Presidents’ Day

February 15, 2017

Presidents’ Day is just around the corner and I thought I’d share some of my favorite resources to use in the classroom.

Presidents' Day is just around the corner and I thought I'd share some of my favorite resources to use in the classroom.

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Presidents’ Day Video

I like to start with a short video. This one gives a brief overview (less than two minutes) of Presidents’ Day. Once we have the basics of when and why we celebrate Presidents’ Day, we’re ready to dig deeper and focus on George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.

You can find even more Presidents’ Day videos here and here.

Nonfiction Books

When learning about Washington and Lincoln, there are so many books to choose from. Here are my favorites that I use for both guided reading and shared reading. You probably have them in your classroom library, too!

Be sure to check out this post to find some great fictional books.

Presidents’ Day Activities and Resources

Since we are familiar with nonfiction text features at this point of the year, one of my favorite activities to start with is a scavenger hunt. Not only is this fun for students, but it helps them understand the way the text has been organized and gives them a preview of the information to come.

As we begin reading, students can record information learned about each president on their graphic organizers.

Graphic organizers are a great way to record information learned from books about Presidents' Day.

Reading biographies is also a great time to work on timelines. The National Geographic Kids texts have a timeline included. After studying these timelines, we use information from Abraham Lincoln (Magic Tree House Fact Tracker) to organize important events in Lincoln’s life.

After reading about Abraham Lincoln's life, students can use this timeline activity.

Even though nonfiction tends to be more straightforward than fiction, I find that many of my students struggle to comprehend as quickly as with fiction. I like to use comprehension checks to make sure we aren’t moving too quickly through the texts.

These comprehension checks are a great way to make sure your students understand what they read about each president.

But that’s not all. I also love to combine our new learning with a craft.

These crafts are a great culminating activity when celebrating Presidents' Day.

You can read more about these projects in this post.

You will find most of the resources mentioned above in these book companions:

To find even more ideas for Presidents’ Day, take a peek at my Pinterest board.

Happy Teaching!

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Stories by Storie

1 day ago

I absolutely love wordless books now, but that hasn’t always been the case. When I first started teaching, I didn’t know how valuable they could be for readers of all ages. Thank goodness that has changed!⁣
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The Girl and the Bicycle is one of my favorites. It’s about a young girl who sees a shiny green bike in the store window. She rushes home, but finds she doesn’t have enough money in her piggy bank. She checks the couch cushions, clothes pockets, and even tries to sell her toys and lemonade. When she still doesn’t have enough money, she offers to help her neighbors with yard work. Unfortunately, they all turn her away except for one kind woman. As the seasons change, these two work side by side and develop a friendship. When the weather warms and the little girl finally has enough money to buy the bike, it’s already gone! Can you guess what happens next? The ending gets me every single time!⁣
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What are some of your favorite #wordlessbooks ? Be sure to check out my stories for my favorite books along with tips for using wordless books in the classroom.⁣ ... See MoreSee Less

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Stories by Storie

5 days ago

✏️“I don’t know what to write.”⁣
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If you teach writing workshop, you’ve probably heard this more times than you can count. When your mini lessons aren’t reaching every writer, it might be time to reach for a picture book. That’s why I’m so excited that @katemessner and @marksiegel2020 have teamed up again!⁣
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How to Write a Story takes readers on a young girl’s journey from choosing an idea to sharing her finished writing piece. Kids are sure to get inspired by the colorful illustrations and create their next story. Swipe to sneak a peek inside the book.⁣
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What are some of your favorite picture books about writing?⁣ I'll share some of my favorites down below.
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#howtowriteastory #writingmentortext ... See MoreSee Less

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1 week ago

Is this true for you, too? ... See MoreSee Less

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Just because your kids can read to themselves doesn't mean they have outgrown the read aloud. Here are some tips for read aloud. Number 5 is my favorite!😀 ... See MoreSee Less

Read Aloud Tips

storiesbystorie.com

Reading aloud to children of all ages is so important. Some teachers and families don't make time for read aloud because of busy schedules, lack of books, or because their kids can already read indepe...

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Stories by Storie

2 weeks ago

This morning I set my son up on the computer for his Google Meet and then slid back over to my computer to start work. After listening to his teacher cheerfully greet each and every student, she mentioned that she had a book to share. Suddenly I found myself caught up in her story. Why? Because she was reading Our Class is a Family written by my friend, Shannon.⁣
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This rhyming story wants to help each and every student feel loved, included, and safe in the classroom. It shows that a classroom family celebrates what makes each member unique, how the people love and respect one another, and that the classroom is a safe place where it’s okay to make mistakes and grow together. This book is perfect for the first few weeks of school, but can also be revisited throughout the year.⁣
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Sometimes a book comes along at the perfect time with an important message. No matter how you’re teaching right now, your class is like a family. Building relationships and community is more important than ever. Have you shared this book with your students yet?⁣⁣
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