March 22, 2013

Woman’s History Month: Fast facts about Pocahontas

pocahantas

Image courtesy of Wikipedia Public Domain images

Indian princess and legend Pocahontas led an interesting life. From a young tomboy who loved to run and shoot arrows to a kidnapped teen who learned a new language and culture to a traveling ambassador who met the English royal family, the biography of Pocahontas is fascinating. Here are 15 interesting facts about the life of Powhatan princess, Pocahontas.

Let these fast facts become the basis for a writing prompt, research project, or poster board assignment or even a diaroma. 

1. Pocahontas was Continue Reading …

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February 4, 2013

Black History Month activities, reading and lessons for elementary

Ella Fitzgerald – Image courtesy of Wikipedia Public Domain

Gigi came home during the week of Martin Luther King Jr with some wonderful stories to tell us about Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr. This was just the beginning of her introduction to Black History Month. These lesson plans, readings and activities are intended for primary grade students.

Ella Fitzgerald: The Tale of a Vocal Virtuosa is an excellent example of a quality book that conveys black history in kid-appealing way. Ella’s story is told through the perspective of a cat, “Skat Cat Monroe,” who pulls in readers in with rhythm and rhyme: “Got my name from knowin’ Ella. Ella Fitzgerald. The Queen of Skat. What’s scat? you ask. Skat’s the sound that don’t hold back. Ella’s sound- that was skat. Singing so supreme. Music’s velvet-ribbon dream.” Continue reading Black History Month lesson plans featuring Ella Fitzgerald.

These plans are written with first through third graders in mind, but can easily be modified for younger or older learners.

Besides timing and consistency, quality of resources is another consideration when planning for black history month. Avoid choosing books that are not appealing or are not age appropriate just because they include black history. I found and fell in love with the book Dizzy by Jonah Winter. When I saw how well children responded to this book, I developed these lesson plans around it. As a teacher, I love to begin my planning around a quality, kid-attractive book. Continue reading Black History Month lesson plans on Dizzy Gillespie.

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November 12, 2011

Thanksgiving Lesson Plans: Fraction Turkeys

Soon classrooms and hallways will host bulletin boards with a Thanksgiving theme. Thanksgiving bulletin boards should be attractive and adorned with a bounty of fall colors and Thanksgiving symbols, but Thanksgiving bulletins boards shouldn’t be a cornucopia of work for teachers or take as long as it does to defrost a frozen turkey. Thanksgiving bulletin boards, like all others, should offer students a chance to participate and practice worthwhile skills and show off their own creativity. Ideally a bulletin board will also offer learning for the students who admire it as well.

Here are some Thanksgiving bulletin boards from an experienced and creative teacher that offer learning opportunities across the curriculum. This is turkey business, not monkey business, so forget the busy work of everybody’s is the same coloring pages and give kids a chance to enjoy a feast of learning and creativity while they create unique Thanksgiving bulletin boards.

Fraction Turkey Thanksgiving Bulletin Boards

Cute turkeys adorned with colorful tail feathers often adorn Thanksgiving bulletin boards. Why not give the process some meaning and some math skills practice too? Choose numbers for denominators. For example let’s use 9, 10, 11 and 12. Create strips of paper with fractions such as 3/9, 5/10, 2/11 or 9/12. Now choose a magical math color such as red. Give all students a math fraction and have them create a Thanksgiving turkey craft that will illustrate their fraction.

For example, a student who is given the fraction of 3/9 will create a turkey with 3 red feathers and 6 feathers of various other colors. Under each fraction turkey that hung on the Thanksgiving bulletin board, have the students write a number, one through (how many every turkeys there are).

Now you have a fun math lesson as well. Let students number their paper and write down the fraction for each turkey. You have an interesting Thanksgiving bulletin board, a hands on fractions lesson, an art project and finally a written fraction practice review that’s much more fun than another work sheet. Everyone can be thankful.

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November 5, 2011

Easy Native American Crafts: Talking Sticks

Easy Native American Crafts, yes there are but don’t overlook that “talking sticks” and “listening feathers” that are easy to create have profound meaning and potential for use at home or in the classroom. This isn’t a Native American craft that kids will just hang on a wall and forget about. These are very usable for Thanksgiving or family activities and there’s a lot of helpful information here for Native American lesson plans too in these Native American crafts.

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November 4, 2011

Pre-K: Three activities to help learn telephone numbers & addresses

If your pre-K (er) doesn’t already have their address and telephone number down “pat”  here are a few tips to make sure they do know them before they head off next year to Kindergarten.

Memorization:  We practice memorizing our address and telephone number in the car.  When you pull onto your street point out the street sign and repeat the name of your street.  When you pull into your driveway or park show your child the house or apartment number.

Making it fun:  Is there a little story you and your child can make up using your address and telephone number?  For example,

Once upon a time there was a boy named Scott who lived at _______________.  He loved dinosaurs. He loved them so much that one day while he was missing them because he was grocery shopping with mom he asked to call them.  He carefully dialed ________________ and . . . . . then you can go from there.

You can even print it up, making a book on the computer so your child can read their best seller over and over again.

Making it a game:  Those playing cards are good for so many things.  Place playing cards on the table and have your child “match” to their telephone number.  The first few times write your telephone number down on a piece of paper and have them arrange the playing cards in order to match it.  After awhile have them line the cards up without a prompt.

Reminders: 

Teach your child the area code with their telephone number.  Unfortunately you never know when the area code will be needed.

Talk to  your child about 911 during these learning sessions and remind them it is only for emergencies.

Include City and State (zip code can wait) when learning an address – but get the house number and street first.  Don’t be surprised if your child learns the street before the house number.

Celebrate your child’s achievement with this free printable award certificate!

 

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October 22, 2011

Halloween/Harvest Preschool Arts and Crafts Lesson Plans: Spider Webs & Ghost

Preschool teachers, parents, home caregivers, and even play groups can have fun with these inexpensive and easy to create Halloween and Harvest Art Activities. Many schools and play groups no longer refer to the holiday as “Halloween” so these arts and crafts include many harvest themed crafts.

Theme: Spiders

Spider Webs: Using two popsicle sticks glued together (you may want to do that prior to the children or allow them to do it the day before to make sure it is dry – a glue gun works best) provide the children with strings or white yarn. They can twist and turn and twine the yarn around the Popsicle sticks creating their own spider webs.

Variation 1: Give children white chalk with black construction paper and allow them to trace or draw spider webs on the construction paper.

Variation 2: Give children black construction paper, straws and paint. They can blow straw spider webs across the paint. Talk about how each design is different, just like spider webs are different for different spiders.

Theme: Ghosts

Ghosts Feet: Trace the children’s feet on white construction paper. Cut out the tracing and decorate with googly eyes, glitter or allow them to color (colored pencils work best, as done card stock paper) Punch a hole in the top of the “ghost” and tie string. Hang around the room, on a string along the wall on your bulletin board.

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October 9, 2011

Preschool Lesson Plans for Halloween: “S” is for Spookley

These fun and free preschool and kindergarten lesson plans for Halloween are centered around the beloved “Spookley” from one of our favorite Halloween books, The Legend of Spookley the Square Pumpkin by Joe Triano and illustrated by Susan Banta. Continue Reading …

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September 17, 2011

Pre-K Activities the Letter F

Need Pre-K activities to supplement preschool, pre-k or Kindergarten or to use for your homeschooling lesson plans (actually my kids just think it’s fun to “play school) whatever the reason here are some activities to do with the Letter F:

      1. Notes about the letter F:  On several notecards write both the upper and lower case letter F.  Next go through coloring books, magazines or even draw a picture of something that begins with the letter F.  Write the word on the back of the card.  You can do one a day.
      2. Do the Flamingo Yoga pose. See video below.
      3. Take a nature walk in the neighborhood or at a park and find items that begin with the letter F.
      4. Paint using F words – Feather painting or Fruit Stamp Painting.
      5. Practice writing the letter F using the workbooks recommended below.
      6. Use these F activities and lesson plans  F is for Fish: Homeschool and Preschool Lesson Plans Need an idea for your class or for fun things to do with your preschooler at home? Try F is for Fish activities from gross motor to art. Free printables and instructions are included.

 


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September 16, 2011

Learning to write your name the Kindergarten way

Visit our Free Printables Page  and choose the First Name Handwriting Practice Printable in the Kindergarten Corner.

Print out the sheet.

In the top row print your child’s name, making sure to capitalize the first letter of the name and use lower case letters for the remaining letters of their name.

Each day you can have them practice writing their name one time or several depending on the speed at which you are teaching them.

 

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September 14, 2011

Hispanic Heritage Month books, printables & fun facts

When is Hispanic Heritage Month? Hispanic Heritage month is observed from September 15 to October 15 each year. During this month American celebrate the culture, history and contributions from Americans with ancestors from Spain, Mexico, Central and South America and the Caribbean.

Fun facts:
Hispanic Heritage Week began in 1968 and was expanded to 30 days in 1988 by President Ronald Reagan.

September 15th is the independence anniversary Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua.

Mexico celebrates their independence day September 16 and Chile celebrates their independence on September 18.

Quality children’s books are a wonderful way to introduce the celebration of any culture. Here are some of my favorite books for Hispanic Heritage Month.

For 9 & younger:

Get Ready for Gabi: A Crazy, Mixed Up Spanglish Day

Gabi is a third grader who speaks English at school and Spanish at home.  This whole series is adorable fun and very kid-attractive.

For 9 & older:

The Day it Snowed Tortillas is by award winning author and storyteller Joe Hayes.  Kids love this fun Hispanic Heritage story.

For all ages and my absolute favorite:

Martina the Beautiful Cockroach: A Cuban Folktale offers a funny family story with an amazing moral about character. 

Parents, you’ll love the advice for choosing a marriage partner in this Cuban folktale.  We checked it out from the library so much that we had to buy this one.

Kids love trading cards and these free printable Hispanic Heritage Month trading cards from Nick Jr. feature 12 Hispanic Heroes in education, science, politics, sports and more.

Continue the learning and fun with free printable flags for Hispanic Heritage Month.

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