Lots Of Election Ideas For Election Week

Although this Election packet includes specific items for the 2012 election between Romney and Obama, I have also included BLANK templates for EVERYTHING, so that I can continue to use this packet for FUTURE elections.

There are a lot of different ways to use the items in the Election Packet, the picture shows only a sampling of the 56-pages of fun!

Use them as independent centers for reading and writing, choose worksheets that are appropriate for your grade level, run off individual worksheets like the maze, dot-to-dot, pattern page etc. and make them into an Election Booklet to use for a Table Top Morning lesson.

Use them as a whole group “Speed” activity and have students do them together.  Set a timer.  The 1^st one who completes a skill sheet correctly gets a patriotic sticker.

Make bulletin boards and hallway displays with completed work. Hang the posters and other patriotic election items as decorations on your door and in your room.

Many of the activities will help jumpstart interesting discussions and build your students’ vocabulary.

One of my favorite “craftivities” is the elephant and donkey party “I voted for…” writing prompts.

If your students are as inquisitive as mine, they might want to know why politicians would pick a donkey to represent them!

I’ve included some background information of how these animals came to be.

Don’t be surprised if a lot of your students want to make the elephant, so make sure you discuss which candidate is represented by which animal, as this sometimes helps students choose differently.

I’ve found that my little ones were voting for donkeys and elephants, instead of people, or they were voting for the person that their parents were voting for, so I tried to keep things ultra simple and just explained briefly what each party stood for.

To make this “craftivity” run the templates off on red, blue and white construction paper.

I used a hole punch for the white stars, but you could have a room helper pre-cut these to expedite this step.

To add pizzazz I used red and blue flat-backed rhinestones as well as wiggle eyes.  Glitter would also add zip.

To make it more of a keepsake and add that special touch to your bulletin board, have students glue their school picture to the leg of their party animal.

The vote word strips, help students practice their fine motor skills and strengthen finger muscles, by putting reinforcement holes around the letter O.  This can then be a reminder bookmark, that can be given to the family.

I’ve included pages of a variety of election symbols: vote badges, flags, stars and ballot boxes.  These are circles, rectangles, and cubes, so they offer an opportunity to review shapes.

You can use them to make ABAB, ABCABC, etc. pattern strips and then turn the strips into a headband crown, for students to wear on Election Day.

Snip up red, white and blue straws, add the vote badge or any of the “I voted” badges to the center and have students create pattern election necklaces.  If you have them, you can also add pony beads.  Students can practice patterning and counting too.

Bring in a shoebox from home, cover with patriotic paper, cut a slit in the top and you’ve got a ballot box.  I’ve provided signage for your ballot box, as well as all sorts of voting and political party signs.

There are several graphing extensions and an election writing prompt as well.

To make sure your little ones know who the President and Vice President are, I made up songs to the familiar tune of BINGO.

Print, laminate, and cut out the cards.  I attached a magnet to the back, so that I could attach to my whiteboard.

As my students aing the song, I took a letter away.  It’s a terrific way to practice subtraction skills.

I also made word art pictures for Romney and Obama.  You can use these as an introduction and then ask students to design their own.  I did this on the Tagexedo website. Click on the link to check it out. I LOVE this site.

I hope you enjoy this Election packet and that it helps give you even more ideas.  I’d enjoy hearing how you’re using the packet. diane@teachwithme.com or you can post a comment here.

Click on the link to view/download the Election Packet.

I also have an Election Dictionary and Election Word Wall header card and 61 word flashcards for your word wall.  Click on the links to check those out.

Stop by tomorrow for Election Writing Prompts.

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“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” -Aristotle

Election Writing Prompts

Election Writing Prompts is another packet of Election Activities you can do with your students.

The picture only shows a few writing prompt header cards and class book covers. There are 14 in all, and several ways you can use them.

Run off the header sheets and have students color the pictures. Children trace the initial sentence and then complete the thought.

Younger students can simply complete sentences on the one page; older students can expand their thoughts and write more, by attaching another sheet of lined paper to the bottom.

So that you are covering the various Common Core State Standards, remind students that the first word is capitalized, that there are spaces between words, that they are reading from left to right and from the top down, and that sentences should end with proper punctuation.

These writing prompts are terrific for a writing center or Daily 5 activity and when completed, make a great Election bulletin board.

For a quick and easy election bulletin bulletin board, have students glue their work to red or blue construction paper. Add a white cut out star to the corner. Trim your bulletin board or wall with patriotic border.

The header prompts also look nice suspended back-to-back from the ceiling.

I’ve also included the various writing prompts in a class book form, where students trace the beginning portion of the sentence and then complete the thought, but illustrate their own page.

Instead of a header for the student page, I've used the art word as covers for each class book.

You collect completed student writing, collate the book, and then share the finished copy with your class.  Children can read their own contributions.

Class books are great to share at Parent-Teacher Conferences.

There's also a Democratic and Republican party writing prompt, as well as posters and a graphing extension. 

I think it's important that students have some background information on the parties, what they stand for, their platforms, how the symbols came about etc. You can find this info out by having students do a bit of research on the Internet, as well as on my trivia page in my election stuff. 

You don't want little ones voting for a Republican candidate simply because they like elephants better than donkeys, which I have actually found to be the case with some of my Y5's, when I asked why they voted the way they did! (They wanted their name in the elephant column, or they wanted to wear an elephant badge, or do an elephant, rather than a donkey craftivity.)

Click on the link to view/download Election Writing Prompts

Here are some other websites you might find helpful when planning election activities:

Ben's Guide To the US (Government for Kids)  Is geared K-12 and includes online lessons, games, helpful links and a variety of topics that range from the branches of government and elections, to the legislative process and citizenship.

Scholastic's Election 2012 features updates on all the election news from the Kids Press Corps, + an "election central" with a kid-friendly resource section, election maps, games, videos etc.

One of my favorite sections was seeing the results of their nationwide vote. They posted who won the "Scholastic Presidential" election. They even show the break down by states and include percentages! Some are quite startling.  This information, makes for great discussion, as well as an opportunity to compare your class and school's results with theirs. 

Finally, Kids Voting USA organizes authentic mock elections.  They also have a resource page for the 2012 election and FREE K-12 classroom activities, that cover 4 themes: Elections and Voting, Democracy and the People, Informed Citizens and Civic Engagement. 

If you haven't read my previous election-themed articles that I've blogged about, be sure and scroll down. Click on the link to view/download the other election stuff available on teachwithme.

I plan on designing some math-related election activities, as well as "It's Election Time" dealing with digital and analog time. + an easy reader about elections, so be sure and check back all this week and next for new things!

This link will take you to a list of election stuff in the shopping cart. Simply scroll down 'til you find things you want. Just a reminder, everything on TeachWithMe.com is FREE.

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“Those who can,do.  Those who can do more, teach!” –Unknown”

It's Election Time. Look It Up!

Are you looking for some quick and easy lessons that you can plug into your day that have an election theme? 

You've come to the right place! You can run the Election Dictionary off now and have students work on a letter or page a day for "word work" for their Daily 5 activities, or during your reading or writing block time. 

Use my templates, or make up your own with other words,  as your students come across them, when you discuss the election, watch it, or read about it.

The Election Dictionary will help you teach the Common Core State Standards: RF.K1d, L.1.1a, L.1.4a, L.1.5b, L.1.5c, L.1.6

Students trace the alphabet letters and election words and then write them. Teachers can have older students define them as well.

Keeping a dictionary is a wonderful way to build vocabulary and categorize specific words that go with a large theme, that students will be reading, and studying about, like the election.

Encourage students to use these words in their writing. Add these words to a separate election portion of your word wall.

I've made word wall word flashcards for all of these words + a patriotic election header card for your word wall, if you'd like to post them. Click on the link to view/download Election Word Wall Word Flashcards.

I've included a certificate of praise when students have completed their Election Dictionary. What a nice booklet your students will have at the end of November to take home and share with their families.

Click on the link to view/download the Election Dictionary.

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"Until you try, you don't know what you can't do." -Henry James

Stir In Some ABC's and Add Some Z-ing!

Halloween Stew is a 31-page packet that helps you teach Common Core State Standards RI.K1d & L.1.1a

It includes a teacher's full-page edition + students' half-page edition (2 on a page) for easy copying, and a stew pot, with letter manipulatives, to help make reading the story interactive. (Students put the pumpkin letters in the pot as you read.)

I’ve also included a set of number cards so you can review counting and numbers and create a number stew as well!

Students trace and write the upper and lowercase letters in their booklets; great for "word work" during Daily 5.

Click on the link to view/download Halloween Stew.

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“Knowledge comes, but wisdom lingers.” -Tennyson

It's Pumpkin Time!

Teaching concepts by having students play games is a fun way to get children involved and interested.

It's Pumpkin Time does just that and will help you teach Common Core State Math Standard: 1.MD.3.

Analog and digital time are both covered with these entertaining pumpkin activities.

Students roll the dice and fill in the blank analog pumpkin clock with numbers, making circle pumpkins as they go.

When they have completed their pumpkin, you can have your students turn it into a clock they can manipulate. Use the clocks to help you whole group assess.

In the Pumpkin Spinner Clock game, students spin the pumpkin spinner analog clock, and fill in digital times on their pumpkin stem. 

I've also provided traceable time cards as well as blank pumpkin clock cards.  Students can make up their own clock booklets, or teachers can use these as an assessment tool.

Click on the link to view/download the It's Pumpkin Time packet.

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Do you have a time-telling activity you could share with us? I'd enjoy hearing from you diane@teachwithme.com or simply leave a comment here.

"A lot of fellows nowadays have a B.A, M.D. or Ph.D. Unfortunately, they don't have a J.O.B." -Fats Domino

Everything's Coming Up PUMPKINS!

I LOVE fall.  It was one of my favorite times of the year with my Y5’s.

We studied so much science in the month of October: leaves and how they changed color, because they lost their chlorophyll; pumpkins: their life cycle and if they sank or floated, when submerged in water; and spiders spinning their lovely webs.

Dreaming up all sorts of hands-on craftivities to teach these concepts, as well as incorporating a multitude of report card standards and subjects, was always a challenge that I enjoyed.

At the end of the month, when we graphed our favorites, pumpkins rolled into the top spot year after year. Nationwide teachers across the US, spend a lot of time in the pumpkin patch reading, writing and diddling with numbers, so I wanted to offer up a nice variety of activities.

Pumpkin Art and Activities was my first pumpkin packet. It’s 23 pages and includes 6 pumpkin projects, that help reinforce report card skills and standards.

In 5 Little Pumpkins, I revamp an old-fashioned favorite and turn the rhyme into a Pumpkin Paper Plate Puppet Theater.

It’s a fun way to review ordinal numbers, counting, and rhyme.

I like using recycled “stuff” to make a “craftivity.”  Using newspapers for art paper provides a cool effect, when students use orange highlighters to color over the newsprint.

Newsprint Pumpkins are a unique way to review shapes and letters as well as name recognition and spelling. Have students circle all of the letter P’s that they can find for even more practice.

Making a 3-D Pumpkin Patch Mobile is a wonderful culmination to your life cycle of a pumpkin, science studies.

Click on the link to view/download Pumpkin Art and Activities

For even more fall fun, your little "punkins" can practice all sorts of skills and report cards standards in the 42 - page Pumpkin Art and Activities II packet.

Sing the ABC song,  practice counting and  verbal acuity, by identifying shapes, letters and numbers, with the pumpkin slider (pictured), just one of many pumpkin-themed activities in this part two packet.

Click on the link to view/download Pumpkin Art and Activities II.

Thanks for visiting today.  Do you have a pumpkin idea you could share with us? I’d enjoy hearing from you. diane@teachwithme.com or leave a comment here.

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“Education is hanging around ‘til you’ve caught on.” –Robert Frost

Is It On Your Left Or Is It On Your Right?

Learning spatial directions is a Y5 report card standard.  One of the most difficult ones for my kiddos to learn was left and right.

I designed the easy reader Left or Right? with an October theme, to help my students learn this standard, in a fun way, while also reinforcing other skills.

This packet is filled with fun activities to help your students practice their fine motor, listening and following direction skills, as well as help reinforce this rather difficult spatial direction, in an interesting way.

Students read and trace a sentence, deciding whether things are on the left or right side of the page.

Point out the fact that the first word is capitalized and that the sentences have ending punctuation, as well as the fact that they have spaces between words and that they are reading from left to right and top down and you’ll be reinforcing 4 Common Core State Standards as well. 

Children also practice their cutting and gluing skills as they follow directions. 

The last page has a play on words and offers 2 alternatives, depending on the age of your students. 

I’ve also included a skill sheet and pumpkin paddle art activity, where students flip their pumpkin Popsicle stick to show left or right, so that you can whole group assess. 

There’s left and right hand posters and a certificate of praise too. 

Click on the link to view/download Left or Right?

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Do you have a spatial direction tip you could share with us? I’d enjoy hearing from you.

diane@teachwithme.com or leave a comment here.

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

From Seeds To Pumpkin Pie -- Life Cycle Craftivity

I LOVE teaching hands-on "craftivities." They are wonderful vehicles that get students motivated and excited to learn.

They involve a multitude of senses as I incorporate all sorts of skills, report card standards and subjects.

From Seeds To Pumpkin Pie is an example of how I do this.

The front of the pumpkin reviews all of the basic shapes, including the hexagon, as students design their Jack-O-Lantern. (K.G.2)

Students can draw them on their orange circle or give them an assortment of the various shapes, by pre-cutting them out of black construction paper.  I would opt for the latter with Y5’s or younger.

I’ve found that little ones are often frustrated with reproducing shapes, particularly triangles, so they make a dot here and there and put a smile on their pumpkin face, which defeats the purpose of the lesson.

This way you’ll  get all sorts of unique Jack-O-Lanterns with hexagons, ovals, triangles etc.

Things are also done in a short amount of time, yet students are still getting a good fine motor skill work out.

Listening and  following directions is imperative to assembling their project, which can be whole-group assessed.

The back of the pumpkin converts into a pie and is divided into quarters and shows the life cycle, so you’ll be teaching science.

A cycle is done in a specific order, so you can review ordinal numbers as well. i.e., first we plant seeds, second we’ll see a sprout, third the yellow flower will appear etc.

The picture is divided into 1/4ths so it’s perfect to introduce or review fractions (Common Core math standard1.G.3) with first graders.

That’s specifically why I added the 2 skill sheets with the pumpkin pie and stem activities, so 1st grade students can work on partitioning circles (pumpkin pies) and rectangles (pumpkin stems) into two and four equal shares; describing the shares using the words halves, fourths & quarters. (1.G.3)

Click on the link to view/download From Seeds To Pumpkin Pie

I hope your little “punkins”  enjoy this hands-on craftivity, while they’re learning Common Core.

Their self-esteem will be built as they see their work dangling from the ceiling in the hallway too.  What a treat!

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“Work is love made visible.” –Kahlil Gibran

Getting To The Core Is A Real Treat And Not All That Tricky With This Cute October Booklet

My Trick Or Treat easy reader, is a fun way to reinforce the Common Core Standards: RF.K1a (Following words from left to right, top to bottom and page by page.) RF.K1c (Understanding that words are separated by spaces in print.) L.K2a (Capitalizing the pronoun I and the 1^st word in each sentence.) and L.K2b (Being able to recognize and include ending punctuation.)

Simply review these standards with your students and point them out as you explain the booklet.

Students read, trace and write the sentence.  On the first page they illustrate what they will be for Halloween.

On the following pages, children color the sight word and then trace the letters, then cut and glue them to the word box.

This “cut and glue” aspect of the booklet is a terrific activity for word work for Daily 5.

If you want to expedite things, skip cutting and gluing the booklet together.

Instead, simply have your students write the letters in the boxes and use the cut and glue pages as worksheets for Table Top, or Daily 5 at a later date.

When choosing sight words, I incorporated many words from the Dolch word lists when I wrote this easy reader booklet. This covers the Common Core State Standard: RF. K3c

I've also included a page of manipulatives for you to laminate and use Velcro or magnet strip so that the booklet can become an interactive read aloud that you can later sequence with your students.

To incorporate math, tally your students' favorite Halloween candy and graph the results on the bar graph provided.

Traceable flashcards are also included + a certificate of praise when children can read the booklet independently.

Click on the link to view/download My Trick or Treat Easy Reader Booklet.

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“Children need models rather than critics.” –Joseph Joubert

Halloween Triangles

One of the shapes that my Y5’s had a bit of difficulty with was a triangle; not sure why, but more often than not that was the toughie.

They often enjoyed playing “I Spy” and trying to find a shape in the real world, so I decided to think of some fun triangle shapes that they might see on Halloween, and the booklet,  Halloween Triangles was born.

I introduced the easy reader ike this:

“Uh Oh! It's Halloween and these spooky triangles can be seen! Count them if you dare!”

Your students will enjoy reading, tracing, writing, counting, and coloring the Halloween triangles.

They’ll have fun during "Tally Time" and then afterwards, graph childrens opinions of what triangle character was their favorite.

I’ve also included 10 traceable word flashcards for students to practice or cut out and use with other sets, to make new sentences.

Great for "word work" during Daily 5 activities.

This is a cute rhyming booklet, (rhyming is a Common Core Standard) that packs in a lot of skills, as it incorporates math with reading in a fun way.

Click on the link to view/download Halloween Triangles.

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“Shoot for the moon.  Even if you miss it you will land among the stars.” –Les Brown