Combining the Content with the Cute: Gingerbread Edition

So, some of you may know that for the majority of my career I was an intermediate teacher.  When I started TPT, it was my first year back in first grade after a loooong absence.  When I got back down to primary, I became really passionate about setting the proper foundation for my students.  I realized a few things in going from primary to intermediate, and back again. Just because it's hard, doesn't mean it's rigorous.  Just because it's a craft...doesn't make it meaningless.  Trying hard says a lot about a student's character, but is rather irrelevant as it relates to a physical grade.  An A in intermediate usually means exceeding grade level...sometimes, for a primary teacher it means achieving grade level.  No one really told me this stuff...I just figured it out bouncing back and forth.  So, I'm in a unique position to chat with you about my take on rigor and content related issues.  As someone who still *kinda* sees them self as an intermediate teacher in a primary world...here are a few things that I think will help you bridge the gap between the two.  

Step 1: Know your standards. It's not enough to just *think* you know what kids on your grade level are supposed to know.  If you are really going to take kids to the next level, you need to be able to quote those puppies verbatim.  #realtalk  Over the summer, break them down...parse that language.  I have a few posts on this under the heading 'Common Core Chat'.  If you're interested in 'getting deep'...read them. :)

Step 2: Teach with the end in mind. What is your overarching goal in reading, in writing, in math?  The BIG IDEA.  I want my kids to....what?  If at the end of a thematic unit your kids can spout off really cool random facts about the theme...that will only get them points playing Trivia Crack...but it will NOT be enough to get them to the next level.  As primary teachers, sometimes, we've got to look a *wee bit* beyond the sizzle, and get to the meat.

Step 3: Gather relevant data.

Of all the areas that I think I was the LEAST prepared for when I went up to intermediate for the first time was the data collection. Here's something that you don't hear in intermediate: 'Well, I *feel like* my kids are reading well'.  Intermediate teachers don't feel...they count data points. #realtalk  In intermediate, you felt something based on DATA...not based on years of experience...DATA.  Sometimes, rookie teachers with fresher ideas are doing better by the numbers...because their ideas are more in touch with a younger audience and their energy is infectious.  Primary teachers, we need to not be AFRAID of data, we need to simplify it.  Make it approachable.  It can't be some beast...then you'll never use it to drive your instruction.  It will just be paper that you push around.  It's relevant though...I promise! :)

Step Four: Integrate different content areas.

This is HUGE when it comes to crafts.  I will put in a disclaimer here.  I hate crafts. More specifically, those of the construction paper variety. :/ There. I said it...it's out there.  I really don't enjoy them.  Probably because with a six year old, they take FOREVER, but mostly, because I just don't see the use for them most of the time.  I mean...after a while, they will probably be in a trash heap somewhere--and I spent all that time helping the kids make them look great! Two years ago, I just said to myself, if it's not integrated with a content area, I'm over it.  And that began my emotional reinvestment with the construction paper craft.  In my class we call them craftivities...because it's a craft and a LEARNING activity.  I still don't *love* them, but I can deal with it a lot better if I know that on the other side of it, I'll get actionable data that will drive my instruction.  If you follow me closely, you'll know that most of the writing crafts that I do have a rubric grade on the back! :) I have posts on this too! :)  Look under rubrics.

The point of this particular post is to show you how I take non-standard related topic: GINGERBREAD, and I make it a content driven and fun unit with some great resources from my dear friend Amanda's store! :)  Let's take a look at a few of them! :)
Kids need to know that they are going in the right direction when they are writing.  Anything that I can use to help them self-monitor, I am a fan of!
I am so excited that I connected with Amanda this fall at the New York TPT meet up!  She's so wonderful!  She has a passion for writing as well, and has a self-monitoring tool that I am so crazy about...there are just not enough words!

At our school, we teach with a basal.  I don't use ALL of what's in there, all the time, but...for this particular week, I liked the stories and I used them.  The finished product for our exploration of the topic was to write a poem with our firsties.
Here's a few of the steps I went to in crafting my gingerbread unit!

Step 1: Since one of the standards based objectives of the unit was to work on rhyming words, we looked at several folktales that featured rhyming.
Step 2: We read a variety of fiction texts that had to do with gingerbread.  We responded to that text in writing using some of the wonderful printables in Amanda's Gingerbread Printables Pack.

Check this out HERE.

Step 3: I used Amanda's self-monitoring system to help my students progress monitor themselves.  Then, I developed a rubric based on the intent of the standard.
Step 4: I tied in the writing component and some other fun activities that were math related for the afternoon!

So...the heart of Amanda's idea is to have a piece of the gingerbread man...or girl...represent a task that the student must complete for the sake of the writing assignment.  Her pack is designed for narrative writing.  It's just such a great blend of making students accountable for their progress and tying that to content! :) Really...I'm kinda giddy about this whole thing!

Click HERE to watch Ashley.
Click HERE to watch Logan.

But...I digress...Can we have #realtalk?  This was my last piece of chart paper.  The very. last. one.  This is really a checklist.  Not a rubric...but I didn't have any more chart paper, and #aintnobodygottimefor whiting out all the word rubric.  So, folks...I just told the kids...it's a checklist and they were like...'okay'. LOL!  Also, we don't have any more brown construction paper.  Not. even. one. sheet.  So, there was not a little gingerbread body to spare for the bottom of my rubric checklist.  Hence, your clip art. :)  Supplies are low folks. #thestruggleisreal  Sorry...this blogger is NOT perfect and does NOT even attempt to be. #enoughsaid
So...after tons of mentor texts and a few class poems, we were ready to go it alone! :)  The kids did super great! I was really proud.  All of them LOVED this idea from our new friend, Mrs. Richardson!

Here's the rubric that I used for my kids! :)

Want this for your class?  Click HERE.

Here's how I grade with this.  I put a check mark next to everything that the student earned.  So, one check is a 60, two would be a 70, three an 80, and 4 a 90...even if they are not sequential. Then I add points based on advanced spelling, vocabulary or sentence complexity.  I take away a points based on independence related to the task.
I hope that you enjoyed this post on combining content and cute! :)  It brings me such joy to know that I'm still making learning FUN for each of my kids with engaging, standards driven activities that set a great foundation for them going forward!