LEPRECHAUN WRITING PROJECT

WRITING ABOUT OURSELVES AS LEPRECHAUNS.....
 PREPARATION:
1.  Discuss Category.  Share many Picture Books.  Make sure there is a bulletin board full of items, that are identified by names, relating to Leprechaun.
2.  Build Charts.  Students brainstorm words that would describe Leprechaun using ACTION, SEE, SMELL and TASTE.  Add charts that describe using SIZE, SHAPE, COLOR.  Encourage lots of adjectives, nouns, and verbs.
3.  Think of some SIMILES/COMPARISONS.
4.  Write a class story using all the charts.

WRITING: 
 1. What does this PLACE where a Leprechaun is look like?  Use "seeing" sense words.  Can you smell anything?  Continue to build charts of SEE, SMELL...
2.  Who do you like to play with?  Name your friends using Irish sounding first names and add O' to their last name.  Where do you like to play when you are together?  What are some of your favorite games to play?  Think of a SIMILE that talks about this story.
3.  What do you as a leprechaun like to eat?  breakfast, lunch, snack, dinner.
4.  FUN as a leprechaun - What special thinks can you do as a leprechaun?  magic?? Think of a SIMILE?  What do you enjoy the most about being with a leprechaun - use lots of imagination and descriptive words.
5.  What is your name?  Think of an Irish sounding first name and simply add O' to your last name.
6.  What do you look like:  size, shape, color.  Describe your eyes, hair, body...
7.  Where do you live - use discriptive words.

After guiding students through process above, begin paragraphs or story.  Encourage "sloppy copy" to be double spaced on front side of the paper.  That way when you help the students with editing, you can write in the line spaces as needed and even cut and move sections of a paper.

POTATO LEPRECHAUN

                                                                                                                                                                    If you make the patterns smaller this would make a cute bookmark.  It could be displayed at school or given to the elderly to brighten their day.  If kept at school remember to put in Journal Memory Book after March.

SHAMROCK SHENANIGANS

MATERIALS:

~ Shamrock Tracers - one per student, made from tagboard

~ Octagonal Tracers - several, or teacher pre-cuts the green octagon, or press with die cut

~ Crayons
~ Watercolors

DIRECTIONS:

1. Trace shamrocks onto white paper with green crayons.  DO NOT OVERLAP.

2. Decorate each shamrock with a different design.  (Brainstorm a variety of designs prior to project)

3. Watercolor wash with green.

4. Glue onto green octagon.

OPTION:

~ Write a poem to attach to the back of the octagon.  Hang from the ceiling.
~ Instead of tracing each shamrock, have students run off the shamrock with a line of green crayon.  This is a wider tracing area.

ST. PATRICK'S FUN BOOKLET

MATERIALS:

~ Patterns for hat shape, black strip, and buckle

~ Green, black, gold construction paper, (gold or silver foil for buckle is wish)

~ Worksheets copied, cut in half, and stapled into a small booklet to fit inside hat

DIRECTIONS:

Students fold green construction paper in half, trace and cut hat pattern, making sure to leave the fold at the top of the hat.  Trace, cut, and glue the black strip and buckle.  Place name beneath the band, adding and O' to the last name.  Insert booklet that teacher pre-made and stapled.

Teachers this is an opportunity to review lots of skills that your class has been working on.  Just go through material you have and take out anything that has to do with March/St. Pat's.  Below are skills used for 1st-3rd.  Have fun.

PAPER PLATE HANGING LEPRECHAUN

MATERIALS:
~ small paper plate 6 "
~ red, orange, yellow, brown yarn for hair and beard - 24" long cut into 1 1/2" pieces
~ dark green construction paper 5 1/2" x 6 1/2"  for hat
~ small shamrock - could be a sticker
~ green construction paper for body 4 1/2" x 6" (1/4 piece of paper)
~ belt - black construction paper strip or color with sharpie
~ legs and arms -  12" x 1" and 9" x 1" - green construction strips, folded accordian style
~ black construction paper 5" x 2" for feet
DIRECTIONS:
Have all materials ready for students to gather and use.  You can choose to place material in a center or put in individual baggies to pass out to students. 
1.  Students get paper plate and draw a face.  Encourage eyebrows, eyelashes, nose, teeth....details appropriate for grade level.   You could have movable eyes and fuzzy nose for younger students.
2.  Choose one color of yarn and cut into 1 1/2" pieces - use rulers.
3.  Trace and cut out green hat.
4.  Attach shamrock on hat and put your name on hat - last name with O' in front of it - O'Jacobi
5.  Attach green body to face and add a belt.
6.  Fold legs and arms and attach to the body.
7.  Trace 2 feet from black construction paper and attach to end of legs.
8.  Add hair to face and glue hat on top of head.
9.  Add beard.  You are ready to hang project from the ceiling or put on a bulletin board.

TO CATCH A LEPRECHAUN

Students write a Leprechaun Story: describe place, how did you find your leprechaun, describe your leprechaun, tell how you caught your leprechaun.  Teacher be sure to collect strawberry baskets for this project.  Go to a Hobby Store and get gold coins to put in the cages after you put them in the hallway.  Students can get their coins the next day or after St. Pat's Day.  TAKES ABOUT 2 HOURS TO COMPLETE.

SHAMROCK WORDS

GREETING CARD FOR ST. PAT'S

SHAMROCK HUNT

LEPRECHAUN EARS

Print on green construction paper.  Give a set to students on St. Pat's Day so everyone will be wearing a touch of green.

DANCING LEPRECHAUN

You need Brads.  You could hang, but don't need to.  Students love just the fact it moves.  This is another great opportunity to encourage best coloring for neatness.

SHAMROCK CAT

SHAMROCKS IN DESIGN

SHAMROCK BOOKMARK

Teacher needs to purchase a shamrock plant.  Students color the bookmark.  Teacher collects, cut out the circle, tapes a shamrock onto the back so it centers in the circle, and laminates.  This is one of the best bookmarks I've ever used.