Survivor Week Fun & Freebie!

Monday Monday Monday! I do NOT have a case of the Mondays though, because I know there are only 2 more left after today! Wahoo! Toward the end of each school year, our school does something super fun called "Survivor Week". Throughout the weeks leading up to survivor week, the entire school reads the same book. It is usually book that is centered in Florida! During Survivor Week, there is no paper or pen allowed. Every grade level creates a station somewhere around the school that pertains to the book and each class rotates to the stations throughout the week. There are SO many fun activities that the kids get to do. It is probably one of the most stressful and exhausting weeks ever, but the kids have a total blast.

This year the entire school read the book Dillo by Kyle L. Miller. It is about a little armadillo who is born with a birth defect - a permanent smile! Her sisters are very mean to her and leave her lost and stranded. The rest of the story is about Dillo's adventures on her way back home and all of the animals that she meets along the way. It was a pretty cute story :)

To prepare for Survivor Week, last week we had lots of fun learning about armadillos. Here are some of the things that we did!

We started by creating a KWL chart about armadillos. The students had individual charts that they wrote their K's and W's on. Then we came back together and they shared their thoughts with the group for me to add on the big chart.

As we read the book, we added little visuals to our pocket chart to help us remember what happened in the story! One of my besty teacher friends down the hall came up with this wonderful idea during survivor week last year. This year I created a version for Dillo! The kids really enjoyed adding the pictures to the chart.

The littles also created a Dillo retell book to summarize each chapter! I don't have a picture of a completed one, but I will be sure to post one soon!

We also went on an web "Fact Hunt" for armadillo facts! We visited a variety of websites and discussed the various facts we discovered about armadillos. The kids wrote 4 facts that they found most interesting on their chart as we went through the different sites.

 

If you are interested in any of the armadillo activities, you can snag them all for FREE by clicking on the picture below:

 

 

 

This week begins  Survivor Week and my littles are BEYOND ready to go. They are unbelievably excited. One of the best parts (I think) is the fact that each class in the entire school has to create a Totem to display and bring around the school with them all week. It is a huge competition and it is extremely secretive. The kids don't tell ANYONE what their class is doing for their totem. The totem has to be created using a broom. Here is what it looks like right now:

 

The kids brainstormed some different ideas of what they think our totem should be!

 

 

 

Here is an example of my totem from 2 years ago when we read the book "Kidnapped in Key West":

 

 

 I cannot wait to see what we come up with for this year! Hmm....

 

Here are my plans (in progress) for the stations this week. Can you imagine how EXHAUSTED my 18 five and six year olds are going to be!?

 

I'm tired just looking at it! Well I am off to get some serious rest because I am going to need it :)

Hope your Monday was cool, calm, and collected!

 

Don't forget to link up and Share Whatcha Wear!

 

And keep filling that wishlist because the TPT Teacher Appreciation Sale is going to be here before you know it :)

 

 

Love and Hugs!