More Breakout EDU with Parts of Speech!

I'm back with some more Breakout EDU news. I just created and played my first breakout! I brainstormed various ideas that would help my students review some of the things we were working on in class, and I came up with a parts of speech breakout that I named "Grammar Gurus." Students are working on nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs throughout the game. I also threw in a little coordinate graphing too, even though I don't teach math.

As I was creating the game, I loved how I was challenging myself. My brain was working overtime in the creativity department, but I was using a ton of critical thinking skills, just as my students do when they're solving the breakouts. This was the most fun I've had creating a lesson in a long time. To plan the connections of all of the locks, boxes, clues, puzzles, and so on was very taxing on my brain. But, I got it done and tried it out with my kiddos last week! I wasn't sure if I had made it difficult enough or too difficult and was happy to find out that it was about right. They were on the last clue when time ran out, so I did stump them, but they got stuck on some clues that they found out weren't quite as hard as they were making them out to be.

Anyway, I wanted to share my breakout with you, if you're interested in using it in your classroom. It's also in the shared drive on the Breakout EDU website. So, if you would like to peruse other games, go to www.breakoutedu.com and click on "get started." You'll get access to a variety of game for many different grade levels and subject areas. Here's a PDF of my game, if you'd like to try it out!
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_AryyTOXWaHaTZaVHNlZnBNeEE/view?usp=sharing

Thanks for stopping by!

Happy Valentine's Day and a GIVEAWAY!

I'm here with a quick post because I finally finished my newest novel unit, "Jigsaw Jones: The Case of the Secret Valentine" just in time for Valentine's Day!

My students love Jigsaw Jones books, and this will be no exception! Plus, it's perfect for this time of year! If you're looking to start a new novel with your kiddos for whole-class instruction or literature circles, this is sure to be a hit with your students as well! Can Jigsaw figure out who's sending him secret valentines? Students will work through many of the Common Core Anchor Standards for a variety of grade levels, including figurative language, summarizing, and point of view! This packet includes vocabulary, comprehension questions (both multiple-choice and short-answer), as well as chapter activities!

Also, if you're looking for some fraction practice in math, I've had this Valentine Math product in my store for awhile now. It's great for 4th & 5th grade Common Core standards practice, and kids love it because they get to learn with CANDY! 

What kind of fun Valentine's Day activities do you have planned for your students? I love changing learning up for the holidays; it keeps students interested and, most of the time, they don't even realize they are still learning!! :) 

Would you like to own my newest novel unit? Now's your chance! Just use the Rafflecopter below and you AND your students could be winners! Have a wonderful Valentine's Day!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway