1-2-3 Come Do a Place Value Turkey With Me

November is fast approaching, so I've been working on some interesting turkey activities.

You can put some “Woo Hoo!” into studying place value, by creating a super-cute PVT (Place Value Turkey).

This is an especially fun activity for your students, and a nice alternative to worksheets; making it that “extra special something” you can do for the entire month of November.

Completed projects turn out absolutely adorable, and make an outstanding fall bulletin board or hallway display.

I’ve included 2 posters to help decorate.

You’re sure to get lots of compliments, as the results definitely have that “Wow!” factor.

The packet is very versatile, with lots of creative options for your students to choose from; which not only results in a nice variety of turkeys, but allows you to diversify your lessons.

These place value turkeys appeal to a variety of ages and abilities.

The versatility allows younger kiddos, as well as older students, to create a turkey that will have a one, two, three or even 4-digit number value!

Keep things simple for little ones by limiting the number of pieces and options, while challenging older students to create a bigger value for their turkeys, by gluing on more place value blocks and rods. 

Students can draw in their own face or pick one of the "head patterns" with a variety of eyes.

To add some 3D pop, add a beak and wattle, and bend the wings up a bit.

Children can also add a Pilgrim hat or bonnet or a bow.

There are also 2 patterns for the legs; one with regular turkey "feet", as well as one with Pilgrim shoes.

There are pattern pages with 2 sizes of "ones" and one hundred "blocks", as well as 2 sizes for the "10s" rods.

Students color and trim, then use the pieces to decorate their turkey with. 

After they have arranged the pieces to their satisfaction, they glue them down. 

Look at the photographs and you can see how I glued some "ones blocks" to the turkey's legs, his Pilgrim shoes, and on the back of the feathers. 

I tilted the 100s blocks to make a diamond-shaped design on one sample. You can also see a 100s block inside the buckle on the hat, as well as on the bow tie. 

For other examples, I glued 10 rods to the wings, hat, and legs.

There are also a variety of "belly" options.

I had an absolute blast making my samples and hope your kiddos enjoy creating their own place value tureky too. 

You can also opt to use the feather patterns that have a variety of place value pieces already on them. 

I thought using a 10s rod for the shaft of the feather looked terrific. This will save time cutting and gluing. 

Shading and adding highlights with crayons gives a splash of extra pizzazz and makes the turkeys more vibrant. 

I made my turkey's bodies with shades of brown paper, then did a rainbow color pattern of feathers on one of my turkeys, plus showed an AB-AB pattern, as well as an ABC-ABC color pattern, on two of my other examples. 

You can get a bit more creative, and print the turkey's body patterns on a variety of neon colors like hot pink, turquoise, purple and lime green, which will make for a wild and whacky turkey display.

Wiggle eyes, and a splash of glitter on the tips of the feathers, are more fun options.

Once children have created their place value turkey, they figure out how much it is “worth”.

I’ve provided several worksheet options for students to complete, which helps break things down.

Several will help students show how they came up with their total; as most students get carried away with decorating, and will have to make "conversions". 

For example if a student has glued on 14 ones blocks, they'll have to convert 10 of them (on their worksheet), then add one more to their 10s place, to correctly figure out the value of their turkey.

Choose which worksheet is most appropriate for your students.

They are different enough, so that you can actually do all of them.

If you're displaying the turkeys, you can also hang up students' worksheet(s), which will show the math.

There are also several whole-group activities for data collection and analysis.

Limited time?

Place value turkeys make a super-fun homework assignment, or another idea is to have students work with a partner or create one PVT in a small group of three, which will divide up the work.

Here's a fun challenge: Give the small group a total turkey value, and see how close they can get to hitting that number. 

The featured FREEBIE is something you can have students color, then send home the day before Halloween .

This "color me" Trick or Treat list of Halloween safety tips, is loaded with Dolch sight words, so take a moment to read it out loud, calling on students to take a turn to read a tip, then send it home as a reminder for parents.

Well that's it for today.  Thanks for stopping by.

The sun is shining and there's nary a whisp of wind, so nature is beckoning me.  Wishing you a fun-filled day.

"The truth is, the Super Bowl long ago became more than just a football game. It's now part of our culture, just like turkey at Thanksgiving and lights at Christmas; and like those holidays beyond their meaning, a factor in our economy." - Bob Schieffer

1-2-3 Come Do A Thanksgiving Craftivity With Me

I’m always looking for a few things that are quick, easy & fun for my students to do, during that last day before our Thanksgiving break.

With that in mind, I designed these 2 simple and versatile crafts, which are nice “wind things down” activities, for that sometimes hectic time.

First up is a cute owl card. There are 2 pattern options.
One says, “Guess whooo’s wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving?”, while the other one is generic, for students who may not celebrate this holiday: “Guess whooo is wishing you an awesome autumn?”

Children color & cut out their owl, along with the extra hat.
When that top tab on the hat is folded and glued in place, the hat will flip up to reveal a child’s school photo and the answer to the above question: “Me! That’s whooo.”

You don’t have to, but for some pizzazz & 3D pop, add wiggle eyes attached with glue dots. For that “finishing touch”, an extra beak and pair of wings (which also flip up), adds even more dimension.

If you do add the wings, students can write their greeting underneath.
If you decide to skip this step, I’ve provided a hexagon-shaped writing prompt, which is glued on the back.

There’s a blank hexagon, so you can have children complete a writing prompt, as well as a “Happy Thanksgiving” or “Happy fall”, where little ones trace the greeting, then sign their name.

I chose a hexagon shape because that’s one of our “toughies” to remember, so this provides a teachable moment to review it.

Next up is a "Welcome To My Home" activity. This project can also be used generically for fall, as well as Thanksgiving.

Use it as a card for younger children to make, or as a writing prompt craftivity for older students.

Ive discovered that anytime I toss a bit of craftiness into a writing lesson, my students are excited to get right down to business and more happily engaged.

Completed projects make a sweet bulletin board too.

I’ve included a list of 21 writing prompt options for them to choose from.

Besides the writing prompt choices, there are also several patterns for different “keepsake” cards you can make.

Personally, I designed this activity for Thanksgiving; ( “Welcome to my home for Thanksgiving” ) however, I realize some children don’t celebrate this holiday, so I’ve also included a generic “Welcome To My Home” pattern as well.

Choose which template is appropriate for your kiddos or give them a choice.
Templates come in black & white for students, as well as full color, so that you can quickly and easily make an example to share.

I purposely used the word “home” rather than “house” because home has a connotation of a place where you live, which could be an apartment or igloo, while a house is specific.

I’ve also included extra patterns with a bit of blank space on the door and doorstep, so that children can practice writing their address.

As you can see, both activities are an educational and quick,” little something”, you can plug into that often hectic last day before Thanksgiving break.
Easy-peasy for you; super-fun for your students.

Today's featured FREEBIE is a "Fall Leaves" packet, which will help your students practice their reading skills. The emergent reader booklet covers lots of Common Core and reinforces color words. 

Children read the simple sentences (packed with lots of Dolch and word wall words). 

They correct beginning capitalization, add end punctuation and then trace, write and color the color words with a matching color crayon or marker.

A graphing extension, color word matching worksheet and spinner game are also included. 

We'll that's it for today.  Thanks for stopping by.

Our church passed out shoe boxes to fill for needy children, so time to brave the chilly weather and go shopping.  

Wishing you a happy-go-jolly kind of day. 

"To get the true value of joy, you must have someone to divide it with." - Mark Twain

I-2-3-Come Make A Thankful Turkey Craft With Me

All I ever have to do to get my kiddos highly motivated and excited to write, is put a little bit of craftiness into the project.

With that in mind, I designed this "Thankful Turkey Wheel”, which does the trick in getting them happily engaged, and right down to business.

As a pre-writing activity, students make a list of 4-6 things that they are thankful for.

When they are content with their final draft, they choose one of 3 turkey-topped worksheets to write their list on.  So that you can quickly and easily make a sample to share,

I've included options in color as well as black and white. 

Once students have finished their final list, they assemble their wheel and illustrate those “things” on it.

Students can also use stickers, pictures cut out from magazines, digital clip art, or perhaps real photographs. For example if they are thankful for their family they could glue down a family photograph.

There are 3 wheels to choose from:
A simpler 3-piece wheel for younger children who’d skip the writing portion, as well as a 4 and 6-sectioned wheel for older students.

You can keep things simple with just the head and body of the turkey, or you can add some 3D pop by adding a wattle, beak and wings.

For more writing practice, have students label their pictures.

Completed wheels and prompts make a sweet bulletin board.

I’ve included a “Let our lives be full of Thanks and Giving” poster for the center of your display.

Be sure and make your own, to help explain what you want your students to do, as well as share with them, what you’re thankful for.

Pressed for time? For your convenience, I've included my completed, full-color samples of both the wheel and writing prompt. 

Little ones can simply make a list using a few words. 

Encourage older students to include some descriptive words and a bit more than one or two-word answers. 

You can also do this as a whole group activity with preschoolers, asking what they're thankful for, then listing their answers on the colorful worksheet making a class composite of gratefulness.

Today's featured FREEBIE also has a Thanksgiving theme.

If you're students are as bananas over Pete the Cat as mine are, then I think they'll enjoy this "Color Me" dice game puzzle.

Well that's it for today.  Thanks for stopping by.

Mother Henderson's cupboard is bare, so time for some marathon grocery shopping.  Wishing you a peaceful and productive day.

"Forget the mistakes. Remember the lesson." - Unknown