A Seusstastic Writing Center & 3D Maps

I've been crazy lucky to have been selected a couple years ago to participate in a Balanced Literacy Cadre with my district. We had 2 day training on the balanced literacy model and then have networking sessions each quarter where we get to vent share ideas with each other.

I got to go to one half day workshop with Matt Glover, where we got to see his Writer's Workshop model: in a nutshell, staple a few pages together and have the kids make books, ANY kind of books. Then once you've had your mini-lesson the kids are free to make a book, you conference with the kids on the skills they need based on your lessons/student needs. What an eye-opener! My kids have hit the ground running making books, they beg me to make books and bring me pages to staple when we run out of pre-stapled books.

I wanted to incorporate more environmental writing into our Wonderful Writing stations since we're getting into persuasive writing, expository text and non-fiction. I found The Ultimate Writing Station on Pinterest by Seusstatic Classroom Inspirations by Mel D.

I took an old tri-fold and used the copies from her Ultimate Writing Stations and taped folders to it and set it up next to our writing "corner." There's baskets with their writing materials and the writing process reminder posters. I finished it Thursday and had it set up on Friday, the kids were already pulling the sheets out before I even explained how the new station would work. They were very curious. Have no fear the kids will get their crack at it on Monday :)

We have 10 weeks left of school and there's 10 writing activities for them to do, plus I have the extras that didn't fit on the board ;) They will only be required to complete one a week and keep it their Wonderful Writing Folders. Our campus began keeping writing folders in the kids' cumulative files since writing is a weakness for us. We have to collect a sample each quarter in addition to writings throughout the year and put them the students' folders. This is also a way to fill that requirement ;)

For our Social Studies Unit on Community Services as a way for the kids to be aware of what services government provides to its citizens we have the kids make 3D maps. They have to include at least 3 community services/buildings on their maps. One of our teammates actually had the plan for the green poster board as the base and the black strips of construction paper for the roads. I just gave the kids leftover scraps of construction paper that we had in the room to make their buildings and whatever else they could think to add to their communities.

We completed an Evan-Moor community service worksheet and they used those maps to get ideas for their own towns. They added names and other community features as well: churches, Wal-Marts, bridges, parks, dogs, cars, etc. My students LOVED this activity!

~Darnee~