Fall is my very favorite time of year. But even as I’m enjoying the fiery colors and ice-free sidewalks and trails, I’m aware that it’s a short season here in Minnesota. And part of fall is getting reading for winter. People, just like other animals, get ready for winter in
Brrr! Winter is well on its way here in Minnesota (some say it was on its way back in August–haha), and the animals have figured out how best to survive it. If you read Snack, Snooze, Skedaddle with your students, you can follow it up with this memory game to
I can’t believe it’s time to think about Thanksgiving! This will be the first time in more than 10 years, I think, that both our daughters will be here for Thanksgiving. Maddie’s lived overseas all that time, and Annabelle was out of state some of those years too. Lots to
While writing Snowman-Cold=Puddle, I thought about the many different ways seasons are defined, including agriculturally, by temperature, by planetary alignment, etc. Many regions of the world have rainy and dry season instead of our four North American seasons. For me, as a kid and then a teacher, summer always started
In our icebox winter here in Minnesota, it’s hard to believe there are any birds flying north at this time! But a few species are beginning their journeys. If you’re talking about migration in your classroom, I’ve got two books you might want to share (and activities that go with
The days are getting brisker, here in Minnesota anyway, and the creatures are all preparing for the cold. If you’re studying topics like hibernation, migration, and adaptation, make sure to add Snack, Snooze, Skedaddle: How Animals Get Ready for Winter (Millbrook, illus by Claudine Gevry) to your list of resources.
One of the science topics I am constantly fascinated by is animal adaptations: how animals’ bodies and behaviors adapt to their environments. My favorite facts from Snack, Snooze, Skedaddle: How Animals Get Ready for Winter (Millbrook, illus by Claudine Gevry) concern Northern wood frogs that freeze solid and earthworms that
I wanted to share a few more things I’m grateful for, because the harder or more stressful things are, the more it helps to focus on that. My husband Randy has been going through some painful medical procedures lately, with a scary fever and 3‑night hospital stay. I’m so grateful
Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) If you stopped by for just the poem, here it is:>) I shared this (just the text) MORE THAN 10 YEARS AGO on my blog. Wow. Double-click on the image to see it larger and/or download a printable .pdf. I
Happy Monday! In case you missed it, illustrator Claudine Gévry and I shared bits of our process for Snack, Snooze, Skedaddle over at the blog of the fabulous Liz Dulemba on Friday. (Teachers, do you use her awesome coloring pages?) I hope you’ll stop by to learn a few of
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