Your Green Pages November/December 2003
By Elizabeth Swartz

Primary Grades
1. Stackin' Crackers
   Math/Geometry Provide each student with a small plastic bag of different shaped crackers. Have the children stack the congruent crackers on top of each other and count the number of crackers in the tower. Then ask them to draw the shape of the cracker and write the number of crackers in the tower. Have them check one another's work before eating the crackers.
2. Falling Leaves
   Creative Dramatics Show the class a selection of autumn leaves and invite the children to choose one that they'd like to wear. When the name of a tree is called out (maple, oak, etc.) the children wearing that type of leaf will pretend to fall from the tree to the ground. Repeat until every kind of tree has had a turn, and then have all the leaves fall together.
3. What's In the Stocking?
   Tactile Discrimination Fill a Christmas stocking with two or three different Christmas items or shapes such as candy canes, bells, stars, etc. Let the children take turns feeling the stocking and guessing what items are included.

4. Paper Wings
   Social Studies This November, celebrate Aviation Month by having your students make various kinds of paper airplanes. Have a race and determine how to make improvements to the aircraft. Challenge each student to make design improvements and try a second flight. What keeps the plane up? What part affects directionality?



5. You Are What You Eat
   Health/Writing Build your students' vocabulary, journaling skills, memory and nutritional awareness by having them list what they ate within the last 24 hours. Repeat this activity at different intervals over the course of a few weeks, then discuss the children's food choices. Do your students need to make any changes in their diets? Display the food pyramid and review the nutritional guidelines for children their age.
6. Magic Spelling Powder
   Spelling Give each student a dark piece of construction paper. Ask them to write a spelling word in pencil on the paper, then trace over it with a thin line of glue. Sprinkle baby powder on the wet glue and shake off the excess power when the glue dries.
7. Rounding Marbles
   Math Place a 24" piece of masking tape on the floor and write on it the numbers 40 through 45 in consistent segments. Add a perpendicular piece of colored tape just in front of the number 45. Give a student a marble. Call out a number between 40 and 45 for the child to place on the appropriate spot. The student must then "round" (roll) the marble to the closest end. Marbles may not cross the perpendicular line. Vary the numbers and add more digits as the students are ready.
8. Advertising Talk
   Reading Give your students catalogs and store flyers. Ask each child to select one item and list all the details they can learn about the item from the text and photo in the ad (size, color, cost, used for, etc.).
9. Pin The Nose On the Reindeer
   Directionality Display a large picture of a reindeer. Use a red pompon with tape attached for the nose. Blindfold the children and let them take turns trying to pin the nose on the reindeer as another child gives directions such as left, right, up, down, etc.
10. How Can You Tell?
    Reading/Writing As a class, brainstorm how we can tell it's November without looking at the calendar. Then read the following poem to the class and discuss the fun vocabulary.


Autumn

by Heidi Roemer

When temperatures dip nipperly,
When wicked winds wail whipperly,
When crimson leaves flit skipperly,
Then you'll know it's Novem-
Brr.


11. Pinecone Trees
    Art Glue cotton balls around the base of a pinecone to represent snow. Wrap and drape red ribbon around the pinecone and glue in place. Glue on large seed beads in place for ornaments, then glue two paper or foil stars together and attach to the top.
12. How Much Longer?
    Language Read the following poem to your students, then give them each a piece of paper on which they can illustrate the aspects of Christmas mentioned here, adding things that remind them of Christmas.


Christmas Day

by Martin Shaw

Holly wreaths and candy canes,
And tinsel hung with care,
My stockings by the fireplace,
Gray skies and crisp, cold air,

Blinking lights, the smell of pine,
I know it's on its way,
If only it would hurry,
And this was Christmas Day.

13. The First Student
    Math Line the children up alphabetically and give out cards with ordinal words on them. Have the children keep the cards at their desks throughout the day. Call out whenever a volunteer is needed or an errand must be run: "Will the eleventh student please come to the board?" Do the same activity another day after lining up the children according to age.
14. Pilgrim Children
    Social Studies/Dramatization Read the following poem to your children and teach them how to pantomime it. Then invite another class in to see your program.


Pilgrim Children

by Jacqueline Schiff

If we were Pilgrim children,
We'd help to plant the corn.
We'd hunt and fish, we'd spin and knit,
We'd cradle each newborn.

If we were Pilgrim children,
We'd help to plant the beans.
We'd feed the chickens, milk the cows,
And pick the salad greens.

We'd carry water from the spring,
And heat it for our wash.
We'd stack the wood. We'd shell the peas.
We'd help to plant the squash.

If we were Pilgrim children,
We'd climb the tallest trees.
We'd play our favorite games of dice,
We'd race through fields with ease.

If we were Pilgrim children,
We'd whittle wooden toys;
Then give them to our special friends –
The Indian girls and boys.


15. Name Scramble
    Math Give each student a large sheet of paper with two intersecting circles on it to form a Venn diagram. Have them print their first name above the left circle and their last name above the right circle. Sort the letters of their name appropriately and draw some conclusions from the diagram. For instance, "I have three letters that are in both my first and last name."
16. Home Word Search
    Reading/Writing Provide each student with a high-frequency word card and a strip of five stickers. Send these materials home so each time the children find the word, they will put one of the stickers on the back of the card and write down where the word was found. Ex: box, toy, sign, etc.
17. A Thanksgiving Poem
    Social Studies Make some Pilgrim and Indian profiles on which to glue copies of the poem for children to take home and enjoy with their parents.


Welcome, Pilgrims!

by Heidi Roemer

Welcome, Pilgrims, have a seat!
Welcome, Indians, too!
Join us this Thanksgiving Day;
We'll share our feast with you.

Let's give thanks for all we have,
For blessings heaped up high.
Then pass the turkey, corn and bread –
Save room for pumpkin pie!


18. Monogrammed Trees
    Art Fold an 8 1/2" x 11" paper in half vertically and cut out a large triangular tree shape. On the outside of this tree draw a frame all around it, about one-quarter of an inch thick. On the inside area draw two large initials representing the first and last name. Double the initial lines one-quarter of an inch thick. Color in the lines of the initials and outline them with black marker. Decorate the frame and background areas and color the trunk. Display the trees from the ceiling or in one huge triangular tree shape on the bulletin board.
19. Counting Candles
    Math Explain the lighting of eight candles – one candle for each night of Hanukkah – and discuss why there are actually nine candle holders on a menorah (one is for the "servant" candle that is used to light all the other candles). Light a Hanukkah candle for each day of the festival. Each day, measure how far the light reaches. Mark the light level on the wall with a piece of tape. How much more light is made by nine candles, as opposed to just one? Keep track of how long it takes for the candles to burn down completely, then make up word problems such as, "If the candles are lit at 8:00 p.m., at what time will they go out?"
20. Penny Pitch
    Math Make a penny pitch game using plastic containers with a number card in each. As students toss pennies into the containers, they add up their own score. Add a challenge by giving the students a target number that they may not exceed.
21. Parents Activity
    Social Studies On World Kindness Day, November 13, discuss with your children what acts of kindness might be and prepare a list of acts that can be performed randomly. Go to www.actsofkindness.org for more ideas that will help make a kinder world.

22. Enhanced Greetings
    Art Collect greeting cards, beads, sequins, parts of old jewelry, glitter, glue and toothpicks. Use the toothpicks to put glue on the cards where decorations will be added to give a three-dimensional effect.
23. Lovely Latkes
    Social Studies During the celebration of Hanukkah, read or tell the legend of the oil that didn't run out for eight days, then make latkes (potato pancakes) using any pancake mix and adding a handful of shredded potatoes to the batter. Serve the pancakes with applesauce or sour cream.

Intermediate Grades

24. Flying High
    Reading December 17 will mark the anniversary of Wilbur and Orville Wrights' flight at Kitty Hawk, NC. To celebrate this historical event, check with your librarian and use the brothers in literature circle, read-aloud and for independent research. Have cake and ice cream on the 17th to celebrate the Wrights' achievements and spur on your own young pioneers.
25. About How Much?
    Math To provide practice with estimation and measuring, fill a large (66 quart) clear plastic tub with puffed rice cereal. Provide different measuring cups (1/2, 1/3 etc.) and different size containers like an oatmeal box, a margarine tub, etc. Label the measuring cups with letters and the containers with numbers. Students choose a measuring device and estimate, then measure how many scoops it takes to fill each container. Repeat using a different measuring cup. The puffed rice will last for years.
26. Math in the Masterpieces
    Math/Art Greg Tang, author of The Grapes of Math, has a new book out called, Math-terpieces: The Art of Problem Solving (Scholastic, 2003) that can be used by the art teacher, the math teacher or anyone at all. The math problems are inspired by artwork of 12 great masters, including Degas, Monet, Picasso, Renoir, Seurat, Cezanne and others. First, you see the painting, then you read a poem about the painting and then use related visuals to solve a math problem.
27. What Would You Do?
    Social Studies Show the children the pictures in Ann McGovern's book, ...If You Sailed On the Mayflower in 1620 (Scholastic, 1993). Then gather in a circle and have each child complete the statement, "If I were a pilgrim child I would..." Have each child repeat the phrase and then add on his/her own statement. Students can help one another by pantomiming clues. If your class is large, start with group circles.
28. Santa Says
    Directionality Cut a large Christmas tree shape from green poster board. Cut out a number of different ornaments and invite the children to decorate them. On the back of each ornament, write "Santa says" directions that tell where to put the ornament on the tree, such as, Santa says put me up high, Santa says put me east of a red ornament, etc. Have the children follow the directions to decorate the tree.

29. Graphic Weather
    Social Studies/Math Provide daily newspapers that contain weather maps of the United States. In large or small groups, have students look up the temperature of particular cities and create bar graphs of those cities temperatures for one week. Students can then figure the average temperatures for those cities. One month later, do the same activity and compare the averages. How have they changed?
30. Reading My Graph
    Writing Have each student write an explanation of the temperature bar graphs they created in the previous activity. Students can predict average temperatures for the next month based on their knowledge of the regions. Their explanations should contain how-to elements as well as results and their own opinions.
31. My Body's Health
    Health Give your students the formula for finding Body Mass Index (BMI) and have them find their own BMI, keeping their findings confidential. They can record the figure in their journals and then compare themselves to the recommended chart for age available online, in the library and from your school nurse's office. In their journals have them examine what the results mean for their future health and what sorts of positive changes they could make in their diets and with the amount of exercise they get.
32. He Said, She Said
    Language Ask students to talk about the upcoming holiday or a recent event. Record what they say as dialogue. Have students copy their own quotes on sentence strips and glue elbow macaroni where the quotation marks would go. Also try writing the quotation in a different color from "Mary said."
33. You Write the Song
    Music/Motor Skills Share this singing game with your students.
    

    The Pilgrims' ABC's

    by Jacqueline Schiff

    This is the way we wave to Await,
    Wave to Avis, wave to Ann.
    This is the way we greet the A's
    So early in the morning.

    This is the way we eat the barley,
    Eat the biscuits, eat the berries,
    This is the way we eat the B's
    So early in the morning.

    This is the way we count the cradles,
    Count the cooks, count the cows,
    This is the way we count the C's
    So early in the morning.

    Display a collection of picture books about the Pilgrims. Have the children look through the books to find things that begin with other letters in the alphabet. Continue adding verses to the song.

34. Parents Activity
    Social Studies Celebrate National Game and Puzzle Week from November 23-29 by introducing your children to favorite board games and puzzles from your own childhood. You'll find relevant teacher and parent materials at www.millionminute.com. Why not set aside one night a week over the next month for a Family Game Night and let the fun begin!

35. Puffy Projects
    Art Use brown kraft paper or two large brown grocery bags. With a piece of brown paper folded in half, draw a symmetrical Christmas tree, or make two separate rectangular pieces for a fireplace. Cut the edges with pinking shears, staple the edges and partially stuff with crumpled newspaper or foam packing material. Close up the tree or fireplace and paint it. Then decorate the tree with ribbons, glitter, etc. and the fireplace with stockings. Suspended the finished projects with yarn to display.
36. Sending a Message
    Reading/Main Idea Collect holiday cards as they are received in students' homes. Read the cards together and decide what messages are being sent during this season. How do these cards differ from birthday or get-well cards? Bring in samples of other types of cards to compare with holiday cards. What are the target audiences for various types of cards? Have students write a holiday card, birthday card and get-well card targeted for specific audiences. Decorate and display the students' cards according to categories.

37. Fabric Mosaic Trees
    Art On stiff cardboard (at least 9" x 12") students outline trees with popsicle sticks or similar materials. Inside is glued down cut-up green fabric or cut-up green yarn. Decorate with rickrack and glue a gold star at the top.
38. Freedom Fires
    History During the celebration of Hanukkah, relate to your students that this 2,000-year-old event is recorded history's first struggle for religious freedom. Divide the class into groups and have each group research a historical struggle for religious freedom. Display a menorah in the classroom and collect or make other symbols that have grown out of such rebellions.
39. Grammar Bowl
    English Select two teams of three students to play a "bowl" game. For each team's turn, place a sentence on the overhead projector. The team can conference for two minutes, and then the spokesperson of the team identifies all parts of the sentences. Award one point for each correct identification and subtract one point for each error.

Middle Grades

40. Tree-mendous Trees
    Science Visit a local Christmas tree dealer and ask for samples of the various types of trees and information for your class. Put the branches on a table with reference books from the library and materials from the Department of Forestry in your area. Compare and contrast the evergreens. Which are better for warm indoor environments? Will some last longer than others? Why?
41. Check It Out!
    Math Make a set of pretend checks on the computer or ask a local bank for samples. Put a classroom logo on your checks and add nonsense numbers at the bottom. Set up a "bank" of points for things like homework, neat desks, high test scores, etc. whereby students can gather points in their accounts. Allow students to write checks for things like homework passes, bonus trips to the computer lab or a bottle of fruit drink. Select two students to work as bankers keeping the accounts in an Excel-type spreadsheet.
42. Expressive Seasons
    Reading/Writing Read the following haiku with your class. Discuss how it could be discussing more than the weather. Decide upon a title for it. Have students write haiku on their own.
    

    by Muriel Mandell

    Slender russet elm,
    fall under clear autumn skies,
    bare winter awaits.

43. Parents Activity
    Social Studies November is Family Stories Month. Begin a family scrapbook with each child, including family tree, maps of vacations and lots of stories.
44. Where Does Time Go?
    Math/Social Studies Have each student log what they do over a 24-hour period. Keep track of class time, meals, time with friends, TV time, waiting time (between classes, for the bus, etc.) Then graph time spent. Where did it go? What percentage of the day went to education? TV? Eating? Sleeping? What percentage was lost time? (waiting, doing nothing) What does the graph show the students? Will it precipitate changes?
45. On Average
    Math At the end of any month, use the classroom attendance sheet for a quick practice session in averages. List student names followed by the number of days they were present during the month. Find the average attendance and average absences. Does being present have any effect on education? Challenge the class to raise personal and class averages over the next month.
46. Hitting the Mark
    Reading/Writing Provide each student with a magazine or newspaper section. Have the student read through the entire sample, making notes about the content of the articles included. Then have the student make a list of the advertisers and their products. Is there a correlation between the articles and the ads? What type of reader is being targeted? Have students determine who is being targeted, why and whether or not they think the mark will be hit.
47. Building a Set
    Reading/Art/Math Divide the class into groups and have each group read a story from a magazine. Ask the children to make dioramas that depict some aspect of the story. Assign one student to make the carpet or yard by finding the area and another to make a perimeter fence. Others will be in charge of the characters, story details and a summary to give when the rest of the class comes on a walking tour.
48. What's Next?
    Science Near the anniversary of the Wright brothers' flight on Dec. 17, send your students to the library to find sketches of their airplanes as well as sketches by Leonardo da Vinci and sketches of present-day planes. Compare and contrast the sketches. How have they changed and why? Have your students make sketches of airplanes of the future.
49. Setting Goals
    Writing/Health November 2-8 is Goal Setting Week. Help students to set reasonable short-term and long-term goals that will help their dreams come true. Take the class to www.goalsguy.com for ideas to get them started.

50. Hear Ye, Hear Ye!
    Social Studies November 26 is Thanksgiving Day by presidential proclamation. Research presidential proclamations, collect some present day ones as well as historical ones. Contact the White House to receive a copy of this year's Thanksgiving Day Proclamation.
51. What News?
    Writing/Social Studies On New Year's Eve, December 31, there will be a worldwide evening of meditation for world peace. It begins at noon Greenwich Mean Time (7:00 a.m. EST) and lasts for one hour. Have your students listen to an evening news broadcast and take notes on the content. Then have your students write a few paragraphs about what the evening news might look and sound like if world peace were really achieved. What kinds of stories would make the news then?
52. Caught You!
    Social Studies/Character Education During the week of November 16, have your students log the random acts of kindness they see happening throughout the school building. At the end of the week, have them prepare a bulletin board somewhere in the building celebrating, "Random Acts of Kindness Witnessed in Our School." Write some quotes on poster board, draw pictures of examples and include digital photos of people getting caught being nice!
53. Hot Spots
    Reading/Social Studies Provide groups of students with a daily national newspaper. Have them read the paper and plot on a large map where the main stories are taking place. Are there particular "hot" spots in the world? Is there any comparison between stories from a region? Plot the "hot" spots in one color this week and another color next week. Are some parts of the world in the news frequently? Why?

54. Holiday Hanger
    Art Have students wrap holiday-colored yarn around a wire hanger beginning at the hook. After the yarn is secured, the child bends the hanger into a Christmas tree shape. A Christmas card's cover could be affixed to the tree, or, if available the child's school photo could be in the center.
55. Sports, Anyone?
    Reading Provide each student with a sports magazine or sports section of a newspaper. Let each select an article of choice. What does the reader learn about the sport? What background knowledge does the reader need? List the details given in the article in their order of importance. Give oral summaries. Repeat the activity with news, entertainment or animal magazines.
56. Feel the Beat
    Poetry Share this new book with your class to get them writing action poetry. Hoop Queens by Charles R. Smith Jr. (Boyds Mills Press, 2003) is a book of poems about the most famous women in professional basketball. The poems portray what each player does best on the court. After reading this with your students, have them write an action poem from the playing field of their choice.
57. The Jewish Experience
    Reading Ask your librarian to help you set up a classroom display of books about the Jewish faith, from which you can draw read-aloud selections or material for literature circles. As you read together about history of Judaism, ask students to compare the struggle of the Jews as depicted in the various books.
58. Lights of the Past
    Science/Social Studies During Hanukkah, read or tell your students the legend of the oil that should have lasted only one day, but lasted for eight days instead. Display candles and oil lamps, and demonstrate how they work. Ask students to develop hypotheses about how the oil travels through the wick and why it doesn't burn up all at once.
59. Dynamic Detectives
    Math/Reading Gather word problems from several sources. Divide the details of each problem onto separate index cards. Mix the cards and distribute them to a group of students. Challenge them to find the important details of the problem, as well as the solution.

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:
Jacqueline Schiff, Moline, IL, #2, #14, #27, #33; Sherry Timberman, Sanford, ME, #3, #9, #11, #28; Julie Bulver, Des Moines, IA, #15, #25, #32; Genevieve Bylinowski, Byron, IL, #22; Helen Wubbenhorst, Mesa, AZ, #18; Joan Macey, Binghamton, NY, #35, #37. #54.

POETRY: "Autumn," "Welcome, Pilgrims!" by Heidi Roemer, Orland Park, IL. "Christmas Day" by Martin Shaw, Bronxville, NY, Haiku by Muriel Mandell, New York, NY.

Illustrations by H. Robert Loomis.

Updated November 2009
November/December, 2003, Vol.34, No.3