My son researched many spiders on the Web (listed in the Spider Theme Unit). He printed out different pictures of spiders and information about each. I asked him to group the spiders. He chose the following: "Weirdest", "Funniest", "Scariest", and "Creepiest". He cut out the spiders and placed each in the group in which he thought it belonged. He stapled the picture of the spider above the information about it such that a reader has to "flip up" the spider to read the information. Each group of spiders was pasted onto a page for his Spiders book. Here are pictures of the pages:

I asked my son to make a "How to" book on how spiders made webs. I gave him a choice of book type to use and he chose to make a pop-up book. Instead of having him draw many spiders and webs for this book, however, we used stickers of spiders and webs. My son loved the way the book turned out and has reread his nonfiction book several times already. BTW, he decided that he wanted to learn to draw cats, spiders, and other Halloween objects from different "How to Draw" books. We don’t usually use stickers on nonfiction books, but if other art projects are working well and there is not enough time for your children to do everything you want them to do, stickers come in handy! Cover: Page One: Page Two: Related posts:Stickers and Story Starter Webs Usually l let children choose the setting, characters, and...Batty for Bats! (Bats Theme Unit) Batty About Bats Cover My son is going to make...My Son’s Spider Book Cover Here is a picture of the book cover I made...Pumpkin Theme Unit My son is going to make a pumpkin-shaped book with...Halloween Theme Unit My son will be making a Halloween book for his...Spider Activity and Web Sites An acrostic is a poem in which the first letter...Flip-up Spider Book Pages My son researched many spiders on the Web (listed in...Apple Theme Unit Here are a few ideas for an apple theme unit....Silly Spider Counting Book I made this book years ago when my son was...Child-Made Pumpkin Fact Books The purpose of child-made pumpkin fact books is for your...

Usually l let children choose the setting, characters, and the "who, what, where, why, and when" before they begin a creative story. However, this time I decided to try something different—I chose the prewriting "set-up" for the story, but I used a couple of stickers in place of words. The result was an instant hit! The child writing this story decided immediately that the witch, Susie, was going to be thrown a surprise party by a family of spiders for her 115th birthday. He drafted a story outline (this story is going to be five paragraphs) and he began drafting the first paragraph with gusto! I was so happy to hear him giggling to himself as he began writing the story. I will share other ways that stickers have helped "jump-start" children’s writings in blogs to come. May you all enjoy reading your children’s creative stories! Related posts:Bone-Chilling Halloween Story Starters Here are some starting words for helping children write Halloween...October Story Starters I hope the following October story starters (see worksheet example)..."How Spiders Make Webs" Pop-up Book I asked my son to make a "How to" book...Bone-Chilling Halloween Story Starters Here are some starting words for helping children write Halloween...October Story Starters I hope the following October story starters (see worksheet example)...Story Starters and Writing Tips Here are some more story starters.... Write a letter to...The "Vowel Story" (ages 2-6) This story has helped elementary teachers teach vowels for years....First-Day-of-School Story On the first day of school, I would tell each...One Time I was Really Frightened! Here's a story-writing activity for Halloween (see worksheet example): Tell...Halloween Theme Unit My son will be making a Halloween book for his...

I am writing this blog because my son has been frustrated between simplifying fractions and comparing fractions with uncommon denominators. What is a fraction? Answer: A fraction is a number that names part of a whole or group. Money (the real kind) and candy (especially after Halloween) are great manipulatives for teaching fractions Coolmath4kids.com: What are Fractions? Dr. Mike’s Math Games for Kids: Fraction Dominoes Kids Online Resources: Fraction Tutorial What is a numerator? Answer: A numerator is the top number in a fraction: (for example: 1/2) What is a denominator? Answer: A denominator is the bottom number in a fraction (for example: 1/2). I remember denominator because downstairs and denominator both begin with the letter "d". How do you add fractions with common denominators? Answer: Just add the numerators and the denominators stay the same! (for example: 3/6 + 2/6 = 5/6) Coolmath.com: Adding Fractions with Like Denominators AAA Math: Adding Fractions with the Same Denominator How do you subtract fractions with common denominators? Answer: Just subtract the numerators and the denominators stay the same! (for example: 3/6 - 2/6 = 1/6) Coolmath.com: Subtracting Fractions with Like Denominators How do you add or subtract fractions with uncommon denominators? (for example: 2/3 + 3/6 = ? or 2/2 - 3/6 = ?) Answer: Before you can add or subtract fractions with uncommon denominators, you first have to change the fractions so that all fractions being added or subtracted have the same denominator. This can be a little tricky. The Web sites below are awesome: Coolmath.com: Adding & Subtracting Fractions When the Denominators are Different FunBrain.com: Soccer Shootout - Fraction Addition FunBrain.com: Soccer Shootout - Fraction Subtraction How do you compare fractions? Answer: Comparing fractions can be tricky. Check out the Web sites below for great examples and explanations: Coolmath.com: Which Fraction is Greater? (Part 1) Coolmath.com: Which Fraction is Greater? (Part 2) AAA Math: Comparing Unlike Fractions How do you simplify or reduce fractions? Answer: A simplest form of a fraction is a fraction where the only common factor of the numerator and the denominator is 1. I like to explain to children that numerators and denominators are like sisters and brothers—they need to be treated "the same". Whatever you give to one, you must give the exact same to the other or "it wouldn’t be fair". For example, if you divide the numerator by 3, then you must divide the denominator by 3. If you don’t treat the numerators and denominators the same when reducing them, it would be like giving one sister two cookies and the other sister one cookie. It just would not be fair. The Web site below gives great explanations and examples of how to reduce or simplify fractions: Coolmath.com: Simplifying Fractions How do you multiply fractions? Answer: Just multiply the numerators and denominators of the fractions and reduce the answer to its simplest form if needed. Coolmath.com: Multiplying Fractions FunBrain.com: Soccer Shootout - Fraction Multiplication How do you divide fractions? Answer: Just multiply the numerators and denominators AFTER flipping the second fraction and then reduce to simplest form if needed. Coolmath.com: Dividing Fractions What are equivalent fractions? Answer: Equivalent fractions are fractions that represent the same number (for example: 1/4 = 3/12). Coolmath.com: Equivalent Fractions Harcourt School Publishers: Match Fractions and Fraction Models Primary Games: Fraction Freeze What are mixed numbers? Answer: A mixed number is a number that combines whole number and a fraction (for example: 2 5/6). Coolmath.com: Fractions - Mixed Numbers Coolmath.com: Fractions - Dividing Fractions with Whole and Mixed Numbers What are improper fractions? Answer: An improper fraction is when the numerator is bigger than the denominator; making the number larger than one (for example: 12/3). Coolmath.com: Improper Fractions No wonder children are confused when it comes to fractions; you get them mixed, have to simplify them, reduce them, and add, subtract, multiply, and divide them…and that’s only the beginning. Yikes!!!! I’ll cover how to change fractions into decimals and percentages in another blog. I hope this information helps the children you are teaching as it has for my son. Related posts:Money, Cents, and Great Web Sites, Too! Note: For money games and Web sites please scroll down...My Favorite "Math Games" Sites In the last few days a number of people have...The Standing-in-Line Game It seems like my first graders and I were always...Science Web Sites with Fun Games A child asked me today to find some "really fun"...

I wrote this simple book for children who were learning numbers and letters. Here’s how to use the book: During the first reading, read the story to the children. Point to the words as you read them and ask the children to do the same. After reading each page ask, "How many letter stickers do we need?" Help the children place the appropriate amount of letter sticker(s) on each page. During the second reading, ask the children to read the story with you. Ask the children to reread the story to as many people as he/she can: friends, family, the cat, etc. I used clip art, a binding machine, a computer, and letter sticker(s) to write my book, and then I made a copy for each child. Feel free to tweak the story as you wish. I’m a teacher, so I know that most educators are great teacher tweakers. Best of luck! (Cover) Ten Letters on my Toes (Page One) One letter on my nose. (Page Two) Two letters on my glasses. (Page Three) Three letters on my head. (Page Four) Four letters in my hair. (Page Five) Five letters on my hand. (Page Six) Six letters on my leg. (Page Seven) Seven letters on my teeth. (Page Eight) Eight letters on my tongue. (Page Nine) Nine letters on my feet. (Page Ten) Ten letters on my toes. Related posts:Top Ten Things to do with Tactile Letters Here are some ways to use tactile letters to teach...Top Ten Things to Remember When Teaching Letters (parents) Children need to know: the name of each letter,...Stickers and Story Starter Webs Usually l let children choose the setting, characters, and...The Standing-in-Line Game It seems like my first graders and I were always...Favorite First-Grade Letter Song When I was a first-grade teacher, I started each day,...First-Day-of-School Story On the first day of school, I would tell each...Halloween Theme Unit My son will be making a Halloween book for his...Body Letters (ages 4-10) Tired of hearing how bored your children are in the...Pipe Cleaner Letters (ages 4-10) Here's what you'll need: Pipe cleaners (in a variety of...Jump on Letters! (ages 3-6) Here's what you'll need: Colored chalk A sidewalk or driveway...

I made a "Feed the Frog" game to teach children the basic sight words, which make up about 1/3 of all printed material. These words are: a, and, are, as, at, be, for, have, he, his, I, in, is, it, of, on, one, that, the, they, this, to, was, with, & you. Here’s how I made the frog: I drew (or to be honest, my husband drew) a frog on green foam sheet and cut him out. I also cut out the frog’s mouth. I took a piece of red foam sheet and cut it so that the rectangle fitted on the back of the frog. I cut out squares on all four corners of the rectangle and folded them up to form a box. I hot-glued halfway up the corner edges to secure the corners. I bent over the remaining sides to form a "lip" for the outer edges. (It kind of looks like a cake pan.) I hot-glued the red "cake pan" to the back of the frog and trimmed the "lip" where it wasn’t attached to the frog. Here’s how I made the bugs: I found a clip-art bug that I liked. Using a computer drawing program, I put each basic sight word on a separate bug so that I had 25 bugs. I printed out the bugs on sheets of paper and laminated the sheets. I cut out each bug by hand. (Yes, it was a bit of a pain, but when I saw how much fun my kids had with them, it was worth it!) There are many ways to use this game. My children would pick a bug out of a bag (see image below), say the word, and "feed the frog" the word. If the child did not know the word, another child or an adult could help, or the child could put the word back into the bag until help was available. It was a lot of fun to watch children play this game. I would pair them up: one child who was struggling with the words, and another who knew all of the words. These teams knew my rules well and knew that they were never allowed to criticize each other. If their partner did not know a word, they would be a team helper and tell the struggling child the word. Some children made "ribbit" sounds as the frog ate, or made the frog burp after it ate all the bugs. I was okay with that because I knew if the frog was full, the children’s minds were growing and filling up also (burp!). Related posts:The Standing-in-Line Game It seems like my first graders and I were always...Top Ten Things to Remember When Teaching Letters (parents) Children need to know: the name of each letter,..."Love" is Hard to Spell (ages 4-8) Children are full of love, but the word "love" is...October Diamante Poem Diamante poems are fun for children to write, especially in...Spelling Test Idea plus Fun Spelling Web Sites Are your children frustrated with trying to memorize their spelling...Hunting for Rhyming Words (ages 3-10) Fall is a great time to read about farms—or visit...First-Day-of-School Story On the first day of school, I would tell each..."This is How My Brain Grew Today" I created a binder for our son Will after my...October Diamante Poems Here's what you'll need: Paper Pencil Here's what you do:...Apple Theme Unit Here are a few ideas for an apple theme unit....

Here are some more story starters…. Write a letter to yourself to be read 10 years from now. Write about your best/worst day ever. Make a poster about yourself. Describe the best present you ever received. Make a list of things seen, heard, and felt at a particular place. Draw a picture of your family and write about them. Create a list of things that make you smile. Create a recipe for a new dish. Write a story about a place you’ve never been. Write a story about your toys coming to life. Make a thank you card for someone who has been nice to you. Write a story about a person you know. Make a list of your best qualities. Make a poster on how to protect the earth. Write a story about each of the four seasons. Write a story about one of the planets. Make a list of things you do well. Write about something that scared you. Write a story about your favorite animal. Write a different ending to a book you’ve read. Draw a main character and write three words that describe him/her. Make a list of things for which you are thankful. Make a list of your favorite things. Write a story of what you would do if you were the president. Write how to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Here are some tips to improve your child’s writing ideas: Use words that involve the five senses, such as "gurgle" for sound, "slippery" for touch, "cloudy" for sight, "musty" for smell, or "peppery" for taste. Delete words that are overused, such as "very", "and", "every", "good", "lots", "got", "then", "fun", "nice", and "said". Use similes, which are direct comparisons utilizing the word "like" or "as". For example: "He was as busy as a bee." and "She growled like a bear." Use metaphors, which are comparisons that substitute an object or idea for another. For example: "All the world’s a stage." Use personifications, which bestow traits upon objects or ideas. For example: "The thunder grabbed my attention." Related posts:November Creative Writing Ideas Here are some creative writing ideas that have worked with...Miscellaneous Story Starters Here are some ideas for helping children write stories: The...October Story Starters I hope the following October story starters (see worksheet example)...Bone-Chilling Halloween Story Starters Here are some starting words for helping children write Halloween..."Wanted"…Someone is Stealing all of the Pumpkins! This is a fun activity because you never know what...Bone-Chilling Halloween Story Starters Here are some starting words for helping children write Halloween...October Story Starters I hope the following October story starters (see worksheet example)...Stickers and Story Starter Webs Usually l let children choose the setting, characters, and...Writing About Bats Here are some ideas of writing activities about bats: Write...Writing About Bats Here's what you'll need: Paper Pencil Here's what you do:...

Here are some types of journals for children to write: Daily journal: Write down what happened that day. Food journal: Write down everything you ate during the day. Homework journal: Write down all homework assignments and keep track of each completed assignment by placing a check mark next to it. Progress journal: Write down the things that you want to improve about yourself, such as healthy lifestyle choices, sports, and grades. Creative writing journal: Write down whatever you want to write about. You can clip interesting articles and pictures to keep in your journal. Write down whatever comes to mind. Many times ideas that don’t seem to go anywhere now will inspire you later! Spending journal: Write down everything you buy and how much each costs. (I know…ouch!) Clothes journal: Write down everything you have in your closet, what you need to buy and what you need to donate or sell. TV journal: Write down everything you watch on TV. Related posts:A Spring Journal (ages 3-adult) Here's what you'll need: Notebook or journal Pencil Here's what...Story Starters and Writing Tips Here are some more story starters.... Write a letter to...Writing About Bats Here are some ideas of writing activities about bats: Write...November Creative Writing Ideas Here are some creative writing ideas that have worked with...Writing About Bats Here's what you'll need: Paper Pencil Here's what you do:...October Story Starters I hope the following October story starters (see worksheet example)...Books to Make with Children November includes many special days, including "Children's Book Week". There...Different Types of Weather (ages 4-8) Spring is full of different kinds of weather. Make a...My Favorite Homework Excuse Ever My nine-year-old niece is a huge environmentalist and she recycles....Miscellaneous Story Starters Here are some ideas for helping children write stories: The...

On the 11th month, the 11th day, at the 11th hour, take a moment and stop for two minutes to remember those who served. My son and I are going to make a newspaper about Veterans Day on a sheets of rectangular cardstock paper. We will look through current newspapers to get ideas for format, headlines, topics, pictures, etc. We will also use ideas and newspaper templates (see below) to make our newspaper look neat and professional. The following Web sites will give us information for our newspaper: VA Kids, K-5th (for children kindergarten through 5th grade; also contains games!) Wikipedia: Veterans Day Kids’ Turn Central: Remembering Those Who Served (facts for children) DLTK’s Holiday Activities for Kids: Remembrance Day or Veterans Day Activities (crafts, games, printables, and more about Veterans Day) Apples4theteacher.com: Veterans Day Activities (The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, poetry, word search, and reading suggestions) Department of Veterans Affairs: Celebrating America’s Freedoms Military.com: Ways to Celebrate Veteran’s Day with Your Children Blackwell’s Best: Veterans Day / Memorial Day (tons of information!) Kids Konnect: Veterans Day (lots of great facts and much more for children!!!!!) Wikipedia: In Flanders Fields (poem written by John McCrae in 1915) Web sites with how to write a newspaper paper (for kids), newspaper article template, and an example of a student newspaper: Bedfordshire Libraries: How to write a newspaper article Spencerville Adventist Academy: The Point newspaper (PDF file) Related posts:Writing About Bats Here are some ideas of writing activities about bats: Write...Books to Make with Children November includes many special days, including "Children's Book Week". There...Columbus Day Unit Outline (October 13) I'm having my son write a book on Christopher Columbus...Spider Activity and Web Sites An acrostic is a poem in which the first letter...Pilgrim Peek-Over Book My son is going to write a story about what...Pumpkin Theme Unit My son is going to make a pumpkin-shaped book with...Halloween Theme Unit My son will be making a Halloween book for his...Child-Made Pumpkin Fact Books The purpose of child-made pumpkin fact books is for your...Writing About Bats Here's what you'll need: Paper Pencil Here's what you do:...October Diamante Poem Diamante poems are fun for children to write, especially in...

My son is going to make his own encyclopedia of explorers. Before he begins, he is going to look at real encyclopedias and read the definition of an encyclopedia. For each explorer, he will print out interesting facts along with their picture and write a summary. The following explorers are going to be in our encyclopedia: Wikipedia: Edwin E. Aldrin, Jr. Wikipedia: Neil A. Armstrong Wikipedia: Lucas Vasquez de Ayllón Wikipedia: William Baffin Wikipedia: Vasco Núñez de Balboa Wikipedia: Robert Bartlett Wikipedia: Charles William Beebe Wikipedia: Vitus Bering Wikipedia: Daniel Boone Wikipedia: James Bowie Wikipedia: James Bridger Wikipedia: James Bruce Wikipedia: Robert O’Hara Burke Wikipedia: Sir Richard Francis Burton Wikipedia: Richard E. Byrd Wikipedia: John Cabot Wikipedia: Pedro Álvares Cabral San Diego Historical Society: Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo Wikipedia: René Auguste Caillié Wikipedia: Kit Carson Wikipedia: Jacques Cartier Wikipedia: Samuel de Champlain Wikipedia: Hugh Clapperton Wikipedia: Christopher Columbus (In 1492 Columbus Sailed the Ocean Blue) Wikipedia: James Cook Wikipedia: Francisco Vázquez de Coronado Wikipedia: Hernán Cortés Wikipedia: Jacques-Yves Cousteau Wikipedia: William Dampier Enchanted Learning: Hernando de Soto Wikipedia: Bartholomeu Dias Wikipedia: Sir Francis Drake HighBeam Encyclopedia: Daniel Greysolon Duluth, sieur Wikipedia: Leif Ericson Wikipedia: Edward John Eyre Wikipedia: Sir John Franklin Wikipedia: John C. Frémont Wikipedia: Sir Martin Frobisher Wikipedia: Yuri Gagarin Wikipedia: Vasco da Gama Wikipedia: Louis Hennepin Wikipedia: Sir Edmund Hillary Wikipedia: Henry Hudson Wikipedia: Louis Jolliet Wikipedia: Sieur de La Salle Wikipedia: Alexey Leonov Wikipedia: Meriwether Lewis and William Clark Wikipedia: David Livingstone Wikipedia: James A. Lovell, Jr. Wikipedia: Ferdinand Magellan Wikipedia: Jacques Marquette Zegrahm & Eco Expeditions: Shirley Metz BBC News: Victoria Murden Wikipedia: Tenzing Norgay Wikipedia: Mungo Park Wikipedia: Robert E. Peary Wikipedia: Zebulon Pike Wikipedia: Francisco Pizarro Wikipedia: John Wesley Powell Wikipedia: Sir Walter Raleigh Wikipedia: Robert Falcon Scott Wikipedia: Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton Wikipedia: Jedediah Strong Smith Wikipedia: Hernando de Soto Wikipedia: John Hanning Speke Wikipedia: Sir Henry Morton Stanley Wikipedia: John McDouall Stuart Wikipedia: Charles Sturt Wikipedia: Abel Janszoon Tasman Wikipedia: David Thompson Wikipedia: Henri de Tonti Wikipedia: Giovanni da Verrazzano Wikipedia: Amerigo Vespucci Wikipedia: Peter Egerton Warburton Wikipedia: Charles Wilkes Wikipedia: William John Wills Related posts:Columbus Day Unit Outline (October 13) I'm having my son write a book on Christopher Columbus...Political Election Theme Outline Below is a rough outline I am using to teach...2008-10-22 (Wednesday) Daily Warm-up: BrainPOP This is my son's favorite "movie" Web...

This is a very simple book for a child to make. Just type the phrases below (one per page) and print them out. Ask your child to fill in the blanks and do what he/she wrote on the page. Take pictures of your child being productive, or ask your child to draw a picture. Cover: Things to do Instead of Watching TV Arrange _________ Befriend _________ Count _________ Dance to _________ Enjoy _________ Figure out how to _________ Give _________ Have a _________ Imagine _________ Jump for joy because _________ Keep a journal of _________ Listen to _________ Make a _________ Narrate _________ Observe _________ Play _________ Question things that _________ Read _________ Sing a _________ Take a walk _________ Use _________ Visit _________ Write a _________ X out negative _________ Yearn to _________ Zip up your jacket and _________ Related posts:Types of Journal Writing Here are some types of journals for children to write:...October Story Starters I hope the following October story starters (see worksheet example)...Favorite First-Grade Letter Song When I was a first-grade teacher, I started each day,...My Favorite Fall Sweater Here's a writing activity for autumn (see sample worksheet): Ask..."How Spiders Make Webs" Pop-up Book I asked my son to make a "How to" book...Pilgrim Peek-Over Book My son is going to write a story about what...October Story Starters I hope the following October story starters (see worksheet example)...A Spring Journal (ages 3-adult) Here's what you'll need: Notebook or journal Pencil Here's what...Descriptive Jacket (ages 5-8) Here's what you'll need: One sheet of construction paper (any...Halloween Theme Unit My son will be making a Halloween book for his...

My son is going to write a story about what life was like for Pilgrim children. I decided to make the cover of the book a "Pilgrim Peek-Over". Here’s how I made the cover: I found a Pilgrim face from my files that I liked and copied it to the size I needed. I added googly eyes and glitter paint and let dry. (You don’t have to do this step, but glittery tactile things make me giddy.) I folded a piece of black cardstock paper in half and glued the Pilgrim face to the top of the folded side of the black paper. I cut writing paper in half for my son to write his story on. I stapled the story to the inside of the Pilgrim’s "body". My son is going to use the following Web sites to help him learn about what life was like for Pilgrim children: Aurora (IL) University (Mrs. Garcia’s First Grade Class): What were kids like in 1620? (PDF file) Newton (KS) Public Schools: Fun Facts about Pilgrim Children Scholastic: Pilgrim Children Name Game WikiAnswers: What chores did Pilgrim children have to do? Teaching K-8: Poem - Pilgrim Children Related posts:Pilgrims, The Mayflower, and the First Thanksgiving These are great Web sites about Pilgrims, the Mayflower, and...My Son’s Spider Book Cover Here is a picture of the book cover I made...Apple Theme Unit Here are a few ideas for an apple theme unit...."How Spiders Make Webs" Pop-up Book I asked my son to make a "How to" book...Silly Spider Counting Book I made this book years ago when my son was...November Creative Writing Ideas Here are some creative writing ideas that have worked with..."Love" is Hard to Spell (ages 4-8) Children are full of love, but the word "love" is...Batty for Bats! (Bats Theme Unit) Batty About Bats Cover My son is going to make...Spider Activity and Web Sites An acrostic is a poem in which the first letter...Books to Make with Children November includes many special days, including "Children's Book Week". There...

I am blogging about this topic because I want our family to have a great jack-o-lantern this year. With the economy in the dump and such, I wanted to bring a little cheer into our family’s lives. May this blog help you and yours too! Happy carving!! Suite101.com: How to Carve a Pumpkin (This site also explains how to pick out a pumpkin.) wikiHow: How to Carve a Pumpkin (Scroll down the page for cool ideas, recipes, and other neat tricks!) FabulousLiving.com: Free Jack O’ Lantern and Pumpkin Carving Patterns FamilyFun.com: Halloween Pumpkin Carving Ideas pumpkinNook: Pumpkin Carving - Make your Halloween Pumpkin Glow! HowStuffWorks: How to Carve a Pumpkin BackyardGardener.com: Carving Pumpkins for Halloween DLTK’s Holiday Activities for Kids: Pumpkin Carving Patterns ExtremePumpkins.com: Pumpkin Carving Ideas chicagotribune.com: 25 inspirational pumpkin carvings Microsoft Home Magazine: Carve a Creative Halloween Pumpkin The Fun Times Guide: The Best Pumpkin Carving Tips You’ve Ever Seen PumpkinGlow.com: UN-Halloween Pumpkin Patterns Celebrating-Halloween.com TagYerit: Painted Pumpkins (Great ideas for painting pumpkins!) Dogpile: Search Results for Painted Pumpkin Ideas TheCuteKid.com: Fun Pumpkin Decorating Ideas (Other ideas to decorate pumpkins.) Related posts:Pumpkin Theme Unit My son is going to make a pumpkin-shaped book with...Child-Made Pumpkin Fact Books The purpose of child-made pumpkin fact books is for your...Child-Made Pumpkin Fact Books The purpose of child-made pumpkin fact books is for your..."Wanted"…Someone is Stealing all of the Pumpkins! This is a fun activity because you never know what...Bone-Chilling Halloween Story Starters Here are some starting words for helping children write Halloween...Bone-Chilling Halloween Story Starters Here are some starting words for helping children write Halloween...October Story Starters I hope the following October story starters (see worksheet example)...November Creative Writing Ideas Here are some creative writing ideas that have worked with...October Story Starters I hope the following October story starters (see worksheet example)...Thanksgiving Crafts and Fun Ideas Here some Web sites with Thanksgiving crafts, coloring pages, games...

Here are some creative writing ideas that have worked with my kids in the past. Have fun reading the different stories that you will certainly get from young minds! Here is a front cover and dedication page that some of my students have used in past November stories: Make a list of goals that you would like to accomplish in November. Write a persuasive letter that begins, "Dear___: May I have a turkey for a pet?" Picture of pet turkey: Nov. 4th is Election Day. Review what you have studied about the election and ask the children to write, "It is important to vote because…" or have them write a "Vote" poem: Write a story about a Thanksgiving when all the turkeys went on strike. Make a list of your favorite things about November. Make a list of other words that start like November. "The tattletale turkey told the teacher…" If you were a Pilgrim, what would you have packed to go on the Mayflower? "It was important for the Pilgrims and Native Americans to live in harmony because…" Write a story about a character who gets a cold on Thanksgiving. Tell about a time when someone was thankful for something you did. "I love my family because…" Write a story about the laziest turkey in the world. Make a list of the people who you will be sharing Thanksgiving with. Then write a short note to each person about why you are thankful for him/her. "On a cold night I like to…" The Indians discovered popcorn. They placed ears of corn in the fire and caught hot kernels as they popped out of the fire. Write a "How To" paragraph on how your family makes popcorn. Draw a cornucopia, then make a list of your favorite Thanksgiving foods inside the cornucopia. Make a list of five foods that you could eat on Thanksgiving besides turkey. What’s under the Pilgrim’s hat? Write a silly sentence using the following words: barber shop, turkey, and wiggle. Write a silly sentence using the following words: Pilgrim, fluffy, and laugh. "On Thanksgiving, I like to smell ______. I like to eat ________. I like to see _______. I like to feel ______. I like to hear _______. Towards the end of November, write a letter that begins, "Goodbye, November." Here is how some of my children ended their November book. Related posts:The Peanut Family (Writing Activity) November is National Peanut Butter Month. Here is a story idea...Child-Made Turkey Book Here is a nonfiction book my child made about turkeys...Flip-up Spider Book Pages My son researched many spiders on the Web (listed in...Ten Letters on my Toes I wrote this simple book for children who were learning..."How Spiders Make Webs" Pop-up Book I asked my son to make a "How to" book...Silly Spider Counting Book I made this book years ago when my son was...Ideas for Silly Witch Books Here are some ideas for silly witch books (see sample...Feed the Frog (Teaching Sight Words) I made a "Feed the Frog" game to teach children...Stickers and Story Starter Webs Usually l let children choose the setting, characters, and...Writing About Bats Here are some ideas of writing activities about bats: Write...

November includes many special days, including "Children’s Book Week". There are tons of different types of books you can make with your children. Creating a variety of books with your children makes writing much more interesting and motivational for them! The following are different types of "books" you can make with children: Pop-up books Google Video: Search results - How to make pop up books Scholastic: ABC Pop-Up Books Pop-up Books by Carter Wikipedia: Pop-up book TeacherWeb: Cathy Chavez - How to Make a Pop Up Book (PDF file) Shape books abcteach: Shapebooks Houghton Mifflin: Shape-Book Patterns Story It: Write-on Shapes Have Fun Teaching: Fun Activities and Games - Shape Books Lesson Plan Central: Shape Books Printables and Worksheets Accordion books Vicki Blackwell’s Internet Guide for Educators: Accordion Books San Diego Museum of Art: Accordion Book (PDF file) Susan Kapuscinski Gaylord’s Making Books with Children: Accordion Book Home & Garden Television: Crafts - Accordion Books TeacherVision: The Accordion-Folded Pop-Up Art Book Envelope books Instructables: Envelope Book Paper Source: A2 accordion Associated Content: Create an Envelope Book Peek-a-Boo books ThinkQuest: Make Your Own Peek A Boo Book education.com: Make Peek-a-Boo Books Mini books Susan Kapuscinski Gaylord’s Making Books with Children: Index Card Book ThinkQuest: Make Your Own Mini Book NAACE Primary: Classroom Activities Flip books Robert Truscio: Drawings that Move - Flip Books Big books I use an opaque projector and butcher paper to enlarge the shape I want. I color the shape and laminate it. Finally, I cut out the shape and use it to trace blank sheets for children to write and draw on. Examples of big books that I have made (photos to come!): Big Book of Planets Big Book of Body Parts (trace each child on butcher paper) Peek-over books Simply glue a picture or photo on top of a folded sheet of paper. Theme books These are great for nonfiction and unit studies such as the presidential election and countries. Journals Please see my blog, "Types of Journal Writing". Here is a list of useful resources for making books with children: TeacherWeb: Creative Publishing/Cathy Chavez Vicki Blackwell’s Internet Guide for Educators: Let’s Make Books About.com: Family Crafts - Book Projects BillyBear4Kids.com: Worksheet Templates (lined paper templates) TeachersFirst.com: 100 Best Books for Kids Related posts:Child-Made Pumpkin Fact Books The purpose of child-made pumpkin fact books is for your...Child-Made Pumpkin Fact Books The purpose of child-made pumpkin fact books is for your...Ideas for Silly Witch Books Here are some ideas for silly witch books (see sample...Writing About Bats Here are some ideas of writing activities about bats: Write...Writing About Bats Here's what you'll need: Paper Pencil Here's what you do:...Pilgrim Peek-Over Book My son is going to write a story about what...Columbus Day Unit Outline (October 13) I'm having my son write a book on Christopher Columbus...Top Ten ABC Books (ages 2-7) Chicka Chicka Boom Boom Author: Bill Martin Jr. &...Halloween Theme Unit My son will be making a Halloween book for his...Spider Theme Unit My son is going to make a spider book using...

These are great Web sites about Pilgrims, the Mayflower, and the first Thanksgiving. I will definitely use these resource with my son!!!! I hope they are useful to you and your children as well. Scholastic: Kate Waters Interview Transcript The Homeschool Learning Network: The Mayflower - Journey to a New Life Holidays on the Network: The Pilgrims and America’s First Thanksgiving Pilgrim Hall Museum: The Pilgrims’ Landing in America Aurora (IL) University (Mrs. Garcia’s First Grade Class): What were kids like in 1620? (PDF file) Newton (KS) Public Schools: Fun Facts about Pilgrim Children History.com: The History of Thanksgiving - First Thanksgiving Hubbard’s Cupboard: The Pilgrims’ First Thanksgiving Little Giraffes Teaching Ideas: Pilgrims The Mayflower Society: The Pilgrim Kids Plimoth Plantation: The Mayflower Activity TV: Cartooning for Kids - Mayflower Ship Cartoon (Video) Related posts:Thanksgiving Crafts and Fun Ideas Here some Web sites with Thanksgiving crafts, coloring pages, games...Child-Made Turkey Book Here is a nonfiction book my child made about turkeys...Celebrate November! Here are some fun things we are going to study...Pilgrim Peek-Over Book My son is going to write a story about what...November Creative Writing Ideas Here are some creative writing ideas that have worked with...2008-11-06 (Thursday) Daily Warm-up: BrainPOP This is my son's favorite "movie" Web...Columbus Day Unit Outline (October 13) I'm having my son write a book on Christopher Columbus...2008-09-16 (Tuesday) Home school date #140 (My son, Will, is technically at...Turkey Time! A couple of years ago, we invited some friends and...Happy Pizza With the Works Day (Except Anchovies) 11/12/08 Fun and games: Littlecaesars kids activities Instructions for a great...

Here some Web sites with Thanksgiving crafts, coloring pages, games and fun ideas: Kaboose Funschool: Turkey and Pilgrim Crafts for Kids FamilyFun.com: Tranksgiving Craft Ideas AmazingMoms.com: Thanksgiving Crafts for Kids Kaboose: Thanksgiving Holiday crafts and recipes, kids’ activities, coloring pages and more kiddyhouse.com: Thanksgiving crafts for kids and teachers Kaboose: Thanksgiving Crafts - Pipe Cleaner Turkey First-School.ws: Thanksgiving Craft - Preschool Lesson Plan Printable Activities Danielle’s Place: Thanksgiving and Fall Crafts for Kids FamilyFun.com: Mayflower Toppers (Hats) Apples4theteacher.com: Thanksgiving Coloring Pages Kaboose: Online Thanksgiving Games and Activities for Kids BillyBear4Kids.com: Happy Thanksgiving for Kids, Family and Teachers Apples4theteacher.com: Thanksgiving Games - The Mayflower Kids’ Turn Central: United States Thanksgiving - For for Kids Annie’s Home Page: Annie’s Thanksgiving Just for Kids Page Kids Konnect: Thankgiving FamilyFun.com: Thanksgiving Dinner Ideas for Kids DLTK’s Crafts for Kids: Thanksgiving Activities Kennesaw State University: Thanksgiving and Pilgrims Rats2U.com: Thanksgiving Holiday Fun 4 Kids Activity Village: Thanksgiving for Kids Related posts:Halloween Theme Unit My son will be making a Halloween book for his...Columbus Day Unit Outline (October 13) I'm having my son write a book on Christopher Columbus...Science Web Sites with Fun Games A child asked me today to find some "really fun"...Pilgrims, The Mayflower, and the First Thanksgiving These are great Web sites about Pilgrims, the Mayflower, and...Autumn Theme Outline September 23 is the first day of autumn! Here is...Happy Labor Day! Hope everyone is enjoying their Labor Day!  Here are a...2008-11-12 Happy Pizza With the Works Day (Except Anchovies) Little Caesars: Kids Games & Activities Fun and games Hands...Turkey Time! A couple of years ago, we invited some friends and...November Creative Writing Ideas Here are some creative writing ideas that have worked with...Veterans Day Newspaper On the 11th month, the 11th day, at the 11th...

A couple of years ago, we invited some friends and their relatives over for Thanksgiving dinner. We didn’t know our friends’ relatives well, so we asked ahead of time about the things each person loved to do. We wanted everyone to feel welcome and special, so before Thanksgiving, my son made a unique placemat for each person. Here’s what he did: He started with a placemat-sized piece of thick drawing paper. You can find this at most craft stores. For each person, he made the infamous handprint turkey on the placemat and neatly wrote the person’s name under the turkey. He used stickers, cut-out pictures from old magazines and his own artwork to decorate each placemat using what we knew about that person. For example, one person loved to work in her garden, so my son drew pictures of flowers, spades, seeds and other "gardening" things. During our Thanksgiving meal (we did have turkey!), everyone noticed their placemats. Never in my life have I seen grown adults work so hard to keep their placemats clean! When our guests left, they took their placemats with them. I was proud of my son for the hard work he put into each, and it was a fun way to make every single guest feel welcome. Hope all of you have a great Turkey Day!!! Here are some Web sites that my son and I will use this Thanksgiving. I hope they help you, too: University of Illinois Extension: Turkey Fun (Turkey for the Holidays) Everything you need to know about turkeys from cooking to carving them. Tons of great recipes for side dishes, a video of a real turkey farm, games, including a "game" that follows turkey eggs to your dinner table, and so much more. I’ll be going back to this Web site more than once! Kidzone: Animal Facts - Turkey This is one of my favorite "turkey" Web sites. Here you will find facts, crafts, games, great photos, and more! National Geographic: Wild Turkey Information on wild turkey. First-School: Turkey Craft - Maple Leaves Theme Scroll down to the bottom for links to more pages. Pratt’s Educational Resources: Turkey Theme Ideas for younger children (pre-K through kindergarten). Education World: Lesson Planning - It’s Turkey Time! More turkeys facts and crafts for different children. BioKIDS: Turkey Vulture Turkey vulture facts. KiteCD: Thanksgiving Lots of stuff here. I especially like the "interesting facts" section and the "book ideas". Related posts:Child-Made Turkey Book Here is a nonfiction book my child made about turkeys...Thanksgiving Crafts and Fun Ideas Here some Web sites with Thanksgiving crafts, coloring pages, games...November Creative Writing Ideas Here are some creative writing ideas that have worked with...Apple Theme Unit Here are a few ideas for an apple theme unit....Columbus Day Unit Outline (October 13) I'm having my son write a book on Christopher Columbus...Celebrate November! Here are some fun things we are going to study...Pilgrims, The Mayflower, and the First Thanksgiving These are great Web sites about Pilgrims, the Mayflower, and...Pumpkin Theme Unit My son is going to make a pumpkin-shaped book with...Autumn Giving Tree To celebrate the arrival of fall, my son is making...Writing About Bats Here are some ideas of writing activities about bats: Write...

November is National American Indian Heritage Month. I am going to help my son make an American Indian book as he works his way through this fifth-grade unit. I will use a three-ring binder, and each Indian tribe will be a separate chapter. I am going to use some of the pages for his book from Easy File Folder Reports (Evan-Moor Publishing). For each group of Indians, my son will research and note their language, religion, diet, dwelling, clothing, transportation, and areas they lived. He will also list the sources for his information. Below are the Indians and Indian-related facts that my son will be learning about (due to time limitations, we won’t cover every Indian tribe in the US): Indians of the Southwest Acoma TheWildWest.org: Acoma Dwelling: Multi-family adobe houses Clothing: Skins/cloth Transportation: Horses Apache Orrin Lewis: Facts for Kids - Apache Dwelling: Wickiups/tipis Clothing: Skins/cloth Transportation: Horses Hopi Orrin Lewis: Facts for Kids - Hopi Dwelling: Multi-family adobe houses Clothing: Skins/cloth Transportation: Unknown Navajo Orrin Lewis: Facts for Kids - Navajo Dwelling: Wickiups Clothing: Cloth Transportation: Horses Zuni Orrin Lewis: Facts for Kids - Zuni Dwelling: Multi-family adobe houses Clothing: Skins/cloth Transportation: Unknown Indians of the Southeast Cherokee Orrin Lewis: Facts for Kids - Cherokee Dwelling: Mat-covered houses Clothing: Skins Transportation: Dugout canoes Chickasaw Orrin Lewis: Facts for Kids - Chickasaw Dwelling: Earth lodges Clothing: Skins Transportation: Dugout canoes Choctaw Orrin Lewis: Facts for Kids - Choctaw Dwelling: Thatched houses Clothing: Skins Transportation: Dugout canoes Creek Orrin Lewis: Facts for Kids - Creek Dwelling: Thatched houses Clothing: Skins Transportation: Dugout canoes Natchez Orrin Lewis: Facts for Kids - Natchez Dwelling: Rectangular thatched houses Clothing: Cloth Transportation: Canoes Seminole Orrin Lewis: Facts for Kids - Seminole Dwelling: Thatched-roof houses Clothing: Cloth Transportation: Dugout canoes Indians of the Northeast Cayuga Orrin Lewis: Facts for Kids - Cayuga Dwelling: Longhouses Clothing: Skins Transportation: Bark canoes Chippewa Orrin Lewis: Facts for Kids - Chippewa Dwelling: Bark/mat-covered wigwams Clothing: Skins Transportation: Snowshoes and bark canoes Lenape (Delaware) Orrin Lewis: Facts for Kids - Lenape Dwelling: Barrel-shaped longhouses Clothing: Skins Transportation: Dugout canoes Kickapoo Orrin Lewis: Facts for Kids - Kickapoo Dwelling: Longhouses/brush shelters Clothing: Skins Transportation: Horses Micmac Orrin Lewis: Facts for Kids - Micmac Dwelling: Wigwams Clothing: Skins Transportation: Snowshoes and bark canoes Mohawk Orrin Lewis: Facts for Kids - Mohawk Dwelling: Longhouses Clothing: Skins Transportation: Bark canoes Oneida Orrin Lewis: Facts for Kids - Oneida Dwelling: Longhouses Clothing: Skins Transportation: Bark canoes Seneca Orrin Lewis: Facts for Kids - Seneca Dwelling: Longhouses Clothing: Skins Transportation: Snowshoes and bark canoes Wampanoag Orrin Lewis: Facts for Kids - Wampanoag Dwelling: Wigwams Clothing: Skins Transportation: Dugout canoes Winnebago Orrin Lewis: Facts for Kids - Winnebago Dwelling: Wigwams Clothing: Skins Transportation: Snowshoes and bark canoes Indians of the Pacific Northwest Kwakiutl Orrin Lewis: Facts for Kids - Kwakiutl Dwelling: Plank houses Clothing: Bark and skins Transportation: Dugout canoes Quinault Quinault Indian Nation Plank houses Clothing: Skins/cloth Transportation: Dugout canoes Indians of the Plains Arapaho Orrin Lewis: Facts for Kids - Arapaho Dwelling: Tipis Clothing: Skins Transportation: Horses Blackfoot Orrin Lewis: Facts for Kids - Blackfoot Dwelling: Tipis Clothing: Skins Transportation: Horses Cheyenne Orrin Lewis: Facts for Kids - Cheyenne Dwelling: Tipis Clothing: Skins Transportation: Horses Comanche Orrin Lewis: Facts for Kids - Comanche Dwelling: Tipis Clothing: Skins Transportation: Horses Crow Orrin Lewis: Facts for Kids - Crow Dwelling: Tipis Clothing: Skins Transportation: Skin boats and horses Kiowa Orrin Lewis: Facts for Kids - Kiowa Dwelling: Tipis Clothing: Skins Transportation: Horses Mandan Orrin Lewis: Facts for Kids - Mandan Dwelling: Earth lodges and tipis Clothing: Skins Transportation: Horses and bullboats Omaha Orrin Lewis: Facts for Kids - Omaha Dwelling: Earth lodges and tipis Clothing: Skins Transportation: Skin bullboats Pawnee Orrin Lewis: Facts for Kids - Pawnee Dwelling: Earth lodges Clothing: Skins Transportation: Horses Indians of the Great Basin and the Plateau Nez Perce (Plateau) Orrin Lewis: Facts for Kids - Nez Perce Dwelling: A-shaped houses/tipis Clothing: Fiber skins Transportation: Snowshoes and dugout canoes Ute (Great Basin) Orrin Lewis: Facts for Kids - Ute Dwelling: Round houses/tipis Clothing: Fiber, bark, and skins Transportation: Unknown I will be using the book What Your Fifth Grader Needs to Know (edited by E. D. Hirsch, Jr. / Delta Education), which has the following topics (additional information is available at the listed Web sites): Natives and Settlers Indians of the Southwest Indians of the Pacific Northwest Indians of the Great Basin and the Plateau Indians of the Plains MrDonn.org: Plains Indians in Olden Times for Kids The Buffalo Disappear Texas Beyond History: How Many Ways Can You Use a Buffalo? This Web site shows kids how the Indians used every part of the buffalo. Cool site! Canadian Geographic: CG Kids Animal Facts - Bison (buffalo) Reservations Wikipedia: Indian Reservation The Sand Creek Massacre Wikipedia: Sand Creek Massacre Little Big Horn Wikipedia: Battle of the Little Bighorn "I Will fight no more forever." Mary Lou McCloskey: Chief Joseph The Ghost Dance Wikipedia: Ghost Dance Attempts to Assimilate the Indians American Indian Civic Project: An Introductory and Curricular Guide for Educators - Sovereignty or Dependency? Splitting Up Reservations Related posts:2008-11-03 (Monday) Daily Warm-up: BrainPOP This is my son's favorite "movie" Web...Columbus Day Unit Outline (October 13) I'm having my son write a book on Christopher Columbus...Apple Theme Unit Here are a few ideas for an apple theme unit....Pumpkin Theme Unit My son is going to make a pumpkin-shaped book with...Halloween Theme Unit My son will be making a Halloween book for his...2008-11-05 (Wednesday) Daily Warm-up: BrainPOP This is my son's favorite "movie" Web...Spider Theme Unit My son is going to make a spider book using...2008-11-06 (Thursday) Daily Warm-up: BrainPOP This is my son's favorite "movie" Web...Election Day Theme Unit I'm creating an Election Day theme unit for my fifth-grade...2008-11-04 (Tuesday) Daily Warm-up: BrainPOP This is my son's favorite "movie" Web...

November is National Peanut Butter Month. Here is a story idea that I came up with. Hope your kids enjoy it as much as the kids I used this with have! Decorate Peanut (I suggest using tactile materials such as goggly eyes, yarn for hair, puffy paint, scraps of fabric for clothing, etc. I found that decorating with tactile materials helps motivate children with writing activities): Prewriting for Peanut Story: Cloze Peanut Story: No related posts.

Here are some fun things we are going to study this month. Enjoy November! 11th: Veterans Day Veterans Day Newspaper 21st: World Hello Day Roslyn (Bryant) Public Library (Nassau County, NY): World Hello Day The Global Fund for Children: GOOD DAY! MAHOROI! SAY HELLO! from Australia to Zimbabwe! 22nd 1963: JFK Assassinated Surfing the Net with Kids: John F. Kennedy 27th: Thanksgiving: Pilgrims, The Mayflower, and the First Thanksgiving Thanksgiving Crafts and Fun Ideas Aviation History Month The Aviation History Online Museum Child Safety Protection Month DLTK’s Safety Kids International Drum Month KidsGamer.com: Online Drumset "Play" the drums with your mouse. This game is fun and very addicting!!! Wikipedia: Drum Native American Heritage Month American Indian Unit Peanut Butter Lovers Month The Peanut Family (Writing Activity) Peanut Butter Lovers.com: How It’s Made Google Video Search: How Peanut Butter is Made Love the video on how peanut butter is made! National Stamp Collecting Month American Philatelic Society: Just for Kids American Philatelic Society: Welcome to Stamp Collecting W.J. Bill Finch: Stamp Collecting for Kids wikiHow: How to Enjoy Stamp Collecting for Kids No TV Month "Things to do Instead of Watching TV" Book No related posts.

Here is a nonfiction book my child made about turkeys using the November Creative Writing Ideas. He used Web sites from Pilgrims, The Mayflower, and the First Thanksgiving and Thanksgiving Crafts and Fun Ideas for his resources. No related posts.

My son and I are going to start celebrating every weekday. (Weekends get celebrated in our home just because they are weekends.) It’s more fun to celebrate history than "study" it.  I hope it is as fun for your children as it is for mine! Happy "Great Wall of China Day" Monday (Nov. 10) On November 10, in 1970, the Great Wall of China opened for world tourism. So what you may ask? Look at the Web sites below to find the incredible answer!! National Geographic: Great Wall of China Crumbling Video of the crumbling wall (after a brief advertisement) National Geographic: Diving to China’s Great Wall Video of divers looking at the wall underwater (after a brief advertisement) Metacafe: Great Wall of China, Badaling Pass, near Beijing Great video with no ads! The China Guide: Great Wall of China Lots of info. and pictures here. FYI: I had to turn down the volume on my computer on the home page; nice music, but too loud for my older ears! Activity Village: The Great Wall of China Love this site for kids! YouTube: Danny Way jumps the Great Wall This is kind of a silly site, but I think kids will love it! Wikipedia: Great Wall of China wiseGEEK: What is the Great Wall of China? Great site! This site will also lead you to other wonderful sites! No related posts.

Please see my blog on Veterans Day Newspaper. Related posts:Veterans Day Newspaper On the 11th month, the 11th day, at the 11th...Veterans Day Activities coming soon! ...Celebrate November! Here are some fun things we are going to study...Remembering Book (ages 5-adult) Here’s what you’ll need: Paper Pencil Stapler or other means...Mirror Blog on Minti.com I’ve created a mirror blog at creativeteacher.minti.com. ...2008-09-02 (Tuesday) Home school date #132 (My son, Will, is technically at...2008-09-16 (Tuesday) Home school date #140 (My son, Will, is technically at...2008-09-23 (Tuesday) "Home school date #145 (My son, Will, is technically at...2008-09-30 (Tuesday) Home school date #150 (My son, Will, is technically at...2008-10-07 (Tuesday) Home school date #155 (My son, Will, is technically at...