How To... Build a Summer Backpack
By Linda Lindroth

For Reproducible click here. PDF 72KB

Personalize each student's summer learning pack with notebooks, novelty pencils, travel-size games and more

Whether you use an actual backpack or just an extra-large storage bag for each student, sending home a portable pack filled with the following ideas will keep kids learning throughout their summer travels.

Starter kit for learning
Pack the summer backpack with as many of these items as you can - and add the rest of the items to your parent newsletter for the end of school.

1. Start by packing each bag with a novelty pencil, a pad of paper, a small journal for writing and a paperback book. Add a summer reading book list, a supply list for next year and some vocabulary cards and math flash cards. Add a travel-size game (BATTLESHIP®, checkers) or make your own.
2. Download an activity sheet on U.S. license plates (and state quarters) from www.ncge.org/resources/geoclub/activities/3y1m-usstatelicenseplatesquarters.pdf As students travel the highways this summer, they can be on the lookout for license plates from every state and record the picture or slogan for the state. Remember - many states have more than one design! Include a license plate-sized piece of heavy tagboard for students to design their own license plate.
   
   For more travel games, go to www.activitiesforkids.com/travel/travel_games.htm or click on Teacher Help for printable pages to reinforce math facts, states and capitals, puzzles and more. K-3 students can also learn about the states from the state quarters. For more lessons and learning, visit Camp Coin at www.usmint.gov/kids/campcoin
3. Include information for families to sign up for an online summer camp. They can register for Summer Fun Days for Kids at About.com to get a daily online topic for research, an offline activity, a word search and puzzles and a knowledge quiz. Visit www.familyinternet.about.com/od/summerfuncamp/a/summerfun.htm
4. Students can send a postcard to their new teachers for next fall or send an e-card to a classmate. Use the school name and grade level on the address label if your school doesn't publish student class lists until the fall. For added fun, use a picture of the school to order special photo stamps for your postcards. Go to http://kids.yahoo.com/ecards/index Kids can even get e-postcards from a 50-state travel adventure! Discover America with a daily e-card with fun facts about each of the 50 states. www.postcardsfrom.com/t1/arcin.html
5. Whether it's a trip to the next town, Walt Disney World® or across country, have students log their summer travels. Mapquest (www.mapquest.com) can be used to find the mileage. Chart travel miles for the summer (i.e., 10 trips to the pool x 14.7 miles round-trip = 147 frequent travel miles). For more mapping tools, visit Google Maps at www.maps.google.com/maps

More online resources

1. City Creator - www.citycreator.com Kids can make their own online city using blocks. Add buildings, roofs, people, vehicles and roads/walkways for three different city types. Students can even save their creations and come back later or e-mail their finished product.
2. Summer Reading Buzz - www.scholastic.com/summerreading/index.htm Sponsored by Target and Scholastic, this program will keep students reading throughout the summer. Print Buzz booklists for PreK, K-2, 3-5 and 6-up with books in Spanish, too.
3. SchoolTime Games - www.schooltimegames.com This site has dozens of online games to support the content areas. Students can try the Geography - USA challenge or test their vocabulary prowess with Alphabet Soup. Both are favorites in our computer learning center.

For Reproducible click here. PDF 72KB

Linda K. Lindroth is Teaching K-8's technology editor and website coordinator, and a technology resource teacher at Russell Cave Elementary School in Lexington, KY.
E-mail: Linda@TeachingK-8.com.

May 2007, Volume 37, Number 8