a creative idea book for the elementary teacher · reading round-up! ... you will find the...
TRANSCRIPT
a creative idea bookfor the
elementary teacher
written and illustratedby
Karen Sevaly
© Teacher's Friend, a Scholastic Company Monthly Idea Book: July & August
Reproduction of these materials for commercial resale ordistribution to an entire school or school district is strictlyprohibited. Pages may be duplicated for one individualclassroom set only. Material may not be reproduced forother purposes without the prior written permission of thepublisher.
Copyright © Teacher’s Friend,a Scholastic Company
All rights reserved.Printed in China.
ISBN-13 978-0-439-50376-1ISBN-10 0-439-50376-0
© Teacher's Friend, a Scholastic Company Monthly Idea Book: July & August
This book is dedicatedto teachers and children
everywhere.
© Teacher's Friend, a Scholastic Company Monthly Idea Book: July & August
Table of Contents
MAKING THE MOST OF IT! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
What Is in This Book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8How to Use This Book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8Monthly Organizers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9Bulletin Board Ideas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9Adding the Color . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10Lamination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10Photocopies and Ditto Masters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11Lettering and Headings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
CALENDAR - JULY AND AUGUST! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
July Calendar and Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14July Calendar Header . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17August Calendar and Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18August Calendar Header . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21July-August Calendar Symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22July - Blank Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24August - Blank Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25Mini Calendar Symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26
SUMMER ACTIVITIES! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27
Summer Activities! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28Summer Jobs for Kids! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29Summer Bookmarks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30Summer Awards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31Pencil Toppers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32My Summer Book! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33Sunglasses! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34Giant Summer Sunglasses! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35My Summer Journal! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36Sunshine Puppet! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37You Are My Sunshine! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38
WATERMELON, PIZZA & ICE CREAM! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39
Watermelon, Pizza & Ice Cream Activities! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40Ways to Use Ice Cream Cones in the Classroom! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43Matching Ice Cream Cones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44Ice Cream Cone Puppet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45Watermelon Booklet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46Watermelon Slices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47Watermelon Puppet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 4 Monthly Idea Book: July & August
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 5
Pizza Awards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49Banana Splits! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50My Pizza Recipe! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52Pizza Chef! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53Ice Cream Booklet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54
4TH OF JULY! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55
Independence Day! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56Patriotic Fun! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .574th of July Puppet! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58My Liberty Book! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59What Liberty Means to Me! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .604th of July Visor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61Uncle Sam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .624th of July Finger Puppets! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63Freedom Name Plate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63Freedom Mobile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64My Freedom Fighter Report! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66
THE WILD WEST! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67
Wild West Activities! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68Walk, Cantor, Trot and Gallop! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70Wanted Poster! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72Horse Character . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73Cowboy-Cowgirl Hat Pattern . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74Sheriff Badge and Spurs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75Cowboy Wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .76Movable Horse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78Wild West Booklet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79Reading Round-Up! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .80
OUR SOLAR SYSTEM! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81
Exploring Our Solar System Activities! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .82Star Puzzle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .86Space Fun! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .87Solar System Mobile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .88My Space Book! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .91Martian Mania! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .92Solar System Bingo! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .92Astronaut Wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .94My Planet Report! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .96Out of this World Award! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .97Space Name Tag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .97Astronaut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .98
Monthly Idea Book: July & August
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 6
LET'S EAT NUTRICIOUSLY! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .99
Nutrition Activities! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .100Nutrition Pyramid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .102Food Cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .104Important Nutrients! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .107Chef Costume . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .108My Nutrition Book! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .109My Daily Diet! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .110
A NEW START! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .111
A New Start for Back to School! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .112Student Pass, Award & Progress Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .114Congratulations Certificate and Homework Report . . . . . . . . . . . . .115A Note to Parents! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .116Classroom News! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .117Classroom Signs! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .118Super Student Award! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .124School Bus Booklet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .125Don't Miss the Bus! Game . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .126School Bus Rules! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .128Name Mobiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .129
BULLETIN BOARDS AND MORE! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .131
Bulletin Boards and More! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .132Shoe Pattern . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .136Phone Pattern . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .137Hamburger Mobile! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .138Student Puzzle Pieces! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .139Welcome Bear Pattern . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .140
ANSWER KEY! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .141
THEMATIC INDEX TO TEACHER'S FRIEND MONTHLY BOOKS! . . . . . . .143
Monthly Idea Book: July & August
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 7
MMMMaaaakkkkiiiinnnngggg
tttthhhheeee mmmmoooosssstttt
ooooffff iiiitttt!!!!
Monthly Idea Book: July & August
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 8
WHAT IS INTHIS BOOK:
You will find the following in each monthly idea book fromTeacher’s Friend Publications:
1. A calendar listing every day of the month with a classroom idea and mention of special holidays and events.
2. At least four student awards to be sent home to parents.
3. Three or more bookmarks that can be used in your school library or given to students by you as “Super Student Awards.”
4. Numerous bulletin board ideas and patterns pertaining to the particular month and seasonal activity.
5. Easy-to-make craft ideas related to the monthly holidays and special days.
6. Dozens of activities emphasizing not only the obvious holidays, but also the often forgotten celebrations such as the firstlanding on the moon and the introduction of the ice cream cone.
7. Creative writing pages, crossword puzzles, word finds, booklet covers, games, paper bag puppets, literature lists and much more!
8. Scores of classroom management techniques and methods proven to motivate your students to improve behavior and classroom work.
HOW TO USE THIS BOOK:
Every page of this book may be duplicated for individual class-room use.
Some pages are meant to be copied or used as duplicatingmasters. Other pages may be transferred onto constructionpaper or used as they are.
If you have access to a print shop, you will find that manypages work well when printed on index paper. This type ofpaper takes crayons and felt markers well and is sturdy enoughto last. (Bookmarks work particularly well on index paper.)
Lastly, some pages are meant to be enlarged with an overheador opaque projector. When we say enlarge, we mean it! ThinkBIG! Three, four or even five feet is great! Try using coloredbutcher paper or poster board so you don’t spend all your timecoloring.
Monthly Idea Book: July & August
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 9
Staying organized month after month, year after year can be areal challenge. Try this simple idea:
After using the loose pages from this book, file them in theirown file folder labeled with the month's name. This will alsoprovide a place to save pages from other reproducible booksalong with craft ideas, recipes and articles you find in maga-zines and periodicals. (Essential Pocket Folders by Teacher'sFriend provide a perfect way to store your monthly ideas andreproducibles. Each Monthly Essential Pocket Folder comeswith a sixteen-page booklet of essential patterns and organiza-tional ideas. There are even special folders for Back toSchool, The Substitute Teacher and Parent-TeacherConferences.)
You might also like to dedicate a file box for every month ofthe school year. A covered box will provide room to storelarge patterns, sample art projects, certificates and awards,monthly stickers, monthly idea books and much more.
MONTHLYORGANIZERS:
BULLETIN BOARDIDEAS:
Creating clever bulletin boards for your classroom need not takefantastic amounts of time and money. With a little preparationand know-how, you can have different boards each month withvery little effort. Try some of these ideas:
1. Background paper should be put up only once a year. Choosecolors that can go with many themes and holidays. The blackbutcher paper background you used as a spooky display in October will have a special dramatic effect in April with student-made, paper-cut butterflies.
2. Butcher paper is not the only thing that can be used to cover the back of your board. You might also try fabric from a colorful bed sheet or gingham material. Just fold it up at the end of the year to reuse again. Wallpaper is another great background cover. Discontinued rolls can be purchased for a small amount at discount hardware stores. Most can be wipedclean and will not fade like construction paper. (Do not glue wallpaper directly to the board; just staple or pin in place.)
3. Store your bulletin board pieces in large, flat envelopes made from two large sheets of tagboard or cardboard. Simply staple three sides together and slip the pieces inside. (Small pieces can be stored in zip-lock, plastic bags.) Label your large envelopes with the name of the bulletin board and the month and year you displayed it. Take a picture of each bul-letin board display. Staple the picture to your storage enve-lope. Next year when you want to create the same display, you will know right where everything goes. Kids can even fol-low your directions when you give them a picture to look at.
Monthly Idea Book: July & August
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 10
ADDING THE COLOR:
Putting the color to finished items can be a real bother to teachersin a rush. Try these ideas:
1. On small areas, watercolor markers work great. If your area is rather large, switch to crayons or even colored chalk or pastels.
(Don’t worry, lamination or a spray fixative will keep color on the work and off of you. No laminator or fixative? That’s okay, a little hair spray will do the trick.)
2. The quickest method of coloring large items is to start withcolored paper. (Poster board, butcher paper or large construction paper work well.) Add a few dashes of a con-trasting colored marker or crayon and you will have it made.
3. Try cutting character eyes, teeth, etc. from white typing paper and gluing them in place. These features will really stand out and make your bulletin boards come alive.
For special effects, add real buttons or lace. Metallic paper looks great on stars and belt buckles, too.
LAMINATION: If you have access to a roll laminator, then you already know how fortunate you are. They are priceless when it comes to savingtime and money. Try these ideas:
1. You can laminate more than just classroom posters and construction paper. Try various kinds of fabric, wallpaper andgift wrapping. You’ll be surprised at the great combinations you come up with.
Laminated classified ads can be used to cut headings for current events bulletin boards. Colorful gingham fabric makesterrific cut letters or bulletin board trim. You might even tryburlap! Bright foil gift wrapping paper will add a festive feeling to any bulletin board.
(You can even make professional looking bookmarks with laminated fabric or burlap. They are great holiday gift ideas for Mom or Dad!)
2. Felt markers and laminated paper or fabric can work as a team. Just make sure the markers you use are permanent and not water-based. Oops, make a mistake! That’s okay. Put a little ditto fluid on a tissue, rub across the mark and presto, it’s gone! Also, dry transfer markers work great on lamination and can easily be wiped off.
Monthly Idea Book: July & August
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 11
LAMINATION:(continued)
3. Laminating cut-out characters can be tricky. If you have enlarged an illustration onto poster board, simply laminate firstand then cut it out with scissors or an art knife. (Just make sure the laminator is hot enough to create a good seal.)
One problem may arise when you paste an illustration onto poster board and laminate the finished product. If your paste-up is not 100% complete, your illustration and posterboard may separate after laminating. To avoid this problem, paste your illustration onto poster board that measures slightly larger than the illustration. This way, the lamination will help hold down your paste-up.
4. When pasting up your illustration, always try to use either rubber cement, artist’s spray adhesive or a glue stick. White glue, tape or paste does not laminate well because it can often be seen under your artwork.
5. Have you ever laminated student-made place mats, crayon shavings, tissue paper collages, or dried flowers? You’ll be amazed at the variety of creative things that can be laminated and used in the classroom or as take-home gifts.
PHOTOCOPIES ANDDITTO MASTERS:
Many of the pages in this book can be copied for use in theclassroom. Try some of these ideas for best results:
1. If the print from the back side of your original comes throughthe front when making a photocopy or ditto master, slip a sheet of black construction paper behind the sheet. This will mask the unwanted shadows and create a much better copy.
2. Several potential masters in this book contain instructions for the teacher. Simply cover the type with correction fluid or a small slip of paper before duplicating.
3. When using a new ditto master, turn down the pressure on the duplicating machine. As the copies become light, increase the pressure. This will get longer wear out of both the master and the machine.
4. Trying to squeeze one more run out of that worn ditto mastercan be frustrating. Try lightly spraying the inked side of the master with hair spray. For some reason, this helps the master put out those few extra copies.
Monthly Idea Book: July & August
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 12
Not every school has a letter machine that produces perfect 4”letters. The rest of us will just have to use the old stencil-and-scissor method. But wait, there is an easier way!
1. Don’t cut individual letters as they are difficult to pin up straight, anyway. Instead, hand print bulletin board titles and headings onto strips of colored paper. When it is time for theboard to come down, simply roll it up to use again next year.If you buy your own pre-cut lettering, save yourself some time and hassle by pasting the desired statements onto long strips of colored paper. Laminate if possible. These can be rolled up and stored the same way!
Use your imagination! Try cloud shapes and cartoon bubbles.They will all look great.
2. Hand lettering is not that difficult, even if your printing is not up to penmanship standards. Print block letters with a felt marker. Draw big dots at the end of each letter. This will hide any mistakes and add a charming touch to the overall effect.
If you are still afraid to freehand it, try this nifty idea: Cut a strip of poster board about 28” X 6”. Down the center of the strip, cut a window with an art knife measuring 20” X 2”. There you have it: a perfect stencil for any lettering job. All you need to do is write capital letters with a felt marker withinthe window slot. Don’t worry about uniformity. Just fill up the entire window height with your letters. Move your poster-board strip along as you go. The letters will always remain straight and even because the poster board window is straight.
3. If you must cut individual letters, use construction paper squares measuring 4 1/2” X 6”. (Laminate first if you can.) Cut the capital letters as shown. No need to measure; irregular letters will look creative and not messy.
LETTERING ANDHEADINGS:
Monthly Idea Book: July & August
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 13
JJJJuuuullllyyyy &&&& AAAAuuuugggguuuussssttttCCCCaaaalllleeeennnnddddaaaarrrr
Monthly Idea Book: July & August
1ST
2ND
3RD
4TH
5TH
6TH
7TH
8TH
9TH
10TH
11TH
Today is CANADA DAY! The British established the Dominion of Canada on this day in 1867. (Display the Canadian flag in your classroom in celebration.)
THURGOOD MARSHALL, the first black U.S. Supreme Court Justice, was born on this day in 1908. It is also the anniversary of the CIVIL RIGHTS ACT of 1964. (Discuss with your class the changes that have taken place in racial equality.)
The Seminole Indians celebrate their new corn crop today with a GREEN CORN DANCE. (Ask your students to find out more about the celebration and where it takes place.)
Today is DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE DAY in the United States. (Celebrate by attending a community parade or having a family picnic.)
P.T. BARNUM, American circus showman, was born on this day in 1810. (Ask your students to discuss their favorite circus performers and acts.)
American naval hero JOHN PAUL JONES was born on this day in 1747. (Have your students research this interesting hero of the American Revolution.)
SATCHEL PAIGE, famous baseball player, was born on this day in 1839. (Ask your baseball fans to find out which position he played.)
American industrialist JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER was born on this day in 1839. (Askyour students to find out what contributions he made toward the building of our nation.)
ELIAS HOWE, inventor of the sewing machine, was born on this day in 1819. (Teach your students to use a sewing machine this summer. A simple craft, such as a pot holder, will be a great gift for Mom this holiday season.)
American artist JAMES McNEILL WHISTLER was born on this day in 1834. (Ask your students to find a picture of his most well-known painting.)
American children's author E.B. WHITE was born on this day in 1899. (This is a good time to begin reading his most famous book, Charlotte's Web, to your class.)
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 14
JJJJUUUULLLLYYYY
Monthly Idea Book: July & August
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 15
12TH
13TH
14TH
15TH
16TH
17TH
18TH
19TH
20TH
21ST
22ND
23RD
GEORGE EASTMAN, inventor of the camera and founder of the Eastman Kodak Company, was born on this day in 1854. (Ask your students to each bring in a photo of themselves to display on a class bulletin board.)
The first trans-Atlantic telephone conversation via TELSTAR was completed on this day in 1962. (Students might be interested in knowing how satellite communications work in both television and telephone.)
Today is BASTILLE DAY! This celebration honors the victory of the people during the French Revolution in 1789. (Ask students to find the city of Paris on the class map.)
REMBRANDT VAN RIJN, famous old master Dutch artist, was born on this day in 1606. (Bring some prints of Rembrandt's beautiful paintings into your classroom.)
APOLLO 11 was launched on this day in 1969, with astronauts Collins, Armstrong and Aldrin. (Ask your students to locate Cape Canaveral, FL, on your classroom map.)
APOLLO 18 and the U.S.S.R. craft SOYUZ 19 linked up in space in a dramatic gesture of goodwill in 1975. (Ask your students what other ways nations could promote peace and goodwill.)
JOHN GLENN JR., American astronaut and politician, was born on this day in 1921. (Ask students to find out the particulars of his historic flight.)
The first WOMEN'S RIGHTS CONVENTION was held on this day in Seneca Falls, New York in 1848. (Ask students to list some rights that women now have that they did not have then.)
The first LANDING ON THE MOON by American astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin was accomplished on this day in 1969. (Ask your students to find out what Armstrong said when he first set foot on the moon's surface.)
British explorer MUNGO PARK began his voyage down the Niger River in Africa on this day in 1796. (Ask your students to trace his route on the class map.)
EMMA LAZARUS, American poet who wrote the poem engraved on the Statue of Liberty, was born on this day in 1849. (Read her famous poem to your students.)
The ICE CREAM CONE was introduced at the World's Fair in St. Louis by Italo Marchioni in 1903. (Treat your students to an ice cream treat on this summer day.)
Monthly Idea Book: July & August
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 16
Today is MORMON PIONEER DAY, celebrating the founding of their settlement in Salt Lake City, Utah, in 1847. (Have students locate the Great Salt Lake on the classroom map.)
Franklin D. Roosevelt was the first U. S. president to visit the islands of HAWAII in 1934. (Discuss the customs and dress of the people in Hawaii and hold a class luau.)
NEW YORK STATE was the eleventh state to ratify the constitution and become a state, on this day in 1788. (Ask your students to name the other twelve states that made up the original thirteen.)
U.S. figure skater PEGGY FLEMING was born on this day in 1948. (Ask your studentsto find out which year she won her Olympic gold medal.)
British children's author BEATRIX POTTER was born on this day in 1866. (Read one of her charming stories to your class during quiet time.)
CHARLES, PRINCE OF WALES and LADY DIANA SPENCER were married in St. Paul's Cathedral in London on this day in 1981. (See if your students know the identities of these two people and ask them to locate London on the classroom map.)
HENRY FORD, American automobile manufacturer, was born on this day in 1863. (Ask your students to design a futuristic car.)
THOMAS EDISON received a U.S. patent for his phonograph on this day in 1877. (Ask students about later advances in this invention and how technology may change it in the future.)
DON'T FORGET:
JULY IS NATIONAL ICE CREAM MONTH!
24TH
25TH
26TH
27TH
28TH
29TH
30TH
31ST
Monthly Idea Book: July & August
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 17
J JJJ u uuul lll y yyy
C CCCa aaal lll e eee
n nnnd ddd
a aaar rrr
H HHHe eee a aaa
d ddde eee r rrr
JJJJ uuuullll yyyy
Monthly Idea Book: July & August
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 18
1ST
2ND
3RD
4TH
5TH
6TH
7TH
8TH
9TH
10TH
FRANCIS SCOTT KEY, American author of the "Star Spangled Banner," was born on this day in 1779. (Start your class with the singing of the national anthem.)
The first LINCOLN PENNY was introduced on this day in 1909. (Start a class collection of pennies and have students take turns rolling them into 50¢ rolls. When enough are collected, hold a class field trip.)
CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS set sail from Spain on his first voyage to the New Worldon this day in 1492. (Ask your students to trace his route on the the classroom map.)
The DECLARATION OF THE RIGHTS OF MAN was adopted in France on this day in 1789. (Ask your students what rights should be included in such a document.)
NEIL ALDEN ARMSTRONG, the first man to set foot on the moon, was born on this day in 1930. (Ask your students if they would ever like to travel to the moon or Mars.)
The first atomic bomb was dropped by the United States on HIROSHIMA, Japan onthis day in 1945. (Ask your students to discuss their feelings about nuclear weapons
and how we might eliminate them from the world.)
The nuclear-powered submarine NAUTILUS completed a historic voyage on this day in 1958. (Ask your students what was so unusual about this fantastic voyage.)
Today is INTERNATIONAL CHARACTER DAY! (Hold a class discussion about what constitutes good character and morals.)
The AUSTRALIAN GOLD RUSH began when a large gold nugget was discovered in New South Wales on this day in 1851. (Ask your students to find out more about both the California and Australian Gold Rush.)
President Harry S. Truman signed the National Security Act, creating the DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE on this day in 1949. (Ask your students to find out more about the duties of the Defense Department.)
AAAAUUUUGGGGUUUUSSSSTTTT
Monthly Idea Book: July & August
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 19
11TH
12TH
13TH
14TH
15TH
16TH
17TH
18TH
19TH
20TH
21ST
22ND
23RD
Today marks the "NIGHT OF THE SHOOTING STARS!" (Encourage your students to observe the night sky and count the number of falling stars (meteors) they see.)
KATHERINE LEE BATES, author of the poem "America the Beautiful," was born on this day in 1859. (Ask your students to write their own poem about America.)
Construction of the BERLIN WALL began on this day in 1961. (Explain to your students how this wall divided Germany and the city of Berlin. Ask them to find out when and why the wall was torn down!)
Today is VICTORY DAY! This day celebrates the ending of World War II with the surrender of the Japanese in 1945. (Ask your students what other days might be considered "Victory Day!")
The PANAMA CANAL was opened on this day in 1914. (Locate the canal on the class map and discuss how it has benefitted world trade and travel.)
GAS STREET LIGHTS were introduced for the first time in London on this day in 1807. (Hold a class discussion about what life must have been like in the early 1800s.)
American frontiersman DAVY CROCKETT was born on this day in 1786. (Arrange for a showing of one of Disney's "Davy Crockett" films in celebration.)
VIRGINIA DARE, the first English child born in colonial America, was born on this day in 1587. (Ask students to find out more about the first group of colonists that came to America.)
Today is NATIONAL AVIATION DAY and birthdate of ORVILLE WRIGHT, in 1871. (You might want to invite a pilot to your class to talk about his/her love of flying.)
REINHOLD MESSNER, of Italy, was the first successful solo climber of MT. EVEREST, in 1980. (Ask your students to find out the altitude of the world's highest mountain.)
HAWAII became the 50th U.S. state on this day in 1959. (Serve your class a treat of fresh pineapple in celebration.)
The INTERNATIONAL RED CROSS was established in Geneva, Switzerland on this day in 1864. (Students might like to contribute, as a class, to this worthwhile organization.)
American dancer and choreographer GENE KELLY was born on this day in 1912. (Encourage your budding dancers to demonstrate their talents to the class.)
Monthly Idea Book: July & August
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 20
On this day in 79 A.D., MT. VESUVIUS erupted in southern Italy. (Older students might like to mark existing volcanos on the classroom map.)
LEONARD BERNSTEIN, American composer and conductor, was born on this day in 1918. (Students might like to listen to his music from "West Side Story" and relate it to teenagers today.)
The 19th AMENDMENT to the U.S. Constitution was ratified on this day in 1920. (Have your students find out what this amendment gave us.)
Humanitarian MOTHER TERESA was born on this day in 1910. She won a Nobel Peace Prize, in 1979, for her work with the poor in India. (Ask your students to locate India on the classroom map.)
Today marks the anniversary of the MARCH ON WASHINGTON in 1963. (Find a copy of Martin Luther King's speech "I Have a Dream" and read it to the class.)
U.S. Senator STROM THURMOND set a filibuster record of speaking for 24 hours, 27minutes on this day in 1957. (Ask your students to find out what he talked about.)
The Space Shuttle DISCOVERY made its maiden flight on this day in 1984. (Ask stu-dents to find out about the Space Shuttle and how this type of space flight is different from the Apollo flights.
MARIA MONTESSOR, the developer of the Montessori method of education, was bornon this day in 1870. (Celebrate by simply having a great back to school!)
24TH
25TH
26TH
27TH
28TH
29TH
30TH
31ST
Monthly Idea Book: July & August
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 21
A AAAu uuu
g gggu uuu
s sss t ttt C CCC
a aaal lll e eee
n nnnd ddd
a aaar rrr
H HHHe eee a aaa
d ddde eee r rrr
AAAAuuuugggg uuuu
ssss tttt
Monthly Idea Book: July & August
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 22
JJJJuuuullllyyyy &&&& AAAAuuuugggguuuussssttttCCCCaaaalllleeeennnnddddaaaarrrr
SSSSyyyymmmmbbbboooollllssss
Monthly Idea Book: July & August
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 23 Monthly Idea Book: July & August
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 24
Sun
day
Mon
day
Tues
day
Wed
nesd
ayT
hurs
day
Sat
urda
y
JJJJ uuuullll yyyy
Frid
ay
Monthly Idea Book: July & August
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 25
Sun
day
Mon
day
Tues
day
Wed
nesd
ayT
hurs
day
Sat
urda
y
AAAAuuuugggg uuuu
ssss ttttFr
iday
Monthly Idea Book: July & August
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 26
MMMMiiiinnnniiii CCCCaaaalllleeeennnnddddaaaarrrr SSSSyyyymmmmbbbboooollllssss
Monthly Idea Book: July & August
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 27
SSSSuuuummmmmmmmeeeerrrr
AAAAccccttttiiiivvvviiiittttiiiieeeessss!!!!
Monthly Idea Book: July & August
A FIELD OF SUNFLOWERSGive each student a small, yellowpaper plate. Cut numerous flower
petals from yellow and or gold con-struction paper and have the stu-dents glue the petals to the outeredge of the paper plate. When dry,give each child a handful of sun-
flower seeds and instruct them toglue the seeds to the center of theflower. Attach a long green paperstem and leaves to each child's sun-flower and post them on the class
board for a fantastic summer display.
QUICKIE SUMMER ACTIVITIESInsect Spy - Find an insect in yourbackyard such as a honeybee, ant ora spider. Observe it closely. Does thebee collect nectar? Are the antstaking food back to the colony? Isthe spider spinning a web or waiting
for its next meal? Write about whatyou see.
Picnic Lunch - Pack a picnic lunchand invite a friend over to have lunchunder a tree in a park or your ownbackyard.
Sky Observer - Ask your parents totake you someplace where the night
sky can be observed. A country roador hilltop that has no artificial lightoffers the best views. Look for andidentify the various planets, constella-tions and occasional shooting star!
Road Trip - If your family is planninga trip, locate the intended route on ahighway map. Note the various townsand points of interest you will pass orhave the opportunity to visit.Calculate the time it will take tomake the trip. (If you can't take anactual trip, plan an imaginary one!)
I'M GOING ON A PICNIC...Have your students go on an imagi-nary picnic with this memoriza-tion game.
Have students sit in a circleon the floor. One studentstarts by saying, "I'm goingon a picnic, and I'm takingapple pie and baked beans!"The third student then says,"I'm going on a picnic, and I'mtaking apple pie, baked beans,and cupcakes!" The game con-tinues around the circle witheach student using the order ofthe alphabet for their answerand at the same time remem-bering what the other studentshave added. Any student thatmisses loses his or her place inthe circle and sits out the restof the game.
SUN PRINTSEveryone has noticed how con-struction paper fades when lefton a bulletin board a little toolong. Use this effect of thesun in your next art lesson.
Give each student a dark sheet ofconstruction paper. (Purple, blueor brown work best.) Ask the childrento cut shapes from paper or arrangeother flat objects on the paper withsmall pieces of tape or Post-It gluesticks. Tape the sheets, face out, to asunny window. In a day or two, takethe collages down and have studentscarefully remove the items. The con-struction paper under the shapes willremain dark while the rest of thepaper will be faded.
SSSSuuuummmmmmmmeeeerrrr AAAAcccctttt iiiivvvviiii tttt iiiieeeessss!!!!
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 28 Monthly Idea Book: July & August
Kids love to earn their own money! Children learn the values of beingresourceful and responsible. They also learn the benefits of saving money andplanning ahead for spending it.
Discuss with your students ways they can earn their own money during thesummer. You might encourage them to think of ways they can help or be ofassistance to family members and/or neighbors. Here are a few ideas to getthem started:
• Wash cars • Water plants • Tutor a younger child • Mow lawns • Pull weeds in reading or math• Walk or feed dogs • Sweep porches • Collect and cash in • Run errands • Plant flowers recycled items
Have children select a "job" they would like to pursue. Instruct them to list thenecessary plans and materials they would need to begin doing the "job." Theyshould also calculate prices they will charge and the estimated time it will taketo accomplish.
MMMMyyyy SSSSuuuummmmmmmmeeeerrrr JJJJoooobbbb!!!!
Type of job:Needed Materials:
Needed Tools:
Amount I will charge:
Time it will take:Describe in detail your summer job.
SSSSuuuummmmmmmmeeeerrrr JJJJoooobbbbssss ffffoooorrrr KKKKiiiiddddssss!!!!
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 29
Name
Monthly Idea Book: July & August
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 30
SSSSttttaaaayyyy CCCCoooooooo llll !!!!VVVViiii ssss iiii tttt tttthhhheeee
LLLL iiii bbbbrrrraaaarrrryyyy !!!!
DDDD rrrr eeee aaaa mmmm sssscccc oooo mmmm eeeetttt rrrr uuuu eeee
wwww hhhh eeee nnnn yyyy oooo uuuu
RRRR EEEE AAAA DDDD !!!!
ddddiiiissssccccoooovvvveeeerrrr
lllliiiibbbbeeeerrrrttttyyyy
iiiinnnn tttthhhheeee
lllliiiibbbbrrrraaaarrrryyyy!!!!
Monthly Idea Book: July & August
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 31
Student's Name
Student's Name
TeacherDate Teacher Date
Student's Name
DDDDiiiidddd aaaa""""YYYYuuuummmmmmmmyyyy""""
JJJJoooobbbb!!!!wasareal
winnertoday!
Youare mysunshine!
Name
Teacher Date Teacher Date
Did a great job today!
wwwwaaaassssSSSSUUUUPPPPEEEERRRRttttooooddddaaaayyyy!!!!
WWWWaaaayyyyttttoooo
GGGGoooo!!!!
Monthly Idea Book: July & August
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 32
Pencil Toppers
Reproduce these"Pencil Toppers"onto index or con-struction paper. Color
and cut out. Use anart knife to cut
through theXs.
Slide apencil
through bothXs, as shown.
Use as classroom, holiday or birthday treats.
Monthly Idea Book: July & August
MMMM yyyy SSSS uuuu mmmm mmmm eeee rrrrBBBB oooo oooo kkkk !!!!
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 33
Name
Monthly Idea Book: July & August
Sunglasses!Children will love making and wearing these fun sunglasses!
Cut the patterns from heavy paper. Carefully cut out thelenses. Cut circles of colored cellophane and paste them tothe backs of the glasses. Attach the bows to the frame byfitting them into the designated slots.
Decorate the sunglass frames with feathers, glitter orsequins.
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 34
Cutout
Cutout
Cut
CutC
ut
bows
Monthly Idea Book: July & August
Giant SummerGlasses!
Have each student cut this giant glasses patternfrom folded construction paper.
Instruct the students to write about a summer adventurein one lens and draw a picture of the activity in the other.
Display the glasses on the classboard to motivate the children intopursuing a summer hobby or takingswimming or music lessons.
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 35
FOLD
Title the display, "Looking Forward to aGreat Summer!"
Monthly Idea Book: July & August
MMMMyyyy SSSSuuuummmmmmmmeeeerrrr JJJJoooouuuurrrrnnnnaaaallll !!!!
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 36
Date:What happened:
My feelings!:
Date:What happened:
My feelings!:
Date:What happened:
My feelings!:
Monthly Idea Book: July & August
SunshinePuppet!
Attach the patterns to asmall paper lunch bag.
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 37 Monthly Idea Book: July & August
You Are My Sunshine!Award students yellow paper sun rays that they can paste to theirown "You Are My Sunshine!" sun pattern.
Students collect all eight rays and thendisplay the suns on the class board!
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 38
YYYYoooo uuuuAAAA rrrr eeee MMMM yyyy
SSSS uuuu nnnn ssss hhhh iiii nnnn eeee !!!!
Name
Date
Teac
her
Monthly Idea Book: July & August
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 39
WWWWaaaatttteeeerrrrmmmmeeeelllloooonnnn,,,,
PPPPiiiizzzzzzzzaaaa &&&& IIIIcccceeee
CCCCrrrreeeeaaaammmm!!!!
Monthly Idea Book: July & August
WATERMELON IDEASTry one of these refreshing ideas nexttime your students need a break fromroutine classwork.
• Ask students to discover how water-melons are grown and where theyoriginated. Some students may like tofind out how large they can grow.
• Pass out pieces of watermelonfor the students to enjoy. Askthem to save the seeds. Drythem overnight and plant themthe next day. In a couple of
weeks you should find smallwatermelon plants coming up.
• Cut several slices of watermelonfrom red and green constructionpaper. Write a number or simple mathproblem on each slice. Save realwatermelon seeds from a class picnicand have students glue the appropriatenumber of seeds to the watermelonslices.
• Make watermelon ice. Cut chunks ofwatermelon, minus the rind and seeds,and use a blender to puree. Pour intoindividual cups and chill in the freezeruntil icy. Eat on a hot summer day.
• Write the word W-A-T-E-R-M-E-L-O-Nvertically on the class board. Ask chil-dren to use each individual letter tostart a sentence on why they like sum-mer or picnics.
ICE CREAM VOCABULARYAsk your students to brainstorm allof the words they would use todescribe their favorite flavor and tex-ture of ice cream. Children can writepoems or short stories using thedescriptive words.
As a creative twist, ask students towrite a descriptive account of some-one eating an ice cream cone. Tellthem that they cannot use the fol-lowing words: ice cream, cone,lick, cold and delicious.
FAVORITE FLAVORSThe International Ice CreamAssociation list the mostpopular flavors in thisorder: vanilla, chocolate,butter pecan, strawberry,Neapolitan, chocolatechip and French vanilla.List these flavors on the class boardand ask your students to vote fortheir favorite flavor. Does your classrank the flavors in the same order?
Children may wish to write to theInternational Ice Cream Associationfor more information. Their addressis
888 Sixteenth Street N.W., Washington, D.C. 20006.
If you ask children to list their favorite foods more than likely they will mentionwatermelon, pizza or ice cream! Here are a few motivational activities that usethese fun foods to help reinforce language arts, mathematics and other areas ofyour own curriculum.
WWWWaaaatttteeeerrrrmmmmeeeelllloooonnnn,,,, PPPPiiiizzzzzzzzaaaa aaaannnndddd IIIIcccceeee CCCCrrrreeeeaaaammmm AAAAcccctttt iiiivvvviiii tttt iiiieeeessss!!!!
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 40 Monthly Idea Book: July & August
ICE CREAM FACTSAsk students to research the manyways ice cream has made history!Suggest they find out the following:
• Who was the first to invent ice cream?
• How did the early settlers make icecream?
• Who was the first to serve ice cream in the White House?
• Who was the first to manufacture ice cream?
• How was the first ice cream soda invented?
* How did the ice cream "sundae" get its name?
• When and where was the first ice cream cone invented?
• How much ice cream is pro-duced in the United States each year?
MELON MANIABring a variety of different melons
into the classroom for your studentsto sample. Make sure you includewatermelon, cantaloupe, honeydewand casaba melon.
Ask your students to describe thetastes and textures of each one.
You may also want to have your stu-dents sample pickled watermelon rindand ask them to explain its character-istics.
CREATIVE PIZZA WRITINGSAsk your students to brainstorm asmany pizza toppings as possible.Write their responses on the boardand ask them to use the toppings in acreative poem or short story.
PIZZA PUZZLESUse the pizza slice pattern in thischapter to create a clever matchingactivity or fascinating learning puzzle.
Eight pizza slices, arranged in a circle,make a complete pizza pie. Copy andcut the pizza slices from brown or redconstruction paper. On the sliceswrite vocabulary words, contrac-tions, synonyms, math prob-lems, ordinal numbers, etc.Keep the pizza slices in a cleanpizza box. Students can takethe boxes to their desksand independentlyarrange the pizzaslices in the correctorder or groups.
You can easily teachfractions of halves, quartersand eighths by using the same pizzaslices.
WATERMELON POEMSCut a large, red and green slice ofwatermelon from construction paperfor each child in class. You may wantto make them on a fold, creatingwatermelon booklets. Children canwrite "mouth-watering" poems or sum-marize short stories on the melons.Display them on the class board as arefreshing summer display.
WWWWaaaatttteeeerrrrmmmmeeeelllloooonnnn,,,, PPPPiiiizzzzzzzzaaaa aaaannnndddd IIIIcccceeee CCCCrrrreeeeaaaammmm AAAAcccctttt iiiivvvviiii tttt iiiieeeessss!!!!
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 41 Monthly Idea Book: July & August
YUMMY FIELD TRIPSTake your students on a fun field tripto the local ice cream shop or pizzaparlor. Contact the parents and shopowners several weeks in advance.They will probably insist that the visittake place before the shop opens inthe morning hours. Encourage theowner's participation in the learningprocess of the visit. They may suggestthat groups of students make theirown pizza or sundaes. Suggest thatthe shop owners give the childrencoupons that can be taken home toparents to promote their particularbusiness.
HOMEMADE ICE CREAMIce cream will taste that much sweet-er when your students have helpedmake it using a hand-crank ice creamfreezer. Here is a simple recipe:
1 can condensed (sweetened) milk
1 qt. whole milk12 oz. frozen whipped topping4 cups mashed bananas,
strawberries or peachesPack the freezer with crushed ice andfreezer salt. Have students take turnsturning until the mixture thickens.Serve in small paper cups with plasticspoons. Enjoy!
TOASTER OVEN PIZZASLet students have the fun of makingtheir own mini pizzas using a toasteroven and these simple ingredients.
Instruct students to wash their handsand then give each student onecanned refrigerator biscuit. Tell themto flatten out the biscuit like a smallpancake and place it onto a squarepiece of tin foil. Each student canthen spread a spoonful of ready-madepizza sauce on their pizza followed bygrated cheese and assorted toppings.Bake each pizza six to eight minutesat 400 degrees.
WATERMELON FRACTIONSCreate a visual watermelon display tohelp explain fractions to your students.
Cut several large green circles fromconstruction paper and the samenumber of red circles, only slightlysmaller. Glue the red circles to thecenters of the green circles to createmelon rounds.
Cut the melon rounds into the desiredfractions, such as; halves, quarters,thirds, etc. Children can help makethe pieces look more like watermelonslices by gluing on real watermelonseeds or drawing them on with ablack felt marker.
As a special treat, let your studentscut their own real watermelon roundsinto specified fractions. Eating themelons can be the prize for a job welldone.
WWWWaaaatttteeeerrrrmmmmeeeelllloooonnnn,,,, PPPPiiiizzzzzzzzaaaa aaaannnndddd IIIIcccceeee CCCCrrrreeeeaaaammmm AAAAcccctttt iiiivvvviiii tttt iiiieeeessss!!!!
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 42 Monthly Idea Book: July & August
• CLASS MONITORS Write jobs on paper cones and students'names on paper ice cream scoops. Pin the cones to the classboard with the title, "We've Got the Scoop on Classroom Jobs!"Students can help move the individual student ice cream scoopsfrom cone to cone.
• BOOK REPORTS Give each student one paper cone andthree paper ice cream scoops when they finish reading their nextlibrary book. Have them write the title of the book and theauthor's name on the first scoop, a list of characters on the sec-ond scoop and a summary of the story on the third scoop.Students can write their own names on the cones and pin thecompleted "book report-ice cream cones" on the class board.
• READING GROUPS Label paper cones with your specificreading group names on the class board. Write the name of everystudent on paper ice cream scoops. Stack the scoops on theappropriate cone to show which student is in which readinggroup.
• CLASS RULES Display a large paper cone on the class boardlabeled with your name and room number. Write specific rulesyou wish your students to follow on paper ice cream scoops.Stack the scoops on the cone for a fun reminder of your expecta-tions.
• STUDENT AWARDS Give each student his or her own papercone and tell them to pin it to the class board. Students earn icecream scoops cut from colored paper as they accomplish goals orimprove behavior. Children will love seeing who can stack themost ice cream scoops.
• MULTIPLICATION RECOGNITION Give each student apaper ice cream cone that is displayed on the class board. Aseach student demonstrates his or her knowledge of a multiplica-tion table, offer a paper ice cream scoop labeled with the numberof the table demonstrated. Kids will grow in pride and motivationas the ice cream cones grow in height.
WWWWaaaayyyyssss ttttoooo UUUUsssseeee IIIIcccceeee CCCCrrrreeeeaaaammmm CCCCoooonnnneeeessss iiiinnnn tttthhhheeee CCCCllllaaaassssssssrrrroooooooommmm!!!!
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 43 Monthly Idea Book: July & August
MatchingIce Cream
Cones
Make several cones and ice cream pat-terns from colored construction paper.Cut the cone pattern from folded paper
and staple together, leaving the topopen. Add your own matching prob-
lems and have your studentsmatch the appropriate ice cram
scoop to the correct cone.
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 44
FOLD
Monthly Idea Book: July & August
IceCreamCone
Puppet
Cut out andpaste these pat-terns to a smalllunch bag tomake a cutepuppet.
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 45 Monthly Idea Book: July & August
WatermelonBooklet
Add your own watermelon seeds.
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 46
Name
seed
Monthly Idea Book: July & August
Watermelon SlicesUse this watermelonslice pattern in a varietyof activities.
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 47
• Make watermelon name tags for the year-end class picnic.
• Make a variety of matching games. Questions on one half, answers on the other.
• Cut the top off of a small milk carton and glue a watermelon half to each side. Fill the box with crayons, paper clips, loose change or a collection of shells or marbles.
Monthly Idea Book: July & August
WatermelonPuppet
Paste thepattern pieces
to a small paperlunch bag to make
a cute puppet.
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 48 Monthly Idea Book: July & August
Pizza Awards!The next time you wish to awardyour students with an extra special treat, give them apiece of pizza!
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 49
mushroom
Name
pepperoniolive
As eachstudentreceives their piece ofpizza, display themon the class bulletinboard, as illustrat-ed. You might want
each student to collectsix pieces of pizza.
Students can decorate thepizza pieces with paper mushrooms, olives and pepperoni.Throw a real pizza party for your class when all studentshave earned their pizza award!
Monthly Idea Book: July & August
Banana Splits!Have students build banana splits as theyaccomplish goals or improve behavior.Give each student a dish pattern andinstruct them to paste it to a sheet of construction paper.
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 50
Award the banana split patterns tostudents who accomplish goals.
Monthly Idea Book: July & August
When everyonein class hasearned all ofthe ingredientsfor a bananasplit, providethe real thingfor your stu-dents to enjoy.
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 51
whipped cream
cherry
dish
banana
hot fudge
Nam
e
Monthly Idea Book: July & August
MMMMyyyy PPPPiiiizzzzzzzzaaaa RRRReeeecccciiiippppeeee!!!!
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 52
Student's Name
My favorite type of pizza is:
Here's how to make it!
Step 1:
Step 2:
Step 3:
Step 4:
Bake the pizza at degrees for minutes.
My comments:
Monthly Idea Book: July & August
PizzaChef!
Have students write creative pizza recipesor imaginary menus.Mount each paper onconstruction paperand display this "PizzaChef" around thepage!
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 53 Monthly Idea Book: July & August
IceCreamBooklet
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 54
Name
Monthly Idea Book: July & August
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 55
4444tttthhhhooooffff
JJJJuuuullllyyyy!!!!
Monthly Idea Book: July & August
The most important patriotic holiday to all UnitedStates citizens is Independence Day, or theFourth of July. Independence Day cele-brates the historical signing of theDeclaration of Independence by theContinental Congress on July 4, 1776. Withthis act, the thirteen colonies formed a newnation, the United States of America.
Celebrations continued for several days. Thepeople of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania cheered ascitizens spread the news that the Declaration of Independence had beensigned. The Liberty Bell was rung at Independence Hall and a statue of KingGeorge III was taken down and destroyed. That night people lit bonfires anddanced in the streets in celebration.
Today, the Fourth of July is celebrated with family picnics, parades, fireworksand political speeches. It is a happy, joyous time but also one in which weshould all remember the sacrifices our forefathers made in order to give us thisgreat nation.
DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCEThe Declaration of Independence is a document that declares the rights of anew nation. It explains the feelings of the colonists and lists the wrongs theysuffered under British rule. It also states that the people of the United Stateswill fight their own wars, make their own peace and carry on their own trade.With the signing of this document, the United States became an independent,free nation.
The first person to sign the Declaration was John Hancock, president of thecontinental Congress. Thomas Jefferson, with the help of Benjamin Franklinand John Adams, wrote the document. Fifty-six men signed the declaration. Insigning, each man pledged to his new country "our lives, our fortunes, and oursacred honor."
You might like to read a few sentences of the Declaration of Independence toyour students.
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, thatthey are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that amongthese are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights,Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the con-sent of the governed."
IIIInnnnddddeeeeppppeeeennnnddddeeeennnncccceeee DDDDaaaayyyy!!!!
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 56 Monthly Idea Book: July & August
ACTIVITY 1 FIND THESE PATRIOTIC WORDS:
INDEPENDENCE RIGHTSDECLARATION EQUALITYLIBERTY HONORJUSTICE FREEDOM PATRIOTISM AMERICASTARS GLORYSTRIPES FLAGUNCLE SAM
WRITE A PARAGRAPH ABOUT FREEDOM USING ATLEAST FIVE WORDS IN THE PUZZLE ABOVE.
ACTIVITY 2WHO'S HIDING IN THESE NUMBERS?
___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___.
PPPPaaaattttrrrriiiiooootttt iiiicccc FFFFuuuunnnn!!!!
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 57
1
10
8
2 3
45
26
1197
6 1413
12
15
16
17
25
22
23
24
20
19
21
18
X C F T R E V F R E E D O M D F T YD F L D T Y G H J U S E T E O U L KF Y A R G T Y J U S T I C E D E W RW O G F G T Y H J U I K L O P H J SP A T R I O T I S M S W Q E R T Y TS D F R T G G D E D S E W D S W T AF B V C X L T Y U I L I B E R T Y RD C V F G O G T H D E S E S A E T SF B V C X R F A M E R I C A D R E TC V B F G Y D R E F G T H Y U J K RU N C L E S A M D R F G T Y H J U IH S D R R E G V B N M J H K I U J PO G D E C L A R A T I O N D F R T EN F V G B H N J M K L O I K J M N SO V B G F B A Z J H R I G H T S G LR C V B H G N M J K L O I K M J N HQ R I N D E P E N D E N C E P L M TZ E Q U A L I T Y M X P O L T R F E
Monthly Idea Book: July & August
4th of JulyPuppet!
Paste these eaglepatterns onto asmall paperlunch bag tomake a 4th ofJuly puppet.
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 58 Monthly Idea Book: July & August
MMMMyyyyLLLLiiiibbbbeeeerrrrttttyyyy
BBBBooooooookkkk!!!!
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 59
Name
FOLD
Monthly Idea Book: July & August
WhatLiberty
Means toMe!
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 60 Monthly Idea Book: July & August
4th of JulyVisor
Cop
yth
is"4
thof
July
"vis
oron
tost
urdy
inde
xor
cons
truc
tion
pape
r.C
hild
ren
can
doth
eco
lorin
g.
Punc
hho
les
atbo
then
dsan
dat
tach
strin
gel
astic
orm
ailin
gst
ring.
(With
elas
tic,t
hest
uden
tsca
nea
sily
rem
ove
the
viso
rsw
ithou
tret
ying
.)
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 61
4 444t ttth hhh
ooooffff
J JJJu uuu
l lll y yyy! !!!
Monthly Idea Book: July & August
UncleSam
Use these "UncleSam" patterns to
display patriotic papers.
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 62 Monthly Idea Book: July & August
4444tttthhhh ooooffff JJJJuuuullllyyyy FFFFiiiinnnnggggeeeerrrr PPPPuuuuppppppppeeeettttssss!!!!
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 63
FFFFrrrreeeeeeeeddddoooommmm NNNNaaaammmmeeee PPPPllllaaaatttteeee!!!!
CutOut
CutOut
CutOut
CutOut
Happy 4th of July!
Name
Monthly Idea Book: July & August
Freedom MobileCut these patterns from heavypaper and hang with string orfishing line.
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 64
¢
¢
¢
Monthly Idea Book: July & August
Wet
he
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 65
People
...
¢
¢
¢
Monthly Idea Book: July & August
MMMMyyyy FFFFrrrreeeeeeeeddddoooommmmFFFFiiiigggghhhhtttteeeerrrr RRRReeeeppppoooorrrrtttt!!!!
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 66
Student's Name
Freedom Fighter's Name:
Birthdate:Birthplace:Here is how this person helped promote freedom:
People who benefited from this person's actions:
This person's most important contribution:
My thoughts:
Monthly Idea Book: July & August
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 67
TTTThhhheeee
WWWWiiiilllldddd WWWWeeeesssstttt!!!!
Monthly Idea Book: July & August
THE LIFE OF A COWBOYAsk your students to research what aday in the life of a cowboy would havebeen like.
Start out by sending them to the libraryto research the early years of the cattlebusiness. They may write about the
"cattle drives," "round-ups," and"harvest." On the classroom maphave them show the four main
cattle trails: the SadaliaTrail, Chisholm Trail,Goodnight-Loving Trailand the Western Trail.
Some students maywant to record what a
cowboy wore and ate onthe trail. Other students may
want to explain the procedures forbranding calves. You may want to assignone student to report on the effect of
the sheep industry on the cattlebusiness.
As the project comes to a close,hold a real cowboy barbecue inthe classroom. A serving of chiliand beans and a small slice ofcornbread will inspire in any
student a feeling of the OldWest!
WANTEDPOSTERS
Give each student theirown wanted poster to com-
plete. Ask them to draw a picture ofthemselves in the space provided orpaste in a school photo. Display theposters on the class bulletin board as away for students to learn more abouttheir fellow classmates.
COWBOY STORIESAsk your students to write a creativestory about the old West. You may wantto list the following words on the classchalkboard and ask them to pick severalof the words to use in their story.
bandit bedrollboots bunkhousecamp fire canyoncattle cattle drivechaps chuck wagoncorral cowboycowpoke coyotesdeputy desertdude herdholdup horsesIndians lassolonghorns outlawposse ranchrange rodeorope round-uprustler saddlesaloon sheriffsix-shooter stampedestagecoach trailwagon train wolveswrangler vittles
RODEO TIMEDedicate one of those hum-drumdays of summer to "ClassRodeo Day!"
Tell your students a fewdays in advance that theymay dress like cowboys orcowgirls on this special day. Arrangesome of these fun activities:
"Sharp Shooter Spelling Bee""Jump Roping Contest""Bronco Relay Race""Lariat Ring Toss"
Award star-shaped "Sheriff Badges" to allthe participants!
Bring the fun and excitement of the "Wild West" with these creative activities!
WWWWiiii lllldddd WWWWeeeesssstttt AAAAcccctttt iiiivvvviiii tttt iiiieeeessss!!!!
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 68 Monthly Idea Book: July & August
FAMOUS HORSESStudents might like reading about horsesin the school library. Several books willgive them information about famoushorses as well as general knowledgeabout riding and care. Some horses arefamous because they belonged to U.S.Presidents, others won national racesand still others belonged to televisioncharacters. Ask your students to researcha famous horse and give an oral reportto their classmates. Here are a few sug-gestions:
Trigger ButtermilkSeabiscuit Black BeautyFury Mister EdSilver FlickaMan 'O War Secretariat
A VISIT BY A HORSEIn most areas, it is possible to arrangefor someone in the community to bring ahorse to your school for a visit. Even inlarge cities, you may be able to arrangefor a policeman on horseback or carriagedriver to visit your classroom.
Ask your students to prepare a variety ofquestions before the visit. Here are a fewsuggestions:
Height and weight of the horse?Name and age?How it is groomed?Where does it sleep at night?Is ite a work horse?Does it wear horseshoes?What equipment is needed to ride?What training is needed to ride?What does it eat?
Even if a real horse is unavailable, youmight ask someone who owns a horse tobring pictures and a saddle to show thechildren.
FAMOUS CHARACTERSThe Old West offered a variety of notoriouscharacters who played a big role in theromance of the age. Your studentsmight find it fun to discover thetruth about these legendary "real"people. Here are a few names theymight like to research:
The OutlawsBilly the KidCalamity JaneButch CassidyKid CurryBob, Emmett and Grafton
DaltonPearl HartTom HornFrank and Jesse JamesBelle Starr
The LawIra AtenWyatt EarpWild Bill HickokBat MastersonZeke MillerJohn SlaughterTom SmithHeck Thomas
The Showmen/womenWilliam F. CodyAnnie OakleyNat Love
HORSE VOCABULARYList several of these words orphrases on the class board and askstudents to use them in a "horsy"writing assignment.
Riding Tall In the SaddleHold Your HorsesFrom the Horse's MouthHorse Of a Different ColorHorse AroundHorse and BuggyHorseback HorsepowerHorsefly HorseshoesHorsehair HorsewhipHorselaugh Horse Sense
WWWWiiii lllldddd WWWWeeeesssstttt AAAAcccctttt iiiivvvviiii tttt iiiieeeessss!!!!
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 69
C Ca an nt to or rA A
w wa ar rd d! !
Monthly Idea Book: July & August
Walk, Cantor,Trot andGallop!
The four gaits of a horseare walk, cantor, trot andgallop. Use these terms in your next activity tomotivate your students in accomplishing assigned goals.
Copy these four differenthorseshoe awards eachlabeled with the fourgaits. When a studentcompletes the first part ofa goal, he or she is givena “walking” award.
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 70
Name
Teacher
Date
Awarded to:
WW WWaa aall llkk kk
AA AAww ww
aa aarr rrdd dd!! !!
Name
Teacher
Date
Awarded to:
CC CCaa aann nntt ttoo oorr rrAA AA
ww wwaa aarr rrdd dd!! !!
After completion of the sec-ond stage, the student winsa "Cantor," and so on. Uponcompleting the goal, thestudent is declared to be atfull speed and is given the"gallop" award.
Students that collect all fourhorseshoes can displaythem on the class boardunder the tile "TheseStudents Have HorseSense!"
Monthly Idea Book: July & August
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 71
Name
Teacher
Date
Awarded to:
TT TTrr rroo oott ttAA AA
ww wwaa aarr rrdd dd!! !!
Name
Teacher
Date
Awarded to:
GG GGaa aall llll lloo oopp pp
AA AAww ww
aa aarr rrdd dd!! !!
When all of the studentshave accomplished theirgoals, hold a class party.Since horses love oats,oatmeal and brown sugarwould make a perfecttreat!
Monthly Idea Book: July & August
WWAANNTTEEDD$1,000,000 REWARD!
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 72
Name:
Alias:
Date Last Seen:
Last Known Address:
Last Seen Wearing:
Age: Birthdate:
Birthplace:
Eye Color: Hair Color:
Known to Hang Out With:
Hobbies:
Favorite Subjects:
Accused of:
Picture
Monthly Idea Book: July & August
HorseCharacter
Enlarge this humorous horse anddisplay it around the edge of yournext bulletin board. Entitle theboard, "These Students Don'tHorse Around!"
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 73
Monthly Idea Book: July & August
Cowboy-CowgirlHat PatternCut this pattern from colored paper and attach it to a paper head band.
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 74 Monthly Idea Book: July & August
Sheriff Badgeand Spurs
Have your students bring hats, kerchiefs, boots, etc. toschool for a special "Cowboy Dress-Up Day!" They canenhance their costumes with these simple patterns.
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 75
SHERIFFName
FOLD
The badge can be cut from yel-low paper and pinned to a shirtor vest. Cut two spur patterns
from folded constructionpaper. Staple onetogether at the spur andcarefully slip it over the
top of your boot orshoe.
Monthly Idea Book: July & August
Cowboy WheelCopy this cowboy Wheel" onto heavyindex paper. Color, cut out and assemble with brass fasteners. Addyour own problems and answers. Movethe horse's tail to reveal the answer.
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 76
CutOut
CutOut
Monthly Idea Book: July & August
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 77
Tail
Monthly Idea Book: July & August
Movable Horse
Cut this horse patternfrom construction paperand assemble using brassfasteners.
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 78
Tail
BackLegs
FrontLegs
Body
Monthly Idea Book: July & August
WildWest
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 79
Name
Booklet
TTTThhhheeeeWWWWiiii llllddddWWWWeeeesssstttt!!!!
Monthly Idea Book: July & August
RRRReeeeaaaaddddiiiinnnnggggRRRRoooouuuunnnndddd----UUUUpppp!!!!
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 80
Book Title:
Author:Main Characters:
The Main Story:
I liked the book... nn yes nn noWhy?
Monthly Idea Book: July & August
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 81
OOOOuuuurrrrSSSSoooollllaaaarrrr
SSSSyyyysssstttteeeemmmm!!!!
Monthly Idea Book: July & August
Try some of these activities to reinforce a space unit in your classroom.
SOLAR INFORMATIONThe sun and all the planets, with their satellites, make up our solar system. Theword "solar" comes from the Latin word "sol," meaning sun.
Nine planets make up our solar system. The earth is one of these planets. Six ofthe planets have moons. The earth has only one moon but the largest planet,Jupiter, has as many as sixteen. Besides the nine planets and moons, there arenumerous asteroids, meteors and comets.
FACTS ABOUT THE PLANETS
Distance (in miles) NumberPlanet Name from Sun Diameter in Miles of Moons
MERCURY 36,300,000 3,009 0VENUS 67,000,000 7,522 0EARTH 93,000,000 7,926 1MARS 141,400,000 4,196 2
JUPITER 484,000,000 88,700 16SATURN 887,000,000 74,600 17URANUS 1,784,000,000 32,500 15NEPTUNE 2,796,000,000 30,500 8
PLUTO 3,668,000,000 1,660 1
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 82
EEEExxxxpppplllloooorrrriiiinnnngggg OOOOuuuurrrr SSSSoooollllaaaarrrr SSSSyyyysssstttteeeemmmm!!!!
PLANETARY TRIPHave each student choose a planeton which to report. Ask them to usetheir imagination and write about thepeople that might live there. Whattypes of homes would they need?What would they do for food orwater? How would they travel? Askthem to draw a picture of their newplanetary settlement.
UNIVERSAL VOCABULARYWrite these "astronomical" words onslips of paper and have each childdraw one word to research andreport.
ASTEROID METEORASTRONOMY MOONBLACK HOLE NEUTRON STARCOMET NOVACOSMOS PLANETCRATER PULSARECLIPSE QUASARGALAXY SOLAR SYSTEMGRAVITY STARLIGHT YEARS SUPERNOVA
Ask each student to illustrate theirword and display them on the classboard.
Monthly Idea Book: July & August
SOLAR SYSTEM DISPLAYAccurately display the planets along aclassroom wall or corridor by usingthese ideas and dimensions.
Using these measurements, the sunwould have to be more than 15 feet indiameter. With this in mind, simply notethe location of the sun and begin withthe first planet, Mercury!
MERCURY - Place Mercury (1 3/4 inch-es in diameter) 2 inches from the sun.
VENUS - Place Venus (3 1/4 inches indiameter) 3/4 inches from the sun.
EARTH - Place Earth (2 inches in diame-ter) 4 1/2 inches from the sun.
MOON - Place the Moon (1/2 inches indiameter) as close to Earth as possible.
MARS - Place Mars (1 inch in diameter)7 inches from the sun.
JUPITER - Place Jupiter (20 inches indiameter) 25 inches from the sun.
SATURN - Place Saturn (18 inches indiameter) 44 inches from the sun.
URANUS - Place Uranus (8 inches indiameter) 89 inches from the sun.
NEPTUNE - Place Neptune (7 inches indiameter) 140 inches from the sun.
PLUTO- Place Pluto (5/8 inches indiameter) 183 inches from the sun.
Ask students to cut the planets from col-ored paper and draw in the particularcharacteristics of each one. Have themadd moons, asteroids, rings, etc. Havethem also research and label the accu-rate sizes and distances of each planet.
MEMORIZING PLANETSTeach your students an easy way tomemorize the planetsof our solar systemwith this simple trick.Ask them to memorizethis sentence.
"MY VERY ENERGETIC MOTHER JUSTSWALLOWED anUGLY, NASTY PICKLE!"
Show them howeach word gives aclue to the order ofthe planets.
MERCURY, VENUS,EARTH, MARS,JUPITER, SATURN,URANUS, NEPTUNE, PLUTO
This type of memory technique is calleda "mnemonic sentence." Ask students towrite other "mnemonic" sentences to helpthem memorize all kinds of things.
SPACE INFORMATIONNASA provides materials and resourcesfor teachers about astronomy. They alsopublish a teacher's newsletter specificallyfor classroom use. Write to:
NASAEducational Publications Services
XEPWashington, DC 20546
The National Air and Space Museumalso provides information. Write to:
National Air & Space Museum's Educational Resource CenterOffice of Education, P-700
Washington, DC 20560
EEEExxxxpppplllloooorrrriiiinnnngggg OOOOuuuurrrr SSSSoooollllaaaarrrr SSSSyyyysssstttteeeemmmm!!!!
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 83 Monthly Idea Book: July & August
ROCKET TO THE SUNDemonstrate to your students the greatdistances of space and at the same timegive them some practice at figuringmiles per hour and distances traveled.
During the first week of school, tie a 30'length of yarn or heavy string across thetop of your classroom. Hang a paperearth at one end of the string and apaper sun at the other end. Attach apaper rocket to the string at planetEarth. Each day (or week), move therocket the distance traveled using theformula below. (Attach the rocket with aclothespin so it can be easily moved.)
Tell your class that the average speed ofthe rocket will be about 17,500 milesper hour. At that speed, the rocket cantravel 420,000 miles per day, or about1 1/2 inches.
The sun is approximately 93,000,000miles from the earth. At this rate, therocket will not reach the sun for 240
days. Remind the studentsthat a real rocket would
also take as long.
Older students canfigure how manymiles the rocket will
travel in a week,month, etc.
ASTRONOMICAL QUESTIONSHere are a few nighttime questions youmay want your students to research:
What's the difference between a planetand a star?
Can you name all the planets in oursolar system in order?
What is a "blue moon"?
What is the Milky Way?
How large is the moon and how far is itfrom the earth?
Is there a "man in the moon"?
What is a shooting star?
Students may also like to research one ofthe seven original American astronautsor one of the many constellations.
SOLAR HEATHelp your students experience the sun'sheat with this fun activity.
Give each student two 12 inchsheets of aluminum foil. Havethem place the two pieces of foiltogether and carefully cut out twomitten shapes. (The mittensshould be much larger than theirown hands.) Instruct them to tapethe front and back of each mitten togeth-er.
Students wear the mittens outside on asunny day. Ask them to hold the mittensso that the sun's rays reflect on theirfaces. Very soon, they will feel the heatof the sun. Discuss with them other wayspeople can capture the sun's energy.
EEEExxxxpppplllloooorrrriiiinnnngggg OOOOuuuurrrr SSSSoooollllaaaarrrr SSSSyyyysssstttteeeemmmm!!!!
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 84 Monthly Idea Book: July & August
FOLLOW THE SUNLet your students measure the move-ments of the earth in relation to the sunwith this easy activity.
On a sunny day, turn the lights down inthe classroom. Instruct your students tonotice a deep shadow on the classroomfloor. Ask one student to make the shad-ow line with a piece of making tape. Thetime should be written on the tape. Afterten minutes, ask another student tomake another shadow line. Repeat theexperiment several items throughout theday. Ask students to measure the dis-tance between the pieces of tape.
Hold a class discussionon what these mea-
surements mean.
STAR GAZERSCut several stars from yellow construc-tion paper. Write a vocabulary word oneach star. Attach a string to each starand hang them all from the ceiling.Children can choose several words touse in their next creative writing assign-ment.
You may also choose to write words thatcan be rhymed on each star. Childrengaze at the stars and write as manyrhyming words as possible. The studentwith the most rhyming words could wina small prize.
PHASES OF THE MOONIs there daytime and nighttime on themoon? Of course there is! And seeingthem from here on earth gives us a vari-ety of views as the moon rotates aroundthe earth. What we see is called thephases of the moon.
Ask your students to consult almanacs,newspapers or a calendar to begin theirstudy. Every night, have them view themoon and determine its phase. Ask themto also note the time the moon rises andfrom which direction.
Children should draw a picture of themoon each night. Most nights, they willbe able to see a slight change. Continuewith the study for 29 nights so they canwitness the entire cycle of the moon.
Ask them to learn these phases of themoon and label their pictures accordingly:
NEW MOON - The moon is invisibleWAXING CRESCENT - first thin sliverFIRST QUARTER - half moonWAXING GIBBOUS - 3/4 moonFULL MOONWANING GIBBOUS -3/4 moonLAST QUARTER - half moonWANING CRESCENT - last thin sliverNEW MOON (invisible moon again!)
THE BIG DIPPERMake a miniature planetarium to helpyoungsters find the big dipper in thenight sky.
Cover one end of an empty toilet tissuetube with black paper and tape in place.Gently poke holes in the black paper toresemble the big dipper. Have the chil-dren hold up the tube to the light andlook through the end. Light will shinethrough the holes and show the famousconstellation.
EEEExxxxpppplllloooorrrriiiinnnngggg OOOOuuuurrrr SSSSoooollllaaaarrrr SSSSyyyysssstttteeeemmmm!!!!
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 85
Monthly Idea Book: July & August
Star Puzzle
Make several copies of this star pattern on index or construction paper. Write your own mathproblems on each star point, as shown. Write the answers on the center of the star. Cut off allfive points of the star and place the star pieces in an envelope. Have the individual studentstake the envelope to his or her desk and assemble the star, answering the problems correctly.This is a great way to practice multiplication facts.
Create a starry bulletin board by asking the children to pin the completed star puzzles to theclassroom board. Add a rocket ship or astronaut character to the board.
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 86 Monthly Idea Book: July & August
ACTIVITY 3 UNSCRAMBLE THESE PLANET NAMES.
htaer ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
toupl ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
neutpne ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
suevn ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
urcyerm ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
nusaru ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
rnutsa ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
piertuj ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
rasm ___ ___ ___ ___
ACTIVITY 4 PLACE THE PLANET NAMES IN ORDER.
1. 4. 7.
2. 5. 8.
3. 6. 9.
ACTIVITY 5 FIND THESE SPACE WORDS.
ASTRONOMYORBITTELESCOPEPLANETSCOMETASTEROIDSTARMETEORMOONSATELLITEASTRONAUTSHUTTLE
SSSSppppaaaacccceeee FFFFuuuunnnn!!!!
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 87
S W E R D S H U T T L E D R E W Q G H YD O D C V F G T R E W S C B G Y T U I PS R H Y A S T R O N A U T D E R C Y T HC B Y H U J I Y N M H Y T R F R O D R ED I S A T E L L I T E D R E R F M G T YS T E L E S C O P E F R V S G T E U I PA S D F C V B G T R E D A T D E T F E WM E T E O R D R E F R G E A F E W Z X VO D E R F H T R W F G B H R R D W C V GO D R E A S T E R O I D F V B G H Y T NN F R E S D G B F T R E W Q A D F R T GK L P L A N E T S T G H Y U N M J K I UD C V G F T Y H J A S T R O N O M Y V C
TOUTULSBHMHHX
Monthly Idea Book: July & August
Solar System MobileYou can make a variety of mobiles with these planet patterns. Each child might wish to maketheir own, or you could simply arrange the planets on the class bulletin board.
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 88
SSSSUUUUNNNN
Monthly Idea Book: July & August
Make two copies of each planet and sun pattern and color with crayons. Cut out eachpattern piece. Glue each planet (back to back)down a long piece of string or yarn. Positionthe planets, in the order of their orbit, aroundthe sun. Hang the mobile from the class
ceiling, or have each child maketheir own mobile and hang it
in their room at home.
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 89
UUUURRRRAAAANNNNUUUUSSSS
VVVVEEEENNNNUUUUSSSS
PPPPLLLLUUUUTTTTOOOO
MMMMAAAARRRRSSSS
MMMMEEEERRRRCCCCUUUURRRRYYYY
Sun
Mercury
Earth
Jupiter
Saturn
Uranus
Neptune
Mars
Venus
Pluto
This planet mobile can alsobe arranged horizontally.Attach the planets along apiece of yarn, as describedabove. The display will reachfrom one side of your class-room to the other if youspace the planets apartaccording to scale.
Monthly Idea Book: July & August
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 90
JJJJUUUUPPPPIIIITTTTEEEERRRREEEEAAAARRRRTTTTHHHH
SSSSAAAATTTTUUUURRRRNNNN
NNNNEEEEPPPPTTTTUUUUNNNNEEEE
Monthly Idea Book: July & August
MMMM yyyySSSS pppp aaaa cccc eeeeBBBB oooo oooo kkkk !!!!
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 91
Name
Monthly Idea Book: July & August
MMMMaaaarrrrtttt iiiiaaaannnn MMMMaaaannnniiiiaaaa!!!!
This bingo game offers an exciting way foryour students to learn about our solar sys-tem. Give each child a copy of the spacebingo words listed below or write the wordson the class chalkboard. Ask your students towrite any 24 words on his or her bingo card.Use the same directions you might use for regu-lar bingo.
SPACE BINGO WORDS
SUN NEPTUNE STAR DISCOVERY FLIGHT CHALLENGERMERCURY PLUTO PAD ASTRONOMY UNIVERSE OXYGENVENUS MOON METEOR ASTRONAUT CREW GALAXYEARTH ORBIT SATELLITE SHUTTLE LUNAR NOVAMARS TELESCOPE SOLAR GRAVITY NASA SPHEREJUPITER PLANETS SYSTEM ATMOSPHERE APOLLO AIRSATURN COMET SPACE COUNTDOWN EXPLORER OBSERVATORYURANUS ASTEROID ROCKET VOYAGE LAUNCH CONSTELLATION
SSSSoooollllaaaarrrr SSSSyyyysssstttteeeemmmm BBBBiiiinnnnggggoooo!!!!
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 92
Celebrate the planet Mars by declaring the day"Martian Mania Day!"
Ask your students to come dressed in their silliestclothes. They might wear mismatched patterns orsweaters turned inside out.
Have children make thesesimple Martian antennae.Glue a paper star or planeton the end of each pipecleaner. Glitter can beadded to the starsfor a dazzlingeffect. Clip theantennae to their headby clipping them in placewith hair clips.
Serve Moon Cookies(sugar cookies) and
Martian punch, as a treat inthe afternoon.
Monthly Idea Book: July & August
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 93
SSSSOOOOLLLLAAAARRRR SSSSYYYYSSSSTTTTEEEEMMMM
BBBB IIII NNNN GGGG OOOO
FREE
Monthly Idea Book: July & August
Astronaut WheelCopy this "Astronaut Wheel”onto heavy index paper.Color, cut out and assemblewith brass fasteners. Cut out the two boxes, as shown.
Add your own math problemsand answers to the wheel on the
next page. Move the flag to reveal the answers.
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 94
CutOut
CutOut
Monthly Idea Book: July & August
Mar
s or
Bus
t!
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 95
Make one for eachchild in class. Theywill love learning theirmultiplication tableswith this astronaut.
Monthly Idea Book: July & August
MMMMyyyy PPPPllllaaaannnneeeetttt RRRReeeeppppoooorrrrtttt !!!!
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 96
Student's Name
Planet:Distancefrom Sun:Size/Diameter:Number of Moons:Surface Temperature:
Picture of My Planet!
Interesting Facts!
(On a separate piece of paper write a storyof what it would be like to visit this planet.)
Monthly Idea Book: July & August
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 97
OOOO uuuu tttt oooo ffff TTTT hhhh iiii ssssWWWWoooo rrrr llll dddd AAAAwwww aaaa rrrr dddd !!!!
has accomplishedName
Date Teacher
SpaceNameTag
Reproduce this nametag pattern on col-ored paper. Awardthem to kids whenthey complete theirstudy of the solar system.
Name
Monthly Idea Book: July & August
Astronaut
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 98 Monthly Idea Book: July & August
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 99
LLLLeeeetttt''''ssss EEEEaaaatttt
NNNNuuuuttttrrrriiiittttiiiioooouuuussssllllyyyy!!!!
Monthly Idea Book: July & August
VEGETARIANSMany people of theworld eat little or no meat. Some peo-ple choose to be vegetarians for healthreasons, some because they do notwant animals killed and others because
meat is so expensive. Whatever the rea-son for not eating meat, it is still
important to eat enough protein for ahealthy body. Most vegetarians get theirprotein from legumes such as peas andbeans.
Ask your students to plan and illus-trate a vegetarian meal. Instructthem to include the various foodgroups, substituting meat with
protein substitutes.
UPSET THE VEGETABLECART!Encourage listening skills and at
the same time promote your stu-dents' vegetable awareness with this fungame!
Assign each student the name of a veg-etable, making sure you give two ormore students the same vegetable name.Call out the name of a vegetable.Students having that vegetable namemust hurry and switch seats. After a fewrounds, declare "Upset the vegetablecart!" With this, all students must quicklychange seats. After a while, remove oneseat and choose a student to be the veg-
etable caller. When the cue "Upset thevegetable cart!" is given the caller
hurries to get a seat. The studentleft without a seat becomes thenext caller.
Vary the game by calling out veg-etable types such as root vegeta-
bles, leafy vegetables, or vegetables weeat as flowers.
MENU NUTRITIONCollect a variety of menus from cof-fee shops, restaurants and fast foodplaces. Ask students to select amenu and choose a meal thatwould be nutritious and low in fat.Have them also select the mostunhealthy item on the menu.
Students may like to write their ownmenus listing only healthy meals. Havethem use the nutrition pyramid as aguide.
RECOGNIZING VEGETABLESLet your students practice theirmemorization skills and vegetableknowledge with one of thesefamiliar games.
• Place a variety of vegetables on a tray. Make sure you include some that are a bit unusual. Give the students several minutes to carefully study the vegetables. Remove the tray and ask the students to list as many of the vegetables they can remember. The student with the mostcorrect vegetables wins.
• Cut pictures from seed catalogs or use the vegetable cards included in this unit. Pin one picture to the back of each student. Make sure the student does not see or itsname. Each student may then ask other students to help identify the vegetable by asking them only yes or no questions. Award students with a fresh carrot when they guess their vegetables.
NNNNuuuuttttrrrriiii tttt iiiioooonnnn AAAAcccctttt iiiivvvviiii tttt iiiieeeessss!!!!
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 100
LLeett''ss EEaatt
NNuuttrriittiioouussllyy!!
Monthly Idea Book: July & August
NUTRITIOUS RECIPES
NUTRITIOUS CANDY1 cup peanut butter1/2 cup honey1/4 cup sunflowerseeds1/4 cup wheat germ1/4 cup dried skim milk2 tsp. vanillacrushed corn flakes or shredded coconut
Mix the first six ingredients together andshape into small balls. Roll the balls inthe coconut or corn flakes. Refrigeratebefore eating. Makes about 40small balls.
FUZZY BANANAS1 pint sour cream or
yogurt1 banana for every four
children1 package shredded
coconut1 box of toothpicks
Spear the banana chunks with a tooth-pick and dip into the sour cream oryogurt, coating it thorough-ly. Roll in the coconutand eat right away.
CARROT SALAD1 carrot4 tsp. raisins2 tbsp. mayonnaise4 tsp. chopped nuts
Carefully grate the carrot into asmall mixing bowl. Addthe other ingredients and stir together.Refrigerate or eat immediately.
NUTRITION CONCENTRATIONTwo students can play a "ConcentrationGame" by using the foodcards and the Nutrition Pyramidcontained in this chapter. Layall of the cards face down ona table top. Each playertakes turns revealing twocards at a time trying tomatch one section of theNutrition Pyramid. If thecards match, the player keeps the cardsand draws again. Cards that do notmatch are returned to their exact spotand the player forfeits his or her turn tothe other player. The game continuesuntil all cards are matched. The playerwith the most cards wins the game.
GO FISH NUTRITION PYRAMID!Give each player a copy ofa Nutrition Pyramid.Make four copies ofeach food card (foundin this chapter) andhave each player drawfive cards. Place theremining cards in a stackin the middle of the table. An example ofplay might be when player #1 asks play-er #2 if he or she has an "ice creamcard." If player #2 has the card, he orshe must give it to the first player. Whenplayer #1 collects all four ice creamcards, the cards are placed in the correctarea of that player's nutrition pyramid. Ifplayer #2 does not have the card, thefirst player must "Fish" a card from thecenter stack. The game continues untilone player has at least one matched setof cards for each area of his or her pyra-mid. The first player to achieve this winsthe game!
NNNNuuuuttttrrrriiii tttt iiiioooonnnn AAAAcccctttt iiiivvvviiii tttt iiiieeeessss!!!!
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 101 Monthly Idea Book: July & August
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 102
GRAINS
11/2 – 21/2 Cups Daily4-6 oz. Daily
STEP TO EXERCISEGet 30 to 60minutes ofmoderate torigorousexerciseeveryday!
QUANTITY AND QUALITY!Eating a balanced diet
in moderationis key to a
healthylife.
NutritionPyramid
VEGETABLES
Monthly Idea Book: July & August
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 103
Cut these Nutrition Groups apart.Assemble them to form a NutritionPyramid on a large sheet of constructionpaper and paste in place. Color theillustrations any way you wish.
FRUITS
2-3 Cups Daily1 – 11/2 Cups Daily
MILK
OILS
4-5 Tsps. Daily 3-5 oz. Daily
MEAT
&
BEANS
Post the Nutrition Pyramid athome on the refrigerator door toremind yourself and family mem-bers of the importance of a bal-anced diet.
Monthly Idea Book: July & August
Food CardsTry using these food cards one of these ways:• Let students select a card and ask them to bring in that particular food for the other
students to sample.• Have students select a card to research. Instruct them to find out where and how the food is
grown or how it is manufactured and/or processed.• Tell students to categorize the cards into the groups shown on the Nutrition Pyramid.
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 104
Turkey Eggs
Yogurt
Pretzel
Rice
Butter
Candy
Muffin
Crackers
Ice Cream
Candy
Bagel
Cornbread
Bread
Cereal
Pasta
Monthly Idea Book: July & August
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 105
Apple
Strawberry
Melon
Beef
Beans
Grapes
Cherries
Pineapple
Chicken
Pork
Banana
Watermelon
Plum
Milk
Nuts
Peach
Orange
Pear
Cheese
FishMonthly Idea Book: July & August
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 106
Broccoli
Cucumber
Carrot
Corn
Mushrooms
Brussel Sprouts
Peas
Lettuce
Cabbage
Onion
Pepper
Cauliflower
Spinach
Potato
Tomato
Squash
Asparagus
Celery
Radish
Sweet PotatoMonthly Idea Book: July & August
Vitamin A increasesresistance to infectionand improves eyesight.
Vitamin B aids ingood digestion andsteady nerves.
Vitamin C preventsscurvy and helps ourmuscles and gums.
Vitamin D helps keepour teeth and boneshealthy and strong.
Carbohydrates giveus strength and energy.
Fats, in correct amounts, enhance our skin and give us energy.
Proteins build and repair our bodies.
LIST FOODS THAT CONTAINTHESE IMPORTANT NUTRIENTS.IIIImmmmppppoooorrrrttttaaaannnntttt NNNNuuuuttttrrrriiiieeeennnnttttssss!!!!
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 107 Monthly Idea Book: July & August
ChefCostumeMake each of yourclassroom chefs theirown chef’s hat. Forma 10" high strip ofwhite butcher paperinto a cylinder foreach student and tapeit in place to fit.
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 108
Chef scarves can be cut from red paper or checkered gift wrappaper using the pattern below.
Cut cooking spoons from brown paper for each child in class!
FOLD
CutOut
24"
24"
FOLD
Monthly Idea Book: July & August
MMMMyyyyNNNNuuuuttttrrrriiii tttt iiiioooonnnn
BBBBooooooookkkk!!!!
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 109
FOLD
Name
Monthly Idea Book: July & August
MMMMyyyy DDDDaaaaiiii llllyyyy DDDDiiiieeeetttt!!!!
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 110
Student's Name
Date:
Breakfast:
Lunch:
Dinner:
Snacks:
Record how many servings you ate from the following groups:
Bread Group Milk Group
Vegetable Group Meat Group
Fruit Group Fats/Sweets Group
Monthly Idea Book: July & August
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 111
AAAANNNNeeeewwwwSSSSttttaaaarrrrtttt!!!!
Monthly Idea Book: July & August
Begin the new school year in a way that will make learning fun for both youand your students!
CLASSROOM THEMESChoose a theme for your classroom that you can use all year round! Use thechosen theme in depicting reading groups, class rules, class calendars, home-work incentives, weekly and monthly awards, welcome bulletin board and muchmuch more! Here are some suggested themes:
Airplanes Dolphins Kites RainbowsAlligators Dragons Lady Bugs RocketsApples Elephants Lions and Tigers SealsBalloons Farm Animals Mice ShapesBears and Bees Fish Monkeys SnakesBeavers Flowers Octopus SpidersBirds Footprints Owls Sun and StarsButterflies Frogs Paint Brushes TrainsCookies Hats Pencils TurtlesCats Horses Penguins UmbrellasClocks Ice Cream Pigs WatermelonsClowns/Circus Insects Pirates WhalesCrayons Islands Rabbits Wishing WellsDinosaurs Jungle Raccoons Zoo AnimalsDogs Kangaroos
(An index of themes found in the Teacher's Friend Monthly Idea Books can befound on page 143 of this book! Teacher's Friend also has Seasonal Clip ArtBooks that contain cute pictures of many of the themes listed.)
AAAA NNNNeeeewwww SSSSttttaaaarrrrtttt ffffoooorrrr BBBBaaaacccckkkk ttttoooo SSSScccchhhhoooooooollll !!!!
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 112 Monthly Idea Book: July & August
OTHER WAYS TO USE YOUR THEME IN THE CLASSROOM:• Create or buy a large door chart or poster welcoming your students to class.• Send a thematic postcard home to each student a few days before school
begins telling him or her your name, room number and how happy you will be to see them!
• Collect a variety of library books about your theme for a silent reading area.• Find and prepare the materials to make a simple thematic craft with your
students on the first day.• Make or buy a paper cut-out of your theme’s character for each child in class.
Boldly print each child's name on the cut-out and display them on a special bulletin board in the classroom.
• Make or buy thematic nameplates for each student's desk.• Use thematic bulletin board trimmer on your class bulletin boards. (If you have
left-over trimmer, make a few thematic crowns for the student of the week to wear on his or her special day!)
• Use thematic clip art to make a variety of different awards, name tags, hall passes, notes home to parents, spelling list sheets, progress reports, etc.
You might want to select a thematic color for your awards, passes, etc., in addi-tion to your theme. You might try lime green for frogs, turquoise blue for dol-phins, hot pink for ice cream, goldenrod for bears and bees, bright yellow forsun and stars and bright red for apples and lady bugs.
On the following pages you will find generic forms and reports that you canpersonalize with your own thematic drawings or clip art. Simply reproduce themon colored paper to use during back to school or all year long!
AAAA NNNNeeeewwww SSSSttttaaaarrrrtttt ffffoooorrrr BBBBaaaacccckkkk ttttoooo SSSScccchhhhoooooooollll !!!!
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 113 Monthly Idea Book: July & August
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 114
SSSSTTTTUUUUDDDDEEEENNNNTTTT PPPPAAAASSSSSSSSTTTTOOOO TTTTHHHHEEEE
Teacher Date Teacher
Name
Date
This student haspermission to
DDDDiiiidddd aaaa
GGGGrrrreeeeaaaattttJJJJoooobbbb
TTTTooooddddaaaayyyy!!!!
PPPPRRRROOOOGGGGRRRREEEESSSSSSSS RRRREEEEPPPPOOOORRRRTTTT
WEEK OF: Reading:Math:Social Studies:Science:Behavior:
Student's Name
TeacherParent's Signature
(Please sign and return.)
Monthly Idea Book: July & August
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 115
Teacher Date
Name
CCCC oooo nnnn gggg rrrr aaaa tttt uuuu llll aaaa tttt iiii oooo nnnn ssss !!!!
You have been recognized for...
WWWWeeeeeeeekkkkllllyyyyHHHHoooommmmeeeewwwwoooorrrrkkkkAAAAssssssssiiiiggggnnnnmmmmeeeennnnttttssss!!!!Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Student's Name
Week of:
Monthly Idea Book: July & August
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 116
Teacher
Date
Student's Name
Date Parent's Name
Student's Name Parent's Signature
Dear Parent,
AAAA NNNNooootttteeee ttttoooo tttthhhheeee PPPPaaaarrrreeeennnntttt ooooffff ::::
(Please respond at the bottom of this form andreturn it to me with your signature.)
Monthly Idea Book: July & August
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 117
CCCCllllaaaassssssssrrrroooooooommmm NNNNeeeewwwwssss!!!!Teacher Room #
DateLook What's Happening!
Upcoming Events!
Help from Parents!How to Contact the Teacher!
Special Students!
Monthly Idea Book: July & August
ClassroomSigns!
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 118 Monthly Idea Book: July & August
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 119 Monthly Idea Book: July & August
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 120 Monthly Idea Book: July & August
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 121 Monthly Idea Book: July & August
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 122 Monthly Idea Book: July & August
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 123 Monthly Idea Book: July & August
SSSSuuuu
ppppeeeerrrr
SSSStttt uuuu
ddddeeeennnn
ttttAAAA
wwwwaaaa
rrrr dddd!!!!
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 124
to:
for:
Teac
her
Dat
e
Monthly Idea Book: July & August
SCH
OO
L BU
S
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 125
FOLD
Nam
e
Monthly Idea Book: July & August
"Don't Missthe Bus!"
TEACHERS:Two, three orfour children canplay this game. Makeyour own task card or writemath problems, that must besolved, in each square. The playerwho reaches the school first winsthe game.© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 126
1. 3.2.
22.
21. 20. 19.18.
17.
26.25.
28.27.29.
24.
23.
Monthly Idea Book: July & August
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 127
"Help these kidsget to school!"
9.5.
8.
10.
4.
7.6.
11.12.13.14.15.16.
32.31.30.
Monthly Idea Book: July & August
SSSS CCCC HHHH OOOO OOOO LLLL BBBB UUUU SSSS RRRR UUUU LLLL EEEE SSSS
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 128
IªSKOOL
1. The bus driver is the person in charge. You must do what he or she tells you to do.
2. Remain seated throughout the entire trip.
3. Keep all parts of your body inside the bus.
4. Do not throw anything inside the bus or out the windows..
5. Do not yell, scream, push, hit or kick while on the bus.
6. Sack lunches are allowed, but no food or drink may be eaten on the bus.
7. Do not keep another student from getting a seat.
8. Get off the bus at your correct bus stop.
9. When the driver has the flashing red lights on, cross the street with the driver.
10. Line up courteously at both your bus stop and the school.
Monthly Idea Book: July & August
NameMobiles
Have each student make a"Name Mobile." Copy the ban-
ner onto posterboard and writethe child's name, as shown. Students can cutpictures from magazines or write poemsabout themselves that can be suspendedfrom the banner.
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 129
Nam
e
Monthly Idea Book: July & August
NameMobile
Patterns
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 130 Monthly Idea Book: July & August
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 131
BBBBuuuulllllllleeeettttiiiinnnnBBBBooooaaaarrrrddddssss
aaaannnndddd MMMMoooorrrreeee!!!!We're
BLASTINGOFF!
Monthly Idea Book: July & August
SHOOTING STARS!Make everyone in class a superstar with this idea. Each child canearn his or her own star and placeit on the board when a particulartask is accomplished. This is a
great way to show off goodwork papers.
REACH FOR THE STARS!Ask each child to write a goal on ayellow paper star. Pin the stars tothe top of the bulletin board. Paperstreamers can be added to eachstar. Next, have the students tracetheir right hands on colored con-struction paper. They should thenadd their names and pin each handto the board under their chosen goal.As goals are accomplished, small gold stars can be placed on the hands.
A GREAT BUNCH!Cut large circles from purple con-struction paper for this simple board.Arrange them as shown and writeeach student's name on a grape.Children love to see their name inprint and this bulletin board is a per-fect way to do just that!
BBBBuuuullll lllleeeetttt iiiinnnn BBBBooooaaaarrrrddddssss aaaannnndddd MMMMoooorrrreeee!!!!
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 132 Monthly Idea Book: July & August
SCHOOL BUS RULESDisplay a large yellow school buson the class bulletin board. Listdifferent rules of bus safety onstrips of paper and arrange themaround the bus. Children mightlike to draw portraits of them-selves that can be placed in thebus windows.
SUMMERTIME HAPPENINGSDisplay a large yellow sun in the center of theclass bulletin board. Give each student awhite paper cloud and ask them to writeabout their favorite summertime experience.
Arrange the clouds around the sun for a brightand cheery display.
BLAST OFF TO LEARNING!Cover your bulletin board with black butcher paper and string
small, white, low-wattage Christmaslights around the border. Cut thetitle "Blast Off!" from silver foil and astar for each child from gold foilpaper. Add a paper rocket ship.
Students' good work papers can beadded to the display. Or, simply usethis idea to welcome students toyour class. On a large board, let chil-dren add their own imaginative cre-ations such as planets, flying saucersor meteors.
BBBBuuuullll lllleeeetttt iiiinnnn BBBBooooaaaarrrrddddssss aaaannnndddd MMMMoooorrrreeee!!!!
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 133
Monthly Idea Book: July & August
KICK UP YOUR HEELS!Give your students a "kick in thepants” with this motivating bulletinboard idea!Display a large cartoon horse on theboard and give each student theirown paper horseshoe. Have eachpupil write his or her name on thehorseshoe and pin it to the board. Asthey complete projects or improvebehavior reward them with small goldstars that can be placed on the horseshoes. Other possible titles of the boardcan be, "We Don't Horse Around!" or "Giddy Up!"
WE FIT IN!Give each student a puzzle piece cut frombrightly colored paper. (Pattern found in thischapter.) Assemble the puzzle pieces togeth-er on the class board to create a giant "WeFit In!" bulletin board!
GET GOING! BE SAFE!Teach your students to be safe this summer byreinforcing the rules they should follow whencrossing the street, riding a bike, riding in acar, etc. Use a cute traffic light pattern on theclass board to remind students of the rules.Display the poem, "Red says stop! Green saysgo! Yellow says wait! You need to go slow!
BBBBuuuullll lllleeeetttt iiiinnnn BBBBooooaaaarrrrddddssss aaaannnndddd MMMMoooorrrreeee!!!!
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 134 Monthly Idea Book: July & August
CHOOSE WELLEncourage your students to wiselychoose the types of foods they eat
with this simple bulletin board.The students can cut food pic-tures from magazines or draw
their own nutritious goodies.
TELEPHONE NUMBERSTeach your students important numbers alongwith their home phone numbers with thissimple bulletin board. As each child mem-orizes their phone number, they canwrite it on a strip of paper along withtheir name and display it on the boardaround a large paper telephone. Also,encourage them to memorize emergencynumbers.
WE'RE REALLY COOKING!Let your students display creativerecipes with this easy bulletinboard. Cut a large French cheffrom colored paper and place himor her on one side of the board.Students can write their recipeson recipe cards and display themaround the chef.
BBBBuuuullll lllleeeetttt iiiinnnn BBBBooooaaaarrrrddddssss aaaannnndddd MMMMoooorrrreeee!!!!
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 135 Monthly Idea Book: July & August
ShoePattern
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 136
ICanTieMy
Shoe!
NameStudents will love tolearn to tie their shoeswith this easy craft.
Copy the pattern of thisshoe onto posterboard.Punch out the holes witha hole punch. Cut alength of yarn about 28inches long and wraptape around the ends toprevent fraying. Whenstudents demonstratetheir ability to tie theirshoes, give them thisshoe to tie and display iton the class bulletinboard.
Label the bulletin board"Our class really steps toit!" or "We're right instep!"
Monthly Idea Book: July & August
PhonePattern
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 137
I know my phonenumber!
Name
Phone Number
I knowmy phonenumber!
Monthly Idea Book: July & August
HamburgerMobile!
Cut two of each pattern piece. Glue the patterns back-to-back with a string down the center to make the mobile.
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 138
Name
Monthly Idea Book: July & August
My Favorites!Color:
Food:
Hobby:
Student Puzzle Pieces!Have students cut their own puzzle pieces from heavy colored paper. Use a variety of colors ifpossible. Students can fill in their own information. Assemble the puzzle pieces together on theclass board to create one giant classroom puzzle!
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 139
My Name:
School Subjects:
A Picture of Me!
I'mSpecial!
Monthly Idea Book: July & August
WelcomeBear
Pattern
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 140
WELCOME!
Monthly Idea Book: July & August
ACTIVITY 1
ACTIVITY 2
THE STATUE OFLIBERTY
AAAAnnnnsssswwwweeeerrrr KKKKeeeeyyyy!!!!
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 141
X C F T R E V F R E E D O M D F T YD F L D T Y G H J U S E T E O U L KF Y A R G T Y J U S T I C E D E W RW O G F G T Y H J U I K L O P H J SP A T R I O T I S M S W Q E R T Y TS D F R T G G D E D S E W D S W T AF B V C X L T Y U I L I B E R T Y RD C V F G O G T H D E S E S A E T SF B V C X R F A M E R I C A D R E TC V B F G Y D R E F G T H Y U J K RU N C L E S A M D R F G T Y H J U IH S D R R E G V B N M J H K I U J PO G D E C L A R A T I O N D F R T EN F V G B H N J M K L O I K J M N SO V B G F B A Z J H R I G H T S G LR C V B H G N M J K L O I K M J N HQ R I N D E P E N D E N C E P L M TZ E Q U A L I T Y M X P O L T R F E
PPPPaaaattttrrrriiiiooootttt iiiicccc FFFFuuuunnnn!!!!
1
10
8
2 3
45
26
1197
6 1413
12
15
16
17
25
22
23
24
20
19
21
18
Monthly Idea Book: July & August
AAAAnnnnsssswwwweeeerrrr KKKKeeeeyyyy!!!!
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 142
ACTIVITY 3
htaer ear thtoupl p lu toneutpne neptunesuevn venusurcyerm mercurynusaru u ranusrnutsa sa turnpiertuj jup i te rrasm mars
ACTIVITY 4
1. Mercury 4. Mars 7. Uranus2. Venus 5. Jupiter 8. Neptune3. Earth 6. Saturn 9. Pluto
ACTIVITY 5
SSSSppppaaaacccceeee FFFFuuuunnnn!!!!
S W E R D S H U T T L E D R E W Q G H YD O D C V F G T R E W S C B G Y T U I PS R H Y A S T R O N A U T D E R C Y T HC B Y H U J I Y N M H Y T R F R O D R ED I S A T E L L I T E D R E R F M G T YS T E L E S C O P E F R V S G T E U I PA S D F C V B G T R E D A T D E T F E WM E T E O R D R E F R G E A F E W Z X VO D E R F H T R W F G B H R R D W C V GO D R E A S T E R O I D F V B G H Y T NN F R E S D G B F T R E W Q A D F R T GK L P L A N E T S T G H Y U N M J K I UD C V G F T Y H J A S T R O N O M Y V C
TOUTULSBHMHHX
Monthly Idea Book: July & August
AAfrican-American Achievers
February Idea BookAlligators
June Idea BookAmerican Indians
September Idea BookNovember Idea Book
AmphibiansJune Idea Book
ApplesSeptember Idea Book
April Fool’s DayApril Idea Book
Arbor DayApril Idea Book
Arctic and Antarctic AnimalsJanuary Idea Book
AutumnSeptember Idea BookOctober Idea BookNovember Idea Book
BBack to School
September Idea BookJuly & Aug. Idea Book
BearsSeptember Idea BookNovember Idea BookJuly & Aug. Idea BookJanuary Idea BookJuly & Aug. Idea Book
BeesApril Idea Book
BirdsMay Idea Book
BirthdaysSeptember Idea Book
Black HistoryJanuary Idea BookFebruary Idea BookMarch Idea Book
Bugs (Insects)April Idea Book
ButterfliesApril Idea Book
CCalendars
(Each book has a monthly cal-endar)
January Idea BookCats
February Idea BookChicken and Egg
April Idea BookChildren’s Book Week
November Idea BookChinese New Year
January Idea BookChristmas
December Idea BookChristmas (International)
Mexico, Italy, Holland,Sweden
December Idea BookCinco De Mayo
May Idea BookClowns and Circus
May Idea BookSeptember Idea Book
ColorsMarch Idea Book
Columbus DayOctober Idea Book
Cowboys/CowgirlsJuly & Aug. Idea Book
DDental Health
February Idea BookDinosaurs
October Idea BookDogs
February Idea Book
EEarth Day
April Idea BookEaster
April Idea BookElection Day
November Idea BookEnd of the School Year
June Idea Book
Environmental AwarenessApril Idea Book
EskimosJanuary Idea Book
FFarm Animals
March Idea BookFather’s Day
June Idea BookField Trips
May Idea BookFire Safety
October Idea BookFish
June Idea BookFlag Day
June Idea BookFlowers
April Idea BookMay Idea Book
FrogsJune Idea BookMarch Idea Book
Fourth of JulyJuly & Aug. Idea Book
GGingerbread Man
December Idea BookGrandparent’s Day
September Idea BookGroundhog Day
February Idea BookGrowing Things
May Idea BookNovember Idea Book
HHalloween
October Idea BookHanukkahHarvest Time
November Idea BookMay Idea Book
Heart HealthFebruary Idea Book
HorsesJuly & Aug. Idea Book
IIIInnnnddddeeeexxxx
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 143 Monthly Idea Book: July & August
IIce Cream
July & Aug. Idea BookInsects
April Idea BookInternational Children
AfricaDecember Idea Book
ChinaJanuary Idea Book
EskimosJanuary Idea Book
GreeceApril Idea Book
HollandDecember Idea Book
IrelandMarch Idea Book
IsraelDecember Idea Book
ItalyDecember Idea Book
JapanMarch Idea Book
MexicoDecember Idea Book
Native North AmericanSeptember Idea Book
Pacific IslandsJune Idea Book
PilgrimsNovember Idea Book
RussiaMay Idea Book
SwedenDecember Idea Book
United States School KidsSeptember Idea BookSummer KidsJune Idea Book
JJapan
March Idea Book
KKing, Jr., Martin Luther
January Idea BookKwanzaa
December Idea Book
LLeaves/Trees
October Idea BookApril Idea Book
LeprechaunsMarch Idea Book
Library ActivitiesNovember Idea Book
Lincoln, AbrahamFebruary Idea Book
MMasks
October Idea BookMay Day
May Idea BookMexican Independence Day
September Idea BookMexico
September Idea BookDecember Idea BookMay Idea Book
Mother’s DayMay Idea Book
Music AppreciationMarch Idea Book
My “Me” Book!September Idea Book
NNames
September Idea BookJuly & Aug. Idea Book
New Year’s DayJanuary Idea Book
NutritionJuly & Aug. Idea Book
OOceanography
June Idea BookOlympics
April Idea BookOwls
September Idea BookOctober Idea Book
PParent-Teacher Conferences
November Idea BookPilgrims
November Idea BookPirates
June Idea BookPizza
July & Aug. Idea BookDecember Idea Book
Pledge of AllegianceJune Idea Book
PresidentsFebruary Idea BookNovember Idea Book
PromotionJune Idea Book
RRabbits
April Idea BookRainbows
March Idea BookReptiles
June Idea Book
SSchool Bus
July & Aug. Idea BookSeashore
June Idea BookSeasons
January Idea BookSeptember Idea Book
SkeletonOctober Idea Book
SnakesJune Idea Book
Solar SystemJuly & Aug. Idea Book
South PacificJune Idea Book
Space/UniverseJuly & Aug. Idea Book
SpidersOctober Idea Book
SpringtimeMarch Idea BookApril Idea BookMay Idea Book
States and CapitalsNovember Idea Book
St. Patrick’s DayMarch Idea Book
Student TeachersSeptember Idea Book
Substitute TeachersSeptember Idea Book
SummerJune Idea BookJuly & Aug. Idea Book
Sun/SunshineJuly & Aug. Idea BookT
TeethFebruary Idea Book
ThanksgivingNovember Idea Book
TurkeysNovember Idea Book
TurtlesJune Idea Book
UUmbrellas
April Idea Book
VValentine’s Day
February Idea Book
WWashington, George
February Idea BookWatermelons
July & Aug. Idea BookWeather
March Idea BookApril Idea Book
WhalesJune Idea Book
Wild WestJuly & Aug. Idea Book
WinterDecember Idea BookJanuary Idea BookFebruary Idea Book
Women in HistoryMarch Idea Book
Woodsy AnimalsNovember Idea Book
YYear-Round
September Idea BookJanuary Idea Book
ZZoo Animals
May Idea Book
IIIInnnnddddeeeexxxx
© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 144 Monthly Idea Book: July & August