Ideas for pre-k through grade 8: Your green pages--69 specific skill-building activities you can use right now!

Teaching Pre K-8, Feb 2001

Using The Bill of Rights, have students break into small groups and decide which five rights they would give up if they had to. Students could write papers on the value of the five rights and why they would keep them. You could also organize a classroom debate and discuss which of five rights should be kept. It might be noted that the purpose of this exercise is to help students see the value of all 10 of the basic rights of Americans.

TREASURE BOX

68. ART: Give students a picture postcard and have them place it picture-side down. Using a ruler, they draw a triangle with four-inch sides. Next, have them draw lines 112 inch from all three edges. Using the diagram as a pattern, cut on the dotted lines and fold the postcard on the solid lines. They should then tape the folded triangular corners to the inside of the box. Have the students construct a lid from another postcard. Give the same direction, but have students draw line 3/8 inch from the outer lines.

PICK-ME-UP POCKET CARDS

69. ART: Ask your students to brainstorm about some positive remarks that they have heard people say to one another or they have said themselves. Write all of their responses on the chalkboard or somewhere where the entire class can read them throughout the day. Assign students the task of searching for famous positive quotes and suggest using such avenues as the Internet and books of quotations. In addition, encourage students to come up with their own positive statements. The following quotes are some examples of statements that can be used to create sampies or to generate student discussion and ideas.

"The best place to find a helping hand is at the end of your own arm." - Unknown

'A smile is a curve that sets everything straight " - Unknown

"You must be the change you wish to see in the world.,"- Mahatma Gandhi

"When it's dark enough, you can see the stars. "- Charles A. Beard

Using these quotes, students can make Pick-Me-Up Pocket Cards for their friends or family to show them how much they're cared about. Loved ones can tuck cards in pockets, books, lunch sacks, briefcases, etc. for an unexpected pick-me-up.

PROCEDURE: Have students first create the envelopes for the pick-me-up messages by using a used letter-sized envelope as a template. Have them place the envelope template on a magazine or wallpaper sample and trace the template with a pencil. Next, have students cut out the new envelope and then use a scoring blade to crease the folds of their envelopes.They can then assemble the envelope using double-sided mounting tape.

To create the cards, again have students choose whatever kind of paper they want to use and fold the card so it fits inside the envelope they created. They should then decorate the card with appropriate stickers, pictures from magazines, etc. and finish off with the quote of their choosing.