WInter Out My Window~DAILY 5 Writing~SNOWMEN!

Our short week last week (2 days Thursday and Friday)  were focused on snow and winter.  We discuss what we would see out our window during the winter time.  This lead us to a creative writing piece: Winter Out My Window.  Students were having a ball with this activity because they had to partially use their imagination but create something that had to do with winter.  Here are some of the samples my students created:

You can find this on my TpT store or by clicking below

It finally feels like winter this afternoon on the coast of Carolina! You could really see the excitement in my students eyes when we were talking about winter and the weather for today and tomorrow.  The first thing out of their mouth was "It's supposed to snow!".  From learning a little about snow last week for two short days our discussion today was a very exciting conversation today.  We usually don't see snow at all in the winter so tomorrow might be a possibility but it probably wont happen; but I could never say that to my students and break their little hearts! This lead us to read The Biggest, Best Snowman by Margery Cuyler.  

We talked about story retell today using story retell rope which is FREE!:

 

 We specifically discussed the characters.  You can do so much with this story.  We discuss the story and how the characters acted in the story.  My students loved it especially when the two sisters and mother came to see her snowman that she built.  In the story it says how their mouths dropped open and their arms dropped to their sides.  All my students were glued to the book and one of them was showing their reaction and it was priceless.... his mouth dropped open and his eyes got so big.  I just love my Kinders! 

While I was linking the book to my blog I found this. I will be showing my students tomorrow :)

After our lesson we began making our own Biggest, Best snowman.  We are still in the process of making and writing about them (pictures soon to come) but I used some great resources from the BEST teacher I have worked with +Pam DAlessandro I used resources from her TpT store.  They are in the packet below:

 

We also started our fourth Daily 5 station: Work on Writing. (WOW we were busy today!) I was really excited about this because I worked hard to get work on writing together.  This was my first year doing daily 5 with a Kindergarten class (I have done this for the past three years but with first and second grade).  It is a little different with Kindergarten because their attention span is a lot shorter so I had to get a lot of things ready for them.  Three things I got ready for the students were: 

1. Read It, Trace It, Write It.  I have students start with this in their Daily Journal They can chose which one they would like to complete:

This also came from  +Pam DAlessandro Winter Packet 

 

2 and 3. Then they use the writing board and paper included to write whatever they would like to write,  My students love to be able to choose what they would like to do.  It keeps them engaged and eager to learn.  

I can write a... poster:

click on the picture to take you to this TpT product from A Cupcake for the Teacher

That wraps up my day! Literally bundled up in a blanket ready for this cold weather tonight (15 degress!)  Makes me think of the Arctic!:

  

This is what I would look like:

~~~~~STAY TUNED TO THE ARCTIC/POLAR ANIMAL RESEARCH PROJECT ~~~~~