Departments : Your Green Pages :
Your Green Pages March 2004
By Elizabeth Swartz
49 Skill-Building Activities You Can Use Right Now!
- Primary Grades
- Soup Garden
Social Studies/Health What vegetables can students identify in vegetable soup? Have some soup there to taste. Where do these vegetables come from? Provide a map with regions marked, then display and compare each vegetable with its seed. Plant these seeds to grow a "class soup garden." Wash and dice the vegetables and combine with broth and small pasta shapes to make a class soup. - Drop By Drop
Math Make paper umbrellas and write a different digit in each section. Provide raindrops for children to count out and attach to the proper sections with clothes pins. - Kites of Spring
Poetry/Art Get some paper kites or make some kites together. Then, on a nice windy spring day, share the poem below and do some kite flying together. What do you need to know about wind direction? What keeps the kites afloat? - What's it Like?
Description Show the children different vegetables and fruits. Have them describe each one before you place it into its own plain brown lunch bag. Rearrange the bags and select one student at a time to place a hand into a bag and determine which item is in it. - Spring Cleaning
Art/Creative Writing To honor Tackle Your Clutter Month, have students clean out their desks, then enjoy the following poem together:
Messy Room
by Charley Hoce
I had a very messy room
So I grabbed my mother's favorite broom
Now my room's not messy anymore
but please don't open my closet door.Ask students to imagine a clutter-eating creature who lives under their bed, in their desk or in their closet. Have each student name his or her creature and then draw, paint or make a clay model of the creature. Students can write a paragraph explaining why they should win an all-expenses-paid scholarship to Clutter Buster Camp.
- Farmers, Tractors & Spring
Reading Read aloud the book, The Rusty Trusty Tractor by Joy Cowley (Boyds Mills Press, 1999) and discuss the importance of tractors to farmers. Then enjoy together the following poem and have children make illustrations of tractors and farmers in the spring. - Begin and End Word Game
Language Arts Write 25 word beginnings on 25 index cards. Write 25 word endings on 25 more index cards. Have 2-4 players shuffle the cards, deal seven cards to each player and place the rest face down in a pile. Players take turns picking a card from the pile and pairing their cards to form words. Continue until no more words can be made or players run out of cards. Award five points for each completed word. - Marching to the Music
Math/Music Bring in instrumental tapes or cds. Line up the children and march to the beat of the music. Add the challenge of clapping to the beat, then try chanting this poem to the beat. Can the students clap and chant with the music at the same time? - Climate Mobile
Science/Art Have your students search magazines and catalogs for pictures of people or animals that represent different climates. Cut out each picture and glue it to construction paper, trim the edges and put a hole in the top. On the back of each picture, students write the climate the picture represents. Make a mobile from two craft sticks and hang each picture from the mobile. - Odds and Evens
Math One student rolls one die and says whether the number on top is odd or even. Older children can roll two dice and call out the sum or product and whether that is odd or even. - Leapin' Leprechauns!
Poetry/Math Read the following St. Patrick's Day poem to the children. Read it a second time and have the students hold up the number of fingers that match the number of leprechauns in each line. Then have children take turns acting out the verse as the rest of the group recites the poem. - How it Works
Music/Science Why do bells ring? Display various pans, pots, lids, a tambourine, a musical triangle and cymbals. Have a student tap each item with a wooden spoon. What happens? Ask the student to tap each item again, only this time have a second student place a hand on each item after it is tapped. What happens? Discuss what caused the sound, and why the sound ceased when the object was touched. What produces the sound in a jingle bell? Open one to find out. - Glittering Snowflakes
Art Use glitter glue to design a snowflake on a piece of waxed paper. Let it dry overnight. Carefully peel the snowflake off the paper and attach a string hanger. When the snowflakes are finished, compare and contrast them with real snowflakes. - Marching Into a Story
Language Arts Design a game board on a tile floor in your classroom or hallway. In each tile, place a note stating a character (leprechaun), setting, (magical forest), (midnight), a bit of dialogue ("Stop, thief!") and plot (all the food has been stolen from the cafeteria). Make up several different tiles using characters, settings, etc. Have the students roll a die, walk that many spaces and whatever they land on they must include in their story. Continue until everyone has landed on at least six tiles. Give students time to write, then share the stories. - March Miracles
Science Plant a few spring bulbs in a pan of dirt. Have children measure how deep the soil is, how many bulbs are planted, what kind of bulbs and then place the pan in a sunny place. Measure how much water the bulbs get. Record how many days later they sprout, the rate of growth, time until bloom, etc. Be sure to enjoy the beauty, too. - Parents Activity
Reading Establish a routine with your child that will build reading fluency, confidence and fun time together. Pick out sections of the newspaper that you will read aloud to one another every day. Perhaps you each have a favorite comic you can read aloud, a sports team to follow or movie reviews. - Science Improving Life
Science Show students a mustard jar that you must use a knife with, a squeezable mustard container and the newest upside-down container. Why were these changes made? Did the product have to change? Which would the students buy? What scientific principle is being used throughout the changes? What other food products have changed or are changing due to changes in science (for instance, frozen meats vs. dried meats, military MREs, etc.)? - Irish Poets
Writing Hand out copies of this poetry starter. Have the students finish the rhyme and see how high they can climb. - Flying Away with Facts
Math/Art Use construction paper and tissue paper to make kites. Along the tail of the kite, have students put the digits that make up the fact families with the operation you're studying. Some kites may contain only sums, products, differences and quotients. Place the numbered kites on a bulletin board and have students complete the fact families. - Color Wash Rainbows
Art Have students spray water onto white sheets of paper. Press colored crepe paper streamers onto the wet paper in an arc shape. Place newspaper over the streamers and press the newspaper down. Lift the newspaper, peel off the colored streamers to see the spring rainbow pictures now on the white paper. Use these rainbows to write nonfiction how-to articles for others to follow. - Kite Tales
Writing Bring one broken kite into class. Young writers will recognize this problem. Ask them to write a story about this kite. What might have happened to it? How? When? Where? - Sing Your Own Tune
Music/Writing During March 2-8, Celebrate Your Own Name Week, have each student write a song about his or her name. Put the words to original music or to the tune of a popular song. Also have them make up a holiday using their own names. Write a booklet explaining the meaning of the holiday, its customs, symbols and namesake song. - Multiplying Cards
Math Remove the face cards from a deck and lay the remaining cards face down. Players choose two cards to multiply. When all the cards have been used, check the answers and give two points for each correct answer. The highest score wins. - Exciting Excerpts
Auditory Memory Display books that have been read aloud to the class over a period of time. Recite a bit of dialogue, describe an event, or say something about one of the characters from one of the books. Ask the children to identify the correct book. Have them take turns offering clues. Why are some things easier to remember than others? How can knowing this help the students while studying? - Up a Tree Reading?
Reading To celebrate Read Across America Day on March 2, get a large empty box, paint and cut it to look like a tree house. Fill it with "Magic Tree House" books by Mary Pope Osborne and set a rotating reading schedule. Allow all the children some quiet time in the tree house to read. For more classroom ideas from the National Education Association, go to www.nea.org/readacross - Parents Activity
Reading Show the everyday necessity of good reading skills by including your child when a new appliance or technological device enters your home and needs setting up. Put your child in charge of reading the manual's instructions on any new item before the family uses it. When the device malfunctions, have your child be the first one to read the manual and look for the problem and its solution. - Building a Web
Research Have students construct a web on paper to illustrate the web they're following online as they complete a research project. The topic being researched should be in the center of the web. Each online hit should be reported in one of the rings of the web with a line indicating its relationship to the topic. Did this hit lead toward the topic or away from it? Are students able to direct their research and limit the number of irrelevant hits? What have they learned about online research that can save them time on the web? - Poetry and Art
Poetry/Music/Art Discuss how poetry, music and art have been used throughout the ages to pass on stories and cultures. Make a drum out of an empty round container and construction paper. Have students decorate the sides with leprechauns, shamrocks and pots of gold. Have other students make snakes from chenille craft sticks. Select one student to read the following poem aloud while another acts it out.St. Patrick & the Snakes
by Jacqueline Schiff
St. Patrick beat his goatskin drum,
The snakes did shake with fear.
They slithered left. They slithered right.
They hissed, "We're outta here!"Have students write a poem with symbols that would represent their lives to someone from another part of the world.
- Reading for Those Who Can't
Reading While celebrating Read Across America Day, have your students select short stories and/or articles from newspapers and magazines that they could read to elderly people in nursing homes. If it's not possible to visit a nursing home, have students record the articles on tapes. Deliver them to a nursing home, so the residents can hear news and enjoy a young person's voice. - Youth Art Month
Art Plan a celebration of the talents in your school this month by planning an art show in the lobby, library or town hall. Get more ideas from the Council for Art Education at http://acminet.org/youth_art_month.htm - Parents Activity
Reading/Writing Help students see the importance of their studies and also prepare them for their future responsibilities by showing them the forms you fill out – insurance forms, banking forms, order forms, etc. Enlist their help in reading the directions and filling out the forms. Delegate responsibility for magazine renewals and paying the paper delivery person. - Fluency Fun
Reading Set a timer for two minutes. During that two minutes, everyone (including the teacher) will read. When the timer sounds, stop reading and have everybody mark the spot at which they finished reading. Everyone then silently rereads that part of their text twice. Assign partners to read their practiced selections to each other. - No Place Like Home
Music/Writing Have your students go to your state's website and look up your state song. Read and discuss the lyrics. What details about your state are in the song? Why are those things considered to be important? Find the lyrics to your school's song. What are the main ideas it conveys? Brainstorm the kinds of things people write songs about and why. Have each student select a favorite song, write its lyrics and explain what they think the words are conveying. - Choose an Audience
Writing Have students write the same message to four different audiences: a best friend, a parent, a teacher and an unknown adult. Topics can include such things as an invitation to a party, or asking for help with a school project. Students can write the messages for each audience on a different index card and place each card into a box labeled with the name of that audience. Read random cards aloud without naming the student who wrote them. Is the language and content appropriate for the audience? How and why does our writing change when the audience changes? - Daily Details
Writing Ask students to list six things they see every day on their way to school. Then have them list three things that were different on today's trip to school. Do this activity at other times, using things the students see in and around the school building, things they see at recess, etc. - Awesome Angles
Math Place a five-foot-long piece of wide tape on the floor. Place a piece of colored tape perpendicular to the first piece, forming a 90° angle. Ask students to "build" angles using colored yarn and a protractor. Obtuse angles will be made with purple yarn and acute angles will be made with yellow yarn. - Class Pets
Reading/Writing Read aloud, or in literature circle, one of the books from the "Class Pets" series (Simon & Schuster) by Frank Asch. Then go to Frank's site, www.frankasch.com to read about how these books came to be. After reading about Frank's pets and classroom experiences, have each student select a pet to write about, using your classroom as a setting. Students can write about their own pet, or a pet they might like to have. - Better Mail?
Social Studies/Technology Have students compare and contrast e-mail with traditional mail using charts or a Venn diagram. Have them plan and conduct surveys among peers and parents about the advantages and disadvantages of each. Report on findings. Speculate on changes brought to the business, family and global community by the development of e-mail. - Bell Research
Science In observance of Alexander Graham Bell's birthday on March 3, do some telephone research. Divide the class into groups. Send one group to research and report on the life and career of Mr. Bell, another group to research and report on the development and changes in telephones and a third group to research and report on exactly how cell phones work. Is the purpose for which the phone was invented being met? What is it being used for that would surprise Mr. Bell? - Titles Tell
Reading/Writing Read the following poem to your class and place it on the overhead. Discuss what it is about and come up with an appropriate title. Next, have students write a poem full of clues, but with no title. Pairs of students exchange their poems and add titles. - Eating Right
Health/Nutrition March is National Nutrition Month, sponsored by the American Dietetic Association. Take your class to www.eatright.org and see what they can learn about getting healthy and eating healthfully. Have them make a poster display for other students to view in the hallways and/or in the cafeteria during this month. - What Would St. Patrick Say?
Social Studies Tell your students the legend of St Patrick and then ask them to research what has happened since in Ireland. Have one group research Northern Ireland, one group the Republic of Ireland, one group the potato famine. Combine the information gathered into a large timeline. Can there be peace in Ireland? What are its strengths? Its weaknesses? What other countries in the world have not healed from civil strife? - Awesome Women
Social Studies/History During National Women's History Month, send your students to the library and the computer to research famous women. At the same time, have them gather information from newspapers and news magazines to produce a scrapbook of famous women who are in the news right now. Also send them into the community to find out about local women who are doctors, lawyers, CEOs etc. Invite some of those women to your classroom for a panel discussion about how they have gotten to their positions. Who influenced them most? What mark do they hope to leave on their professions and communities? What advice do they have to offer to your students? - Umbrella Coverage?
Vocabulary During March we see a lot of umbrellas used to protect against rain and snow. In the summer we often use them at the beach for protection from the sun. What does else can "umbrella coverage" mean? What does it mean when a sports or newscaster talks about something "falling under the same umbrella"? Brainstorm together with your class other words that have multiple meanings. - Carle's Collages
Art Display some of Eric Carle's books. Your students are sure to remember them from when they were younger. Then watch together the video, Eric Carle: Picture Writer (Philomel Books, 1993). Invite your students to paint tissue paper many wonderful colors and designs and use the painted papers to create collage pictures. Tie the topic of the pictures to whatever you are studying in science or use the pictures to illustrate books and stories that you're reading in literature circle. Display them during Youth Art Month. - Stock Market Slide
Math/Social Studies As a class, select one company to track on the stock market. Begin to chart the stock's movements. At the same time, have students watch the news and collect information from newspapers and magazines that would affect this stock. What causes the stock's prices to go up or down? - Make a Difference
Science/Writing Introduce your students to the history of the salmon in the Snake River in the Pacific Northwest. Use the National Wildlife Federation's website at www.nwf.org as a source of information. Read about the Snake River's dwindling number of trout and salmon, watch videos, use maps and charts. Encourage open discussion among the students and allow them to make their own decisions about what might need to be done at the Snake River. Students can use the addresses provided by the website to write letters to the appropriate officials. - See it Differently
Science Take your students to www.uspto.gov and read the Kids Pages about famous inventors and inventions. Take part in some of the sample projects in the Inventive Thinking Curriculum Project Program of the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Do some or all the activities and plan a Young Inventor's Day at your school, during which you will showcase the results of your activities. - My Own Journey
Writing Get several copies of Odyssey Magazine (a Cobblestone Publication) and familiarize yourself and your students with the student-written pieces known as Fantastic Journey articles. The October and December 2003 issues of Odyssey contain good ones. Challenge your students to write a nonfiction article of 500-650 words. Rewrite, peer edit and proofread until the articles are polished. Select the best ones to send to the magazine for publication consideration. For information about how to submit articles to Odyssey, visit www.cobblestonepub.com
Flying High
by Heidi Roemer
My kite darts high up in the sky;
I tightly hold the string.
Kites in flight are oh-so-nice
and one fun sign of Spring!
Farmer's Friend
by Heidi Roemer
Sputter...Sputter...Spit.
Tractor, wake up now;
Old Farmer Brown has fields to plow.
Guzzle...Guzzle...Gulp.
Tractor, drink each drop.
Gasoline and oil filled to the top.
Rumble...Rumble...ROAR!
Tractor, off you go –
Planting little seeds in every row.
The Music's Beat
by Charley Hoce
I jump
I hop
I march in place
I twirl around
With style and grace
I wiggle
I squirm
I spin and shake
I move back and forth
Like a human earthquake
I twist
I turn
I kick my feet
I love to move
To the music's beat.
Ten Little Leprechauns
by Jacqueline Schiff
1 little leprechaun playing the fiddle
2 little leprechauns dancing in the middle.
3 little leprechauns fishing for trout,
4 little leprechauns running in and out.
5 little leprechauns hiding from you,
6 little leprechauns eating Irish stew.
7 little leprechauns mending pairs of shoes,
8 little leprechauns marching in twos.
9 little leprechauns winking Irish eyes,
10 little leprechauns singing their good byes.
Get Your Irish Up!
by Jacqueline Schiff
One, two, eat Irish stew.
Three, four, County Cork explore.
Five, six, swing your walking sticks.
Seven, eight, fill St. Patrick's plate.
..........., ............., ..............................
Intermediate Grades
Middle Grades
by Martin Shaw
He tumbles leaves along the ground,
Blows paper in the air,
He snatches hats from tops of heads,
And lofts them here and there,
He makes tree branches bend and wave,
And tall poles gently sway,
Just everything that he can touch,
Moves on a windy day.
ABOUT THE GREEN PAGES: Green Pages activities are for use in teaching grades PreK through 8. Activities are labeled according to basic skill areas.
THIS MONTH'S CONTRIBUTIONS:
Marie Cecchini, West Dundee, IL, #1, #4, #9, #12, #20, #24; Jacqueline Schiff, Moline, IL, #5; Sherry Timberman, Sanford, ME, #7, #12, #23.
POETRY: "Flying High," "Farmer's Friend" by Heidi Roemer, Orland Park, IL. "Messy Room," "The Music's Beat" by Charley Hoce, West Manchester, OH. "Ten Little Leprechauns," "Get Your Irish Up!" "St. Patrick and the Snakes" by Jacqueline Schiff, Moline, IL. Untitled poem by Martin Shaw, Bronxville, NY.
Illustrations by H. Robert Loomis.
March, 2004, Vol.34, No.6
