1-2-3 Come Do Some Kite Craftivities With Me      

Kites is a theme that my kiddos enjoy in March.  With that in mind, I created some quick, easy & fun lessons that involve kites and cover a variety of standards. I'm sharing 4 of my all-time favorites today, along with a kite-themed FREEBIE.

No matter what grade I taught, my students LOVED making glyphs, and since the shamrock glyph that I posted a few days ago has been so popular, I decided to create a kite one.

Glyphs are a quick, easy & interesting way to practice & assess listening & following directions.  Since this is one of my report card standards, glyphs also provide a "hard copy" to use as proof that a child does or doesn't.

Completed projects make an adorable bulletin board, as each one will be different! Glyphs are also an interesting way to get to know your students.

To practice data collection & analysis, as well as process of elimination, have students pick a partner to "interview", to help them figure out which glyph is their partner's.

I've included a data collection worksheet for this, challenging students to try and solve the "mystery" with the least amount of questions.

I've also included 6, whole-group graphing extensions, so you can practice another math standard. 

Next up is my latest alphabet wheel: Kk is for Kite. Dollar Deal-Alphabet Wheels, are a super-fun way to practice letters, and build the vocabulary needed to give an example of a word, with that beginning sound.

They feature 7 nouns that begin with that letter, and come in black & white, as well as full-color, so that you can use a colorful one for an independent center and use the black & white pattern for a whole-group or individual word work activity, where kiddos make their own.

I've also included a worksheet where students trace & write the words in alphabetical order. 

Next is a set of 18 print & go, “Can Do!” Common Core kite worksheets, that cover a nice variety of standards.

There are full-page patterns, as well as 2-on-a-page templates, plus an "I Spy" game cover, if you want to collate them into a little workbook for your kiddos.

Fun for your students and easy-peasy for you! 

This is an interesting little something, that you can send as homework to do over spring break. 

Finally, practice analog and digital time with the "Time Flies" Game Packet.

There are several options for this kite craftivity. Children can simply make a kite clock to practice digital & analog time.

You can also use this as a whole-group or individual assessment tool. 
Call out a time. While sitting at their desks, children arrange the paperclips to show that time. You can see at a glance who is having difficulty.

Students can also play the “Time Flies” kite game.  After children have made their kite clocks, complete with 12-digital time “kite ties” glued to a string, (no times are put on the ties yet) they begin the game.

Students pick a partner and take turns rolling first one dice, to get the 1 to 6 O’clock times.
Whatever number they roll, is the number that they write on their analog kite clock. They also write the digital time on the appropriate digital kite tie.

When they have all 6 numbers done, they roll two dice, adding them together to get the 7-12 O’clock times.
The first one to complete their kite clock, or the one with the most times filled in when the timer rings, is the winner.

I've also included an assessment worksheet, a "special note" poster, plus 4 clock face options. 

Today's FREEBIE also features a kite. It's a "High Flying With Patterns!" Game, Craft, & Whole-Group Assessment Tool. 

Use as an independent math center, run off the patterns on a variety of colors of construction paper, laminate, and trim.
Punch a hole in the bottom point of the kite and add a yarn tie.

Students pick a card and show that pattern by arranging the various colored kite ties on the string.

Another option is to do this as a whole group "craftivity", allowing each child make their own kite.

You can whole-group assess, by choosing cards and having children arrange their “kite tail strips” appropriately. You’ll be able to see at a glance who is having difficulty. 

Later, have students pick their favorite pattern and glue the appropriate colored kite strips to their yarn tie.  

Well that's it for today.  Thanks for stopping by.  I have a few more kite activities to finish up, then it's on to some "wind stuff". 

Wishing you a day filled with luscious, fresh air and happy nature-filled moments. 

"Just living is not enough... one must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower." -Hans Christian Andersen 

1-2-3 Come Do Some Fun Pattern Block Activities With Me

Carley, from Idaho, asked me if I had any pattern block activities for her kinders.  She was given 2 huge sets from retiring teachers and wondered what sorts of things she could do with them.  

I only had one activity, a (Monthly Pattern Blocks On A Roll dice game packet) so I thought I'd design a few more.  Three days and a zillion hours of work later, I came up with lots of fun pattern block FREEBIES!

So many, that this post is longer than I wanted, but I think you'll really enjoy some interestingly different pattern block goodies, as you kick back and relax a bit. 

Pattern blocks are a wonderful manipulative for all sorts of activities, and introduce students to a few more geometric shapes, like the rhombus and trapezoid. My Y5's especially enjoyed lying on their tummies and making long lines of various patterns. (ABAB, ABBA, ABC-ABC etc.)

Not that we need anymore "to do" things added to an already overwhelming list, but as long as your kiddos are playing with pattern blocks, they might as well learn the names of them. This is easily done through repetition and simply allowing children to play with them. 

Adding a few posters, so students can see the pattern block pictures through out the day, is an easy reminder of these new shapes.  Click on the link to view/download the Pattern Block Poster. 

I also made a set of Giant Pattern Block blackline templates.  Simply run them off on the appropriate color of construction paper, laminate and trim.  Punch a hole in the top and hang from the ceiling. 

For a center on the floor, make 6 of each piece and have students pattern and make pictures with them.  Suspend a trapezoid, hexagon, rhombus and triangle, in each one of the corners of your room and play 4-Corners at the end of a long day.

Another poster is a pattern block optical illusion.  Do you think the trapezoid on the top is bigger?  Chances are your students will think so, but it really isn't.  Both pieces are the same size.  Print and trim the pieces on a sheet of red construction paper to prove it to them.  Click on the link to grab it.

I've also designed a set of pattern cards for your pocket chart, with a matching blackline booklet your kiddos can make.   

There's also a set of Counting With Pattern Blocks, perfect for your pocket chart as well.  I've included a blackline template so you can make worksheets, or use as a center.

Practice counting, sequencing, making groups, plus numbers and number words, with the Pattern Block Number Booklet.

Make a laminated booklet for your math center and have students use dry erase markers to fill in the information,  or make a booklet for each child and have them work on a page a day. I've included a color + black & white cover if you'd like to do this activity.

Instead of placing real pattern blocks on the pages, they can draw them, glue paper pieces, or paste on stickers. 

If you'd like some pattern block stickers (They do exhist!) you can find them over at purefunsupply.com They come 900 in a package for just $8.68.

If you have access to an Ellison Die Cut machine, they have a template for each pattern block shape.  This is a quick way to make zillions of little pieces for all sorts of activities.  I laminate my construction paper before hand, so my paper pieces last longer.  I also make a bunch that are not laminated, so students can glue them to the above booklet, or on sentence strips to make various pattern combinations.  

If you don't have access to an Ellison, I also found a blackline pattern block PDF on Pinterest.   I don't like to directly link to a PDF, and would prefer to send you to that person's site, but there are no identifying credits printed on it. You could have a room helper cut them out for you and sort them into Baggies.

Want to play some games with pattern blocks? Click on the link for a variety of spinner and dice games using pattern blocks. 

I also made Rack Up A Stack. Students roll the dice to see which pattern block they need to stack on their mat. 

A second roll, tells them how many of that pattern block they need to stack. Stacks can get pretty high if they keep rolling the same number. 

If their stack falls, children put only the spilled pieces back in the pile.  Because my Y5's tended to be pretty clutzy, you may want to make a rule that children only have to put one or two spilled pieces back, and only those from the column that they are working on, just in case another stack tumbles because they accidently bumped it.

The child with the most pieces stacked in one pattern block column can be the winner, or the one with the most stacks, or the one with the most total number of pattern blocks stacked. 

To practice addition, give students the point value card, so they can add up the points in each stack, as well as a grand total.  I've made the easier-to-stack pieces worth only 1 point, for easy counting, as well as higher point values for pattern blocks that are more difficult to stack.  I've purposely given these values of 2, 3 and 5 points, so that students can practice their skip counting skills. 

There's a recording sheet for them to show their work.   Click on the link to grab it. Rack Up A Stack: Pattern Block game.

Another game-like challenge, is to have students use the pattern blocks to see how many ways they can make a hexagon.  I chose this shape because it's a standard for many, and often a "toughie" shape to remember for lots of kiddos.  Click on the link for the Hexagon Challenge With Pattern Blocks packet.

As with anything we studied, I liked to throw in some hands-on "craftivity" as another way to immerse my kiddos in whatever concept we were working on. 

With that in mind, I made Pattern Block Pals.  (Blockheads!) I think they turned out pretty cute and hope you like them too. 

There are blank pattern block "head" templates, so your students can draw on their own faces, ones with a traceable word on them, plus ones with sweet faces. 

They look great as a boarder, bulletin board, or suspended from the ceiling against a hallway wall.  As a writing extension, have students list things on the back of their blockhead that also have that shape.  For example, on the back of a rhombus students could list kites, jewelry etc.

A caption for your display could be: "Mrs. Henderson's Kinders Are Really Shaping Up."  or "So Many Patterns, So Little Time." or "Pupil Pattern Blockheads With Personality". Click on the link to view/download the Pattern Block Pals packet.

Pattern blocks are not just for younger children either.  They are a wonderful way to explain fractions to students as well.  While doing research, I found quite a few great YouTube videos, demonstrating fractions using pattern blocks.  Click on the link to take a look.

I always do a bit of surfing to find out what's out there; (no sense in reinventing the wheel) I found some excellent pattern block resources and all of them are FREEBIES! Holly and Heather over at prekinders have over 20 free pattern block picture mats in full color, as well as black and white. 

I especially like using a black and white template, because it not only saves on printer ink, but forces students to search for the shape and not just rely on finding the correct color.   Note that they've included a caterpillar and butterfly in their packet; perfect for an independent center, if you're studying that life cycle.

ABC Teach also has a big variety of pattern block picture mats: toys, animals, flowers, and some really interesting and challenging patterns like the one pictured. 

I was really excited to find a complete set of FREE pattern block mats for upper & lowercase letters as well as numbers 1-10 over at Make Learning Fun.  They too offer full color or black and white.  Each link will take you to their respective sets. 

If you don't have a set of colorful "real" pattern blocks (besides wooden, they now come in plastic and foam, as well as magnets) and would like to do some cut and paste activities with paper pattern block pieces,  Make Learning Fun also has a separate, full-page template of trapezoids, rhombuses, triangles, hexagons and squares. 

Click the black and white template of your choice, and simply run off on the appropriate color of construction paper. The link for their  "Printable paper pattern blocks" appears after both the letter and number pattern block options.  

If you're looking for some "complete the pattern cards", Erica, over at Confessions Of A Homeschooler, made a nice set of pattern block mats.

Lory's 2nd Grade Page, also has some color as well as blackline "complete the pattern cards" + a really cute shape monster muncher game.

Erica also made a set of pattern block alphabet letters in color, as well as pattern block numbers 1-20 

Unlike Make Learning Fun, you don't have to click on each individual letter, but just one download for each complete set.  Because they are different from Make Learning Fun's sets, I have both, to add more variety to my centers.

She just completed a black and white set of pattern block letters as well.  Click on that link if you want the blackline version.

Finally, if you do a solar system or space theme, you'll want to take a look at Learning Resources' 32-page  FREEBIE, filled with pattern block skill-building activities and games.

Whew!  That's a lot of fun with pattern blocks.  Thanks for visiting today.  As always, feel free to PIN away. 

 “It is a happy talent to know how to play.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson

1-2-3 Come Do Some Pilgrim Activities With Me!

I'm always open to suggestions for 10-frames templates.  They are such a wonderful vehicle for teaching all sorts of math concepts, so it's nice to revisit them each month. 

By changing the theme and manipulatives for the cards, you keep things fresh and interesting; so when Kathie, over in Montana, asked for a Pilgrim set, I whipped some together and thought others might enjoy them too.  Click on the link to view/download the Pilgrim 10 Frames packet.

The easy reader 1-2-3 Count Pilgrims With Me is a wonderful accompaniment.

• Students read, trace and write the number and number word.
• They see a pilgrim in a sentence and say it.
• They spy the number in a sequence and circle it.
• They X-out that many boxes or use a bingo dot marker or stamp.
• They cut and glue the set/group of pilgrims to the matching numbered box.

The packet also includes:

• 3 graphing extensions
• 30-word wall word/number flashcards
• Covers for the flashcards to make Itty Bitty Books
• A "Plus one more" math skill sheet &
• A certificate of praise.

As long as I was diddling around with my master templates, I decided to make a Pilgrim Shape Game packet too.  I've included a shape spinner in the newer shape game packets. 

You can continue to use the laminated shape cards in a math center, or you can have students pick a partner and take turns spinning.  

Whatever shape they land on, they place the matching shape tile on the twin Pilgrim card.  Make extra sets, and reinforce colors too.  Using a dry erase marker, students color in whatever shape they spin with that matching color.   Click on the link to view/download the Pilgrim Shape Games.

In another Pilgrim-themed math game, students work on their addition skills.  They take turns rolling dice to come up with an answer, and then color the sum that they find on the Pilgrim coloring sheet.   Click on the link to view/download the Pilgrim additon coloring game.

I See "Sum" Fall Puzzles includes some Pilgrim/Thanksgiving  templates and is also a math activity that can be set up as an independent center or played as a game. 

You can print, laminate and cut the puzzles to use in your math center, or run them off and have students cut and glue them together.  There are blank templates so that you can do subtraction as well as addition. Click on the link above to view/download it.

Thanks for visiting.  As always feel free to PIN away. The "Pin it" button is located at the top, on the burgundy menu bar.  I design and blog daily, so I hope you can pop on by tomorrow for the newest FREEBIES.

"Not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them, is the true measure of our Thanksgiving." -W.T. Purkiser

Stripe It Up With Seuss And Show Me A Pattern!

Let’s face it, when you have a lot of little munchkins and not a whole lot of time to get assessments done, it’s nice to be able to do some whole-group activities with your students, so that you can see at a glance who has the concept and who is still struggling.

An effective, as well as fun way to do this, is by making the assessment into a hands-on activity.  To assess patterning, run off my stripe template on a variety of colored construction paper and then laminate.

There are 20 stripes per sheet, so if you have 25 students in your class, you will need 5 pieces of each color, so they can make an ABAB pattern and fill their hat.

I like to use every color, as being able to recognize colors is a report card standard for the Y5’s. I can use this game as a “teachable moment” to hold up different colored stripes and have students say the colors in English, Sign Language, as well as Spanish.

Laminate the construction paper and then cut out the strips using a paper cutter.  If you want to keep colors organized keep them in plastic baskets.

This also helps students practice sorting and several life skills, or you can opt to dump them all into plastic shoe boxes and set one on each table.

Run off the Seuss hat on white construction paper, laminate and cut out.  Tell students that you want them to show you various patterns using the stripes.

Explain to them that the white stripe will always be one of the color stripes.  This will help expedite the game.  Call out a pattern that you want the children to show you such as ABAB.

The students pick up 4 stripes of one color and place them on their hat: red-white-red-white etc. Other patterns I assess:  ABCABC -  ABBA  &  AABBAABB. You look around the room and see that everyone has it correct and help strugglers.

If you want to have a sample to show students one that is done correctly, run off extra copies of the hat and color in the various patterns, or put magnet strip on the back of the hat and strips and demonstrate on the white board.  I've also included a spinner and tally sheet if you want to make this into an independent game.

Children play with 2-4 players taking turns spinning the Cat In The Hat spinner.  Whatever pattern they land on they stripe their hat and make a tally on their "I Can Pattern How About That!" sheet.  Play continues 'tl the timer rings.  Teacher walks around to check and see how everyone is doing.

After the game, pass out copies of the hat for students to cut out and color whatever pattern and colors that are their favorites.

Remind them that the stripes no longer have to be white and could even be rainbow-colored.  Students write their name on the brim.

To help strengthen finger muscles, students can also do a rip & tear Dr. Seuss Hat. For a nice variety, allow students to choose whatever colored construction paper stripes they want.

Click on the link to view/download Dr. Seuss Hat Patterning Activity

When everyone is done, give them a "Hats Off To You!" Cat in the Hat bookmark.  Click on the link to view/download the Dr. Seuss Cat in the Hat bookmark.

Do you have a patterning tip you’d like to share?  I’d enjoy hearing from you.  diane@teachwithme.com or feel free to comment here especially if you use one of my ideas.   Thanks in advance.