Weather Mini Books: Thunderstorms and Tornadoes

During our week-long Weather mini-theme we learned about the different types of weather (rain, hail, snow, sleet, freezing rain), the types of clouds, storms (blizzard, tornado, hurrricane), and how to stay safe during certain types of weather. We also did some fun literature based writing activies about what they saw in the clouds.  They created a picture in the sky using torn construction paper.

I only had my "Kinds of Clouds" mini-book this week for the students to add to their independent reading book baskets and wanted something more.  I didn't make these mini books until after the theme was over, but will plan to use these next year.  I really liked having something that my first graders could read on their own after they'd heard a read-aloud story.  Here are two books that I wrote about storms that I know my first graders would encounter.

You can purchase this 2 book set HERE at my TPT store.

"What is a Thunderstorm?"
--A thunderstorm has very big clouds that are full of water.
--Rain falls from the dark gray clouds.
--Lightning shoots from the thunder clouds.  It makes flashes of light in the sky.
--Thunder is the big boom you hear when the clouds bump together.
--You see the lightning before you hear the thunder.
--Sometimes thunderstorms bring strong winds and hail.
--Sometimes thunderstorms bring a tornado.  Go to a safe place if there is a tornado.

"What is a Tornado?"
--Tornadoes are a swirling cloud that touches the ground.
--Warm air rises up into the cumulonimbus clouds.
--The warm air meets the cool air in the cloud, and it starts to rain or hail.
--If the up and down moving air starts to spin, a funnel cloud is formed.
--A funnel cloud can form when there is a thunderstorm.
--It becomes a tornado when it touches the ground.
--Go to the basement of your house if there is a tornado.

Gardening Doodles and FREEBIE Flower Pot

Spent a few days last week at a teacher association assembly and had a bit of time to draw while I sat and listened to fellow teachers from other teacher associations discuss state issues on what the state teacher association is supporting.  If you understood that, its a lot of talking and parlimentary procedure stuff, so I had a little time to draw while I listened to that.  There were a few speakers that were pretty interesting.  It's always fun to listen to the teacher of the year.  Just makes me realize how I could do more.  Some teachers must have the Energizer Bunny motivating them and giving them all the energy they need to keep going and going!

Here is my Gardening Doodles set just in time for spring.  Nothing I really teach about, but thought it was fun to draw.  Might come in handy with a Mother's Day project of some sort?   This clip art set includes:

gardener girl, gardening gloves, dirt pile, seed, sprout, flower plant, daisy, daisy in a pot, sunflower, 4 different seed packets (sweet corn, carrot, pumpkin, daisy), garden sign, garden carrot sign, garden flower sign, flower petal, bee, trowel, garden rake, clay pot, watering can, garden hose

Where to find this set:
Clip Art by Carrie Teaching First store at TPT HERE
Clip Art by Carrie's shop on Teacher's Notebook HERE

Scroll down to pick up the freebie of the flower pot.  Thanks for stopping by!

~Carrie

Habitats I Have Who Has Game

You can always tell what I'm teaching about or going to be teaching about by reading my blog posts.  There's always something to update or revamp or change because you just want to do it a little different or better based on the students and needs of the kids you have in your class.

 Today I created an "I Have Who Has" game to for the end of our Habitats unit that will be coming up in a few weeks.  I thought this would be a great review of all the habitats and a few of the items in found in each of the habitats.  This game includes cards for these words:

• desert, mountain, forest, ocean, grassland, Arctic, Antarctic, wetland, ocean, tree, water, sea shell, sand dollar, ice berg, sand dune, waterfall, butterfly, volcano, blizzard, lily pad, cactus, cattail, tumbleweed, rain, igloo, snow, hurricane

Directions:
Pass out a card to each student.  Remind students they need to be GOOD listeners to listen for their clue.  Select a student to be the “start” card.  The student reads their card aloud.  When they hear the name for the picture card they have, they read aloud their card.  The game makes a complete circle to the “start” card.

If you like the clip art used in this set, check out my habitats digital clip art doodles available at my TPT store.

I would LOVE your feedback!

You can find this HERE at my TPT store.

Habitats Match Cut and Paste FREEBIE

Here's a freebie for you to review the different types of habitats!  Simply have your students cut out the name of the habitat and glue to the picture of the habitat on the other sheet that you can run off double sided!

You can find this HERE at my TPT store.

Earth Day Cut Apart Sentences

Started planning for Earth Day week after school with my co-workers, and I decided I wanted to update and create a few new cut-apart sentences for "must-do" time during Guided Reading groups.  I thought I was done with these for all of our themes, but I realized I have a few more sets to make!  :o(

Here are the four sentences:
--We should help keep planet Earth clean.
--Recycle instead of sending so much to the landfill.
--Plant a tree to help our Earth.
--We hold the world in our hands.

You can find this set HERE at my TPT store.

Habitats: What I Learned Booklet

I updated the "Habitats: What I Learned" book that we used last year, so it was like my "Space: What I Learned" booklet.  One of my co-workers had made one similar to this, but didn't include illustrations.  We had our students draw their own illustrations on the bottom.  However, after making my Space one, I really liked having the illustrations at the bottom of the page for the kids to color.  It just gives them one more visual clue to help them write 3 different facts about each habitat. 

There is a page included for each of the 9 different habitats.  Each page has lines at the top with places to write 3 different facts about each of the habitats.  Pictures of the habiat are included for students to use as a visual clue about each of the habitats and to give them ideas to write about.

Nine habitats included:
--Arctic
--Antarctic
--Ocean
--Wetland
--Desert
--Grassland
--Mountain
--Forest
--Rain Forest

You can find this HERE at my TPT store.

Pets Doodles with FREEBIE Paw Images

Just finished up my Pet Doodles digital clip art set. This personal and commercial digital clip art set includes the following images in PNG format (which makes them layerable):

dog house

dog 1 (brown)

dog 2 (black)

dog prints

bone

dog treat

cat (bw, black, orange)

cat prints

bird cage

bird (tropical)

gold fish

fish bowl

fish bowl with gold fish in it

fish food

water dish

food dish

blank dish

turtle

snake

rat

hamster

rabbit

pet food bag

pet tote

You can find it HERE at my Teachers Notebook shop.

You can find it HERE at my TPT store.

Here's your FREEBIE:  Just right click on the image and do a "save as".

Please follow terms of use for personal and commercial (paid or free) use. Give credit to me: "Clip Art by Carrie". Nail down any products created with my art in PDF or JPG format.

I would love your feedback on this set! Thanks so much for stopping on by!

~Carrie

Habitat Word Wall Cards

Just finished an addition to our Habitat unit coming in a few weeks.  This habitat word wall card set includes the following words:

desert (sandy)
desert (rocky)
rain forest
grassland
forest
mountain
Arctic
Antarctic
wetlands
ocean
water
sea shell
butterfly
blizzard
cattail
lily pad
sand dollar
cactus
sand dune
tumbleweed
iceberg
igloo
waterfall
volcano
hurricane
snow
rain

You can find this HERE at my TPT store.

Illustrated by Clip Art by Carrie
www.ccteachfirst.blogspot.com

I would LOVE your feedback and ideas for words to add to this set!

Kinds of Clouds Mini Book

This year for our Weather Unit, I'm going to attempt to teach a little bit about the different cloud types.  We'll see how it goes.  After drawing my Clouds Doodles clip art set, I decided to write this little mini book.  I focused on the basic cloud types (cumulus, stratus, nimbus, and cirrus).  I figured it was pointless to go into the combination clouds...I can hardly keep them straight myself.  What I want is for my students to notice the different cloud formations and what they might mean.  Last year we did a cute little cloud activity where they created different types of cloud pictures out of cotton balls and wrote about what they saw when they looked up in the sky.  This year I might try it with the shaving cream/glue paint mixture and see how that one goes, too!  (Mainly because I HATE touching cotton balls...one of those weird quirks about me.)

This "Kinds of Clouds" mini book tells about the basic clouds types and is written for early readers.  Pictures clues will provide help with the text.  Here is the text:

• There are many kinds of clouds.
• Clouds tell what the weather will be.
• Cumulus clouds are fluffy and white.  They are low to the ground.
• Cumulus clouds mean good weather.
• Nimbus clouds are dark gray clouds.  They bring rain, hail, sleet, or snow.
• Cumulonimbus clouds are the tallest clouds.  They bring a thunderstorm.
• Stratus clouds are like a gray blanket.  They bring drizzle.
• Cirrus clouds are high in the sky.  They are wispy and smoky.  They are made of ice.
• Cirrus clouds are called a "mare's tail" because they look like a horse's tail.

You can find this book HERE at  my TPT store.  Check out the thumbnail below:

Continents and Oceans I Have Who Has Game

Well, I decided to make the Continents and Oceans I Have Who Has Game after making the one for Space.  I love playing what I call "circle" games (it seems like everyone else in the world calls them "I Have Who Has" games).  I call them circle games because they make a complete circle and go back to the start card if they were read correctly.

I used the words from the "My World World Wall" pocket chart cards for this game.  I figured it would be good to have the words displayed in the pocket chart for students to refer to.  I also used the same picture clue.

This game includes cards for:
7 continents
5 oceans
North and South Pole
equator
globe
Earth
compass rose
world map
ocean water
continents

You can find this game HERE at my TPT store.

If you like the "My World Doodles" digital clip art used in this set it is available at my TPT, too.

Space "I Have Who Has" Game

This must be my favorite time of year to teach Social Studies and Science because my brain goes crazy as I'm teaching it coming up with news things to make!  Last night I put together an "I Have Who Has" game for the Space theme we just got done with.  I guess I'll use it next year or possibly as a filler for a review if we have down time...Which makes me think about making one for our current Continents and Ocean theme.

You can find this HERE at my TPT store. It includes all the words include in my Space and Planets Word Wall card set that I also have available at my store.

Clouds Riddles and Types of Clouds Poster

This last weekend I finished up a Clouds Doodles digital clip art set thinking I would like to teach a little bit about the different types of clouds.  So I decided to create this Cloud Riddles activity.  As I was making it, I realized that it was hard for ME to tell the difference among and remember the names of all the different types of clouds.  How in the world would my first graders EVER remember the differences?  They just won't!  Once I started I needed to finish making this.  I WILL probably use the last page, which includes a poster of the lower, mid, and higher leverl clouds to just show the kids the different types and where in the sky they would see them. 

If you are an upper level teacher and teach about the different cloud types, this is just for you!  You can purchase this Clouds Riddles/Types of Clouds Poster set HERE at my TPT store.