Centers and More Centers!

Since school let out I have really been focusing on adding some new products and updating current products.  I found some really cute clip art at:

As I perused their inventory, center ideas were coming to me like crazy! I stopped myself before draining my pocketbook but came away with lots of ideas and clip art!

My favorite clip art was the Scrabble tiles art. Simple clip art, but the ways to use it in the classroom are endless!
 



 There are so many ways you can use these tiles for both literacy, spelling, and math skill practice. It works great from the primary grades through the intermediate grades.

I loved the building opportunities with the S'mores and Ice Cream clip art. It allows students to build with the manipulatives to reinforce math and literacy skills.








You can get the full set of Long Vowel Activities or buy it in smaller increments for the long vowel combination of your choice. EA, EE, AI, OA, and OO all available individually. 



For sight word and sentence building activities I created:

This center contains the complete 220 word Dolch List plus 95 common nouns for students to practice building sentences with familiar words.


 Students can make very basic sentences or elaborate sentences by building onto their trains. Also provides good practice with using proper punctuation marks.

I've added all of these centers within the last month to my center inventory to join Cruisin' with the Magic E! and Dog Gone Good Contractions.



If you are looking for some new centers for your classroom check these out. Kids will love the super cute clip art while reinforcing the skills they are working on.


The Space Shuttle Saga Continues.....

After the disappointment of watching the Space Shuttle Endeavour launch from TV at home I now have some promising space shuttle news! NASA allowed me to rollover my Congressional ticket request to the upcoming Atlantis launch. I received confirmation yesterday that my request was granted so the family is heading back to Florida! I am super excited, but much more guarded this time after the last launch experience!

Photo credit: Ben Cooper/Spaceflight Now


The Space Shuttle Atlantis launch is scheduled for 11:26 AM EST on Friday, July 8, 2011. This is the final launch for Atlantis and the final space shuttle launch EVER! The amazing space shuttle program has captivated me since the first launch of Columbia in 1981 when I was 10 years old. Most people think I am crazy to make these two trips from Nebraska to try and realize my dream of seeing a launch in person but it is my dream! I am so excited that my children will be with me and old enough to appreciate and remember the experience.

I have a good feeling about this launch.  The pilot is Astronaut Doug Hurley. Hurley is my maiden name so that's a good sign right? One of the four astronauts is a woman, Astronaut Sandy Magnus. When we toured Kennedy Space Center my eight year old daughter noticed and commented on the astronaut pictures around that there weren't very many women astronauts compared to men. I explained that women are joining the ranks more and more as times have changed and I am excited that she will be able to witness a woman go into space. Also my son has a space shuttle launch pad toy that he's had for years. The shuttle on the toy is Atlantis. We searched high and low to get an Endeavour one when that was the orbiter we thought we'd see launch and yet could never find one.  Maybe Atlantis is what we were always destined to see?

Wish me luck on a successful launch trip! In the meantime my kids will be completing my Space Shuttle Experience Unit available for FREE in my Teachers Pay Teachers Store:


Check it out for your own classroom or child at home. Only 29 days until the launch! Makes a great summer project to keep that learning alive and fresh!