Made it Monday: My first TpT!

My first Made it Monday post!  Thanks to Tara for hosting.  Since it's a first, I thought I'd celebrate with another first: my first Teachers Pay Teachers item!

Tricks of the Trade - Homework

Linking up with Jessica over at Joy in the Journey to share a little 'Trick of the Trade' about homework!  I know homework can be a touchy subject for a lot of people, so it's nice to see what everyone does and maybe pick up a few new ideas of my own.

Language Arts - Persuasive Techniques

Today my students started working on our Persuasive Techniques unit.  I'm pretty excited because I'm starting with just a few of the techniques and they have to show them through a 'printed ad' that they will create.  I'll post pictures of the best ones here later.

Wednesday, I'll start them off on our big project where they will have to actually record a commercial using a specific amount of the various techniques we have studied.  I've never done this particular project before, but I'm quite excited to get it going.

My younger class will be studying Persuasive Techniques as well.  Instead of the commercials, I'll be having them sell a car of their choice using the techniques.  The tricky part will be that they have to put it on a poster board and convince their classmates to 'buy' said car.  I've done that one several times in the past and it always goes over well.  I'll take pictures of those too!

We shall see!

Nonfiction Friction

It seems that every teacher at one point or another struggles with getting their students to read Nonfiction.  It's always been a mystery to me as a person because as a kid, I was that nerdy one who was in the corner reading a book about Sitting Bull.  Apparently, not all people learn like I do.

In order to tackle this problem, I've decided to start a new 'On-Going Project' for my students.  They already to a lot of intense Fiction studying with their Lit Studies, so I want to enhance that for their Nonfiction studies.  I've created a 'Nonfiction Review' that they will be turning in every other Friday.

It's a short little thing with only 10 points that they have to include.  They can choose any type of Nonfiction to read.  It can even be a super short 5-year-old book, as long as it's Nonfiction and they can get enough information out of it.  They can present the information in any form they choose.  Some kids are taking to coloring, some are using computers, some are just plain handwriting on lined paper.  As long as it has the info, I don't care.

I know that, in the end, it's going to be extra work for me.  But it's all about what's good for the kids, right?