Throwback Thursday?

In celebration of 500 downloads of my very first TPT product and featured freebie, "If We Were Helen & Anne", I've given it a makeover! Just a pop of color, some improved backgrounds and fonts (it's amazing how your tastes change in just a matter of months), and voila!

This is my little way of saying thank you to all of my followers and customers! Love you guys!

If you haven't checked out this freebie, I definitely encourage you to! It's a fun, hands-on activity that helps your students understand more about what it was like for Helen Keller and her teacher. The activity challenges to students to partner up and attempt to get their partner to accomplish a task, such as clapping their hands or kicking their feet. It's simple, but students are amazed at how hard things become when you can't speak or see! It really made a difference with my second graders when we used it.

This is a sample of some of the task cards that are included:

 Look for even more updated products from me soon :)

Five For Friday Linky Party...On Saturday ;)

five for friday

1. We finished up studying the continents this week in second grade. I have LOVED this unit. Seriously. When we started, the kids had no idea what the difference was between a continent and a country. And now, they know all about the world! Well sort of ;) Grab my Learning the Continents Packet and teach your littles too!

2. Antarctica. When we first started this unit, I was kind of dreading Antarctica, honestly. I saved it for last on purpose. How do you explain this place to second graders?? BUT this website saved my life, which I posted the other day: www.discoveringantarctica.org.uk. Seriously. It is a British site, so it is a little more "out there" for second grade, but the vidoes/pictures are awesome. 

3. "The Job of a Lifetime". I am SO SO SO excited about this. I was inspired by some of the activities on the website above to make this extension packet for studying Antarctica. Suddenly, I am loving the place ;) In this packet, students learn all about what it's like to be a researcher living on this frozen continent! It includes a "Do you have what it takes?" checklist, a reading passage, comprehension questions, a writing prompt/printable, and even a pretend job application to be a junior researcher! I LOVE that. They never get to fill out "grown up" forms ;) I cannot wait to do this with my kids next week! Check it out here.

4. Yesterday we had our big Easter egg hunt with the kiddos! I was kind of dreading this day...crazy second graders, candy, egg hunts, meltdowns, bus rides...seems like a bad combo, right? It's so easy to get caught up in the stress of field trips like this that I miss out on the good stuff. Like my kids playing for an hour outside...completely free of technology/screens. They were climbing trees, swinging, running- I loved just watching them play with one another. And they were being so sweet! One of the students showed up late and missed the egg hunt. Five minutes later, his basket was completely full. The kids had shared their eggs with him- without being asked or prompted to at all! I love moments like that :)

 

5. And finally, Happy Easter! The hubs and I are in Texarkana for the weekend with my fam and I am loving it! But most of all, I am loving this time to remember the true importance of Easter- what my amazing Savior did for me and you. I am so overwhelmed by His sacrifice and His never-ending love. I am so undeserving. Take time to remember that during this special weekend :)

hannah