1-2-3 Come Measure Apples With Me!

Help your students learn about measurement, with this quick, easy and fun booklet.  Students measure height, weight, width and circumference of their apple. They trace and write vocabulary-building words, predict, answer questions, + collect and analyze data.  Investigating apples via this booklet, will help with Common Core State Standards: K.MD.1a, K.MD.2, 1.MD.1, and 1.MD.2.

Introduce measurement, by showing students all of the measuring materials and ask them if they know the names of these objects and what they are used for.  Discuss the value of measurement, as well as how and why people measure things. 

Ask for a bag of apples to be donated to the class, or have each child bring 1 or 2 in. (Make sure to buy a few extras yourself, for those children whose parents forgot.) Allow a few moments for children to really examine their apple by touching it, smelling it, describing their apple to a partner etc.

To make this do-able for non or beginning readers, work on the booklet as a whole group.  Read the 1st page aloud and model what you want your students to do, then have children do that portion of their investigation.  If you are teaching pre k you might want to do just 1 booklet as a class.  Older students can work on this independently.  Allow enough time so children don't feel rushed, and so everyone gets a turn using the scale.  To expedite things, you may want to borrow several other scales from fellow teachers for that part of your day.  To keep interest, with little ones, and because of time, you can also work on just one or two pages a day.

When your booklet is completed, read it aloud once more, and have children share their results as you read that page. Reinforce vocabulary by reviewing the measurement tools and words, and asking students: "What is a scale? What is it used for?"  "What is height? How can you measure it?" etc.

Click on the link to view/download the Apple Investigation booklet. 

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"To accomplish great things, we must not only act but also dream, not only plan but also believe." -Anatole France

1-2-3 Come Make A Scarecrow Glyph With Me

Since the pumpkin glyph was such a big hit, I decided to make another fall glyph for you. (A Glyph Makes A Diff!) I thought scarecrows would fit for October or November.

The oval template is for girls; the round one for boys. The directions help students create their unique scarecrow from there.

I’ve found that if I gave my Y5’s a template of some sort, they did much better.

At the beginning of the year, little ones tend to have a difficult time drawing something to fill up an entire page, let alone have a circle or oval look like that particular shape.

Be sure to make one for yourself to show as an example. The ones pictured, I did for me and my husband.

It's a great way for your students to get to know you. Just a "heads up", when it comes to putting down age, I assumed the age of my students, so it didn't confuse them.

My Y5's often copied me, and when I put down lots of hair or whatever, instead of doing 4 or 5 to represent their age they did "lots" too.

I explained to them that I was ________ (age) but I was only putting down 4 or 5 strands of hair because that was how old they were and this is what their scarecrow would look like.

Glyphs are a great way to whole-group assess listening and following directions.  When completed, they make adorable bulletin boards or hallway border displays too!

By having students sign their names on the back of their glyphs, you can give your students some time to collect data from their classmates, to try and figure out whose glyph belongs to whom.

Set a timer, and award a prize of some sort to the student who figures out the most glyphs. Click on the link to view/download the scarecrow glyph.  For other glyphs, click on the link:  Seasonal Glyphs

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“Courage is resistance to fear, a mastery of fear—not absence of fear.” –Mark Twain