A Presidents' Day Treat

For today's February Freebie, I am offering my newest product, Destination: Imagination via Creative Thinking Vol. 2.

These 18 activities allow students to share projects and ideas with a purpose. They are a wonderful home-school connection that directs eager parents to work with their children in a constructive manner. An eclectic collection of activities developed for use in gifted and talented classrooms, the goal is to promote the 4 traits of gifted children: fluency, flexibility, elaboration and originality. But really, what child wouldn't benefit from working on those aspects? I have found the project works very well with heterogeneous groups and have successfully used it with 1st - 5th graders.

The activities are structured to be used in 1 week intervals: assignment sheets go home with a due date; products are shared one week later. Included are copy ready assignment sheets, notes to the teacher, and participation certificates. Some are designed to be used seasonally; others are appropriate to any time of the year.

If you haven't tried Destination: Imagination via Creative Thinking Vol. 1, be sure to take a look.  These activities are extremely popular with parents and, of course, children.  Try them, I think you'll like them.

Freebie February

Remember that this product is FREE for just 1 day.  Grab it while you can.

In this product, there are 16 rules for dividing words into syllables. Each rule is clearly stated on a full sheet bearing colorful, pirate  graphics. An example word is provided for each rule and those words are all thematically related.  

This product is aligned to the CCSS.  Did you know that EVERY elementary grade level has one or more standards associated with syllabication?

Other syllabication products you may like:

 

A Valentine for the Teacher

Happy Valentines' Day, teachers!  You made it through the week, so sit back and relax on this sweet Saturday.

Here's your Freebie February product for today:

It's only free for 1 day, so don't delay.  Get it here.

You may also like these poetry products:

 

Friday the 13th and Freebie February

Triskaidekaphobia is fear of the number 13. It's been referred to as a phobia since the ancient Babylonians, at least 1000 years B.C. When 13 falls on Friday, it is believed to be a double whammy called paraskevidekatriaphobia.  But there's nothing unlucky about Friday the 13th during Freebie February.  In fact, it's your lucky day because today's offering is Be a Math Magician.

This unit is packed full of fun, but challenging, magician's math tricks. 

It's only free for today, so don't hesitate.

Have a great weekend.  You've earned it.

Other critical and creative thinking products:

Freebie February - Day 12

It's day 12 of Freebie February.  Today you can get Follow the Clues to the Mystery Number absolutely FREE!

Enjoy!

You may like these math centers, too:

Freebie February -- Day 11

As the enrichment specialist for my building, I'm charged with creating ways to challenge everyone.  That's no small task!  So, I try to come up with things that will cover multiple grade levels. Story Sleuths is one such activity.  Originally, I designed it for gr. 1 - 3. However, kindergarten classes and 4th graders begged to join in on the fun.  So, of course, they were included.

This project begins with students reading (or being read) a specific set of 6 Caldecott Award winning books.  Since these books were recognized for their illustrations, it's important to draw students' attention to the pictures.  Not to mention that 1 clue in every set makes reference to the artwork.

After all 6 books are read, I distribute the week's clues for my detectives to devour. And, devour they do! (Have I every mentioned how much I love this job? Or that I'm the most popular teacher in the school!!) 

Because there are over 600 students in my building and only 1 of me, I require that the classes submit 1 solution as a whole group. (No way I'm slogging through 100s of guesses.) This results in some pretty amazing collaboration among the students. 

Each Monday morning, I deliver a certificate to the classes that guessed correctly.  Just to further enhance the enthusiasm, I don a Sherlock Holmes hat and carry an over-sized magnifying glass. (Have I mentioned that I'm the most popular teacher in the building?)

Each set of Story Sleuths has 4 weeks of clues.  The classes read 6 books so that they still have to think as week 4 rolls around. Process of elimination will only take them so far in this challenge. Also provided are book icons that can be displayed in the classroom. Per my recommendation, the icons for the books that have been used are taken down, helping the students focus on the remaining books.

You need not be an enrichment specialist to make this project work. Classes within 1 grade level could challenge each other or do it independently. I've had some teachers form teams within their class so as to promote the collaborative thinking. This also works well for the school librarian, especially near the annual announcement of the Caldecott Awards. The art specialist can add great depth to this activity by exploring the art techniques associated with each book's illustrations. 

Inasmuch as it's Freebie February, today I am offering Story Sleuths III for free. So hurry up and claim your copy. It's only free for 24 hours.

There are 3 sets of Story Sleuths so far, plus an economical bundle of the 3.