Tag Archives: Christmas Around the World

Best Selling Digital Escape Room

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digital Escape Room - Holidays Around the World

Update: This Digital Escape Room giveaway has ended, but you can still grab this digital Escape Room on TPT. Be sure to follow MsCottonsCorner.com so you never miss a FLASH FREEBIE again!

This Digital Escape Room is my best seller for a reason! Students love the variety of winter tales from around the world, and teachers love how easy it is to use, and how engaged and focused the students are! In the middle of December, that’s a gift for any teacher! And it is FREE today!

Digital Escape Room - Winter Tales from Around the World

This easy to use digital escape room gives students practice with fiction and non-fiction reading comprehension. It includes stories and articles about Christmas traditions in many parts of the world, and also Hanukkah and other winter celebrations. Click here to grab it now!

This is part of my 12 Days of Giveaways in December. Want to get more freebies? Follow me so you don’t miss a single one! Just click the black button to the right, and the blog posts will be delivered to your inbox. Or, find Ms. Cotton’s Corner on Instagram – the daily freebies will be posted in both locations!

Do your teacher friends like free resources? Be sure to forward this to them – they deserve free resources too!

What is Included in this Digital Escape Room?

The adventure begins with a mysterious book – that includes this Table of Contents. Each of these stories are embedded in the Escape Room, along with non-fiction texts about Christmas in Australia and Hanukkah. Please note, the page numbers do NOT correspond to the Digital Escape Room, which includes 19 Sections of text, riddles, puzzles and comprehension questions.

The resource also includes supports to help you assign the Google Form and optional printables that can be useful as your students solve the Digital Escape Room.

This adventure allows students to make decisions. Each decision leads them down a new path, so they may not read each text – it all depends on the decisions they make! Students are generally so motivated by this type of choice that they want to go through the Escape Room more than once!

Want to know more? Check out this video preview and see for yourself!

Why Use Digital Escape Rooms?

Digital Escape Rooms can be a terrific format for exposing students to a lot of text – both fiction and non-fiction. They are highly motivated to read so that they can solve the riddles and puzzles and make it through the adventure! This Escape Room includes both fiction and non-fiction. A fictional story runs through the adventure, and students encounter the fiction stories, non-fiction texts about Hanukkah and Christmas in Australia, and plenty of riddles, puzzles and comprehension questions.

In addition to motivating students, Digital Escape Rooms are such a time-saver for teachers! There is no prep for you, and you also get data about how your students did – without grading papers! I hate grading papers, so that’s a real plus in my book! For more about why Digital Escape Rooms are awesome for intermediate students, check out this blog post.

Need help and suggestions for assigning Google Forms? Check out this blog post for tips and supports.

What are Teachers Saying about this Digital Escape Room?

“This was awesome! I had the kids working together to solve and they were completely engaged. This was challenging, but not so difficult that they couldn’t do it.”

-Becky D.

“This was the perfect way to spend time before Christmas vacation started. Students were engaged and focused, hard to do that time of year.”

-Wendy C.

“My class loved this resource! They were definitely engaged and wanted to keep reading the whole time–a feat that is not easy with a whole class!! Would definitely recommend!”

-Nicole M.
Click here to grab it now!

Love this Digital Escape Room? Check these ones out!

Click to check out these resources and more in my TPT store!

Make sure you don’t miss a single FREEBIE this December! Follow this blog by clicking the black button to the right, and follow me on Instagram  and TPT too! While you’re at it, forward this post to your teacher friends and share the love. Everyone deserves free resources this December!

I hope this Digital Escape Room, and the 11 other free resources I’m giving away in December help you have a wonderful holiday season, and your students too. Happy teaching!

Susan

Free Christmas Printables and Resources

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Free Christmas Printables and Resources 12 Days of Giveaways

It’s time for my annual 12 Days of Giveaways, and that means FREE Christmas Printables and resources for you, plus some FREEBIES to take the sting out of January. The giveaway starts Sunday, December 3, and all you have to do is follow Ms. Cotton’s Corner on this blog and/or on Instagram. Each day I will post a link to a new FREEBIE, which you download, and voila! December made easy and January too! Read on to learn all about it!

How do I get the FREE Christmas Printables and Resources?

Be sure to do these two steps NOW so you don’t miss a single free Christmas printable.

  1. Follow this blog if you don’t already. Just click the big black follow button to the right! It’s best to subscribe by email so that the blog post for each Christmas printable is delivered right to your inbox each morning. And you can always unfollow me later if you don’t like the blog – but I bet you will stick around. 🙂
  2. Follow Ms. Cotton’s Corner on Instagram. Click here to do that! I will post reminders on Instagram each day with links to the free Christmas printables and resources!
  3. Tell all your teacher friends! Don’t hog the free resources – there are plenty to go around! Forward this blog post or one of the Instagram posts so your teacher friends can get the free Christmas printables too!
  4. Follow Ms. Cotton’s Corner on TPT so that you can easily come back for more. There is lots of great stuff in my store, and I’m always creating more with your students, and mine, in mind!

That’s it! If you do the first three steps, you will be a hero to your team mates, and you will also make your life easier. Win win!

Which resources will be FREE?

Are you ready to learn more about the Free Christmas printables and resources for 2023?

These resources and 2 Brand NEW Mystery resources will be FREE for 24 hours between December 3, 2023 and December 15, 2023. Click to check them out now and get them in your TPT cart so you are ready to download ALL the free Christmas printables and resources!

Comprehension Activities about the story

More Info About the Free Printables and Resources

Free Christmas Printable during 12 Days of Giveaways

I love Google Form Escape Rooms because they are easy for teachers to use and engaging for students. This is my BEST SELLING Escape Room!

This Escape Room takes students on an adventure through Christmas stories and traditions from around the world. Gryla and the Yule Lads (mischievous characters from Iceland) show up to cause mayhem, and the Snow Queen tries to freeze students! Students will read tales and answer comprehension questions for hours! Because students make decisions during this Escape Room adventure, they can play more than once, and have a different adventure each time! This free resource includes a pdf printable with a link to make your own copy of the Google Form.

For more on using Google Escape Rooms in your classroom, click here!

“This was the perfect way to spend time before Christmas vacation started. Students were engaged and focused, hard to do that time of year.”

Wendy C. – 5 Stars

This is my newest Word Wall, and I love it! Perfect for teaching the Science behind the Winter Solstice! I think you will love this free printable too!

I love using (and creating) Word Walls that bring Science, Math and Social Studies content to life! I have spent many years teaching students who speak languages other than English, and I have learned that consistent vocabulary instruction is good for ALL kids! It is one of the pillars that leads to reading comprehension, and sadly, many kids’ vocabularies are shrinking. That’s why Word Walls are so useful! For more on that, check out this blog post.

My Word Walls all use high quality, high resolution photos and diagrams to engage visual learners and help cement the content. There are more words in each Word Wall than you will ever need, but I believe that teachers need choices too! Use the words that work for you and your students!

Free Christmas Printable during 12 Days of Giveaways

I discovered BOOM Cards during the pandemic, and I really love them. Kids love the game-like feel of the decks, and I love how easy they are to use and the great data I get. If you love grading papers, you probably won’t like BOOM Cards!

This deck gives students a chance to practice comparing fractions using number lines and fraction bars. You have to have a BOOM account to use them, but you can get a free trial account, so give it a try! You will be glad that you did!

This resource includes a free printable pdf with a link to make your own copy of the BOOM Card deck.

“I LOVE LOVE LOVE that this deck starts with guided learning! It gave my struggling students additional guidance and my stronger students a quick review! This was a perfect station for my 5th graders!”

Kathleen C. – 5 Stars

Who is Ms. Cotton?

If this is our first time “meeting”, it’s great to “meet” you! I have been teaching elementary kiddos since 1995 (PLEASE don’t do the math!). In that time I have earned my National Board Certification as a Middle Childhood Generalist twice (currently working to renew again!) and I have mentored many teachers through that process, and through the adventures of teaching.

I love teaching, and I have taught every grade from K – 5. On my blog and in my TPT store, I am always looking to help teachers teach and students learn. I create resources that are easy for teachers because I know how hard we work. And I create activities for students that help them engage with interesting content and love learning! There are many free printables and resources in my store, so be sure to check them out!

I hope that these free Christmas printables and resources save you time this holiday season. You deserve it!

Have a lovely holiday, full of happy memories and good times with friends and family. I know you will help your students have a wonderful year!

Happy Teaching!

Susan

Flash Freebie alert! – Twelve Days of Giveaways!

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One of my favorite holiday traditions is giving away a resource on my TPT store. This is my third year of doing it – just my little way of saying thank you to other hard working teachers! This year, I have a problem – I can’t decide which resource to give away! So, I’ve decided to give away twelve resources – one a day for twelve days! I’ve chosen a good variety of Math, Reading, Vocabulary and Escape Room resources – something for everyone (and not a single Partridge in a Pear Tree – hee hee!)

I’m giving away twelve resources in twelve days – plus a bonus sale on Day 13!

I’m sure you want to know how to get your hands on all these free resources. Several will be revealed here on this blog and others only on Instagram or TPT. Here is what to do to get them all!

  1. Follow me on my blog (if you don’t already!) – Just enter your email on the side of the screen
  2. Follow me on Instagram – instagram.com/mscottonscorner/
  3. Follow me on TPT – Just click here to do that!
  4. Share this blog post with your teacher friends so they get in on all the goodness. Sharing is caring!

And if you love the FREE resources, leave me a review on TPT so that other teachers know what you loved!

Which Resources Will Be FREE and included in the sale?

Click the image to put these resources in your cart today! Then, wait for the day they go on sale to checkout, and get them for FREE! Remember, each resource is free for 24 hours, and each resource will be announced on this blog, TPT OR Instagram!

These are 11 of the resources. There will be one mystery resource so stay tuned! Get these in your cart today, and watch for the first one to be free on December 1! And if you missed them, the are all on sale for one bonus day – today!

Click the image to check out the resource, and put it in your cart!

I hope this gift helps you get through the holiday season with your sanity intact, and your kids learn something along the way. Have a wonderful holiday – you deserve it!

Happy Teaching!

Susan

Christmas Comprehension Activity – The Legend of the Poinsettia – Past FREEBIE

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Christmas Comprehension Activity

Update: This awesome giveaway is over, but you can still grab this terrific Christmas Comprehension Activity on TPT. Be sure to follow MsCottonsCorner so you never miss a FLASH FREEBIE again!

Today’s FLASH FREEBIE is The Legend of the Poinsettia – an engaging Christmas Comprehension Activity based on a traditional tale from Mexico! It is FREE for 24 hours! Grab it on TPT right now before the price goes back up! And be sure to follow me on TPT and Instagram to get all 12 FREEBIES in December!

Are you looking for a retelling of a beautiful story to engage and inspire your students? This Christmas Comprehension Passage, written at a 4th grade reading level, tells the story of a miracle in Mexico and is full of heartwarming details. The story will inspire you and your students, and your kids will have a great time with the poinsettia craft. You’ll appreciate the text dependent questions which keep the focus on learning!

What is included in this Christmas Comprehension Activity?

This is a traditional Christmas tale from Mexico. It tells the legend of the poinsettia and shares a simple message – a gift from the heart is always the most beautiful. It comes with a poinsettia craft activity that helps students practice synonyms and also with text dependent questions.

The story is included in the Winter Tales from Around the World, a Google Forms Escape Room. This download includes additional comprehension and vocabulary activities and is perfect to use before the Escape Room. Grab both and keep students busy and learning in this build up to Winter Break time!

Click here to grab this easy-to-use Comprehension Activity on TPT!

What do teachers say about this resource?

“My students loved it! Thank you. This resource saved me so much planning time.”

-M. Prieto

Rating: 5 out of 5.

“My students have really enjoyed this resource. Thank you!”

-Vicki A.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Do you need more easy-to-use resources?

You can grab this resource, and three other Reading Comprehension Passages to celebrate Winter Holidays Around the World in the money-saving bundle, or just grab the resources you need.

Gryla and the Yule Lads – Christmas traditions in Iceland – Reading Comprehension Passage with text dependent questions and Idiom Task Cards.

Christmas Down Under – Non-fiction Reading Comprehension passage from Australia with text dependent questions and parts of speech practice

The Hanukkah Candle – fiction and non-fiction paired text with text dependent questions and a vocabulary Word SearchThis resource includes a heartwarming story from Mexico about a gift from the heart. The text is written at a fourth grade level, making it accessible for most intermediate students. They will love this charming tale! The resource also comes with text dependent questions to help students practice inference and summarizing, and a Synonym Craftivity to build vocabulary!

To extend the learning, grab The Legend of the Poinsettia by Tomie de Paula. His charming retelling of the same legend will give you opportunities to use the resource activities for a Shared Reading Activity OR have students compare and contrast the two versions. You have options! (As an Amazon Affiliate, if you make a purchase from clicking this link, I may earn at no cost to you. Win win!)

Follow for more FREEBIES!

There are still 6 MORE FREEBIES in the month of December! Watch for more postings about them on this blog and at MsCottonsCorner on Instagram! And one brand new resource will be revealed in my TPT store. Follow me all three places to ensure that you don’t miss a thing!

Click here to follow Ms. Cotton’s Corner on TPT.
Click here to follow Ms. Cotton’s Corner on Instagram.
Click here to follow Ms. Cotton’s Corner on Facebook.
Click here to follow Ms. Cotton’s Corner on YouTube.

And don’t forget to tell your teacher friends. Sharing is caring!

Happy December!

Susan

Christmas Down Under – FLASH FREEBIE #4

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Update: This awesome giveaway has ended, but you can still grab this fantastic Reading Comprehension Passage on TPT. Be sure to follow MsCottonsCorner so you never miss a FLASH FREEBIE again!

The fourth FLASH FREEBIE is Christmas Down Under. It is FREE for 24 hours! Grab it on TPT right now before the price goes back up! And be sure to follow me on TPT and Instagram to get all 12 FREEBIES in December!

This resource includes a non-fiction text that briefly explains some of the traditions of Christmas in Australia. It also includes a text of the lyrics to a favorite Australian Christmas Carol, Six White Boomers. I’ve turned the lyrics into a fun Mad Lib for extra parts of speech practice! The resource also comes with text dependent questions to help students practice inference and summarizing.

There are still 8 MORE FREEBIES in the month of December! Watch for more postings about them on this blog and at MsCottonsCorner on Instagram! And one brand new resource will be revealed in my TPT store. Follow me all three places to ensure that you don’t miss a thing!

And don’t forget to tell your teacher friends. Sharing is caring!

Happy December!

Susan