Your green pages: Ideas for Pre-K through grade 4.9

Teaching Pre K-8, Jan 1995 by Brown, Virginia, Robinson, Marion M

BIRTHDAY BASH

1 SOCIAL STUDIES Guide the children in brainstorming why birthdays are celebrated. Then, help them think or various reasons why their own families celebrate birthdays. Introduce the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr., and the reasons it's celebrated. Recognize the children who have birthdays in January. Help them identify their birthdates on a calendar. Then read "Happy Birthday," Poetry 1, to the children. Next, discuss our reasons for celebrating New Year's Day. Repeat the poem and have the children say the first line and the last two lines.

LET'S QUESTION

2 LANGUAGE ARTS Display a large story-type picture. Model asking an oral question about the picture. Then write the question on chart paper, and ask the children to join you in "reading" the question as you point to it. Help a child consult the picture and answer the question. Encourage volunteers to take turns composing their own questions about the picture. List each question on the chart. Each child joins you in "reading" his or her question. Invite another child to provide the answer.

WHOSE BED?

3 THINKING Read "Leaves at Rest," Poetry 7, to the children. Help them gather leaves and fashion a bed with them in a corner of the room. Ask who might sleep on it. Probe for reasons. Help the children explore and find other materials that might be used to create a bed. Help the children create the beds. Discuss who might use each bed and formulate reasons why.

ONE BY ONE

4 MATH Make number cards showing the numerals 1 to 10. Display them in order on a ledge. Point to each one in order. Guide the children in calling out each number. Point to the numerals again as the children name them in order. Then have them close their eyes. Remove the numeral 5 and conceal it. Ask the children to open their eyes and tell which is missing. When you receive the correct response, return the card to the ledge. The class then repeats all the numerals as you point to them. In like manner, continue the activity

CURIOUS CHICKEN

5 READ A Hat for Minerva Louise by Janet Morgan Stoeke (Dutton, 1994). Minerva Louise is a little hen whose curiosity leads her into a snowy adventure. Show and read the title of the story. Call attention to an illustration of the hen. Have the child describe Minerva. Discuss why Minerva might want or need a hat. After the story is read, have the child tell why he or she liked Minerva. Probe for details about the hen's snowy-day adventure.

FOUR-FOOTED PLUS BIG

6 SCIENCE Ask the children to think of and name some big animals After two such animals are named, ask how they're different. Then display pictures of adult bears and elephants. Help the children identify and describe the pictured animals. Guide them in comparing the bear and the elephant. Provide a few facts about each animal. Extra: Repeat one of the facts that you presented and ask the children to name the animal that fits the fact.

TELL US A STORY

7 LANGUAGE ARTS Bring two teddy bears of different sizes to class. Place a small, colorful rug on the floor in a special place, and ask one child to choose a bear. Lead the class in chanting, "Tell us a story," about three times. As they chant, they clap a rhythm. Next, ask the child to sit on the rug and hold his bear while he tells a story about it. Extra. On tape, record each child's telling of his or her teddy bear story. Play the tape during rest time.

OVER AND OVER

8 MOTOR COORDINATION Cut two 14-inch lengths of yarn. Knot them together at one end. Have two children sit facing each other about a foot apart. Give one child the knotted end of the yarn to hold. The other child takes the two loose ends. Alternating looping one length over the other, the child makes a single braid-like length of yarn. Remind the other child to hold the knotted end still in front of his or her body. Unloop the yarn, and ask the two children to switch roles.

NUMBER IDEA PHRASES

9 MATH The child "reads" a picture card, e.g., "one mitten." (Illustration omitted) Then he or she inserts the numeral in the pocket and reads the number phrase again.

SNOW STANDS

10 ART In Step C, the child dabs paint on the cotton to make the eyes and buttons. (Illustration omitted)

WHAT'S IT?

11 PERCEPTION Cut each cardboard item into three or four parts, leaving one of the parts intact. (Illustration omitted) The child takes all the pieces from the envelope, guesses the item and assembles the parts.

STOP SIGNS

12 SOCIAL STUDIES Display pictures of traffic lights and various kinds of warning lights. Ask the children to identify and describe the pictures. During the discussion, help them consider messages that red lights give. Then read "Prepare to Stop," Poetry 6, to the children. Ask them to imagine the blinking red lights as they help you say the poem. Explore with the class why the red lights mentioned in the poem were blinking.

A STORYBOOK

13 LANGUAGE ARTS On a table, place about five standard-size sheets of paper. Invite the child to make a storybook with paper. Provide crayons, pencils, markers, etc. Ask her to tell you about the story as she creates it. Tell her that she may ask for your help in writing any words or details (as needed), offer suggestions, etc. Help her assemble the pages of the book and make the cover.