A collection of stories written by the students about themselves

My students answered the following questions about themselves.  On their good copy they drew a pictures of themselves with their family.  We collected them and then bound them as a collection.  They were each allowed to take the bound collection home for one night and then passed it on to the next person in the collection.  It was a fun and easy way to get them to write about what they knew. 

A collections of stories written about themselves

Pablo Picasso Mains Aux Fleurs

I introduced Pablo Picasso last week to my students.  I read "Picasso and the Girl with a Ponytail", by Laurence Anholt.  I googled Picasso and was able to show them a variety of paintings he created, including some from his "Blue" and"Cubism" period.  I showed my students the original of the "Mains Aux Fleurs" and tried to recreate it with construction paper.  In Picasso's original he used only the primary colours, but I let my students use bright spring colours.  I gave them ideas on how to create flower types and I was pleasantly excited with what they came up with.

Potato Leprechaun

My students made this potato body leprechaun to hang from our ceiling.  I was given this pattern from a colleague which was found in Monthly Happenings from The Learning Works Inc., March Issue.  I have no idea what year that would be, but the pattern gives you an idea so you could create your own. 

My new leprechaun

My friend Wendyle Gillis and I constructed this new leprechaun for my classroom.  He is more realistic than the leprechaun stuffy I was using. He stands about 10 inches tall. 

Leprechaun Traps

I tell the students that they must build their traps at home and bring them in the week of St.Patrick’s Day.  We are attempting to catch any leprechauns that might be sneaking around.  I, of course, spring their traps the night before St.Patrick’s Day and leave a picture of the leprechaun at their trap.  I also leave behind gold and green sprinkles, shamrocks and chocolate money.   I dump some of the desks and chairs, and make the room look like the leprechaun made a mess of our classroom.  I pretend, in the morning as they arrive, that I slept in and haven’t been to my room to unlock it yet.  I’m wearing my jacket and holding my purse and bag, and when I pull out my key, I tell them to be very careful as there may be a leprechaun caught in their trap.  They go wild when I open the door.  Have fun with this!