Making Class Books For President's Day!
President’s Day is coming soon, Monday the 20th. I have some fun activities chock full of standards for you.
Students will enjoy writing so much more if they know their page will become part of a class book. I think they take a little more pride in their work.
After you laminate and collate their pages into a class book, read it to the class by having each student share their page. Let them know ahead of time that you will be doing this.
Work on books in class, or send them home as a home-school connection for parents to work on with their child.
My Washington and Lincoln Fact Book is a quick and interesting way to learn a few things about both presidents in a side-by-side comparison method.
Students trace the sentence, write the main word, cut and glue the matching picture and then read the booklet via the picture clues.
There is a math graphing extension included.
Click on the link to view/download the Washington and Lincoln Fact Book.
Share with your students the responsibilities of the President of the United States and then have them complete the writing prompt:
If I Were President... Children illustrate their page and teachers collate them into a class book. Adding student school pictures makes the books even more personal.
There are 2 graphing extensions to this book as well.
Click on the link to view/download If I Were President class book.
Washington or Lincoln Comparison Class Book allows students to decide which president they liked best and then write why. There’s a graphing opportunity here as well.
Click on the link to view/download Washington or Lincoln Comparison Class Book.
Facts About US Presidents is a nice mini research-computer lesson where students find three facts about the president of their choice and list them along with a picture and at least 2 sources.
Teachers compile these into a class book as well. A list of all the Presidents and the terms that they served are included.
Click on the link to view/download Facts About US Presidents.
Finally, I made a packet of 12 “Just for fun” skill sheets, including 2 similarities and differences worksheets.
(It’s a report card standard to recognize similarities and differences and so hard to find worksheets to assess this, so I’ve included them in all of my units.)
Plus a complete the pattern worksheet (also a standard that’s hard to find practice sheets for.)
There’s a cute “Happy President’s Day” paperclip bookmark, that makes a cute gift from the teacher, included in this packet as well.
It could also be a quick center activity.
Click on the link to view/download Washington & Lincoln's Skill Sheets & Activities
I got the idea for them from these paperclips from Sherry’s Blog Altered To Perfection.
Click on the link to see her creative things.
For a fun center activity, pop back on Friday to see how to make Lincoln and Washington’s hats!
Scroll down for yesterday's President's Day mobiles and past PD articles!
Learning About President Lincoln, President Washington and Money All Rolled Into A Few Fun Art Activities
February 20th is just around the corner when government agencies will be closed for President’s Day.
After Valentine’s Day I take a few days to study Washington and Lincoln, and add the color blue to our red and white décor for a patriotic look.
It’s also the time I launch our coin studies, as these two famous gents are on our money.
Making mobiles is an easy and fun center activity, that quickly creates a great hallway decoration, as they dangle from the middle of the ceiling or twirl as a border against the wall.
They help reinforce shapes, listening and following spatial directions and are a wonderful way for students to learn facts, as they compare and contrast the lives of these legendary presidents.
All of these mobiles can be found in my February Art and Activities Book.
Click on the link to view/download it.
The Money Mobile is one of my personal favorites and a terrific way for your students to review all of the coins at once.
I find if children do hands-on projects where they can compare and contrast coins, they are able to identify them more easily when they are assessed.
Arranging them from smallest to largest also helps them get this fact in their mind.
Little ones seem to think that because a dime is worth 10 cents, it should be larger than a nickel and penny.
Cutting, gluing and then coloring the “Coin ID Sort” helps them with this. Click on the link to view/down load Coin Identification Sort
The Lincoln and Washington Information Mobile, helps students learn a few facts about the presidents; Lincoln is on one side, Washington is on the other side.
The same is true of the paper chain mobile, which helps reinforce patterning.
I’ve made money poster-poems that you can put up in your room/read to your students.
I found the poems all over the Web so I don’t know who to give credit to. If you know the originator, please drop me a line so I can credit the source.
I revamped the 50 cent one as fries are no longer that price, and also changed the dollar because of ITunes.
Click on the link to view/download the Coin Poster Poems
I've also made coin certificates when your students have mastered identifying them as well as being able to name them.
Since these are two different standards, I've made certificates for both.
Our Y5's do not have to identfy the quarter, but I've included certificates with the quarter on them as well. Click on the link to view/download them. Coin Certificates
For your convenience I’ve posted last year’s President’s Day article after this one, so you don’t have to hunt through the archives for more tips.
If you're looking for coloring pages of the presidents, Lil Fingers has all of them! Click on the link to check out their selection.
They also have coloring pages for all of the coins too.
I use coloring pages to make a variety of skill sheets like Pinch and Pokes, bingo dot a pattern, dot-to-dots, I Spy a Number etc.
Be sure and pop back tomorrow for more fun teaching tips.
Print off my clip art, run off my template on red construction paper and have students keep their paper folded and cut out a lovely paper heart.
Glue everything together and you have a cool keepsake in a heartbeat!
I used Martha Stewart's heart punch, but any will do, even stickers will add that bit of pizzazz.
Click on the link to view/download You Mean The World To Me Valentine
I hope you have a love-filled day tomorrow.
It’s incredible how beat up a box of crayons gets in a Y5 classroom. “I broke my crayon!” seems to be called out within seconds of our first creative endeavors in September.
I am big on recycling, so I rarely throw anything out and my home is a testimony to my pack rat behavior.
Crayons are no exception and I LOVE that I can use broken ones for a myriad of awesome art projects.
I melt them in mini muffin tins for a sweet surprise for my students treasure boxes for Open House and revisit the concept in February for Valentine’s Day.
You can imagine how thrilled I was to find Wilton’s newest metal cookie/muffin tin! PTL it was on sale 40% off. I couldn’t wait to get home and melt crayons.
Peeling is easier if you just score the wrapper with an Exacto knife. I also cut crayons into smaller pieces with a kitchen scissors.
Spray your muffin tin with Pam.
Put a variety of rainbow colors together in the same tin, or mix shades of one color together if you have a child or grandson like mine, who is simply ape over green!
Melt crayons at 250 degrees for 10 -15 minutes. All ovens are different so watch through the window.
Gently remove tray and set on stove 'til the wax solidifies. I put mine in the freezer for a few minutes so they pop right out.
I have a zillion chocolate molds for all of the seasons, as well, so today I putzed with melting crayons in the microwave.
Put a paper towel down. Put cut up crayons in a micro safe glass mug. (My handle got hot so just a head’s up.)
When my crayons were almost to the top, they melted down to ½ a mug full of liquid which only filled up ½ my chocolate molds, (depending on size) so be prepared to melt lots of crayons if you have lots of kiddo’s.
Bend the rim of a paper cup so that it has a pointy pouring spout. Pour wax from mug into paper cup.
Make sure you cover your counter top. I made a big mess, but I cleaned up with Scrubbing Bubbles. Forget ever using the mug for coffee again tho’.
Carefully pour wax into molds. The paper cup will be hot.
I experimented with making layers of different colors with deeper molds, and that looked really cool.
Bag up a few different crayons in Snack Baggies with a header that says: You COLOR my world with happiness. Happy Valentine’s Day from your teacher!
If your little ones are like mine, they will want to try them out right away, so why not set up a valentine center. Tell them to save their crayons for home and take them to their lockers, but they can use your "class set" at the valentine center.
Set up a TV tray with a few crayon cakes. Pre-cut a small, medium and large heart from old file folders. Have students place the hearts in an appealing manner on their paper and then rub around them with the crayon cake.
I added a bit more pizzazz by allowing students to punch a small, medium and large heart with metal heart punches and then glue them on the matching size hearts.
Carry it a step farther and have them label the appropriate hearts with an S, M and L. Older students can write "I love you with all of my hearts." Younger students can glue on the phrase.
Click on the link to view/download these Melted Valentine Crayon Activities.
I was surfing the net to see what other people were doing with melted crayons and one mom lays paper on a warming tray and slowly draws with the crayons 'til they melt. Even tho' she is allowing her children to do this, I still worry about getting burned, cords, and starting fires.
I wondered if a mug warmer would do the same thing, but of course I just donated mine to Goodwill, you know the saying... I did have my mini chocolate melting crockpot so I laid that on its side, put a piece of wax paper inside and then put the heart and letter down and rested the crayon on the paper 'til it melted.
I picked the papers up every now and then and let the wax puddles run and then put the paper back on the pot. I experimented with making a heart and my grandson's initials. I think they turned out super.
Do NOT do this with kids as this was even tricky for crazy me. I'm going to put contact paper over them and give them to them for a bookmark. Anyway, I had a fun afternoon and hope you enjoy these ideas for your students as well.
Finally, ever in the “What can I do with this?” mode, I looked at the big pile of really colorful crayon scraps and swirled them into a heart.
I took this picture and will glue them together to make my husband a 3-D poster valentine that says: Life can be messy. Thanks for allowing me to be creative and coloring my world with LOVE.
I hope whatever you're whipping together for the ones you love turns out simply smashing! Have fun with your endeavors and Happy happy Valentine's Day!
Be sure and pop on in tomorrow for who knows what!
Scroll down for article #3 and my last valentine idea for this year. It would make a fun center for party day!
Last Minute Fun:
I know Valentine's Day is tomorrow, but I just had to post a few more things for people who still need a couple of finishing touches for their parties.
These Valentine Wands are super easy, and your students will LOVE finding them on their desk as a special surprise tomorrow.
Here's how to make them:
Run off the master on red/pink construction paper.
Cut out the hearts.
Cut the smaller back heart out of old file folders so that the wand is sturdier and won’t flop over.
Insert skewer into straw. This will make it sturdy so it won’t bend. The point will stick out about two inches. I don’t like to just use a skewer, as little ones wave their wands and I don’t want to chance them poking each other accidentally.
Glue the heart on the back on top of the skewer point. Tape the skewer in place. I’m big on finishing touches so I added two stickers to cover the tape.
Cut 3 pieces of 15-inch long curling ribbon. Use one strand to tie all of them to the end of the heart and curl the ends. I think metallic really gives it that extra sparkle.
You can simply write a student’s name on the back, leave it plain or really add pizzazz by writing their name in glitter glue. It’s worth the extra effort for the “wow!” effect you’ll get.
Lay them name up on your students’ desks on party day.
Click on the link to view/download the Valentine Heart Wand
Whatever you’re doing I hope it truly is magical!
Scroll down for article #2 - another quick surprise for your kiddo's.
