How to Catch an Elf Book Companion and STEM Task for trapping an elf

This book companion for 'How to Catch an Elf' contains so many ideas to help you catch an elf.

There are steps to follow to create your own elf trap to catch that pesky elf. 

Explore the many tasks that compliment the text and make your students think about what they will design. 

Click here to see our pack in our store

This is a 'How to catch an Elf' book companion pack with a design brief to make a trap to catch an elf. There are writing prompts and Literacy Center Tasks to keep your students working hard around Christmas time.

Word Wall

• There are two versions for printing.

• These posters are an excellent way to brainstorm words together for reading and writing.

• Display in a prominent place in your room and watch your writers go!

Visual Representation

• This section includes a page for each trap in the text.

• Students can draw what they think about each trap.

• As you read aloud stop before you show the illustrations from the book.

• Record a summary for each change.

• Then predict a new trap design.

Print and Go

This sections includes
• Word splashes for each the Elf, Santa and the children

• Plus, Minus and Interesting facts

• Alphabet Key

• I see, I think, I wonder

• Record three facts

• 3/2/1 – Facts, options, questions

• Text to text, self and world

• Compare and contrast

• Design a book cover

Book Review

• The Book Review templates allow for illustrations and a text response.

• The first page is great for setting up beginning, middle and ending so that the second page is easier to complete.

Writing About the Reading

• Is-has-can tasks

• Writing letters- convince to keep the Elf safe

• Main Idea and sub points

• Author tools – what does the author do to keep us reading and interested?

• Interview questions

• Dialogue between characters

• Make an advertisement for the feast

• Write a different ending

• Write an innovation on the text

• Draw and label a story map

• Make a list of important facts from the text

• List the complications and resolutions

• Write a sequel

• Recount

• Summary

Design a new Elf Trap

• Discuss three good traps

• Draw one great trap

• Design the trap

• Make the trap

• Get feedback and make modifications

Enjoy the book and designing your own way to catch an elf.

Reindeer - Reindeer - Reindeer

I am fascinated by reindeer - so I have put together this pack to help put some facts together. 

They are so much more than Santa's transport helpers - hehehe

Click on the images or here to see the pack

Reindeer | Reindeer | Reindeer

This pack provides information about reindeer. This information will assist in the writing of your own Informational Text, guided by a rubric.

79 Pages

KWHL - for Reindeer. There are color, plus black/white versions and a one page version

This will assist in assessing what your grade knows and will help when writing the Informational Text

This is what we know about…

This is what we want to know …

This is how we will find out what we want to know……

This is our new learning about ….

Vocabulary - Color and black/white versions provided. Spare tags for extra words. Display these words and discuss what they mean.

Facts - These cards can be used as discussion starters or display these facts about reindeer and discuss what they mean. They can be used as starters for the Informational Text to help build the paragraphs

Photos - These photos are to be used to assist in writing the text. Print off and display around the finished Informational Text

Reading - This text is to be used to record the main ideas and the supporting information. The second task is to paraphrase the text

Writing – Use the photos provided in the photo section to assist in writing the text. Print off and display around the finished Informational Text. The rubrics are helpful in assessing the text. A map of the world is provided to plot where the reindeer live. A planner is included for the Informational Text. There are a variety of papers and planners provided.

Click here for TPT

Click here for DBT

Book count down for Christmas - getting ready

I have so wanted to do this for a few years and I have finally done it. 

I have got all my Christmas material and ribbon together and bought some extra bits and pieces and made bags for 24 Christmas books. 

I then made tags for each bag with numbers on them!

Laminated them then added the ribbons...

Attached them to bags and then put my books in them in.

You can wrap them in Christmas wrap instead and just add a tag for the number. 

I have a love of books (yep - you know this already)

But I saw some new ones, including some cooking ones and just had to buy them. 

This year I spied some Aussie ones and just had to have these too.

Watch as I open each bag starting on the 1st of December. I will blog each day from the 1st to the 24th of December. If you have some great books - please link up from the 1st. 

There may even be some ideas to use with each book. 

Term Four - No Chore

My idea is about organising those Christmas reads ahead of time. 

Search your school library, town library and your own books and pick out your top picks to read. 

Then place them in a special place in the room on the 1st of December. 

I put them in a large Christmas sack - that way they can't be seen and there is a little mystery about them. 

Choose one or two students each afternoon to pick out a read for the next day. 

Depending on the age of your students you may get them to read the text and devise questions to ask the grade. 

The discussion after each text could be based on ...

Text to Self - what memories do you have that are triggered by this text? 

What does this book remind you of?

Text to Text - what other books does this remind you of?

Text to World - What is/has happened in our world that sounds like the characters - setting - plot on this book? 

Keep the discussion and answers oral and lots of fun - as Christmas should be! Let the kids take control of the questions!

Here are my Christmas picks from last year that I read to my grade. 

I am about to hit the book shop to see what is new this year!

Check out what other ideas we have for you by checking out the other blogs that have linked up below. 

An InLinkz Link-up

Merry Christmas everyone!

Thanks for stopping by my blog, for your support and for another great year!

Spend time with your family and friends and take care of one another.

I will be taking a break with my extended family until the 5th of January. I can't wait to see my parents, two sisters, brother and their families. 

Catch up on my facebook page or on instagram. 

I have scheduled some posts to happen automatically over that time.

MERRY CHRISTMAS friends and HAPPY NEW YEAR.

Christmas Packs and New Year Goal Setting

Over the last few days I have been able to review these products and post them. There are two packs about celebrations around the world,  a New Year pack to help set up some reflections and goal setting. 

Click on the images to check them out in more detail.

Celebrations around the World
This pack helps to create an understanding of the celebrations that occur in our world within different countries and cultures. As your students read and research they will record the information they find on these interactive notebook templates. 

Copy and go – there are color and black/white versions.
Use library books and internet research to add the information for each section.
Have two children work on recording the information and then place all work in a class book to share or have on display.
There are photos provided to show you what the finished product could look like.

Christmas – Rockin around the World

This pack will assist you to record information from your own research. You will then be able to compare traditions and cultural differences. When completed this makes a great class book. Use the cover of the pack for your class book cover. 

This pack contains 68 pages 

Copy and go – there are color and black/white versions.
For some countries there is a male and female version to use. For Australia and the USA there are two versions for the question page.
Use library books and internet research to add the information for each section.
Have two children work on recording the information and then place all work in a class book to share. 
There are photos of completed work. 
There is a page for peer feedback.

New Year’s Pack – Year 2/3/4/5

There are 8 tasks to choose from. The first 7 tasks will make your students think about their achievements for the New Year. I will update this pack each year, so once you own it just keep down loading each year!

This pack contains 63 pages

Reflection for the previous year - This page will help to record three highlights for last year. You can then celebrate these milestones and build on them for this year.

Pennants for display - Color and display. The first pennant can be copied and glued on the back of each one for each student.

All about Me poster - There are two versions containing spelling for favourite/favorite, colour/color. Add the information and then display or place into a class book to help to get to know one another.

Interactive note pages with 6 different fonts - Record what you: would like to be, what you would like to be able to do, would like to do and what you would like to see happen this year.

Mobile cards for display - Each child is to fill out either the color version or the black/white version. Then cut out each rectangle – use string to attach them together and hang in the classroom.

Goal Book - Copy one for each child and brainstorm the information before they record in their own booklet.

Countdown Book - Copy and staple where the staple marks are. Cut in half to make two books. On each page record goals for the new year with Number One being the most important.

Autographs - Have a go at writing your autograph and collecting those of your classmates. Do this task at the end of the year again and compare signatures.

So grateful for this year

The end of our school year is here! In Australia all states are now officially on summer break for about five weeks. 

It has been such a busy end of the year and we have crammed in so much in that time.

Teaching Year 5/6 at this time of the year is full of end of year work to get our sixes ready for secondary school,

They have graduated and have had a special assembly, made speeches, had a special lunch, had a graduation dinner and rung the school bell for the last time. 

My families spoiled me with thank you gifts and I feel so fortunate to have had their children for a year to work with, teach, watch grow and become the special grade they were. 

So now my big news - at the very end of January I will welcome a grade of Year Three and Four students. Stacey and I will be team teaching in a new team.

I have worked with such a special team this year and not only are we colleagues - but we are friends. 

I have team taught with Fiona and we have laughed, drank copious amounts of coffee, planned, taught, assessed and laughed some more, maybe shared a glass or three! 

I am such a better teacher for having worked with her this year. I love to her to pieces. 

Here is our team enjoying a summer night together. 

This photo is of Fiona, Chloe and I having a celebratory drink at the the end of the year. 

Chloe will be team teaching with Fiona in the new year. 

Lots of changes ahead - but change is good.

 We also farewelled this gentleman - Wayne. He will be on long service leave - to trial retirement. 

We will miss him. 

Happy holidays everyone.