Items filtered by date: May 2011

26 pages. 6 Writing-Art projects that serve a double duty as they make outstanding bulletin boards as well!

Make a cute end-of-the year bulletin board with summery flowers that will have your students using all sorts of skills and reinforcing lots of report card standards.  Here's how:

Look How I've Blossomed & Grown!

I weigh and measure my Y5's at the beginning and end of the year, so I can do all sorts of math extensions of how much they've grown. This information used to be on their report cards.

They subtract their beginning and ending height and weight, we add everyone's height and weight for grand totals, we graph who was the tallest and weighed the most, and we compare these to last year's totals.

Children go on a hunt to see if they can find things in the room that are as tall as they are, and we guess-timate a list of things that might weigh as much as they do.

If you have weighed and measured your students too, you can include it on their flower, if not simply have them write how else they have grown.  Discuss with your students what it means to "blossom".

Brainstorm with them ways they have grown since the beginning of the year.  For example, they have not just grown physically, but they are smarter.  What new things can they do now?  Jot these down on the white board.

This could also be a Venn Diagram of how they are the same and how they are different since the beginning of the year as well.

Run off the petal master on red, orange, yellow, pink, blue, and purple construction paper if you're using white paper plates, and on white construction or copy paper if you're using colored paper plates. 

You can have students cut these out, or have some of them pre-cut for younger children.

To add some color to white petals, students can write with a colored marker, or draw some colored lines on the petals. (See photo.)

Each student will need 8 petals, 1 stem, and 1 leaf. (If you want the leaves 3-dimensional then they need 2.)

Have students cut out the petals and write something on each one.  If you've kept track of their height and weight, students can incorporate this information on their petals.

The ruler master should be run off on lime or light green construction paper so that you can read the numbers.  I like to run off the leaves on an emerald green paper so that there is a contrast.

If you want your bulletin board to be 3-dimensional, have students glue their petals to the front of an 8" paper plate.

Write student's name under their photo, along with the date they started and ended school. I also write the grade they were in above their picture.  (See photo.)

Flip the plate over, the flower will then look rounded and the bulletin board will "pop" out at you.  If you are using sturdier, colored paper plates, leave them face up, as they are deeper and the edges pop up. 

Glue the leaves to the back of the ruler- stem.  You can make the leaves 3-D as well by gluing 2 together and folding one half up.

Glue the leaves to the back of the stem and the stem to the back of the plate.  Make sure that when they cut out their stem-ruler, they leave some blank space at the top so they can glue it to the plate and not cover their numbers.

You can leave the center of the flower white or you can add colored construction paper circles. 

To make the flowers even cuter and more of a keepsake, enlarge your students' school pictures on the copier and have them glue the photo to the center of their flower.

Cover the bulletin board with blue paper.  Snip green construction paper and use this as a grass border on the bottom.  Add a yellow circle for the sun in one corner. 

If you want to make it more 3-D, twist some yellow crepe paper and staple on some strands as rays.

Add your students' flowers to the grass and you're set.  Caption: Look how  ____________'s Preschool / Kindergarten / 1st grade students have blossomed and grown this year!

Click on the link to view/print the flower bulletin board patterns.

WRITE on!

Happy Father's Day Venn Diagram Comparison:

Brainstorm with your students how they are the same and different from their dads.  A fun way to do this is with a Venn Diagram. 

I like to use 2 brightly colored hula hoops to do this, and then write words on index cards. 

I then transfer this information to the white board so that students are seeing it again, and can copy what applies to them on their own Venn diagram. 

As an added writing extension students could also compare their grandpa's with their dads.  After they make their Venn Diagrams have them draw a picture of their dad and themselves/grandpa inside the diagram. 

You could also add their school photo.

This makes a cute card to give to their dad's on Father's Day by adding "We may be different, but we are also the same, and this you know is true: I LOVE you!" 

The Sweet Taste of Summer:

Brainstorm with your students of all the fun things they like to eat during the summer that are a bit different than the foods they eat during other months, such as Popsicles, ice cream, things cooked on the grill, stuff they take on a picnic, watermelon, strawberries, etc. 

Run off my master of a Popsicle.  Students cut them out and write their favorite things to eat during the summer.

When they are done, tape a large Popsicle stick to the back of their work. Buy a checkered tablecloth at The Dollar Store, cut it into a small rectangle to look like a picnic table and staple it to your b. board.

Arrange the Popsicle sticks around the table as a border in a crisscross fashion.  The caption: The Sweet Taste Of Summer  

Or... cover your b. board with blue paper.  Cut out two Peach lips. (One top and one bottom) Make these so that the mouth looks open. Cut out a long pink tongue. Place the Popsicles in and around the mouth.  

Wishing On A Summer Star:

Brainstorm with your students some of the places they'd like to go during the summer, if they could go anywhere in the world.  Write them on the white board. 

Run off my masters of the starfish on two different shades of light brown construction paper.  Each student will need one of each color. 

Children cut out their starfish.  On the larger, front view one, they complete the writing prompt: "If I could go any where in the world this summer I'd like to go to... and list all the places they'd like to visit. 

On the other smaller back of the starfish, they glue Cheerio's on the lines, for a nice 3-D touch.  Glue the two stars together in a kitty wampus way. 

Put light blue paper on your bulletin board. Buy a fish net from The Dollar store and staple it diagonally in the middle of the board. 

Sprinkle the starfish on the net.  Caption: Wishing On A Summer Star

Click on the link to view/download Summer Fun Writing Packet

I hope these ideas will excite your students and get them to WANT to write.

Thanks for visiting! I hope you can pop back tomorrow for more fun in the sun activities.

As always if you have a creative idea that your students enjoy doing, I'd love hearing from you. diane@teachwithme.com

or feel free to post a comment here, especially if you use one of my ideas.

PIN away if you find something you think would be helpful or interesting to another teacher or parent that home schools!

Wishing you a super summer that simply sizzles with fun!

50 Pages A little bit of this and that for the summer.

6 pages. p your students understand the difficult words of The Pledge with these kid-friendly synonyms.

49 pages. This book covers the history of our flag, information about the flag,and includes links, articles, art projects, skill sheets and writing activities.

The Saga Continues...

When I first started this article I had no idea there was so much history about the flag.  It was fascinating doing research and finding a lot of new trivia that I didn't know! 

I ended up breaking down this article into 4 parts and spending an entire week making the separate sections.   I hope you find it as interesting as I did.

I think you can use this information for a variety of studies in your classroom, whether it's for the end of the year as you're winding down or at the start of the school year and just learning how to say The Pledge of Allegiance.

I think it's important for young people to know about this important symbol of our country. 

The Flag Changes:

The flag changed again after Vermont and Kentucky were admitted to the Union in 1791 and 1792.

Two more stars and two more stripes were added in 1795. This 15-star, 15-stripe flag was known as the “star-spangled banner” that inspired Francis Scott Key to write the poem that later became the U.S. national anthem.

His teacher said he would give him a better grade if Congress would choose his design.  Robert took it as a challenge and sent his handmade flag to Rep. Walter Moeller.  The rest is history!

Robert's flag is still flying  and the only flag in America's history to have flown over the White House under five administrations.  Even tho’ Heft has been offered $350,000 for the flag he sewed many years ago, he’s not parting with it.  Check it out by clicking on the link above.

For a time line showing the different flags click on the link. Time line of US flags 1 For another interesting time line click on the second link. Time line of US flags 2

If you'd like to know when each state joined the union click on the link for a cool US map showing the statehood of each one, as well as how our flag looked at the time. This goes from 1777 to 1960 when the last state of Hawaii was added.  Statehood Map & Flags

The multiple flag picture above, is an oil painting of the US historical flags. It is courtesy of the Wikimedia Commons files. Click on the link to view their history of the flag article.

Flag Videos:

I also found a YouTube video showing the 28 flags that have been officially used by the USA, with The Star Spangled Banner playing as background music.

It's a nice video to show as a culmination of this quick history of our flag and great for SmartBoards.  Click on the link.

There's also a nice YouTube video of our current flag flying in a variety of photographs.

For a bit of history of our flag that gives credit to Hopkinson click on this link.

An American Minute describes what the colors of our flag mean.  I didn't know that the colors were symbolic, so I checked.  This is also debated.  It seems controversy arose because of an excerpt misconstrued about the Seal of the United States. The description is about the seal's colors,  NOT our flags.  Click on the link.

Robin Williams As The Flag is an older video that I enjoyed. Short and with his usual satirical humor, but then I'm a fan of Robin.

Flag Folding:

Folding a flag is very important.  I had seen this ceremony done several times in my life, none more poignant than at my dad's funeral.

He was in the army and it was important for my mom that he had the traditional rifle salute as well as the flag folding ceremony.  It was very beautiful.

Click on the link to view/print how this is done, and then demonstrate it to your students.  They will be amazed.  Then take it a step farther, print copies of my flag, and let them try their hand at folding a small paper flag. Click on the link to view/print small flag. Use thin, inexpensive paper to print the flag so that it won't be hard to fold, as students need to glue a flag to both sides.  In order to tuck in the end I had to fold the corner of my paper.  Directions of how to fold a real flag.

Quick video of how to properly fold the flag.

Interesting YouTube video of a 3rd grade teacher's invention to help students learn how to fold the flag this is good except that the student did not tuck it in correctly when he was done.

Flag Games:

Click on the link to play a fun game called “Patriotic Pairs”. There are 3 levels.  While at this Veterans’ Affairs K-5^th site, try your hand at several other games and activities.  Try and beat my score of 198 playing “Beat the Blocks”.

Careful! This could be addicting! I also liked Creative Coloring, and if you like, you can make a medal at this site as well.

Lil Fingers has a fun Flags & Symbols Memory Match game. Click on the link to play.

Flag Etiquette:

The Kids for our troops site offers some rules of etiquette for our flag. More in-depth etiquette can be found at American Family Traditions.

I had no idea there were so many rules.  Did you know that our flag can't be dipped to show honor to any person like other flags can, nor can it be buried with a person.

The Traveling Flag:

Our flag has gone on many adventures, from the North Pole to the moon! To find out about its interesting travels click on the link.   Robert Peary actually left pieces of the flag along the way to the North Pole!

Now that you've read up on the flag, take a FLAG QUIZ to see how much you know! Click on the link to see how brilliant you are.

I hope you found this article interesting.  I sure enjoyed learning new things about our flag!

I wish you a Happy Flag Day, and as many of our presidents have been fond of saying when they conclude ...

"God Bless You, and God Bless America!"

Be sure and read the next article about The Pledge Of Allegiance for more activities for Flag Day...