Pumpkin Investigation!

The baby's asleep! I was able to get in the shower AND eat lunch AND have time to spare to blog? Today is a good day! (Now if I can keep the dog from escaping the backyard, it'll upgrade to great- but that's a story for another day!)

One of the reasons I love doing apples in September is because it leads so well into pumpkins! The background knowledge on apples really helps kids expand their learning by applying it to pumpkins. They have similar life cycles, similar parts, and they both make for some excellent fall themed cooking in the classroom! YUM!

The first part of my pumpkin products that I've added was the Pumpkin Investigation!

Does it look just like the apple investigation? YES! Was that on purpose? OF COURSE! When it comes to little ones, familiarity, routine, and repetition are key! With similar visuals and understanding what they did last time, students will have greater independence in this activity. Plus, the familiarity helps them build deeper connections and understandings of the topic at hand. Many teachers feel the key to engagement is *new* and *different*, but what I've found is familiarity with a slight tweak has shown the greatest engagement and independence in my little learners.

Take a closer peek below!

Interested? The best part is it's a DOLLAR DEAL! Yes! ONE dollar! Find it here!

Be on the lookout! The mini book version of the investigation is coming in my pumpkin pack shortly!

Keep your head in the clouds!

Christopher Columbus: Explore the Explorer

Whenever there is a day off of school, I like to teach my students all about why they are off. It's a real world connection to their learning. Plus, it serves as a great conversation piece with their families while they're home from school! Thus came, Christopher Columbus {Explore the Explorer}!

This was one of the first products I ever made! It's so fun to revisit it and see how my style of TPT products has evolved. Yet, the products still remain a great teaching asset over the years.

As you may know by now, I love a good foldable mini book! It takes bigger topics and breaks them down into smaller pieces. Plus, as students go back to color in the picture, they are able to retell the story through the illustrations! I couldn't make a Columbus pack without a minibook!

Here's a great Color by Number. Perfect for those students who are learning their numbers and color words early in the school year!

Download the whole pack here to check out the early addition ship page as well as the Columbus K-W-L chart! For those of you who have the day off, enjoy your long weekend! My district usually has a Professional Development day on Columbus Day. For those of you who are still teaching, I hope this helps make your day a little easier! 

Keep your head in the clouds!