Manners at School Mini Book

This last school year our school started using PBIS.  It's been a great way to teach consistent behaviors in our school.  We have always started first grade with a theme called "First Grade Work", which basically teaches our little people what its like in first grade.  Such a big change from kindergarten!

I wrote this book to go along with a book I use as a read aloud called "Manners at School" by Carrie Finn. "Manners at School" is read in my classroom at the beginning of the year (and even as a refresher when needed).

Text in this book:
Manners are important.  Here are some good manners at school.
I can be kind to others. That means be NICE.
I can look with my eyes and listen with my ears.
My lips are zipped when I listen. That shows respect.
I keep my hands to myself. That is my personal space.
I raise my hand before I talk. That shows respect to the teacher.
I share with others. That shows respect to my friends.
I wait my turn on the swings. I take turns.
I say, “Please.” I say, “Thank you.”
I cover my mouth when I cough.  No one wants my germs!
I clean up when the teacher says.
Good manners at school keeps everyone happy!

*****Printable Mini-Book:  You can find this printable mini book HERE at my TPT store.

*****1 page digital file now available.*****
I have also formatted this book in 1 page layout view so that you can view this book in any PDF viewing app on your tablet, iPad, PC or Mac.  You can find this file HERE at my TPT store.

Whole Body Listening Mini Book

So this school year I have REALLY used the term "whole body listening" a LOT!  I have some very wiggly and off task kids that have needed constant redirection just to focus and pay attention in class.  I wrote this book to use in the fall with all that in mind.

You can find this book HERE at my TPT store.

Here are the words to the book:
When I am at school I use my whole body to listen.
My eyes are looking at the teacher.
My lips are zipped.
Sometimes my teacher says, "Shhh!"
I sit cross-cross applesauce on the rug with my hands in my lap.
At my table or desk my hands are quiet.
I keep my hands empty, so I can pay attention.
Sometimes my teacher says, "Criss-cross arms."
I have quiet feet and quiet hands so kids can listen to the teacher.
My brain is thinking about what the teacher says.
I ask a question when I don’t understand.
If I'm looking and my lips are zipped, I'm listening.
And if I'm listening, I'm learning!

What is Matter? Mini Book

This year we added a new theme to our curriculum:  States of Matter.  Scrambling for resources on Pinterest and Teachers Pay Teacher will get you by...but after you do the unit the first time through, you realize creating your own materials to meet your teaching style and what you want for your classroom is the route you need to follow. It just takes time. We've been done with the States of Matter unit for a month or more and I finally ended up creating this.  I used my States of Matter Doodles clip art set as well as Educlips Matter clip art set to create this mini book.

You can find this HERE at my TPT store.

Here is the text:

Matter is all around us.

Everything on Earth is made of matter.

Matter can be a solid, liquid, or a gas.

A solid has its very own shape.

The particles are close together.

A liquid takes the shape of what it is in.

The tiny particles are spread out.

A gas takes the shape of what it is in and moves freely.

The tiny particles are spread out.

Water is a solid when it is frozen.

Water is a liquid when it is at the right temperature.

When water is heated, it turns into water vapor (gas). This is evaporation.

When water vapor gets cold it turns back to water. This is condensation.

The water we have on Earth keeps going around and around.

This is called the Water Cycle.

The water we have on Earth keeps going around and around.

This is called the Water Cycle.

Habitats Interactive Notebook

My first graders are loving the interactive notebooks I've put together for Space/Planets and our Continents/Oceans theme.  The facts/sentences included are the same as my Cut-Apart Sentences, but its been nice to have them paste the sentences into the notebook for a keepsake to take home at the end of the unit. After reading your favorite read aloud book about each of the habitats, watching videos, singing songs about the habitats, or brainstorming facts they remember, have your students piece together the fact for each habitat. Then have them color the black line illustrations.  This is what I've been doing:

• Gather students on carpet for read-aloud
• Students read individual Habitats Mini Books (you can find them in my TPT store)
• Habitats song 
• Brainstorm facts about each of the continents using the mimio for recall of details
• Build the cut-apart sentence in interactive notebook

You can find this HERE at my TPT store.

Facts/Sentences included:

• The animals in the grassland run very fast.
• The water in the ocean is very salty.
• The rain forest gets a lot of rain all year.
• The mountains can be rocky and covered in trees.
• The wetlands are made of fresh water.
• There are many kinds of trees in the forest.
• The arctic is very cold and covered in ice and snow.
• Scientists go to the Antarctic to study the weather.
• The desert is very hot and dry.

Continents and Oceans Interactive Notebook

We have accumulated and created so many things for our Continents and Oceans theme, it was time to condense some things and make it a bit more "kid-friendly".  Instead of making our Continents and Oceans lessons a "writing/paper/pencil" activity, we thought it would be good to just have the kids focus on one key fact about each of the continents and oceans.  Using this format, student would just be building the one key fact we would like them to remember about each of the continents or oceans.

The lesson sequence I plan to use for each continent and ocean lesson:

• Gather students on carpet for read-aloud
• Continent Mini-Books or Ocean Mini-Books (you can find them in my TPT store)
• Continent or Oceans song (you can find them in my TPT store HERE)
• View PPT slides on each to learn facts
• Brainstorm facts about each of the continents using the mimio for recall of details
• Build the cut-apart sentence in interactive notebook

How to Use this Interactive Notebook:  You can purchase it HERE.

• After reading your favorite read aloud book about each of the continents/oceans, watching videos, and brainstorming facts they remember, have your students piece together the fact for each continent or ocean. Then have them color the black line illustrations.

How to Assemble:

• Copy single sided or double sided and staple on the left hand size. 
• Copy the words that will be glued in the book separately. There are three on each page. Only hand out the sentence your students need.

Cut-Apart Sentences Included for Interactive Notebook:

• Australia: Australia is called the Land Down Under.
• Antarctica: People cannot live in Antarctica because it is too cold.
• Asia: Asia is the biggest continent in the whole world.
• North America: North America is made up of mostly three countries.
• South America: There are rain forests in South America.
• Africa: The Sahara Desert is in Africa.
• Europe: Europe is the smallest continent, and it is made up of many small countries.
• Southern Ocean: The Southern Ocean is around Antarctica.
• Arctic Ocean: The Arctic Ocean is by the North Pole.
• Indian Ocean: The Indian Ocean is the warmest ocean.
• Pacific Ocean: The Pacific Ocean is the biggest ocean.
• Atlantic Ocean: The Atlantic Ocean was the first ocean to be crossed by ship.

Space and Planets Interactive Notebook

Going on a few years of doing our Space and Planets theme and it seems like we revamp it every year to make things go a bit smoother.  This year we are going to try doing an interactive notebook where students have to assemble one fact for each of the planets after we learn about it and brainstorm facts they remember.  We are hoping this will help learning one main fact about each planet a little easier for first graders to remember as they do the final project at the end of the unit (where they match the fact to the planet as they put together a Solar System display).

If you are interested in this interactive notebook, you can find it HERE at my TPT store.

How to Use this Book:After reading your favorite read aloud book about space, stars, the sun, each planet, watching videos about space concepts, and brainstorming facts they remember, have your students piece together the fact for each space word. Then have them color the black line illustrations to match the colors of each of the planets and other pictures. The sentences included in this interactive notebook are the exact sentences that are used with my Space and Planets Cut Apart Sentences.  So if you liked those sentences, but you wanted it put together as a book, here is your thing!  I have also included optional pages on how many planets there are.  Some people like to still teach that Pluto is a "planet", but a dwarf planet.  And other people like to just say there are only 8 planets.

How to Assemble:Copy single sided or double sided and staple on the left hand size. Copy the words that will be glued in the book separately. There are three on each page. Only hand out the sentence your students need.

Answer Key:Solar System: There are nine planets in the solar system.
Solar System: There are eight planets in the solar system.
Sun: The nine planets orbit around the sun.
Sun: The eightplanets orbit around the sun.
Star: A constellation is a group of stars that make a shape.
Mercury: Mercury is the closest planet to the sun.
Venus: Venus is the hottest planet in the solar system.
Earth: Earth is the only planet that animals can live.
Mars: Mars is called the red planet.
Jupiter: Jupiter has a giant red spot that is a storm.
Saturn: Saturn’s rings are made of rock and ice.
Uranus: Uranus spins around on its side.
Neptune: Neptune is the eighth planet from the sun.
Pluto: Pluto is called a dwarf planet.
Earth’s Moon: An astronaut has been to the moon.
Comet: A comet is made of ice, dust, and rock.
Astronaut: An astronaut wears a special suit to travel in space.
Asteroid: Asteroids are rocks that orbit the sun.

Las Posadas and Diwali Vocabulary Books

Just finished putting together two vocabulary books to use with our Holidays Around the World unit in December.  Last year I created Hanukkah and Kwanzaa and this year we added Diwali and Las Posadas to the unit.

All About Diwali words:
India, Diwali, pray, lamps, bonfires, fireworks, luck

All About Las Posadas words:
Las Posadas, Mexico, poinsettia, Mary, Joseph, piñata, hot chocolate, midnight

You can find this HERE at my TPT store.

They books go right along with these other Las Posadas and Diwali items I have put together:

• Las Posadas and Diwali Word Wall Cards
• Las Posadas and Diwali Mini Books
• Las Posadas and Diwali Riddles