change the feet to make mine sturdier.  

Side note: I liked it so much, I picked up supplies to make another one for behind my desk.


 
 
Finally, my display would not be complete without some art from Catherine Reed - The Brown Bag Teacher. She has this amazing subway art set featuring - you guessed it - GENREs! They look great on my new genre display. Instead of laminating them, I hot glued a page protector to the wall. The florescent lighting in the library puts a glare on anything hung near the lights. Now I can just swap them out each month. Wouldn't they look great in frames or mounted on colored cardstock? Would you like to win a set? The wonderfully sweet Catherine has donated a set for me to give away. Enter below!!!
 
 
I think it turned out great! Can't wait for the students to see it. Ignore the glare. I was on the dumb phone which won't let me remove glare. I so need an upgrade....


 
Don't forget to enter for a set of genre subway art from the Brown Bag Teacher! I'll announce the winner on Friday. What a way to start the weekend!
 
 
a Rafflecopter giveaway
 
Be sure and check out other great Monday Made It's on 4th Grade Frolics. I have less than 2 weeks to get everything ready for the new school year. I'm back full time July 30th. (That's what happens when you get out on May 23rd.  My district tries to end the year before Memorial Day in case of extra snow days.)
 

Take a break and read a book,

 

Tuesday, July 15, 2014

New Toy for Myself/Library

I'm so excited and I just can't hide it.... Are you humming? I paid my cell phone bill today. What's so exciting about paying a bill? So glad you asked! I was told I was over paying!!! The store manager insisted I lower my cell phone bill. With a couple clicks, I'm now paying about $40 a month less. Then she demonstrated the latest toys.... I had been eyeing an I-pad mini. The one there was nice, BUT the Galaxy tablet was on sale! Even with a data plan, my bill is going to be so much lower. Should make  up for the Amazon bill. Ha!

 I'm now the proud owner of a tablet. It will come in handy when I'm attending all those teacher meetings! Yes, I was still taking the laptop. First thing I did when I got home was sign up for Instagram. Now I've got to figure out how to post pics and find my fellow teachers (of course link to my blog!). I've already been searching for my favorite teachers and librarians to follow. I'm easttennesseebookworm if anyone is interested.


 Now I need your help! I'm looking for cool apps that will work on android devices. If you have one you love for ELA, comment or send me an email. I trust my teacher/librarian buddies more than the reviewers.

Keep Reading! I'll get back to my book as soon as I finish playing with the new toy!

Monday, July 14, 2014

#IMWAYR July 14

It's time for "It's Monday - What are you Reading?" Link up with Jen at Teach Mentor Texts and Kellie and Rickie at Unleashing Readers. It's a great place to find books to add to your Must Read Stacks!


This past week I read some golden oldies. For whatever reason, (grad school, life....) I never got around to reading them.

Gathering Blue and The Messenger by Lois Lowry
 




Not sure why I never read these. The Giver is one of my all time favorite books. EVER!!! Like top 5 favorite books. Neither was as good as the Giver, but definitely worth the time if you are a Lowry fan.  I'm going to have to book talk them this fall. My utopia society kids will enjoy them. Ms. Lowry answers the question about what happens to Jonas from the Giver in The Messenger, if you ever wondered.

The Lightening Thief by Rick Riordan

After reading the Kane Chronicles, I have the sudden desire to read the Olympian Stories. My sixteen year old couldn't believe I hadn't read them. 5 Stars!!! I'm probably the only person in East Tennessee who hasn't seen the whole movie. I normally avoid the movie version (except for the Harry Potter's and Tolkein stories). I hate being disappointed. Really enjoyed the book. Movie - not so much. Which would explain why I haven't seen it's entirety.


My Amazon book arrived this week with a couple books I'd been wanting to read. I finished Tomb of Shadows by Peter Lerangis, book 3 of the Seven Wonders series.

He's not quite a Rick Riordan, but my students will enjoy it. This one took a spin I wasn't expecting which I guess is a good thing. I'll have to finish the series.

Keep Reading!!!  Champion by Marie Lu was in my Amazon book. I'll have to read it this week.

Sunday, July 13, 2014

Monday Made It - Reading Displays

Monday Made It's are so fun to read! I've been pinning and getting all kinds of ideas. Be sure and check out other great Monday Made It's with Tara at 4th Grade Frolics.
I finally put my book down and got busy creating for the library. I fell in love with the little frames from IKEA I had seen in other great posts. The closest IKEA store is 3 1/2 hours from my house. NOT going there... Yes, I know I can shop online, but I spend way too much at Amazon... Finally, someone posted the frames were at Michaels. Now that I can do! Michael's is only an hour away. Needed a great excuse to go to Barnes and Noble (across the street!). I found several colors that I just had to purchase! They were on sale and I could use a teacher discount.... couldn't resist.
Project One -
This is what I had originally wanted needed the frames for:



My new table labels. The ones in the red frame are gong in my library. The black framed ones are for a fellow librarian.  I created the labels in mostly black and white to make them a little more ink friendly. If you can use them, feel free to download them. They are labeled Table 1 - 10 and Group 1- 10. I forgot if Jennifer wanted table or group numbers for her library. Please leave me a little love just to let me know you could use them! The horizontal labels (red frame) are here, while the vertical labels (black frames) are here.

 

I didn't stop there! I made printed a few quotes to display around the library. They are all lines from children's literature. I'm going to swap them out throughout the year. Sorry the photographer needs to work taking on anti glare pictures!

If you can use these, they are found on TPT. Yes, free. Just leave me a little feedback. I'd appreciate it! I love making things for my reading buddies.

Next and final project for the week:  (There was a book calling out to be read!)
Remember I said I found several colors.... These are for a couple of the girls down the hall. I won't name names just in case they happen to read this. I want to create a couple/few more for my other special teaching buddies. Oh well, another trip to Michaels and Barnes and Noble....... :)

 

I think they will look really cute on their desks! Don't' forget to check out other MMI's on Tara's blog at 4th Grade Frolics.

Keep Reading!!!


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