Preview Party!

and everyone is invited, (a peek at my week).

I swear it was Friday like 5 minutes ago!  

This weekend flew by.  Oh, daylight savings time you are not my biggest fan. (insert angry fist)  I went on a road trip with some of my college favorites.  These gals mean the world to me and I’m so lucky I met them ten years ago at Bradley University.  (Wow, I can not believe it has been that long). They are always there for me through thick and thin and I’m glad that we still find time in our busy schedules to still road trip together and spend quality time with each other.  
                             

Today was a good day because I submitted my last project for my technology class.  I am working towards my technology endorsement.  Just a few more to go and I will be done,  I think I can, I think I can.

On to the main attraction, a glimpse into my week.  In ELA we are continuing to talk about story elements.  This week students will have the opportunity to change the story elements of familiar stories.  For example, we are going to reread Elmer by David McKee and change the setting to see how that would affect the story.  We are also going to read Milo and the Magical Stones by Marcus Pfister.  This book is fantastic when talking about the ending of a story because it has two endings.  The reader has to choose which one to read first.  It lends itself to excellent discussions about what happens when one ending is chosen versus the other.    

Another activity I want to try is to have students change the story elements to the familiar rhyme The Itsy Bitsy Spider.  

One day students will read the original version of The Itsy Bitsy Spider.

On another day they will change the character.  Instead of a spider, students will draw and write their own character and read it.

The next day, they will change the setting.  Instead of up the water spout, students will choose a new place to have the spider crawl and read the story.  

Last, students will change the problem and the solution.  Instead of having the rain come and wash the spider out, the students will choose a new problem and solution to the story.  

Also, at the very end they will have the chance to create their own version of The Itsy Bitsy Spider changing some or all of the story elements.  

This packet with all the printables can be found in my store or by clicking the picture below.