Campfire: Let’s Talk Marshmallows
Sinking your teeth into a marshmallow is like biting into a cloud! Let’s make marshmallows! Before we do, let’s ask a beautiful question: Where did the idea come from? Marshmallows, after all, are not naturally occurring. If we want to…
Around the Campfire: Kitchen Tales
Let’s talk kitchen literacy. That’s right. Think recipe for fun and for learning! In the kitchen, reading and writing and thinking is delicious! Once upon a time we had a little wooden step stool in our kitchen that my four…
Winter Campfire: Let’s Play!
During the primary years, the journey begins… Tip Number 4. Play! Play is an opportunity to practice new academic skills. Play is an opportunity to foster independence. Play is an opportunity to grow confidence. Kindergarten Once students understand that…
Around the Campfire: Slide of Imagination
The phrase “summer slide” is one of my pet peeves. This phrase (used for as long as I remember) describes the essential skills that are supposedly lost over the summer when children are out of school. Summer is the time…
Campfire Season: Writing an IDEA is genius!
For those of you who are new to Blackbird & Company, and those who are seasoned users, pull up a log, and gather round the campfire! During the month of January we’ll share stories and offer ideas to ignite curiosity…
Welcome 2023! It’s campfire time…!
We want our students to read and write well. We want them to think creatively and to value their ideas. Learning, no matter the subject, can be an awesome journey. The path can be filled with wondrous sights to delight…
Snowballs + Leonardo for all!
One winter, long ago, we Blackbirds made a box full of snowball catapults to giveaway at a conference. When I came across a few remaining stragglers, I smiled to myself. “Just in time for December!” So, I have have been…
So much gratutide!
Fall is a cozy season. It’s the season of turning leaves 🍂🍁, of imaginary forests and fairy stories, of bundling up with mugs simmering cider for long meandering walks, of collecting pinecones and spying animals readying for the long winter…
On Fairy Stories and Fear
“If you want your children to be intelligent read them fairy tales. If you want them to be very intelligent, read them more fairy tales.” …
It’s Section 5 Season!
It thrills us this time of year to know that many students have completed (or are close to completing) the first of their six CORE Blackbird & Company ELA units and are brainstorming ideas for the Section 5 culminating project.…