May 20

Capture the Summer {A Writing Journal for the Summertime}

The unit was finished and posted on to TpT last night! I know that I shouldn’t make more than one post in a day so I waited until this morning to show you the preview. I’m excited about making this with my students. If you didn’t get a chance to read my post yesterday I mentioned that I had a lot of work to do with my students in the area of writing this year so I DO NOT want them to forget everything we learned this year. I hope that this writing journal will give them the motivation to write, write, and write some more over the summer. So go ahead and check it out below. Oh, I almost forgot to mention that there is also an end of the year craftivity in this unit. It is a simple but super cute camera craft that you can do without taking a ton of classroom time to complete.

I know that I just showed you the preview of everything that is in this unit but I also wanted to show you what everything looks like when it is completed. So I have a few pictures to share of the journal and camera craftivity.

In order to keep your students writing I have provided 3 different topic cards that have ideas for your students to write about. They are broken up into 3 different categories; people, favorites, and fun. There is also an editing checklist so they can edit their journal entries even when you aren’t there telling them to reread a sentence. I also made a key bookmark so that the students can mark their place in their journal after they make an entry. It is a cute little detail that is sure to get your students excited.

Then I have included some fun and creative journaling pages for you to do with your students before you send them off to summer. These pages have your students write in their best handwriting, make goals, and plan a do to list. There is a page where they write their friends names in order to have them for their writing over the summer. Also inside this unit is two different handwriting pages. The handwriting page in the picture is the primary version but there is also lined pages for older students. If you don’t want to make copies of writing pages you could always use notebook paper or other paper that you already have in your classroom. Since this journal is made to fit on regular paper it will be easy to use what you have. Last there is a page where the students can illustrate a picture to go along with their writing.

Here is a pocket that is made on the back cover of the journal. Inside the pocket you will send your students home with sight words lists that they should practice writing with over the summer. In the photo I have included both the second and third grade list so that my students can get a little review and a little preview of sight words.

I am excited about this craftivity. It is super easy and it still looks really cute. I wanted to show the camera without the Polaroid in case you wanted to do the ctaftivity without taking pictures of your students. The label says, “Smile! I’m a _____ grader!” Also I know that some elementary schools have PreK classrooms so I have included labels for Kindergarten through sixth grade. I can’t wait to do this on the last week of school, which by the way is the week of June 4th. June 8th is my last day with the students and yes, I have started a count down!

Finally, I wanted to mention that this unit {Capture the Summer} is on sale until my last day on school {June 8th} along with my Reflections From the School Year unit. Click on the unit cover to go to my TpT store.

On sale for $2.00 regularly $3.00! I am giving a whole $1.00 discount!