Sentence Contest – Week One

Since we have such wonderful writers in my current class, I thought it would be fun to have a sentence writing contest each week. So yesterday I gave the class an incredibly boring sentence (The marshmallow was good) and asked them to create a much more descriptive sentence, one that we could practically taste. It was a bad day to forget my lunch, let me tell you. By the time I’d finished reading all of their sentences, my stomach was growling so loudly that it frightened the cat.

We could use your help in deciding the winning sentence. If you have a moment, would you please complete this form by Thursday, March 26th, and I’ll announce the winner on Friday. Thank you!

Photo Caption Contest

One of my favorite writing activities to do with students is to provide them with a photo and ask them to write a caption for it. Yesterday, I shared a photo of a squirrel that I found on Pinterest (of course!) and asked them to write away. Not only did they love the activity, we all loved the captions they came up with.

I told my students that I would choose a few of their captions and ask the world to vote for a winner. Unfortunately, there were just too many to narrow down the choices to even a top five. So, dear reader, I need your help. Would you be so kind as to select your two favorite captions in the form below? If there is no clear winner, then I’ll create a second form with fewer choices.

Thanks so much for your help!

Caritas Weather

Here’s a first look at what the weather may be like for our week at camp, via a ten-day forecast from Weather.com:

Things could certainly change, but if this remains accurate we’re in for a great week at camp!

The Teacher’s Desk 9-10-14

The Teacher’s Desk 9-9-14

Thanks to Jackie and Maddie K. who are in charge of my desk this week.

 

It looks like it’s already time for me to touch up the chalkboard paint. Drat!

 

And We’re Reading

Oh, how I love a class that loves to read!

The Teacher’s Desk 9-3-14

This week, my desk is being decorated by Evan and Matthew.

The Teacher’s Desk 8-28-14

The Teacher’s Desk 8-27-14

Our Summer Vacation

This summer I was privileged enough to attend the Google Geo Teacher’s Institute at the Googleplex in Mountain View, CA. It was two days of pure Google-iciousness that focused on the geo tools, Google Maps and Earth. In class today, I had students complete a short Google Form about their travels this summer. That information was then imported into a Google Map, and here is the result:

If you click on each of the map pins, you’ll be able to travel the world with seventh graders…without actually traveling with 36 seventh graders.