1-2-3 Come Do Some Halloween Storytelling Crafts With Me
Do you read ”The Spooky Wheels on the Bus” by J. Elizabeth Mills?
It’s put out by Scholastic and a new favorite of mine.
Perfect for counting, introducing onomatopoeia, and practicing the “sequencing and retelling a story” standards.
Click on the book photo on the left, or this LINK, to see it being read by a librarian on YouTube.
Since my students are familiar with and really enjoy singing “The Wheels on the Bus”, having an alternate version for Halloween fun is particularly enjoyable.
With these things in mind, I designed a quick, easy and fun ”Spooky Wheels on the Bus” “slider” craftivity, which will help your students retell the story in the proper order.
For educational fun on Halloween party day, read the story, sing the song, and make the slider craft. Woo hoo for easy-peasy!!
Choose the simple square cut pattern for little ones, or the "cut me out" bus template for children with better scissor skills.
Students color the story elements on the “slider strip” then cut and glue it together. There are two options for these as well.
I use the numbered strip because my Y5s are learning number recognition, plus how to count and sequence.
You could also use the strip with just the graphics, and have students number their own to get in even more practice.
As children pull on the end of the “slider-strip” the various pictures go through the “window” of their bus, so that children can take turns retelling the story to a partner or reading buddy, then take their craft home to share with their family, once again practicing these standards.
I introduce the lesson by reading the book ”The Spooky Wheels on the Bus”, then share my completed "slider craft” with my students.
So that you can quickly, and easily make an example, I’ve included a full-color slider pattern.
After I read the story, we retell the tale together, using the picture prompts on my slider. I have children guess which story element they think comes next, before I pull the picture through the “window”.
My students now know what’s expected of them, and are very excited to transition to making a “Spooky Bus” storytelling slider of their own.
Storytelling sliders are also an easy & interesting way to assess comprehension.
I’ve included a "Let's sequence the story” activity for this, where students color and trim the picture “windows” then glue them in the correct order on their worksheet.
There's also a colorful, bus answer key poster, which you can use in various ways, including as an independent puzzle center.
A “Here’s What Happened…” writing prompt worksheet, is another way to check comprehension, plus practice sequential writing, hopefully using a variety of ordinal numbers and other transitions.
Since the story is about the WHEELS on a spooky bus, I also made a story wheel craft as well.
This option provides another way to sequence and retell "The Spooky Wheels on the Bus" story.
Like the slider craft, I've included a "Here's What Happened" writing prompt.
There's also another fun writing option, where students continue the story by thinking of an 11th thing that might be riding the spooky bus.
They fill in the blank, compleete the sentence with some sort of onomatopoeia then illustrate their worksheet.
My example has 11 black bats, which go flap, flip, flap all through the town. Students will enjoy sharing what they've come up with, and completed projects make a cute bulletin board.
Today's featured FREEBIE is a set of apple-themed time cards for practicing telling time to the hour and half hour.
There are blackline patterns plus a cover, so that students can make their own "Itty Bitty" Telling Time Flip Booklet, along with two assessments I think you'll find useful.
Well that's it for today. Thanks for dropping in.
I'm absolutely loving the Indian Summer weather we've been having here in Michigan, so it's time to go rake a few leaves out of my flower beds, before the rain that's brewing changes my plans.
Wishing you a fun-filled day.
"Autumn, the year's last loveliest smile." -William Cullen Bryant
1-2-3 Come Make A Glyph With Me
If you have never made a glyph with your students I highly recommend you give it a go with one of these quick, easy and super-fun fall glyphs.
My latest creations are an apple glyph and scarecrow glyph.
No matter what grade I taught, my students absolutely LOVED making glyphs, which is saying a lot because besides 4th, 6th & 7th grades, I've taught them ALL, beginning with PK all the way up through college freshmen!!
Glyphs are a quick, easy and fun way to practice listening and following directions.
They also provide a "hard copy" to use as proof that a child does or doesn't, which comes in handy during parent-teacher conferences, and selecting the yes or no box on a student's report card.
Completed projects make an adorable bulletin board, as each one will be different.
I've included a colorful glyph poster in both the apple & scarecrow packets, to use for the center of your display.
Glyphs are also an interesting way to get to know your students and build a classroom community, so the apple glyph is wonderful for a back-to-school icebreaker as well.
Both packets include several posters you can show to explain directions, which is particularly helpful for younger children.
To practice data collection & analysis, as well as process of elimination, have students pick a partner and try to figure out which glyph they made.
I’ve designed the glyph directions in such a way, that you can easily tweak them to fit your needs and levels of your kiddos, making things super-simple, or a bit more challenging for older kiddos in order to test their listening skills as well as comprehension.
Be sure and make a sample of your own, so your students can get to know you as well.
After everyone is done with theirs, you can share yours and practice inference by asking them questions.
Last fall I designed a pumpkin glyph you may also want to check out.
All 3 of these glyphs are part of "Diane's Dollar Deals".
Today's featured FREEBIE also has an apple-pumpkin theme.
Just like glyphs, my students really enjoy making Venn diagrams, which are a siimple, quick and fun way to practice comparison and contrast writing. They too make an awesome bulletin board.
This Venn diagram compares apples with pumpkins and is an easy way to reinforce all sorts of science facts.
Children can do these individually or with a partner. If you teach younger kiddos, doing one together in a whole-group setting is beneficial.
Well that's it for today. Thanks for stopping by.
I'm watching 2 of my 9 grandchildren today, so we're going to visit Robinette's Apple Orchard and pumpkin patch.
One of the many reasons why I love fall here in Michigan.
Wishing you a fun-filled day.
"Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadows of your wing." -Psalm 17:8
1-2-3 Come Do Some Apple Math With Me
I never mind putzing a bit to make a math center because once you’re done making your activities things are easy-peasy.
I designed this packet so students are empowered because they set up the center, do the activity independently, check their work via the answer-key posters, make corrections if needed, then put things back where they belong.
No more prep for you, so you’re freed up while children are happily engaged.
Plus you can reuse this “apple-icious” math center every year. Woo hoo!
I keep my apples with a pipe cleaner stem in a large ZipLock Baggie and have included labels so you can separate the 0-10 apples from the 11-20 ones.
I created the patterns in such a way that you can easily diversify your lessons, while practicing a variety of standards such as:
* Sequencing, patterning, number recognition, counting forwards & backwards, +1 addition, -1 subtraction, groups/sets, subitizing, sorting odd & even, number word recognition, plus greater & less than.
There are so many independent center options that I've included a list of suggestions.
For example, I have one set of apples where I've glued the number leaf and mathcing oval set of seeds to an apple, which is labeled with that number word.
For this math center students count and string that many beads on the pipe cleaner stem, which matches the appropriate numbers on the apple.
They can use all one color, or show me an AB-AB or ABC-ABC color pattern.
For another activity, the leaves and center options are laminated, then individually cut out.
Children match the leaves and various centers to the appriate apple.
Even though I'm not teaching reading to my Y5s, I still put the number words on the leaves and apples.
They enjoy these games so much, that the continued repetition of seeing number words associated with a specific number, eventually sinks in by association, so many start reading those words on their own!
You can also use the patterns to make a set of apples without a pipe cleaner stem. I simply glued on a strip of brown paper.
We use this set for sequencing the numbers from 0-20, as well as sorting them on the odd or even number mats.
To reinforce the fact that apples can be red, yellow and green, I make a set of each color.
Students can make matches with the apples, (great for "Memory Match" or "I Have; Who Has?" games) as well as showing a row of color patterns.
For another set of apples, I glue a blank white oval to the center.
Children pick a number leaf, place it at the top then use black or brown pony beads to make a group of that many "seeds", which practices counting, making groups/sets, number recognition, plus one-to-one correspondence!
Besides using the variety of pattern choices for activities in your math center, you can laminate a class set of blank apples, as a quick, easy and super-fun way to whole group assess.
Call out a number. Using a dry erase marker, students write that number on their leaf, and make that many "seed" dots on the center oval, then place that many "seed beads" on the pipe cleaner stem.
When they are done, they hold their apple in the air. You can see at a glance who is having difficulty.
This is an inexpensive and easy enough craft, that students could also make their own apple, then take it home for continued practice there.
Today's featured, apple-themed FREEBIE, is another fun way to help your students practice number recognition, counting and sequencing.
As with my other math centers, I keep each one of the puzzles in their own ZipLock Baggie. I hope your kiddos enjoy these apple strip puzzles as much as mine do.
Well that's it for now. Thanks for stopping by.
I'm heading out to the farmer's market. Mmmm mmmm I can just taste that apple cider.
Wishing you an awesome autumn.
"Millions saw the apple fall, but Newton was the one who asked why!" -Bernard Baruch
1-2-3 Come Do Some Apple Crafts With Me
Although I’ve seen a variety of 3D apple and pumpkin crafts using paper strips to form the sphere, I could not find a pattern anywhere on the web.
After a few hours of diddling around, I came up with this simple “print & go” apple craftivity, complete with several pattern options and step-by-step directions using photographs of the various stages.
Few teachers have the luxury of simply making a craft just for fun; so to incorporate some science standards, one of the options is to make a “label the apple” craft.
I’ve included labeled templates for little ones, as well as blank ones, so that older students can label their own pieces.
You can also opt to simply make an unlabeled apple, with the “skin strips” going all the way around the "core", which is a toilet paper tube. (Love recycling!)
Completed apples are free standing and make adorable centerpieces.
I’ve also designed the stem as a “looped handle”, so that the red, yellow & green apples look amazing swirling & twirling in the air, suspended from the ceiling on various lengths of yarn.
This craft goes perfect with my "Parts of an Apple Emergent Reader" packet. Click the link to have a look.
There’s a full-color copy for teachers, as well as a black & white version for your kiddos.
Choose the 6-on-a-page size, or the 12-on-a-page pattern to make Itty Bitty booklets.
* I’ve also included a set of 8 pocket chart cards, plus a colorful poster that labels the parts of an apple.
* There are 3, black line worksheet options, for students to color and label the parts of their apple too.
Today's featured FREEBIE is one of my personal favorite apple crafts. Even though this craftivity is quick, easy & fun, it definitely has the "Wow!" factor.
"Apples can be red, yellow and green. These are the prettiest apples you've ever seen." is the little poem that's in the middle of the apple.
I've included a large, full-size teacher's apple, that you can use as a sample to explain things to your kiddos, then later, place it in the middle of your apple display or bulletin board.
Using a crayon sharpener & broken peeled crayons, have students "shave" separate piles of red, yellow & green shavings.
They pinch a bit and then sprinkle the 3 colors on top of their apple cut out. Both of these activities, provide super, fine-motor skill practice, that helps strengthen those finger muscles.
Cover with a sheet of wax paper, press with a warm iron for a few seconds, then gently peel off the paper.
My kiddos often squeal with delight at how awesome their apple turns out.
Take that teachable moment to explain secondary colors, as the red crayon melting into the yellow will create a nice orange color.
Each apple is different; which makes for an amazing bulletin board that never fails to get lots of ooohs and ahhhs, from students and staff who pass by.
Well that's it for today. Thanks for popping in. It's a beautiful autumn day in the 70s, so time to go crunch some leaves.
Chloe, my poodle pup is wagging her whole body in anticipation. Wishing you a delightful day.
"If a year was tucked inside of a clock, then autumn would be the magic hour." - Victoria Erickson
1-2-3 Come Play A Pumpkin Dice Game With Me
Since my Apple Puzzle Games have been so popular, I decided to create a pumpkin-themed one too.
The pumpkin puzzles are a quick, easy and super-fun activity that you can play as an independent center, or as a whole group where children play individually or with a partner.
The games will reinforce numbers 1-6 for PK kiddos, while older students can use the 1-12 number puzzle to practice addition.
There are several ways to play.
To reinforce the fact that pumpkins are not only orange but can be red, yellow, green whitish tan & even blue, I have my students color with those six crayons.
So that each students’ work is different, children decide which numbers are what colors.
Because of the variety, completed projects make a sweet bulletin board.
I've included photographs of real colorful pumpkins, along with a poster to scatter among your students' work.
I've also included larger, full-page pumpkins so you can create independent Center Games as well.
Simply print, laminate & trim. I keep each puzzle in a ZipLock Baggie.
For this center, students roll the dice and place the matching numbered piece on the pumpkin base.
There are a set of 3 puzzles for numbers 1-6, and another three with pieces 1-12.
I made multi-colored puzzles (see photo), but you can make yours all one color or whatever...
Challenge older students to put the puzzles together without the help of a base.
If they become stumped, they can refer to the "pumpkin challenge" chart for assistance.
Another Idea:
The packet also has a “header” card if you’d like to make these as an inexpensive gift for a fall or Halloween treat bag.
The headers come in color as well as black & white.
It’s a super-simple, party day activity that children can do independently, which allows you to be freed up. Woo hoo for an easy-peasy "sanity saver"!
Students are happily engaged putting their own personal puzzle together.
When they’re done, they pick a friend to play the dice game with; using the base that they built their puzzle on, which they’ll now color for the “Roll & Color” dice game.
You can have these pre-cut by a parent helper, or to make the activity last longer, have children cut out their own pieces, getting in some scissor practice which will help strengthen finger muscles.
There’s also a 4-on-a-page blank pumpkin puzzle so that you can program however you want.
Today's featured FREEBIE is a selection of fall-themed worksheets that help students practice graphing, at the same time reviewing 2D shapes.
I've included black & white patterns for children, as well as colorful answer keys.
My students really love graphing, so I hope yours will too.
Well that's it for today. Thanks for stopping by.
It's going to be another hot one today in the 90s (!) unheard of for Michigan at the end of September, but it beats snow.
Time to go water my wilting flowers. Wishing you a fun-filled day.
"By learning you will teach; by teaching you will learn." -Latin Proverb
