Continents and Oceans Songs

Well, as always I end up creating something to go along with a unit and don't finish it until the unit is done and over...so I guess I will have these songs for next year!  Finished these "Continents and Oceans" themed song posters on a Friday night sitting in the living room with my family.  They all thought I was pretty goofy dictating (talk to text) and singing into my iPad.

There is a song for each continent and ocean, and follow a catchy tune (I'm a Little Teapot, Home on the Range, Scooby Doo, Flinstones, If You're Happy and You Know It, The Wheels on the Bus, etc.) to help teach a few key details about each of the places on planet earth.

You can find this song set HERE at my TPT store.

Earth Day Mini Book

I decided to create an Earth Day Mini-Book to use with my first graders.  They really enjoy being able to read the books that I've written and LOVE to reread and color the pictures during their free time.  I wrote the words to this story during school one day as I was listening to my student teacher teach a lesson.  I knew she'd be taking over full-time the Earth Day week, and we didn't have a lot of "good" materials for the kids to "read".  Not that I'm saying this is "good" material, but I tailored it to what I know that my students should be able to read independently.  I guess by "good", I mean letting my students feel successful in reading!

The clip art illustrations I used in this book include text labels to help direct the readers to the words they may need help with.

Here are the words to the story, "How Can I Help Earth":

• We should help keep planet Earth clean.
• Don't litter on the ground.  Put garbage in the trash or recycle bin.
• Recycle instead of sending so much to the landfill.
• Turn the water off when you are done.
• Take a quick shower instead of a bath.
• Turn the lights off when you don't need them on.
• Walk or take the bus instead of driving.
• Plant a tree to help our Earth.
• We hold the world in our hands.

You can find this mini-book HERE at my TPT store.

Clip Art sources:

• Clip Art by Carrie
• Creative Clips:  cherry cupcake, glass with straw, plate (http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Krista-Wallden)
• Melonheadz Illustrating:  girl and boy standing by the school bus (www.melonheadzillustrating.blogspot.com)
• A Sketchy Guy:  boy shooting into trash can, recycle truck, kids cleaning the Earth (http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/A-Sketchy-Guy)

New Habitats Vocabulary Book

Got busy this afternoon after school and decided to create a new version of  the Habitats Vocabulary book we use during our Habitats study.  I wanted this vocabulary book to look similar to the mini books, "what I learned" journals, and cut-apart sentences that I use during this unit.  There is a page for each of the habitats we learn about in first grade: desert, forest, mountain, grassland, arctic, antarctic, wetlands, ocean and rain forest.  I have really liked having the vocabulary words within the text using my "Shape Box Spelling Patterns" font.  This gives my firsties a clue as to which word belongs in the sentence.  I also included the habitat name as a label on the picture of each habitat.

If you are interested in this vocabulary/coloring book click HERE.  You can purchase it at my TPT store.