Fabulous Finds Friday NEW Linky & Five for Friday

It's Friday!

Today is an exciting day for us because it's our very first Fabulous Finds Friday link up! We hope you will join us for this brand-new link up that we are sponsoring...

  

We have three finds to share this week!

The first two were found at Sam's Club while my husband and I were waiting for new tires to be installed on his truck.  I always wander through the video and book sections, and I was pleasantly surprised to find two goodies!

The first is a fabulous set of DVDs produced by Scholastic---Treasury of 50 Storybook Classics: Animal Antics...and more!

The set contains 50 children's book on 7 DVDs.  The stories are brought to life through the animation of original illustrations. Some of the stories are shared in the form of movie shorts.  Here are just a few of the titles: Harry the Dirty Dog, Office Buckle and Gloria, Chrysanthemum, Make Way for Ducklings, Click Clack Moo: Cows That Type, Arnie the Doughnut, and Owl Moon.  Not to mention, most of the stories are Read Along DVDs (words are highlighted as the narrator reads). 

I plan to use the DVDs on our classroom computer as a listening option during guided reading time.  It's also great for kids to be able to listen to a read aloud of the text and compare it to the video adaptation.  

Price: $29.98!!! A steal--I think!

The second find caught my eye when browsing the books and magazines--Taste of Home's Ultimate Halloween Food & Fun (for Fall/Halloween).  As a lover of our Taste of Home magazine subscription, I figured it would contain some great recipes.  It does---BUT there are oodles of ideas included in this one.  Some of my favorites...

No Sew Superhero Costumes

Boo-Riffic Bunting

Monster Buster (Sock Monster and Monster Spray craft combo)

Wormy Orange Punch

Mini Chicken Empanadas  (inspired by the Day of the Dead) 

Blood and Guts Cheese Spread

Pudding Poltergeists 

Apple Brickle Dip

Fall is my FAVORITE season, and this find made me start counting the days until that cool front comes in and the leaves start to turn.  

Price: $9.99 -- Well worth it! Chocked with fun and tasty ideas!!

The last find Courtney found when rooting through those famous Target Dollar Deals.  These clear-view pouches were only a dollar compared to a four-pack from Really Good Stuff priced at $10.  Courtney plans to use these handy dandy pouches for math and literacy workstations. Nice and durable! 

Now, Five for Friday with Doodle Bugs Teaching...

#1 - NEW Friday Linky

We would love for you to link up with us for Fabulous Finds Friday! You can link up at the end of this post...

Teachers are forever coming across fabulous finds--so what better way to share them than with a new linky.  Pretty much **anything goes--as long as it's a FIND.

Examples might include, but are not limited to:

teaching resources 
lesson ideas
recipes for the classroom 
classroom gift ideas 
books and magazines 
gadgets 
apps  
websites
 bargains

items that make the job easier 
the possibilities are MANY...

 

**The only thing we ask is that finds are related to education and ARE NOT products/items created by you for sale.

Grab our button and stop back this Friday to link up with us! Please include our button and a link back to the linky in your post.

#2 - Second Grade Mathematicians

Both of our classes started the year off generating a wonderful list of what it means to be a mathematician.  Amy Lemons' beginning of the year math activity pack included this great craftivity.  We adapted it for our taste, of course.  Students' ideas will be a great reference as we journey through math this year...

#3 - Hanging Out in a Good-Fit Book

A fellow teacher came to me this week with a creative idea for making personalized book marks for the kids.  She has made these with her junior high kids in past years--an idea she found in an old NEA magazine.  

They turned out just wonderfully! The kids loved them!!  They will be hanging out in good-fit books all year...

#4 - Traits Tuesday Linky

We have also started another new linky--ambitious, I guess.  Anyway, we would love for you to CLICK HERE to learn more about our Traits Tuesday (Traits Writing) linky.  We could also use any help you can give in getting the word out!

#5 - Survived!

We are just happy to say we survived a week of heat! Our kids were troopers! Thanks to all of the parents/students who brought in popsicles to help the kids stay cool and our district for providing water bottles and popsicles as well.  We have our fingers crossed for cooler temps next week...

All the best to you and yours for a wonderful three-day weekend!

MUST READ Mentor Text Link Up with Collaboration Cuties--Round 2!

It's that time again--time to link up with Stacia and Amanda over at Collaboration Cuties for their AWESOME Mentor Text Link Up!!

Courtney and I are both sharing a text today...

This activity was shared with me many moons ago.  I am sorry to say that I cannot remember who shared it with me and where I was… I do know that this is an activity that must be shared again and again.  Therefore, my name does not appear on this FREEBIE, as I am not taking credit for the idea, but I guess I can take credit for passing this wonderful activity on to others...  I have done this with second, third, and fifth graders. It is appropriate for ANY age! 

Please consider doing this with your students as a Christmas gift, or a Mothers’/Fathers’/ Grandparents’ Day gift.  The comments from parents and grandparents have been heartfelt. Many have commented, “It’s the best gift I have ever gotten.”  You will also be touched by your students’ writings.

To download my notes about this writing activity, and writing pages to go along with it, just click here!

Enjoy this experience with your students—it is one that I will do as long as I am teaching!

I first heard this story when I was taking a differentiation workshop about 6 years ago.  I instantly fell in love with this book and the message it gives. Little Vashi believes that she is not good at drawing so she angrily puts a dot on a piece of paper.  Her teacher tells her to sign it, and was amazed the next day when she walks in and the teacher has framed her "work of art"!  Vashi's confidence begins to thrive and she realizes that she can be good at drawing.

I like to use this book when beginning Writer's Workshop. Even though it talks about art, I relate it to writing in the sense that even though we can't write that much, spell all the words correctly, or think of a topic, we all begin somewhere and eventually we will persevere. 

This is one of those great books that could be used with any subject at any time of the year. But the best part, is that the students love it!


Don't forget to stop over to Collaboration Cuties to fill your teaching bag with some more wonderful mentor text ideas!