Non- Fiction Book Fun With Facts ...

Hi everyone.  I know that it has been so long since I did a real post about what has been happening in my classroom and I would really like to thank you all for sticking with me!!!

Well I have been really lucky again this year and have a temporary contract for Term 1 at the same school as last year (and in the same classroom).  So that means I am again teaching a composite Yr1 / Yr 2 class.  We are just starting week 6 of term and it is just flying by!

Our theme this term is Dinosaurs and we have had so much fun already.  Last week we started looking at non-fiction books and using our recalling of facts about dinosaurs.

Firstly we studied the features of non-fiction texts and we used our checklist to identify all of the features of the text and then did a Venn Diagram to compare features of non-fiction texts and the narratives we have read so far.

Then we used the 'I Remember' strategy on our mini whiteboards to recall three dinosaur facts from a small part of our non-fiction book.  The kiddies had so much fun constructing this fabulous craftivity Dinosaur that I found by Leslie Ann from Life in First Grade.  You can download the craftivity as a Freebie HERE.

They look really cute and it was a fun way of displaying their 'I Remember' facts.

Finally, we created Webs of Understanding.

We read the entire non-fiction text together as a class and then the kiddies were grouped at tables (this was a really fabulous way of including the few year 1 kiddies who still cannot read or write properly).  Each group had a different colour ball of yarn and each member had to say a fact they remembered from the text and then roll the ball of yarn to another group member.

It was a wonderful communicative activity that allowed all the kiddies to feel successful, regardless of their literacy abilities and gave my Yr 2 kiddies a chance to develop leadership skills.  The class had so much fun and the huge number of facts that they were recalling was fantastic! It is certainly a technique that I will be using more often in the classroom!  It can be used for all kinds of activities.  I think I will try it in maths groups this week!

I would love to hear the ways in which you have used Webs of Understanding with your kiddies!!

Wishing everyone a fabulous week ahead!

Thanks for stopping by.

Classroom Labels ...

Wow, I don't think I have been so creative in ages, it really is amazing how getting a clean bill of health can make you feel!!  I am not sure if I have said that I am so lucky to be staying with 'my' class for another term!!  I am caretaker for my class, and as the classroom I am in really 'belongs' to the class teacher, I have been really hesitant to even touch anything!  I am serious... I even felt weird writing on the class whiteboard at first.

Because we have started literacy centres this past term, I have had to move the classroom around and have brought lots of blue and green plastic tubs to organise things.  I find that I feel really unsettled if the classroom is messy or even disorganised (yeah I know...why did I choose teaching as a career? LOL!).  Anyway, I thought that I would go even further with temporarily personalising the classroom and yesterday I created lots of classroom labels and tags to go on all of those tubs:)  Oh ... and of course they are colour coordinated and feature cute little owls!!  Again, I have used the gorgeous clip art from KPM Doodles and Saraink, both of whom you will find on Etsy.

There are 33 large rectangular labels which are great for tubs, baskets, shelves or walls... (I have included both American and English spelling on the labels).  Labels include such words as:  art, glue, writing, paper, crayons etc...

There are also 24 round classroom reader tags.  These are numbered 1 - 20+ for levelled readers.  There is also a 'chapter books tag', a 'non-fiction books' tag, a 'familiar readers' tag and a blank tag.

Also... I have included round tags which spell out the word 'welcome' for you to create a welcome garland for your classroom.  Also included for the garland is a blue flower tag, an orange flower tag and a little blue owl tag.

I made this packet for myself, but my Miss Olivia (11yrs) thought that other owl loving teachers may like them for their classroom too?  So I have listed them in my Teachers Notebook store for $2.00.  HOWEVER....

This giveaway is now closed!  Congratulations to the 3 winners and thank you so much for your comments:)

 I have 3 'Little Blue Owl' Classroom Labels and Tags packets to giveaway to the first three owl loving teaching friends who are follwers of my blog and who leave a comment on this post, along with their contact email address.

Thanks for stopping by!