Mrs. Orman's Classroom

Teachers: You Are Appreciated!

2013-05-06T21:06:00.000-05:00

Happy Teacher Appreciation Week, Teachers!

The quotes above are to remind you that you ARE appreciated! Here are some others that make me laugh. (Either because they are so absurd, or because they are sad but true.

Or because they are just funny.):

“The only thing that surprises me is the characterization of teachers as lazy and greedy. Only someone with very little understanding of what teaching requires would say such a thing.”

― Taylor Mali

“It's weird when you hear teachers call each other by their first names. It's like they're friends or something.”

― Brian Francis

And this last one makes me laugh because I find myself talking to myself aloud more and more the longer I teach (and the older I get). And, yes, I'd say I'm a little weird...but maybe not so much? ;)

“In my ten years of teaching I’ve noticed that teachers tend to have a bad habit of talking to themselves. I hypothesize that this is because we talk for a living, and we feel safe speaking our feelings aloud. Or it could be that most of us, especially the high school teacher variety, are just weird as shit.”

― P.C. Cast, Divine By Mistake

And let's not forget to thank parents this week, because they are so important in a child's life.

To THANK all of you fabulous teachers, head to my teacher store to enjoy 20% off, plus an extra 10% when you use code TAD13 at checkout. The sale begins tonight at midnight and ends Wednesday at midnight.

Happy Birthday, Harper Lee!

2013-04-28T11:46:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday, Harper Lee!

Harper Lee, the author of To Kill a Mockingbird, turns 87 today. Will you do anything special in class to mark the occasion this week? (Or perhaps you did last week, along with William Shakespeare on the 23rd?)

Here's a free journal prompt from my A Year of Journal Prompts to mark the occasion:

The text:

Harper Lee, the author of To Kill a Mockingbird, turned 87 on April 28, 2013.

The Pulitzer-winning To Kill a Mockingbird is the only novel Lee has written, though some speculate that she has written additional unpublished works. She also helped her friend Truman Capote research and write his nonfiction book, In Cold Blood.

As a private person, perhaps Lee does not wish to be placed, once again, into the limelight by publishing a new novel.

Would you like to be famous even if it meant losing your privacy? How would your life change if you were sought by reporters and fans every day? Would you still wish to have fame? Why or why not?

Poem in Your Pocket Day Novel Connections #PocketPoem

2013-04-17T19:50:00.001-05:00

On National "Poem in Your Pocket" Day, you don't have to give up teaching your novel for poetry. Instead, incorporate it into the lesson. This prompt (shown above) stemmed from an activity I created on my Hunger Games Lessons page to connect poetry to the characters:

Choose a character from the novel then find a poem that represents her/him.

Explain why that poem fits your character, using evidence from the text for support.

Not only does it challenge the students' critical-thinking skills, it reinforces character traits and themes from the novel.

Read more on this blog post: Which poems would Katniss and Peeta carry for "Poem in Your Pocket Day"?

It's also a great way to practice Common Core skills. This activity practices the following skills from the grades 6-12 anchor standards for reading literature:

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.3 Analyze how and why individuals, events, or ideas develop and interact over the course of a text.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.9 Analyze how two or more texts address similar themes or topics in order to build knowledge or to compare the approaches the authors take.

Standards from: http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/CCRA/R

If you need a collection of poems for students to browse, feel free to share my Poem in Your Pocket collection of poems (free download). You may share the packet electronically or post on your website.

Tomorrow, tweet your activities on Twitter using the hashtag #pocketpoem. I hope you have a GREAT day of sharing poetry with your students!

8 Ways to Incorporate Poetry into Your Day {Poem in Your Pocket Day is Thursday!}

2013-04-14T19:27:00.000-05:00

Poem in Your Pocket Day is Thursday, April 18th.

Thursday (April 18th) is National Poem in Your Pocket Day, sponsored by the Academy of American Poets (Poets.org) and the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE).

It's a day to celebrate poetry and share it with others. But you can celebrate poetry any time. Here are ways to incorporate poetry into your day:

1. As "Poem in Your Pocket" suggests, carry your favorite poem (or poems) with you any day and share it with others. Ask them to share their favorites, as well.

2. Write a poem! If you need help or inspiration, using formula poems can help. Here's a packet that helps you with over 40 formulas: Poetry 9-1-1: First Aid for Writing Poetry.

3. Are you reading a novel in class right now? Which poems do you think would be the characters' favorites? Why? For The Hunger Games fans, check out my post on my Hunger Games Lessons blog that asks this same question.

4. Not reading a novel? Perhaps you are studying someone famous in history class? If so, ask the same question for historical figures: which poem would be Julius Caesar's favorite? How about Benjamin Franklin or Winston Churchill? Give reasons for why you chose this poem for that particular person.

5. Read a poem. It can be a short poem or long poem...it can be any poem. Don't know where to look? Some of my favorite websites for poetry include:
-Poets.org
-Modern American Poetry
-Poetry Foundation
-Poetry Archive

6. Discuss it! Poetry means different things to different people; this is one of the beautiful things about poems. Two people can have completely different interpretations of a poem, but both are right. Poems even have the power to take on new meanings when we read them at different times in our lives. Choose a poem or two and read with your friends. Then talk about what it means to each of you. When we discuss how a poem makes us feel, it may help someone else relate to it. It's OK if the poem does not speak to you...keep reading and you will find one that does.

7. Listen to others read their favorite poems. On YouTube, you can watch and listen both famous people and people like you and me share their favorite poems by reading them and telling us why it is their favorite.

8. Record a reading of YOUR favorite poem. You can do a video recording (learn more from the Favorite Poem Project website) or you can do an audio recording and upload it to LibriVox.org.

Teachers: You can find resources for teaching poetry here. Also, read more about incorporating poetry into your classroom here on this blog, or on my other blog.

And don't forget to celebrate Poem in Your Pocket Day this Thursday!

Seven End-of-the-Year Writing Prompts for High School Seniors

2013-04-06T20:36:00.000-05:00

As your seniors begin the last few weeks of their high school careers, they will probably be experiencing many emotions. Excited to graduate, stressed for finals, anxious to begin a new life. To help ease their anxiety, carve out a little time for a meaningful writing assignment. Try one of these short prompts:

1. "Remember when..." - Who doesn't like to reminisce once in a while? Have your students write as many "Remember when..." statements about their school days and classmates. Allow them to share with their classmates. You could also collect their writing and make copies for each student. For a paperless option, create a Google Document and share it with them. Each student can contribute their own "Remember when..." statements.

2. "My Favorite Quote..." - Have your students share their favorite quotes. Prompt them to elaborate on why that particular quote speaks to them. Some will already know their favorite quote, but others may need help. Here are some websites with compilations of quotes that may help:
• Brainy Quote
• Good Quotations by Famous People (Compiled by Dr. Gabriel Robins)
• A Collection of Quotes and More Pinterest Board
As an enrichment, students can type their favorite quote into a word-cloud generator (try www.wordle.net or www.tagxedo.com). They can print the images and hang their quotes in the classroom as a reminder of the inspirational words they have chosen.

3. Live & Learn and Pass It On: "I Have Learned..." - I've written about this activity several times; it's no surprise that it is one of my favorites each year. Based on H. Jackson Browne Jr.'s book, students write a "life lesson" they have learned. Examples include: "I have learned that being nice to the lunch ladies pays off with extra helpings of food," and "I have learned that my senior year went by way too fast. If I could have a do-over, I'd enjoy it more and stress less." If you want to use the lesson I created for this assignment, you can download it free here: Life Lessons Writing Freebie

4. Best Advice Received &/or Best Advice to Pass Along - First, students write about the best advice they've received in the past four years. What made it the "best"? Did they follow it? Or wish they had? Next, or as an alternative prompt, they write a message of advice to incoming freshmen. What do they wish they had known? Would they pass along advice they had been given? How would advice to an incoming freshman differ from advice they would leave to the current junior class?

5. "My Legacy..." - Ask students, "What is your legacy?" What are they leaving behind for others? This is a good reflective prompt because it makes students think about how they have impacted the lives of others. Perhaps it is a memory of something they did in school--an accomplishment they achieved or how they made a group of students laugh. Maybe they served as an example, whether it was positive or negative (one of my former students who had been expelled for a year wrote about that experience and hoped others would learn from his mistakes). Maybe it is a tangible item, such as a trophy in the cabinet, a seat in the cafeteria, a parking space, a locker, or a tree planted on campus. How will others benefit from their legacy? If they struggle with this, ask them what they would like to leave behind if they had no limitations. Or maybe the underlying question here is: how do they want to be remembered by future students? Or do they want to remembered at all? If not, why not?

6. Senior Will - I remember my old high school year yearbook printing up "senior wills" on the last page of the yearbook. Each senior "willed" something to another student, a teacher or staff member, or the administration. Perhaps the reason it was dropped before I entered high school was that some responses like "Jack wills his sense of humor to Mr. Doe because he clearly needs it" were not appropriate or respectful. But some of them were great, like "Jane wills her artistic abilities to the incoming freshmen so they can beat the other classes in the Homecoming float-building contest." If you think your students can handle this (as far as maturity), it is a fun activity. But if it becomes a way to make fun of others, move on to a different activity.

7. "What's Hot? What's Not?" - Another favorite activity, have students create Hot/Not lists for their high school career. They could start a list on the white board (or on a shared Google Doc) of events or happenings that were "hot" (or great) and "not" over the past four years. "Hot" items might include winning a championship, filming a "Harlem Shake" video, or participating in a poetry cafe. "Not" items may include state testing/final exams (or any high-stakes test), losing a close game, or perhaps losing a classmate. The lists they generate are great discussion starters, but also help students cope with feelings they may still be holding on to. I use my "What's Hot? What's Not?" activity in class for additional purposes, as well. You can download it free in my teacher store.

You'll also want to read:

10 Thoughtful and Inexpensive Graduation Gifts for Students

Top 10 Websites For 1:1 Schools

2013-03-26T10:06:00.000-05:00

I'd like to share with you 10 helpful websites for the secondary teacher when using laptops or utilizing a computer lab. My school district adopted the 1:1 laptop initiative four years ago, purchasing Apple MacBook Pros for all students in 6th - 12th grades. So while I am no expert on technology in the classroom, I have used all of these websites in class with my students. I know there are numerous sites out there just as good or maybe even better, but I wanted to share those which I have had success with my high school students.

1. Free Rice: Why do I like this website? You can read about using it here and ways to incorporate it into your classroom here. The short version: it helps students build their vocabulary, exposing them to new words and repeating them several times. And the time they are spending "playing" the game is all toward a good cause: feeding the hungry. When students finish early but we don't have enough time to start a new activity, they can either read silently or play Free Rice.

2. Turn It In: We realized pretty quickly when we started going paperless for most writing assignments that our students were too tempted to take short cuts by copying and pasting even simple assignments such as journal entries, poems, literature responses, and essays. It took hours to grade assignments because I had to copy & paste their responses in to Google and free plagiarism checkers. We decided to subscribe this year to Turn It In and it has definitely cut back on the amount of copying. Just knowing the assignment will have to be submitted there first is a deterrent. (It also saves their writing samples, so any student who turns theirs in with similar content will be flagged--including a sibling years later.)
ALTERNATIVES: If your district cannot afford a subscription, there are some alternatives, though not as good. Try PaperRater or Grammarly. PaperRater won't check for authenticity, but it's not bad for catching errors. Grammarly will ask for a subscription for detailed results, but it will tell you if there is questionable text first. A good originality checker is Small SEO Tools; it's target audience may not be education, but it still serves the purpose.

3. Socrative: Socrative is a fast, fun way to engage students and check overall understanding. Plus, the kids love it. There's very little set-up (teachers have to create an account ahead of time then provide students with the url). I used this for review games (no need to type anything in, just read your questions and students type their answers in). I projected their answers so they could see how everyone else answered. It's a great listening activity because if they miss the question, their answer won't appear first; that was a key motivator for many of the boys in my classes. You can use this at the end of the class period to check understanding, though it's a site to use sparingly or the novelty will probably wear off.

4. Today's Meet: This is essentially a chat room, so you are probably wondering why I would encourage this during class. First, let me tell you about my students. I have two classes of sophomores who are really great kids, but as soon as I stop speaking, they begin talking. If I am showing a video clip or one of their classmates is speaking, they see that as an invitation to start a discussion with their neighbor. Instead of constantly shushing them, stopping the video, or interrupting their classmate to scold them, I decided to look at why they were talking. They obviously weren't engaged in the activity. I first thought we could use Twitter during these activities using a class hashtag. But some students didn't want to open new accounts and/or did not want to share their personal accounts with the class. So I looked for alternatives (iChat, Google Chrome, and other built-in chat features were disabled from their laptops for excessive student abuse). I found Today's Meet and thought it would be perfect: no account registration, the chat is deleted after a set period of time but can be recorded if needed, and I just have to give students the chat room name. Yes, we had some students abuse it by creating several user names and posting childish responses, but for the most part, it was very engaging. I used it while we watched a video, posting discussion questions for response and allowing them to ask questions during the clip. I've also used it while students listened to podcasts so they could express their thoughts without interrupting the audio.

5. Blogger: Writing is an activity that, when practiced often, builds not only better writers, but better thinkers. Writing for a blog can be difficult. Challenging. Even scary sometimes. So of course I want my students to try it! Setting up a class blog or individual blogs is very easy with Blogger. (Read more about our class blogs here.) I use it for journal entries and this year had my students post their short stories on their blog. Their classmates gave them anonymous feedback via Google Drive forms (only people logged in to our district can submit the form, so if you visit the site you'll see their stories, then a locked form). Slowly, their writing starts to improve as they realize they have a global audience.

6. Project Gutenberg: Over 42,000 free online books, including many classic literature pieces. If your class is reading Tom Sawyer or Jane Eyre, your students can download the free ebook on the site rather than use a paper copy. Here's the top 100 most popular downloads.

7. LibriVox: While Project Gutenberg provides the print copy, LibriVox provides the audio versions of books, stories, and poems. Your students can even record themselves reading literature to donate to the website. I have many students who love listening to the works we read (and many works--especially poems--are meant to be read aloud), so it's wonderful to direct them here so they can listen anytime. The recordings can be downloaded, too, so if they do not have internet access at home, they'll still have the recording. A search for Shakespeare turns up over 100 files, with some links leading to even more.

8. Quizlet: Free Rice is great for building vocabulary of random words, but Quizlet lets you create the word lists for online games, flash cards, and study lists. You can import your word lists or just type them in. Create lists for each chapter of a unit or for an entire novel. Your students will be able to go to your list to retrieve the words and definitions and utilize the built-in games for reviewing.

9. Google Drive (Formerly Google Docs): While I hate Google Docs as a word processor, it is a nice way for students to compile an online portfolio of their writing samples. I have my students type their essays using Mac's Pages, then they upload it to Turn It In to get feedback on grammar, usage, and whether they cited sources correctly. After they receive feedback, they revise their drafts and can resubmit to Turn It In. I also have them upload it to Google Drive. Because they all have Google Drive downloaded on their computers, it's a matter of dragging the file to their Google Drive folder. This way they have their final draft saved online in case they lose all their files on their computer. (This happens a lot because students use their desktop to save files, which doesn't sync with the server. If they didn't back it up on Google Drive or Turn It In, I usually have no sympathy for them. They've had their laptops for four years, so they should know better! ) Besides using it as an online portfolio, it is nice for students to use for collaborative assignments, creating forms and surveys like voting for Homecoming court and to poll their classmates on various issues. Here's a document that offers 37 ways to use Google Docs in the classroom; and 81 Interesting Ways to Use Google Forms in the Classroom.

10. YouTube: YouTube is a site that I both love and hate. It is definitely one of the biggest time-sucks for many of our students. They will spend hours just watching stupid videos, then complain that they had no time to get their homework done. So while I would love for YouTube to just not exist, I also find that it can be rather resourceful for educational videos. I created several playlists that I will refer to for enrichment of a topic or piece of literature. Students can subscribe to my channel here, here, or here to find videos I WANT them to watch. Why do I have three channels? One is my school account, another is my personal account (but I use it mainly for educational purposes), and the third was my first YouTube account before Google took over and made me create a new account.

For additional tips and links, you can follow my 1:1 Education Technology board on Pinterest.

Not mentioned, but worth noting: having an online grading app is essential. Our district uses Skyward, which handles grades, attendance, lunch accounts, registration, and discipline records. When I create an assignment in my gradebook, I can securely upload a file they can download. (I never share on Google Docs or any other website because once you share, they are picked up by Google searches and become part of the internet where future students can easily find them.) I can also create online assignments, quizzes, and tests that are secure. The best part? It automatically grades and records them for me after students complete. Having a SECURE way to transfer assignments is definitely something a district needs to have in place before implementing a 1:1 initiative. Do not assume outside websites are secure--they aren't.

Let's Share! If you teach in a 1:1 school or are able to use a lab regularly, post your favorite websites to use in class below.

Organizing Your Classroom Library: A Delicious Solution

2013-03-17T18:30:00.000-05:00

I've been wanting to write a post for some time now about an incredible application to use for your classroom library circulation and organization: Delicious Library 2. There's so much to share about this application, I am sure I will never do it justice.

I wasn't asked to write this post or promote the product and I acquired the app like everyone can: I downloaded the free trial. But once I started using it, I was hooked; I purchased the $35 app shortly after (like...10 minutes after) downloading the free trial. I've been using it for a year and a half and still love it.

There's just one catch: it's only compatible with Macs. That works fine for me since our school is an Apple 1:1 school and all of our devices and computers at home are Macs.

This is what I love most about it: you would think Apple designed the app themselves. It works seamlessly with all your other applications, like your contacts in Address Book, iTunes (it catalogs your music for you...automatically!), iCal, and more.

And it uses your iSight web cam to scan in--YES, scan--your books, CDs, DVDs, or anything with a barcode on it.

If it can't read the barcode, you can just type in the title and it will search for the ISBN for you. It uses Amazon.com's enormous library of books to find the right one. And if it's not there, you can enter the information the old-fashioned way: typing it in. I've only had to do this with a few (less than 10) books that were either out-of-print or exclusive Scholastic Book Clubs books.

Checking a book out to students is a treat, too. I have all my students in my contacts already because they email me at the beginning of the year then I set up a group in my Mail app. Their names appear automatically in the side bar. All I have to do is click on the image of the book and drag it to their name. It then assigns it to the student. Click on the student's name and you will see the book and the due date (default is one week, but you can change it by clicking on a different date). A red "late" notice will appear if the book is overdue.

You can also sync the app to work with iCal. Have your students subscribe to your iCal and they will always know when their book is due! No need for paper cards or reminders.

An added bonus that I haven't tried out yet, but plan to this summer is the sharing via the web option. You can share your collection on your website (or school's website) so students can browse your book shelves from anywhere. They'll also see if the book is available or already checked-out by someone.

For a $35 one-time fee, Delicious Library 2 is a bargain. You don't need additional hardware to use it and you can even use it with your iPhone, iPad, or iPod.

I'm not sure if this offer is still good or not, but last year the people at Delicious Monster were looking for teachers, librarians, or anyone involved in a non-profit organization for a giveaway of their hard-copy versions (the version on the site is a digital download). And there's no catch: they just want you to have it...FREE! I had already purchased the digital version, so I am not familiar with the hard-copy, but I assume it is the same. For more information, see their blog post about it (includes contact information): An Exciting Giveaway.

What do you use for organizing your classroom library and checking out books? Comment below to share your ideas.

Bloggers By State Link-Up

2013-03-16T17:19:00.000-05:00

Hey Teachers--are you a blogger from the U.S.? If so, link up with Fifth in the Middle's Blogs by State to find fellow teacher-bloggers near you.

Even though I consider Iowa my "home" state, I was born in Michigan and currently live in Illinois. One thing is certain: I'm definitely a Midwesterner! ;) How about you?

Beware the Ides of March

2013-03-15T06:30:00.000-05:00

Beware the Ides of March

March 14th is often celebrated as "pi" day by my math colleagues, but March 15th is a day my fellow English and social studies teachers celebrate in honor of Julius Caesar.

Do you do anything special in your classroom on this day? I am usually teaching Shakespeare's The Tragedy of Julius Caesar with my sophomores and try to time it so we are performing Act III in class on the ides of March.

PROPS:
My students love to dress the part, so I have several sheets that have been donated to the classroom for students to drape over their shoulders. I also picked up plastic daggers after Halloween one year (I think they were 25¢ each on clearance). I usually take pictures while they are acting and post them in the room so the other sections can see their classmates in action.

One year I had some extra creative students who wanted to make a Roman feast for March 15th. After doing some research, they realized that most of the recipes were probably a little too difficult for them to prepare (or they didn't have enough time). But we still feasted on grapes, sparkling grape juice, cheese, olives, a roasted chicken, and of course Doritos and Chips Ahoy cookies, which were Caesar's favorites.

How do you and your students celebrate March 15th?
Share in the comments below. For additional reading about the Ides of March, please read my posts on my other blog:
Celebrating Shakespeare...
Beware the Ides of March: Lessons Men Can Learn from Julius Caesar

Act III of The Tragedy of Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare

Hands-On Poetry Activities

2013-03-04T23:29:00.000-06:00

Do you have students who struggle writing poetry? I always have several each year. A few activities that have been extremely effective with both struggling writers and those who love creating original poems have been the more "hands-on" activities.

When your students are struggling writing, have them:
1. Write "chance" poems. They choose pre-selected words and put them into any order they wish. I have had students who hate to write come up with some amazing poems this way. The retail kits for magnetic poetry (which is practicing chance poetry) are pretty expensive. You can create your own using a digital kit, or simply cut words from newspapers and magazines (see below). I had students make these years ago and store them in plastic bags. ONLINE ACTIVITY: They can create their poems using an online program like the one found on MagneticPoetry.com.

2. Create a "Dada" poem. "Dada" poems stem from the Dadaism art movement of the early 20th century. The anti-establishment movement often parodied art, or perhaps "found" art in everyday objects and images. Whether you consider their works art or not, they certainly paved the way for modern movements.

One "Dada" poem your students can create is to draw words from a bag at random. As they draw them, they place the words in the poem in the same order as drawn. That's it. When they want the poem to end, they stop drawing words.

A second "Dada" poem is a "sound" poem. Your students can create a poem using only sounds and record it for the class. Most of the sound poems created during the Dada movement were nonsense, not really words at all. However, beat-box artists practice a form of this, and while it may be nonsense, it's still interesting and can be catchy. ONLINE ACTIVITY: Students can use the website Incredibox to mix different beat-box sounds.

3. Have your students create "redacted" poems. "Redacted" poems are similar to "chance" poems, except they cross-out (or redact) words on a page, rather than pick and place the words. I've seen many beautiful examples on Pinterest using book pages. However, articles from a newspaper or magazine work just as well. (See my examples below.)

Students can either use markers or colors to cross-out the words they do not want to include, or use white-out/liquid paper.

The samples shown here came from the following publications: Entertainment Weekly, Car and Driver, MacLife, and Helzberg Diamonds.

For reluctant boys, provide them with a short advertisement from one of their favorite magazines. Many of my male students like hunting/fishing, sports, and cars. When given a short grouping of words about something they like, they'll most likely enjoy it. The only problem I consistently face with them is keeping it school appropriate.

Girls typically write more about love and heartbreak. I have found jewelry ads to be most effective for them because they will contain more words like "love," "sparkling," and "irresistible."

All of these activities are featured in my "Poetry 9-1-1: First Aid for Writing Poetry" packet, which also contains over 40 formulas for writing original poems. I recently updated it with redacted poem page activities. And if you are looking for additional poetry resources, I have over 35 poetry downloads, including many freebies. Click on the links below to check out my teacherspayteachers store.

Summer in the City Virtual Blog Tour: Let the Rhythm Move You!

2013-02-27T05:00:00.000-06:00

Summer in the City Virtual Blog Tour:
Let the Rhythm Move You!

I am so honored to be part of Kathleen Wainwright's Summer in the City Virtual Blog Tour! Kathleen is a fellow teacher-author and you may know her from her fabulous blog "The Diary of a Not So Wimpy Teacher." Her first book, Summer in the City, comes out March 8th and can be pre-ordered now at http://kathleenwainwright.com/ You can also enter the giveaway, below, for a chance to win your own copy of the book! Each book purchase from her website comes with a pair of jacks and a jumprope. The ebook can be purchased on TeachersPayTeachers and comes with free teaching resources.

When I first read Summer in the City I was drawn to the rhythm. The rhyming nature of the lines read just like a poem, and I found myself almost singing it page by page.

Lines like "Taking turns trading skates for the bike, playing from sun-up to sun-down...what every kid likes" combine rhymes with alliteration for a fantastic-sounding sentence brimming with life.

The gorgeous illustrations (by Nancy Devard) add to the beauty of the text and are full of life, as well. Each character is doing something on every page, giving all readers so much to absorb.

And while I absolutely love the poetic nature of the book, I have to admit that my favorite part is that I can relate to it completely. It brings back such fond memories of my own childhood playing with my older siblings. Even though I grew up in an extremely small town in Iowa during the 70s and 80s, I see myself with my sister and friends on our front porch playing jacks and playing "hide-and-seek games" (like kick the can) at the park. And don't even get me started on wearing jellies! I can't stop smiling every time I read Kathleen's book, and I know you won't be able to, either.

Ultimately, I think the best books are those that offer both obvious and subtle details so you are instantly drawn to the pages, but continue to re-read to see what you missed the first time around. Summer in the City is certainly a book that I will read and re-read tirelessly year after year.

To learn more about the book and see a sneak peek, watch the book trailer, embedded below. Also, there are plenty of teaching resources available.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=-s-aNO0TpQc

I want to thank Kathleen for letting me be part of her Summer in the City Virtual Blog Tour. Make sure to enter the contest and check out all the other great posts on the tour!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the author:

Kathleen Wainwright is a dedicated teacher in the School District of Philadelphia. She received her bachelor’s of Science degree in education from Temple University in Philadelphia, PA, and her master’s in education with a focus in literacy, from West Chester University, in West Chester, PA. Kathleen also teaches literacy courses to aspiring teachers at Temple University and developmental reading courses to incoming freshman at Delaware County Community College. “This story captures a typical summer’s day for me and my friends growing up in the 80’s! Every time I read it I travel back to some of my favorite childhood memories.” Kathleen recently earned National Board Certification in Literacy: Reading-Language Arts (Early and Middle Childhood). She enjoys sharing her personal teaching experiences and educational resources in her blog, The Diary of a Not So Wimpy Teacher (www.notsowimpyresources.com).

Each book purchase comes with a pair of jacks and a jumprope.

Purchase the eBook (with teaching resources) here: http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/eBookSummer-in-the-City-Written-by-Kathleen-Wainwright

Vistaprint Rack Cards Double as Bookmarks

2013-02-20T01:00:00.002-06:00

Are you tired of waiting for Vistaprint to offer bookmarks? I've suggested it many times, but they still do not have that option. Instead of using business cards, I make my own bookmarks. And while I love doing it, the printing and trimming gets tedious. So when I decided to take the plunge and have business cards printed up via VistaPrint, I noticed the dimensions of the rack cards would be a great length for a bookmark. I am sure others have had this idea long before me, but in case you needed to know how to make your own, I created this visual with dimensions. (I use the full bleed dimensions and put those in Photoshop.) I save my images as .tiff files for the best quality.

The great thing about these is that you can have a the back printed in black/white free. I use the back to put the bulk of my information. On my Hunger Games bookmarks I added my favorite quotes from the novel.

The drawback to the rack cards is that they still have to be cut. I really wish they would offer this option, but until then, I will keep printing with the rack cards. I plan to make additional ones for my students in various themes from throughout the year.

This can also be something you could do for graduation. I think it would be very cool to have an entire class sign their names (or just use their names in a word cloud, like I did HERE and HERE) and have them printed for your students.

UPDATE: Vistaprint is having a flash sale today (2/20) only until 4 p.m. EST. Fifty percent off everything!

Do you have any Vistaprint tips? Share in the comments below!

Let's Use "Lets" Correctly, Shall We?

2013-02-14T21:43:00.001-06:00

Students are never too old for reminders of common usage problem areas. "Lets" and "let's" are easily confused, so here is another chart you can use in your classroom (I promise the whole set and quizzes are coming soon!):

Use lets to mean “allows” or “permits.”

• My dad never lets me borrow the car.

Use let’s as a contraction of “let us.”

• Let’s walk to class together.

If the word "allows" (or "permits") cannot be substituted in the sentence for "lets," then it is probably the contraction of "let us."

You can find this visual aid (without my blog tag), along with many more,

in a high-quality download.

If you'd like to purchase accompanying quizzes and activities, the bundle for all of them are here:

Common Core Grammar Anchor Charts Visual Aids - Frequently Confused Words - Quizzes and Activities

Have a great weekend, friends!

-Tracee

Do Your Students Struggle With Proper Usage?

2013-02-07T23:39:00.000-06:00

Do your students struggle with proper usage, such as when to use there, their, and they're?

If so, here's a helpful visual aid you can print and post in your classroom. I've made several of these for the most common usage errors I see in my students' writing samples (and on Facebook, Twitter).

You can find this anchor chart (without my blog tag) and many more here: http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Common-Grammar-Usage-Problem-Areas-Anchor-Charts

I also posted quizzes and activities to compliment the frequently confused words here:

Common Core Grammar Visual Aids, Quizzes, and Activities Bundle

Have a great weekend, everyone! Aren't you glad it's Friday!?

Font by Kimberly Geswein of KG fonts

Writing Prompt for Groundhog Day

2013-01-31T06:54:00.000-06:00

You can use this writing prompt Friday or Monday with your students for Groundhog Day (Feb. 2).

The prompt is from my collection of almost 400 prompts to last an entire year:

A Year of Journal Prompts.

With the handouts, the prompts align with the Common Core State Standards for reading informational and writing.

Love is in the Air...Valentine's Day Freebie Link-Up

2013-01-27T15:53:00.000-06:00

Valentine's Day is less than a month away, so I thought it would be fun to have a link-up of Valentine's Day freebies from my teaching friends.

I have a new free download I wanted to share with you:

"Love is Owl You Need" Valentine's Day Bookmarks

Click image to download your freebie on my TeachersPayTeachers store.

I used my new Valentine's Day Owl Clip Art Graphics and

Kimberly Geswein's heart font to make them.

I also have several additional Valentine's Day freebies. Just click on the links below to download.

Do you have a freebie for teachers that you'd like to add? Please link up below either your blog post or free download and share this post with your followers and friends. Thanks & enjoy!

Brighten Up the Winter Blues with a Poetry Cafe

2013-01-15T21:29:00.002-06:00

Host a poetry cafe this winter!

For me, January through March seems to be the hardest part of the school year to get through. The students are either restless (or just plain tired), the weather is always cruddy (I live in the Midwest), and there's really no holiday breaks to look forward to. (Not that I don't love my job, but you know what I mean...)

To break up the monotonous routine and get students excited for literature, my colleagues and I have put on "poetry cafes." The students all gather during their English class period in the media center and take turns sharing their favorite poems, songs, and other literature. Some of them share their own original poems, others read old favorites. The Foods classes make coffee, cocoa, and treats to sell and our librarian put together packages of books, writing journals, candy, and gift cards to give away toward the end of each class period. Every student who reads aloud is given a raffle ticket. Each class period we drew several tickets for the prizes. It has always been a favorite event of students in English classes.

You can easily host a poetry cafe in your own classroom before doing a school-wide event. We tend to do the school-wide cafe every-other year or once every three years. During those off-years I host my own in my English classes. We move all the desks out of the way and have pillows and beanbags so students can relax on the floor (I do have carpet). Then I put up holiday lights. Students sign-up ahead of time to bring goodies and bring their own beverage. I usually pick up small gifts of pens and journals/notebooks from Target's $1 spot.

Find clearance items in the school supplies section for door or raffle prizes.

This past fall I found some great magnetic poetry kits at WalMart for 50¢ each. They were 75% off from their back-to-school sale. I also picked up some locker white-board kits, cute post-it notes, and locker fresheners. It's so much easier to find things the girls would like, but the boys seem to like anything they could use in their car. Of course, candy always works for them, too. (I teach high school, so if you have any suggestions for other things that boys would like, please share!).

Do you host a poetry cafe? Share your ideas or a link in the comments below. Thanks for stopping by!

Doodle Clip Art (and More) for Commercial Use

2013-01-13T16:33:00.000-06:00

Over the past few weeks I've uploaded several new clip art packages for commercial use in my clip art store. I have so much fun creating these and love seeing them used in different products. :) If you are using them in yours, leave a link in the comments to your product and I'll pin it on my Pinterest board!

Loopty-Loo Doodly-Doo Clip Art Frames

My Loopty-Loo Doodly-Doo Frames are quickly becoming one of my most popular clip art packages. It includes over 50 frames in several different styles. All the frames include a fully transparent image (the center & all traces of white are erased), a white center, a horizontal layout, and a vertical layout. Some will include even more options.

Use the frames on different backgrounds for various looks.

Another bundle, which can be purchased at a significant discount or as separate packages, is my Just a Little Sketchy Doodle Frames package.

Just a Little Sketchy Doodle Frames and Shapes

It is the combination of seven different packages of rough doodle sketches in various shapes. These are great for using in school publications (yearbook, newspaper, literary magazine, newsletters, camp brochures, etc.), as well as in your worksheets or other printables for your class. I think they appeal to a wide range and age of students, too.

The package contains the following shapes: circles, rectangles, squares, and arrows. It also has several "frames" packages: fences, criss-cross, little boxes, jagged lines, and squiggly dots.

I created several new smaller bundles of clip art: Starburst Backgrounds & Frames, Rough Lines Borders & Frames, and Glossy 3-D Buttons & Backgrounds: Rectangles. They offer nice clean looks for a myriad of possibilities.

My clip art terms are:

• You may use these images for commercial, personal, and educational use.

• You may use them in free or priced products.

• You may use the clip art in editable documents, Smartboard, or PPT files for priced products, but NOT for freebies (see next item).

• If you use the image files in a FREE product, please make sure the file is secure and in PDF format so the images cannot be copied.

• The files themselves can not be resold in a clip art/graphics package, but you may use the images commercially if they are used/embedded in your lessons.

• Please link back to my website somewhere in your document (it can be in fine print): www.traceeorman.com or my TpT store: www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Tracee-Orman OR...you can copy this button and use it in your products, if you'd like:

You may copy & paste this button to use instead of a link-back.

NOTE: Some of my smaller packages have more liberal terms that do NOT require a link back. Also, you can use my free clip art graphics in any type of format (Word, Powerpoint, etc.).

You can keep up with all my new graphics and clip art packages by following my "Graphics and More" pinboard on Pinterest. Thanks for stopping by & I hope you enjoy these new packages!

Common Core Journal Prompts: My Resolution to Have My Students Write More

2013-01-03T22:00:00.000-06:00

The only way to become a better writer is to write more. And contrary to popular belief, practicing this skill does not have to be painful for students.

I love journal prompts. They force the students to think about things they may never think about, but they also give them an opportunity to pour out their inner feelings and thoughts they may never share orally. They are a perfect way for students to practice writing without realizing they are "working" on their writing skills.

I have a bundle of prompts that I use in my classroom throughout the year. They are based on current events, historical events, authors, literature, art, music, sports, weather, science, pop culture, holidays, and more. Some force the students to think about touchy subjects that question their ethics. Some are silly. Some connect with the units we are currently studying. No matter what they are writing, they are practicing critical-thinking skills, as well as writing skills.

I use journal prompts as my go-to resource when we have a little time left over or when I need my students to settle down. There's something calming about the activity. I used to have my students write three or four times per week, but I've found in recent years we haven't had as much time to devote to the activity. One of my New Year's resolutions is to have my students journal more often.

I've linked a couple of free prompts from my "A Year of Journal Prompts" bundle (which is aligned to the Common Core State Standards). You can also download a sample of the prompts for August {here}. The download doesn't have the full-page slides, but it gives you an idea of what kind of prompts I use with my students. I try to give my students 10-15 minutes to complete their responses, which means I expect them to write more than just a few sentences. My bundle contains handouts that give students more direction, but I usually just project the prompt on the board and students write in their notebooks or type on their laptops. For students who are gone, I print the page or email them a screenshot of the prompt.

Direct link to prompts:
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/A-Year-of-Journal-Writing-Prompts-Common-Core-Standards

Clip art used in images:
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Doodle-Sketches-Bundle-of-Clip-Art-Graphics-for-Commercial-Use

Fonts used in images:
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/KG-Seven-Sixteen-Personal-Use

Homemade Beaded Bookmarks Teacher Gifts

2013-01-01T14:00:00.000-06:00

If you are ever looking for an easy but thoughtful gift for a teacher, here's a tutorial on how to make your own beaded bookmarks. I like to make these and give them to my colleagues. There's not a teacher I know who doesn't at some point need a bookmark. :)

What I love about these bookmarks is that they won't fall out of your book, they won't damage the pages, and they look beautiful dangling out from the pages. I also love their name: book "thongs." Because they go in the crack of your book.

You can follow the visual tutorial pictures here for making the bookmarks. If you do not have the exact supplies, that's OK. You can improvise or use materials you prefer or are more comfortable with. Feel free to pin the tutorials on Pinterest or link to this post.

Here is the tutorial for making a beaded "dangle" to pretty-up your beaded bookmarks.

(These can also be used for making earrings, necklaces, fringe, sun-catchers, etc..)

If you are interested in making the personalized charms, which can be attached to the jump or split ring, I blogged about making the charms in a separate post HERE.

Creative Writing "Happy New Year" Activities

2012-12-30T21:58:00.000-06:00

Happy New Year! I know it's been some time since I've blogged, but we've been traveling to see family, creating new lessons, relaxing, and enjoying the holidays. I hope that you, too, have been able to enjoy this time with family and friends.

I wanted to let you know about a free download I have for teachers to use this new year. It's my "2013 New Year Creative Writing Activities." Hopefully this will help with your lesson planning when you return to school after break.

It includes four short writing activities for students that also practice critical-thinking skills.

The first is writing a new-year resolution. I defined a resolution for the students and prompted them to think about what they wish to achieve and HOW they will go about obtaining that goal. I think it's important to include the "how" because some may resolve to do things that they could not possibly achieve. On the last page of this packet is a variation of his writing exercise that can be used for the first day of school or first day of the semester with a new group of students.

After your students finish writing about their goals, file them away for the rest of the year. Bring them back out on the last day of school and let them see how much they have achieved over the past few months. Students love looking back at things they've written.

The next activity is writing a list of the top 20 things they want to do in 2013 and the top 13 things they hope to avoid or not do. An example might be "Earn an A in class" for top 20 and "Turn in late work" for bottom 13.

Another activity is writing an acrostic poem using the numbers 2-0-1-3. It forces the students to think of the number as separate words. An example might be:
Two months of searching
Zero purchases
One goal
Three prospects for the perfect prom dress.

The final activity is a classroom scavenger hunt. Students are prompted to find certain things based on the numbers 2-0-1-3. Then they have to create their own clues for their classmates.

These activities could be a nice addition to a time capsule or writing portfolio. I hope you and your students enjoy them. If you do, please consider checking out my other creative writing and critical-thinking activities:

Creative Activities for ANY Novel or Story

These new products are aligned with the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts. Please see their product descriptions for the full list of standards alignment.

Character Cell Phone Activity

Character Trading Cards Activity

Coping with Tragedy

2012-12-17T09:30:00.000-06:00

On my Hunger Games Lessons blog, I've written about my free Mockingjay Acts of Goodness download, which has students recording random acts of kindness they see around them each day. It seemed appropriate in light of the recent tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary.

For older students, we've discussed gun control and teen violence many times at school. In fact, we have a Friends of Rachel club and I have shown the movie "Bowling for Columbine" to my upperclassmen. Michael Moore is encouraging people to watch it–free–through his link via Twitter here: Bowling For Columbine

Several years ago I created a "Bowling for Columbine" handout for my classroom. I uploaded it to TpT and promptly forgot about it. Yesterday I downloaded it and was a little embarrassed at the quality; it was an older version and I had since updated my personal file. I added my improvements and then additional information about donating to Sandy Hook School Support Fund. I decided to donate 100% of all proceeds toward the Sandy Hook Fund.

Silence for Sandy Hook Elementary

2012-12-16T00:00:00.000-06:00

2012-12-14T18:00:00.000-06:00

I can't imagine what the people of Newtown are going through, but it breaks my heart as both a teacher and a parent. Please keep the community in your thoughts and prayers as they try to cope and recover from this tragedy.

12 Great Books for Gift-Giving (12/12/12)

2012-12-12T20:04:00.001-06:00

Happy holidays! Have you finished your holiday shopping? Or started it? I have to admit we have no presents under the tree yet. This is a busy time at school (as you all know) so I'm always one of those last-minute shoppers. If you have any book-lovers on your list, here's some great books for gift-giving. I included a mix of young adult, contemporary, and a classic thrown in, as well. (Images courtesy of www.Amazon.com)

For The Hunger Games fan:

1. The Panem Companion by V. Arrow

For anyone (especially those that like tear-jerkers):

2. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

For females who enjoy dystopia love-triangles:

3. The Matched Trilogy Box Set by Ally Condie

For the conspiracy-theory fan:

4. 11/22/63 by Stephen King

For fans of The Giver:

5. Son by Lois Lowry

For those who love suspense-thrillers, with some twisted reality thrown in:

6. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

For Gary Paulsen (a.k.a. adventure, survival) fans:

7. The River by Gary Paulsen

More for The Hunger Games fans:

8. Blood Red Road (Dustlands, book 1) by Moira Young

and the sequel to Blood Red Road:

9. Rebel Heart (Dustlands, book 2) by Moira Young

For the Divergent fan:

10. Free Four: Tobias Tells the Divergent Story (Kindle edition) by Veronica Roth

For Stephanie Plum fans:

11. Notorious Nineteen by Janet Evanovich

For anyone (especially those who appreciate the timeless classics):

12. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Worth mentioning:

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien (This deluxe pocket edition is so cute.)

The Chaos Walking Trilogy (Kindle edition) by Patrick Ness (Includes The Knife of Never Letting Go, The Ask and the Answer, and Monsters of Men)

The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling (Don't expect a book like Harry Potter, though!)

Threat Vector by Tom Clancy

Merry Christmas, Alex Cross by James Patterson

The Mortal Instruments Box Set: City of Bones, City of Ashes, City of Glass, City of Fallen Angels, City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare

Finale (Hush, Hush series) by Becca Fitzpatrick

For more suggestions, check out my pinboards on Pinterest for book lovers:

Books Worth Reading: http://pinterest.com/mrsorman/books-worth-reading/

YA Literature: http://pinterest.com/mrsorman/young-adult-ya-literature/

Books for Boys: http://pinterest.com/mrsorman/books-for-boys/

Books for Girls: http://pinterest.com/mrsorman/books-for-girls/

Do you have book suggestions? PLEASE post them below! :)

Happy Holidays, Friends!