Ideas for pre-K through grade 4.9

36 SOCIAL STUDIES On large construction paper, write the word WELCOME in bold colored letters. On separate paper strips, write the children's names, scrambling the letters. In the morning, tape the scrambled names on the welcome chart. Display it on the classroom door or on a nearby bulletin board. Point to the word as the children arrive and say something special to each child. During the day, as the children discover and unscramble their names, invite them to find and unscramble the names of other classmates, especially new class members.

CHANGED MEANING

37 LANGUAGE ARTS On the chalkboard, write a simple sentence, e.g., "Autumn leaves covered the roof of our house." Have the children read the sentence and discuss its meaning. Then challenge them to change the meaning by changing one word in the sentence. For example: "Autumn leaves covered the roof of the garage." The children write their sentences on paper strips. Then they take turns reading their strips aloud. Help the class critique each changed meaning of the sentence. Present other sentences.

ROUND ROBIN

38 MOTOR COORDINATION Have the children assemble in groups. Each group forms a circle. The children stand with their feet slightly apart and their arms along their sides. On the count of one, they raise the soles of their feet slightly and twist on their heels so that the feet point outward while swinging their arms back and clapping once behind the back. On the count of two, they raise their soles and twist on a their heels back to position while swinging their arms forward and clapping once. Then the groups perform the movements as a round-robin activity. The groups waiting their turns join in the clapping.

JUST WAIT

39 Prior to reading When I Am Eight by Joan Lowery Nixon (Dial, 1994), ask the child to tell the things he or she could do better on his or her eighth birthday. Herbie, the story character, looks forward to his eighth birthday when he thinks he can do everything his big brother does. After the book is read, help the child discuss what Herbie wanted to do. Guide the child in comparing Herbie's wishes and actions with his or her own ideas of being eight.

TREE TRUTHS

40 SCIENCE On separate paper squares, write questions about trees: What is a tree? What do we use that come from trees? Why do some tree leaves turn red or gold? Have the children form groups. Give each group two or more of the questions. Help them use printed and pictorial references to . find the answers to their questions. Later, the groups take turns reading their findings. Extra: Read "If I Were a Tree," Poetry 5, to the children.

ZERO PROBLEMS

41 MATH On the chalkboard, write these and similar problems: 10 - 4, 100 - 4, 100 - 40; 10 - 7, 100 - 7, 100 - 70; 30 - 9, 300 - 9, 300 - 90. Discuss the problems in the first set. Explain and model how to solve them. Have the children copy and solve each problem. Check the problems as a class activity with individuals solving the problems on the chalkboard.

SECRET LETTER

42 LANGUAGE ARTS On the chalkboard, list 10 vocabulary or spelling words. Ask a volunteer to secretly choose a letter that appears in two or more of the words. Then the child reads each word aloud that contains the letter chosen. The other children note the words and read and guess the secret letter. The child who guesses correctly takes a turn. For more challenge, after the child decides on the secret letter, he or she adds another word that contains that letter to the list. Then that child reads the words, including the additional word.