by Rachel Stepp

By creatively designing parts of your classroom, you can intrigue students to utilize these areas properly and often. One space that I think is important to put time into designing is the classroom library.

The Reading Pond

1. PICK A SPOT. Designate one corner of your classroom as the reading area. This area can carry an enchanting theme of the “Reading Pond” by incorporating cool colors (blues & greens), water themes, and maybe even a pet fish or two!
2. FABRIC. To get started, drape some strips of blue fabric from the ceiling to create fabric swag over the lights. This will add softer lighting to this area. At the end of the fabric, drape blue bead curtains or skinny strips of blue fabric that go all the way to the floor. The curtain of fabric hanging from the ceiling to the floor will create a secluded area where students will feel comfortable reading. The blue fabric can be the “waterfall” that fills the “Reading Pond.”
3. PAINT. Paint your bookshelves blue as if they are water. Fill your shelves with all kinds of books that students would be interested in reading. Display the books in baskets, so that the covers face forward. When students are able to look at the covers instead of just the spines of books, they are more likely to choose a book they will enjoy.
4. PEER INVOLVEMENT. Along the wall, give the students an area where they can suggest books to their classmates. Call this area, “Catch a good book!” Draw or cut out a fishing pole and put it on the wall. Also, cut out many blank fish shapes out of construction paper. These paper fish can be stored in a clear fishbowl that is accessible to the students. Students can recommend a good book to their peers by writing the title, author, and their name on a paper fish and then taping it to the wall.
5. PILLOWS AND STUFFED FRIENDS. Floor space should be comfortable so that students want to spend time in the reading area. You can do this by putting green bean bag chairs or green pillows that represent “lily pads” in the “Reading Pond.” You can also add pond-related stuffed animals such as frogs, fish, and water snakes that students can read to and have as reading companions.

This is just one idea for making your classroom creative and inviting. Remember, it is important to create an environment that makes your students feel safe and comfortable so that they can challenge themselves in the classroom. It would even be possible to carry to water theme throughout your entire classroom!

Rachel Stepp is a graduate student at the University of Georgia, currently working on a Masters in Early Childhood Education.

Looking for a fun way to teach the alphabet and keep students engaged in reading?  Here’s a super creative list of books and activities to coordinate with EVERY letter of the alphabet. Yowsa, this is a great resource!

Comment on this post to win a $20 School Box Gift Card! One comment each week WILL win!

by Kelli Lewis

This list of activities is perfect for students in Pre-K and Kindergarten who are learning their ABC’s! This is also a great way to incorporate activities from several subject areas throughout the day. You can make this as simple or as challenging as needed, depending on your students. After each lesson, the books can be displayed in a special “ABC books” basket or shelf, so that students are able to return to them often.

Alphabet Themed Books & Activities

Letter: A

Theme: amazing animals

Activity: students come to school with their favorite stuffed animal

Book: Corduroy, by Don Freeman

Letter: B

Theme: bogus bubbles

Activity: students play with bubbles outside

Book: Bubble Trouble, by Margaret Mahy

Letter: C

Theme: crazy chalk

Activity: students are given an opportunity to write with chalk on a sidewalk

Book: Chalk & Cheese, by Tim Warnes

Letter: D

Theme: delicious donuts with dad

Activity: dads come to school and have donuts for breakfast with their child

Book: Arnie the Doughnut, by Laurie Keller

Letter: E

Theme: easy elephants

Activity: students will learn about elephants and make elephant masks out of paper plates by stapling on ears, etc. and eat imitation elephant ears (tortilla, butter, cinnamon)

Book: Elephants Can Paint Too!, by Katya Arnold

Letter: F

Theme: funny feet

Activity: students wear silly socks to school

Book: The Foot Book, by Dr. Seuss

Letter: G

Theme: great glasses

Activity: students wear sunglasses, or any type of glasses they want, to school

Book: I Need Glasses, by Virginia Dooley

Letter: H

Theme: hideous hat day

Activity: students are allowed to wear a hat to school

Book: The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins, by Dr. Seuss

Letter: I

Theme: indescribable ice cream sundaes

Activity: students make ice cream sundaes

Book: Ice Cream Everywhere, by Stephanie Roth

Letter: J

Theme: jammin’ jammies

Activity: students and teachers may wear their pajamas to school

Book: Llama, Llama, Red Pajama, by Anna Dewdney

Letter: K

Theme: kiddy kites

Activity: students bring in their favorite kite and get to fly them at outside

Book: Curious George Flies a Kite, by H. A. Rey

Letter: L

Theme: licking lollipops

Activity: students will be given huge lollipops

Book: Big Red Lollipop, by Rukhsana Khan

Letter: M

Theme: magnificent muffins with mom

Activity: moms come to school and have muffins for breakfast with their child

Book: If You Give a Moose a Muffin, by Laura Numeroff

Letter: N

Theme: nice necklaces

Activity: students make a necklace out of beads for someone “nice” or special in their lives (ex. Mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, friend, neighbor, etc.)

Book: The Loon’s Necklace, by William Toye

Letter: O

Theme: outside oranges

Activity: students eat oranges outside and learn facts about oranges

Book: The Big Orange Splot, by D. Manus Pinkwater

Letter: P

Theme: perfect popcorn

Activity: students eat popcorn and/or make popcorn crafts

Book: The Popcorn Book, by Tomie dePaola

Letter: Q

Theme: quaint quilts

Activity: students bring their favorite quilt/blanket to school and have a picnic together outside for snack/lunch

Book: The Patchwork Quilt, by Valerie Flournoy

Letter: R

Theme: ready readers

Activity: students bring their favorite book to school, share their books, and have a reading day outside with blankets

Book: Use your personal favorite picture book to share

Letter: S

Theme: sunny sandcastles

Activity: students are given opportunity to play in sand and make sandcastles

Book: The Sandcastle Contest, by Robert Munsch

Letter: T

Theme: terribly tacky

Activity: students come to school dressed the tackiest they can

Book: Tacky the Penguin, by Helen Lester

Letter: U

Theme: unbelievable unicorns

Activity: students learn about unicorns (mystical animals), and create/invent their own mystical animal

Book: The Dragon and the Unicorn, by Lynne Cherry

Letter: V

Theme: voluptuous vegetables

Activity: students eat a variety of vegetables, learn facts about them, and how important they are for you (ex. carrots, tomatoes, broccoli, cucumber, etc.)

Book: The Ugly Vegetables, by Grace Lin

Letter: W

Theme: wild & wet

Activity: students bring a change of clothes and play with water guns, water balloons, etc.

Book: Wet Dog!, by Elise Broach

Letter: X

Theme: eXtra xylophones

Activity: students learn about xylophones and play them together

Book: Pooh’s Xylophone Book, by Publications International Staff

Letter: Y

Theme: yellow youngsters

Activity: students wear as much yellow as they can to school

Book: The Little Yellow Leaf, by Carin Berger

Letter: Z

Theme: zany zebras

Activity: students learn about zebras and make zebra masks using paint

Book: Greedy Zebra, by Mwenye Hadithi & Adrienne Kennaway

And that’s a wrap. Enjoy these activities, which make reading as easy as A, B, C!

Kelli Lewis is an Early Childhood Education graduate student at the University of Georgia.

This is part 3 in our series on fun Summer Learnin’ ideas! Click here and here for part 1 and part 2.
by Elizabeth Cossick, M. Ed.

Comment on this post to receive a $20 School Box Gift Card!!

Nothing says summer quite like…BUBBLES! So, pull out the kiddie pool and strap on the water wings. It’s time for a wet romp in the backyard, with the highlight being giant homemade bubbles! Below is our favorite bubble recipe, along with three fitting books about bubbles (to make it all educational, of course!).

First, here’s how to make some rockin’ homemade bubble stuff:

Homemade Bubble Stuff

1 cup water
4 Tablespoons dishwashing liquid
2 Tablespoons light karo syrup (or 2 Tablespoons glycerin)

Mix all of the ingredients together. That’s it!

For more bubble recipes, see bubbleblowers.com.

Now, it’s time to find a bubble wand. Be creative with household items! A few to try:

cookie cutters
funnels
fly swatters
a metal coat hanger bent into a circle (watch for sharp ends)
a silicone steaming basket
mason jar lid rings
a funnel
a potato ricer
the plastic rings that come around a 6-pack of soda

And, here are some of our favorite books about bubbles, to drive home those great text-to-life connections:

Pop! A Book About Bubbles. Available here at amazon.com.
Bubble Trouble. Available here at amazon.com.
Benny’s Big Bubble. Available here at amazon.com.
There you have it: everything you need for a fun-filled day of summer fun, with just enough learning thrown in to make you happy (and solidify your title as World’s Greatest Mom).

This is Part 2 in our series on engaging (and easy!) Summer Learnin’ ideas. To read Part 1 (Fractions in the Kitchen), click here.

Comment on this post and you could win a School Box gift card! Two comments win each week.

by Elizabeth D. Cossick, M. Ed.

It’s hot. The kids are bored. And you’re at your wits’ end. You need a fun activity to pass the afternoon, and you’d prefer one that’s educational…and FREE, right? Well, we’ve got a ringer for ya. Take your kids on a library scavenger hunt! Here’s how it works:

1. Print this list (click here for a printable version) of books and items to find at the library.
2. Head to the library and help your kids scour the shelves for all of the items on the list.
3. When they’re done, they can check out the titles that interest them.
4. If they successfully find all of the items on the list, reward them by letting them check out a DVD, too. Now you have free entertainment for tonight after dinner!
5. Leave the library, feeling proud of yourself for providing a summer learning opportunity…in air conditioning…for no cash. You go, Super Mom.

Do you like this idea? Do you have your own good ideas for summer activities? If so, e-mail them to editor@schoolbox.com. If we publish them on A Learning Experience, you receive a $35 School Box gift card!

Comment on this post and you could win a $20 School Box Gift Card! Three comments will win this week!

In Dr. Seuss’s classic Bartholomew and the Oobleck, oobleck is a green gluey slime that gums up the kingdom.

While our recipe won’t be quite as invasive as Dr. Seuss’s variety, it will still provide hours of entertainment and giggles for your children this summer.

Here’s how to make it!

Ingredients:

• water
• corn starch
• food coloring (optional)

Steps:

1. Mix 1 cup water with 1.5 to 2 cups cornstarch. You may want to start with 1 cup of water and 1.5 cups of cornstarch, then gradually work in more cornstarch to achieve a thicker oobleck. You can begin mixing with a spoon, but you’ll probably switch to using your hands after a bit to get a more homogeneous result…plus, it’s more fun! Mix for about 10 minutes.

2. Mix in a couple drops of food color if you want dyed oobleck. And then enjoy your gooey goo!

The Chemistry Tie-In:

Oobleck is neither a true solid nor a true liquid. It is a type of non-Newtonian fluid called a dilatant.

The Literary Tie-In:

Read the Dr. Seuss original, of course!

There you sit, sand between your toes, enjoying the sun, the surf…and the fact that you can finally crack a book! To help you achieve beach Zen this summer, here are our favorite lit. picks—as well as award-winning books and activities to keep your kids engaged (and learning!) long enough for you to get past the first chapter.

Mommy Lit.

Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin

The basic plot seems trite: Girl steals best friend’s fiancé. But, with Giffin’s witty narration and relatable characters, you’ll actually root for the cheaters!

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

Told through letters written by a cluster of characters in 1946, this enchanting novel shares the story of Guernsey Island’s Nazi occupation.

Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella

The latest from Kinsella (Confessions of a Shopaholic), this is the tale of Lara, a girl who is visited by a fun-loving ghost from the 1920s. Kinsella-style hilarity ensues.

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

An uplifting and compassionate tale about a Mississippi town in 1962, whose racial tensions are blown wide open when Eugenia “Skeeter” Phelan publishes the stories of the town’s mistreated black maids. Soon to be a major motion picture from DreamWorks.

Kiddie Lit. (and Activities)

Summer Express, $14.99*
Give children a head start in school! Each workbook includes 100 ready-to-go, fun-filled math and literacy activity pages.

Hot Dots Flash Cards, $9.99*
These electronic, self-checking cards are great for reviewing math facts. And they’re (gasp!) lots of fun, too.

Carole Marsh Mysteries, $7.99*
Each adventure mystery in this series is set in a historical place, making history and geography really cool for kids.

Science Kits, $9.99*
These award-winning kits bring science to life with exciting, educational projects that have amazing results!

*Featured products are available at The School Box.

This article appeared in the spring issue of Little Black Dress/Little Red Wagon Magazine, page 26. Click here to see the original article, along with a printable coupon for 20% off one regular-priced item! (Coupon good through July 1, 2010).

by Elizabeth Cossick, M.Ed.

Comment on this post to win a $20 School Box Gift Card!

Five years ago, incorporating technology into our lesson plans was  icing on the cake–a nice “extra” to add…if you had time. Today, however, we’re all realizing that technology is vital. We can’t merely give an occasional nod, anymore. Rather, in order to truly prepare our students for their technologically-ingrained futures, we need to be incorporating technology on a regular basis. Here’s a super-easy, authentic way to assign a classic book report with a modern, technical twist: do an online book review.

How it Works:

1. Write a Summary. Read a book (or books) as a class, and after your study, have the students write a book summary. But here’s the catch: they can’t include the ending (it’s called a “spoiler” if they do). So, show them how to write a catchy beginning and a sound middle…and then end their summaries with a cliff-hanger!
2. Gain Consent. Send home an online book review consent form, just to make sure that their parents are alright with them posting their paragraphs (anonymously, of course) on www.amazon.com. Click here for a printable consent form!
3. Create an Account on Amazon.com. Students will need to sign in, in order to write their reviews. The easiest and safest way to do this is for you to create an account (e-mail and password) beforehand, and then prompt the students to enter your e-mail address and password when prompted to do so on www.amazon.com. (You can always delete the account later.)
4. Visit the Lab. As a class, go to the computer lab or use your school’s laptops–whatever works for your classroom. Students should take their finished summaries with them.
5. Post the Review. Here’s how to post the review on amazon.com:

• First, search for the book title. (Ex: Frindle)
• Then, scroll down to ‘Customer Reviews’. You will see a button on the right of the screen that says, “Create your own review.” Click that.
• Sign in, if you are prompted to do so at this point.
• Click the age button: Over 13 or Under 13.
• Rate the item by clicking the stars: 1-5 (Discuss what this rating system means with your students).
• Title review (Discuss how to write a catchy title that encompasses the review’s main idea).
• Students type the review in the space given.
• They add tags. The tag should be the author’s name (i.e. Andrew Clements), the genre (i.e. “mystery” or “adventure”), or a summary word (“funny”). Again, another opportunity to discuss main idea with your students.
• When finished, click “Preview your review”.
• Instruct students to PRINT the preview screen. This is what you can grade.
• Hit Publish after printing. Reviews will show up within a few days. And then students can send the link to grandma across the country, showing off that they have been officially published online!

Share this list of fun activities with parents to keep kiddos learning (and enjoying it!) all summer long.

by Elizabeth D. Cossick. M.Ed.

Comment on this post to win a $20 School Box Gift Card! (One commenter will win!)

Math

• For real-world math practice, cook together! Cooking is one of the most concrete ways to conceptualize fractions. To make it fun, sit down with your children and a stack of cookbooks, and take some time selecting fun recipes together. Let your child measure the ingredients, while you guide them in discussing fractions (“Look! 1/2 cup + 1/2 cup = 1 cup!”) Cooking is also a great lesson in greater-than/less-than and volume.

• For more real-world practice with math, go shopping! Seriously, money is a wonderful way for students to practice counting…and decimals! Count out some money together, and write it in decimal form with your child. Then, go shopping to teach monetary values. (Nothing teaches the value of money faster than good ol’ fashioned capitalism!)

Writing

• Keep a family scrapbook/journal of your summertime activities. Keep it simple. Purchase an empty journal or spiral notebook, and then take a photo (or have your child take a photo) of some of the things you do each week (even if it’s just playing at the pool). Print the picture, tape it into the journal, and then have your child write a caption. (Children can dictate the sentence to you if they’re “pre-writing,” or they can write a single sentence or a whole paragraph, depending on age and writing ability.) At the end of the summer, you’ll have a fun keepsake of your many adventures…and your child will have practiced creative writing on multiple topics–without even thinking about it!

Reading

• Make reading fun by reading a novel together that has a corresponding movie. Read the book together, and then, to celebrate, roll out some sleeping bags, pop some popcorn, and watch the movie together! Some book titles that have movies: Because of Winn-Dixie, Charlotte’s Web, Holes, Hotel for Dogs, Inkheart, The Chronicles of Narnia.

Summertime is a great opportunity to show students that learning is fun and relevant. You can learn wherever, whenever– it certainly doesn’t take four walls and a textbook!

Here’s a super creative way to teach plot to your students. Just walk them through the attached Plot Skeleton organizer (which was adapted from Angela E. Hunt), and they’ll be equipped with all the elements of a good story.

An Explanation of the Chart:

Main Character Needs: What are the deep needs of your main character (which will turn into motives for action)? Most have an obvious need (like survival for Wilbur in Charlotte’s Web) and a hidden need (like Wilbur’s need for acceptance).

Inciting Incident: What happens to change the course of the story? (i.e. The conflict, like when Wilbur discovers that pigs’ purpose is to become food for the farmer.)

Complications: Events that happen as the main character tries to resolve the conflict. There are usually a couple complications that lead to the “bleakest moment.” Ex: Wilbur tries to escape but realizes the world is too scary for him; Fern is growing up and not as interested in Wilbur anymore; Bleakest Moment: Charlotte dies

Help: What happens to help the character overcome the conflict? Ex: Charlotte saves Wilbur’s life by spinning words in her web.

Lesson or Decision: What lesson is learned or decision made by the main character as a result? Ex: Wilbur discovers that friendship is of paramount importance and friends sometimes come from unlikely places.

Resolution: How do the character’s needs ultimately get met or resolved? Ex: Wilbur takes Charlotte’s babies back to the farm, where he befriends several of them and never again feels lonely.

Here’s how to use it:

1. First, model how to fill out the skeleton by completing one or two together (either on an overhead projector or on the board), using books you’ve read together as a class to complete the blanks.

2. Then, model creating a story from your own imagination, and fill in the chart in front of the class, showing them how to use questioning to develop your story (i.e. “What could be the inciting incident that gets the action rolling?” and “I wonder why a character would do that. What could be their inner need?”).

3. Give a copy to each student and have them brainstorm ideas for their own story, using the chart as a guideline.

4. Have students share their plot skeleton charts with a partner at the end of class to get feedback and additional ideas.

5. From the plot skeleton, students then begin drafting their stories.

This chart takes more scaffolding in the younger grades (third through fifth), but it’s worth the effort. These components of a strong plot will ensure quality writing from your students–writing you’ll actually enjoy grading!

To download the graphic organizer, click here!

by Kristin Woolums, M.Ed.

Comment on this post to receive a $20 School Box Gift Card. One commenter will win!

We recently featured Kristin’s outstanding ideas for a creative novel study, using From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Franweiler by E. L. Konigsburg with her fifth-grade class. Below is the study’s culminating project, called a “Summary-by-Chapter” book report. Check out this great idea, which can be applied to any book or novel!

A “summary-by-chapter” book report asks students to create a book report with a few sentences and visual representations summarizing each of the story’s chapters (see attached detail sheet and grading rubric). This is the catch: I leave the assignment fairly open-ended, telling students that they can use whatever materials they’d like to create their visuals.

Whenever I assign this project, the students’ creativity is always so phenomenal! Besides receiving traditional book report formats, I’ve received pop-up books, PowerPoint presentations, display boards, and even a cardboard box divided into 10 sections with a clay representation of each chapter!

Additionally, in the review of the story, they are always very excited about sharing their favorite part of the book, their favorite character, and if they’d recommend the novel to a friend (a resounding ‘yes!’ for From the Mixed-Up Files). I was so excited about how my students reacted to this project; they really got into it!

If you’re looking for a creative way to end a literature study, try this one…and see where your students’ imaginations take them!

Kristin M. Woolums, M. Ed., teaches fifth grade at a private school in Atlanta and works at The School Box at Southlake during the summer months.