Giving Thanks In Kindergarten

Thanksgiving Fun!

 



Integrating Math Into My Thanksgiving Unit by completing an exemplar on the Activ Board. My students love these word problems.

 We are thankful for so many things in kindergarten!

I read The Very First Thanksgiving Day, by Rhonda Gowler Greene and we discuss the meaning of Thanksgiving. We make a class list of things we are thankful for. Then, my students complete an individual sheet and illustrate what they are thankful for. These pages can be turned into a class book or used around a Thanksgiving bulletin board.

     Circle Map Flip chart

reviews foods that we eat on Thanksgiving.

 

We love participating in a special Thanksgiving feast in our kindergarten classroom. The students also enjoy the Feathery Fun Family Project. These are two great activities that I use in my classroom to integrate Thanksgiving. Above, you will see the two letters that I send home to parents.

 Turkey crafts are so much fun! We use a paper plate, tissue paper, and construction paper pieces for the face and legs.

 Thanksgiving double bubble map that compares and contrasts Thanksgiving now to the past.

 Thanksgiving turkey craft using tag board pieces for the body and different colored handprints for the feathers. This is one of my favorites!

Everything you have seen and much, much more can be purchased from my Thanksgiving Unit and Classroom Activities Pack. Please visit my TPT store to download at:      

 http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Thanksgiving-Unit-and-Activities

 

We are working hard in kindergarten!

Center Time is so much fun in Kindergarten!

 

Leaf observations

Using manipulatives to represent numbers

Please visit my TPT store to download this fall leaves game. It focuses on the season of fall, color words, sorting, counting, and graphing. This is a great hands-on learning activity that implements many subjects across the curriculum.  

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Jodi-Plaisted

 

I am so proud of my kindergarten students writing abilities this year! What great authors and illustrators they are becoming!

Fall Bulletin Board Display of our beautiful scarecrows

Fall Is In The Air

 

Introducing the season of Fall with a Circle Map

My students love hearing this fall story over and over!

 

Going on a leaf hunt tree map-focuses on color words, sorting, grouping, and the season of fall

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Please visit my TPT store at: http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Jodi-Plaisted for a free download of this fall printable. The students complete the sentence and illustrate a fall picture. We bind the pages and make a class book. I put this book in the reading center for their reading enjoyment.

This is a fall sight word reader that I created that focuses on the sight words: I, see, one, two, three, four, five, six, red, yellow, brown, green, and orange. The students color the leaves to match the correct color word. It is a wonderful reader that my students put in their book boxes.

Free Fall Clip Art

Happy Fall Y'all

From Mrs. Plaisted's Class

 

 

 



 

 

Shapes, Shapes, and More Shapes

My kindergarten students have just completed my 26 day shape unit and I am proud of the wonderful learning that took place!

These are two sample assessments that show how my students used specific shapes to create a picture.

 

This is a circle map that we created as class on shapes.


This is the shape monster that my students created using construction paper shapes.


 Below is the Shape Monster Emergent
Reader that focuses on  2-D shapes. It is full of sight words/color words. This is an important skill that addressess the kindergarten Language Arts standards. The students love reading this book and we put it in their book boxes for reading enjoyment.

This is a tree map assessment that covers the 2-D shapes.

This is a flip chart that I created for the 3-D shapes. It is very interactive and my students love this lesson.

Counting corners is a kindergarten exemplar that I created that uses higher order thinking skills. This is one element that the new common core standards focus on.

 

This is the shape monster flip chart that I created that goes along with the emergent reader and construction paper shape monster craft. I use it to hook my students and to help build their fluency skills. They love reading it over and over!

There are some more teaching links that I just love using to integrate shapes into my curriculum. I am posting them below:

 

http://www.brainpopjr.com/math/geometry/  Wonderful shape lessons that focus on 2-D as well as

 3-D shapes.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htcuPenTg38     These are three great shape songs to

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OUMUaxiPUlo   incorporate into your shape unit

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9L9l86N-xM 

 

 

To see more wonderful resources, lessons, activities, pictures, samples, and a 26 day by day shape unit  please visit my TPT store at:

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Kindergarten-Shape-Unit-Common-Core-Standards

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom Look What is Happening In Mrs. Plaisted's Room

We have been busy this week in kindergarten integrating Chicka Chicka Boom Boom activities and resources into the classroom. The students were very engaged during all of these activities and have had fun while learning!

This is the interactive chart that I use in my classroom.  We recite the chant together as the letters of the alphabet are slid up the tree. The children become confident readers as we chant it chorally as a class.

This is the number word stamp book that I use during center time. This is a great way to integrate math into the kindergarten curriculum.

 

We play Chicka Boom Alphabet Bingo as a class to reinforce letters and letter sounds. I have a small treasure box that the kids love to choose from when they yell, BINGO.



This is a partner game that I use during center time that focuses on the letters of the alphabet. The students take turns choosing a card from the pile and circle the matching lowercase letter. If they draw a boom card, they lose a turn. The first player to circle all letters on the tree is the winner. The students have so much fun playing this game!

  

This is the coconut tree that we make using the letters of the students names. They use brown paint to paint the trunk and I use my big green stamp pad on their hands for the leaves of the tree. They search for the letters in their name and build it down the tree. Then, they trace circles to make the coconuts. This is a fun craft that parents are proud to display!

This is the pocket chart that I use in my classroom that focuses on color words/
sight words. The students place the correct color word on the sentence and then match the corresponding colored coconut tree. This is a great activity that reinforces the kindergarten sight words. The students are able to track the text from left to right and read each sentence. You should see their faces light up    when I tell them they can READ! It warms my heart!

Below is the Chicka Chicka color word/sight word book that I created. It is a great reader for your students to make, read, and put in their book boxes. Each page is taken from the above pocket chart. Fluency, is one kindergarten standard that is emphasized in my classroom. This is definitely one book that builds fluency and success for all of my students. If you are interested, you can purchase this book for $1.00 as a download and print for use in your classroom. Please visit my TPT store at the link:
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Jodi-Plaisted

 

 

A great way to integrate parent, grandparent, and other volunteers into the classroom is by taking part in story snack. This has been a big hit in my kindergarten classroom. I am attaching the letter that I send home. You are welcome to copy and use in your classroom.

 Dear Parents,

Story snack can be a wonderful experience for you, your child, and our class. The idea is to read a book and bring in a simple snack that is related to a character or idea in the story. I invite you, a grandparent, or any family member to share a story snack with our class this year. You can either choose a book at home with your child or I can help with a suggestion. I’ve listed possible book titles and suggested snacks. It is best if the snack is a finger food that can be simply prepared at home with your child the night before you are to share with our class. We will, of course, consult when the date is confirmed. I hope you can share a story snack at some point this year. Please leave a message for me at school, write me a note, or email me if you are interested. I will get back to you as soon as possible.

 

Sincerely,

Jodi Plaisted

 

Suggested Book Titles and Snacks:

*If You Give a Moose a Muffin by Laura Numeroff- muffins

*How to Make an Apple Pie & See the World by Marjorie Priceman- Apples/Apple Pie

*How Pizza Came to Queens by Dayal Kaur Khalsa- pizza

*The Popcorn Book by Tomie dePaola- popcorn

*In the Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak- breakfast cake/cinnamon rolls

*Mouse and Mole and the Year-Round Garden by Doug Cushman- vegetables and dip

*The Baker by Eric Carle- pretzels

*Cookie’s Week by Cindy Ward- cookies

*St. Patrick’s Day book- lucky charms

All About Me

I have been teaching kindergarten at Eastanollee Elementary School in Toccoa, Georgia for ten years. I have been on many teams during my experience as a teacher. I have also participated in numerous professional development courses. Last year, I was part of the Assessment committee for Stephens County Schools. This school year, I am on the RTI (Response to Intervention) team.
 
I received my bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education from Piedmont College. Three years later, I completed my Master's degree from Walden University that focused on Reading and Literacy. In the summer of 2011, I graduated from Lincoln Memorial University with a Specialist's degree in Curriculum and Instruction.
 
I have been happily married to my husband, Matt for 13 years. We have two children. Hunter is our 12 year old son who makes us proud every day. Josie is our 4 year old daughter that keeps us young. I have been blessed to be able to teach where my children attend school and watch them grow as successful students. I am sure that you will benefit from my teacher resources and I hope that you enjoy teaching with them in your classroom!
 
 
My goal as a teacher is to instill a love for learning in all of my students!

Please visit my first two interactive calendars on the Teachers Pay Teachers Web-Site:

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/November-2012-Calendar-and-Morning-Meeting-for-ActivBoard

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/December-Interactive-Calendar-for-ActivBoard

Please check my site often as I will be posting new lessons, charts, activities, interactive flip charts, center ideas on a regular basis.