Five for Friday (Fieldtrip!)

We have five weeks left of school and are in the midst of several projects and field trips...and today was the perfect example of that! So I'm linking up with Doodle Bugs Teaching to share our Five for Friday...field trip version!

Today we took our Atlantic salmon fry to the river to release them...  

After we released our fry in the river, we took a trip to our local fishways and saw salmon using the fish ladder!! We've never seen such a large salmon at the fish ladder, in all our years visiting the fishways!

We also started to work on our ecosystem projects today...

This is the beginning of the aquarium, which will be connected to a terrarium in the coming weeks.

Today was all about the aquatic plants...

(and our salmon of course!)

How was your Friday? :)

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Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest!

Have you ever thought you blogged about something...only to find you haven't? 

I was so sure I had mentioned my social networking icons but, now that I think about, I realize I forgot! It's been a busy year I guess! :)

So, to make the announcement officially on my blog, I am on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest! You can follow Ladybug's Teacher Files at any of them by clicking these icons:

Or, actually, by clicking any of the green text links above...since that hovering Pinterest button keeps covering these little guys! You will find them in the top of my sidebar too.

Thank you for visiting! I don't think there is anything else I've forgotten to tell you..but I will be back if there is ;)

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Scientific Method Signs

So, it seems it has become a tradition for me to redesign these signs each year. This is the third set I've made and shared here on my blog. And I'm linking them up with my friend Tara for her Monday Made It!

There are nine signs in all, displaying the different steps of the scientific method...

They're a bit bright to look at here, but I promise they print out nicely! I wish I had a picture from my class to show them in action (well, kind of in action, since they really are just sitting there on a bulletin board) but alas I am in the midst of assessments and do not have any photos!

I do have them in a file to share though...please click on the image below for a direct download:

I hope they can be of use. Thanks for stopping by, I hope your week is off to a nice start!

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Pencil Honors! (The Great Pencil Challenge Part 2)

Hello dear friends! Well, it has been many weeks since my class first began The Great Pencil Challenge.

And it has been going so well!! I've yet to buy a new package of pencils during my weekly errands and that makes for one happy 5th grade teacher.

:)

So, I am back with the promised Pencil Honors sign. This sign can be printed, laminated, and used to record students' names.

We have our pencil check-in each Friday, so this is the time we conduct our ceremony of honors (which is nowhere as formal as it sounds).

As a quick way to work in some math, we have also begun recording the pencil stats. Which, for us in 5th grade, means a fraction converted to a decimal, then to a percentage of students who kept their pencils for the entire week. The stats could be recorded in a variety of ways, depending upon your grade level.

I compiled The Great Pencil Challenge poster and Pencil Honors poster into one file. If you've already downloaded this file, you will find a revised version if you download again.

Please click the preview below to see both posters, if you would like to use them...

Have you tried The Great Pencil Challenge? Is it working ok in your class? I hope so and would love to hear all about it!

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Teachers Appreciation Giveaway!

I hope you've all had a wonderful week of appreciation! The lovely Amber from Adventures of a Third Grade Teacher put this together, as a way of showing our thanks to all of you! :)

One lucky teacher will win all of these FABULOUS prizes!

Stephanie's TPT Shop

Amber's TPT Shop

Elisabeth's TPT Shop

Elizabeth's TPT Shop

Lisa's TPT Shop

Christi's TPT Shop

Lindsay's TPT Shop

Julie's TPT Shop

Gina's TPT Shop

Kristen's TPT Shop

Enter below with the Rafflecopter! Contest ends Sunday night at Midnight. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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❤ Teacher Appreciation Sale ❤

Happy Teachers Appreciation Week to all of you incredible educators out there!! As a small way of saying thank you for your readership and always supporting my blog, I am joining so many others in TpT's sitewide sale!

All items in my store will be on sale from May 7th to May 8th. TpT is offering a promo code (TAD13) that will bring everything in my store to 28% off.

You can click on any of the products in the image below, to see more about that particular item...

or browse my (still being updated!) Shop page to check out some items I have in store...

Thanks so much for visiting! I hope you all have a wonderful week of appreciation! I know I can't wait to go shopping :)

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Peek at My Week & a Gift for You!

Happy Teachers Appreciation Week!! I just love this week and I'm planning on celebrating in many little ways...with all of you, my dear readers!

Today I'm linking up with the lovely Deedee over at Mrs. Will's Kindergarten for her Peek at My Week Linky. Here are some of the major lessons and units my class will be working on this week (you can click on the covers to see more about each). I'm looking forward to starting Jen Runde's American Lapbook and I know my students will love it!

I also have a little file to share with you all! I was looking back at my older posts from years ago and one of the favorite files was the Consonant Blends Chart (you can click on the green link to see the old one).

I decided to revamp it and make a new one to share, as a little way of showing my thanks and appreciation for you...

I hope it's something you might be able to use in your class. I also hope that you have a wonderful, well-deserved week of appreciation! I will be back tomorrow with more :)

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Morphology Dictionary (prefixes, suffixes, & roots!)

Hi everyone!! I'm stopping by to share a new item available in my store. It's something I've been working on all year and it is a big part of spelling and word work in our classroom!

It's a student reference book called...

This dictionary features 320 commonly used prefixes, suffixes, and roots...all defined for the students. There are spaces to fill in words for each affix or root, as well as a places for illustrations...

The other part of this resource is a HUGE time-saver...

Teacher Word Lists! There are words already listed for each of the 320 affixes and roots...over 7,500 words to choose from in all!

The Morphology Dictionary is a resource that can be used many different ways. Teachers can...

• create and differentiate their own spelling lists (this is what I do!)

 

• supplement the spelling words within their current program

• set up word work to complete during Reader's Workshop

• plan for vocabulary instruction

I will be back this week with photos and examples of how we utilize this resource in our class...plus a chance to win a copy for your class, if you would like!

What resources do you like to use for spelling in your class?

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A Touch of Spring with (Fake) Flowers

Why fake, you might ask? Because I've tried the real ones. And by tried I mean kept them alive for about a week and then...well, it was very sad because they were really pretty.

Here's a picture of my then live flowers from back in September...

 

Ooo, and another one I just found...

(see how the ones in the back are starting to lean? it was the beginning of their demise)

After I lost two sets of the Gerbera daisies, I decided that was it for flowers in the classroom for me. I couldn't bear it anymore (Gerbera's are my favorite!).

Anyhow, now that it's finally springy and sunshiny and all, I've been wanting some flowers for our classroom again. Don't worry, I've learned my lesson and decided to play it safe...

 

...with fake flowers!

I love how full and bright they are! And they really make our doorway more welcoming.

Do you keep plants in your classroom? Real ones or fake? 

I keep Atlantic salmon too, but I promise you they are safe in their tank. :)

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The Great Pencil Challenge (managing pencils!)

Sometimes I marvel at the fact that, despite all the modern conveniences and advances in technology, no one has yet designed an indestructible pencil. 

I'm serious. 

And really, after eight months of school this year, I find myself growing weary of handing out new pencils and tracking down lost ones. 

It all came to a breaking point a few weeks ago. We were primed and ready for math. I was excited to start the lesson, my students had all of their materials and were ready to learn and then, the inevitable happened...

"I can't find my pencil!"

I turned from the whiteboard and replied that I supposed it was time for THE GREAT PENCIL CHALLENGE (said all dramatically, of course). 

"What is The Great Pencil Challenge?!" my fifth graders wanted to know.

I solemnly opened a new (and my last) package of pencils, wrote my students' numbers...

and told them their mission (should they choose to accept it!) was to keep their pencil for an entire week. 

Of course this called for a sign...

(so we could keep track of the pencil check-in on Friday).

And you know what? It was perfect! We only lost a couple of pencils that week (an incredible feat, I assure you). My students were so much more aware of their pencils and kept a close eye on them. There were less distractions in finding them and they were prepared for all lessons. 

There was also a community of pencil-watchers...they looked out for their classmates' pencils (I adore my class!). 

At the check-in on Fridays, we just quickly share out who kept their pencil all week and who might need a new one (due to use or accidental misplacement) and that's that! I do write the names of the students who kept them on the board as "Pencil Honors" (perhaps I need a sign for this too?) but that's as far as we go (I'm not a big prize person). 

In case you would like to try this in your classroom, I do have the sign available for free in my store (just click on the preview below)...

 

Can you share any pencil-managing strategies with us? I would love to hear what works in your room!

P.S. I'm on spring break!! Anyone else? :)

UPDATE! This file has been updated to include a Pencil Honors sign as well! For more information, please visit my latest post: Pencil Honors! (The Great Pencil Challenge Part 2)

Fonts by Miss Tiina at www.misstiina.com

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