WRITE ABOUT IT IN RECYCLED BOOKS

Cracker Jack Book- Cut the front and back off a box of Cracker Jacks.  Cut paper the size of the box and giveeach child a piece to draw a picture of what they’d like to find for aprize.  Punch a hole in the upperleft corner and tie with a ribbon.

Animal Cookie Book- Cut the front and back off a box of animal cookies.  Cut paper the size of the box and askchildren to draw a picture of their favorite zoo animal.  Staple their drawings between the frontand back of the box.  Re-attach thestring handle.

Pets –Cut the front and back off a box of dog biscuits.  Cut paper the size of the box and give a sheet to eachchild.  Children draw pictures oftheir pets and write stories about them. (If they don’t have a pet, encourage children to draw a picture of a petthey would like to have.)  Puttheir pictures in between the front and back of the box , hole punch, and bindtogether.

Cereal Box Book – Ask each child to bring in the box from their favorite cereal.  Cut off the front of the box.  Write “Child’s name eats name of cereal.” on a strip of paper and glue it on the bottom of the box as shown.  Make a cover for the book that says, “What’s for Breakfast?”   Hole punch the cereal boxes together and bind with book rings.

Hint!  Trim the boxes to a standard size before making the book.

Grocery Sack Book- Cut the fronts and backs off grocery sacks.  Let each child decorate a page with anursery rhyme or song they like. Add the words to each illustration, and then hole punch and bind together.

Hint!  Collectsacks from fast food restaurants. Glue a sack on each page of a grocery 

sack book and write “We eat…”

Gift Bag Book-Cut the front and back off a gift bag.   Cut paper the size  of the gift bag and give a sheet to each child to draw apicture and write a  story.  Staple children’spictures between the back and front of the gift  bag. 

Hint!  Buy aseasonal bag each month and make a class book.

Phone Book– Cut the front and back off your local phone book.  Have each child write her name and phone number and draw herpicture on a sheet of paper.  Bindtheir pictures between the cover of the phone book.  Place this book on a shelf with an old cell phone so theycan practice calling their friends.

Hint!  Older children could write their lastname and then their first name just like it would be in a phone book.  Alphabetize these to make your phonebook.

THE SNEEZE SONG

Lucky me!  I got to present at the South DakotaAEYC Conference last week in Spearfish, SD.  The teachers were awesome Spearfish was so COOL!  I can’t wait to go back.  Anyway, a teacher came up and asked meto write a song for when children cough of sneeze.  Your wish is my command!

The Sneeze Song

(Tune:  “Pop Goes the Weasel”)

When I have tocough or sneeze

This is what I do.  (Point finger.)

I hold my elbow up  (Hold up elbow in front of face.)

And in to itkerchoo!  (Pretend to sneeze inelbow.)

KKEERRCCHHOO!   (Say this line as youdramatically pretend

                              to sneeze in your elbow.)

LITTER PATROL

Litter PatrolRap

(Clap and snapto the beat.)

Here I go.  (Stand up as you begin clapping andsnapping.)

I'm on thelitter patrol.

I'm going towork all day to put the trash away.

The planetearth, you see, is my habitat.

I'm going toclean it up.

Well how aboutthat?

Join me now…

Here we go.

We're on thelitter patrol.

We're going towork all day to put the trash away.

The planetearth, you see, is our habitat.

We're going toclean it up.

Well, how aboutthat?

All by yourself.

Here we go.

We're on the...

*Have childrensuggest other movements you could do to the rap.

*Ask children tobring in empty food boxes.  Cut offthe top panel and punch holes in the two narrow sides.  Tie on a piece of string so the box canbe used as a trash receptacle in the car.

*How about a“trash snack”?  You will need flatbottom ice cream cones, Cheerios, miniature marshmallows, pretzel sticks, andpeanuts.  Take 4 lunch sacks andput a different item in each sack. Write “old tires” on the sack with Cheerios, “Styrofoam” on the sackwith marshmallows, “Sticks” on the sack with pretzel sticks, and “Stones” onthe sack with peanuts.  Take alarge bowl and make up a story about collecting trash.  As you name the different items, invitedifferent children to dump the contents in the bowl.  Stir with a large spoon and then serve the “trash” in trashcans (ice cream cones).  The coolthing about this snack is that there is NO trash when the children havefinished eating! 

Hint!  Substitute raisins for peanuts if youhave students with food allergies. You can also use fish crackers, sunflower seeds, or other snack foods.

EARTH DAY

Earth Day is a week away, but you'll find a blog for the next seven days that will help you reinforce some important environmental concepts in your classroom.

 

Earth Day -April 22nd

Earth Day, EarthDay!  Let’s all come together.         (Claphands.)

Earth Day, EarthDay!  To make this world muchbetter.

‘Cause we love ourplanet Earth, beautiful and blue.    (Makea circle with arms.)

We want to takecare of it with everything we do.       

We can recycle –tell your friends and neighbors!    (Pretendto pick up paper.)

Glass, aluminum,plastic and paper.                        

‘Cause we love ourplanet Earth, beautiful and blue.   (Makea circle with arms.)

We want to takecare of it with everything we do.        

We can plant atree or two, to create green spaces;(Pretend to dig.)

Walk or ride ourbikes to go different places.         (Pretendto ride a bike.)

‘Cause we love ourplanet Earth, beautiful and blue.   (Makea circle with arms.)

We want to takecare of it with everything we do.                 

Download the book to go with the song at drjean.org/April, 2007, monthly activities.

RecycledProducts – For homework,ask children to look around their house and make a list of recycledmaterials.  Have them practiceidentifying the “recycle logo” so they can help conserve materials.

 Brainstorm- Have children brainstorm all the ways theycan reduce, reuse, and recycle 

 materials.

  

 Visit these websites to get other ideas for Earth Week:

 EarthDay.net

 childrenoftheearth.org

 keepearthbeautiful.org

 kidsforsavingearth.org

 kidsgowild.com

NATIONAL POETRY MONTH

Did you know that April was National Poetry Month?  Time to sneak in a poem or two!

A Poem

By HollyKarapetkova (Yep, that’s my girl!)

A poem, a poem

Is a very specialthing.

It takes the words

And makes themsing.

A poem is apresent,

A poem is a treat

With words piledlike ice-cream

In your bowl toeat!

A poem, a poem

Is a treasure andan art

So always carryone

With you in yourheart.

Poetry Club - Write “Poetry Club” onthe poster board and decorate with glitter and glue.  Explain that anyone who stands up in front of the class andrecites a nursery rhyme or poem can be a member of the poetry club.  (You might want to model reciting apoem for them.)  After they’verecited their poem, let them sign their name on the poster.

*Trace around a child’s body.  Hang it on the wall and call it the “PoetryPerson.”  Use as you would theposter for letting children signtheir names after reciting a poem.

Poetry Café - Plan a poetry partyfor your students called the “Poetry Café.”  Involve children in planning refreshments, makingdecorations, writing invitations, etc.  Encourage each child to learn andpractice reciting a poem.  Explainthat in the coffee houses instead of clapping, the audience would “snap” theirfingers for the poets.

Go to my April, 2011, monthly activity to get lots of other ideas for integrating poetry in your classroom

NEWSPAPER TREE

I learned how tomake this newspaper tree when I was a little girl, and I bet your students willget a kick out of it as well.

Open three sheetsof newspaper and lay on the floor as shown.

 Roll up and tape. Cut down several strips from the top about 8” long.  

Reach into the middle of the roll, grabthe center, and slowly pull up. Taa daa!

DIG A HOLE

Diga Hole

Diga hole.             (Make ahole by making a fist with right hand.)

Plant a seed.         (Stickleft index finger in the hole.)

Up comes aflower.  (Bring left hand upthrough right fist.)

Pull out theweed.    (Pretend topluck a weed.)

Seed Snack - Invite children to bring in seeds that you can eat and have a tasting party.  What's their favorite seed that they eat?

Seed Hunt - Have children hunt for seeds in theirkitchen at home.  Bring these inand plant them in plastic cups.  Besure to label.  Water and watch.

Planting JellyBeans - Have childrenbrainstorm other things they would like to plant, such as jelly beans orpennies.  Purchase carrot seeds,radishes, and other seeds that germinate quickly and plant.  Predict what will happen.  Watch and record data.

Dirt Cake – Give each child a clear cup.  Let them put a layer of chocolatepudding in the cup, then sprinkle with crushed Oreo cookies.  Add a gummy worm and a paper flowerstapled to a straw. (Yeah, I know it’s junky, but it would be fun for abirthday party or if you’re a grandparent!)