Caps for Sale

It's only taken me 3 years to make a Emergency Substitute Packet with a days worth of activities. Last year I made a nice folder of information for a substitute teacher and even put in an emergency CD. But each time I was gone I had to spend hours planning for the substitute. Do you think people who teach older students have any idea how long it takes to plan for a kindergarten sub?  Luckily I didn't have any emergency absences last year - but the year before I got stranded in an airport and had to make plans on my iPhone and send it. ACH! So when someone at a workshop showed their bag full of substitute activities for one full day I vowed to make some.

I've created a day's worth of lessons based on the children's classic Caps For Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina. Now these plans also took me forever to make but hopefully they will be useful for years to come. I am putting enough copies for each activity in a XL Ziploc with all the necessary materials.  Substitute in a Bag? Day in a Bag? I need a snappy name. See it on TPT Caps for Sale

Big Flowers / Georgia O'Keeffe

I feature an artist and composer each month in my classroom, so in April when I introduce Georgia O’Keeffe my students are primed to learn about another great artist. 

Each month I hang up works of art by the artist-if-the-month. I have a large collection of Georgia O’Keeffe works. There are also a few really good picture books about O'Keeffe as well.  This makes integrating lessons on Georgia O'Keeffe a snap. We read: Through Georgia’s Eyes by Rachel Rodriquez; My Name is Georgia by Jeanette Winter; Georgia O’Keegffe by Mike Venezia; Georgia’s Bones by Jen Bryant; Georgia O’Keeffe The Artist in the Desert by Britta Benke.  These books provide ample information on her life and art.

My students complete 2 major art pieces for this unit: a still life and a large flower. We also make a large group painting of clouds inspired by her work. See previous post for still lifes.  The BIG FLOWER paintings are the biggest hit with the parents and ME! They all look great - especially when hung en masse. It reminds me of the old commercial  "Kid tested, Mother approved."  But it's "Kid MADE, Mother approved."


I wanted to give directions on how to make this flower so I made a unit packet on Georgia O'Keeffe with all the different O'Keefey things we do. Find it here: Georgia O'Keeffe Unit

The kids do all the drawing and painting - I outline with puffy paint.