How to Publish a Class Book

Note: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase after clicking on my links, I receive a small commission at no cost to you! Thanks for your support!

 

One of my favorite yearly traditions in my classroom is publishing a class book. I like to do this toward the end of the year when my students have gained a lot of writing skills; it is incredibly rewarding to watch them put all of their skills together into a final product. 

The kit from Studentreasures makes publishing easy, and the best part is, it's free for teachers! (No, this is not a sponsored post, although the above is an affiliate link. I have just had a great experience with them and wanted to share with other teachers!)

You will be sent a kit with instructions including all that you need, with the exception of the drawing materials. I grab a class set of permanent markers and colored markers (because we all know by spring the kids' supplies have seen better days) and we're ready to go!

There are many different ways to approach this project, but I choose to have the kids write a nonfiction animal book. It aligns perfectly with our unit on animal adaptations. Each student picks a different animal to research and write about. So many great skills get addressed during this project! They practice researching, writing a rough draft, and editing before they write their final pages.

Each student gets their own two-page spread in the book, with one page of text and one page for their illustration. There's even a "Meet the Authors" page in the back where you can put their pictures.

When you send the kit back to Studentreasures, it only takes a few weeks for them to return the published books to you. (Shipping both ways is free!) The kids are always proud and amazed to see their work published in a book; our class book is now one of the most frequently read in our classroom library. Parents have the opportunity to order books, as well, and I think they love it even more than the kids.

I hope you decide to try publishing a book with your class; it is such a wonderful experience! Click here to get started!

Keep teaching with heart and passion!

Football Unit for First Grade

Note: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase after clicking on my links, I receive a small commission at no cost to you! Thanks for your support!

Thematic teaching is one of my favorite ways to approach learning in my classroom! This football unit is a great way to keep your students engaged, having a lot of fun while still practicing important skills. This unit is comprehensive, with literacy, math, and STEM activities, and a craftivity thrown in for some fine motor practice (and fun).

Literacy

These clear spinners are perfect for this activity!

 

This unit includes three literacy activities: a fun craftivity that incorporates writing about personal goals, a digraph game, and an activity called "fumbled sentences", where students correct punctuation and capitalization errors in sentences.

Math

 

There are two math activities included: a two-player game focused on comparing 2-digit numbers, perfect for small groups, and a "tackling three addends" scoot activity to get kids moving and collaborating.

Coding

 

My students love coding activities, whether digital or unplugged. The included unplugged activity involves placing defensive players on the football field and writing a play to get the quarterback to the goal post.

I hope your students love this unit as much as mine do! It is the perfect accompaniment to a football room transformation, to celebrate the big game, or any other time you're looking to increase engagement. You can get it here in my store or here in my TPT shop.

Keep teaching with heart and passion!

Best Read Alouds for Black History Month in Early Elementary

Note: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase after clicking on my  links, I receive a small commission at no cost to you! Thanks for your support!

 

Black History is American History and should be taught year-round. I work hard to read books featuring diverse characters to my students and to have such books accessible to them at all times in my classroom library. However, during the month of February, officially named Black History Month, I think we all would do well to make a conscious effort of reading such books in our classrooms. Here are some of my favorites:

Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly

Henry's Freedom Box by Ellen Levine

The Youngest Marcher by Cynthia Levinson

Martin's Big Words by Doreen Rappaport

 

 

 

Radiant Child: The Story of Young Artist Jean-Michel Basquiat by Javaka Steptoe

Aunt Harriet's Underground Railroad in the Sky by Faith Ringgold

The Story of Ruby Bridges by Robert Coles

The Story of Black History Biographies for New Readers

The ABCs of Black History by Rio Cortez

Rosa by Nikki Giovanni

Black History Picture Books for Kids by Jasmine Riviera

Stacey's Extraordinary Words by Stacey Abrams

Human Computer: Mary Jackson, Engineer by Andi Diehn

Computer Decoder: Dorothy Vaughan, Computer Scientist by Andi Diehn

Mae Among the Stars by Roda Ahmed

I would love to hear your favorite Black History read alouds for early elementary!

Keep teaching with heart and passion!

Dental Health Month Activities

 

Dental Health Month is right around the corner! While it's definitely not the most fun or exciting unit, it is so important for our young learners, and I've got some activities for you to make it meaningful as well as enjoyable.

First, kindergarten and first grade teachers, make sure to order your classroom kit from Colgate (this post is not sponsored by or affiliated with Colgate; this is just a resource I use every year that I want to share!) They will send you a free toothbrush and toothpaste sample for each child in your class. Any time kids get something new that they get to take home, even if it's a toothbrush, it increases their buy-in and excitement.

My comprehensive Dental Health Unit has everything else you need for teaching kids good dental hygiene. 

Introduce the topic with the included e-book, which features real photographs and discusses how to brush and floss, as well as what to expect during a visit to the dentist.

 

Next, follow up with an engaging craftivity and writing prompt. This is differentiated to include a version with and without a sentence starter; it also includes 8 different faces so your students can choose one that looks like them--or that they simply like the best. My kids love these since they can practice "brushing" the teeth, and of course I love that they are purposeful as well as fun.

So stinkin' cute!

Finally, this unit includes four additional activities to reinforce knowledge: a booklet about visiting the dentist, a toothbrushing sequencing activity, a word search, and an alphabetical order activity. These are perfect for morning work, independent work, or as a follow-up to your whole-group lesson.

 

Find the unit here in my store or here in my TPT shop!

Keep teaching with heart and passion!

Teaching Young Students About Martin Luther King Jr.

Note: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase after clicking on my  links, I receive a small commission at no cost to you! Thanks for your support!

Nobel Foundation, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

As I was prepping lessons for next week, I was planning to spend a few days talking about Martin Luther King, Jr. I turned to the corresponding page in my social studies curriculum and was sorely disappointed to see four short sentences, two of which were discussing how people commemorate MLK Day by having parades and closing schools. That left two sentences discussing the life and work of Dr. King. Even more disappointing, they glossed over the Civil Rights movement, simply stating that Dr. King worked for equal rights for all. There was not even a mention of for whom he was advocating; no discussion of segregation or the Black community.

I understand the thought of not going too in-depth with these heavy subjects with early elementary students, but I was deeply saddened by this casual approach. I fully believe young learners can, and should, engage with deep content. Here's how I approach this in my classroom.

Allow Time

Deeper subjects like this cannot be rushed. This isn't a lesson to throw in that random 10-minute slot you have before recess. Early in my teaching career, I did not allow enough time, and my students were in a place of somber processing as I was trying to get them out the door for lunch; it wasn't good for anyone. Carve out some time so you can approach this in a purposeful manner.

Use Quality Literature

Read alouds are one of the best ways to introduce children to historical figures and events. Take the time to fully read through the books first, selecting books that give sufficient facts and details. I also highly recommend books that have rich illustrations or photographs.

My all-time favorite is Martin's Big Words by Doreen Rappaport. This book is perfect for initiating conversations with students. It keeps things simple enough for K-2 students without ignoring or glossing over the difficult details, and incorporates many quotes from Dr. King.

Another wonderful book is Be a King: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s Dream and You by Carole Boston Weatherford. I use this as a follow-up book, because it really doesn't give details about Dr. King's life, but it helps the students make connections to their own lives, seeing ways they can make a difference.

Cultivate Empathy

Take time to focus on social-emotional skills. Have conversations about how you would feel if you didn't have the same rights as others. Ask students to truly think about how they would feel if they were treated differently from others, such as if they could only go certain restaurants or drink from certain water fountains. Carry these conversations forward into areas of kindness and equality in the classroom, at recess, and in your community.

Answer the Difficult Questions

As you discuss topics like segregation, children will have big, difficult questions, and they deserve to hear honest answers to those questions. Give straightforward, non-biased facts. You'll be surprised at how well your students accept these facts and want to move forward to create a brighter future; I am always impressed with their insight.

Avoid Trivializing Activities 

Those of you who have read my blog for some time know that I am a huge advocate of teaching through play. However, this is a time when that is simply not appropriate. Do not attempt activities like assigning kids a race and role-playing segregation in your classroom (I can't believe I even have to write this, but every year there are news stories of teachers doing things just like this). I personally even avoid things like color-by-code pictures of historical figures like Dr. King, which is my own preference, because I feel like there are more meaningful ways to approach such subjects. I tell my students it is a serious topic and that we are going to have a serious discussion and they usually rise to the occasion; they love feeling trusted to have such conversations.

Through approaches like these, you can help your students engage purposefully with important historical content, laying a solid foundation for them to be critical thinkers as they begin to learn more about the complexities of history and society.

Keep teaching with heart and passion!