Flash Freebie! Wringer by Jerry Spinelli

Take advantage of my Flash Freebie Download of Wringer by Jerry Spinelli before it's too late!  All I ask is that you leave feedback HERE in return of your download!

This unit is full of chapter comprehension questions, vocabulary, graphic organizers, and an end of the book quiz.

DEAR and DEAD Time and Friday Flash FREEBIE!!!!

My absolute FAVORITE time of the school day is DEAR time.  (For those of you unfamiliar with DEAR...it means Drop Everything And Read.)  My 4th graders have DEAR time every single day.  I love, love, love to read books (when I can find the time and lately that hasn't been very often) and I want my students to share the same love for books that I have. 

So this is how my DEAR time works.  Every day after our lunch recess, my students walk in the room, grab the book they are reading, and get comfortable.  They can sit pretty much wherever they want in the classroom.  I have a reading corner with bean bags and pillows they are allowed to use.  They can take off their shoes and sprawl out on the floor, they can lean up against the wall, or they can sit at their desk.  There is ABSOLUTELY NO TALKING and once they get comfortable, they must stay in that spot.  No switching books because that causes a distraction.  And now the stage is set...for the next 15 minutes the students can get lost in their books and think of nothing else.  And they do...  

Click on the picture above to download this FREEBIE poster to display during your DEAR time!

I also do DEAD time (Drop Everything And Draw), but this is much fewer and far between.  We are so busy in 4th grade, but I do think drawing is an important skill to have.  My goal is once a month.  The same rules apply...get comfortable and forget about everything else but drawing.  I do play music during DEAD time, but this is optional.

Click on the picture above to download the FREEBIE poster.

This weeks Flash Freebie is my newly created Literature Unit for SCAT by Carl Hiaasen.  

It includes vocabulary, review questions, a research project, and an end of the book test.

Enjoy it quickly...it won't be free for long.

Book Adventure and a Friday Flash FREEBIE!

I don't know how many of you are aware of Book Adventure, but we use it in our school to promote reading and it is wonderful!

I talked about Book Adventure quite some time ago, but I wanted to bring it up again because we use it DAILY in our classroom.

Book Adventure is a FREE online testing site powered by Sylvan Learning.

Each student needs to be registered for an account and from there they can go in and take tests for nearly all reading levels.

If students pass a quiz they earn points.  The goal is to keep earning as many points as you can.

As a teacher, you can go in and see how your students are doing, what books they have tested on, the reading level of these books, and the amount of points they have earned!

Our school uses this as an incentive all year and teachers incorporate it into their classroom accordingly.  

This semester, we are doing a football themed incentive where students move their football across a football field on a school bulletin board as they gain points towards their overall goal.

In my room, we have set a semester goal of 1,000 points by the end of the 1st semester.  (Last year each student set an individual goal instead.  Both ways work well.)

I have a student computer and a student iPad that students can use to take Book Adventure Tests.  Sometimes we will make a trip to the computer lab and take a test as a whole class.  

I have a Book Adventure Leaderboard where I list the top three students in the class and their points.  This gets the competition going for some of your higher readers.  

Click here for a FREEBIE Leaderboard poster.

I also offer prizes for every 500 points earned.

The possibilities are endless! 

Go to www.bookadventure.com and give it a try!

Today's Flash FREEBIE is my Biomes Poster Set.  

This is a Poster Set of the main Biomes. They can be printed out in color or grayscale and can be used as posters in which can be laminated and hung in the classroom or they can be distributed to each student as each biome is studied. I do both when I teach the biomes unit. There are nine posters of the following biomes: tropical rain forest, deciduous forest, coniferous (boreal) forest (taiga), desert, tundra, grassland, savannah, ocean, wetlands, and freshwater.

ENJOY!  And HAPPY FRIDAY!

Extreme Blog Makeover Flash Freebie for 08/13/14

Right now I am randomly posting Flash Freebies in celebration of my recently completed Extreme Blog Makeover!  (Thank you Designs by Kassie!)

Each Freebie will be available for 1 day only so make sure to follow my blog to be informed of each new Flash Freebie and obtain the link for download!

Today's Freebie is a literature unit for SCHOOLED by Gordon Korman.

 

 

 This is a literature unit for the book SCHOOLED by Gordon Korman. I love this book and think it has such important lessons on bullying and acceptance.
Page 1 - Cover
Page 2 - Vocabulary List
Page 3, 4, 5 - Vocabulary Activities
Page 6 - Ch. 1 & 2 Questions
Page 7 - Ch. 3 & 4 Questions
Page 8 - Ch. 5 & 6 Questions
Page 9 - Ch. 7 & 8 Questions
Page 10 - Ch. 9 & 10 Questions
Page 11 - Ch. 11 & 12 Questions
Page 12 - Ch. 13 & 14 Questions
Page 13 - Ch. 15 & 16 Questions
Page 14 - Ch. 17 & 18 Questions
Page 15 - Ch. 19 & 20 Questions
Page 16 - Ch. 21 & 22 Questions
Page 17 - Ch. 23 & 24 Questions
Page 18 - Ch. 25 & 26 Questions
Page 19 - Ch. 27, 28 & 29 Questions
Page 20 - Ch. 30 & 31 Questions
Page 21, 22, 23, 24 - End of Book Test and Answer Key
Page 25 - Point of View Activity
Page 26 - Bully Essay
Page 27 - Peace Color Fun Page
Page 28 - About the Author

This unit is also available on a CD of compiled literature units. Purchasing the CD gives the buyer a nice collection of upper elementary/middle school literature units at a bargain cost.
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Literature-Units-on-a-CD-for-Grades-4-8