May 2017

With the school year coming to a close, I wanted to let you know of a few summer themed freebies that you can use now in your classroom, during summer school or even with your own kids this summer!

Summer Reading Passages with Comprehension Questions: This free resource includes 4 non-fiction summer themed reading passages (Buzzing Bees, Great White Sharks, Popsicles, Flag Day), plus 3 comprehension questions each. These are great for warm ups, reading centers, early finishers and even homework.

Proofreading and Editing: Summer Reading Passages: These are the same reading passages as above but require students to proofread and edit them. In addition, there are 4 comprehension questions for each passage.

My friend Michelle from Teaching Superkids created this awesome Summer Rules for Screen Time download to make the summer a little easier on parents! With this poster, kids know EXACTLY what they need to do before getting on those tablets, computers or any other screen. This is a super handout for your parents or maybe for you and your own kiddos!

Meghan from Keeping Up With Mrs. Harris has a great freebie for those entering kindergarten in the fall. Students can practice using technology AND identifying letters with this Letter Hunt QR Activity.

Thank you for looking! I wish you a smooth and enjoyable end of the year!

Are you finished with testing? Or maybe just getting started like we are here? I know it is hard to keep kids engaged until the end of the year, so I decided to go with a theme that all kids enjoy: SHARKS! Having SHARK WEEK at school is a great way to keep kids learning even if they don't know it.
Below I have some ideas, plus 3 free resources I created that you can use for SHARK WEEK or any time of the year. (Great for emergency sub plans, too!)

1. Sharks Fact and Opinion Sort: Cut and laminate these cards and place in a center/station or use with early finishers. There are 20 fact and opinion statements plus 1 "Fact" and 1 "Opinion" header.

Download Shark Fact and Opinion Sort here.

2. I found this great blog post on Pinterest: Shark STEM Activities. One experiment explores buoyancy. Fun Fact: Did you know sharks will sink if they stop swimming? Some sharks including the great white will die if it stops swimming.
http://littlebinsforlittlehands.com/shark-week-activities-science-stem/

3. Sharks True or False: Test your shark knowledge with these 12 true or false statements. Don't worry, there is an answer key included!

4. Did you know the word Galeophobia means an extreme fear of sharks? This activity asks kids to write as many words as possible from the word GALEOPHOBIA.

Download Galeophobia Activity and Sharks: True or False here.

5. Books! Place some shark books in your reading center. You could add some extension activities, such as research questions, KWL charts, etc.

6. Finally, you may enjoy this Shark Booklet and Reading Activities. Your students will learn all about sharks, their anatomy, diet and more. It comes with lots of activities to use throughout the week, such as close reading activities, comprehension questions, compare and contrast, graphic organizers, vocabulary and more! Students can easily assemble the booklet and then keep it forever!