Do You Wonder?? A Bright Idea!

Time for another Bright Ideas linky! We're onto our 5th month and I have SOOOOOO many bright ideas lined up for when I get back into the classroom!

But, this week's bright idea I'm bringing you is one of my FAVS. I'm actually reading the book "Reading in the Wild" by Donalyn Miller and SHE even mentions it. AMAZING.

Do you ever WONDER something and hope to find the answer? For example, do you ever wonder what gluten is, how mountains are made, how dynamite works, or how fireflies glow?? Well, I've got the site for you!

Cue Wonderopolis. Wonderopolis is one of those amazing sites you just happen to come upon and it turns out to be fantastic and something that your students ask if you can do every. single. day. 

Wonderopolis is a website created by the National Center for Family Learning (NCFL). It's a website where "natural curiosity and imagination lead to exploration and discovery in learners of all ages." 

The cool thing about Wonderopolis is that it aligns in the following ways:

-with Common Core State Standards

-with STEM Standards

-with Bloom's Taxonomy

A website that covers ALL that AND it intrigues children? Win, win! 

Wonderopolis also has a random "wonder of the day" that you and your students could read, question, analyze, and discuss each and every day. It changes and you NEVER know what's next, unless you take the vote on what the wonder of the day should be!

This website is intended to be an interactive, engaging site and I personally feel that they've achieved it! It's not only geared towards students - it's great for parents, educators, and administrators alike!

Have you ever used Wonderopolis? Go head on over and play around - you never know what you'll discover!

If you liked this bright idea, be sure to check out the other bright ideas listed below! And, check out my Pinterest page for more bright ideas!

what I am reading...

Much like Monique over at UniquelyMonique, I have decided to set a goal of how many books I'll read this summer. I chose to set my goal a little lower though, at 15 books, because I'm also going to be traveling this summer to the Bahamas in mid-July and then moving home a week after we get back! So, I've read one book so far, and it was an absolutely amazing book, I must say. I read it while I was in Florida. The book is called The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein. The book is written from the dog's perspective on life and the theme of the entire book is race car driving. The dog's owner is a race car driver and the dog fell in love with racing due to this. Many different things happen throughout the book (life changing events, I must add), but the dog sticks by his owner's side throughout the entire story. They say the loyalty of a dog is truer than any person you will ever meet - this book proves it! Anyway, it's a delightful read - sad and happy at the same time. But, if you've ever had a dog, or want a dog for that matter, read this book!! You will not regret it!

Now, I'm on my second book. I started to read What Teachers Make by Taylor Mali, but I couldn't highlight the important parts of the book that I liked and wanted to remember because I borrowed it from the library! So, I went ahead and ordered my own copy from Books-A-Million so I could highlight it! Then I started The Everything New Teacher Book: A Survival Guide for the First Year and Beyond by Melissa Kelly, but I couldn't get into it at the moment. Was just too dull for the mood I'm in. THEN, I started reading Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons by Lorna Landvik. I just started it today at the recommendation of another reader/blogger on here, Sandy at Mrs. Fiorini's Stadium. She said she'd read it for fun, so I decided to step up and read it, too! I couldn't get into it. So, I decided to go back to my teen fiction books. I was at a conference in February and Sharon Draper was one of the keynote speakers. She was so real, fun, and straightforward with her discussion. She talked about her books, and how they represented students, and how it got REAL students to read that had never read a book before, simply because the characters were similar to the students that read the stories. So, I decided I'm going to start out by reading her first series about students at Hazelwood High. The story is called Tears of a Tiger by Sharon M. Draper. I have a feeling I'll really love this book and it's an easy read so I should be able to get through the 3 book series by the end of the week! I'll keep ya posted, again :]

Check back in with you all soon! Have a good night, y'all!