MAKE YOUR OWN COMICS

What a treat when I was a kid to get a new comic book! No, we didn’t have videos or computers, but friends would come over and we’d read comic books together. I know! I know! Sounds corny now, but it was a favorite indoor pastime when the weather was bad. Let me tell you, if the weather was good our mothers would say, “GO OUTSIDE AND PLAY!”

I also remember sitting on my grandpa’s lap as he’d read the Sunday comics to me. I think the cartoons were much more “child friendly” in the 50’s than they are now. However, it might be interesting to save some of the comics from the newspaper this weekend and share them with your class. Explain how cartoonists use “bubbles” to let you know what the characters are saying. 

Invite children to draw a picture of you and make a bubble with something you frequently say coming out of your mouth. You might be surprised!!!!

You could also let the children draw pictures of themselves or their friends and then use bubbles to make them talk.

Comics can also be used to reinforce standards. Start off by giving children copies of a cartoon frame with 2 sections. Tell them to think of a story that has a beginning and an end and draw it.

Next, let them think of a story with a beginning, middle, and end.

Finally, challenge them to create a story with 4 sections.

*Have children recall the sequence of a story with comic frames.

*Use comic frames to illustrate the life cycle of a butterfly, the water cycle, plant growth, and so forth.

Here’s a link to download blank cartoon frames:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1SnEagA4jljTjMyU21nWDZTN00/view?usp=sharing


Cartoons That Move
Would you like to learn how to make cartoons that move? It’s easy peasy, but you’ll surely impress your students when you teach them how to do this.

Hint! I would only do this with primary grade children.

Materials: white copy paper, stapler, black pen or pencil

Directions:
1. Fold the paper into fourths and cut on the creased lines.

2. Take two sheets and staple them at the top.
3. Lift the top layer and draw a simple shape on the bottom. Keep your drawing on the bottom half of the page. 

4. Now, place the top sheet over the bottom and trace over the lines. Vary one or two features, such as arms, ears, mouth, etc.
5. Take a pencil and roll the top sheet up around the pencil.
6. Quickly move the pencil up and down to bring life to your cartoon. Waalaa!

*Connect this activity to literature, science themes, or social studies.

THUH OR THEE?

"Thuh" or "thee"? That is the question. 

But it doesn’t really matter if you spell it 

“t – h – e.”

“The” Book
Fold two sheets of paper in half and staple. Children write the word “The” at the top of each page and then draw a picture. What a simple way for beginning readers to feel successful.

*Advanced children could write a sentence using the word “the."

*You could also make an “a” book.

THE Song
(Tune: “Shortnin’ Bread”)
You can say the
Or you can say the,
But you always have to spell it
T – H – E.

“The” Flip Book
Fold one sheet of paper into eighths. Open and cut up three creased lines to the middle. Fold in half to make flips. Write “the” on the front of each flip and then have children draw pictures or cut out pictures to put under each flip.

DICTIONARY DAY

Did you know that October 16th is Dictionary Day? It's actually Noah Webster's birthday and a perfect day to let each child make her own personal dictionary.

Materials: pocket folder, prepared pages with alphabet letters, markers

Directions: Ask students to tell you what they know about dictionaries. Brainstorm the many uses of dictionaries. Model looking up words and reading definitions. Explain that each of them will get to create their own dictionary that they can use to help them the rest of the school year. First, let the children decorate the outside of their pocket folder. Insert the alphabet pages. As you add new words to the word wall or have new spelling words, ask the children to write them in their dictionary. These would also be a meaningful way to introduce vocabulary words. Encourage students to use their dictionaries when they write independently.


Hint! You might want to go ahead and type your core sight words on the pages before running them off.

Here are some other activities you can play with their dictionaries.

*Play “mystery word” where you give clues about words.
Can you find a word that starts with /m/ and ends with /d/?
Can you find a word that is the opposite of “fast”?

*Play the “rhyme” game.
Can you find a word that rhymes with “bike”?
Can you find a word that rhymes with “log” and is a pet?

*How many one letter words can you find? How many two letter words? Three letter words?

*Ask children to clap out the syllables in words.

*Can they match up words in their dictionaries with words in the classroom?

*Sort words that refer to people, things we do, describing words, etc.

*Have children find a word that starts with each letter in their name.

*Have children make up sentences (oral or written) with the words.

*Ask children to illustrate words or find magazine pictures that match the words.

IF YOU'RE HAPPY

Well, sometimes you are happy, and sometimes you are not - and that's O.K.!! Helping children identify different feelings and deal with emotions in an acceptable way is part of the "hidden curriculum" that teachers deal with daily. Let's get started with a few new verses to a song everyone knows.


If You’re Happy and You Know It (Traditional tune)
If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands.
(Clap twice.)
If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands.
(Clap twice.)
If you’re happy and you know it,
Then your face will surely show it. (Smile.)
If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands.
(Clap twice.)

If you’re sad and you know it cry your eyes… (Rub eyes.)

If you’re mad and you know it stomp your feet… (Stomp feet.)

If you’re scared and you know it shiver and shake…
(Wrap arms and shake.)

If you’re surprised and you know it say, “Oh, my!”…
(Open eyes wide.)

*Let children suggest other emotions and movements.

*Discuss what causes different emotions and appropriate responses. What makes you happy? What can you do when you’re happy? What makes you stressed? What can you do when you’re stressed?

*Learn sign language for the different feelings and practice them as you sing the song.


Collaborative Books 

Make class books such as “Things to Be Happy About,” “Things that Bug Us,” or “Scary Things.”


Connections with Characters

As you read books to the class, encourage students to describe how characters are feeling. Have they ever felt like that?


Vocabulary

Extend vocabulary by brainstorming different ways to say “happy,” “sad,” “angry,” “surprised,” etc. Draw expressions on paper plates and put them on a bulletin board. Write different synonyms for each emotion underneath.

Dramatize 

Let children pantomime different feelings as friends try and guess what they are.

Here are patterns for the expression puppets:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1SnEagA4jljQjJ5S3F5TUl4aW8/view?usp=sharing

Role Play - Divide children into small groups and let them make their own expression puppets. Encourage them to role play different scenarios with their puppets.

KATALINA MATALINA

Katalina and I go back a long time to when I was a girl scout in the 1950’s. I loved her then and children still love her today! She has several cousins, like Hagalena Magalena and Patalina Matalina, but the message is the same. It doesn’t matter what’s on the outside because a kind heart is the most important thing about a person. 

Click to view

Children will love singing this song to the tune of “Shortnin’ Bread.” Then you can use Katalina as a catalyst for reinforcing other skills.

Chorus: Katalina Matalina Upsadina Walkadina Hoca Poca Loca was her name.

Her head was shaped like a baseball bat. (Point to head.)
And right on top was a funny, old hat. (Chorus)

She had two hairs in her head. (Point to hair.)
One was alive and the other was dead. (Chorus)

She had two eyes in her head. (Point to eyes.)
One was purple and the other was red. (Chorus)

She had two teeth in her mouth. (Point to mouth. Point up and down.)
One pointed north and the other pointed south. (Chorus)

Her neck was as long as a ten foot pole. (Point to neck.)
And right in the middle was a big, black bow. (Chorus)

Her hips were like two ships in port. (Wiggle hips.)
One headed south and the other headed north. (Chorus)

Her feet were as flat as a bathroom mat. (Point to feet.)
How did they ever get like that? (Chorus)

But she had a heart, so I’m told. (Put hands over heart.)
That was made of purest gold. (Chorus)

Click to download patterns so 

you can make your own Katalina.

Syllables - Clap out the syllables in Katalina’s name. Clap out the syllables in the children’s names in your classroom. Count how many claps in each person’s name. Compare and graph.

Shared Writing - As an interactive writing activity slowly say Katalina’s name. Encourage the children to call out letters as you write them on the board. Make up silly rhymes with children’s names,

Comprehension - Have children close their eyes as you sing the song and create a picture of Katalina in their heads. Give each child a sheet of paper to draw her interpretation of Katalina. Display on a bulletin board or make a class book.

Diversity - Talk about what it means to have a heart of gold. Cut out 4 hearts and decorate with gold glitter. Punch holes in the hearts and tie on string to make necklaces. Each day when you see a child being a kind friend, let them wear Katalaina Matalina's heart of gold.

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STEM WITH BLOCK PLAY

Blocks provide hands-on experiences where children can develop math concepts as they play. Take a look at all these standards you can reinforce with blocks.

Sorting
Can they sort like blocks together? Can they regroup the blocks by another attribute?

Numerical Order
Write numerals 0-10 on 2 ½” x 5” pieces of paper and attach to blocks. Can they put the blocks in order?

Sets and Numerals
Write numerals, number words, and sets on blocks for children to match.




Roll and Stack
Children take one or two dice and roll. They select that number of blocks and stack them as tall as they can.

Counting
How many blocks can you stack? Can you count that high?

Math Signs
Write inequality signs, =, +, and – on pieces of paper and attach to blocks. Children can build equations and practice addition and subtraction with the numeral blocks and signs.




Liquid Measurement
Write “cup” on two square blocks. Write “pint” on a rectangular block. How many cups in a pint?

Fractions
What would happen if you cut the square block in half? What would happen if you cut the rectangular block in half? How many ways can you make the square block? Rectangular block?

Measure Up
Children lay on the floor as friends take unit blocks and measure how many blocks long they are. Use different size blocks and compare.

Graphing – Have children draw their faces on 2 ½”” squares. Tape to blocks. Use for comparing and graphing.

For example: You could have a picture of a bus, feet, and a car. Children place their block under the way they travel to school. Which one is more? Less? How can we tell for sure?


Block Book
Cut small shapes out of construction paper to represent the different unit blocks. Glue these to a file folder to make structures similar to the ones shown. Hole punch to create a book. Children look at the drawings and then try to duplicate them with blocks.

TOY CAR MATH

Talk about playful and challenging! Take a look at all these things you can do with toy cars. You can pick them up at garage sales or buy them for $1 or less at a dollar store. Use these cars for centers, games, and other activities in your classroom.

What? toy cars, sticky dots, marker

How? Put sticky dots on the cars and number them 1-10. Fasten your seatbelt and here we go!

Numerical Order
Write numerals on sticky dots and place them on the cars. Can children arrange them in order?



Place Value
Use cars for tens and ones.

Sets and Numbers
Make a parking lot with different sets of dots in each space. Children match up numbers on the cars with the correct space.




Roll and Add
Write numerals 1-12 on a long strip of paper. Children roll two dice, add up the numbers, and then move their car to the correct space.

Sorting
Ask children to sort the cars. What was their sorting rule? Can they sort them another way?

Letters
Write lower letters on sticky dots and put them on the cars. Make paper houses with uppercase letters. Can they match the cars with the houses?




Phonological Awareness
Make a parking lot with three spaces. As you say a word children park the car according to where they hear the sound (beginning, middle, end) of the word.