Makeover! Made-over Product Giveaway!

So everybody can use a makeover sometimes, right? Honestly, if someone credible walked up to me and said, "Girl, you need a makeover," I'd say, "Yes, please. I don't know what else to do with all this." and then I'd let them be in charge.   That's probably not going to happen.    So instead, I did a product makeover! I mean, someone should feel pretty, right?  

I made over one of my dumpy old products. It was from my first year on TPT.  It was sad. So sad.

And now it's not! Now it's happy and shiny and new! 

It includes this adorable craftivity (which my kids loved)  

  If you already downloaded my Government Pack, please download it again for the nice, new version.    I also made over my hideous Genre Study Book from four years ago. I'm so excited with the new design! 

 

If you've already purchased it, please download it again for the nice, new version!   And if you haven't bought it yet, here's your chance to get it for free! Just leave me a comment with the which product you'd rather win: the Genre Study Book or the Government Pack. I'll choose three winners over the weekend! Good luck!      Pin It

Zoo Day! *Freebie & Giveaway

Today we went to the zoo.


Matt Damon wasn't there. I feel misled.
Or maybe he was. I wouldn't have noticed. Herding the animals I brought with me was WAY more work than watching the animals that were already there. I have a compulsive need to count my students every forty-five seconds when we're out on a field trip. I am terrified of losing one. Absolutely terrified. So I spent most of my time with my arm in the air, counting, and squinting against the sunlight. I did manage to take this pictures of the first animal we saw. After that, it was downhill. The kids were awesome, but I'm a paranoid nutter.

Our zoo used to be extremely depressing. The enclosures were tiny and sad. And the animals just kind of sat there and looked at you, like, "Well. Hello. Isn't this place horrible?"
I'm not super crazy about zoos. They bug me. I wouldn't appreciate being taken from my real house in my real neighborhood and put in a fake house in a fake neighborhood with walls around it. I do appreciate that some of the animals have been rescued from deadly situations, so I just try to think about that. So we went.
Our zoo has been completely updated. It's much nicer now. The elephants don't just stand there and sway anymore. They look alert. The zebras have room to wander a bit. It was fun.
Our babies had never been on a field trip. In the third grade, and never been on a field trip! When they were in kinder, there was a campus emergency and we were displaced from our school building for the whole year. The last two years, there was no money. So this year we were determined to take them somewhere.
There were a couple of high points. One was the elephant show. It was pretty cool. And the kids were so engaged in watching it, we (teachers) were actually able to eat lunch. The kids had already eaten.
But this was the best part (according to the kids)As we approached the lion enclosure, I saw an elderly couple sitting on the bench, watching the male lion. My students (and other students) crowded against the plexiglass, drooling over the lion. Suddenly, they started screaming. I (did I mention I'm paranoid?) assumed that a child was being smushed to death against the plexiglass by the other students, so I shoved toward the front of the mob. Guess what I saw?
An enormous lion, one leg straight in the air, licking himself. himself. As in the parts you don't lick in public. Or hopefully, in private, either.
I don't want to tell you how any different times I reworded that sentence. I tried all sorts of euphemisms before I settled on 'himself.' I think you get me.
Needless to say, the elderly couple got up and hobbled away in disgust. Not of the lion - of our kids who were freaking out about the lion. I chewed them out. But between you and me, it was a bit disconcerting. I mean, it's one thing when it's your dog or cat, but these...uh...family jewels were like 18 times the domestic size. Yowza. 
Grab the little book we used for free at TPT! Print it double-sided, and it's an eight-page minibook to keep kids engaged and focused at the zoo! Great kickoff for a life science unit.

Also, these are things you want to know.
1. I am having a muy superwow sale this weekend at TPT. 

They're having a muysuperwow sale, too, so can you imagine the dinero you'll save? 

2. I am also having a muysuperwow sale at Teacher's Notebook and they're having a Teacher Appreciation Sweepstakes! You should definitely check it out to win $100 worth of free Teacher's Notebook stuff!

3. AND, this stuff is for free!!

3-6 Free Resources is having an awesome Madyday giveaway! Check it out and win - not just a little, but a TON of terrific free stuff.

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