Sunday, August 4, 2013

VA is for Bloggers - Southern Hospitality Freebie Blog Hop

Welcome to Virginia!

Virginia is for Lovers Bloggers!





A bunch of us Virginia bloggers are bringing in the new school year by extending a bit of southern hospitality.  You can follow along the blog hop to visit 20+ Virginia teacher blogs for terrific teaching tips and fun freebies to help get your new school year off to a great start.

At the end of this post, you'll be able to see everyone who's a part of this blog hop! Pick one of us Virginians to start with and roll through all of our blogs to collect a ton of great freebies, ideas and resources!


The freebie I have today is one that is perfect for back to school! The activity is simple but it's a great way to kick off the school year in writing. 

I always start the year by reading and passing around a book called "Amelia's Notebook." It's a great mentor text for writing because it's fun and shows how students can tie in their personality to their fiction and nonfiction writing. The kiddos have really been excited about writing when we start off the year with this book.


This is Amelia's Notebook and it's a series so there are multiple books!
So then the next step is for the kiddos to begin their writing notebooks. I know that an empty notebook can be daunting to a fourth grader, so the first page of our writing notebook is our Heart Map. We fill in each space of the heart with something that is important to us that we can later reference to get ideas for a story.

The example on the right was made by one of my students that was so creative but told me on the first day of school that he hated writing and reading. I like to think that starting the year off with a fun, artistic activity made him hate writing just a little bit less. 

Click on the images to grab this freebie from my Teachers Pay Teachers store! I love receiving feedback on freebies, it helps me make my freebies even better!


You can also enter into this giveaway to win 3 products from my TPT store! That's right! You win, you choose!

Here's some of the products you could grab for free if you win!

Beezus and Ramona book companion with tons of vocabulary study!

Word Study or Spelling Tic-Tac-Toe for independent student practice with weekly words

Math quick check cards- put them on a binder ring and quiz your kiddos during transitions! See the blog post about these useful little things here.




The next stop on the hop is Nikki from Teaching in Progress! She is the hostess and organizer of this whole blog hop sha-bang so you can't miss her blog!

Teaching in Progress

Be sure to check out all the blogs below too!




55 comments:

  1. So excited to check out that book--my daughter's name is Amelia! Thanks for the freebie!
    Karen :o)
    Mrs. Stamp's Kindergarten

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    1. It's such a fun book! There's a ton of them too. Amelia is an adorable name :)

      -Caitlyn

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  2. Awesome post! Thanks for sharing all of your journal ideas :)
    -Julie
    The Techie Teacher

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  3. Caitlyn-
    Link this post with my Six Traits Sunday...it's perfect! Amelia's Notebook is a great book...perfect for writer's workshop. Thanks too for highlighting my post about Riptide. That freebie unit will be shared this week...August 9th.
    Carla
    Comprehension Connection

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    1. Alrighty, done and done!!! Cant' wait for the freebie unit :)

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  4. I would love to go back to Charleston!

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    1. Sounds like a popular answer! I went in high school. It was very cool! Have you ever been to Savannah, GA? It's got that same charm.

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  5. Southern town to visit ... well. My siblings are getting more and more spread out. Right now? My parents and I are the most southern ones cause we all still live in outhern Texas. Rest of the siblings spread from more northern Texas to Seattle. I'm going to copy the comment above me and say Charleston cause I've never been there. Or back to visit my uncle in Alexandria. Guess I shouldn't forget him and that was a beautiful place.

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    1. I have family in Dallas! I've never been to Seattle and I just have this feeling that I'd love it! That or Chicago. But I live in Arlington, right on the border of Alexandira!! It is a beautiful place :)

      -Caitlyn
      Fourth Grade Lemonade

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  6. What a great ending to a great hop! Love your blog, love Amelia, and love the freebie! I'll definitely be back to visit:)

    Teach Love

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  7. I'd love to go back and visit Charleston again! I went once as a child and still remember how beautiful it was!!

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    1. I know!! I've only been once but the houses. Ohhh the houses. If I win the lottery...

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  8. I would love to visit any Southern town since I have never been to any Southern town.

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  9. I know FL is not exactly southern except on the map, but I would love to visit my sister in Rockledge, where she just moved.

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    1. I count it as southern! I just drove down from DC to Orlando for a week in Disney World this past June! I'd recommend going when it gets a little cooler!

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  10. LOVE Amelia's Notebook! I remember reading it when I was in school...and you have such lovely lessons. And btw, the blog looks amazing....loving the new colors! :)

    -Kelly
    Sliding Into Second Grade

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  11. I have some old newlywed memories in Louisiana...that would be fun to revisit:) Maybe someday...Thank you for the freebie - love it!

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  12. I would LOVE to visit Savannah, GA.

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    1. It's stunning. I've only been there once for about an hour though.

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  13. I live in the Moonshine Capital of the world - Franklin County, VA. I would LOVE to visit Savannah, Charleston(SC), or Atlanta!

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    1. Oooh that's scandalous! Charleston is great- I went there on a family vacation when I was in high school and you definitely have to do the house tour by horse-drawn carriage. The houses down there are fabulous.

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  14. I would love to visit Williamsburg. My brothers live there & I'd also like to go to Colonial Williamsburg. dbednarsk@yahoo.com

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    1. And you can go to Busch Gardens while you're there!

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  15. There are so many places in the South I'd like to visit with my husband, and now my little daughter once she's old enough. We'd like to see Graceland. I'd like to go to Oklahoma City and see the tree that survived the bombing. We'd like to go to New Orleans. I've been to COlonial Williamsburg but I'd like to take my daughter there. I'd like to see where MLK was shot.

    cheryllhoff@yahoo.com

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    1. Wow! You have quite the list. Sounds like you love travelling like me :) I went to New Orleans a couple years ago and LOVED it. I definitely want to go back in the near future.

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  16. Well, I live in the South-South Carolina to be exact. I love visiting lots of places in the south. I would choose most any place along the coast-Sullivan's Island, Isle of Palms, Charleston, Hilton Head Island to name a few.

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    1. One of my best friends just moved to Columbia! I visited her, South Carolina is so much fun. With the exception of Palmetto bugs.

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  17. I love the heart map.
    Thank you for the freebie!

    Mary

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  18. I would love to go to Savannah, Georgia. =)

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    1. On our road trip down to Disney World this summer, we stopped into Savannah. It was just as gorgeous as you could imagine. I wish we could have stayed longer.

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  19. I picked up Amelia's Notebook at the the thrift store the other day! Thanks for the great post! Now I know better how I will use it! :-)

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    1. Southern town... well, I live in extreme northeast FL (Kinda southern, I think ) I would like to go to Savannah, GA with someone that knows about the town so I could learn about it's history. :)

      searssh@gmail.com

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    2. I think that's a great idea- definitely going with someone to learn all about its rich history... AND take you to the best places to eat!

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  20. I would love to go to the beach :)

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    1. You and me both. My favorite is Corolla on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. I miss that place.

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  21. The breach! Florida would be nice!

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    1. I have yet to go to the beach this summer which is sad! I'll be going in September a little after the school year starts though.

      -Caitlyn
      Fourth Grade Lemonade

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  22. I've never heard of this book, but I LOVE the idea! Will have to check it out. Thanks for the freebie!

    Don't Let the Teacher Stay Up Late
    Follow me on Bloglovin!

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    1. Yeah definitely! I had them when I was little so they've got to be available used for cheap!!

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  23. Orlando! Disney count down is on! kyuill@gmail.com

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    1. I just went to Orlando! Super fun... the week we went was SO. HOT though.

      -Caitlyn
      Fourth Grade Lemonade

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  24. Southern place to visit? Whatever town Ruby Falls is in would be my choice. My grandmother's name was Ruby, and when my children were younger, we would travel to Alabama or Georgia to vacation- if that is what I want to call it (I digress), but on our route, I always saw billboards with "See Ruby Falls". However, south to me would be Springfield, IL, since I am from northern IL.
    Thanks for being part of this awesome blog hop- y'all are great gals!

    Shar W.

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    1. Aw that's super cute! I even looked it up. It looks like it's in Chattanooga, Tennessee! It looks gorgeous too!!! You should definitely go!

      -Caitlyn
      Fourth Grade Lemonade

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  25. Hi Caitlyn, I just found your blog and it is precious! Thank you so much for the heart map freebie!!! I will definitely be using it in writing this year. :)

    ♡ Lori

    ♥ Owl in a Vowel Tree Blog ♥

    ✎ Owl in a Vowel Tree TPT ✎

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    1. You're welcome! I hope your second graders love it!

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  26. I'd love to visit Charleston. :) How did you meet all of these ladies you blog with? I would love to come up with a collaborative idea that many bloggers could work on and share together! Let me know if you are interested! :)
    ~Miss McDonald (ashleamcd@gmail.com)

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  27. wow great information about Hospitality, I love to read it. You have done nice work here. picture also informative. Thanks to shared with us and please keep posting more article! Resort in Bhimtal

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