Teaching/Reviewing The American Revolution: Can't You Make Them Behave, King George

Would you like to teach or review the conflict between King George and the American colonists, while incorporating Language Arts?  If so, then check out my Question Packet for "Can't You Make Them Behave, King George?"!



I'm always trying to find ways to incorporate reading into other subjects.  I especially like it as introduction to a concept or unit.  Jean Fritz's books are fantastic for this purpose in history!  I really love the book, "Can't You Make Them Behave, King George?" for this purpose!

After using it for read-aloud for a couple of years, I knew I wanted to take it to the next level.  So, I created a comprehension sheet to go along with the reading. 

There are a couple of different ways I've used this sheet:

Option 1: have students read the book.  I've used pairs/trios and independent, depending on the level of challenge the student needs.  After reading it all the way through, I have them go back and answer the questions in the packet together or independently.  

Option 2:  Work with your small reading groups to read the book together and answer the question packet.  Again, I've decided whether to have students answer the questions as a group or independently to differentiate instruction.

In addition to a reading comprehension tool, it also serves as a great review when placed in your Virginia Studies/ U.S. History binder.  It reviews the difficulty the American colonists had with coming to the decision to declare war on King George, including:
~ French and Indian War
~ Taxation without representation
~ Intolerable Acts
~ The Boston Tea Party

It also includes an answer key, so important to make the activity self-checking!

You can pick up a copy of my packet at my TpT store by clicking here.

Do you have any other great books to use for the American Revolution?  I'd love to hear about them!

Teacher Savior: Increasing Productivity by Prepping the Night Before

Raise your hand if you would like any of the following things:

1. A smoothly-running morning routine
2. Completing projects and to-do lists on time
3. Maximizing your productivity at home and at work

Is your hand up?  I know mine is!  So, it's in that spirit that I want to share my night-before-school routine that has changed my productivity and happiness level the next day.

The following are the changes I've made that have maximized my productivity:

Fill out a daily planner each night for the day(s) ahead
I have been printing and using this planner by The Momma Diaries, which is perfect for my needs.  I'm sure you could use an annotation app to write directly on the digital planner, but I just prefer the pen and paper version.

To fill out the planner, I look at the following things:

• My calendar in my phone to see about upcoming events
• My email to see what bills are due and what I need to buy
• I also talk with my husband on the weekends to see what our combined schedule looks like for the week ahead.

I don't focus so much on filling out anything to do with work, unless I have to wear a particular outfit or bring certain materials to school the next day.  After all, I have a planner at school specifically designed for productivity at work!

                

In the morning, I take a few minutes to fill out the "Things I'm Grateful For Today" and "Mood" sections

I'm personally working on building more gratitude into my days, and it really helps me set the tone for the rest of the day.


I love filling this out while I'm drinking my Magnesium Tea.

Do you use a daily planner for personal or work productivity?  I'd love to hear how!

Winter Creative Writing: Story Sparks

Would you like to fight writer's block with a piece that is seasonal, includes figurative language, and gives students a choice of their topic?  Then this Winter Creative Writing Using Story Sparks unit is for you!

Some of the mentor texts I use as read-alouds:

We collect adjectives, similes, metaphors, onomatopoeia, and quotes we would like to use on our own writing on anchor charts as we read.

After we've created our anchor charts, I introduce the Winter Creative Writing Story Sparks and students choose their writing topic.

Next, we review the rubric and graphic organizer to help guide our writing.  

Before I meet with small groups, I go over the editing checklist below and how to be a good buddy editor.  

As I meet with groups, the other students are looking at mentor texts, filling out their organizers, and editing their peers.

Easy and so much fun!  

If you'd like to pick up a full copy of the unit plans, click here.

Do you use choice boards or story sparks in your writing block?  I'd love to hear how!

TpT is Showing Some Love: Valentines Sale

It's a TpT site-wide 2-Day Sale!

It runs Tuesday, February 7th at 12:01 a.m. (ET) through Wednesday, February 8th at 11:59 p.m. (ET). 

So stop by my store for up to 28% off on Tuesday and Wednesday!

Here's to you finding something to sweeten up your day!


Happy shopping!