1-2-3 Come Do Some Apple Investigations With Me

Yesterday's articles featured all sorts of apple craftivities.  Today's apples incorporate a bit of science and math.  Whenever I started a themed unit, I always began by reading some interesting books. 

To cover all sorts of genre, I included fiction as well as non fiction stories, and sprinkled in some poems and songs too.  To get a list of my apple books, click on the link.  Another thing I did, was to do some research of my own.

One of my favorite things about the Internet, is the incredible amount of material on the web.  People have spent hours sharing their knowledge and ideas, and I'm grateful. 

I absolutely LOVE doing research and finding out interesting information about the things my students will be studying.  I'm always amazed at the amount of "cool stuff" that I also learn along the way. 

While doing research for my apple unit, I compiled a list of 125 interesting facts about apples, and thought I'd share it with you. 

Highlight the facts you want to share with your students.  After you read the information, test students' comprehension, by having them write 3 facts down on the recording sheet that's provided. 

They could also add facts to some of the art projects discussed yesterday, like writing information on a paper chain for the 3D apple "dangler" activity.  Click on the link to grab your copy of the 125 Interesting Apple Facts.

A quick, easy and fun way to get some science into your lessons, is to cover the life cycle of an apple. 

For hands-on learning, I've designed 4 different "craftivities" to show the life cycle of an apple. 

Completed projects make awesome bulletin boards, or decorations for your hallway. (Suspend them from the ceiling, as a border along a wall.)

The first packet features an apple, apple pie, and apple tree option. 

You can choose which you feel is most age-appropriate, or give older students a choice.  Click on the link for the Life Cycle of an Apple packet. 

This packet will be FREE for an entire year (!) after which time, it will be up-dated and rolled into my 33-page Life Cycle of an Apple Activities packet in my TpT shop.

The fourth option, is an apple "dangler" because once completed, it looks terrific dangling from the ceiling. 

I made it 3 dimensional by doubling up on the tree and apple cut outs (folding and gluing them together) and making the apple blossom out of a coffee filter that I edged with pink marker.  

Click on the link for the Life Cycle of an Apple Dangler craft.

Finally, for some apple math activities, I designed the apple investigations packet.  It will help your students learn about measurement.

Children measure height, weight, width and circumference of their apple. They trace and write vocabulary-building words, predict, answer questions, plus collect and analyze data.

As you can see, a lot of standards are covered in this simple booklet.  Click on the link above, to grab your FREEBIE.  

Thanks for visiting today.  Feel free to PIN away.  For another fun writing prompt "craftivity" scroll down to the next blog article to take a look at the Johnny Appleseed packet.

I'm writing this early Saturday morning so that it will automatically go live on Sunday.  I really try to limit my computer time on the weekends.  Having family coming over for a day of swimming, certainly helps me "behave".  I'm off to get ready for some memory-making fun. 

"You can count the seeds in an apple, but you can't count the apples in a seed." -Unknown

1-2-3 Come Do A Back-To-School Icebreaker With Me.

My Y5's LOVED playing games as icebreakers for the first week of school. They are a quick, easy and fun way for students to learn about each other.

With a wave of my "magic magnifying glass" I'd often turn my kiddo's into ABC-De-tectives.  They especially enjoyed running around with a clipboard interviewing their classmates. With that in mind, I designed this "Find A Friend" icebreaker.

Here's What To Do:

Teacher runs off “rap sheets.” (A list of 5 simple questions.) Older students can fill them out in class; you may want to send the questionnaire home with younger students, to have parents help them out.  

Remind students NOT to put their name on their paper.  Pass out a rap sheet to each student. Make sure that no one has their own.

Inform your students that they are all detectives and that their mission is  to find their new friend.

Explain to your students, that by interviewing their classmates, they will eliminate suspects, until they find their  new friend.
When everyone has found their friend, detectives will introduce them to the class, using their rap sheet to tell about them.

Helpful tips:  

•  Choose one question from your list.
•  Ask this SAME question for each suspect.
•  If you get a no response, move on to another suspect.
•  If you get a matching response, then ask them another question.
•  If their next response does not match, then move on.
•  If it does, ask another question.  This may be the friend you’re looking for.

For added fun, I've included detective badges, a congratulations certificate of praise, that students earn when they find their new friend, a rap sheet, as well as an interview form.

Click on the link to view/download the Find A Friend Icebreaker Activity.

Thanks for visiting. Feel free to PIN anything you think others may find useful. My "Pin It" button is at the top.

"Education is not received.  It's achieved." -Unknown

1-2-3 Come Make a Glyph With Me

Are you going to be studying insects?  Do you need a quick, easy and fun way to assess listening and following directions?

Then I think you'll enjoy this cute little bee glyph.  A glyph is a wonderful way to see if students are listening and following directions. Completed projects are proof of that ability.

They are also a fun way to collect and analyze data, which will help you with Common Core State Standards:1.MD.4, K.MD.3

The packet also includes 6 graphing extensions and a data collection sheet.

Have your students choose a partner to interview (questions included) and see how many they need to ask before they guess which is their classmate's glyph.

My Y5's enjoyed becoming glyph detectives and their completed glyphs made wonderful bulletin boards and hallway displays.  Click on the link to view/download the bee glyph.

Thanks for visiting today.  Feel free to PIN anything you think others may find useful.

"Be the change you want to see in the world." -Mahatma Gandhi

1-2-3 Come Make Some Spring Glyphs With Me!

When I think of spring I think of bunnies, eggs, and butterflies, so I designed some cute glyphs with those things in mind.

My Y5's really enjoyed making glyphs.  Completed projects make wonderful bulletin boards, and they are a quick, easy and fun way to whole group assess listening and following directions. 

This was a report card standard for my Y5's.   So that this is not just my "opinion" that was made through observing their child, a glyph provides nice "paper proof."

If a parent ever questions why you feel their child is not listening and following directions, or asks you for "proof", a file of incorrectly done glyphs is a terrific resource. 

After I took down this spring bulletin board, I kept completed glyphs in my assessment folder. 

I paperclipped incorrect ones together, and put them on the top. 

I also kept an answer key, so that I had a correct comparison for parents to peruse, as they looked at them side-by-side, and I pointed out problems.

After conferences, I'd send those glyphs home and start fresh.

The photographs are of completed glyphs.  As I stated above, each Glyph makes a sweet bulletin board on their own, but you could also combine them. 

Have students cut out their eggs and then use them as a border, scatter the bunny glyphs on the board, cut out and hang the butterfly glyphs back-to-back, and at different lengths from the ceiling, or "resting" on the wall. 

For a more 3D effect, fold the wings up, and just tack down the thorax portion.

Glyphs and graphing are also wonderful ways for your students to collect and analyze data, which will help you review the Common Core State Standard: 1.MD.4

Click on the link to view/download the egg glyph and/or the butterfly glyph and the bunny glyph

Thank you for visiting today.  Feel free to PIN away.

"It's OK to not know, but it's not OK to not try." -Unknown

1-2-3 Listen and Follow Directions, and Make a Shamrock Glyph With Me!

A glyph is a quick and easy way to whole group assess listening and following directions. 

The photo shows a completed glyph by a girl.

Glyphs are also a fun way for students to collect and analyze data.

When everyone has completed their shamrock glyph, hang them up on a bulletin board, or hallway wall.

Using the data collection sheet, students choose a partner and interview them.

They ask as many questions as they need to figure out their partner's glyph. 

To make the game more exciting, encourage students to use as few questions as possible, to see who can solve the mystery with the fewest questions.

The packet includes 6 graphing extensions + a data collection sheet.

Click on the link to view/download the Shamrock Glyph packet.

Thank you for visiting today.  Feel free to PIN anything from my site that you think others might find useful.

"The man who does not read good books, has no advantage over a man who can not read good books." -Mark Twain