1-2-3 Come Write About Summer With Me

I'm not sure about you, but I was always looking for some fun things to do the last few weeks of school.  Lessons had been learned, assessments were done, and things were winding down, as my students' energy was reaching an all-time high. 

If you find yourself in similar circumstances, I think your students will have fun making a pair of sunglasses and thinking about their summer plans, so they can write about them. The title of this FREEBIE is Shades Of Summer.

Brainstorm with them about the things they'd like to see and do over vacation and write their ideas on the board. 

Run off the sunglasses template on a variety of colors of construction paper, or for real pizzazz, use scrapbook paper.  Give children a choice and then have them cut them out.

To make this activity even more special, take a photo of each student wearing goofy sunglasses.  I got mine at a party store.  I was looking for the jumbo-sized ones, but couldn't find them.  I thought that would be extra silly and add fun to my photo shoot. 

Print the pix and cut them into oval shapes, so students can glue theirs to the right lens of their pair of sunglasses.

Print the lens pattern and trim.  Make a template out of an old file folder.  Trace once and then cut 3 to 6 lenses at a time. 

Each student needs a dark right lens, as well as however many white lens pages they need to complete the writing prompt: "what I'd like to see and do this summer..." 

So that the words "Shades Of Summer" would show up, I chose a light black, but gray, silver, and brown also looked sharp. 

Run off this template, rough cut, and give each student one of these "title lenses" to trim and glue on the left hand side of their sunglasses.

When they have completed their writing, students collate and staple into a booklet, so that the dark lens cover, flips over to reveal their writing. Children glue on their photo, and using a white crayon, write on their name, and glue the booklet to the right side of their sunglasses. 

After everyone has had a chance to read and share their completed project, scatter the sunglasses on a bulletin board.  For something different, and that finishing touch, use a beach towel for the background.  Just above the board, suspend a few bottles of suntan lotion from the ceiling.  Caption: "We're Looking Forward To Summer!"

Click on the link to view/download the Shades Of Summer packet.  Thanks for visiting today.  Feel free to PIN away. 

"In winter I get up at night, and dress by yellow candle-light.  In summer quite the other way;  I have to go to bed by day." ~Robert Louis Stevenson