53 Activities for November/December, by Elizabeth Swartz
53 Skill-Building Activities You Can Use Right Now!
Flying Fish
Art/Math Cut out several fish shapes for students to decorate with various art supplies. Write numerals on paper plates or sturdy pieces of paper, one number on each. Lay these out on a large surface and ask your students to put the correct number of fish on the corresponding numerals. Using string or fishing line, create mobiles by attaching the fish to the numbers.Sandwich, Anyone?
Health November 3 is the anniversary of the invention of the sandwich. Talk with your students about what an invention is. What makes a sandwich a sandwich? Why are sandwiches handy? What different food groups can be represented in a sandwich? Make several kinds to sample.Simple Beginnings
Reading/Art Read aloud Begin at the Beginning: A Little Artist Learns About Life by Amy Schwartz (Katherine Tegen Books, 1983), which has a new set of illustrations. This book tells the story of a girl who is so excited by an art contest that she wants to draw the whole world. She learns to start small, close to home, using the tree outside her window as a subject. What simple, everyday things could your students use to start a picture?Name That Sound
Listening/Writing Make a tape or cd of various household and community sounds. Play one sound at a time and have students identify the sound, then describe it. Write the descriptions on cards, then select one card, read the description and see if the children can identify the sound by the description. If not, how could the description be improved? Use these new descriptions in upcoming stories.Ice Cubism
Art Fill an ice cube tray with water. Let it freeze half way, then place a popsicle stick in each cube. Finish freezing. Use the ice cubes for paint brushes. Put some blobs of paint on a large piece of paper for students to drag and swirl with their temporary painting tools.Time Marches On
Reading Write the months of the year on placards, one on each. Give them to your students and help them form a line. Play music to which they can march around the room reciting the months of the year in calendar order.Pretzel Wreath
Art Provide each student with a round piece of cardboard roughly 12" in diameter with a hole cut out of the center. Students then glue small pretzel twists, overlapping, in a circle. Repeat in layers toward the center of the circle. Decorate with acrylic paint and allow it to dry. Weave a colorful bow through pretzel holes at the wreath's top.Animal Homes
Reading/Science Read the following poem with your students. Have pictures of turtles and/or a real turtle to observe in the classroom. Discuss other animals that keep their homes with them. Would the children like to live that way? What would they want inside their traveling home? Have them illustrate what their shell might look like on the inside or the outside.Computer Christmas
Computer Skills/Social Studies Take your primary students to a colorful website filled with symbols of Christmas: games, poems, songs, crafts and recipes. www.alphabet-soup.net. Some activities can be enjoyed in class and others printed from the site for students to take home.New Tails
Reading/Science Discover the science of regeneration with your students while reading the clever book Where's My Tail? by Susan Schafer (Marshall Cavendish, 2005). Ask your librarian for nonfiction easy readers about other animals that regenerate.Fruity Fractions
Math Upon introducing fractions, Hand out plastic apple corers for your students to trace with dark pencils. Students then fill in the various segments with different colors and create a color-coded key that indicates the fractions and their corresponding colors.Bag of Tricks
Language Put items that children can identify by touch into a bag and have your students take turns reaching into the bag. After guessing what the object is, but keeping this guess to him or herself, the student gives classmates only the beginning letter and/or sound as the clue to guess the item. Later, play using only the ending letters or sounds for clues.Parent Activity
Math Begin with lots of different colors of construction paper or felt pieces. Cut out various shapes in different sizes with your child. On two large pieces of plain paper, each glue your shapes onto your paper, filling the paper and overlapping some shapes to obscure them. Play "name that shape" by taking turns pointing at and naming the shapes on each other's mosaics.Silly Sentences
Language Here are some ideas to help children learn sentence structure. Students can interact with images and corresponding words – who, how, type, what and where. The words are strung together into sentences like, "The monster/ rides/ a huge/ skateboard/ on the moon." Visit www.books4results.com for more examples and lessons.Counting Pilgrims
Art/Math Read aloud this counting rhyme. Then choose children to act out the poem while the others count the "pilgrims." On the second reading, have the children change roles. Finally, ask the children to choose art materials to illustrate each stanza of the poem, writing the number problem and the total that matches each action.Colorful Christmas
Art/Math/Music A new variation on the familiar song "The Twelve Days of Christmas" is created when the children's artwork is used to act it out. The students draw or paint the gifts cited in the song on pieces posterboard, then hold up their illustrations as the gift is being sung about. Pictures at least 12" x 18" work best when singing for an audience.Gobble and Go!
Reading Make a bulletin board with a picture of a turkey saying "Gobble!" and an image of a green traffic light labeled "Go." Ask students to collect "long O" and "short O" words from cereal boxes, magazines and newspapers and post the words on the bulletin board under the corresponding headings. As you are reading aloud for the next several weeks, call on students to identify whether particular words contain soft O or hard O sounds.Jingle all the Way
Reading Spread out the evening paper or a magazine that you are finished reading. Have your child find words that he or she knows and mark them with a highlighter. Next, he or she can find words from the spelling list. For added fun, provide a piece of construction paper and scissors for your child to create a collage of words titled, "Words I Know." For older children, give them different colored highlighters and ask for the nouns to be one color, the verbs another. Look through advertising mailers and catalogs to show them that once they know a word, they will understand it in many different places.Celebrating the Season
Social Studies Learn about various celebrations of the season at the following websites: www.billybear4kids.com and www.history.com that have comprehensive information about Hanukkah. To learn about Kwanzaa, go to www.officialkwanzaawebsite.org. Here you'll learn a special greeting, table settings and recipes. The Indian festival of lights, Diwali, is described at www.diwalifestival.org. What do all of the holiday celebrations at this time of year have in common? What kinds of things do people celebrate, and why?Our Holiday Play
Art Children of all cultures can enjoy this exercise at "staging" their own holiday plays. Start with an 11"x18" piece of paper. Have the students trace their hands, palms down, in the lower corners. The children then draw curtains, draped as though their hands are holding them back. In the center of the stage, the students can draw symbols of any celebration they wish, making the stage appear 3-d while also telling a holiday or seasonal tale of their choice.Book Quilt
Reading During National Children's Book Week have your students create a "quilt" of their favorite books that can be used to interest other students in new titles. Give each student a 6"x 6" piece of piece of fabric on which to paint or write with markers the title and author of a favorite book. They might add illustrations that hint at the story. Tape or sew the squares together and create a display in the library with the quilt hung behind some of the books it features.Bloomin' Bulbs
Science/Math Purchase a prepared holiday amaryllis bulb for students to use in practicing their observation and recording skills. Water the bulb according to package directions. Have students date recordings, e.g. amount of growth, amount of water, etc. For comparison purposes, other plants could be started as well.Double the Fun
Physical Education Read aloud the book Double Dutch: A Celebration of Jump Rope, Rhyme, and Sisterhood by Veronica Chambers (Jump At the Sun, 2002) to introduce this jump rope sport. Talk about the kids who participate in the competitions and how their friendships grew. Then, find somewhere in your school or outside to give double-dutch a try.Parent Activity
Writing/Communication Help your children develop the good habit of writing thank-you cards this holiday season. Begin by discussing the concepts of generosity and thankfulness, and the reasons for sending thank-you notes. Assist in making a list of gifts received and from whom they were given. Shop for thank-you cards or stationary, encouraging your child to make the selections. Discuss the parts of a letter – greeting/salutation, body, closing and signature – and how to personalize each card. Together, address, stamp and mail the cards.Geometric Friends
Math/Art/Writing At the end of your unit on geometry, encourage your students to make a large collection of various sizes and colors of all the shapes they have studied. Give each child a large piece of felt or stiff background paper on which to create a "geometric guy" or "geometric girl" from these shapes. Their beings may be animal, human or robot. Have students name and write stories about what their inventions can do and where they came from. Students might work in pairs to create a play between characters with dialogue and homemade sets. Imaginations rule!How Long?
Math/Elapsed Time Use the computer program provided in your school that makes calendars and schedules. Allow each student to compose his or her own in- and out-of- school schedule, showing when various activities begin and end.American Indian Research
Social Studies For a project on American Indian heritage, go to www.education-world.com where there are many activities to use in your classroom. These include an art project with which to discuss misconceptions about American Indians and a guide to create a glossary of English words with Native American origins.Human Weather Vanes
Science Discuss with your students how weather vanes function. Establish which ways the four directions are, then have your students stand facing you,"the wind." The wind indicates direction, saying,"The wind blows...north." Quickly the players turn to the side or corner of the room indicated. Students who face the wrong direction are out. At first the wind may assist and model for students by turning in the correct position. Children can take turns being the wind. Once the game and directions are understood, add halfway points, such as northwest.Pupils Publishing
Reading/Writing Ask your librarian for copies of Stone Soup: The Magazine by Young Writers and Artists, which welcomes submissions from people up to age 13. Have your students read several issues of the magazine, then encourage them to submit some work. Go to www.stonesoup.com for more information.Ankle Angles
Math After teaching a unit on angles, surprise your students by inviting them to put their feet up on their desks. What kind of angle is naturally made by the ankle and foot? Have students demonstrate acute and obtuse angles by moving their feet. Can the students make these different angles while standing? Can the children make 30-degree angles? Ninety? With what other joints can angles be made?Rhythm Mimes
Music Collect enough simple instruments – including everyday items like rattles, bells, pots and whisk brooms – for each child but one. Draw lots for the instruments; the child with the blank paper is "it" first. He or she claps a rhythm that the others try to reproduce. If someone is unable to recreate the rhythm, they become the new rhythm maker. If no one misses, the rhythm becomes more difficult.Holiday Wishes
Reading/Social Studies While talking about holiday customs around the world, read aloud Three Wishes: Palestinian and Israeli Children Speak by Deborah Ellis (Groundwood Books, 2004). Your students will hear first-hand what it is like to live in a war-torn region. Students will find out about schools and sports in that part of the world. Make comparative charts as a class while reading aloud. Visit websites listed in the book's glossary for updates on how the Israeli/Palestinian conflict is impacting the region's children.Dialogue Debate
Writing Ask students to write dialogue for two or three people, then have other students act it out. Videotape the exchanges and watch the videos as a class. Do the scenes seem real? Why or why not? What needs to be changed to make scenes believable?Concrete Facts
Science Research concrete. Who invented it and for what use? Make concrete in your classroom with a prepackaged mix. Line a sturdy cardboard box with plastic and make the concrete about two-inches thick. Students can experiment with smoothing and making marks or initials in it. What objects and structures in your community are made from concrete? Why are some finishes smooth and some rough? Is all concrete the same?Notes on Music
Music Play selections of various holiday music with and without lyrics. Use music from different cultures. What is it that sets holiday music apart from everyday music? How do the lyrics differ? Which do students prefer, and why? All cultures use music in celebrations; why might that be? Encourage students to bring in music to share.Perspective Shift
Writing Ask your students to see what things look like from a toddler's perspective by sitting on the classroom floor. Have them write about how things look from this lower vantage point. What are other ways to experience a different point of view? Have students make suggestions and give them a try.Click on Science
Science Go to the TeachersTryScience website where you can find different experiments about biodomes, ecosystems, STEM lesson plans, recycling, and so much more.States Alive
Geography While studying the 50 states, check with your librarian for new books about each state, new coins and posters from the bank and stamps from the post office. Visit www.postcardsfrom.com and www.50states.com with your students for information on collecting postcards. Hang a large, mounted U.S. map and use colored push pins to record what has been collected for each state.First Impression
Social Studies/Art Share aloud Linnea in Monet's Garden by Christina Bjork (R&S Books, 1987) on Monet's birthday, November 14. This wonderful narrative is about a little girl who travels to Monet's home and to a museum where his paintings are displayed. After learning about Impression- ism from this book, students might like to sketch impressions of some of their favorite things and places.Digging Deeper
Science Students can go on a virtual archaeological dig, "Inca Investigation." They will work with tools of the trade, a realistic grid and many projects dealing with artifacts. This site by the American Museum of Natural History and can be found at amnh.org. Another interesting site, www.mintmuseum.org, takes students to the cultures of the Aztecs, Incas and Mayans. It includes a tomb maze and information about authentic foods. The time line extends from the year 245 to 1532.Means of Communication
Social Studies/Writing Prepare a timeline for the development of written communication. Include telegrams, regular post, e-mail and instant messaging. Discuss how the students communicate most often and why? Have students write comparatives of these forms. What were the biggest changes in communication? What do students think will come after instant messaging and why? Why is it so vital for people to communicate all the time?Parent Activity
Science Challenge your child to find the best kinds of insulation within your home. Wrap ice cubes with cloth, plastic bags, newspapers, styrofoam, etc. in order to see which is the best insulating material. Keep the variables at a minimum – use ice cubes that are all the same size; place all items being tested in the same place in the room; record temperatures and times accurately. From what is learned in one experiment, to try another with new parameters. What material keeps the ice cubes frozen the longest? Why? How might this information be useful?In Another's Shoes
Reading/Writing Practice writing from a different perspective. Have students write one report of a basketball game as an audience member and one as a player. Read the following poem aloud and see what other perceptions students might offer about places or objects seen in different lights.History of Hate
History Begin or conclude a unit of historical misunderstandings by reading aloud The Color of Fire by Ann Rinaldi (Hyperion, 2005). Based on real-life occurrences, the story is set in New York City in 1741, when fear caused people to turn on friends and burnings at the stake occurred. Compare this event with the Salem witch trials and the Inquisition. Springboard into written essays or research reports. Does this sort of mass hysteria and murder happen anywhere in the world today?Christmas Bird Count
Science Every year between December 14 and January 5, the National Audubon Society looks for volunteers to help them track bird population trends. 55,000 volunteers in all 50 states, Canada, parts of Central and South America, Bermuda,the West Indies and the Pacific Islands are asked to canvas a designated 15-mile area in which to count particular birds. To involve your class in the count, go to www.audubon.org.Raising What?
Science/Reading Read aloud Linda Sue Park's new book, Project Mulberry (Clarion, 2005) about a seventh-grade girl named Julia and her friend Patrick who raise silkworms for a science project. Discuss the logistical and cultural challenges Julia faces when deciding upon a project. What similar project might your class consider undertaking?Price at the Pump
Social Studies/Math Provide a list of car models and their advertised mileage as well as the mileage from the school to common destinations in the area such as the mall, the movies and nearby towns. Have students calculate the approximate cost to drive to these places with a gas price of $3.00 per gallon as compared to $1.75 per gallon. Students then could compute trips to relatives' homes and favorite vacation spots of the past. What political and economic factors cause gas prices to go up and down? Research the subject by looking for related articles in newspapers and using Internet search engines such as Google News (www.news.google.com).World of Monsters
Writing/Art Share aloud The Gruesome Guide to World Monsters by Judy Sierra (Candlewick, 2005) as she describes monsters from folklore all around the world. Every culture has some kind of monster in its stories. Assign students various folktales or fairy tales to read, creating on paper or in sculpture form the monster that is described.What's in a Blurb?
Writing/Reading Read the blurbs on the backs of several books that the students have already read. What goes into a good blurb? How does the blurb make one want to read the book? After reading a story together from a textbook, ask your students to write blurbs that could advertise and highlight the story, enticing readers without giving away too much of the story.A Hurricane's Wake
Science Research Hurricane Katrina. Compile maps of the areas the hurricane passed through and label its path. Note wind speeds, water depths and how the areas were affected by the storm. Choose another major storm, recent or historical, and compare the data between the two. What can be done to prevent or decrease damage caused by natural disasters? What can been learned from these storms?Día De Los Muertos
Art/Social Studies November 2 is the Mexican holiday Día De Los Muertos, or Day of the Dead. The memories of deceased loved ones and heroes from history are commemorated with events and ofretas – colorful alters displaying photos, flowers, skeletons made of sugar, food and keepsakes – that are decidedly celebratory. This website library.thinkquest.org contains the customs, traditions, and history of the Day of the Dead. Challenge your students by having them take a quiz, complete puzzles, and learn to create Mexican dishes.Super Snacks
Nutrition Have student brainstorm their favorite fruit and vegetable snack ideas. Offer suggestions about integrating the five produce colors (blue/purple, red, yellow/orange, white and green) and at least five servings of vegetables and fruits a day. Students can visit www.dole.com for inspiration. Compile their ideas into a class booklet that includes photos, drawings and recipes. Make the booklet available to other classes.Making News
Writing/Art/Social Studies Student journalists, artists and writers may submit articles, photos and videos to the Channel One Network at www.channelone.com. Here middle and high school students have helped put news together for one another for more than 15 years.
Primary Grades
Turtle Travel
by Martin Shaw
If I only were a tortoise,
How lucky I would be.
For everywhere I went to play,
My home would come with me.
If I should become too sleepy
Wherever I did roam,
I'd never have to travel far
To find my way back home.
Plymouth Pilgrims
by Jacqueline Schiff
One Plymouth Pilgrim
Planting corn and wheat.
Three more came with bean seeds
Making four on their feet.
Four Plymouth Pilgrims
Fishing for a meal.
Two came to meet them
And all six caught an eel.
Six Plymouth Pilgrims
Eating geese and deer.
Three more dined on duck meat
And all nine smiled with cheer.
Nine Plymouth Pilgrims
Running in a race.
Three joined the others
And all twelve loved the chase!
Twelve Plymouth Pilgrims,
Sleeping on the ground.
Eight others napped beside them;
Twenty neighbors – safe and sound.
Middle Grades
Intermediate Grades
Perspective
by Martin Shaw
When you bend to touch your toes,
The whole world turns upside down.
The floor becomes the ceiling
And a smile becomes a frown.
Clocks may be more confusing
Upside down and on your head,
For what seems time for sleeping
Might be dinnertime instead.
THIS MONTH'S CONTRIBUTIONS:
Marie Cecchini, West Dundee, IL, #40; Joan Macey, Binghamton, NY, #13, #16, #20; Muriel Mandell, #28, #31; Sherry Timberman, Kennebunk, ME, #5, #7; Betty Venable, Canby, CA, #12.
POETRY: "Plymouth Pilgrims" by Jacqueline Schiff, Moline, IL. "Turtle Travel" and "Perspective" by Martin Shaw, Bronxville, NY.Orland Park, IL.
Illustrations by H. Robert Loomis.
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