"We're bringing ASIA back - HEP!"

no, we are not bringing sexy back in my class today, but we are bringing ASIA back!

The Story: During dress rehearsal for the Wax museum tomorrow (insert excitement!), one of the kids *Marco Polo* forgot to bring a prop - one kid exclaimed, "OH NO! We've lost Asia!". I began scrounging around in my costume/prop cupboard and suddenly remembered that I had a whole BOX of Asian inspired items given to me from my Grami when she retired AMAZING 3rd grade teacher. She comes in on Thursdays and helps me so she was here today and I exclaimed that she helped us out by bringing ASIA back! Needless to say, all of us began singing Timberlake's song - "we're bringing ASIA back - HEP!" Yes. We. Are. Awesome.

Today, we practiced even more HARD CORE for the wax museum tomorrow. I have been having the students earmuff see here, read to partners, and do our "speed dating" style sharing so we can get these lines DOWN! I have the right side say their lines to the left {who has the paper} by memory for a minute and a half {some kids speeches were longer even longer than this! YAY!} then they switch and the right says theirs .... then I say "rotate - 5,4,3,2,1" when I get to one they know to be silent and ready to begin it all over again with a new partner. Works like a charm!

::Speed speeches set up::

Today was also dress rehearsal - the kids brought what they could find/buy for their costumes, then we had an auction AKA Mrs. B decides who needs/gets what item and outfitted everyone from my classroom costume wardrobe. As many of you have noticed from my blog, I absolutely ADORE dressing up, particularly in historical clothing - always have .... actually almost all of these items are from my dress up box as a kid :) 

::Myself looking like a dork giving instructions - please pay no mind the mess of costumes behind me! 

We set the chairs up facing the carpet and practiced, and practiced, and practiced! 

THEY WERE ABSOLUTELY AMAZING! Best group YET! They had their lines memorized *most of them* the costumes were great, acting was animated, and the content was RICH!

So. Stinkin. Proud.

Can't WAIT for tomorrow!

P.S. We did do SOME content ... today I introduced Runde's Room's  AMAZING play off of Tammy McGregor's "Reading Comprehension Salad" by creating a Reading Comprehension SUNDAE - definitely more kid friendly ;) We created an anchor chart together and went over each of the different layers and how they are a metaphor for each strategy. I would HIGHLY recommend obtaining this from Runde's TPT store. The kids really enjoyed it and it really seemed to help them remember each strategy better. The only thing that would make this lesson a tad bit better would perhaps be a real ice cream sundae celebration ... we just didn't have time or money this end of the year - maybe next year!