Another book that I love to use to teach character is Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch by Eileen Spinelli. Not only does it have a strongly defined main character, but it is such a sweet book with a wonderful message. I read it to my class every year and they always love it. This year I designed a quick activity to use to help students see the changes that Mr. Hatch goes through during the course of the story. As I read the book to my students I stop at three different points in the story for us to chart (and also at the conclusion of the book) and for them to work. Here are my stopping points in the book... And here is our anchor chart... I love the detail my students used when completing their work- they loved drawing Mr. Hatch with the different emotions on his face! You can get this activity for free here- Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch printable! This book is also available on Storyline Online read by Hector Elizondo. If you haven't used this book in your class ...
Oh my goodness- I can't believe we are almost to November. Time to trade in the jack-o-lanterns for turkeys... or maybe even Christmas trees? I love November and December in the elementary classroom- so much to do and so much fun. It's a great time for strengthening your classroom community with all of the opportunities for giving that occur during this time of year. I also love the crafts and celebrations that come with the holidays. Too often teachers feel the stress of the curriculum pacing guide and feel as if they can't or shouldn't do any crafts "just for fun", but I say shut that door and craft away! They are only little once... And I really LOVE the wealth of picture books that are holiday-themed. Students are so engaged and you can teach so many skills using picture books during your reading workshop time. Over the next several weeks my plan is to share some of my favorites with you! To start off November- I pa...
I am back this week with another holiday book recommendation for you! Have you read Merry Christmas, Old Armadillo by Larry Dane Brimner? This book has been in my library for years (it was published in 1995) and it is a favorite of mine because of its sweet story of friendship and love during the holiday season. Lessons from the story... Compassion The main character in this story is Old Armadillo. He lives alone, and on Christmas Eve his loneliness is very evident and so sad. This is a great place to stop and talk to your students about compassion for others. If students have neighbors or friends who are alone during the holidays this story might encourage them to do something special for others. I also think that this book provides a great discussion starter for focusing on kindness during the holiday season. I have included a simple activity that you could use with this book (or even on its own) to help students think about simple acts of kindn...
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