WHAT WILL THE FUTURE BRING

I do this at the beginning of the year for 3rd-5th graders.
It is nice to post at Open House.

OUTDOOR QUOTIENT OF YOUR COMMUNITY

 By answering a few simple questions you can decide what kind of quality outdoor resources your community has.  Great for EARTH DAY. Makes a fun Class Book to put in the Book Corner.  At the end of the year remember to put the child's test in the Journal/Memory Book.

HELPFUL FORMS

READING CALENDAR

This Reading Calendar was sent out the beginning of each month and due the end of each month.  Parents were taught how to fill out the calendar and the grade system on the back at Open House.  Before the Open House, we filled out the calendar in class together each morning, so the children could get guided practice.  The positive about this calendar was the parents and child saw the grade they would receive for the month for Reading Calendar.  There was no question!

TATTLING

Lower grades have problems with 'Tattlers'.  No matter how much the teacher teaches what NEEDS to be reported and what DOESN'T need reported, some children just don't get it.  The problem is, eventually if the child doesn't learn, this habit will cause friendship issues.  Here is one solution.  Not too many children want to fill out a form before they can say a word.  Try it and see if it helps.

COMING TO AMERICA - OUR ANCESTORS

When November rolls around and you are talking about Pilgrims, pull this worksheet out for the students to fill out at home.  Have them draw a detailed picture of their ancestors coming to America and color it neatly.  While students are working, you can read the following book:

Coming To America: The Story Of Immigration by Betsy Maestro and Susannah Ryan

This makes a great Class Book for your Reading Corner.  Remember to put it in the Journal/Memory Book at the end of the year.  You might also post these on your website for parents to enjoy.

CLASSY PRINTS - FINGERPRINTING

 

 

October is the month to celebrate Finger Printing and discussing why we do it.  Send the I.D. ME page home for parents to help their child fill out the information.  Have your students come to you to fingerprint them.  I used the stamp ink pad from my desk.The other students can be drawing a detailed picture of themselves and coloring it neatly. This is definitely a page that will go into the Journal/Memory Book after the students are finished reading the Class Book in the Quiet Corner.  Notice the cover is a picture made from finger tips.
See additional papers if you wish to extend the project: COMPREHENSION, SCIENCE INVESTIGATION, FUN ACTIVITIES from Copycat Press http://stores.ebay.com/Copycat-Store

FOUR GENERATIONS - GRANDPARENT TREES

This makes a cute booklet for the children to look at through the year.  

Before doing this project read one of the following:

Who's Who in My Family by Loreen Leedy

Me and My Family Tree by Joan Sweeney

Climbing Your Family Tree by Ira Wolfman

http://www.wikitree.com/printable/family-tree-diagram.html#alternate-diagrams  is a site that is full of different types of grandparent trees or you can use one you have on hand.

I would send the Family Tree Chart home so parents can help.  Younger students might need a parent to fill it out for them since space is usually very small.

THE GREAT MAIL RACE

HALLWAY BULLETIN BOARD

LETTER TO PARENTS

PEN PAL NOTE

TEACHER COVER LETTER

SAMPLE BLANK MAP

SAMPLE ENVELOPE

Directions:
1.  Formulate a questionnaire to include in each letter you send.  See sample.
2.  Develop a class letter which each child will copy to send away.  Be sure to ask for the return of the questionnaire.  Encourage BEST HANDWRITING.  See sample.
3.  Prepare a cover letter from the teacher to be included in the mailing.  See sample.
4.  Have students choose state/city they are interested in.  Some students may need to send out two letters to make sure you have covered all 50 states.  Pick towns from zip code lists.
5.  Address envelopes:  BEST HANDWRITING
     Second Grade Class
     Town
     State    Zip
     *POSTMASTER--Please deliver to any school with a second grade.
6.  Post a large map of the United States and put names of the students on the states to which they have written.
7.  As replies are received, color the states, or list the states to the side of the map.  Keep a tally so the children can see the number of replies.  WORK IN MATH QUESTIONS.
8.  WINNING???  Do we get all 50 states back before school is out?
PUT RESPONSES IN CLASS BOOK DURING THE YEAR AND THEN TRANSFER TO JOURNAL/MEMORY BOOK AT THE END OF THE YEAR.

TOP 10 REASONS I LOVE MOM & DAD

Easy, quick, Mother's Day or Father's Day Card.  Cost is minimal - depending if you can get envelopes from the supply room or you can make envelopes from brown paper sacks.  Follow directions for ENVELOPE.  Encourage best coloring and handwriting.


ENVELOPE
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/cards/curvedenvelope/template.shtml
Carefully cut out the envelope (you could use a pinking shears instead of a regular scissors to give your envelope an unusual jagged finish)

Fold over the flaps, one at a time, on top of the central square. When you get to the last flap, gently push one edge of the flap under the first flap.

Address your envelope on the other side.
You now have an unusual envelope/letter with curved flaps. If you want to seal it, you can either tape the flaps down securely or put a pretty sticker where the four flaps meet.

FRIENDSHIP POEM

Pair students up for this project.  Have students fill out Web sheet alone.  Give students time to talk about their Web sheets with their partner.  Once they are finished, hand out the Friendship Poem.  Explain the format and have the students work on it together.  It can be published on the bulletin board, on the web and end up in the Journal/Memory Book.

TERRIFIC TEETH PROJECT

Materials:
12"x18" colored construction paper
 paper towels
paste
scissors
toothbrushing list
tagboard patterns
Directions:
1.  To make large toothbrush:  Give each child a piece of 12"x18" colored construction paper.   Children fold the paper in half lengthwise( like a hotdog or door).
2.  Fold a paper towel into thirds lengthwise.
3.  Glue towel inside the construction paper leaving 2" of the towel showing.
4.  Glue the construction paper closed over the towel.
5.  Cut slits in the paper towel to make toothbrush bristles.
6.  Trace around a 2 1/2" x 8 1/2" tagboard  to create the handle.
6.  Glue the handle closed.
7. Glue the checklist onto the toothbrush.  Take the brushes home, hang them up, and check off the mornings and evenings that teeth are brushed.

NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS

Have students fill out form NEATLY.  It helps if you brainstorm and write ideas on the board.  BUT tell students everyone should have answers that mean something to them.  Color and cut out the picture on the other side.  Glue the picture to the outside of a folded constrcution paper and the written work on the right inside.  You can take a picture of the student and glue on the left inside.  Then send home.  IDEA: Blow up the picture, color, and laminate to use as the center of a new year bulletin board.

YEAR OF THE FAMILY

I made this a Class Book at the beginning of the year.  It helped to have an idea what kind of family your students came from.  Make sure you erase 1994 at the top of the page.  If you do not want to have "Family Day" for each student, put this on their "Star of the Week" Bulletin Board.  You can delete the top portion of the page.  Have the students take home so parents can help them fill in the questions.  The students can use the page to help them talk about their family. Make sure to make a copy for your class book, before you  put the papers away for Star of the Week.  See STAR OF THE WEEK in Beginning of the Year.

EVERY YEAR SHOULD BE ABOUT FAMILY 
This page is from Copycat Magazine - out of print - see below.     

eBay Store - copycat: copycat magazine, k-3 teachers, back issues

After 20 years, Copycat Press Inc. has closed. Copycat Magazine is a teacher's resource for grades K-3, and we have the only remaining unused inventory ...

stores.ebay.com/Copycat-Store

I'M THE EXPERT BOOK REPORT

This project was taken from Instructional Fair 8453 Book Projects to Send Home.  We did it right before Christmas Break.  A lot of the activities presented were Christmas items and many of the students donated the completed items to The Home Bound in the Parish, so it also became a Mini Service Project.  See HOW TO MAKE POPPERS PROJECT (for an example) and note how we expanded the student's project to become a yearly Valentine/Patriotic Project to send to our soldiers oversees.  http://okscribbler.blogspot.com/2009/12/poppers-for-our-soldiers-project.html

DIRECTIONS

DIRECTIONS cont.

TO PARENTS

GRADE SHEET