Must Read Mentor Text - If You Traveled West In A Covered Wagon

 

Amanda and Stacia over at Collaboration Cuties have set up this great linky. 

This week we are linking up texts we use with social studies.

 

My class just finished a westward movement unit. 

 A book I always use is:

 

 

 

The kids love this book!

The book is all questions and answers about traveling west in a wagon. 

I actually use this book more than our social studies textbook.

It is written in very kid friendly language.

Many of the questions are directly related to life for a pioneer kid.

 

My kids asked how the authors found out all this information.

Great question!

At the end of the book, it tells you the answer.

The authors used old diaries of kids and adults that traveled west.

 

There are other books in this series, but this is the only one I have used so far.

 

My pioneers unit was created around this book.

You can check it below.

I'll give it free to the first person to comment below!

 

 

Hope you had a nice weekend.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Five for Friday!

Really?  Another week is already over?  These days are just going by so fast.  Do you feel the same way?  So I am back for another ...

 

1.  Easter was so much fun with my older daughter as she was looking for eggs. 

Here was one filled with Skittles!

 

2.  Over the break we went to see The Croods.  Have you seen it yet? 

I thought it was a really funny movie and the popcorn was pretty good too.

 

 

3.  This week we started one of our favorite units in third grade - Westward Movement.  I think the kids enjoy this unit because they are able to compare themselves to the children that lived back then.  Our first activity was charting words that we thought of when we heard the word "Moving."

 

We've listed ten items that we would bring with us if we had to move today and even started writing in our travel journals.  The kids are actually asking for more time to write everyday.  I'll share some of the journals once the kids have written more.  Here is the unit I created for my class.

 

4.  There is a really big giveaway over at Mrs. Rios Teaches Second Grade that you will want to check out.  There are over 107 prizes to be given away.

 

 

Also check out 3 Hoots for Little Learners for another big giveaway.  There are so many awesome products that you can win.

 

 

 

5.  Lately, my students are having a hard time getting along.  At least one person is in tears every day and they seem to have forgotten how to talk kindly to one another.  I was discussing this issue with two of my colleagues and they came up with some great ideas.  It's all going to start with a video called, "Kid President: Make the World Awesome."
 

You can also check out a blog post about it at Digital: Divide & Conquer.
 I'm hoping to share some ideas with you next week about my plan
and if it had any effect on the kids.

Hope you had a great week and have an even better weekend.