This is for You All "Love Machines!!"

As I promised my friends, I am back with some goodies for Valentine's day!! :)

First, I wanted to share one of my favorite Valentine's freebies. I think Mr. Heart came out really cute! Your students could write a letter to another friend in the classroom, or write about what they like about Valentine's or write about a favorite part of a valentine's story! Your options are endless!!! PLUS, I think they would look so cute on a bulletin board, don't you think?? Click HERE to download it :)

So after Mr. Heart, I felt pretty cool, but then I made a HUGE mistake...

Everything started with my husband and I reorganizing our home office, it needed A LOT of organization. Sooooo with all these ideas from Ikea and Pinterest, I decided to go to Hobby Lobby (for those that don't have one, this is like a Michael's store or a craft store), you see now what I meannnnn??? I just went to get some mini jars to storage small erasers and small items that needed to be away from my "Pollita," but then I said to myself, "why don't you stop by the scrapbooking papers to see what's new? You are JUST GONNA SEE!" YEAH RIGHT!!!!

I found these AMAZING pattern paper that I HAD to buy!!!! Don't you agree with me???

So after a few hours thinking what cute things I could do with these papers, I thought about a real envelope that kids can do! I'm HORRIBLE with origami, so I hope you are not expecting that awesome and complicated method level of origami! HA!

I looked on Google for EASY ways to make an envelope, and I found soooo many options! Most of them were too hard for this teacher :| 

I found this great website where there are many different templates, but I didn't want to go that far at this time, I just wanted simple steps and not having to make copies of the pattern and cut and so on... HOWEVER, if you would like to check it out, please DO! She really has great ideas different websites for different types of envelopes! Click HERE to take you there :)

I also found this picture with steps on how to do an envelope from a heart shape. So I thought it would be cute for students to write a short note on the back of the heart (the blank side), make the envelope, and just glue it with a foam sticker or something that when you open it, you would open the whole letter at once!

I got this picture from The Crafty Blog Stalker

Here are my pictures and how my envelope came up :) Not so perfect, but I think it would do the trick...

Then, I found this picture, I thought it was pretty simple and the steps were pretty clear, so I gave it a try.. I am NOT good at any of these things, so believe me if I tell you, if I can do it so can you! I got this picture from Making Friends

I personally skipped the pattern and I tried to skip steps that I saw they were not a big deal. Mine didn't come up as perfect as it shows on the picture (of course, that happens when you skip steps on the instructions! Lol). However, I think for students and the purpose of it, it was pretty good! :)

These are my pictures on how my envelope came up :)

So along with this cute envelope, I created a Free letter pattern for kids to write a letter to a friend.... I think the best way to do this (so everyone gets a letter and no one gets more than anyone else), might be for them to choose a partner or you can even choose partners randomly!

This freebie comes in both English and Spanish with two different styles! Hope you like it as much as I do :) Click HERE to download this letter for FREE :)

I hope these ideas are useful to you and your classroom!
I will be posting next about the Valentine's centers I have in my store if you are interested! If you would like to check it out NOW, please click HERE.

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Enjoy Valentine's Day and all that chocolate coming your way! Have an awesome week my friends! 

Multiplication and ice cream challenge.. water cycle

Hello friends!
This post is all about multiplication! Stay with me and hopefully you find some good ideas and freebies from this post! :)
When we started multiplication, we had so many tests that I figured doing something "sweet" could get my kiddos to refresh their brains. So I picked these two books to review about arrays and talk more about multiplication:

We worked on some vocabulary words such as arrays, factors, and product. Then we read a little bit of both books, and at the end we added a little bit of fun and sweetness to our work.

Students received 12 Hershey Kisses to create different arrays with them, and record their arrays on their math journal. After they recorded the different arrays, I gave them a legal size of black construction paper and a sheet that contained about 25 Hershey Kisses clip art. They were working in partners to create different arrays with the amount given. At the end of the day, I let students take the chocolate home and eat them there :)

Unfortunately, I can't give you my copy because I do not have any permission from whoever did the clipart; HOWEVER, I can tell you that I just looked up on Google "Hershey Kisses coloring" and I found the one I used for this activity.

Here are some pictures of what my students created:

On this same week we had some minutes left to do something different.... The idea started when I saw Amy Lemons post about area, you can click HERE to go to her post. However, I used this idea differently, we create robots so we could make arrays.... here are some pictures of what my students did... I think they turned out pretty cute :)

After we introduced multplications, the real fun started. In third grade, students need to know their multiplication facts. At the beginning my students were doing so awesome because it was something new and fun to them. However, as the weeks passed by, they seemed less encouraged and less interested in their facts (especially for those higher than x6)... So I did the ice cream challenge. I saw one third grade teacher doing this when I was teaching 2nd grade back then, so I created my own.
My students had a Multiplication booklet that they decorated themselves, they used these to keep their tests inside.

Every week we would practice one multiplication level (x0 and x1 were together) and on Friday we would take a timed multiplication fact test. These tests were stapled inside their booklet.

Everyone who would get 75% or higher on their test would earned an ice scoop (along with a popsicle prize) and started to build their own sundae. Once they completed their sundae, they would earn ice cream, not popsicles, real ice cream!

My students got so encouraged to learn their multiplication facts! The best part of it, it helped them to break it down into chunks.. No more the x1-x5 and then x6-x12 (which are the hardest for them to remember)... I couldn't finish the challenge since I went on Maternity Leave so I don't have pictures, but I know this was fun for them!

I have these products FOR FREE in my store! I have the build up sundaes that you can print in color OR black and white, laminate and give them to your students when they earn one piece.

I also have the tests already made for you! I included three tests on one page, we had limitations in making copies at the school I used to work, so I tried to save as much space as possible!

Click ICECREAM for the sundae template and click on TEST for the weekly tests :)

Alright friends, that is it for me! I hope this post has been helpful and you can use these freebies in your class!
I also hope you come back to see me feeling the loveeeeee, because I will be posting some great freebies and ideas on the upcoming weeks for you all "love machines" (oh yes, I just quoted Paul on that episode on "Friends", LOL)
Thank you for stopping by, I will see you next time! :)

Landforms Freebies and Ideas!

Alright friends! This is an oldie, but definitely a really good one! This post contains two weeks of landforms activities we did with our children. I am telling y'all, they had so much fun with everything, I still remember how engaged they all were! :)

First, we have talked about different examples: Mountains, Hills, Valleys, and Plains. We wrote the meaning of each word with examples and non-examples in our journals.

We also created a construction paper representation of each landform; here are some pictures of my students work and I've posted a picture of my master sample. I saw a picture on Pinterest (Click HERE to take you to the picture I found) and decided to make my own since I added a few more details and I included the landforms we were learning. I honestly show them how to cut their own without any pattern; However, if you would like a copy of what we did, I have posted a FREEBIE on my TPT store... I included the landform vocabulary words in Spanish AND English... click HERE to take you to the product :)

For our lab day, students were working in groups and built a sketch with play-dough. Before we started, we reviewed each landform and its characteristics. Then, I advised them to use a specific color for each landform. However, I reminded them that this was their project and they had to decide as groups. I did not tell them how to make the mountains or any landforms, I basically monitored them and I helped only if they needed more guidance... I completely let them take ownership for their own work. They were soooo engaged and were working soooo well in groups that made this activity so smooth :)
Here are some picture of their work as they are putting it together:

On the second week of landforms, we added a little bit of sweetness to our project. I have looked on Pinterest several pins with different ideas, so I combined those ideas to make our own landform activity. We used Graham cookies, green frosting, light blue frosting, M & M, fish sprinkles, and Hershey Kisses. As the play-dough activity, I let my students decide how to create their landforms, as long as they include the landforms we have been learning about.

At the end of the week, we also compared Hills and Mountains by creating a Foldable that contained a Venn Diagram. We wrote similarities and differences in between these two landforms. Students worked in partners writing their draft on a paper and then, creating a final product on this foldable.

Hope you find these lessons helpful and you would be able to use them in your classroom as well :)
Thank you for stopping by my blog, see ya next time!

Winter Freebies coming up!! 3 Freebies in 1 post!

Hello everyone!!!
I am making this post short and quick!! I am working on a new project, so I'd like to get back on that! However, I do not want to leave you hanging if you are in need of some fun and easy projects for the month of January!

First, if you are looking for some easy and fast place value activity, this is it!! It comes in both Spanish and English and it goes from ones place up to hundred thousands place. If you would like to read my post, please click HERE.
If you would like to download this for FREE, click HERE :)

I also have a cute and simple craft for you all penguin fans! I have a special feeling for this one because I just love penguins! I have so much stuff and so many ideas, but I still need the time to put everything together! (Stay home mom with two kids keeps me very busy)
If you would like this penguin, click HERE to download it.

I also have a snowman craft. This is perfect to use along with the book "Snowmen at Night". Honestly, you can use it for anything you want! You will need a contact paper to give that transparent effect. There are some specific directions in the document on how to give this effect to it :)  If you don't want that, I also included a solid circle to it so you can use it too.
Click HERE to take you to my post. Click HERE so you can download it for free!!

This is it for me my friends! I am hoping I'll finish my new unit soon, but we will see how these nights turn with the kids!
Hope to see you back on my blog next week! :)

Looking for a Solar System Unit? Look HERE!!!

Hello friends and Happy New Year!
I have been very absent on my blog for the couple of months, so I am so sorry about that. First it was the hectic life of a mommy of two and then it was our long 3-week trip to Virginia to stay with family during the holidays! How was your break? I hope everyone had a restful break and that you are all charged for these upcoming weeks!
I would like to share with you my Solary System Unit. I have to be honest with y'all, I LOVE LOVE LOVE to teach about the solar system! I was always disappointed in second grade when we just taught about the moon. So when I was told I was moving up with my second graders to third grade, I was very happy and nervous. However, everything turned into more excitement when I found out that I was going to be teaching Math and Science. The solar system has always been something that amazed me and it made giggle (nerd!!)
So with all that said, this is a very special and close to my heart unit. I used a lot of these activities in my classroom. The focus on this unit is the solar system, but if you don't teach it, check out the activities for Neil Armstrong, Sally Ride, and the Alien writing... those might be fun to do for other subjects! :)

REMEMBER that most of my products (if not all), come in both English and Spanish. So this is not an exception :) Both English and Spanish units contain the following activities:

1.Neil Armstrong and Sally Ride posters for both beginning or high levels (poster designed for

teacher).

2.Neil Armstrong and Sally Ride foldables for both beginning or high levels.

3.Planets tri-foldable with labels: Planets, outer vs. inner planets, and planets’ characteristics

(including links to find information).

4.Information posters for each planet.

5. Foldable to write information about each planet.

6.Vocabulary matching cards, including fill in the blank cards to keep in their interactive journal.

7.If I was an astronaut (both boy and girl) coloring foldable.

8.Word search sheet for both beginning or high levels.

9.Cross word puzzle.

10.Alien writing craftivity based on a chosen planet.

Here is a peek of what comes in it. This is a preview of the English Unit, please know that the Spanish version looks exactly the same. The only difference is the language used :)
Click ENGLISH or SPANISH to take you to my product in TPT.

To give you a little taste of the unit, I created a FREE SAMPLE, which is a matching card game with a simple fact about the planet. It also includes black and white cards to fill in the blank. Students can keep these cards in their interactive Science journal.
Click ENGLISH SAMPLE or SPANISH SAMPLE to take you to my FREE product in TPT.

Remember I am on BlogLovin' and if you would like to get my posts through email so you don't miss the fun, you can sign up on "follow me by email" (click HERE for instructions)!

Have a great and restful weekend my friends! I am trying to settle back in so I can work on my next unfinished unit! I am excited so stay tuned with more news!! :)