1-2-3 Come Do Some More 2D Shape Activities With Me

Each month I like to have a little review of all of the 2D shapes, so this information stays stuck in my students’ heads.

With that in mind, I designed the "Shape Up!" turkey-themed packet, with a variety of games and activities that provide a fun way to review these shapes: circle, oval, triangle, square, rectangle, hexagon, pentagon, octagon, rhombus, trapezoid, heart & star.

There is an assortment of (12-on-a page) cards which can be used for “Memory Match” and “I Have; Who Has?” games.

I’ve included a 3-page “tip list” of ideas and other games you can use the cards for, such as: “Flip It”, “What’s Missing?” “Speed” & “Kaboom!”

Games can be played independently or as a whole group, then put in your math center.

There are also 2 sets of black & white game cards, so that students can make a game of their own to take home for further reinforcement.

Game sheets like “I Spy a Shape” are a super-fun way to whole group assess. The same worksheet can be used 5 times!

There are puzzles, dice & spinner games, as well as 2 graphing activities.

An emergent reader booklet, packed with Dolch words, practices a variety of standards.

The booklet can remain a whole page, or students can cut in half on the dashed line, creating a "just the right size" smaller booklet for little hands. 

There are cover options for both. Students read the sentence, underline the capital letter and add end punctuation.  

You can do this as a whole group activity, with "monkey see-monkey do" directions.

Children also trace the shape word then write it, then trace the shape and draw it.  Afterwards students cut and glue the appropriate shape to the empty box, then color the "shapely turkey" at the top of the page. 

This is a fun activity for the week of Thanksgiving, where you can do one or two pages each day; or send home over the holiday, as an interesting homework assignment.

This packet pairs perfectly with last week's “Shapely Turkeys” craft. Click the LINK to take a look.

Today's featured FREEBIE is "Oh Feathers!" a turkey-themed spinner game, which is also a fun way to practice 2D shapes.    

Thank you for stopping by. 

A dusting of snow has put me in the Christmas mood, so time for a little early shopping. 

Wishing you a peaceful day filled with wonder.

 "When snow falls, nature listens." - Unknown

1-2-3 Come Do Some Turkey Activities With Me

Studying a bit about turkeys is not only super-interesting, but it helps me get in some science and non-fiction practice as well.

Turkeys are a perfect November theme, without being totally tied to Thanksgiving, which is not celebrated by everyone in our very diverse classrooms of today.

With these things in mind, I designed “Turkey Talk”. It’s chock full of a variety of activities that include:

* A colorful KWL chart which can be done as a whole group, while the BW version can be done individually.

* 4 realistic and lovely clip art posters featuring a male, female and baby turkey along with a nest of eggs.
* I’ve also included a set of “Match Game” picture and word cards.

* A “color me” Turkey Talk emergent reader, that’s packed with Dolch sight words, as well as a “trace & write” version for younger kiddos.

* A “Let’s Talk Turkey” vocabulary building poster, with a matching...
* “Define These Words” worksheet.
* A “Turkey Time” word search as a fun way to practice these new words.
* A labeled turkey head, photo-poster, with an accompanying definition one, plus
* 2, “Label the Turkey” worksheets.

* 20+ interesting turkey facts. Pick your favorites, share with your students, then use this background information to check their comprehension.

* A follow up “Some interesting facts I learned about turkeys” writing prompt worksheet.

* 10 photo-posters of wild and domestic turkeys.

* 2 Venn diagrams, which come in color to do as a whole group, as well as BW to be done individually or with a partner.

* 3 photo-posters of a peacock for a comparison-contrast activity.

* A “Turkeys Are Can Have” worksheet in color and BW
* A “Would you like to have a turkey as a pet?” writing prompt worksheet.
* A “Describe a Turkey” worksheet for adjective and descriptive writing practice.

* 2 life cycle of a turkey crafts. One's a slider the other a "Turn & Learn Wheel" Plus several matching worksheets & a game.

All come in BW as well as color, so that you can quickly & easily make samples to share; and finally,

* 2 “We learned about turkeys today! Ask me what I know.” color-me bookmarks. 

Renee over in Virginia, asked me if I had any Thanksgiving-themed  "Fix The Sentence" cards, as her students have enjoyed a few of my other seasonal "pocket chart punctuation" packets. 

Just finished them, so I thought I'd include them in this blog post as well.   

These 28, Thanksgiving-themed sentence cards, are a quick, easy and fun way to practice capitalization and end punctuation, while reinforcing some factual information about the first Thanksgiving.

Choose your cards, then read them together as a whole group to practice lots of Dolch sight words.

Pick a student to come up and using a dry erase marker, circle letters that should be capitalized and then add end punctuation. (period, question mark & exclamation point).

You can do this on a whiteboard, with a pocket chart, or pass a card out to each child to correct.

For more practice, as an individual activity, have students choose X number of mini cards and rewrite the sentences correctly on one of the 7 worksheet options.

Afterwards, students can swap their paper with a partner to correct.

I've included 2 sizes of mini "fix the sentence" cards for this, which makes a nice Daily 5 word work activity too.

There are 28 mini cards on one sheet of paper. Simply print, laminate and trim several copies, for a class set. 

The featured FREEBIE today is a collection of fall-themed, 2D shape matching games.  Students place the colored shape tile on to the matching shape on the leaf, spider, bat, owl, or turkey card.  

I've included a blank template for each theme, so you can program with more shapes or whatever. Hope your kiddos enjoy them as much as mine.

Well that's it for now. Thanks for stopping by. Time to hit the road and do some grocery shopping for turkey day.

Lots to do when our crowd of 20+ gathers.  Feeling very blessed.  Wishing you a warm-fuzzy kind of day.

"When I was growing up, and other people I knew were getting into trouble, I was somewhere in a deer stand or going to bed early, so I could be up before dawn to hunt turkeys. My love of the outdoors kept me solid.  - Donald Trump, Jr.

1-2-3 Come Do Some Thanksgiving Math Activities With Me

Strut your math skills with this cute turkey craftivity.

You can review all sorts of standards while playing this game, which is easy to differentiate for a variety of ages and learning levels.

Use the 10-sectioned pie pattern, to simply make a 10-piece puzzle, for younger students to practice counting and sequencing numbers 1-10. You can also review colors with them as well.

Older students can practice numbers and their number words.

It only took 15 minutes to make a class set. Store them separately in Ziploc Snack Baggies.

Reinforce life skills, by playing with the puzzles as a partner game.

You can use dice and practice addition, or use the spinner (3 are included) to play that way.

If your kiddos are also studying fractions, they can play Memory Match or "I Have; Who Has?" games, with the turkey's pumpkin pie fraction cards.

I've made a larger set to use as flashcards, as well as included a set of black and white pocket chart cards. 

These can also be used as a worksheet for your kiddos to trace, write,trim & collate into an Itty Bitty fraction booklet. 

Click on the link to zip on over to my TpT shop to have a look: Easy As Pie, Turkey Number Game With Some Fraction Fun

The featured FREEBIE today is a short story "Who Will Be King".  It's special in that it includes ALL 220 Dolch sight words!

I've highlighted words in various colors, so that you know which lists they come from. Hope you find it helpful. 

Well that's it for today.  The carpet cleaners will be here this morning, so my office will be off limits to creative messes. 

Time to think up something else to fill up my day with.  Ummm, shopping before the crazy crush begins sounds good . . . Wishing you a wonderful weekend.

"Shopping at any level is a bit of therapy for my medulla oblongata." - Theophilus London

1-2-3 Come Play Some Number Games With Me

As things are winding down, for a much-deserved Thanksgiving break, you may want to plug in a few educational, yet quick, easy and fun games on that last day.

The Easy As Pie Learning packet, reviews all sorts of standards, with a cute little turkey game that's easy to differentiate, for a variety of learning levels. 

Use the 10-sectioned pie pattern, to simply make a 10 piece puzzle, for younger students to practice counting and sequencing numbers 1-10. 

Older students can practice numbers and their number words, if you cut the puzzle slices into numbers and number word pieces, making a 20-piece puzzle.

You can also review colors with your little ones, by running off the number wheel pattern, on 10 different colors of construction paper; mixing and matching pieces 'til you have 30-mini puzzles, each with 10 different colored pie slices.  It only took me a few minutes to make 10.  Store them separately, in Ziploc Snack Baggies.

 Reinforce life skills, by playing with the puzzles as a partner game.  You can use dice and practice addition, or use the spinner (3 are included) to play that way. 

Students take turns rolling one dice, to fill in pie slices numbered 1-6, then use two dice and add them together, to play puzzle pieces 7-10.

If your kiddos are also studying fractions, they can play Memory Match or "I Have; Who Has?" games, with the turkey's pumpkin pie fraction cards. There's also a larger set to use as flashcards.

For more fraction practice, I've included a set of black and white pocket chart cards that you can run off, so your students can make an Itty Bitty fraction booklet.  Click on the link to grab this fun fall FREEBIE:  Easy As Pie Learning Thanksgiving Game packet.

Thanks for visiting.  It's really started to snow outside, so I'm off to go find the snow shovel, as it is tenaciously sticking to the ground. 

Sigh... I am so not ready for winter yet, but then I don't think I'm ever happy when it truly arrives either. 

"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them." ~John Fitzgerald Kennedy

1-2-3 Do Some Fall Games With Me

Since the apple and pumpkin shape games, as well as the apple and pumpkin number games, were such a huge hit, I decided to design some for the rest of the popular fall themes.  There are sets for leaves, spiders, bats, owls and turkeys.  If I've missed a theme that you do, and would like games for, simply shoot me an e-mail: diane@teachwithme.com and I'll see what I can do.

Number words were always part of my word wall.  I found that the more contact my students had with these words, the easier it became for them to automatically recognize and read them.  Playing word games made learning them interesting and fun.  To make the games, print off the cards, laminate them and then trim. 

Students clip a clothespin to the number that matches the number word on the themed-card.  So that students can self-check, put an X on the back of the card in the location of the correct answer.  I kept clothespins in a tub and games in their own separate Baggy. 

There's a blank set of cards for each theme, so that you can program higher numbers, or use for whatever.  Click on the link to view/download the Fall Themed Number Word Clothespin Games.

To go along with the apple and pumpkin shape games, I also made 5 more fall-themed shape matching games.   They too include the above sets: leaves, spiders, bats, owls and turkeys. 

Run off the shape template on a variety of colors of construction paper; laminate and trim.  Students place the colored shape tile onto the matching shape on the themed card.   The shapes on the cards also include the shape word, to help reinforce word recognition as well. 

I've included a blank set of cards with these sets too, so that you can program them with more shapes or whatever.  Click on the link to view/download the Fall Shape Matching Game packet.

Thanks for visiting today.  I design and blog every day, so I hope you can stop by again tomorrow, for the newest FREEBIES.  Feel free to PIN away.  I think sharing makes everyone's life easier.    If you'd like to see all of the educational items that I pin, click on the heart to the right of the blog. 

"This above all else: to thine own self be true." -William Shakespeare

Turkey Time

Are you looking for some fun activities to do with the little “turkeys” running around your house? I have some solutions for you!

     Crafting With Kids: It’s always fun to do crafts with kids, and especially nice if they can become a keepsake or have a practical purpose.  Click on the Patterns & Directions link at the end to view/print all the directions for these projects.

Keepsake Turkey Prints: My all-time favorite turkey craft is traced from my students’ feet (shoe on), and hands and then glued together to make these darling turkeys, sure to be treasured for a long time.  I write this little poem on a heart that's sent home with the turkeys.  “This is a turkey Oh so fine. Look at the body, It’s two feet that are mine. The feathers are traced from my hands too. I made this turkey because I love you!” The Indian corn seen in the picture I made by melting crayon shavings on yellow construction paper "corn cobs" that are covered with a sheet of waxed paper. The "husk" I made by tying on a raffia bow. 

 Oak Leaf Turkey: Another quick craft is Oakey The Turkey. Paint a paper plate; add some oak leaf “feathers” and a turkey head that you’ve added a bit of color to, and you’ve made Oakey!

 Disguised Turkeys:  Several of my fellow teachers do this idea with their Kindergarten and Preschool students and they turn out adorable; so I decided to make a pattern and letter for you to copy if this “floats your boat”.  It’s a nice home-school connection to get parents involved in creating a great bulletin board or wall display.

 Don’t forget to check out the Cutie Cup & Praise Turkey in the November Arts & Activities section of my side Blog! They’re quick, easy and real self-esteem builders.  I also have LOTS of turkeys in my Turkey Art and Activities Book. So click on the link and have a blast decorating your classroom or home while nailing report card standards!

 Click here to view/print  the Turkey art patterns and directions for the above 3 projects. I've also included The Turkey Pokey song.  My students enjoy singing this with whatever turkey creation they've made before they take their "masterpiece" to their locker.

      Games: I design a lot of games for my Y5’s.  It’s a fun way for them to learn life skills as well as report card standards.  These November games help reinforce colors, number recognition, sequencing, counting, etc. Click on the link to view/print patterns and directions. November Games.

      Educational Activities: Clicking on this link will get you a turkey glyph, Venn diagram comparing our modern day Thanksgiving dinner with the 1^st feast, a Native American headband activity that reinforces skip counting, patterning and shapes; a word-wall word skill sheet, + traceable- November word flashcards, and an  “-ump” family Pumpkin spinner.  Educational Activities.

      Other Fun Things To Do On The Web:

Graphic Garden has an adorable free Thanksgiving bear bookmark. Print off a few, glue them to construction paper, punch a hole in the top, tie a nice autumn-colored ribbon at the top, write names on the bottom edge and use them for place cards at your Thanksgiving table.

 A fantastic site for geography and history is found at our National Library site. Click on the link and click on their Jump Back In Time button and read about life during the colonial times.

 To view a cute newspaper article slideshow of the turkeys at the White House click on the link The article shows a photo of the president at the time (Pix from Eisenhower to GW Bush) and also gives an interesting turkey tidbit.

 To play some fun games that represent  colonial times click on the link.  My favorites were Revolutionary Fireworks Frenzy, where you had to light fireworks that went off in a beautiful array, Heads Up For The Colonists where you dragged hats and put them on the correct person on the ship, Paper Dolls At Play, where you dressed the Colonial girl in the appropriate clothing in the correct order.

 Info.Please has some great turkey facts. I knew that Benjamin Franklin argued for the turkey to be our National bird instead of the eagle, however I didn’t know that the US processed more than 6 billion pounds of turkey!  Wow! Click on the link to learn some really interesting trivia. 

 The HolidaySpot.com has a nice history of Thanksgiving. Click on the link. This site also has some great quick facts:  Play a rousing game of tic-tac-toe against a pilgrim and turkey. Careful; it’s addicting. I had to play ‘til I was ahead. Who’d want to admit that you’d been beaten’ by a turkey!

Scholastic's is having several free Web Casts: on Nov. 2nd tour the Pilgrim village, On Nov. 9th tour the Wampanoag village, on Nov. 16th enjoy a recreation of the 1st Thanksgiving. Great for Smartboards!   l copied their blip and it’s pasted below.  I've been to the plantation and it is awesome!   You have to sign up.  Click on  the link to do that.

A thirty minute online field trip to meet a Pilgrim and a Wampanoag—straight from Plymouth Plantation. Watch the fieldtrip from your classroom—or pull a few classes together in the library to take this exciting trip to visit Plymouth. Your class will also receive a series of letters from a Pilgrim and a Wampanoag. 

Last summer my husband and I visited Plymouth Rock.  Plymouth Plantation, a Wampanoag Village as well as viewed a replica of the Mayflower. Click on the links to view my pictures. Perhaps you can make a slide show from them or print them off to make your own picture book or b. board.

Well there it is, LOTS of fun-filled ideas to pack into your November drizzly cold days and squelch any “I’m bored!” complaints from your kids over Thanksgiving breatk.  Whatever you decide to do, I hope it’s simply “turkey-riffic”!

Happy November!