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The Naturally Creative Classroom

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Welcome to my shop! I'm so happy you are here! I have experience as an elementary teacher (1-5), teacher mentor, guest teacher and mom (twins!). The belief that ALL students can be creative thinkers guides all that I do. I am certified to teach gifted education and am pursuing my ESL endorsement. Elementary Math and integrated unit planning are my favorite subjects to teach. There is a little something for everyone in my shop! Please feel free to contact me with any questions!

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Welcome to my shop! I'm so happy you are here! I have experience as an elementary teacher (1-5), teacher mentor, guest teacher and mom (twins!). The belief that ALL students can be creative thinkers guides all that I do. I am certified to teach gifted education and am pursuing my ESL endorsement. Elementary Math and integrated unit planning are my favorite subjects to teach. There is a little something for everyone in my shop! Please feel free to contact me with any questions!
How to Cook a Turkey
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How to Cook a Turkey

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Your students will enjoy this Thanksgiving Writing Project and Craft about as much as others will enjoy reading them! This Thanksgiving writing project has students write instructions on how to cook a turkey- from cooking temperatures to turkey size. In this Thanksgiving writing project, students will write a numbered list or a paragraph. This Thanksgiving writing will focus on expository writing, sequencing and the use of time transition words. How to Cook a Turkey Thanksgiving Writing and Craft includes: *Detailed daily writing instructions- This packet contains detailed instructions for 8 days of Thanksgiving writing instruction *Graphic organizers- You will find graphic organizers for brainstorming and organizing rough drafts for this Thanksgiving writing project *Thanksgiving Writing Rough draft writing paper- lined or unlined depending on the level of your students *Thanksgiving Writing paper- Final draft Thanksgiving writing paper available in full color or black line *Turkey writing Coloring Page- Color in this cute Turkey with his sign to compliment these Thanksgiving writing projects! *Thanksgiving writing Craft Instruction- Another alternative to go with the Thanksgiving writing. Create a turkey craft following these simple instructions *Thanksgiving Writing Grading Rubrics- This Thanksgiving Writing project includes a student and teacher checklist as well as a Product Descriptor for easy grading. Post this Thanksgiving writing project in your hallway and let the Thanksgiving chuckles begin! If you like this Thanksgiving Writing project, check out my Thanksgiving Bundle available in my store. It includes this and three other Thanksgiving themed packs for math and language arts! W.1.2 W.1.5 W.1.6 W.2.2 W.2.5 W.2.8 W.3.2 W.3.4 W.3.8 W.4.3 W.4.4 W.4.5 L.1.2 L.2.2 L.3.2 L.4.2 L.5.2
Everyone Wants to Belong- An Acceptance Activity
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Everyone Wants to Belong- An Acceptance Activity

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This is an activity that will help students (and adults) realize that EVERYONE wants to be part of a group. This lesson promotes the acceptance of others. This lesson includes 4 parts: Setting a Purpose, Teaching Examples, Activities and Role Playing and Reinforcement Activities. If you like this lesson, check out the others in the series: 5 Ways to Avoid a Fight A Safe Recess Being a Bucket Filler Building Trust Choosing Safe Playground Games Controlling Your Behavior Dealing with Anger "I Feel ____" and "Talk and Squawk" Everyone Wants to Belong Good Fit Video Games Keeping Hands and Feet to Yourself Knowing your Anger Triggers Lining Up Properly Showing Respect to Others Snow, School and You: A Guide Tattling vs. Telling The Golden Rule The Importance of Being Honest OR Get them ALL in a BUNDLE!!! Check out my shop!
Winter ABC Book
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Winter ABC Book

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This super cute ABC book is the perfect project for a winter themed writing center! Throw in some fun writing utensils, sample ABC books and winter non-fiction books and have kids writing their own books in no time!
Spring ABC Book
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Spring ABC Book

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Students will LOVE making their very own ABC book! They will come up with something creative to do with spring for every letter of the alphabet! They will then illustrate their own book for a keepsake.
Shape Sort
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Shape Sort

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Is this a polygon? Is this a quadrilateral? Find out with this Shape Sort! This activity is perfect for a center or interactive notebook pages. Students will cut and paste shapes into different categories. CCSS Math Standards: 3.G.1
Area of a Shape
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Area of a Shape

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These 5 practice pages use real life examples to teach students how to use and apply the concept of area. Students will be finding area, finding the length of a missing side, and designing shapes that have a given area. CCSS Math Standards: 2.G.2 3.MD.5 3.MD.6 3.MD.7 3.MD.8
Perimeter and Area I Have Who Has
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Perimeter and Area I Have Who Has

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Make learning and reviewing Perimeter and Area FUN with this Perimeter and Area I Have, Who Has game! This game can be played whole class or is perfect for centers! Students will need to find the perimeter or area of the shape on their card before they can participate in the game. This Perimeter and Area game includes 30 playing cards. CCSS Math Standards: 3.MD.5 3.MD.6 3.MD.7 3.MD.8
Fall/Summer Picture Sort
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Fall/Summer Picture Sort

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In this activity, students will sort activities, clothing and objects that belong in either Fall or Summer. This is great for a science lesson on the changing seasons!
How to Make a Rekenrek
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How to Make a Rekenrek

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Increase number sense and fluency with rekenreks! Step-by-Step instructions with photographs on how to make personal rekenreks for your classroom. These rekenreks are designed to be made with materials that you probably have in your home or classroom already and are super simple to make.
Close Reading Folder
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Close Reading Folder

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Make this Close Reading folder for your students to increase engagement during Close Reading! Students will keep all of their resources for a close reading in one spot! The use of sticky notes adds novelty. Included are complete instructions with photos including exact measurements and an editable label template.
Writing Process Clip Chart
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Writing Process Clip Chart

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Use this Writing Process Clip Chart in your classroom to easily keep track of where your students are in the writing process. Includes: *Pre-Writing *Rough Draft *Revising *Editing *Peer Editing *Teacher Editing *Publishing
Halloween Creative Thinking Pack
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Halloween Creative Thinking Pack

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This is a packet of 20 creative thinking, writing and math Halloween activities. These language rich Halloween activities may be used individually or stapled together to create a packet (black line cover included). Fostering creative thinking has been shown to increase learning in all areas. Included in this Halloween Activity Pack you will find: *A Mummy Can't- what CAN'T a mummy do? *Halloween Everyday- would you ever get tired of Halloween? *Ghostly Problems- Thinking about invisibility *What is THAT? - Create a new Halloween animals *Halloween Words- Halloween Vocabulary *Make Halloween Bigger, Add something and Replace something *The Bagless Wonder- Think of how you could carry your Halloween candy home without a bag *Signs of Halloween- What does that weird sign have to do with Halloween? *Halloween Fashion- Predict the top 10 costumes in the next 5 years *Halloween Problems- Write a Halloween problem for a classmate to solve *Malinda the “Green” Witch- Tell Malinda some new uses for her old hat *What? No Candy!?!- The mayor has decreed that only prunes can be handed out for Halloween. List the consequences *The Vampire and the Pumpkin- How are a vampire and a pumpkin are alike *Crazy Costume- Design a costume using only things you have in your desk *Frankenstein is the Answer- Frankenstein is the answer and you write the questions *The Next Big Thing- Design the next best Halloween Trick or Treat bag. Label the parts *Candy Drop- You dropped your Halloween candy in a manhole! Given some odds and ends, how will you get it out?! *Pumpkin Carving- You don't have a knife or a pumpkin carver. How are you going to carve your pumpkin? *The Missing Foot- A skeleton is walking around on Halloween night without his left foot. Explain how this happened. *Halloween Haiku This Halloween Activity Pack also contains a Product Descriptor for easy grading! Sample Answers included in this Halloween Activity Pack to get you and your class thinking! This Halloween Activity Pack makes a great Halloween early finishers packet as well! Use them as sponge activities to get your students thinking. Set up some educational centres around or on Halloween.
Rekenrek Practice Sheets
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Rekenrek Practice Sheets

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Increase number sense and number fluency with these rekenrek practice sheets! Students will use their own personal rekenreks to complete these practice sheets. 30 pages are included! Download the step by step instructions on how to make personal rekenreks from my shop! Rekenrek Practice Sheets Include: Rekenreks and Ten Frames Commutative Property Showing the Number Two Ways Write the Number Sentence Draw the Rekenrek Find the Missing Beads Create Your Own Rekenrek Problem What Number is This? Showing Doubles Showing Ten Word Problems Answer Key Included!
Fall Creative Thinking Packet
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Fall Creative Thinking Packet

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This is a packet of 20 creative thinking Fall activities for Fall. Get your students thinking creatively right from the start of the year! These language rich creative thinking fall activities may be used individually or stapled together to create a fall activity packet (black line cover included). Fostering creative thinking has been shown to increase learning in all areas. This Fall Activity Packet will do just that! This Fall Activity pack does not have any holiday themed pages. Included in this Fall Activities packet you will find: *Student Cover- a blackline student cover is included in this fall activity *A Trip to the Apple Orchard *Human Hibernation *Time to Feed the Goats! *It Might Just Work *Fall Words *You’re So Cosy! *Raking Bind *Apple Picking *Fall Tinkering *Fall Math *There has GOT to be Another Use *No Pumpkins *A Squirrel and a GPS *Fall Memories *What is Fall or Autumn? *The Lane *Clean Ground *Just ONE Sip! *The Stubborn Tree *Fall Colour Poem Sample Answers included with these fall activities to get you and your class thinking! This Fall Activity Pack also includes a Product Descriptor for easy grading! These Fall activities make a great Fall early finishers packet! Use these Fall activities as sponge activities to get your students thinking. Set up some Fall centres using these Fall Activities
Rekenrek I Have Who Has?
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Rekenrek I Have Who Has?

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This rekenrek game can be played whole class. There are 30 cards total. Students will each be given a card and they will need to figure out which addition problem is represented on the rekenrek on their card. They will also need to listen carefully for when that fact is called out. Full instructions are included. If you like this game, please check out my other rekenrek resources or the entire bundle available in my store!
Star of the Day/Week BUNDLE Grades 3-5
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Star of the Day/Week BUNDLE Grades 3-5

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This Star of the Day bundle includes writing paper, awards, rubrics, a personal dictionary and MORE!!!! Start the year off having students of ALL ages writing full paragraphs. Get to know each of your students individually and make them feel special with the included certificates! In this Student of the day bundle, students will be interviewed and their classmates will write about them using the details that they have learned. All materials are available in “Star of the Day” or “Star of the Week”. This packet is geared for grades 3-5. I also have a Primary packet available in my store. This Student of the Day /Student of the Week bundle includes: *Fully detailed lesson plans *Star of the Day books. Color and black line masters *Writing paper. Includes general and gender specific *Star of the Day and Star of the Week Certificates! A black line master is also included. *Daily evaluation quick check slips *Product Descriptor/Rubric for easy grading *Evaluation Descriptor posters. Post these so that students will always know what they will be evaluated on in their Student of the Day writing *My Word Book personal dictionary. This personal dictionary already has all of the Fontas and Pinnell sight words as well as Dolche sight words. There are also spaces for new words. Keep students accountable for their spelling This student of the day or student of the week project can last a month or all year. The skills they learn in this Student of the Day packet will last a lifetime. This Student of the Day writing project teaches and improves: -community building -spelling -vocabulary -creative writing -main idea -paragraph writing -sentence writing -punctuation and conventions -verbs, adjectives, nouns -parts of speech -grammar -summarizing Student of the Day or Student of the week makes a great activity for writer’s workshop! Research shows that students who write frequently are better readers! Star of the Day or Star of the Week books will make treasured keepsakes for your students! CCSS ELA Standards: W.3.2 W.3.5 W.3.10 W.4.2 W.4.4 W.4.10 W.5.2 W.5.4 W.5.5 W.5.10 L.3.1 L.3.2 L.4.1 L.4.2 L.5.1
Pilgrim Creative Thinking Packet
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Pilgrim Creative Thinking Packet

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These Pilgrim activities may be used individually or stapled together to create a pilgrim packet (black line cover included). Great for centers or Early Finishers! Fostering creative thinking has been shown to increase learning in all areas. **This packet is designed to be used around Thanksgiving with a Non-Fiction Pilgrim unit of study. One of my favorites is the Interact Pilgrim Simulation (no affiliation)** Included in this Thanksgiving Pilgrim Packet you will find: -The Ungrateful Pilgrim -Living the Pilgrim Life -Pilgrim Problems -Home Sweet Home -Pilgrim Words -Improving the Mayflower -Finding Food -Digging up the Past -Plymouth Construction -Pilgrim Math -The Resourceful Pilgrim -The Lazy Pilgrim -The Pilgrim and the Mayflower -This Land is OUR Land- Who really owns the land -Who are "The Pilgrims” -Time Travel -Sinking Fast -Keeping Track -The Mysterious Deer -Pilgrim Poetry- Write an acrostic poem with the word "Pilgrim" This Pilgrim Packet contains a Product Descriptor for easy grading! Sample Answers included in this Thanksgiving Pilgrim packet to get you and your class thinking. CCSS ELA W.2.5 W.2.8 W.3.1 W.3.2 W.3.4 W.4.2 W.4.8 W.5.4 W.5.8 L.2.1 L.2.2 L.2.5 L.3.1 L.3.2 L.4.1 L.4.2 L.5.1 L.5.2 L.5.3
Star of the Day/Week BUNDLE for Primary
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Star of the Day/Week BUNDLE for Primary

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Star of the Day Bundle for Primary This Star of the Day bundle includes writing paper, awards, rubrics, a personal dictionary and MORE!!!! Start the year off having students of ALL ages writing full paragraphs. Get to know each of your students individually and make them feel special with the included certificates! In this Student of the Day bundle, students will be interviewed and their classmates will write about them using the details that they have learned. All materials are available in “Star of the Day” or “Star of the Week”. This packet is geared for Primary Grades. I also have an Intermediate packet available in my store. This Student of the Day /Student of the Week bundle includes: *Fully detailed lesson plans *Student of the day books. Color and black line masters *Writing paper. Includes general and gender specific *Star of the Day and Star of the Week Certificates! A black line master is also included. *Daily evaluation quick check slips *Product Descriptor/Rubric for easy grading *Evaluation Descriptor posters. Post these so that students will always know what they will be evaluated on in their Student of the Day writing *My Word Book personal dictionary. This personal dictionary already has all of the Fontas and Pinnell sight words as well as Dolche sight words. There are also spaces for new words. Keep students accountable for their spelling This student of the day or student of the week project can last a month or all year. The skills they learn in this Student of the Day packet will last a lifetime. This Student of the Day writing project teaches and improves: -community building -spelling -vocabulary -creative writing -main idea -paragraph writing -sentence writing -punctuation and conventions -verbs, adjectives, nouns -parts of speech -grammar -summarizing Student of the Day or Student of the week makes a great activity for writer’s workshop! Research shows that students who write frequently are better readers! Star of the Day or Star of the Week books will make treasured keepsakes for your students! CCSS ELA Standards: W.1.2 W.1.5 W.1.8 W.2.2 W.2.5 L.1.1 L.1.2 L.2.1 L.2.2 L.2.5a
Thinkin' About Lincoln
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Thinkin' About Lincoln

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This creative thinking packet will bring Abraham Lincoln to life as no other research project has done before! Students will be inspired to research all aspects of Abraham Lincoln in order to find the answers to these 20 creative thinking activities. This Abraham Lincoln Creative Thinking packet makes an incredible independent study or alternative task and pushes students to use the higher levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy. Thinkin’ About Lincoln pairs perfectly with a unit of study on Abraham Lincoln or the Civil War. It can also be an extra credit or early finishers activity. **An Independent Learning Contract and Product Descriptor are provided for easy implementation and grading! I have also provided student-friendly sites and resources on my Abraham Lincoln Pinterest board! I used many of these sites to inspire this packet. The Abraham Lincoln activities include: *Not in Your Lifetime *Lincoln’s Influence *A Forward Thinker *New-Fangled Origination *The Letters of Lincoln *Emancipation Elation *Signs of Lincoln *Alone in the Snow *Creative Solutions *Slavery’s End *A Thing of Value *Davis vs. Lincoln *Toy Troubles *Lincoln’s Hat *After the War *Who is Abraham Lincoln? *If You Build It *The Anti-Lincoln *Unexpected Findings *Singing About Lincoln *The Lincoln Connection *Product Descriptors *Sample Answers CCSS ELA Standards W.3.1 W.3.2 W.3.4 W.4.2 W.4.8 W.5.4 W.5.8 L.3.1 L.3.2 L.4.1 L.4.2 L.5.1 L.5.2 L.5.3
Force and Interaction Writing Unit
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Force and Interaction Writing Unit

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This is a backwards designed one month unit writing unit aligned with Forces and Interaction NGSS 3rd grade standards. It is also aligned to my Force and Interaction Unit Plan which includes reading, writing and science and goes from Anchor Charts to Assessments! I have bundled this with my Personal Student Dictionary because I feel that it is an essential tool to writing. This unit is a total of 86 pages. This Force and Interaction Writing Unit Includes: *1 month of daily plans *Differentiated Writing Prompts *Final Copy Writing Paper (with place for diagram) *Sample Anchor Charts *Quick Checks *Final Assessments *Suggested Book List *Personal Dictionary *One Page Voice Level Chart NGSS: 3-PS2-1 3-PS2-2 3-PS2-3 3-PS2-4 CCSS ELA Standards W.3.2 W.3.4 W.3.5 W.3.6 W.3.7 W.3.8