Book Bite #6- Surf’s Up

Have you ever met a reluctant reader? Someone who always wants to play rather than read a good book? There is a character just like that in Surf’s Up, a new book by Kwame Alexander and Daniel Miyares.

Bro and Dude’s adventure perfectly illustrates the power a good book can hold over a reader. It’s also a fantastic model of how to use a cliffhanger. Check out our Book Bite for ten ways to use Surf’s Up to jumpstart social studies, science, writing and engineering activities!

Happy Birthday, Scuba Dog!

Scuba Dog is here! Dive in!! If you haven’t ordered your copy yet, you can find it on Amazon or you can ask your local bookstore. Our entire first grade has been counting down along with us and we hope you have been as well! If not, you can use the countdown activities as follow up activities and we have a Scuba Dog Activity Kit too. I’m not sure who has been more anxious about Scuba Dog’s arrival, Ann Marie or I. While Ann Marie has been on pins and needles about sharing her book with the world, I’ve been keeping a surprise book birthday party from her! Our first grade team is incredibly lucky to be such a tight knit group and we are thrilled to be able to celebrate this day with Ann Marie. Here’s a little peek at what we did to celebrate. A special “THANK YOU!” to Emily Mitchell, Ann Marie’s agent over at Wernick & Pratt, for sending a copy of the book for the party! I hope our staff enjoys their Scuba Dog Snack Mix!

Countdown to Scuba Dog- 1 Day Left!

Tomorrow's the big day: Scuba Dog by Ann Marie Stephens (my fellow Happy Teacher) will be released! We've been anxiously awaiting this day since April of last year and can’t believe it’s finally here. I hope you’ve enjoyed the countdown to Scuba Dog so far. Here is the last activity to help you and your kids celebrate the coming release date! If you’ve looked at our Book Bites, you know we like to feature snack ideas to go along with children’s literature. We hope you especially enjoy this one. Dive into a Scuba Dog Snack Mix! Visit a grocery story and pick up a few ocean and dog-themed snacks like goldfish crackers (bonus points if you can find Stauffer's whale shaped crackers-check Dollar Tree), oyster crackers, gummy fish, Scooby-Doo baked graham cracker sticks (shaped like dog bones), and blue M&Ms or jelly beans. We actually used blue Sixlets and told our kids they were bubbles. Put the ingredients in a bowl, mix them up, and fill snack bags for your friends and family. Yum!

If you missed any of the activities, you can find a full list here. Stay tuned for more Scuba Dog activities!

Countdown to Scuba Dog- 2 Days Left!

It’s almost here! In only two school days Scuba Dog will make his literary debut. So far, our classes have drawn pictures of the deep sea, made gifts to celebrate friendship and researched whales. Many of our students have made predictions regarding what the story will be about and they’ve slightly changed with each countdown activity. Today is a day I know my kids will enjoy because they will get to use their predictions to help them decide what to draw. Today’s activity: Design a T-shirt! Scuba Dog’s friends are in a 3-dog band. They wear fun t-shirts throughout the book. Design a new t-shirt for one of the band members. Print out the t-shirt pattern or draw your own. Take a picture of your t-shirt and post it on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram (#ScubaDog).
You can find Ann Marie with the following usernames:
Twitter, Instagram and Vine: @AMStephens_
Facebook: Ann Marie Stephens
Pinterest: @AMSdiver

They loved it! Check these out!

Countdown to Scuba Dog- 3 Days Left!

Three days to go and our kids are getting seriously pumped up for Scuba Dog. If you didn’t get a chance to do the activities from Day 5 or Day 4 yet, go see what our classes did! Today’s activity is a great discussion starter and may lead to some independent research projects.

Day 3: Celebrate Whales! While swimming in the ocean, Scuba Dog meets a whale and they become friends. Head to the library and read books about whales. What kind of whale would you like to have as a friend? What would you name him or her? Look at these sites online and adopt your very own whale! https://gifts.worldwildlife.org/gift-center/gifts/Species-Adoptions/Humpback-Whale http://www.pacificwhale.org/content/adopt-whale-and-adopt-dolphin

We set up a center full of whale fun! Information sheets, a writing prompt and a place for students to write what they learned from their research.  Did you know that some whales (the ones with baleen) have TWO BLOWHOLES?!

Countdown to Scuba Dog- 4 Days Left!

Only four days left until you get to meet Scuba Dog! Yesterday we had a great time creating our own pictures of life under the sea. (If you missed that activity, be sure to check it out!) Today we’re in for some more fun as we celebrate the joy of friendship. Day 4: Make Gifts for Friends! Despite their differences, Scuba Dog and Whale become the best of friends and give each other gifts. Make friendship pins or necklaces for your friends. For pins, you will need large safety pins and small, colorful beads. For necklaces you will need some type of string and beads with larger holes. When your pins or necklaces are made, surprise your friends with their gifts.

**Beep, beep, beep- breaking news!**

I was totally inspired by this picture today.

Because of that we made friendship BRACELETS! Our classes cheered when they presented each other with their bracelets and even had (unprompted) loud choruses of "Thank you!" afterwards.

Countdown to Scuba Dog- 5 Days Left!

The countdown is on! THERE ARE ONLY FIVE SCHOOL DAYS LEFT BEFORE SCUBA DOG IS RELEASED!! In order to get our classes as excited as we are about the new release, we’ve put together a list of countdown activities! Check back each school day until May 3rd for a fun, new activity. For today: Take a Trip Under the Ocean! After Scuba Dog gets his SCUBA certification, he spends a lot of time deep in the ocean. What do you think it looks like down there? Make a picture with crayons, markers, or watercolor paints. Hang your picture in the classroom or at home. Purchase a bottle of bubbles from the dollar store. Blow bubbles in front of your picture as you show your family and friends your creation. Take a picture and post it on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram (#ScubaDog).
You can find Ann Marie with the following usernames:
Twitter, Instagram and Vine: @AMStephens_
Facebook: Ann Marie Stephens
Pinterest: @AMSdiver

My heart melted when I realized this was Scuba Dog and the whale!