Mentor Text Linky With Collaboration Cuties

I am so excited about this linky!

I am talking about one of my favorite mentor texts: Pink and Say by Patricia Polacco! It is such a great read, it talks about a sensitive subject and sheds light on it in a new direction. This book features the Civil War. It is about a young African American boy (Pink) who helps an injured young soldier (Say). They are both seperated from their units, and Pink takes Say home to see his mom, Moe Moe Bay. I read this book, and I started crying in the middle of it (as did ALL of my boys!) There is such a great way to make a wonderful, deep connection with this!

During this discussion we also incorporated many literacy skills with this unit. We discussed cause and effect primarily, but we also incorporated some character analysis, inference, summarizing. I loved this unit so much I created my own unit for teachers pay teachers. Click the link below to check it out!
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Pink-and-Say-Unit-1130423

If you haven't read this book before, you should! It is truly wonderful!

Patricia Polacco tells this story for a very particular reason, and you have to read it to find out!

I hope you are able to read it and love it like I do!

Bye Y'all,

Nicole <3

Giveaway!

As a newbie to TPT, I didn't realize everything that went into creating products and editing and making them look nice! Now that I've started, they don't pop out as quick as I thought they would! So please bear with me as I continue plugging along. I have some awesome projects planned and I can't wait to see what you think! a Rafflecopter giveaway Above is my rafflecopter giveaway! Please join!! Let your friends know! This rafflecopter is for a free copy of my Annotating the Text pack (which is 5 bucks on teachers pay teachers!) All I ask is that the winner rates it on Facebook! Let me know what y'all think! Bye Y'all, Nicole <3

Giveaway

As a newbie to TPT, I didn't realize everything that went into creating products and editing and making them look nice! Now that I've started, they don't pop out as quick as I thought they would! So please bear with me as I continue plugging along. I have some awesome projects planned and I can't wait to see what you think! 

<a id="rc-a2c1310" class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/a2c1310/" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
<script src="//d12vno17mo87cx.cloudfront.net/embed/rafl/cptr.js"></script>

Above is my rafflecopter giveaway! Please join!! Let your friends know! This rafflecopter is for a free copy of my Annotating the Text pack (which is 5 bucks on teachers pay teachers!)

All I ask is that the winner rates it on Facebook!

Let me know what y'all think!

Bye Y'all,

Nicole <3

Annotating The Text

When my county implemented the common core, one of the first things that they discussed were close reads and annotating the texts (with a little text dependent questions on the side!) I had no idea what they meant so I was TOTALLY unsure of what they wanted from me and from my students. When I began, my close reads were haphazard. Not only were my close reads haphazard, so were my students annotations. Through several hours of research, I finally semi-understood close reading! However, annotating the text was driving me crazy! My students often lost their sticky notes, or misplaced them, they were falling out of books and off desks! We are limited a certain amount of copies, so copying whole selections were tough. Since we implemented so many new items (on top of being on a brand new grade level), re-typing them was not going to happen!

One day after school a co-worker and I were complaining discussing :) how annotating was working in our room. That's when our annotating the text sheet was born! I eventually developed two others (nonfiction and poetry) and have been using them ever since!

They are wonderful tools to track student thinking, clarifying what they understand, and understanding what they still need help on! I will have students work on these independently. with partners, as a group, etc. They can be implemented in so many different ways. They are free in my store, if this is something you like, please comment! I have included the link below.

Annotating the Text-- Freebie

I am currently creating an Annotating the Text pack, based on all Common Core State Standards. Each standard has its own sheet, each question pertains to that particular standard. I am hoping it will be in my store by Friday! 

I hope everyone has a wonderful Tuesday! 

Bye Y'all, 

Nicole

Just as a little side not to everyone! My math station is currently on sale for only 1.60! And I will be switching to bloglovin! Also, I have some exciting blogs scheduled for this week!

<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/11703019/?claim=pakm52xjh3r">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>

Bye Y'all,

Nicole <3

Currently!!!

Good Morning everyone! I am currently linking up with Farley at Oh Boy 4th Grade and completing a currently for this month!

Listening: Last night my mom and my nephew stayed the night with us! When all the cousins get together, the grown-ups are often left thinking "Was this a good idea" they love to get into trouble and do things that they normally wouldn't do. Today's example: playing catch in the living room! They are 2 (my daughter), 3 (my nephew), and 7 (my son) and they love each other, and love to get each other in trouble, lol!

Loving: I live in NC, so when we get snow we MUST buy bread and milk and prepare for the worst, this year the worst was 4 inches. But lost of ice! We southerner, (at least most of us) CANNOT drive in this! There were tons of accidents, we don't have the right equipment for buses, and I have quite a few students that don't even have jackets. It's crazy. So we haven't been to school since Monday. My personal kids and I have LOVED it! 

Thinking: I am always thinking about grad school it seems! I always have something due, and it seems like with school work, family stuff, work stuff, community stuff, and house stuff that I don't have enough time to get them all done the way I do. I'm muddling through it!

Wanting: I have recently opened a TPT store (the link was in my last blog), and I wan to create so much stuff! I see a lot of great clip art that would go with it, but we are currently "saving money" to pay for grad school.  SOOOOOO, I guess we must see if it will play off with the clip art I currently have!

Needing: It's done! No more procrastination, lol

2 Fibs and a lie: 1. I do NEED coffee, I told my husband I was going to give it up for fasting at church and he said NO, I wouldn't be able to live with you, lol.

2. I am NOT into being super fit. I want to be! I always have GREAT intentions, but then they fizzle out. I'm hoping I catch the fever for real this time, lol.

3. I am married to my high school sweetheart, we have been together for 14 years (married for 7 of them!)

I hope everyone has a wonderful day. Check out my TPT store, I added a new product on there! This one deals with equivalent fractions!

Bye Y'all,

Nicole <3