Be Appy Monday - Apps for Inquiry and Research


It's Be Appy Monday. This past weekend was absolutely beautiful in Austin. My husband and I went to the Ladybird Wildflower Center to see all of the wildflowers in bloom. It was soooo crowded that we turned around and came home. I'll try again this week. So, stay tuned for pictures of some beautiful Texas wildflowers.

Today, I'm going to share a free product I have that contains many apps for you to use with your students when you're studying the inquiry process. I've gathered together apps for brainstorming, creating graphic organizers, recording and writing notes, ways to collaborate and share ideas, research resources and presentation tools. And, it's free just for you. Just click on the images below to grab your free product.



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Thematic Thursday - Caterpillars to Butterflies


It's Thematic Thursday and I'm teaming up with Carla of Comprehension Connection. This week, our theme is Caterpillars to butterflies. I've been so interested in the monarch butterfly with it's unique life cycle and preserving their habitat.

Books


1. National Geographic Kids:  Caterpillar to Butterfly is an excellent book for introducing students to informational text. Laura Marsh wrote this high interest level 1 reader. You know the information is good because it's National Geographic.



2. A Butterfly is Patient is the sweetest book to add to a child's collection. Dianna Hutts Aston has also written An Egg is Quiet and A Seed is Sleepy. This beautiful informational book introduces children to the wonderful world of butterflies.


3. Butterflies by Seymour Simon is another great informational book about butterflies. He even tell his readers how to plant their own butterfly garden.


Activities



You can purchase materials from Michael's Craft Store to make butterfly masks.


Hang this butterfly in your classroom. Inside students can write about the life cycle.


Scan these QR codes to view videos of butterflies and their life cycles.





Links





For more information and ideas for your classroom, drop by Comprehension Connection.


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Thematic Thursday - Frogs and Toads


I love informational text and students love reading nonfiction books. Learning about the life cycle of the frog is so interesting because students can actually see the frog grow from tadpole to frog.

1. Books



It's sometimes difficult for students to tell the difference between frogs and toads. This simple book Frogs and Toads by Melissa Stewart helps students understand the difference.


Here's another nonfiction book about Frogs and Toads by Bobbie Kalman and Tammie Everts. The Green Frogs a great book for introducing nonfiction to primary students.


If you want to add fables to your study of frogs and toads, this cute Korean folktale is a cute read-aloud book.

2. Activities and Ideas

I love lapbooks and creating them is a fun way to learn about frogs. In this unit, I've provided a PowerPoint about the life cycle, an interactive lapbook with directions and pictures, and other math and writing activities. This product will be discounted for the next 2 days.




Grab your FREEBIE here. This is a sample from the complete unit.


3. Links 
There are some great websites for students to learn about frogs and toads. I've provided some excellent websites about the life cycle, videos and some cute games.









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As Easy as Pi with Lapbooks

To celebrate Pi Day, I'm sharing some of my classroom resources that help make learning a little easier. I love creating interactive lapbooks because students are always so engaged with their learning during a unit of study.

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Project Based Learning - Solving Real World Problems

I love the concept of Project based Learning. It gives meaning to student learning as students are involved in solving real-world problems or challenges. As students apply 21st Century Skills, they retain what they have learned and experienced through Project Based Learning. My third and fourth graders gained more understanding in how to use technology as a tool as they become young entrepreneurs and inventors.


Your students can take part in solving real world problems with project based learning. In this post, you can learn about the elements and resources as you dive into PBL.


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