Unwrap a Gift!!- FREEBIE!!

Happy Saturday sweet friends!

I am here today with a "gift" to my readers to help make your life easier this December! The fabulous Amanda over at The Primary Gal has organized this fun linky party where you can hop around to lots of different blogs and "unwrap" FREEBIES from each of us! Make sure to head over to her blog to see all of the other fun bloggers who are participating! 

My "gift" to you this morning is a sample from my December Print & Practice Pack! This past week, I did a fun writing project with my kiddos that was so simple, but they really enjoyed it. We wrote about what was on our "dream" Christmas trees. Here's a look at the finished product on my writing wall: 

This project was a three day one in my classroom. On day one, we brainstormed our ideas for things that go on Christmas trees. We made a class bubble map with all of our ideas. I then had my kiddos take their favorite ideas from our class bubble map and do their own bubble map of their favorite ideas for their "dream" tree! Such a simple thing, but my kiddos loved it! 

The next day, we used our bubble maps to create a tree map about our Christmas trees! We did this part all together, and the kids were writing ideas  based on what I was writing on my copy. 

I also have my kiddos practice talking in complete sentences using their tree map. This is really helpful for my English Language Learner students! They have to "read" to me from the tree map by saying: "My Christmas tree looks shiny!" They can't just say "It's shiny!" We also color coded our circle maps so that students could remember that each column was different. Students will have to pick one idea from each colored column when they turn their tree map into writing! 

On the third day of this writing process, I have my students circle one or two ideas in each column that they will use in their writing. We practice using complete sentences orally again, and I show the students a few examples of exactly how I would put the information on the tree map into a complete sentence. 

Then, students used their tree maps to write at LEAST three sentences about their Christmas trees! 

This was SUCH a simple idea and project, but it was easy to prep and lasted three days! My kiddos had fun too, which is always a plus :) 

Want to do this writing project with your kiddos?? Click on the picture below to download these pages and a few others as a FREEBIE on TPT! But don't leave yet… theres still more! 

If you're interested in checking out some of the other easy printables in my December Print & Practice Packs, check out the full packs for Kindergarten AND First Grade! The First Grade pack includes the same writing templates that I posted about here, but for a snowman and Santa Claus too! 

Before you head over to unwrap more gifts from my blogger buddies, I have ONE MORE FREEBIE FOR YOU!!! It's my Christmas Countdown color & word scramble chart! My kiddos keep this in their extra work folders and color a box each morning as part of their morning work. I have numbers on it that match the dates that we are in school this December… I did not include weekends since they aren't in class! The last day that they color is the 19th, which is our last day until break. 

Now, I realize that we are already part way through December, BUT my FREEBIE of this pack includes different versions of this chart! And there's even a version without numbers!! There is also a version where the kiddos only need to color the pictures, and do not need to unscramble or write the words. 

Click on the picture below to download the Christmas countdown coloring chart to use in your classroom!

That's all from me today friends!! I hope that you enjoy your freebie "gifts, " and that they help make your life easier this December. Make sure to head over to The Primary Gal to check out some of the other "gifts' from my blogger buddies. Click on the button below to go to her blog!

Happy Holidays sweet friends!