Fab Finds. . .

These fabulous finds are from  Dollar Tree, Garden Ridge, and Target. . .

Item #1: U.S. Map with labels and icons-clearance price $9.98
I didn't purchase this one because I don't have a good place for it in my classroom, but this would be a very interactive and fun project for young learners.

Item #2:  Innovative Word Map (shower curtain). . .$14.99

I'm looking forward to using this giant map when we study holidays around the world, Christopher Columbus, landforms, bodies of water, Texas, and America.  The great thing is that I can pack it up and store it when it's not in use!

Item #3:  Books 

I didn't know Garden Ridge had such a selection of children's books!  Most of them are $3.99 or $4.99.

Item #4:  "Lemonade Signs" from Target Dollar Spot

How cute would it be to have a lemonade stand while we're working on coins/money next year?  This also goes perfectly with my beach/ocean theme.  

  

Item #5: "Zany Tales" from Target Dollar Spot   

I love these!  They seem like they'll be great story starters,  and I can use them to review parts of speech without a boring old worksheet!

I'll use this one to connect to making predictions and inferencing skills.

I'll use this one as we talk about fairy tales.  It will be a great way for students to create their own "fractured" tales as well.

I'd like to use this one when we talk about "pre-fixes, suffixes, and root words."

Item #6:  Sticker Charts from Dollar Tree

These are perfect for making "student office folders."  You don't have to glue, cut, paste, or copy.  I'll have a post about making them in a few weeks.  

Item #7:  Undercover Spy Gear from Dollar Tree 

I can't wait to break these out when we start working on inference.  We may also use the "fingerprint" one when we talk about our similarities and differences at the beginning of the school year.

That's it for this week!  Did you find any great deals this week?  If so, let me know.  You know I love a great bargain!

Father's Day 2011

Father's Day is right around the corner, and we're going to get started on a few projects next week.  I don't know about y'all, but I love shopping at Dollar Tree.  I pretty much make weekly visits to take a look at the latest arrivals and the teacher's corner {Mr. Perry doesn't understand this fully, but he is supportive of this habit since he knows how I like to use ordinary household items and random items for classroom instruction.  {is there anyone else out there that can relate?}

About a month ago I snagged about 25 of these cute little wooden picture frames.  I plan to have the students decorate/paint them, and add a photo, poem, or note.  I haven't decided which one yet.  I'm thinking of attaching a little decorative note that says, "You make my {heart} sing" or "You make my heart {flutter}."

Just a side note for those who may not know...when Dollar Tree has a limited quantity of something that you need, you can usually order it directly from their website.  They can ship it to a store  near you so you can pick it up there.  The website has everything from office supplies to toys and games.  Most importantly, it has the teacher's corner items too!  Click on the link to check it out.

Here's a little book about dad's and a coupon book that students can 

illustrate, cut out, and present to their dad.

My dad

Father's Day Coupon Book

Click on the picture below to see another great example of a coupon book.

Here are a few of my favorite books about dads.

 I just discovered a fabulous website with all kinds of crafts, ideas, and fun projects!

Visit Make and Takes  for more great craft/gift ideas including these cute little "monster bookmarks." 

Daddy's Little Monster. . .

Here's another really cute idea that I loved.  You could probably get lots of ties from a second hand shop or Goodwill.  Click on the snake for the instructions.