1-2-3 Come Do Some Scarecrow Crafts With Me

I love doing a variety of scarecrow-themed activities in the fall, so I created this cute “Peekin’ Scarecrow” writing prompt craft.

Whenever I toss a bit of creative craftiness in with our writing, my students get all excited to get down to business.

Since completed projects turn out pretty amazing, I also have an easy-peasy bulletin board or hallway display as well; which not only builds self-esteem, but gets us a lot of compliments too.

I find that if one provides students with a variety of interesting, fun and thought-provoking writing prompts, you will have hit a motivating “hot button”.

With that in mind, I spent quite a bit of time thinking up 42 engaging prompts, all with a scarecrow in mind.

For simple & quick printing, the writing prompt pattern provides 6 prompts on a one-page template.

TIP: Whenever I need to pre-cut things for my kiddos as a time saver, I stack at least 3 pages then staple around the edges. 

The staples keep the papers in place and with just a few snips across, I've cut out all 7 pages at one time.

After cutting, toss the "prompt cards" into a basket.

Students pick 3, choose their favorite, then toss the other 2 back in the basket.

This prompt is then glued to their completed project.

For extra pizzazz, have students add some color to the "quilt patch" border at the top.

There are 5 different, writing prompt worksheets for students to compose their final draft on.

These can be glued horizontally or vertically to their “Peekiin’ Scarecrow”. 

Take this teachable moment to build vocabulary by defining, then showing children a horizontal as well as a vertical sample. 

So that I have a pretty even amount, and a nice variety for my display. I assign half my students to glue their writing horizontally and the other half vertically.

For any of our writing assigments, I have students make a first & final draft.

To help them, I've included a writing rubric, which students can use as a checklist, before they complete their final draft. 

For some extra 3D pop, you can add a pair of wiggle eyes attached with glue dots.

Look closely & you will see that I've added some deeper shading with crayons, as well as some "stitch marks" to the nose, heart cheek & along the edges of the face & hat. 

Another way to add some extra pizzazz, is by putting a few sheets of yellow construction paper into a shredder.

Feed in one at a time (2 sheets did enough for my class of 20).

My kiddos absolutely LOVED adding "hay hair", which is a great fine motor skill that will  help strengthen finger muscles, and increase dexterity.

I've also included a hatband and a sunflower as "add on" patterns for the scarecrow's hat.

Fold the petals up for some added dimension.

As you can see by my samples, completed projects turn out so cute!

Your bulletin board or hallway display is sure to get a ton of compliments, while building self-esteem.

I've also included 2 posters to enhance your display.

 So that teachers can quickly & easily make an example to share, I've also made templates for 3, of my completed writing prompts.

Sharing an example, not only helps easily explain what you want your students to do, but also gets them excited to make one of their own.

As with all of my packets, there are clear directions, with helpful tips & photographs.

Today's featured FREEBIE is a set of upper and lowercase, scarecrow-themed alphabet cards.

Use them for a variety of games.

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

It's started snowing quite heavily this moring here in Michigan.

Since it's only the frist week of November, I am so not ready for the craziness that winter weather creates. 

That said, it is quite lovely, and the quiet of the woods, frosted in sparkling white is quite peaceful.

"In teaching others, we teach ourselves." -Proverb

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

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 Pilgrim Activities With Me

Do you read ”The Littlest Pilgrim” by Brandi Dougherty? 

I think part of the reason my students enjoy this story so much, is that they truly identify with Mini, the main character, for they too are young and often feel left out.

Mini is too little to chop wood, bake bread, hunt, build a cabin, or fish. (A nice list of things that the Pilgrims did).

However, she’s not too little to pick berries and make a special Native American friend; which in truth is the very essence of why the Pilgrims survived.

Because of my students’ enthusiasm for the story and their empathetic identification with Mini, I designed 3 quick, easy and fun writing prompt activities that I think your students will enjoy.

* The first one: “When I was younger I was too little to . . .” features 4 different “toppers” for them to choose from then color. See the samples on the cover.

* The next one is a comparison-contrast activity, where students complete the prompts: “It’s great being a kid because…” then compare that with “I look forward to being an adult because…”
Students can choose a boy or girl Pilgrim worksheet.

* Finally, a Pilgrim girl bookmark, has children make a list of words (character traits) that describe Mini.

The activities are different enough so that you can do all three, or give children a choice of the top two, then build vocabulary and practice descriptive character traits, as a whole group.

Besides the black & white patterns for students, I’ve also included full color templates, so that you can quickly and easily make a sample to share. My finished examples are also included.

To practice "text to self" we discuss times in our lives that we felt just like Mini.

Completed projects make a sweet bulletin board. 

I’ve included 2 posters for the center of your display. 

Because my storytelling slider craftivities craftivities have been so popular, I decided to design one to go along with "The Littlest Pilgrim" as well. 

This craftivity is a quick, easy and fun way to reinforce the "sequencing and retelling a story" standards, while relaying factual information about the Pilgrims at the same time.

Children color the objects on the “slider strip” then cut and glue it together.

As they pull on the end of the “slider” the various pictures go through the window”, so that children can take turns retelling the story to a partner or reading buddy, then take their Pilgrim home to share with their family, once again practicing these standards.

Storytelling sliders are also an easy & interesting way to assess comprehension.

I’ve included a “sequence the story” worksheet for this, where students color and trim the picture “windows” then glue them in the correct order on the blank worksheet.

So that you can quickly and easily make an example, I’ve included a full-color slider pattern.  There are patterns for both a boy and girl Pilgrim.

I’ve also included a “Here’s What Happened…” writing prompt worksheet, as another way to check comprehension plus practice sequential writing, hopefully using a variety of ordinal numbers or other transitions.

The featured FREEBIE for today are some fun acorn-themed craftivities, which make a nice "sanity saver" for the last day before vacation. 

Well that's it for today.  Thanks for popping over.

The Sandhill Cranes are migrating and make a stop over in a marsh close by.

So time to bundle up to go see this truly awesome sight, as literally 1,000s swoop in honking away. Wishing you an inspiring day.

"Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is a broken-winged bird that cannot fly." - Langston Hughes

1-2-3 Come Learn About Pilgrim Children With Me

If you want your students to get excited and interested in learning about Pilgrims and the first Thanksgiving, do it from a child’s perspective... today’s kiddos studying about children in the 17th century.

Believe me, you’ll certainly grab their attention. Shocker; no electricity and lots of work to do!

Thirty-one children actually sailed on the Mayflower, with two born along the way!

I spent a great deal of time researching children during this time period, to create this packet, which can be simplified for PK kiddos, and ramped up for older elementary students, who will really enjoy the writing prompts.

The packet includes:

* A dozen Venn diagrams, which are an excellent way to present a great deal of interesting background information, while children practice comparing and contrasting.

* Several graphic organizers, KWLs, graphing extensions and worksheets.

* A variety of writing prompts, including an assortment of letter writing craftivities.

* A dozen games that were played during that time period, so it can be supposed that Pilgrim children might also have played them. Surprisingly, a few your students may still play today!

* 2 super-fun measurement activities that will make sailing on the Mayflower and living in a tiny Pilgrim house more real to your students.

* A Pilgrim TP tube craftivity.

Older students can staple it to the side of one of the writing prompts, to add a bit of 3D pizzazz to your bulletin board display. 

and as always . .

* Photographs & completed samples so that you can quickly & easily make examples to share.

Click on the link to zip on over to have a look see at this 86-page packet chock full of interesting activities: Pilgrim Children.

Here's hoping that your students enjoy learning about Pilgrim children, as they practice a variety of standards.

Today's featured FREEBIE goes right along with this Thanksgiving packet.

Click on the various links for my photographs of the Mayflower II, Plimoth Plantation, Wampanoag Village, and Plymouth Rock that I took, on a recent vacation in Massachusetts.

Sharing these with your kiddos also brings the 17th century to life, helping make things more real, the activities more meaningful and the writing prompts more vivid and authentic.

Well that's it for today. Thanks for stopping by.  Time to get ready to go celebrate our oldest son's birthday. 

Where have 35 years flown off to?  One seems to go from potty training to driver's training in a heartbeat, then the rest even faster.  Wishing you a love-filled day.

"The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate." - Oprah Winfrey

1-2-3 Come Do Some Comparison-Contrast Writing With Me

Venn diagrams are a quick, easy and interesting way to introduce and practice comparison and contrast writing.  I designed Venn Friends, as an especially fun way to do that.  These are also a great way for you and your students to get to know each other better. 

I've made Venn friend packets for almost every month, but hadn't gotten around to do one for November.  Laurie, who's done several other packets with her kiddos, e-mailed me to ask if I was going to make one specifically for November.  Of course, and another thing was added to my "to do" list.

I'm never one to procrastinate, so I got right down to business.  Unlike the other monthly Venn Friends, I have more than one option for November.  Students have 3 choices for their Venn friend topper: a turkey, a Pilgrim boy or girl, or a Native American boy or girl. 

You can have a turkey find a turkey partner, a boy Pilgrim find a girl Pilgrim, or a boy Native American find a boy Pilgrim, mixing and matching however you or your students wish.  

As a way to get to know each other, I've included a list of 40 questions that they can ask their partner. 

From there, they choose what information they want to record on their Venn diagram. 

Each student does their own "different" portion of the circle, and then, once they glue their circles together, they take turns recording the similarities that they have with their Venn friend, in the middle "same" section.  (See completed sample.)

To make it easy for students to match up and glue their circles together, I've included both left and right circles.

I designed the Venn friends, specifically so students could get to know a classmate better, but you could certainly have students pretend to be "real" Pilgrims and Native American children, and then compare and contrast that way as well.

However, I do that sort of thing in the Thanksgiving Children's Packet with other Venn diagrams.

When everyone is done, have students come up with their partner to share their Venn Friend. This will give children some public speaking practice, as well as enable everyone to get to know each other a little better. 

Completed projects, look awesome hanging in rows on a hallway wall.  Click on the link to view/download the November Venn Friends packet.  For more Venn diagram activities, click on the link to pop over to that section of my site.

Thanks for visiting.  It's an overcast rainy November day; perfect for pouring over Pinterest boards, in search of some "pinspiration". 

As if my pile of "make this" projects is not big enough!  LOVE, LOVE, LOVE making homemade Christmas gifts though.  Wishing you a snuggly day.

 "Thanksgiving, after all, is a word of action." ~W.J. Cameron

14 pages.

This adorable 3D turkey is an interesting and fun way to have students write about what they are thankful for.  Children write 6 of those things on a colored strip of paper, then staple it into a feather "loop" that they glue to the back of their turkey. 

 1-2-3 Come Do Some Creative November Writing Activities With Me

Are you looking for some November-themed writing activities to plug into your Daily 5 or writing block?  Well you've come to the right place.  I've got a variety of interesting and fun options for you. 

After reading several stories about the first Thanksgiving, have a discussion with your students about the kinds of meals that they enjoy for their Thanksgiving feast.  How are they similar? How are they different?  Do most of them have a traditional or non traditional Thanksgiving? 

Afterwards, have students write about this, by coloring their turkey recording paper and jotting down things about their Thanksgiving meal. 

Remind students to use descriptive adjectives, to help explain what their table decorations, as well as food for their feast, consists of. 

For that finishing touch, have them color, trim and glue the table pattern to the bottom of their completed paper.  I've included my sample that you can share, or make one up of your own, as a fun way for your kiddos to learn a bit about their teacher.

 When everyone is done, call on several volunteers to share their work.  Completed projects make lovely hallway wall decorations displayed in a row.

Click on the link to view/download the My Thanksgiving Dinner Writing Prompt Craftivity.The My Thanksgiving Dinner paper plate craftivity, featured last week, would be a nice companion to this writing prompt as well. 

Another form of writing that students are asked to learn, is giving directions for how to do something. 

The "How to Make a Pumpkin Pie" craftivity, provides interesting practice.  I've included a list of transitions, a graphing extension and an adjective worksheet, as well as a Venn diagram activity for more teachable moments. 

Another writing prompt that's very popular at this time of year, is when children write about things that they are thankful for.  For years, I had my students write these items on turkey feathers then I'd staple them to a big fat turkey on our bulletin board. 

If you're tired of doing something like that, I have several different options for you to choose from.  A super-quick one is the Thankful word craftivity. 

Inside the letters, students write as many things as they can think of, that they are thankful for.  Mount their completed work, on a variety of fall-colored construction paper and you have a quick, easy and awesome bulletin board.

The Thankful Wreath, is another option.  Completed projects turn out lovely, especially with a bit of colorful glitter glue to add that finishing touch.  Students write what they are thankful for on the autumn-colored leaves. 

I have a poem, by Ralph Waldo Emerson, that can be included in the center if you want.  Adding a child's class picture, makes this even more special. 

If you still like the idea of using a cute little turkey craft for your "I'm thankful for..." writing prompt, I think you'll like Tyrone. 

I got the idea for his loopy feathers from Melissa, over at her first grade blog.  To make Tyrone, children write what they are thankful for on the paper strip "feathers" then staple them into a loop, and glue them to the back of their turkey. 

I made up six options for Tyrone's tummy circle:  Thanksgiving quotes, short Christian poems, and simply the words Happy Thanksgiving. You can choose one that's appropriate for your kiddos, or give them a choice.  

Finally, making an I'm Thankful" class book, is another creative writing prompt that I think your kiddos will enjoy doing. 

This activity fits in well with any "bucket filling" theme you may have going on, as students pick a Pilgrim hat card, out of a basket. 

The cards have your students' names on them.  Each child writes why they are thankful for that classmate, and then illustrates their page.  Include real class photographs to make this a classroom-library favorite. 

If you didn't see the  Thankful Tree blog article yesterday, scroll down.  It offers yet another "I'm Thankful" alternative, as this writing prompt has students write about what they are thankful for in the four seasons, working on the use of adjectives, to help make students' writing more descriptive.  

Well that's it for today.  I have much to be thankful for, including the fact that I get to spend a good portion of my day coloring, cutting and pasting away, as I design new activities. 

Although I miss being in the classroom, I still enjoy teaching via this website.  It makes being retired super-fun, relaxing and very joy-filled.   Wishing you a blessed day.

"The trouble with life isn't that there is no answer, it's that there are so many answers."  -Ruth Benedict (Anthropologist)

7 pages.

After reading several stories about the first Thanksgiving, have a discussion with your students about the kinds of meals that they enjoy for their Thanksgiving feast.  How are they similar? How are they different?  Do most of them have a traditional or non traditional Thanksgiving?