Oh, I have so much fun
doing this blog! Thanks for
keeping my creative juices flowing!
I bought some seasonal pencils at a dollar store and I’ve come up with a
few ideas for you. Although I've used Halloween pencils, those of you who are in schools that discourage holidays can use any type of novelty pencil.
Pencil Book
Fold 3 or 4 pieces in
half. Punch two holes about 2 ½”
from each end as shown. Insert a
rubber band (needs to be large) in one hole and loop it around the end of the
pencil. Push the other end of the
rubber band through the other hole and loop it around the other end of the
pencil. Use these books for
creative writing, journals, poems, math, etc.
Addition and
Subtraction
Let children use pencils
to work out addition and subtraction problems. After using the concrete objects, ask them to illustrate
their work.
*They could also make
patterns or tally with pencils.
Conservation of Length
Give each child two
pencils. Ask, “Are they the same
length? How can you tell?”
Demonstrate different
arrangements with the pencils.
“Are they the same length now?”
Line them up evenly. “Are
they the same length now?”
This is actually an
activity that Piaget did with children.
Some of them will “get” that no matter how you arrange the pencils they
are the same length. Some of them
will “not get it.” It’s a good
brain exercise for all students and can be replicated with balls of play dough
and other objects. Hummm??? Do a sniff a CCSS here?