Friend Friday #45...

Hi!  I’m Meghan and I'm reading the book called BFableHaven:  The Dragon Santuary written by Brandon Mull.

I think this book is really awesome because I liked that it has a lot of excitement and scariness.  

My favorite part of the story is when Gavin says that he is Navarog because it is really exciting and horrible at the same time.

The character that I liked best is the poison dragon because it was really cool. 

I think the author wrote this book because he wanted people to have an interesting book. 

I would recommend this book to my friends because I think they would really like it as much as I did.  I would especially tell Irene about it because we like the same kinds of books.  

Reading to me is awesome because I love to read and have found the best books to read this year.  

*Meghan is one of my top-five avid readers in the classroom.
*She reads from the moment she arrives at school until the moment when she leaves.  
*There are many times I have to ask her to put her book down.  Of course that kills me to say it, but you know!
*It has been such fun to watch her pick out books this year and be done with them within days.
*I know reading will always be a huge part of Meghan's life!  

Trailer Thursday #45...

Amelia Rules Series by Jimmy Gownley (Graphic Novel)

Tacky the Penguin by Helen Lester (Picture Book)

Beach Music by Pat Conroy (Adult Novel)

The Lions of Little Rock by Kristin Levine (Middle-Grade Novel)

Thursday Lesson #32...

Life Lessons in Room 113 - Writing

*Each Thursday we watch a short video clip that I title "Life Lessons" which I incorporate into our daily writing. 

*After the video we have a class discussion about the content.

*My students then spend time writing about the video which could include their reactions, thoughts, feelings, or connections.

Lesson #32 - "Give a Compliment"  
*I don't think people compliment each other enought.
*I also don't think we know how to handle compliments.
*When I ran across this video, I knew I wanted to share it with my students.
*I was a bit surprised how much they enjoyed watching it.
*We had a great conversation after viewing the video about the interactions between the two people.
*My hope is that the students will start to compliment other people more often.   
 
Lesson Thursday Videos (So Far)…

Lesson #1 - Be Brave

Lesson #2 - Be Kind

Lesson #3 - Be Courageous

Lesson #4 - Be Motivated

Lesson #5 - Be a Buddy, Not a Bully

Lesson #6 - Be Inspired

Lesson #7 - Be Spooky

Lesson #8 - Be Kind (Part Two)

Lesson #9 - Be Happy
Lesson #10 - Be a Reader

Lesson #11 - Be Power

Lesson #12 - Be a Team

Lesson #13 - Be Merry 

Lesson #14- Be Giving 

Lesson #15 - Be Brave (Part Two)

Lesson #16 - Be Positive

Lesson #17 - I Can Do This

Lesson #18 - Be a Friend

Lesson #19 - Be Kind (Part Three)
Lesson #20 - Be Courageous (Part Two)  
Lesson #21 - Be Fearless
Lesson #22 - Be Fearless (Part Two)
Lesson #23 - Be Creative  
Lesson #24 - Be Springlike
Lesson #25 - Be Grateful
Lesson #26 - Be Different  
Lesson #27 - Thinking Outside of the Box
Lesson #28 - Live Your Dream and Share Your Passion
Lesson #29 - You've Always Had the Power 
Lesson #30 - Pay It Forward 
Lesson #31 - Be Inspired & Never Give Up on Your Goals

Wonder Wednesday #45...

Wonder Wednesday - The Love of Reading (Part One)

*This is the first of an on-going series I'm going to post each Wednesday.

*I love posting on Wednesdays because it is all about the WONDERS of books, reading, and all that comes with it. 

*We have six days left of our fourth grade year and I wanted to get my students' thoughts about their reading lives.  



*Each student filled out a reading survey with six questions to respond to.

*I will post their thoughts here on Wednesdays throughout the summer.

*One of my most favorite things to do as an educator is to get feedback from my students.

*Here is a look at a couple of my students' responses from the survey I gave...


STUDENT #1 - Ilhan 

Before I was in fourth grade I thought that reading was okay
because I did not understand what I read. 

Now that I'm almost done with fourth grade I think that reading is fun, cool, and the best
because I've read so many books.

This year I learned that as I reader I could read anything I wanted
because we had so many books in our room. 

To me reading is adventuring
because it is fun and cool to do. 

As a reader I'm most proud of everything
because I got mixed up with d and b and more stuff, but now I don't. 

The best thing about reading is everything
because I love reading!  



STUDENT #2 - Masa

Before I was in fourth grade I thought that reading was okay
because I liked it, but not that much. 

Now that I'm almost done with fourth grade I think that reading is nice
because when you have extra time during the day you can read! 

This year I learned that as I reader I accomplish a lot 
because I just realized it. 

To me reading is nice
because when I'm bored I can read. 

As a reader I'm most proud of the reading I've done this year
because I liked it and read so many great books. 

The best thing about reading is when you're bored you can read
because I learned it first hand. 
 

Treat Tuesday #45...

Treat Tuesday - Brookies

*I saw this recipe on Facebook.

*We tried it out and it was simply delicious!

*So easy, so quick, and so darn good.

*A definite treat...





Ingredients...
-Brownie Mix and ingredients listed to make

-Packaged Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough


Directions...
*1 scoop of brownie batter + 1 scoop of cookie dough in a muffin pan = brookies!

*Make brownie and cookie mixes according to box directions.

*Bake as directed on box BUT start checking about half way through the directed time so your brownies stay moist (remember they are a smaller cook area when made as a muffin size and it will vary a little for each oven)

*Suggestion: Bake on 350 degrees F for 20 minutes, but start checking around 12-15 minutes...Yum!!!


Treat Tuesday:  Middle-Grade Novel

Amelia Rules by Jimmy Gownley











Treat Tuesday:  Adult Novel

Beach Music by Pat Conroy

Music Monday (Memorial Day Edition)...

*Since we didn't have school on this holiday Monday, I'm posting some of most recent favorite songs and their videos…

"Love Never Felt So Good" by Michael Jackson and Justin Timberlake

"The Walker" by Fitz and the Tantrums

"Red Lights" by Tiesto

"Not a Bad Thing" by Justin Timberlake

Music Monday Selections 2013-2014 (so far)...

Week Number One:  What I Am by Will.i.am

Week Number Two:  Proud by Heather Small

Week Number Three:  Roar by Katy Perry
Week Number Four:  Dreamer by Chris Brown 
Week Number Five:  What Does the Fox Say? by Ylvis 
Week Number Six:  The Rainbow Connection by The Muppets 
Week Number Seven:  Good Time by Owl City & Carly Rae Jepsen 
Week Number Eight:  Thriller by Michael Jackson 
Week Number Nine:  Hall of Fame by The Script and Will.i.am 
Week Number Ten:  Pure Imagination from Willy Wonka & Glee 
Week Number Eleven:  One Day by Matisyahu
Week Number Twelve:  Count on Me by Bruno Mars
Week Number Thirteen:  Louder by Charice 
Week Number Fourteen:  Do They Know It's Christmas by Band Aid
Week Number Fifteen:  Do They Know It's Christmas by the cast of Glee
Week Number Sixteen:  What a Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong
Week Number Seventeen:  Shooting Star by Owl City  
Week Number Eighteen:  Happy by Pharrell Williams
Week Number Nineteen:  Everything Will Change by Gavin DeGraw
Week Number Twenty:  The World's Greatest by R. Kelly
Week Number Twenty-One:  The Man in the Mirror by Michael Jackson
Week Number Twenty-Two:  Home by Phillip Phillips
Week Number Twenty-Three:  Waka Waka (This Time for Africa) by Sharkira
Week Number Twenty- Four:  Surfin' USA by The Beach Boys
Week Number Twenty-Five:  I Lived by One Republic
Week Number Twenty-Six:  I Believe by Yolanda Adams
Week Number Twenty-Seven:  Dream Big by Ryan Shupe and the Rubberband
Week Number Twenty-Eight:  Fireflies by Owl City
Week Number Twenty-Nine:  Unwritten by Natasha Bedingfield
Week Number Thirty:  Somebody from Lemonade Mouth
Week Number Thirty-One:  We're All in This Together from High School Musical

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (5/26/14)...

Thanks to Jen and Kellee for hosting this idea on their site.  Here is a link to their site...

                

 http://www.teachmentortexts.com/

*As we all know, the end of a school year can be quite busy.
*I'm looking forward to the final 8 days with my fourth graders.
*I'm looking even more forward to a summer of reading, books, and more reading!!!  

Books I Read this Past Week…

Books I Will (continue to) Read this Week...

The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer

*My adult novel selection

The Ask and the Answer by Patrick Ness

*My young adult novel.

Friend Friday #44...

Hi!  I’m Moustapha and I'm reading the book called Bird and Squirrel written by James Burks.

I think this book is exciting because the squirrel wants to survive but the bird wants to live to the max.  

My favorite part of the story is when they jumped off a cliff because it looks like he will fall but bird saved him.  

The character that I liked best is Bird because he is exciting and a risk taker.  

I think the author wrote this book because he wants to entertain the reader.  

I would recommend this book to my friends because they are fun and would enjoy this book.

Reading to me is the world because without reading no one would understand anything.  


*Moustapha loves to read.
*He reads all the time.
*His favorite genre is graphic novels, but he started to branch out more as the year went on.
*The best thing about Moustapha as a reader is that he shares book titles with the other kids all the time.  

Lesson Thursday #31...

Life Lessons in Room 113 - Writing

*Each Thursday we watch a short video clip that I title "Life Lessons" which I incorporate into our daily writing. 

*After the video we have a class discussion about the content.

*My students then spend time writing about the video which could include their reactions, thoughts, feelings, or connections.

Lesson #31 - "Be Inspired:  Never Give Up on Your Goals"  
*We are heading into the home stretch of the final days of our year together.
*I feel like I'm running out of time with all of the lessons I want to share with my students.
*This week is a great one because I don't ever want my students to give up on their goals.
*Throughout the year we talk about taking risks, making mistakes, and moving forward.
*The quotes in the video clip are quite powerful and speak to all people.
*We will watch the clip, discuss, watch again, and then of course write in our notebooks. 

Lesson Thursday Videos (So Far)…

Lesson #1 - Be Brave

Lesson #2 - Be Kind

Lesson #3 - Be Courageous

Lesson #4 - Be Motivated

Lesson #5 - Be a Buddy, Not a Bully

Lesson #6 - Be Inspired

Lesson #7 - Be Spooky

Lesson #8 - Be Kind (Part Two)

Lesson #9 - Be Happy
Lesson #10 - Be a Reader

Lesson #11 - Be Power

Lesson #12 - Be a Team

Lesson #13 - Be Merry 

Lesson #14- Be Giving 

Lesson #15 - Be Brave (Part Two)

Lesson #16 - Be Positive

Lesson #17 - I Can Do This

Lesson #18 - Be a Friend

Lesson #19 - Be Kind (Part Three)
Lesson #20 - Be Courageous (Part Two)  
Lesson #21 - Be Fearless
Lesson #22 - Be Fearless (Part Two)
Lesson #23 - Be Creative  
Lesson #24 - Be Springlike
Lesson #25 - Be Grateful
Lesson #26 - Be Different  
Lesson #27 - Thinking Outside of the Box
Lesson #28 - Live Your Dream and Share Your Passion
Lesson #29 - You've Always Had the Power 
Lesson #30 - Pay It Forward

Trailer Thursday #44...

Pluto Visits Earth by Steve Metzger (Picture Book)

The Girl Who Threw Butterflies by Mick Cochrane (Middle-Grade Novel)

Laika by Nick Abadzis (Graphic Novel)

The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman (Adult Novel)

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart (Young Adult Novel)

Wonder Wednesday #44...

Wonder Wednesday - The Wonder of a Book Club

*Last week I posted about the WONDER of the class read aloud.

*This week is it all about the WONDER of our class book club.

*I call the book club "Breakfast with Books."

*Here are the book selections we covered this year.  What a journey it has been.

*Many of these book clubs included a Skype visit and/or a personal visit from the author.

*The "Breakfast with Books" book club is one of the greatest highlights of my career...

The Sasquatch Escape by Suzanne Selfors 

Flora & Ulysses by Kate DiCamillo

The Treasure Hunters by Chris Grabenstein

The Valiant Quest for the Misfit Menagerie by Jacqueline Resnick

The Quirks:  Welcome to Normal by Erin Soderberg

 

The Liberation of Gabriel King by K.L. Going

By the Grace of Todd by Louise Galveston 

A Dog's Way Home by Bobbie Pyron

Treat Tuesday #44...

 Treat Tuesday - Saltine Toffee Candy

*We had a post grand march gathering at our house on Saturday night.

*One guest brought this dessert and it is so GOOD!

*Looks easy to make and the taste is addicting...

 

 

 

 

Ingredients...

• 1.5 sleeves of saltine crackers
• 1 stick (4 oz) butter
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 cups chocolate chips

Directions...

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with aluminum foil and spraying the foil with nonstick cooking spray.

2. Arrange the crackers in a single layer on the baking sheet so that there are no empty spaces in between them. Crush any remaining crackers into small crumbs and set aside for now.

3. Place the butter and brown sugar in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir while the butter melts, and bring the mixture to a rolling boil. Once boiling, carefully pour the sugar-butter mixture over the crackers on the baking sheet in an even layer, trying to cover most of the crackers. If you miss some spots, don’t worry as the toffee will spread in the oven.

4. Bake the toffee crackers at 350 degrees for five minutes, until the toffee is bubbling all over. Carefully remove the pan from the oven and allow to cool for one minute.

5. Sprinkle the chocolate chips on top of the hot toffee, and allow them to sit for one minute to soften and melt. Once softened, use an offset spatula or knife to spread the melted chocolate over the entire surface of the toffee in an even layer. While the chocolate is still sticky, sprinkle the top with the reserved crushed crackers.

6. Refrigerate the pan to set the toffee and chocolate for about 30 minutes. Once set, break into small uneven pieces by hand, and enjoy! Store uneaten saltine toffee in an airtight container for up to a week.


Treat Tuesday:  Middle-Grade Novel


The Girl Who Threw Butterflies by Mike Cochrane











Treat Tuesday:  Adult Novel

The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Read more at http://myfridgefood.com/ViewRecipe.aspx?recipe=20983#erjXLqk6DUjsEVXb.99

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Pour the can of crushed tomatoes into a small bowl. Finely mince the garlic and toss in with the tomatoes (I like to use my microplane to do this since the garlic won’t burn in the sauce and this way you won’t get large chunks of raw garlic while you eat). Stir in the oregano, salt, sugar and pepper. Set aside.

Prepare the rolls: Cut off just the very top crust of the roll. Use your fingers to pull out the bread from inside the roll, creating a bowl. Be careful not to pull too much off from close to the sides and bottom as you don’t want the ingredients to leak out. You will want the sides and bottom to be about ½-3/4” thick. (Toast up the bread you pulled out to use as croutons in a soup or salad to avoid waste!)

Heat the cooking oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté for about 2-3 minutes or until tender. Add the ground beef to the pan and season with salt and pepper. Break up the meat as it cooks with a wooden spoon, stirring frequently until the meat is no longer pink. Remove from the heat and drain using a metal colander. Set aside.

Place the “bread bowls” onto a baking sheet. Spread the bottom of each with a good portion of the sauce. Then divide the ground beef mixture among the rolls (you don’t want these to over flow too much, so use less beef if necessary). Layer the mushrooms and the pepperoni on top of the beef. Now top the each bun with the mozzarella cheese. The mixture/cheese should come just barely above the top of the bun as it will sink a little as it cooks.

Cook the deep dish pizzas for about 15-20 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbling, the bread is slightly toasted, and the ingredients are warmed through. Let sit for about 5 minutes before serving.

Read more at http://myfridgefood.com/ViewRecipe.aspx?recipe=20983#erjXLqk6DUjsEVXb.99

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Pour the can of crushed tomatoes into a small bowl. Finely mince the garlic and toss in with the tomatoes (I like to use my microplane to do this since the garlic won’t burn in the sauce and this way you won’t get large chunks of raw garlic while you eat). Stir in the oregano, salt, sugar and pepper. Set aside.

Prepare the rolls: Cut off just the very top crust of the roll. Use your fingers to pull out the bread from inside the roll, creating a bowl. Be careful not to pull too much off from close to the sides and bottom as you don’t want the ingredients to leak out. You will want the sides and bottom to be about ½-3/4” thick. (Toast up the bread you pulled out to use as croutons in a soup or salad to avoid waste!)

Heat the cooking oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté for about 2-3 minutes or until tender. Add the ground beef to the pan and season with salt and pepper. Break up the meat as it cooks with a wooden spoon, stirring frequently until the meat is no longer pink. Remove from the heat and drain using a metal colander. Set aside.

Place the “bread bowls” onto a baking sheet. Spread the bottom of each with a good portion of the sauce. Then divide the ground beef mixture among the rolls (you don’t want these to over flow too much, so use less beef if necessary). Layer the mushrooms and the pepperoni on top of the beef. Now top the each bun with the mozzarella cheese. The mixture/cheese should come just barely above the top of the bun as it will sink a little as it cooks.

Cook the deep dish pizzas for about 15-20 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbling, the bread is slightly toasted, and the ingredients are warmed through. Let sit for about 5 minutes before serving.

Read more at http://myfridgefood.com/ViewRecipe.aspx?recipe=20983#erjXLqk6DUjsEVXb.99

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (5/19/14)...

Thanks to Jen and Kellee for hosting this idea on their site.  Here is a link to their site...

                

 http://www.teachmentortexts.com/

Books I Read this Past Week…

The 26-Story Treehouse by Andy Griffiths

*5 STARS out of 5 Stars!








Books I Will (continue to) Read this Week...

The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer

*My adult novel selection

The Ask and the Answer by Patrick Ness

*My young adult novel.

Music Monday #31...

"We're All in this Together" from High School Musical

*It is hard to believe this song/movie goes back to 2006.
*My current students were only about two years old. 
*I use to make a class DVD movie about our year together and this was always the final song.
*This week I wanted something upbeat, fun, and meaningful.  I think the song captures all that.
*We always say that in order for things to work in our classroom, we all have to work together.
*I hope the writers enjoy this song as much as I do.
*We will watch the video, discuss, watch once more, and then do our writing.  

Music Monday Selections 2013-2014 (so far)...

Week Number One:  What I Am by Will.i.am

Week Number Two:  Proud by Heather Small

Week Number Three:  Roar by Katy Perry
Week Number Four:  Dreamer by Chris Brown 
Week Number Five:  What Does the Fox Say? by Ylvis 
Week Number Six:  The Rainbow Connection by The Muppets 
Week Number Seven:  Good Time by Owl City & Carly Rae Jepsen 
Week Number Eight:  Thriller by Michael Jackson 
Week Number Nine:  Hall of Fame by The Script and Will.i.am 
Week Number Ten:  Pure Imagination from Willy Wonka & Glee 
Week Number Eleven:  One Day by Matisyahu
Week Number Twelve:  Count on Me by Bruno Mars
Week Number Thirteen:  Louder by Charice 
Week Number Fourteen:  Do They Know It's Christmas by Band Aid
Week Number Fifteen:  Do They Know It's Christmas by the cast of Glee
Week Number Sixteen:  What a Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong
Week Number Seventeen:  Shooting Star by Owl City  
Week Number Eighteen:  Happy by Pharrell Williams
Week Number Nineteen:  Everything Will Change by Gavin DeGraw
Week Number Twenty:  The World's Greatest by R. Kelly
Week Number Twenty-One:  The Man in the Mirror by Michael Jackson
Week Number Twenty-Two:  Home by Phillip Phillips
Week Number Twenty-Three:  Waka Waka (This Time for Africa) by Sharkira
Week Number Twenty- Four:  Surfin' USA by The Beach Boys
Week Number Twenty-Five:  I Lived by One Republic
Week Number Twenty-Six:  I Believe by Yolanda Adams
Week Number Twenty-Seven:  Dream Big by Ryan Shupe and the Rubberband
Week Number Twenty-Eight:  Fireflies by Owl City
Week Number Twenty-Nine:  Unwritten by Natasha Bedingfield
Week Number Thirty:  Somebody from Lemonade Mouth