Quickie Halloween Craftivities

Did Halloween sneak up on you this year?  I know time is flying when students comment.  The other day as we looked at our math calendar, a boy said, "Wow, we're already in the 20's!  I feel like we just changed the calendar to October!"  So, it's not just you and me that feel like the year is going fast.

To help you save the day and fit in a couple of Halloween items this week, I'm sharing two activities that I use in my classroom (my explanations are probably longer than the amount of time it actually will take you to do these!):

The first is a writing & grammar lesson: A Pumpkin Cinquain!  Cinquains are a poetry style that lend themselves to time limitations.  The main goal when writing a cinquain is that it has five lines.  Then there are two different styles:  One style focuses on using a certain number of syllables per line:

Line 1         2 Syllables
Line 2         4 Syllables
Line 3         6 Syllables
Line 4         8 Syllables
Line 5         2 Syllables

The other requires a certain number of words per line and is the form that I use.  After spending the beginning parts of the year teaching nouns and adjectives, I like to use this writing assignment to introduce verbs, so instead of any type of word, students follow this format:

Line 1          1 Noun
Line 2          2 Adjectives
Line 3          3 Verbs
Line 4          1 Sentence
Line 5          1 Synonym

We begin by reviewing/teaching what nouns, adjectives, verbs, and synonyms are.  Then together we brainstorm a collection of each (for synonyms, we usually just pull from the nouns).  Grr! I’m so mad at myself for not snapping a picture of the poster I created to display everyone’s ideas.  After we shared all of our ideas, students worked independently to fill in their cinquain rough drafts.  Students compose their own sentences about pumpkins using other words from our brainstorm poster for ideas.  The result is this:

I encourage students to draw a picture that matches the nouns, adjectives, and nouns that they used in their poem.  Side note: My school does not allow us to celebrate Halloween or incorporate Halloween crafts, so I always love seeing how students show pumpkins in unique ways like as piece of pie on a Thanksgiving table or in a pumpkin patch.

The second craft that I use in my classroom is a Bible lesson that I L O V E because it challenges the season of vampires, bats, and jack-o-lanterns.  Instead of scariness, there is a sweet, simple message that requires very little explanation….and the prep for the craft is minimal!  Here is what you will need:

-This copy of the parable per student (to glue onto the back so that they can share the message with their friends and family.  I shrink the size when copying so that it fits on a single page)
-Single 8.5x11” sheets of black construction paper per student (for the background)
-Single 8.5x11” sheets of orange construction paper per student (for the pumpkin)
-1/3 of an 8.5x11” sheet of yellow construction paper per student (for the face)
-1 small piece of green construction paper (scraps are good for this bc it’s for a leaf)
-1 small piece of brown construction paper (scraps are good for this bc it’s for a stem)
Students need scissors, glue, and a white crayon for writing their names on their paper

Implementing the craft is pretty self-explanatory.  We busted out this craftivity in 25 minutes! I begin by reminding students that while this is a fun season with candy and decorations, we as Christians are called to represent Christ and God’s love.  Then I read the parable straight through, adding no commentary.

Now, it’s time to bring our parable to life!  Students draw a circular shape on their orange construction paper.  Remember, it doesn’t matter the size or shape because God made each of us fearfully and wonderfully in His image.  Next, I ask the class what sort of eyes the Farmer give the pumpkin? TRIANGLES! How about the nose?  SQUARE!  And a mouth?  SMILING!  Students use the yellow construction paper for these parts so that it looks like a light really is glowing from inside their pumpkins.  Lastly, they can add their stems and leaves.  No coloring or writing involved! 

In closing, I challenged them to not get so caught up in the spookiness that they forget about the light and life they have in Jesus Christ and are called to share with all they come in contact with, even on Halloween.  Students also shared what the pumpkin parable meant to them…and I tried not to cry.  

There it is: two quick Halloween activities that you can fit into your week!  If you are able to use either of these, let me know by commenting below, tagging me in your instagram/facebook photos, or using the hashtag #justlikevandyk

You Oughta Know About...Kahoot!

I know I’m not the only one using Kahoot! in the classroom, but I know it hasn’t gotten the recognition it deserves…I mean, I just doesn’t seem to be as prevalent as it SHOULD be because, guys, it’s SO EASY to use!  I’ve literally put a Kahoot! together at the end of my lunch break right before my kiddos walked in.  So what’s all my fuss about...

Kahoot! is an online tool where you can create, use, and save quizzes to check for understanding or review with your kiddos before a unit test.  If you work with a grade-level team, you and your teammates can create and share quizzes for all areas of study for the current year and for years to come!

Here’s what you do: 

Go to getkahoot.com and create an account.  Next, click create quiz to get started and name your quiz.  Then write your questions, choose the point value, time allotment, and enter your answer options. 

You can add YouTube videos, make your questions multiple choice, true/false, or fill in the blank for interest and to keep your kiddos on their toes.  

As you save and continue, add photos, a description, and share your Kahoot! in social media!  Now you’re ready to play! 

Choose how you want to launch your Kahoot!  May I suggest displaying the game PIN throughout the game in case your little sweeties exit by mistake.  I also like to choose “Randomize order of questions?” to challenge students when we [inevidentibly] play the 2^nd and 3^rd time in a row. 

Now, launch your Kahoot! and project the screen displaying your Kahoot!’s game PIN. 

Here’s what you need your kids to do:

1.     Students play along at Kahoot.it in a computer lab or on iPads

2.    Students enter the game pin that you are projecting. 

3.     Students choose a Nickname! (insert guidelines and behavior management HERE)

Student Screen upon entering kahoot.it

Once you see the total number of your students logged onto your Kahoot! begin your game!  It is very kid-friendly and simple.  Your answer options have corresponding shapes on the students’ screen that they simply click.

 

How they get points (which is what this is all about right?):

Students not only earn points for accuracy, but also points for how quickly they enter their answers, which is fun for those high-achievers and also helps with behavior management.  How?  Well, students have to keep their celebration dances to a minimum or else risk missing out on time on the next question.

Features I love:

As the time ticks away, the number of submitted answers are displayed.  So you can say, “Double check that you submitted your answer; I’m missing 3 students’ answers.” 

Then after a question’s time expires and the correct answer is displayed on the screen, you can review it with your students.  Kahoot! tallies the number of students that chose each possible answer and displays them at the end of each question.  The majority of your students will have answered correctly and then, of course, there are those outliers that chose an answer to the question that makes no sense whatsoever…use this as a teachable moment!  It’s anonymous!   

You will get the attention of the students’ that answered incorrectly and hopefully will be able to correct any misconception they had about that topic.  I like to take this time to teach my students test taking skills such as eliminating silly answers and re-reading the question if they are uncertain of what they are supposed to be looking for.

Features my students love:

1.     Getting to choose their own user names!

2.    A top 5 player scoreboard after each question...duh

Kahoot! encourages positive peer pressure to compete academically in an anonymous environment.  You will have your class asking when the end of a unit is so that they can review all they’ve learned using Kahoot! and you will be the classroom hero!

Already using Kahoot! in your classroom?  Leave a comment below! I’d love to hear from you!

An InLinkz Link-up

Addition Mission: Possible

My kiddos love when I read to them, especially when it is in lieu of a math lesson.  Like I always tell them, there is a fun way to learn and there is a plain way to learn, and today was definitely one of those fun days! 

In our Saxon lessons, we teach acting out and writing some, some more problems (addition word problems), but in second grade, their creativity often clouds their word problems.  SO today we listened to silly addition problems while reading The Mission of Addition.

We read it twice because it is SO much fun and there is so much to take note of! 

During the first read aloud, students were only supposed to listen for synonyms for addition.  They wrote the words they heard on their whiteboards first.  Then we shared the words they caught, and I wrote them on our “Addition Key Words” collector, explaining that key words give us clues as to what to do and that all these words secretly tell us to add! 

Students also recorded the key words on their own green “Addition 'Key' Words” collector.  Baby steps to writing their own some, some more problems: using the right vocabulary!!

Don't mind this student coloring the wrong key green *face palm*

My students will keep this paper in their seatwork folder because I do not use interactive math notebooks, but have included a flaps version (is that what they are called?) for the keys if you’d like to use them that way!  After writing this, I reconsidered because my students have journals for Daily5 so we just put them in there! Duh Christina!

During the second read aloud of The Mission of Addition, students listened and looked for the some, some more problems.  Students then volunteered to share a some, some more problem they saw/heard in the book.  I’d turn to that page, reread the word problem, showing students the pictures and making sure to point out the KEY WORD that told us to add so that we could write the number sentence on our boards. 

VOILA!  Input, checking for understanding, guided practice…now for mastery during homework & a scoot! 

If you’d like to purchase the “Math Key Words Collector" bundle, (which includes interactive notebook flaps, poster keys, and single pages) click here!  The download includes addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division keys!

If you’d like to download my Addition & Subtraction Scoots Bundle, click here!

To win copies of the scoots & interactive notebook keys, please leave a comment below with your email.  I'll choose a winner Monday!

Get your FREE posters here in my store!

Enjoy your long weekend!!