My October Senses-Some Fun Activities

Here's a few fresh ideas to teach science and writing at the same time!

My 5 October Senses is a wonderful writing extension that not only will help your students understand the important use of descriptive words in their writing, but will review the 5 senses as well.

It’s great for helping younger students increase their vocabulary skills too.

Keep it easy for very young children and have them simply complete the sentence: I see a… pumpkin, or I see… an orange pumpkin.

Brainstorm with your students and discuss possible things they see, hear, taste, smell and can touch during the month of October.

Label the various categories on the board.

Jot down your students’ ideas under each category.

As an example, choose one from each category and have students think of “describing words” for the thing they see, sound they hear, taste, smell or how that item feels. 

Make sure YOU have personally filled out a sheet, so you have an example to share with your students.

I even did this as a small group activity with my college students for the English comp. course I teach on Tuesday and Thursday nights!

They enjoyed munching on a Dixie cup of candy corn, while they worked with 3 other students to come up with a great descriptive sentence for each sense.

This was my example for my college students:

• I hear the rustling, crackling, crunching of the leaves as they swirl and twirl in the wind.
• I feel the slimy, slippery, sloppy, sticky guts of the pumpkin as I scoop out its insides.
• I smell the powerful and pungent smoke as its spooky fingers climb from the flickering flames of the bonfire,  lighting up the dark night.
• I see a kaleidoscope of costumed kids as they trick or treat up and down the pumpkin-glowing street.
• I taste the hot-sweet apple cider, laced with a twist of cinnamon, as I relax on the front porch. (We are also working on alliteration.)

Click on the link to view/print a copy of the “My 5 Senses Descriptive Candy-Corn Writing Grid”

My 5 Senses Take Shape Is a cute cut and glue the matching pictures to the appropriate sense booklet.  The pictures are in a specific shape so you have an extra standard you can review at the same time.

This month’s October Apple Bytes included an adorable My 5 Senses Inside My Pumpkin booklet. Why not consider becoming a Subscriber and you too can receive our 50 - 70+ pages Newsletter Packet each month!

Sam's Senses Pumpkin:

Another fun activity you can do to review the senses this month is to have your students label Sam the Senses Pumpkin.  Click on the link for Sam's 5 Senses Pumpkin.

Trace your students’ hands.  Children cut and glue them to a 9-inch by 1-inch strip of yellow construction paper that they have accordion folded into arms.

Students cut and glue the words for the five senses and label their pumpkin. Trim up Sam and dangle him in the hallway.

Plan ahead for November, and review the 5 senses again, by printing off a copy of My Pilgrims Senses, just click on the link.

Do you have an idea about the 5 senses that works for you?  I’d enjoy hearing about it. diane@teachwithme.com

Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater

I like to toss in at least one nursery rhyme each month, and  Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater is perfect for October.

Until I started doing research for this article I didn’t know that rhyme was written way back in 1825!

I also didn’t know it had a second verse:

Peter, Peter, pumpkin eater, 
Had another, and didn't love her;

Peter learned to read and spell,
 And then he loved her very well

If you follow my blog, you know that I make a class book each week with my students.  Pumpkin Shell is a KWL inside a pumpkin.  Each student contributes their own page.  Click on the link to view/print a copy of the Pumpkin Shell class book.

I've also included an antique poster circa 1902 with the original poem so that you can read it to your students before they write their page.

For a quick mini-bulletin board, click on the link to view/print a sweet spin off of this nursery rhyme.  Teacher teacher pumpkin stem. Had some students couldn’t teach them.  Put them in a pumpkin shell and there she taught them very well. I also have a template for a male teacher.  Teacher Teacher Pumpkin Shell

Rook #17 has awesome free-vintage clipart and other fall graphics perfect for your newsletters.  Click on the link to pay a visit.  I found the above/right Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater postcard there.

Flick River has a collection of antique Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater postcards on display. Click on the link to view them.

Garden of Praise’s kindergarten students, made these adorable kids inside a pumpkin.  Click on their link to see details.  Click on my Peter Peter pumpkin to make my version. I have a template for both a boy and a girl. 

Add a brass brad so the pumpkin is hinged and can hide the student.

To make a set of Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater finger puppets, click on the link and visit Kids Art Planet.

I've also made up some word-card flashcards for the rhyme that you can use for your word wall, or print them off and have your students cut and collate them into an Itty Bitty booklet. 

I've made a matching poster with the complete Peter Pumpkin Eater rhyme as well as a tracing page for your students.  Older students can trace and then write it on another sheet of paper. Click on the link to view/print these Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater Activities.  

And finally, round out your Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater activities with a pumpkin snack.  A delicious recipe waits at the Mother Goose Society. Click on the link to check them out.

I wish you a pumpkin delish day with your little punkins!

As always, if you have an idea that you do with this rhyme, I’d enjoy hearing from you.  diane@teachwithme.com

Directions:

1. Buy a bag of fire fighters at The Dollar Store.  They come in red or yellow and are the old-fashioned stand-up army kind of figures.  My bag had 24 in it, so there was enough for my entire class.
2. You can laminate the playing sheets and keep the fire fighters in a Ziploc Baggie to be used each year, or do what I do and give each child their own fire fighter and playing sheet to take home, as a reminder of fire safety week and not to play with fire.
3. My Y5’s are thrilled with this little plastic figure and a dollar is a small price to pay for them to be able to play this game at home reinforcing the important lessons they have learned.

The object of the game is to get your fire fighter to the fire.

• Roll a 3 and go 3 spaces backwards.
• Roll a 6 and lose your turn.
• Roll a 5 and you can change places with another player.
• Roll a 1,2, or 4 and go that many dots forward.
• The 1^st one to the fire is the winner.
• If you land on a space that has 911 written on it, you have the choice to move one extra space forward or roll the dice again.

While they are playing the game, to help reinforce the fire safety lessons that they have learned, I encourage my students to say things like: “Stay low and go!”, “Stop-drop-and roll.”, “Dial 911 to get things done.” ,“I’ll stay alert so I won’t get hurt!”, or “I’m smart so I won’t play with matches.” or a fact that they learned about fire safety, like check the batteries in the smoke detector, or have an exit strategy and practice it etc.  I tell them to say this fact when it is their turn to move their figure.

If you want the game to last longer, or be more math-involved, you can have them have to roll an exact number, to get to the fire, in order to win the game.  i.e., if they are 2 spaces away from landing on the fire, they must roll a 2.

click on the link to view/print this fun fire safety game.

There are 2 more fire safety articles after this. Simply scroll down for more ideas!

I think one of the most important things that I teach my students during Fire Safety Week is how to dial 911.

We have had several home and trailer fires in our school in the past, and in all 3 cases it was one of our students who “saved the day” and called 911.

I ask friends and family for their old cell phones and portable phones when they are done with them.

I like my students to be able to practice on “real” phones and not plastic play ones, so that they really know how to use a phone when it comes to learning how to dial 911. 

I have an entire tub filled with phones now, and my students enjoy using them during “Imaginative play” time.

I sit my Y5’s in a circle and pass one portable phone around and have them take turns saying: “It’s an emergency!” and then I watch them dial 911 so I make sure they are pressing a 9 and not a 6.

We also do fun little speed drills circling 9’s so we are not confused with 6’s and p’s etc.  They enjoy these “mad minutes”.

I wanted to dream up an art activity where they could make a simple cell phone that would not take a lot of time.

I’m big on recycling, so when I saw the snack-size raisin boxes, I thought they would make perfect cell phones.

A juice box would also work, but many of them have a film on them, where paint beads up.

I also thought up the play on words of: “Raisin’ students to be fire safe and know how to dial 911 in an emergency.”

The raisin box also allows the student to put the little booklet INSIDE the box, which is a fun thing for little ones to do.

Simply run off copies of the mini booklet.

After they have eaten their snack, have students paint the sides and top of their box with black or navy paint.

While their box is drying, students cut out the pages and trace the 911 with an orange highlighter.  This helps to reinforce the number.

Read the booklet as a whole group to review facts and discuss what an emergency is.

Children fold their booklet in half and tuck it inside their box.

Students cut out the picture of the cell phone and glue it to the front of their box.

They trace the 911 on the smaller “Who Ya Gonna Call?” page and write their name on the bottom, and then cut and glue that to the back of their phone.

Now your students can practice all they want on their very own little cell phone!

Click on the link to view/print the fire safety-learning to dial 911 - cell phone.

I’ve also included a 911 - bingo dot activity sheet, a 911 - pinch and poke activity sheet, a 911 - trace and write, a 911 circle the 9's skill sheet, and a 911 - certificate of praise.

I have 3 more Fire Safety Articles after this one.  Simply scroll down to find out more fun things to do with your students.

As always, if you have a tip you’d like to share, I’d enjoy hearing from you. diane@teachwithme.com

Awesome October Fun!

Math Extensions:

Comparing & Contrasting apples and pumpkins via a graph and Venn diagram:

If you’re like me, one of your science units in September was probably apples.

I take my students to an apple orchard in October that also has a huge pumpkin patch.

My students enjoy a tractor-pulled hayride out to the fields to pick out our class pumpkin and we get a chance to review what we learned about apples as they pick 3 different kinds in the orchard.

I thought you’d enjoy comparing the two fruits with a Venn diagram and seeing which is your students’ favorite.

My Y5’s have already graphed which color apple (red, yellow or green) they liked best, as well as compared apple juice with apple cider.

To enjoy a pumpkin, I give them each a tiny square of pumpkin pie (some have never tried it!) as well as a taste of roasted pumpkin seeds.

Once they’ve sampled both kinds of fruit, I graph which one they liked the best.  Every year the apples have gotten the most votes.

It might be because they enjoy that fruit in a huge variety of other ways or because quite a few of my students do not like the pumpkin pie.   

Click on the link to view/print the apple-pumpkin graph and Venn diagram to see how your students do.

I do my initial Venn diagram on the floor with two hula-hoops, picture cards, and sentence strips, so I’ve made you an apple and pumpkin poster-card, if you want to try that fun Venn diagraming method with your students.

Jack-O-Lantern Counting:

Your students will have fun making this plump pumpkin, tracing and sequencing the various number cards and stapling the mini booklets to the appropriate pumpkin part. 

What a fun way to review a variety of math standards.

My Y5's have counting by 1's and 10's as a standard, but I've also included 2's 3's and 5's. 

Choose whatever is appropriate for your students, run the masters off on yellow and green copy paper, and you'll have a handy reference tool for your little "punkins"!

Click on the link to view/print the pumpkin patterns.

Great Learning is something to CROW about!

So I designed a black crow where you can key in information your students are learning, on the wing-pages of the bird. 

You can also use my fast-bird-facts if you want.  I've also included skip counting by 2's, 3's, 5's and 10's for a fun way to review that standard, or have students write down spelling words, word wall words, or math equations etc.

Buy a bag of black feathers at a craft-hobby store and add some extra pizzazz by stapling one to the outside of the wing. I used a glue dot and stuck a wiggle eye to my crow for that special 3-D look. 

You can staple the pages or attach then with a brass brad.

Click on the link to view/print the crow patterns.  If you'd like a fact sheet on crows and an answer as to what's the difference between crows, ravens and black birds, click on the link to view/print my crow fact sheet.

For your convenience I've put October Arts & Activities from 2010 right after this article so you can scroll down for even more ideas!

I also have other October FREEBIES available: 16-pages of Spider Stuff, 23-pages of Pumpkin Art & Activities in book I and 42-pages in book II, + Leaf Activities, and finally, Halloween Stuff.

Click on the links to check things out.

Looking for more?  I have entire units on pumpkins, leaves, bats, fire safety, acorns, candy corn, scarecrows and spiders! 

Why not become a subscriber and be able to download the entire shopping cart for an entire year at no additional cost.

I wish you a howling great time with your little ones!

An Old Favorite:

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You can visit Mr. Emberley at www.edemberley.com He has an Activities and Drawing button for you to click for fun things to do.

Ed is a Caldecott Award Winner and the author/illustrator of over 80 books!

The Gist: A monster is constructed piece by piece and then deconstructed a piece at a time until he disappears.

Why I LOVE it:

• It’s a wonderful read aloud that my Y5’s truly enjoy because it’s so simple!
• I also like it because of the “life-lesson” that it imparts, in that it is a wonderful way to give a child control over their fears and things like monsters that might scare them.
• This book grabs my Y5’s attention because of the die-cut pages, as well as the bright bold use of colors.
  
• I can introduce, review and teach a variety of standards with this book. First comes the two big yellow eyes, then a long blue nose…it’s a great way to review body parts to little ones as well as colors and ordinal numbers!


• After the monster’s face is fully assembled a simple quote of “You don’t scare me!” launches a deconstruction of the monster.  Each subsequent page subtracts one of the somewhat “scary” body parts, until the last page is black.  What a great way to review the concept of take-away and subtraction!
• The text concludes with “And don’t come back! Until I say so!” empowering children to take charge of their feelings and help master their fears, which is a great lead in to all sorts of discussions about feelings and fears.
• The book is filled with wonderful descriptive adjectives like:  … “big yellow eyes”, “long bluish-greenish nose” and “scraggy purple hair”, which makes for a great introduction to “describing words” and the importance of using them in your students’ own writing.
• The die-cut concept reminds me of Lois Ehlert’s Color Zoo & Color Farm, which are also classroom favorites.

Story Telling Tips:

Discussion:

Before reading the story have a discussion about “monsters”.  Are they real or pretend?  I ask my students how many have seen Monsters Inc. Most of them have, and can identify with the idea of “monsters under their beds and hiding in closets.” Is anyone afraid of monsters?  Is it OK to be afraid?  Are adults sometimes afraid too?  What kinds of things are we afraid of?

Set the Mood:

I enjoy wearing costumes during story time, and adding props.  An easy thing to don during Monster Day is a pair of green gloves. 

A while back Hallmark had long silk monster gloves for sale, of course I had to buy them.  They wouldn't be that hard to make.  Simply add some black puffy paint stiches, paint on some black fingernails with glitter polish, and hot glue on some real bolts.

They make story telling that much more entertaining for my students and me.  I’m not sure which of us has more fun. Masks are terrific too, and there are a slew of Frankenstein’s monster masks available that enhance the reading of “monster” stories.

Monster Manipulatives:

• Use my templates to cut a set of monster pieces out of construction paper; laminate them, cut them out and attach a piece of scratchy Velcro to the back.  Click on the link to view/print the monster manipulatives for Go Away Big Green Monster.
  
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• The pieces look great on a black piece of flannel that you can glue to a piece of tag board if you don’t have a flannel board; or simply hot glue a magnet to each corner of a piece of black felt and put it on your white board. 
  
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• If you want your monster to have a face, then make his face out of a piece of green flannel and Velcro that to the black flannel. 
  

• You could also make the green face out of construction paper and afix the non-scratchy Velcro pads to the face so that students can press the pieces on.
  
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• Pass the pieces out to quiet students.  
  
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• As you come to that part in the story, the student holding that monster part, puts it on your mini-flannel board. 
  
• Later, point to different students to take away the body part as you begin to read those pages.

Using their index finger, have students touch their eyes, nose, mouth, teeth, ears and hair as you read those parts.

I teach my students the Spanish color words as well as the sign language color words so I also have them say the colors in Spanish and sign the colors in sign language as I read them in the story.

If you’d like to do this as well, you can check out how to sign colors at the MSU-ASL browser website.  (It's one of my personal favorites, that I use all of the time.) Simply click on the link. 

For a list of color words in Spanish click on the link to view/print a copy.

Magic Trick:

• I make an additional set of the body parts and pass them out to my students.
• They toss them into my change bag, and I pull out a small Frankenstein monster puppet.
• This is just a stuffed piece of plush that I bought for 50% off after Halloween.
• I slit the bottom and took out the stuffing.


• There are many “monster” plush “things” available at this time that would also work.
• The magic words are “You don’t scare us monster!”
• I reverse the magic trick, with a double load change bag, by putting the monster back in the change bag and then having my students say: “Go away big green monster and don’t come back until we tell you!” I have them clap their hands 3 times and then I show them that the monster has disappeared by turning my change bag inside out.  They are truly amazed.   To check out my magic videos click on the link.
  

Art Extensions:

Personal Monster:

• I lay out an assortment of punches that are square, oval, circles and triangles in different sizes.
• My students can punch-cut a variety of shapes to make their own “monster” faces.
• If you don’t own these, have a room helper pre-cut a variety of colors, shapes and sizes from construction paper.
• Lay them on a long table.


• Run off a variety of colored monster shapes (oval, circle, rectangle and square) for the face portion as well.
• Model how to make a monster face and then allow students 10-15 minutes to make their own big monster.
• Staple them to a black papered bulletin board with a white caption: The Big Monsters From ________________’s Kindergarten Don’t Scare Us!  Do They Scare You?
• You can make a color copy of the book and include it in the corner of the b.board with a white conversation bubble above it that says: Monsters inspired by the book:

Monster Mask & Gross Motor Activity:

• When they complete their monster they can transition to cutting out their green Frankenstein monster mask and gluing on the hair. 
  
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• It's a good idea to have the eyeholes pre-cut for younger students.
  
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• They trace the stitches and color in the eyebrows.
  


• Students will need some help hole punching the sides and adding yarn ties. 
  
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• Give students 4 reinforcement holes for the front and back so the yarn does not tear through the construction paper.
• When everyone is done, we don our masks and do the Monster Mash together. Click on the link to download the original.
  
• I have several students from the 5th grade pop down during this time to help tie on masks.
  
• I've also had room-help from parent volunteers on various theme days too!
  
• Click on the link to view/print a monster mask
  

Math Extensions:

I also read the book Glad Monster Sad Monster also by Ed Emberley. This is a great companion book because it has the same terrific bold graphics.  I can continue to review feelings with my Y5’s, particularly emotions and the wide variety they can have on any given day.

As a math extension we compare and contrast the books using a Venn diagram.  I start with 2 hula-hoops and sentence strips and do this on the floor.

We also graph which book is our favorite.  Click on the link to view/print a Venn diagram and graph comparing these two monster books.  

Click on the link to view/print a list of my other favorite monster books.

Another counting/subtraction extension that also gets the wiggles out, is a take off of Ten In The Bed.

Choose 10 little monsters to lie on the floor next to each other.  The rest of their classmates can cheer them on and chant: There were 10 monsters under the bed and the little one said: "Move over! Move over!" So they all moved over and 1 rolled out; there were 9 under the bed and the little monster said...

continue 'til all 10 of your student monsters have rolled out from under the bed, and then give the rest of your students a turn. 

Shape Review Monster Bag:

What better way to review shapes than to feed them to a hungry monster right before lunch!

Print a copy of my patterns and make a template so that you can easily create a file folder Frankenstein's monster head. 

Tape the sides of the file folder shut, for the perfect "feeding envelope".  Pass out an assortment of various colored "food" shapes.

I edged the black hair with purple puffy paint, and the mouth with neon-orange.  The stitches are outlined with silver glitter glue.  I added more dimension with "diamond" rhinestone "screws" on the neck bolts, that I wrapped with aluminum foil.  I also added "monster wiggle eyes" to the yellow circles so they seem to pop off the page.

Children chant: "Monster, Monster, munch and crunch.  What shape food would you like for lunch?"  The teacher says a shape, and any child holding that shape puts it inside the monster's head. You can also have students identify the various colors as well.  We do them in Spanish as well as English.

Click on the link to view/print the teacher shape monster patterns.

Students can make their own monster head out of a long green - sealed envelope.  Use the mini-monster pattern pieces and have them pre-cut ahead of time, so that children can quickly glue them to the front of their envelope; or allow the children to use markers to create their own faces. 

You could also give them each a pair of wiggle eyes and some glue dots to add a bit of pizzazz to their creation as well as glitter-glue stitches. 

I used brass brads for bolts on my envelope and simply taped them on the back.

Michael's Craft Store has the weird "monster eyes" pictured, in a multi variety-sized pack.  The neon-colored wiggle eyes, are also a bit more creepy and festive.

Run off a supply of shapes on different colored construction paper.  Have envelopes pre-sealed and tops slit to expedite this project.  Students cut out their shapes. 

When everyone is done, whole group assess, by calling out a shape, and having the students feed their monster head.

Click on the link to view/print the student mini-monster envelope patterns.  

Be sure and check out my fun Monster's Head SHAPE booklet. It's a great reading/writing extension to go along with the above activities.

Monster Games:

What's Missing?

• Make an extra set of the colored shapes mentioned above. Glue on wiggle monster eyes, add facial details.
  
• Gather your students together and have them sit in a circle on the carpet. 
• Place the "shape monsters" in the middle.  Have the children close their eyes tightly. 
• Teacher removes one of the monsters.  Children open their eyes.  The first one to guess which monster is missing is the winner. 
• Continue to play 'til you have taken away all of the monsters or until the timer rings.  What a fun way to review shapes. 
  

Monster Where's Your Hand ?

• This is played just like Doggy Who's Got Your Bone?
  
• One child sits in a chair in the middle of a circle of children.  They are the monster.
  
• A monster's hand is under the chair. 
  
• The monster has his eyes closed tightly shut. 
  
• Teacher points to a child sitting in the circle, to quietly take the hand from under the chair, and put it behind their back.
  


• Everyone also puts their hand behind their back. 
  
• The children chant as the child in the chair opens their eyes: "Monster monster who's stolen your hand?"
• The monster gets one chance to guess. 
  
• Play continues 'til everyone has had a chance to be either the monster or the hand stealer.
  


• To make a monster hand you can buy a rather gruesome "real" looking one at a Halloween costume store, or make one.
• To make one, fill a clear plastic glove (they sell them in a box of 50 at The Dollar store) with popped popcorn. 
  
• Put a candy corn in the tip of each finger for a fingernail. Make sure the popcorn is cool or the candy corn will melt and smear.
  
• Tie off the end with lime green, orange or black curling ribbon.
  
• A plastic spider ring makes a cute addition.  They sell them 24 in a pack of green, orange and black at The Dollar Store.
  
• These are easy and inexpensive to make, so you could have them as your "Monster-Day" snack and whip up an entire batch for each child to eat at school or take home.
  

Writing Extension:  

Brainstorm with your students the different emotions that they can feel.  Write the words on the board. 

Discuss how different colors might represent the different emotions. i.e., red for angry, yellow for happy, blue for sad etc. 

Tell your students to select two different emotions, that they or their monster are feeling today.

Students TRACE the hair on their monster using different color markers. They color half of their face one emotion, the other the other emotion.  (See the sample of my front cover.  I chose happy and silly.) 

It's a good idea to make a monster for yourself so that you have an example to show your class.

Run off a cover and fill it in.  Run off a copy of the monster for each one of your students.  When they have completed their page, collect and collate your book and read it to the class. 

Make sure that your students wrote their name under the sentence.

Click on the link to view/print a class monster book 

Monster Bookmark:

Finally, end the day, by having your students make this easy and fun bookmark.

Run off  the master on green construction paper and pre-cut yellow circles. Students glue on the eyes, and add a touch of red and white for a mouth as well as black pupils.  I also traced the word "monster" with a green marker.

Students will need help making a slit around the nose so they can insert a little note.

Click on the link to view/print the monster bookmark pattern.

 Whatever you’re reading this month, I hope you have a monstrously magnificent time of it!

 For your convenience, I've posted last year's October Book of the Month after this one so you can get some more ideas! 

Be sure and check out my FREE October Booklets after that!

These monster ideas will remain FREE through the month of October 2011 and then can be purchased for only .99 cents under Monster Activities!

Fingertips

October is the perfect time to collect “fingers”! Yes, fingers; the rubber or plastic kind that children or adults can put over their real fingers!

You can find a nice assortment during Halloween time: monster, Martian, witch and skeleton fingers are some of the most popular.

Why Fingers?

I keep a few sets on hand so that my students can slip one on their pointer finger, to make reading extra fun anytime, but especially during this magical month.

It’s an entertaining way for your students to “follow along” as children popcorn around the room, taking turns reading aloud.

They make pointing to the correct object, shape, equation etc. during assessments, less intimidating and more enjoyable as well.

Where to Find Them:

I found a bag full of 24 glow-in-the-dark creepy fingers at Michaels Crafts for only $2.99.  Watch for their sales or print a coupon online.

My Dollar Store carries plastic fingertips in blue or red all year long.  The nail polish is an added bonus and gets thrown in my prize box.

Oriental Trading has some great Martian and monster fingers and the bony skeleton ones can be found at most party stores!

What To Do:

A goofy finger sitting on your students’ desk is a spooky surprise during this fun-filled month.  What a great way to introduce a reading lesson.

You could also reward your students after they have finished their Table Top lesson and let them choose one out of your pumpkin basket to keep, so they can practice at home.

I have a creepy bowl that’s fun to fill. A hand that is attached to the bowl, grabs down as it feels movement.  The bowl says “Thank you. Happy Halloween.”

I demonstrate what’s going to happen, so as not to freak out my Y5’s, but my older students enjoyed being “scared” and touched by the hand.

It’s just another exciting day in Mrs. Henderson’s haunted classroom.

Follow Along With These Booklets:

Why not have your students make some of these adorable October reading booklets. When everyone is done, don those fingers and read them aloud as a whole group!

The FREEBIE of the month is The Flame On My Candle, perfect for your Fire Safety studies. Also free is, Pumpkin on the Vine, which helps your students read and write, as they enjoy cutting and gluing the matching pictures to their booklet.

I have many booklets on spiders, pumpkins, scarecrows, bats, black cats, fire safety and Halloween.

Simply click on the link and choose from a wonderful assortment to get your students excited about learning to read. October Booklets

One of my very favorites is ABC Haunted House

I hope you found this tip helpful.  If you have an idea you’d like to share, I’d enjoy hearing from you! diane@teachwithme.com

I wish you a fun-filled fall

To Ask Or Not To Ask?  That's A Good Question. I say, Ask away, With a Question Of The Day.

How To Do Question Of The Day:

 I use Question Of The Day as a way to introduce simple graphing to my students.

All of these questions are YES or NO questions.  I make two columns by running a piece of colored tape down the center of my metal closet door.  For this packet, I dreamed up 485 yes or no questions.  There are some for each month/season.

Question of the Day is also a great way to help my Y5’s learn to recognize their name.  

I make up a sheet of address labels with my students’ names typed on them, and then stick them on a sheet of construction paper that I laminate.

After I cut them out, I put a magnet strip on the back.  You can use a portion of your white board, or the back of a cookie sheet.

Laminate a sentence strip and write the Question of the Day on it with a dry erase marker or write up permanent questions of the day, laminate them and store them in a long flower box.

Color co-ordinate your sentence strips with the season.

I put the sentence strip at the top of the door.  Underneath, I have a thumbs up for yes, next to a thumbs down for no.

The first thing my students do when they walk in the room, is find their name magnet and sit quietly on the carpet in front of the door.

When everyone is ready, I read the question and call on a student who gives their answer and then puts their magnet in the correct column.

You could also write the Question of the Day on a dry erase board, chalk board or paper easel and let students write their name under the appropriate answer.  You could also use a pocket chart.

Whatever you use, I think it’s extremely important to implement, as a variety of skills can be covered in just a matter of minutes. 

Computer Question Of The Day:

If you have a computer that is viewable by your students, you can also see if you have “scrolling marquee” as a screen saver.

If you do, right click on properties, click on “scrolling marquee” type in your Question of the Day, and set the time for the shortest amount, so it will change to the Question of the day quickly.

You can read the Question of the Day here, as well as on the board or wherever else you have it posted. 

Tally Mark Interview Question Of The Day:

You can also make Question of the Day a Tally job on one special day of the week for a boy and a girl.

 Students copy the Question of the Day from the board, or dream up their own.

The girl goes around the room after she has completed her work, and interviews the girls, asking them the Question of the Day and recording their answers and then counting up the results.  Great practice for data collection & analysis.

The boy does the same thing with the boys. During Show & Tell time they give the results.  Doing this activity helps children feel special and reinforces a variety of report card skills and standards. 

Why Do Question Of The Day?

Graphs make counting and comparing meaningful to students and provide opportunities to bring a variety of skills to a child’s attention.

A Question of the Day helps a teacher and the students learn about each other.

It’s an easy and fun way for even young children to learn how to collect, organize, analyze and understand data in a graphic representation.

It is ideal for counting practice and gives teachers a chance to teach math vocabulary such as: more than, less than, and equal to.

Question of the Day also supports literacy development because students are recognizing their names in print, understanding that print has meaning, learning to identify words, learning that words make up sentences and learning to track print in a sentence.

I also believe that it makes children feel special, because we are asking their opinion.  They are learning to think about their answer and give in-put so that we can collect data and analyze the results. 

Yes or No Opinions During Story Time:

I will often ask my students’ opinion about the stories I have read to them.

Thumbs up if you enjoyed the story; thumbs down if you did not.  Or… Thumbs up if you liked the ending or thumbs down if you did not, or did you like the character or the illustrations, or whatever else I can think of to get my students thinking.

You can graph the results as well.  I’ve also included a yes & no Question of the Day thumbs up and down poster. 

This packet will be free for an entire year, after which time it will be revamped, up-dated and put in my TpT shop.  Question of the Day packet.

Thanks for stopping by.  Feel free to PIN away.