Curls and a Smile

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Instagram and New Resources for you!

OMG! May is just flying by! I am ready for summer break but we have a couple more weeks of school before we are finished for the year. I have tons of fun activities planned for the next couple weeks and can't wait to share them!

I have been busy, busy, busy! I have created three resources that I think that you're loves will really enjoy! The first one is this little beauty....

(Click here to go to my store on TpT)

I created these for my students as a fun little way for them to create a keepsake of their classmates. One of my coworkers saw it and said that they would be cute for all the grades so I got to work doing just that! This resource is great because it can be used year after year, no matter what grade you teach! I created two versions for each grade level from kindergarten to fifth grade and I can't wait to hear what the kiddos think!

I also created this

(Click here to go to my TpT Store)

and this one too...

(Click here to go to my TpT Store)

The Plant and Flower books work really well together and can be used to differentiate for the life cycle of a plant. I am also going to be making one more student created book on what plants need to go along with these books and the unit lessons.

I am so excited becuase I feel like I was having a real block on creativity!

Now, I am creating up a storm (while procrastinating on packing up my room)!

I have also been really enjoying Instagram!

Have you seen this?

I am having so much fun on Instagram! It is just another awesome way to share great ideas and all the wonderful things that are going on in our classrooms! If you haven't checked it out, you MUST! I also love that Instagram will post to my Facebook page as well! Totally awesome!!

You can follow me on Instagram @curlsandsmile

(no "a" in there because it was already taken....LOL!)

Well, I am off to work on grades, report cards and....ummmmm...........

maybe I need some clipart before I get started........LOL!

Tuesday, May 7, 2013

TpT sale for Teacher Appreciation Week!

I am so excited! It's Teacher Appreciation Week!

I am having a sale on all of my products on Teachers Pay Teachers!

You can recieve 20% from me and with the promo code TAD13, you can get an additional 10% off!

I just added this little beauty to my store and will have a couple of more that I am working on in my store soon! I am really excited about the amazing clipart that I purchased from my sweet friend Ashley Hughes and it has inspried me to create a few more mini books for the kiddos!

Thank you so much for all that you do each and everyday! I think that everyday should be a day that we appreciate all teachers! You are all so amazing and I am so grateful to collaborate with each and everyone of you!

Sunday, April 28, 2013

Look Who's On Instagram!

Howdy! I am absolutely in love with instagram! I have tons of fun looking through pictures, quotes and ideas for school! My sweet friends Natalie and Rachelle from What the Teacher Wants and Michelle from Apples and ABC's have created a linky party and have given me the courage to create an instagram for my little blog!

You can now find me on Instagram using the username CurlsandSmile!

I am working hard on adding pictures and having a blast following some of the best blogs around! I will be joining What the Teacher Wants and Apples and ABC's on Tuesdays for their AWESOME weekly linky to share pictures from my blog and classroom! I can't wait!

Join in on the fun by following me on Instagram (curlsandsmile)!

I look forward to sharing and collaborating with you in a whole new way!

Sunday, April 7, 2013

Where, oh where has Ms. Morgart been?

Hi sweet bloggy friends! I feel like it has been a forever since my last post but I am so glad to be able to take a moment to FINALLY write a post!

So where have I been? Well, besides my super hectic super mom schedule, I was actually able to squeeze in a once and a lifetime trip to Washington, D.C. My daughter, mom and I were able to go to this year's White House Easter Egg Roll and it was AMAZING!! We were right there on the lawn of the White House playing games, doing crafts and listening to music! I am so grateful that my daughter was able to experience this and be so very close to the White House! It was an experience that I hope she never forgets.

While there, she recieved a commerative egg. She was over the moon that she recieved the egg with Bo on it! We made some beautiful memories!

The last couple of weeks have just ZOOMED by since spring break! The spring semester is difintely zipping by which can be a blessing and a curse. There is so much still left to do but I am also looking forward to a fabulous and relaxing summer (44 more days)!

My little ones are working up a storm on their historical figure biograhies! We were very lucky to recieve a grant through a foundation in our district called LEAF. They are an amazing foundation that fund so many wonderful projects to help bring great teaching opportunites into classrooms.

We started with simply exploring difffernt biographies. Through the grant, I was able to get TONS and TONS of fabulous biograhies that my littles can read! We discussed the genre, what information we could gather from reading biographies and the author's purpose for writing books in this genre. The kiddos selected their historical figures and now we are getting ready to write our research paper.

I love the thought of research in second grade. It makes me so excited that they are ready and capable of gathering information and transforming that into informational writing! TOO EXCITING!!

This was the unit that inspired me. I simply {puffy heart} love Amanda from One Extra Degree!

She is as talented as she is sweet and her unit Wax Museum Biographies is amazing!

As the kiddos were reading through and exploring their biographies, I had them take write down some interesting facts about people they thought they may want to research. This was helpful becuase they were having a hard time narrowing down their choices and being able to finally pick one individual. It turned out to be just what they needed!

This week, we will continue our research project. My babies will be collecting information and learning all about how to write ideas in our own words. I can't wait to see what they can do!

We are also focusing on Main Idea.

I think this will be a great integration to their biography writing because it is a fabulous way to intergrate using supporting details to develop the main idea.

Here are some great units that I can't wait to teach with this week:

by the lovely Amy of Step into Second Grade

and

created by the darling Kelley of Teacher Idea Factory!

I can't wait to use all these great resources with my kiddos! Should make for a great week of learning!

Saturday, March 2, 2013

Currently...and a new resource!

Happy Saturday!

I am so glad to FINALLY be able to link up with sweet Meghann of Oh Boy Third Grade and her super adorable Currently link up! It you haven't check this out....you sould! It has to be one of my favorite linkies and they are so much of fun to read!

So here is what I am up to.....

Here are the rules if you chose to link up to Currently..the rule of three! Head over to two blogs before you and leave a sweet comment and then vistit the blog after you and do the same.

Now, I really do have about a million things that I want to make for TpT. It's always back there somewhere in the back of my mind just dying to get out! I am currently working on a Spring Break Personal Narrative resource similar to my Winter Break Writing Resource. I am hoping to have it posted by the end of the weekend. Fingers crossed!

I am also adding a new font to my Curls collection! This will be another addition this weekend!

Busy but loving it! Make sure to visit my facebook page Teaching with Curls and a Smile for Sunday Shout Outs and updates on my blog posts and resources at TpT.

Monday, February 25, 2013

Booking Across the USA- The Lone Star State!

Howdy from the great state of Texas!!

I am so excited to be part of an amazing blog hop showcasing bloggers from each state created by Jodi of GrowingBook By Book! She has done a fabulous job organizing this fun virtual trip across our beautiful 50 states!

Here are a few facts about Texas:

The state is called The Lone Star State.

The official state flower is the bluebonnet.

The official state bird is the Mocking Bird.

The capitol of Texas is Austin.

The official state song is Texas, Our Texas.

Our state was once a republic. There were only two presidents before Texas became part of the United States of America in 1845.

Texas was the 28th state to be admitted into the United States.

Texas is the second largest state in the United States.

Texas is also known for our cowboys and cowgirls, ranches, horses and country music and nothing ties that all up like the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. It is one of the best times in Houston with carnivals, musicians and rodeo activities for people of all ages. It’s a fabulous time in Houston and in the classroom!

I love using the rodeo as a real life connection for my students during this time. One of my favorite activities to do with my students is a fiction/ nonfiction pairing of a wonderful storybook Armadillo Rodeo by Jan Brett and a nonfiction text named It’s an Armadillo by Bianca Lavies .

Here are two activities that we use to collect information about our favorite little friend, the armadillo:

Once we have a deeper understanding of the armadillo, I love to read the story Armadillo Rodeo! This story is a sweet story about a little armadillo that goes looking for his “friend” and has an amazing adventure through the rodeo!

Here are a few activities for Armadillo Rodeo:

Graphics/fonts copyright DJ Inkers. www.djinkers.com

Thank you so much for stopping by and learning about Texas! I would love for you to follow my blog (just click on google friends on the left), follow me on Facebook, and come and join my giveaway for one of my resources on Teachers Pay Teachers!

Thanks again and have a wonderful time hoppin’ through our wonderful 50 states!