Pirates, Ho!

Well, we've survived the first week of school!  I know some of you haven't even begun school yet, but we started last Tuesday.  Being that we homeschool, we did not need to spend time with "Getting to Know You" activities, or going over routines and procedures.  So, we were able to jump right into learning!

In an attempt to get my son excited about going back to school, I elected to spend our first couple of weeks learning about one of his favorite topics:  Pirates!  Here are just a few facts we've discovered:

• Pirates have been around for as long as there have been ships at sea.
• The Golden Age of Piracy, the time during which the most famous piracy took place, lasted from the mid-1600s to the mid-1700s.  It was during these years that all the famous pirates like Blackbeard, Calico Jack, and Captain Kidd did their looting.
• Pirates considered treasure to be more than just gold and jewels!  For example, they frequently raided ships to steal fresh food and water, medications to treat common illnesses, supplies like new ropes and sails, tools and weapons, and especially maps of local coastlines!  
• When pirates did strike it rich with chests of gold, they rarely buried them!  Instead, they headed to islands like Tortuga (yes, it's a real place) to enjoy their good fortune by gambling and drinking it away.  Most often, they spent their treasure as fast as they stole it!

In addition to the historical significance of this unit, we've incorporated the theme into our language arts time as well.  Here are a couple of charts we've done so far:

In addition, we've set our reading series aside for this week to focus on some non-fiction passages I created about pirates.  These passages are available in my Pirate Unit on Teachers Pay Teachers. We used Guided Reading to read the passage, and then my son answered the comprehension and inference questions that went along with the reading.

My son has enjoyed some of our pirate centers this week as well, including this one featuring subtraction facts practice clothespin clip cards:

But, of course, we've had some fun along the way as well!  Here are a few samples of our crafts from the week:

The pirate he was supposed to make.

Seven-year-old boy's version. I guess it IS more realistic.

                                 

Our spyglass made from a painted paper towel tube and a party cup.  (Embellished with metallic gold tape.)  This was not my creation....got it off Pinterest!

Treasure Chest......outside.....

....and inside.

Finally, I must share my favorite of his creations from the week!  We talked about treasure today and I explained that treasure did not have to mean gold or silver, but could be anything of value.  Then I had him complete a writing prompt that asked, "What do you consider a treasure?  Draw a picture of it and write about why it is special to you."  He didn't follow the directions exactly but, hey.......do you think I had the heart to correct him????  This is one of those precious moments I think about on days when I wonder why I am homeschooling!! 

If you are interested in having this writing prompt for your own children, you can grab it for free below:

Click HERE to download page. 

Hope you enjoy this and that your responses are as sweet as the one I got!  Have a great weekend!

Blessings,

Laurie

Book Boogie!

If my "happy dance" had a name, it would be the "Book Boogie!"  New books cause me sheer joy, especially when they come at a great bargain or meet a great need.  Today, I found one that did both! 

A few weeks ago I received a few coupons in the mail to Barnes & Noble.  They sat on my kitchen counter until yesterday, when I realized they were about to expire.  Recalling that I still had some money left on an old gift card in my purse, I stashed the coupons next to it. As soon as I dropped my oldest son off at band camp this morning, guess where I headed?  Home!  (The bookstore doesn't open quite that early!)  ; )  But come ten o'clock, I was there with bells on! 

I didn't have a particular book in mind; I just thought I would look for something that would go with one of the units I plan to do this year.  I'm venturing out of my comfort zone of units on Pumpkins, Penguins, and other Kindergarten and First Grade topics, and heading into the uncharted waters of Ancient Egypt, and Great Inventors.  I don't want to bore my now second grader with a rehash of the things we did last year and I feel that he's old enough for a little more of a challenge.  Having never taught most of these new units before, I have been collecting books like crazy at consignment sales, garage sales, etc.  But, after browsing around a while, I ended up bringing home something (for free, with my coupons and gift card!) I didn't even know I needed until I found it!  Behold my prized discovery: 

Click HERE to see a preview, and how you can order a copy!

This is a great little book with a page for each state.  Each page is written as if it were a report on that state by a student.  It includes the state's capital and nickname, as well as interesting facts about the state.  And it will be PERFECT for my Geography Center!  Each week, we focus on a new state and my son (or students, if I'm teaching in regular school) uses a U.S. map to try to locate the target state.  Previously, I have had a small, blank U.S. map form for him to color the state once he locates it.  However, this new book inspired me to create a fresh, updated form.  Below is a picture of my geography center, as well as a picture of my new form.  Would you like a free copy?  Just click on the text below the picture!  

And here is the form:

Click HERE for a copy!

I hope you enjoy today's freebie!  Take care!

Blessings,

Laurie

All About Me!

Another day, another freebie!  Just for my blog readers, I'm making my "Owl About Me" packet available for a free download!  This packet sells for $1.50 in my TPT store.  It is great for the beginning of the year when we are all trying to learn more about our students and help them learn more about themselves!  Many early childhood teachers like to do an "All About Me" unit, but I put a little twist by making this one owl-themed!  I add a photo of the student to the front cover.  Then there is a page for a self-portrait, one for a handprint, one that tells about the child's weight and measurements, a page to tell about the child's favorite things, as well as things he/she does NOT like, etc.  When I make this with students, I typically mount each completed page to construction paper, laminate all the pages, and bind them together for a wonderful keepsake book!  Moms and Dads will love you for this, and it's a great thing to have out on your students' desks if your PTA has an open house a few weeks after school begins!  I would use this for children in preschool through maybe 2nd grade!  Check it out!

Click HERE to download the packet!

I hope this is something that will be useful to you as you begin your new school year!  If you enjoy it, please drop me a comment and let me know!  If you like what you see, I'd love to have you as a follower here on my blog, as well as on TPT!  Thanks so much for visiting!

Blessings,

Laurie

Only Two Weeks?????

I don't know when school starts back where you live, but here in Alabama we are down to only two more weeks of summer!  Even though I homeschool my youngest, we still follow the city school calendar for the most part, since my older two are still in public school.  It's just easier if we're all on the same schedule!  I have a list a mile long of things I was supposed to accomplish this summer, but only about half of them have been checked off.  Where has the time gone?

When I was teaching in regular school, I always liked to start off my year with a reading of Kevin Henkes' book, Wemberly Worried.  It really doesn't matter what age you teach.....it's always safe to assume that your littles (or maybe not so littles) are all feeling a little anxious about a new classroom, new teacher, new friends, etc.  Heck, if we're honest, most of  US feel a little anxious / nervous at this time each year too, don't we?  So we can all relate to poor Wemberly, who worries about everything.....particularly starting kindergarten!

If, like me, you consider this book to be a MUST for the first day of school, you may be interested in a TPT product I offer to accompany this wonderful story!  It has several literature activities, as well as a pattern for this cute craftivity:

If you are interested in checking it out, please click HERE.

And just for visiting my blog, here's a freebie for you, from that packet:

Wemberly Worried Freebie  (Click Here to Access)

Hope you enjoy it!  Thanks for stopping by!

Blessings,
Laurie