FOOT TURKEY SUNCATCHER

A NICE MEMORY FOR PARENTS!  Students draw streaks of color, starting center and drawing to the outer edge, on a coffee filter with watercolor markers.  Then fold the filter in half 4 times.  Dip the point of the folded filter into a bowl of water so the colors bleed upward.  Unfold the filter and let it dry on wax paper.  Then cut the turkey body from a traced foot (teacher traces) of the student, on brown construction paper.  Glue the foot to the dried filter.  Decorate with feet, a beak, eyes, and a wattle.  Make sure the student's name and year is on the body.  Every time a parent see it, they will think, 'was my child's foot ever that small?'

WHERE'S THE TURKEY?

What a neat "think out of the box" project.  Talk to the students about the fate of turkeys around Thanksgiving.  What could a turkey do to escape?  Have students dress a turkey as something else.  This turkey has many different signs to show: "I don't see any turkeys here, just a whole lot off gobblin."  Turkey Hunting Season cancelled due to holidays!  I'm a Pilgrim, not a turkey!  "Gobble, gobble," said the Pilgrim.  Vote HAM for this Thanksgiving.  Turkey's Rights!

INVITE PILGRIMS INTO YOUR CLASSROOM

          What a unique way to have SEATWORK/CENTER WORK REVIEW.  Hand out one part a day for students to complete skillwork and color neatly.  Skill work can cover all areas of the curriculum...MATH, SPELLING, GRAMMAR...After every part is completed have a parent assemble for the children and post in the hallway. What a nice surprise for your students!

THE WISHBONE - I WISH FOR

Remember the anticipation you felt as you made a wish and pulled as hard as you could on the turkey wishbone?  There's a little bit of dreamer in all of us.  Ask students to make a wish and explain why they would like this wish to come true.  Challenge the class to think of non-material wishes... for their family, for the environment, or for the world.  Have them write their wish and explanation inside the wishbone reproducible.    Cut out the wishbone and glue them to a piece of construction paper.  Display them on a bulletin board with the title "MAY ALL YOUR WISHES COME TRUE."  End product can be put in a Class Book or in Journal/Memory Book later.  You may choose to post on your website also.

TURKEY SHOOT POEM

A wonderful way to show case student handwriting.  Do 1 stanza a day.  Discuss the poem in detail so the student drawing reflects what the poem says.  Have students write early in the day while they are fresh, then draw and color during free time during the day.  Give 2 weeks for the project so it will be done to send home Thanksgiving Break.  Encourage neatness.

                                                                 

BIRD OF PARADISE

What can brighten up your classroom in a flash on a dreary day? THE BIRD OF PARADISE! Directions:   Cut long construction paper in 1 inch strips.  Have students choose 6-7 colors.  Place together and staple at one end (1/2 inch in).  Move the paper strips so they curve up for the head. Staple about 3 inches in from the end.  Curve the paper strips down for the body and staple about halfway down.  Take a pencil and twirl each paper strip end around the pencil.  Make 3 -4 curls down and 3 curls up.  Clip an angle at the end of the head for the beak.  Mark eyes with black Sharpie.  Hang from the ceiling.  YOUR SPOT OF COLOR!  Check the Descriptive Writing Bird blog (under writing) if you wish to extend this art project.         

BOOK WEEK

FANTASTIC IDEA -
Choose a group of people from your school that would be easy to recognize by their voice...principal, librarian, team teacher, P.E. Coach...
Choose a primary book for each person that would tie into what they do...
Send a note to each person asking them to read a selection to be taped.
Note:  ________ Grade would like to have a tape made for National Book Week.  On this tape, we would like you to read a selection from ________ into a tape recorder.  Do Not give your name or the name of the book.  We are hoping the students will have fun listening to the selections and guessing the reader's identification and the book's name.  If you could help us, please let me know and I will set up a time (convenient to you)with the tape recorder for you.  We appreciate you doing this for us.  Sincerely, _________

CAT TALES AND SPOOKY STORIES

SKELETON DRESS UP

FIRE SAFETY COLOR BY NUMBER

FIRE SAFETY CAN

Take empty vegetable can - make sure there are no sharp edges.  Try to find plastic lids that will fit the cans.  Students decorate worksheet.  Send home to have emergency numbers filled out by parents.  When student brings it back, glue paper onto can.  Once it is home, parents can fill it with baking soda and put by the stove.  Taken from Frank Schaffer.

FIRE FIGHTER'S HAT

Taken from COPYCAT PRESS - (out of print)

WITCHES' BREW OVERHEAD ACTIVITY

                                                                                                                                                                     Exciting Halloween Project.  Listen to the song  until the students are singing along.  Get out the overhead machine and do the activity.  Brainstorm some items that can go into a brew.  Discuss ways to mix a brew.   Write and Proof.  Hand out paper for students to make a neat 'final copy'.  Color.  Find a witch to post in the hallway with the caldron.  Place student writing all around. Listen to your students hum and sing the song everytime they pass the display.  Put the student writing in Journal/Memory book when you take down.

  

GO TO THIS SITE TO LISTEN TO SONG:

http://www.imeem.com/alec7/music/3PxmjXGV/hap-palmer-witches-brew/  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3foTIHscfzs

Action:
"Dead leaves, seaweed..."
Children pretend to throw ingredients in a cauldron.
"Stir them in my witches' brew." Children do stirring motion.
"I got magic, Alakazamakazoo." Children pretend to cast spell using any hand movements they feel are appropriate.
"Boo!" Make a sudden scary movement.

ALTERNATIVE BREW

PAPER PLATE SKELETON ART/SCIENCE PROJECT

LARGE SKELETON THAT CAN BE EASILY LABELED WITH BODY PARTS. Place pieces on (cheap, thin) paper plates, trace, and cut.  Make sure you cut 8 arms/legs.  Punch holes and use string to put together.  Label as appropriate to grade level.  Hang in hallway or from ceiling.  Listen to Dem Bones song as doing project as a class or can be a CENTER PROJECT.

NUMBER WEB SEQUENCING

          GREAT CENTER ACTIVITY - COPYCAT PRESS (out of print)

PUMPKIN FACT WHEEL - Copycat Press (Out of Print)

This is such a cute idea for the grade levels that are focusing on math facts.  In Third Grade, I sent it home for the students to do with their parents.  But in the lower grades, we enjoyed putting them together in class.