Cinnamons and Antonyms, Happy Dance, & How-To Writing Unit!
Last night, I did a little happy dance in my living room. I made the Top 100 Sellers list on TeachersPayTeachers! I was number 52 when I logged in. YAY!! I sold my first item on February 6th and I can’t believe the whirlwind of excitement that has happened since then! It’s a wonderful feeling to know the materials you make for your own students are also making their way into other schools and students’ lives! 🙂 Keep reading for a little “celebration giveaway” at the end of my post.
We had a fun, amusing, merry, entertaining, and delightful time learning about synonyms and antonyms this week! In fact, it was not the horrible, awful, terrible, painful, dreadful, and monstrous learning some of my kiddos thought it would be.
We played some interactive synonym and antonym games from GameGoo on the computers.
We also played Antonym Acting! We acted out antonyms with some multi-sensory learning. I said a word such as happy, and they would have to then “act out” the antonym of the word. They loved this! We acted out the antonyms for words such as fast, catch, hot, mean, tired, and go.
Then we made Synonym Buns!! I found this idea through Jordon’s blog, Life is Better Messy Anyways. Each student was given a different word and looked up synonyms for the word from the thesaurus. They were so surprised to see how many synonyms they found for their words.
We shared our new and interesting words with each other as our *real* “synonym buns” were baking! Yum! It was a great treat to eat after we took our synonym/antonym assessment.
At the end of the day, we do a recap on what we learned. When I asked them what their favorite part was, they told me “cinnamons and antonyms!” Me: “No, no, it’s syn-no-nyms.” Kiddos: “Ohh…cin-o-mins.” Haha, I think we’ll review pronunciation keys next week. 🙂
“Mini-Giveaway Celebration”
This past week, I posted my latest TPT item, “A How-To Writing Unit for Kids!” It has all the materials you will need to make some fun, hands-on projects: a PBJ sandwich and a S’more! Each activity comes with a complete set of picture sequencing cards for independent or whole-class work. It also includes additional expository writing activity pages, rubrics, differentiated planning pages and final copy templates, a class book cover for students to write about their own “how-to” topics, a poster, enlarged transition word cards, and individual student charts for transition words.
Here’s “How-To” win this unit:
I usually give my new units out to the first 5 followers who post a comment. But in celebration of being on the Top 100 Sellers list this week, I’m giving this unit free to first *15* followers who leave me a comment with their e-mail address. Yay! 🙂
Catch: You must include some synonyms and antonyms in your comment. 😉 Have fun!
I don’t know about you, but every year I have students in my classroom who are unable to formulate complete sentences when they speak and participate….
Sorry, forgot to include synonyms and antonyms…have to say that every child, or student (there's my synonym!), in my class except one says "cinnamons" instead of "synonyms"…gotta love first graders! 🙂
I love the cinnamon synonym idea ~ it is sweet and tasty. I would love to use your unit in my classroom (I know some of my kids may be perturbed at first they will be happy with their results from the packet. Congratulations on 100!
Synonym -> sweet / tasty Antonym -> perturbed / happy, love / hate
Check out my blog and TPT store for some freebies and fun!
I guess it's too early for me to read correctly! I love and adore your activities! It would be terrible if I missed out on getting this awesome activity! luvyorkies@gmail.com
What marvelous and amazing news on reaching the top 100 list!! Congrats on such an achievement!! My goal this summer is to open a TpT shop of my own which I hope will be wonderful & not lousy, lol. Lisa fsuteach81@yahoo.com
I hope I am not too late because I am starting "how to" writing this week…..and this would be PERFECT!!!! I love your blog and all of your ideas. I am in second grade also and I can't wait to do the "syn-no-myns" and antonym acting activity 🙂
I would definitely be happy and not at all sad to get this awesome, amazing, terrific, fantastic unit! I know my students would have fun and not be bored. I love to have fun, exciting things for them to make them think and ponder. And this will help me create and make that kind of environment for my kids or children in my class. They love, not hate, but LOVE new, and sometimes old, but mostly new things to work on! Thanks for this great, wonderful, fantastic opportunity! 🙂
I would love this!! We haven't done How to stories yet!! This would definitely make writing easy and not hard for them! This would really make my day fabulous and fantastic!!
The "How-To" writing pack looks FABULOUS. I know my kiddos would benefit from this MARVELOUS pack. Congrats on making the EXCELLENT Top 100 list too! Squirrel-Bottom Diaries :o) sarahmarianj at gmail dot com
LOVE your blog design and writing ideas! They've made me a little hungry though, lol! I am also your newest follower! Please come and join in the fun with me at http://www.aplusfirsties.blogspot.com. Happy blogging!
Thank you everyone!! 🙂 The unit has been emailed to the first 15 followers. I really enjoyed reading all of your creative synonym and antonym comments. They definitely made me laugh! 🙂
I hope I'm in time! I absolutely adore your stuff!
sarahplumitallo @ gmail.com
I love everything you post! Thanks for sharing your wonderful ideas!
Kate
dancinqueenks23@aol.com
Sorry, forgot to include synonyms and antonyms…have to say that every child, or student (there's my synonym!), in my class except one says "cinnamons" instead of "synonyms"…gotta love first graders! 🙂
Kate
dancinqueenks23@aol.com
Adorable! Love everything about it too!
❤First Grade Delight❤
imgoingfirst@gmail.com
Wow, I'd love this! 🙂 My kiddos would benefit from it for sure!
sblake1[at]student[dot]framingham[dot]edu
Your ideas are delightful, refreshing, and creative. My second graders will ' eat' them up.
Thanks for sharing the pictures. Mrssharb@yahoo.com
I love the idea about the synonym buns… good enough to eat lol.
Congrats on Tpt
Brooke
brookeychook@hotmail.com
I love the cinnamon synonym idea ~ it is sweet and tasty. I would love to use your unit in my classroom (I know some of my kids may be perturbed at first they will be happy with their results from the packet. Congratulations on 100!
Synonym -> sweet / tasty
Antonym -> perturbed / happy, love / hate
Check out my blog and TPT store for some freebies and fun!
It wouldn't let me finish comment :-/ Do to continue. . .
I just put one of your units on my wishlist!
Brittany
Secondgradesweets.blogspot.com
Rdwrte3@aol.com
congratulations on getting in the list!!!!
jenross1018@yahoo.com
As a writing teacher, I LOVE all your activities!
Lori
Teaching With Love and Laughter
I guess it's too early for me to read correctly! I love and adore your activities! It would be terrible if I missed out on getting this awesome activity!
luvyorkies@gmail.com
Lori
Teaching With Love and Laughter
What marvelous and amazing news on reaching the top 100 list!! Congrats on such an achievement!! My goal this summer is to open a TpT shop of my own which I hope will be wonderful & not lousy, lol.
Lisa
fsuteach81@yahoo.com
I hope I am not too late because I am starting "how to" writing this week…..and this would be PERFECT!!!! I love your blog and all of your ideas. I am in second grade also and I can't wait to do the "syn-no-myns" and antonym acting activity 🙂
mnewburn@pasco.k12.fl.us
I would definitely be happy and not at all sad to get this awesome, amazing, terrific, fantastic unit! I know my students would have fun and not be bored. I love to have fun, exciting things for them to make them think and ponder. And this will help me create and make that kind of environment for my kids or children in my class. They love, not hate, but LOVE new, and sometimes old, but mostly new things to work on! Thanks for this great, wonderful, fantastic opportunity! 🙂
3rdgradetimesinct.blogspot.com
Stasweet@aol.com
I would love this!! We haven't done How to stories yet!! This would definitely make writing easy and not hard for them! This would really make my day fabulous and fantastic!!
Ali
alischepis(at)gmail(dot)com
An Education Lasts a Lifetime
ah! forgot synonym…these are fabulous and wonderful hehe 🙂
jenross1018@yahoo.com
Still looks great and wonderful! I love it and could never hate it! lol
Jennifer
laughinbrunette@hotmail.com
First Grade Blue SKies
Thanks so much for stopping by our blog! Your blog is amazing and it is so cute! We love your resources!
3 Teacher Chicks
The "How-To" writing pack looks FABULOUS. I know my kiddos would benefit from this MARVELOUS pack.
Congrats on making the EXCELLENT Top 100 list too!
Squirrel-Bottom Diaries :o)
sarahmarianj at gmail dot com
LOVE your blog design and writing ideas! They've made me a little hungry though, lol! I am also your newest follower! Please come and join in the fun with me at http://www.aplusfirsties.blogspot.com. Happy blogging!
~Tanya
I would love to have this! I would hate it if I'm too late. =}
Emily @ Second Grade Silliness
ebuckler@hotmail.com
Thanks for stopping by 🙂 I'm your newest follower.
❤ Mor Zrihen from…
A Teacher's Treasure
Teaching Treasures Shop
Thank you everyone!! 🙂 The unit has been emailed to the first 15 followers. I really enjoyed reading all of your creative synonym and antonym comments. They definitely made me laugh! 🙂
I LOVE your blog, so much that I gave you an award! Head over and check it out!
Primary Punch
Thanks for the shout out!!