Fourth of July Celebration History

Fourth of July History and Celebration

 Fourth of July Summary

On July 4, 1776, a group of leaders gathered and decided to become independent of British rule.

They wrote a document called the Declaration of Independence. It announced that they were to be a new country, the United States of America, no longer under British rule. Click on this link if you would like a brief Summary of the Fourth of July. 

We celebrate this historical day with parades, firework displays, family gatherings, and cookouts! We celebrate our independence as a country.

Do Our Kids Need to Know This History?

This is not just any holiday, it’s our country’s Independence Day. Our kids need to know why this holiday was created, why it’s a major celebration, and why we celebrate it every year! Because this is also a holiday that is celebrated in the summer when most schools are out, even more so do we need to take the time to teach its history. Most important of all, teaching them this history is a great way of building pride in being a U.S. citizen. If you want a more detailed history of this event, go to History.com.

Teaching Resource

I have created a resource that teachers and parents alike can use to teach a brief history about Independence Day and how we celebrate it, the Fourth of July History Celebration Video. 

It covers three areas.

On Amped Up Learning

On TPT

History  

A brief history is given of the occasion that created the need for independence and how the Declaration of Independence was written in response to this.

American Symbols 

Some of the American Symbols are presented and a short history is given of each.

Celebration 

An explanation is given of how this holiday is celebrated around the country.

During the regular school year, we celebrate other occasions when this can be taught since the 4^th of July is in the summer. This resource can be used as a complementary resource for Constitution Day which is on September 17. Then there is Presidents Day which is on February 20^th.

Resource Benefits

This teaching resource is provided in a zip file with 2 videos and a pdf teacher page. One video has a music background and is narrated. The narrated video is about 11 minutes long. The second video has the same slides and only the music background. This video can be used interactively with your students. The passages on each frame can be read in a variety of ways. Students can read each one independently. They can be read chorally by you and all your students. You can pause at any stage of the video to discuss with your students.

Question Pages

 These can be found halfway through the video and at the end of the video. There are a variety of ways you can use these pages. You can group or partner your students and they can work to answer the questions. They can quietly write their answers on paper and turn them in.

  *    Group Activity: Give each student a sticky note for each question. Divide the board into that many sections. Students can write their answers for each question, then post them on the board by the question #. Divide your students into groups and assign them the sticky note answers for a question or several questions. Each group is to study the answers and sort them into correct and incorrect answers. Finally, each group must read their question and report the correct answers.

Go to my stores to check out this teaching resource!

Froggy About Teaching on Amped Up Learning

Froggy About Teaching on TPT

Growing Thicker Skin

 

Growing a Thicker Skin

There are several good reasons for a teacher to grow a thick skin. Having thick skin will make your job easier, less stressful, and more enjoyable.

Disagreements between parents and teachers.

Working with parents is a part of our jobs. Pre-K and Kindergarten teachers are usually the first ones that parents get to deal with when their first child begins school. There are so many interactions we will have with our student’s parents. There are times that it is challenging dealing with them and whatever issues they might think there are. We try to remain professional. I learned that an important aspect of being professional is having a thick skin. That thick skin will help us not to take things personally. It helps us to distance ourselves so that we don’t get drawn into drama. This thick skin will help you to move on with your job without getting offended. Creating this thick skin is one of the most important things you can do in your career as a teacher. Be confident in your experience, education, and training. Let it show!

Micromanagement in the School System

The school system is set up where teachers are being micromanaged. You will hear it in the professional development provided by the district and the schools. You see it in staff meetings when you are told how to do your job. Teachers begin to internalize the constant being told how to teach and when to do it. All this causes us to self-doubt and become insecure about how we are teaching our students. This is where having that thick skin comes in handy. We have been educated, trained, and in addition to our experience, we have learned how to teach and differentiate for our students. Do what you know is right for your students. Do not internalize this systemic micromanaging as a negative regarding yourself as a teacher. Be confident and trust your teaching skills.

Students arguing with teachers.

Students Inappropriate Responses

We love our students, there is no question about that. That is really why we continue to teach. Our students’ inappropriate responses are also a reason to need that thick skin. Sometimes our students respond to situations or discussions disrespectfully, with emotional responses, and with anger that has nothing to do with what is going on. As professionals, we must remain calm and not react to what was said even if the comment was directed at us. But it is difficult to do this if you do not have thick skin. Having thick skin allows you to separate yourself from what is happening to figure out the next steps to take. But having this thick skin should not be a reason for keeping students from the consequences of their words or actions. Trust your teacher's instincts.

 

Reasons for Growing a Thick Skin    

1.    It allows you to remain calm and not react.

2.   It makes it easier to see or hear what is going on, to get to the root of the problem.

3.   There might be a genuine issue of concern that is being expressed in an angry manner.

4.   You can let go and not let it get you down.

How to Grow a Thick Skin

1.    Think through your answer before you respond.

2.   Consider that a parent may be in a hard place and is speaking from that place.

3.   Rely on your professional confidence and experience.

4.   Know that you have your student’s best interest at heart.

5.   Believe in yourself and trust your teacher's instincts.

Teacher Friends, I hope that you are having a good school year and that everything is going smoothly. But you are dealing with the aftereffects of the Pandemic and that on top of everything else can make things challenging. If you want to know about using gracious words at work read, 8 Tips to Model Graciousness. Move forward with your teacher's confidence!

Debbie – Froggy About Teaching on Amped Up Learning

         Froggy About Teaching on Teachers Pay Teachers

Holiday Stress at School

 

School Stress During the Holiday Season

We love the holidays! But it is also a time when we do more. We do more at home to prepare for the holidays and we do more at school.

The music teacher prepares specific grade levels for a Holiday Music Program. The kids will need to spend some class time practicing beyond the regular music class time. The art teacher has each grade level create special art projects. You have your students making holiday gifts for their parents. All this creates an additional exciting atmosphere throughout the school for both teachers and students.

Hectic Schedule

Some school districts have parent conferences sometime in November through December. This is a disruption to your schedule. Then there is the Music Program to attend taking time away from your day. Your class must attend the Art Project Display. So much going on! Oh well, just reconcile yourself to the fact your daily routine will not be the same.

Frame of Mind    

Due to the reason that it’s the holiday season, the school atmosphere will be filled with vibrant energy. Take it in and be a part of that energy. Go with the flow!

Be Extra Patient

Parents can be more demanding during this time. Carefully listen to their concerns, acknowledge that you hear them, and let them know you will do what you can.

The students will pick up on the extra energy going around. Review your classroom expectations and rules to help remind them.

Staff members will also be feeling stressed. Share some kind words with them. They will appreciate it.

Most of all, extend your patience with yourself. You are dealing with all these things. Be kind to yourself!

Be Kind to Yourself

Plan for all the extra holiday activities. Manage the shorter times with activities that can be done before and after whole school programs.

Have alternate activities for the students who don’t celebrate the holidays.

Learn to say No. Limit your commitments, you don’t have to volunteer to do more than you are prepared to do.

Pace yourself. Give yourself extra quiet time, prayer time, meditation, prep time, nap time, time for a walk, etcetera,

Gift Giving

Stay on budget. Decide who you want to give gifts to. You don’t have to be Santa to everyone! I usually gave gifts to the school secretary, the custodians, and the lunch ladies. You give so much of yourself to your students that you don’t need to also give each of them a gift.

Reach Out to Your Support

Give a phone call to your bestie. Text a coworker. Talk to a family member. Pull your spouse into it. You don’t have to do this by yourself.

But best of all, ENJOY THE HOLIDAYS!

Happy holidays!

Debbie – Froggy About Teaching

Writing About Christmas

 

Writing About Christmas

Is it okay to have our students write about Christmas? Is Christmas not a favorite holiday for many people? Friends and family gather during this time. We decorate our homes inside and out with holiday decorations. Special foods and desserts are being made for celebrating. Dinners, parties, and festive celebrations happen. These are such memorable times!

To take advantage of all this, I have created a writing resource, Christmas Writing Prompts are made to spur creativity in a short amount of time. A picture with labels will help to get the writing process going. The prompt will provide direction to their responses and ask them to think about what the holiday means.

Amped Up Learning

TPT

Anchor Charts

As part of this product, there are two anchor charts that can be used as instructional tools before assigning a writing prompt.

Writing Rubric Anchor Chart

This can be projected onto a board. Then each line can be read and explained.

Read the prompt (This can be read to or with students).

Observe the picture (Students can share out loud, in a               group, or with a buddy).

Connect the prompt to the picture (Students can share out loud, in a group, or with a buddy).

Use capital letters at the beginning of a sentence and on names.

Use punctuation marks.

Write in complete sentences. (Either point out what makes this sentence model a complete sentence. Or have your students discuss with a buddy or small group.)

Writing Sample

This Writing Sample is a great way to show your students what a prompt is, how to observe the picture, and how to respond to the prompt.

After going over both the Writing Rubric and the Writing Sample, then your students should be ready to begin a week of fun writing!

Assignments

The writing pages have been differentiated into three versions. There are five pages of each set. Print the pages, front and back, starting with the cover page. There are two cover pages to choose from.

You can introduce this unit by presenting the two anchor charts to your students. Make sure to display the anchor chart in a location where they can refer to them. On the first day, go over the Word Bank. Then students can work on each page for the next 5 days. You can choose which writing version to assign to each student depending on their writing level.

When they have completed the writing assignments, as they work on each page, they can go to the Word Bank and check off the words they encountered on each writing page. In the end, students can add drawings to the cover page and color it. Then you can display their work on your bulletin board.

Differentiation

A sentence frame is provided for your emergent writers who need more writing structure. Sentence Starters are available for your transitional writers that need just some writing structure. Your fluent writers, get a writing prompt. A whole week of different writing prompts is included for each stage of writing.

Resources

This writing resource is available in my store, Froggy About Teaching both on Amped Up Learning and Teachers Pay Teachers.

If you need some reasons for allowing your students to write about the holidays then read Why Holidays are Great for Writers.

Continue the Christmas theme with this writing resource, Santa Letter Activities. To see what is included in this resource read, Writing Santa a Letter.

I am so happy to continue making these resources for you and your students. Look at my other Christmas-themed resources, on Amped Up Learning and Teachers Pay Teachers.

Happy Holidays!

Debbie – Froggy About Teaching

Planning Your Class Halloween Party

 

Planning Fall/Halloween Parties

Planning your Fall/Halloween party is a great way to have a successful fun time!

Organize the Party

Decide on a time that your party will start. You know that parents will want to be present. Tell them the time the party begins so they know exactly when to be there. Post a sign outside your door so that they know what time they can come into your classroom.

                 

  

Involve the Parents

Ask the parents for help. It is amazing what they will do to help. They can help prepare materials for that day, printing, copying, cutting, etc. You can also ask them to bring certain snacks.

                                           

Since parents will be at the party, put them to work. Start your party by having a parent read a fall or Halloween-themed book to the kids. Decide if you want the kids to listen to the story from their desks/tables or on the carpet near the reader.

Fall-Halloween Themed Activities

Plan some fun Fall-Halloween-themed activities for the kids to do at their tables/desks that parents can do with them. A parent can pass out the activities. For a great resource with some fun activities take a look at Halloween Activity Pack, by Happy Hive Homeschooling!

Have a place where the goodies can be sorted into bags or plates. You can use grocery bags or store-bought bags. Ask some parents to do the goodie sorting and other parents to pass them out to the students.

Create a Party Timeline

To have things move smoothly have a timeline. When it’s time to transition to the next activity you can keep things moving by announcing the next activity.

2:30-2:35 Welcome Parents into the classroom and direct them where to go.

2:35-2:42 Storytime-Have students go to the carpet while parents stay at the tables, for the story. This time frame includes the transition to and from the desks and carpet.

2:42-3:00 Fall-Halloween themed activities

3:00-3-20 Pass out and partake of the goodies

3:20 Thank the Parents and ask them to wait outside for their children. Clean up, throw away, and pass out leftover goodies to the kids that brought them.

3:28 Line up and do a Fall-Halloween chant while waiting for the school bell to ring.

If you want any DIY Halloween Party Ideas for the Classroom, here are some great ideas!

If you would like to receive classroom freebies, you can sign up to receive the Froggy Newsletter. I send out 2-3 newsletters a month with a variety of freebies. This month, subscribed teachers received editable Halloween Party letters and Halloween Party signs. I hope you sign up!

May you and your kids have a fun and well-organized Fall-Halloween Party!

Debbie - Froggy About Teaching

Halloween Themed Writing Picture Prompts

 

Halloween Writing Picture Prompts

Don’t you just love the festive “fun-ness” of Halloween? Your kids get to dress up. It is as much fun helping your kids decide how to dress up as it is for them to get dressed up.

What an engaging way to get your students writing using the Halloween theme! We know what fun it can be! The kids know what fun it can be! But we tend to guilt ourselves as teachers. We want to use resources with a serious theme because they will learn it that way. But we also want to engage them in what they are learning. Using holiday-themed resources can be a fun, surprising, and appealing way to get them to learn or practice what they have learned.

This teaching resource, Halloween Writing Picture Prompts will do just that. This resource is geared toward Kindergarten and First-grade students, and young writers. We know that our students come to us at the beginning of the school year with different abilities to write. Some kids will be emergent writers while others will be a little more experienced or more comfortable with the writing process. This writing product has been differentiated to address those very issues.

There are several parts to this resource. I will break it down for you.

Oral Sentence Starters

Some of our young students come to us with a limited language or speak in common phrases. Regardless of this, all our students need to be exposed to a more formal academic language. 

So, I provided Oral Sentence Starters to introduce each writing page. Each one will begin with a focus, then the sentence starter will be said out loud or written on the board. Students will complete that oral sentence starter with a partner or table mates. Then some of the students can share their complete sentences out loud (if students need help saying the sentence correctly, that would be the time to do it) and be a model for the other students. Then all of them would be hearing different responses to the same sentence starter.

 

Differentiated

There are seven writing prompts. Each prompt has been created in three versions to differentiate for the different abilities of your students, emergent writers, transitional writers, and fluent writers.

 

Emergent Writers

These young writers are students who are at the very basics of writing. They may be drawing pictures, random letters, and numbers for words or sentences, and still not have the concept of a sentence.

Version A for Emergent Writers

This version provides lots of support for these students with traceable sentence stems and where they can complete the sentences.

Transitional Writers

These young writers are a little further along in their understanding of what a word and a sentence are. They may be attempting to sound out words and attempting to write groups of words as sentences.

Version B for Transitional Writers

This version provides some support with the traceable sentence starters which have limited words and fewer of them-sentence starters.

 

Fluent Writers

These students are where you want your students to be. They understand what a sentence is. They are writing a mix of both words they are sounding out and words they now know how to spell, including the use of sight words.

Version C for Fluent Writers

Students who are ready for this version are ready to label the pictures on their own, to respond to the prompt with their own words and sentences.

Halloween Pictures

The Halloween pictures that have been included as a part of this writing set are not the scary kind but the common fun side of Halloween. It’s for the kids to enjoy and just have fun doing an activity that can be challenging for these young writers.

You can find this resource on Amped Up Learning and Teachers Pay Teachers.

Have a happy October with your students and enjoy the festive, cooler time this month brings to us.

Debbie – Froggy About Teaching 

National Hispanic Heritage Month and Your ESL Students

 

Hispanic Heritage Month is a time for recognizing and celebrating your Hispanic students. Honoring and allowing them to take pride in the histories, cultures, and language of those students whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America is a great way to build up these kids. 

Many of us have students that are or had been ESL students. Even if they never receive this label, many students have a different language in their home from the one at school. I will begin by sharing my own experience.

This is some history of how Hispanic Heritage Month came about. ‘The observation started in 1968 as Hispanic Heritage Week under President Lyndon Johnson and was expanded by President Ronald Reagan in 1988 to cover a 30-day period starting on September 15 and ending on October 15. It was enacted into law on August 17, 1988, on the approval of Public Law 100-402.’ The United States Census Bureau

I was born and raised in El Paso, Texas. Through my grandmothers, I am a second-generation American. Through my grandfathers, I am a third-generation American.

While growing up and attending school, I was referred to as a Hispanic, which I resented because “Hispanic” implied that I was from a Spanish-speaking country. So, I called myself an American of Mexican descent or Mexican American.

Even though my parents and grandparents taught us to love and appreciate our bi-culturalism and our bi-linguicism. It was difficult to maintain that when at school we were expected to perform academically in English like the monolingual English speakers.

All of this swayed my siblings and me to relinquish our first language, Spanish. My parents didn’t fight it because they expected us to excel in school.

All our students learning English as a second language have all gone through some degree of this language loss. It is our job as their teacher to recognize this and help them appreciate who they are, encourage them to maintain their home language, and encourage their parents to speak to them in their first language. Parents speaking to their children in the first language will not hurt your students. Instead, it will make them stronger language learners because they will be getting the basic foundations in the language they already know. This will help them expand their first language and learn the second language.

Please just keep in mind that part of the value that our Latin students bring to our classrooms is who they are.

I will continue this subject that is near to my heart. Thank you for continuing to follow me on this journey.

Debbie - Froggy About Teaching

Return to School Covid Safe

 

Return to School Covid Safe

Covid 19 is a pandemic that has affected every single one of us. The approaches to this disease have changed as time has passed. Our schools, our classrooms, and our students have been affected by how we have dealt with this disease. There have been significant disruptions to school due to the Coronavirus. We went from schools being closed to teaching virtually, going back to in-person teaching, quarantining because of our students being exposed, more cancelations, more virtual teaching, wearing masks, not requiring masks, and so on. Such confusing times!

New Norm

Because the Pandemic is now a part of our everyday life, teachers and students alike need to take precautions in order to not spread this virus.

Students need to learn how to Be Safe and Stay Safe while they are at school.

I have created a PowerPoint Slide Show-video to help your students understand the new “norm” that has come about because of the Covid 19 virus, as well as giving a basic explanation of its history.

Available on Amped Up Learning

Available on TPT

This is a teaching resource that can be used with primary students.

It is divided into four sections.

• A description of the illness.

Different ways Covid makes us sick.

• Ways to keep from getting the Covid germs.

  

  What we can do to avoid Covid germs.

• 
  
• Ways to greet school friends and stay Covid Safe.

• 

  Greeting school friends safely.

  
  
  
• Basic history of Covid.

• 

  Covid history.

  
  

There are questions at the end that can be used with your student to review the information that is presented, and it is the opportunity to discuss the why and how of all the changes that have come about due to the Pandemic.

The Pandemic is now a part of our reality, and this PowerPoint presentation is an opportunity to review and discuss it.

I have put the slide show and the video into a zip file. You have the choices to use the slide show, narrate and guide your students through each frame yourself, or you can use the narrated video and show it to your students. You will need to use a speaker.

This teaching resource has been updated to reflect 2022 CDC recommendations. If you would like to see their recommendations, go to CDC Covid 19.

I hope you and your students stay Covid Safe!

Debbie-Froggy About Teaching

#covid19 #covidsafestudents 

Topic-Based Journal Writing

                 
I am in the process of creating a set of topic-based Daily Journal Writing resources for Kindergarten and 1st-grade students. I’ve just completed one about Car Wash.

On Amped Up Learning

On Teachers Pay Teachers

Do you use daily writing journals with your students? How can writing in a journal format help your kids become writers? Should journal writing be evaluated? If I let them write using a journal, do I need to formally teach Writing? The answer to that last question is a definite “Yes”!

Now that I have set that straight, let’s move back to talking about journal writing. Journal writing is a great way to supplement your writing lessons.

This resource has been created with the standards in mind.

Common Core Standards-based.

Writing a label

Write about a picture

Stating an opinion

Make a list

Daily Writing Journal resources by Froggy About Teaching have the teacher in mind with a topic information page for each writing page the teacher can use to build the background.

topic info for each writing page

Daily Writing Journal resources by Froggy About Teaching have certain goals for your students.

• use sight words in each sentence

• refer to the alphabet strip to sound out words

• vowels and consonants are separated to visually see the difference

• label the picture

• use the picture to write about it

• word bank with nouns and vowels that can be used in their writing response

• independent prompt response

• writing checklist

These details are geared towards making this a safe writing space for your students to expand their writing, making this a quick assignment, strengthening their writing skills by making this a daily writing activity, and saving you time by making this resource a "printable."  To see more about this resource take a look at this video.

I hope your school year is one of making connections with your students and having students eager to learn!

If you would like to receive my newsletter - click on, The Froggy Newsletter. I send it out 2-3 times a month with teaching ideas, information on new and updated resources, and freebies.

Debbie - Froggy About Teaching