Regions of the United States

One day in social studies as we were studying the Southwest Region, Texas specifically, my students started talking about the phrases, "Everything's bigger in Texas" and "Go big or go home." Now that we have moved from breaking down information about the regions to breaking down information about North Dakota they've begun commenting that the same is true of me and our classroom this year...LOL! I'm sure you're thinking...why on earth would they say that?! Well, because for the past several weeks half of the white board in my classroom has been plastered with butcher paper as we've filled in this...

My original plan was to create a humongous anchor chart to gather key information about each region as we worked our way through our text. I also wanted my students to develop a thorough understanding of economy, geography, government, history, and people so that they could identify elements of each of those in each region (and have a solid understanding of these concepts). Students were immediately drawn to my monster of a table and couldn't wait to begin writing all over it.

Before we began the first region I explained that as we read about different places in our country we not only want to get a "big picture" view of everything that's here, but we also want to uncover what "makes a region a region." Why is Texas part of the Southwest and not the Southeast? What sets the states in the Northeast region apart and bonds them together?

We began reading through each chapter, breaking down information region by region. As we read each segment we carefully analyzed what the key information was, which of our five areas it related to, and how best to record it. We discussed how to summarize, analyze topics or main ideas, identify supporting or key details, elaborate as needed, create graphic sketches (a term I used frequently in my classroom...a quick sketch that is super meaningful and specific, yet not time-consuming to draw and doesn't include irrelevant or extra detail), etc. I did much of the recording on the board (the plan was to release the pen to students beginning in the Midwest, but after completing this region they pointed out that our time was used more efficiently if I was stationed at the board), and they each had a smaller version for each of the regions (which we created on large construction paper).

Here's what we ended up with...

Unexpected learning outcomes??? Absolutely!!! Love it when that happens!!! As we read bite-sized sections of each chapter and I gradually released ownership of the discussion to students, I was seriously impressed with their ability to efficiently determine and sort purpose and details. Not only that, but they figured out quite quickly the relationship between economy and geography and how the economy of our country is diverse and dependent on the geography.

Now that we've worked our way across the regions students are completing their final project / assessment. To tie in our essay writing from writing workshop, students are creating a content based essay on the region of their choice. Love going cross-curricular!!!

This unit turned out to be a very efficient way to cover a lot of information while also being super engaging. Will I continue using this strategy in the future? Absolutely! I'm already creating note-taking templates for my next year's students (these will be a freebie in my TPT store soon!) and planning to pull in technology to design virtual tours of regions or specific locations. I'm seeing QR codes in my future...

Updated...the following freebies are now available (in two sizes) in my TPT store for your students' note taking ease!

Regions of the US Note Taking, Large Format

Regions of the US Note Taking, Letter Size

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Page Turners --- FAQ

What is Page Turners?

Page Turners is the name of the reading club I've created for my students. Read this post ("Page Turners KICKOFF" to learn about my experiences and the professional reading I completed during the development of this group.

What reading requirements are there for students?  

Over the course of the year, each student is challenged (not required) to read 40 books, log the books they've read by genre, and be prepared to discuss their reading during Page Turners meetings. Students are expected to choose "good fit" books that fall within a variety of genres (i.e.: choose two realistic fiction books, one mystery, one historical fiction, two informational, etc.). While I advocate STRONGLY for student choice, I also encourage students to read across genres. When they ask why, I use the example of introducing my son to a variety of new foods when he was little. If you don't try something new once (or twice...or in the case of carrots, sixteen times... :) ), you may not discover just how much you (surprise, surprise) love it! I dedicate time regularly to book talking titles and constantly make book recommendations to my students. If you are a sincere, passionate reader, it's almost impossible for your students not to become "wild readers" as well!!!

How are students held accountable for their reading?

Each student has their own Page Turners handbook, which they use all year long to record titles of the books they've read, keep track of books they want to read, and generate a list of absolute favorites to recommend to friends. Each time students complete another book, they log its title on their "Required Reads" page under the appropriate genre. This also helps me quickly assess a student's reading interests or take note of genres to promote.

What are Page Turners meetings?

Each month we hold a Page Turners Club meeting, usually on a Friday afternoon. This time is spent reading, talking about reading, and enjoying activities and snacks. Each meeting has a pre-selected genre(s) or theme to focus our reading in days before and our discussion during. I open these meetings up to parents, our librarian, the principal, our guidance counselor, other specialists, etc who would like to support student discussion groups.

We begin our meetings by constructing reading forts (an idea I nabbed from a colleague), settling in, and spending some quality extended time reading. Management tip: Be sure to set clear expectation for the time allowed for building (5-10 minutes max), what and how they can be constructed (my students bring in blankets and pillows, must have sight lines out of their fort, and may moderately rearrange desks and chairs in the classroom to create structure), and how many students can be in each (each fort can house up to three). Depending on how much time our schedule allows that day, we have read anywhere between 30-60 minutes. And YES, through this reading club my students have become voracious readers, so having stamina and enthusiasm to read for this length of time has not presented a concern. :)

Next, we quickly deconstruct our forts and regroup our classroom before gathering on the rug for a Book Share. Each month we have a guest reader who shares a favorite book. Our principal has read Dr. Seuss's The Grinch Who Stole Christmas, a grandmother shared a picture book from her home country of Ireland about how Santa Clause carries on in Irish culture, a mom read from Laura Ingall's The Long Winter and shared photographs of Laura and that actual winter, and another classroom mom read from the first chapter of Little Britches: Father and I Were Ranchers (which she introduced to me as a "boy" version of Laura Ingalls). It's SO IMPORTANT for students to have other adults in their lives (not just you) who are also readers, and listening to other adults read has been nothing short of magical each time.

After discussing this book, students break into groups of 3-4 to discuss the books they've chosen and read over the last few weeks. Each month I have posted discussion questions that students can use to guide their conversations. Here is a picture of a few of the charts I've used...

At this point in our meeting I quickly reassign my volunteers to either man the refreshment table (treats provided by yours truly or one of the volunteers), assist with our craft / project, or engage with students as they assemble into groups with various board games. This time has been a fabulous way to build relationships and classroom community, especially for those students who may not spend a lot of time playing games at home with their family, need to work on not being a sore loser or cocky winner, or practice initiating conversation with those they may not otherwise.

How do I begin planning my first meeting?

I'm so glad you asked!!! I have a planning guide all ready to go as a (click here) FREEBIE in my TPT store!!! At the beginning of each year I select approximately one meeting date per month, print off enough planning pages to have one copy per meeting, email the list of dates to the parents in my classroom and several specialists in my building, and plug in any immediate responses for volunteers.

A few weeks prior to each meeting I pull out my planning guide to finalize specifics...

• What standards and genres are we currently targeting in reading? (This determines our genre & discussion guide.)
• Assign a genre or two for students to focus on and share this with the media specialist. (Our library team then focuses on book talking this genre and guiding students to corresponding "good fit" books.)
• Who will be there? Do I need to send a reminder email asking for last minute volunteers?
• What craft or activity should we do?

One week ahead...

• Check in with students to see if they have been tracking their reading progress and will be ready to participate in the meeting.
• Email volunteers to confirm attendance and inquire about treats.
• Prepare discussion guide.

Embarking on this journey with my class has been unbelievably rewarding as I watch their love of reading grow, eavesdrop on conversations between students as they rave about one of their books, and witness the astounding growth they are achieving as readers in fluency, higher-level comprehension, and vocabulary development. Not a day goes by without someone relating something from a book they've read to a lesson we're working through.

I sincerely hope you will consider beginning your own reading club with your students!!!

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Student Checklists

Every year for as long as I can remember I have created some type of student checklist that I can grab to quickly check in anything I'm collecting, pass to specialists or an event coordinator, keep with my id badge for quick access during a fire drill, etc. You get the idea...a basic check sheet with everyone's name that you can use for anything and everything under the sun. These things are a total must have in every classroom!!!

Over the years I've created several variations of the same basic table, but this year I feel I've totally nailed it on the head. Ahhhhhhh.....perfection. Here it is...

So what makes this one that much better than before? Well...one day as I was perusing my way around Pinterest I came across this teacher's blog showing something very similar, only after cutting her lists apart she had affixed them into a narrow spiral bound book. LOVE the binding idea, but totally not going to cut them apart by hand and glue individually into a book. #1...I don't have time, and #2...writing on paper that has been glued down drives me crazy...paper needs to be crisp, not wrinkled. (Yes, I'm picky!)

So I changed my table to include 4 per page and aligned them perfectly for back to back printing. I also used grey text and lines in the interior to reduce the shadow of the ink from the backside appearing too much on the other side detracting from the writing space. I just ran a test copy and absolutely love how simple and clean they look. 

So how will I bind? Well, after I use my paper cutter (no scissors for this lady!) to cut the lists apart (just make one cut halfway between each list...no need to cut on every side), I plan to grab one of my brightly colored pieces of cardstock, cut front and back covers of the same dimensions as the checklists, and bind everything together on our book binder at school. No more random piles of checklists to keep track of!!!

Oh, and the best part? I made a blank one for you and put it as a freebie in my TPT store. Enjoy!!!

Update...here's my process for turning these into a bound book. Cut, stack, bind, DONE!

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Back to school time!

Well...I haven't quit, I haven't taken a two month vacation overseas, and I haven't died, but I have been a teacher on summer break who needed to clean out her entire house after 10 months of living and breathing fourth grade. My summer to-do list is far from complete, but I am SO excited to be prepping my classroom for another fantastic year and to welcome a new batch of kiddos. I've been in and out of my classroom since mid-July rearranging furniture and cleaning out filing cabinets (yikes! that is a seemingly endless job...), painting a fabulous rocking chair I nabbed at a garage sale robin's egg teal, and sewing curtains for my windows. Can you say classroom makeover? Have I remembered to take pictures of any of those things? Nope! (I promise I'll try to remember to take a few this week...)

But I do have a new goodie to share with you from over at my TPT store! My hubby and son are off fishing, and I'm enjoying a few quiet minutes to myself to recreate the student info form I always ask parents to complete at our fall Back to School Night. My goal? Condense two different forms into one to minimize the number of forms parents need to complete, and create a form that can be copied on cardstock and cut to a half-sheet. No more messy stack of forms! These little guys will be three-hole punched and stored neatly in my sweet little (half-sheet sized) binder!

Grab your FREE copy just until school begins! 

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Absentee Work - Freebie!!!

Over the years I have created many versions of a form to send with students when they are absent from class. Some have been tables, one had different speech bubbles (my first attempt at making something cute), some had very specific sub-headings for subject areas that I didn't often end up using. Despite recreating it at least 5 times I was never happy with the functionality, until now!!!

Get ready...ooooohhhhhh, aaaaahhhhhhh!!!!!!! Wait for it...

Seriously.the.best.version.ever. LOVE the big boxes vs. skinny lines in the tables I used to use. More room to write, and the more "squarish" rectangle allows for more usable space. I'm thinking lists for kids who are gone more than one day, sketches of graphic organizers, sample problems in math. etc. LOVE that my students also think it's "cute" and are happy to carry it away from my table to use (and show to their parents). It's amazing how much more eager they are to plan out their work when I whip this baby out!!! Last but not least...LOVE the colored boxes, off-set columns, and my first commercial-use font from Kimberly Geswein. (There...my overly visual self fessed up.) 

CLICK HERE to download it for FREE at my TPT store!

Please share this post or the TPT link with any teacher friends who could use this!!!

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Hello world!

OMG I am so excited to be writing this! After my persistent husband said for the forty-seventh (or eight hundredth) time, "You know, Laura, you spend all this time online reading from other teachers who are just like you. You really should start putting some of your work online." Sigh...I supposed he was right, and after weeks of brainstorming, planning, designing, and organizing, I am finally launching The Contemporary Classroom. 

So what will you find here? A growing cache of everything that is great for kids. Not only what and how I teach and manage my classroom, but how I create a rich culture of readers, thinkers, and collaborators. I'm passionate about the resources I'm creating and using, book reviews, Common Core based lessons, close reading, math workshop, small group instruction, 21st Century Skills, links to other teacher bloggers who I read regularly for my own learning, things to organize, classroom management strategies...pretty much anything and everything my students and I are working on or learning about!

I hope you find something here to inspire you, make your life as a teacher easier and more meaningful, and many many resources you can grab and apply right away. Happy teaching!!!

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