Gingerbread Man Treasure Map

Click HERE to download the activity.

Candy Canes

Gingerbread Men and Long A Vowel

So when I saw Babbling Abby's super cute Pirate Treasure Hunt with the /ar/ sound, I was thinking, "I wish there was one for gingerbread men." I searched all over and finally thought to myself, "Self, you can make your own!" And so I did. So go to theinspiredapple.blogspot.com and link to her Teacher Pay Teachers store and buy everything she makes. Thanks for the cute idea. And, I did not dress up as a gingerbread man/woman. Also, go the letteringdelights.com and buy their cute graphics. Yea!

We are working on the Long Vowel A spelling of a_e, so each of the cards are just that. I hid them around the school in the morning and in/on places where I knew the kids would be throughout the day: speech therapist's door, bathroom mirror, kindergarten teacher's doors--when we go to lunch the kids always want to peak in to see their old teacher--lunch lady's computer, etc. I thought for sure some would get lost, but they were all found! Thank you school for letting us have fun today! I gave the last little gingerbread man to the assistant principal and told him to show up around 2:30. The kids were pretty worried about not finding the last one and they just knew it was in the office. I swear this class is psychic this year. It was in the office, just in Mr. B.'s pocket. Off the subject....one day the kids were like, "Teacher, are we having a fire drill today?" I was like, "No." Usually the office tells us ahead of time. Sure enough, not 10 minutes later, the fire alarm went off. Surprise! Anywho...

So, while we were getting started on the Gingerbread Science activity--free download from Abby--the asst. principal came in. I told him our dilemna about the gingerbread man. The kids said, "Teacher, (yes, that's what they call me 24/7) it's in your pocket!" I showed them what was in my pockets. Not there. Then Mr. B. was like, "Let's see what's in my pockets." All kinds of stuff that I had to keep a close watch on, so it didn't 'run, run away.' When he finally pulled it out of his shirt pocket, the children cheered with glee. I read the clue at the end and they made a rush for the sink. They were too short to reach the cupboard, so one climbed the sink and opened it. Hello! It's where I keep extra workbooks, so I said, "Wow, looks like the gingerbread man left us some new workbooks!" Oh..... "Some candy canes!" Yea! If they filled out the recording sheet throughout the day, they received their candy cane. I had 3 sad kids that didn't get one. So fun today! Such high levels, though, so I won't be doing that every day! Ha. Ha. As soon as they walked in the room this morning, they noticed a few little men on the walls and knew they would be searching for more. Love them. Hopefully, they will get this long vowel stuff.

Home at Last

Apple Unit

And finally the L part of our KWL. All week we read books about apples and think if there is new information to add to the apple. Interesting to know that an apple tree will start producing apples when it is between 5 and 8 years old--just like our little first graders--not that they will begin producing apples anytime soon, though.
The bottom of the apple is the 'eye', in the middle of the 'tips.' Fun.

Apple Unit

Here is the W part of the KWL activity. "Why do apples have tips?" Caught us all off guard and needed some explanation. The bottom of the apple has tips and the top is more smooth. Oh...

Apple Unit

Crazy sideways picture! So we did this little KWL to start our Apple Unit. It's nice to do an activity where the kids are learning, but it's also nice when the activity makes the teacher laugh the whole time, because of their responses. Win, win. They were so intense about the apples not having a stem--or leaves--especially those from the store. One girl said that apples could be poisonous--also got a lot of response from the class. So true, though. "Ya, but only if a person does it to the apple."