In November: A Mentor Text and a FREE Graphic Organizer

Hi All.
It has been an eventful week in our household and in particularly for my daughter.  On Wednesday A's dear kindergarten teacher did what I could not bring myself to do, she pulled one of A's very loose front teeth.  Bless her heart.  We were finally able to have a meal with no tears that evening.
On Friday A's class had pajama day.  I know, huge thrill, right?  Even better, A was given a Key Award at a school wide assembly.  Her award was for speaking with good purpose.  We are very proud of her.

By Saturday her other top tooth was super loose and this time she got it out on her own.  An award, pajama day, and two visits from the Tooth Fairy in one week, big news for a 6 year old.

Moving on . . .

I'm linking up with the Collaboration Cuties for their weekly Must Read Mentor Text Linky.  This week's topic is science.  My must read recommendation is by one of my favorite authors and is perfect for this time of year.  It is In November by Cynthia Rylant.

This book is a wonderful jumping off point for all sorts of science topics.  Changing seasons, migration, hibernation, weather, and more.  The illustrations are lovely and capture the feel of this time of year.  

In addition to science topics, there are many skills you can hit on with this book, such as inferencing and adjectives.  Below is a graphic organizer I created to use with this story to combine our science with writing.

After listening to In November, my students will complete the bubble map and eventually use it to write their first paragraphs.  Of course if you have older students, each bubble can be its own paragraph to create an essay.

If you would like a free copy of this graphic organizer, click on the picture below.

In November is a great addition to any elementary classroom library.  This book establishes the mood of November that your students will identify with and enjoy.

For more must read science recommendations, be sure to visit the Collaboration Cuties.  Thanks so much for reading and have a great week.