Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Time Capsules and Knuffle Bunny Suggestions???

I mean could this week get any crazier?!? Seuss week and leap day! I loved the idea of a time capsule for such an occasion as leap day, but it wasn’t quite meshing with Dr. Seuss.  So, I created a unit that would fit the two together just as if they were meant to be!  This was a perfect activity to incorporate into Seuss week and the kiddos had so much fun thinking about all of the possibilities that life has to offer! :) Their predictions of the future and secrets of today were way too cute!  This would also be a super cute end of the year project!

Here is a look at a few of the activities that we worked on today from this mini. After reading Oh The Places You’ll Go by Dr. Seuss, the kiddos wrote about their ambitions for the future. They also created a little road map showing the many different paths that they hope to take in life! Such a sweet activity! Both their writing and craftivity will be placed into their time capsule at the end of the week!

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Our Time Capsules

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If you would like to pick up this unit, you can snag it for $1.50 at my shop!

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Last year, my kiddos fell in LOVE with Mo Willems. He has the cutest illustrations and some pretty precious stories…if you ask me! I am working on a little author study/reading and writing unit to incorporate sweet Knuffle Bunny into the classroom! {I am thinking that April will be the perfect time for this little unit!} :) If you have any suggestions or ideas of skills that you would like to see in this unit, let me know! I am open to suggestions! :)

Author Study

There are still several hours left in this leap day shopping extravaganza, so grab them while their hot! :) Happy Leap Day!

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Get Your Shop On…Leap Day Sale Reminder!

Tomorrow is the big day. Is your shopping cart as full as mine?!? I have been waiting to get my hands on several super cute units! You can check out a list of tons of TPT sellers by clicking on the picture below! If you are having a sale and haven’t linked up…it’s not too late! :)

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My shop will be 20% off all day tomorrow. Here are a few of my bundles that will be on sale!

Click HERE to view my shop or click on the pictures below to view a specific unit!

My Road Trip Reading Series

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Mathlete Champions

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Some Oldies but Goldies…Math! : )

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Word Work Spelling Units

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Monthly Math Centers

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Math and Science

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Reading

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Don’t Forget…

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Shop ‘til you drop, friends! :)

VBCW Big Game at Partizan May 27th

I am organising a game of VBCW for Partizan in May27th, which I hope will build upon last news game.

The plot, as much as there is a need for one is as follows.

A special VIP (Read this as the freebie figure for this Partizan and its a good one) is touring the county on a bit of a public awareness exercise for someone who shall remain nameless for the time being and this special VIP is found out (cue dramatic music).

Now its of the various local and not so local factions bring forth there best, or a least the ones they have closest at the time, to bring this VIP to justice, be friend, seek help.

However, the Duke of Rutland who land everyone is travelling across and through is not happy and will defend his land from all comers, just like last time until ..............

More of this as it develops, together with a map of the area and possible forces.

Does anyone have any idea on which rules to use, as I am keeping this petty generic at the moment.

Monday, February 27, 2012

Monday Rewind

Getting a little better…last week it was a Tuesday Rewind, so I am one day ahead!  I am tellin’ ya what…between linky parties, sales, giveaways, and new units…you would swear that all of us bloggy people live on the internet {or do we?} Ha!

So last week was a little crazy as I was only in the classroom for part of the week. I left on Thursday for a little conference in Myrtle Beach. It was a great conference, but after being out of the classroom for a few days, I lost a little bit of my swagger. Today was difficult to say the least, but I think that I am back in action.

Last week was a crazy busy week. We were knee-deep in several activities. We began the week with President’s Day activities. Here are our writings where the students campaigned for class president.

Some of them were way too cute…

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Some of them were…well…odd? {Take a look at the Snooks in my earlier post!}

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{Ummm…I guess the campaign trail was a little competitive? A black eye…REALLY?!?}

And some were a little…straight up SCARY!

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I mean is anybody having a serious flashback of The Ring? Even down to the way that the arms are positioned, you would think that crazy girl is crawling right out of that dang hole! Should I ask for a re-do? This may cause nightmares people! Ha!

Even with the crazy people that I have hanging on my wall right now, it was still a super cute activity. {Note to self…next time…we need some serious art lessons.}

With great difficulty…I am moving on! :)

Last week, my second guided reading group began chocolate fever. We completed several activities from my new Chocolate Fever Unit.

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Magic Medication…A lesson on narrative elements and predictions.

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Chocolate Research!

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Prefix and Suffix Study {I never quite got a finished picture of our prefixes and suffixes activity, but you get the idea!

Finally, our last big focus of the week was the….DICTIONARY! We completed several activities from my Fill Up My Passport: Dictionary Skills unit which I just posted to TPT. {See below}.

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Fifty Nifty ABC Order! They LOVED this activity!

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So, there you have it! Nothing too fancy or cute…but lots of learning going on! Although I enjoy traveling and conferences, I am glad to be back with my kiddos.

Here is a look at my dictionary bundle. If you are looking for a unit that will help your kiddos nail down the dictionary basics, you can pick it up at TPT for $3.50.

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Coming Tomorrow…{Before the Sale…}

Leprechaun in a Jar

AND….don’t forget to enter in the Chocolate Lovers Giveaway and link up if you are having a Leap Day Sale.

Oh my…I think that is all for tonight, friends! This week, it is all things Seuss and Leap Day on Wednesday. 2 weeks until MAJOR testing and 5 weeks until Spring Break…and yes…I am counting! :)

The Third Illustration for the Albertines

Yes I have been a busy boy and have finished the third illustration for the Albertine book. This time it is a Duke of York's Own Private in the latest Battledress with Pattern '37 webbing. I think that I have managed to get this rather close to what was worn by the BEF in 1939-40 and I am very pleased with the results.

DOYOR, 1938

Sunday, February 26, 2012

Calling All Chocolate Lovas….{Unit & A Giveaway}

So excited to have my Chocolate Fever unit ready to go and even MORE excited that I can use Amy Lemon’s unit to supplement!

Here is a little look at my unit. It includes 83 pages of chocolaty goodness that will build comprehension and have your kiddos eating right out of your hand! You can pick it up at my TPT shop now for only $4.00. All resources are printer friendly {a.k.a. black and white} except for the chocolate word wall. Preview

Now for all of the chocolate lovas out there…a nice chocolaty giveaway!

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Amy Lemons and I have teamed up to offer both units to two lucky winners. Here is all you need to do.

1. Follow Amy’s blog and TPT shop.

2. Follow my blog and TPT shop.

Once you have completed numbers 1 & 2, leave one comment on Amy’s blog and one comment on my blog letting us know and let us in on your favorite chocolaty treat! That’s right…you have not just one…BUT…2 chances to win. 

We will randomly select two winners Tuesday at 12:00 p.m. SHARP! {Ok…well you may not know until Wednesday…because I doubt we will be up that late! :)}

AND…if you don’t win, don’t forget that both units will be 20% off for our big Leap Day Sale with an additional 10% off from TPT. Goodness gracious…you better go get your shop on gals {and the occasional dude!} :)

Good luck, friends!

Its the Men They Couldn't Hang

I have finished off my British Union of Fascists Auxiliaries and I am rather happy with the whole result now that they are fully based and painted. Its strange how the base pulls the miniature together and these miniatures from Musketeer Miniatures and sculpted by Paul Hicks were a wonder to paint up. I painted these up in the uniform of the BUF Auxiliary as I illustrated in Solways' new book on the Somerset Freedom Fighters (more to follow about that in the new couple of days).





The facings colours and piping identify the division (actually the area with the unit is from) with blue being for the Severn Valley and the Midlands. I am sad enough to create the divisional areas and work out there facings. Also these are based on real BUF pipings or facings as there didn't use them. This being as follows:

Colour                               Area

Red                   Manchester and North West Division

Purple               London and the South East Division

Blue                  Severn and the Midlands Division

White                Newcastle and the North East Division

Yellow              East Anglican Division

Green               West Country Division

Brown               The South Division

Dark Green       Wales

Dark Blue         Scotland


Now of course this is all top secret stuff and subject to change at any time.


One GIANT Leap…TPT Linky Party!

HERE is a linky party
so everyone holding a LEAP YEAR.... Leapy Sale 
on TpT can advertise their fabulous creations...
when you link up
follow these simple rules...
1- link to your TpT STORE PAGE (not your blog please... just your TpT store)
2- under your pic write how much your sale is... 10% 20% what ev... and put your name... you have 75 characters so it should be enough :)
2- spread the word using.... the fab poster below....use both if you want :)

We know all teachers love and good sale and THIS is a GOOOOD sale. As an added bonus…it is also a great way to find and follow some really awesome shops! So go get your shop on!

you can use this to spread the word...

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and this party is being hosted by a few of my blogger friends... so you might see this on other blogs too....
ONLY NEED TO link up once :)

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