Monday, March 10, 2014

DUCKIE DUDDLE

What we learn with pleasure we never forget. Alfred Mercier 

I hope the ideas I share with you add a little “pleasure” to your classroom. If you started daylight savings this week, I know you’ll be dragging like the children. Here are a few tips for brain breaks when their little eyes start to close.
Brain Breaks
*Shake out your salt. Shake out your pepper.
*Jump up and down on your trampoline.
*Do the vowel stretch. (Say A E I O U slowly as you stretch arms and legs.)
*Sing “Skip to My Lou” as you skip in place. Then sing “jump to my Lou,” or “hop to my lou.”
*Balance by pretending to be a stork, tree, giraffe, or bird.
*Write your abc’s with your foot or other body parts.

I found this poem stuck in a folder and for some reason it tickled me. Children could close their eyes as you read it and then draw a picture.
Little Ducky Duddle
Little ducky duddle
Went swimming in a puddle.
Went swimming in a puddle quite small
He said it doesn’t matter
How much I splash or splatter
I’m only a little ducky after all!
                                                    
Talk about something easy that would really challenge children to ask questions and use math skills!
Secret Number
Have students write their favorite number on a small piece of paper and then fold it up and put it in their pocket. One at a time, classmates ask questions and try and guess their secret number.

Land Form Song
(Tune: “Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes”)
Deserts, mountains and valleys - valleys.
Deserts, mountains and valleys - valleys.
Oceans, rivers, are things that you see
On our planet for you - and for me!

Mammal Song
(Tune: “Up on the Housetop”)
What is a mammal, do you know
Just what it has to make it so.
It’s born alive, has fur or hair.
Its blood is warm and its lungs breathe air.
Humans, rats, whales and cats.
Tigers, elephants, dogs and bats –
Mammal babies need their moms
To give them milk that makes them strong!