Throwback Nonfiction using Sticky Notes

Happy throwback week! Today I have two blasts from the past to share with you.

It was fun going back and looking over my old posts to choose one to bring back today. I wanted to go way back to 2011, but I couldn't find one that would be relevant to this time of year. So I went with two different but related posts from 2012 and 2013. I know some of you are already done with school, but we still have a solid 3 weeks left. This post comes from May of 2012 when we were working on reading  nonfiction. This was before I had heard about close reading, but as I was looking back, I realize that what we were doing was very similar to what we do for a close reading lesson. Well, parts of it anyway. :)

#1: Click here or on the picture below to go back in time to 2012 and read about how I used sticky notes while reading nonfiction and to get a little freebie:

 

#2: Then you can jump back to my post from last year. It goes into more detail about how I use sticky notes for research:

Hope you enjoy these posts! Have a great weekend everyone. :)

Graduation Decoration Ideas Throwback Post

For sixth grade graduation each year, I have the students create a "collage" on a silhouette which I purchased from a local party store.  Unfortunately, this year the store has gone out of business and I could not find pre-made silhouettes to use.  I took a silhouette from a previous year and created templates for both a girl and boy graduate.  Each student received a quarter sheet of black bristol board, and they cut out their own silhouette. 

  Well this year (2013) I could not find the images again AND I don't have a template from previous years...so I am going to have the students trace each other using an overhead projector and make a silhouette of their own head.  It's too bad they won't have the mortar board and certificate, but I will have to make due.  If you find the silhouette cutouts~grab em!  I had them add their name across the scroll part on the bottom, and decorate the rest using photos, images from the internet and items cut out from magazines.  They added glitter, felt stickers and ribbon to make them more eye catching.

Each silhouette was then mounted on a red or blue star which I had also purchased at a party store.  (I was smart and kept these to reuse them!)  These are then displayed on the wall behind the stage for graduation.    The students always do a wonderful job, and they get to keep the silhouette as a memento of their time at our school.

UPDATE 2014: Each year I try to change up how we celebrate graduation.  This year I am going to add "mortar board" hats to the silhouettes.  I found the mortar board cut outs at Dollar Tree and could not resist.  I keep looking for the silhouette cutouts pictured above but just can't find them.  I figure that having the students cut out their own silhouette and adding the mortar board will be even better!  I'll try to post some pictures of the final products!