Stories in a Bag: Staple two 9 X 12 paper envelopes together. back-to-back. On one envelope write "Characters" and on the other write "Settings." Take about twenty 3 X 5 index cards and write one character on each card (For example: King, Mother, Teacher, Farmer, Magician, Princess, etc.). Take another twenty index cards and write one setting on each card (castle, school, cave, farm, garden, etc.). Fill each envelope with the index cards. Students pick one card from each side and either make up a short story to tell their partner or write their own story with that character and that setting.
Would You Rather be a _____ or a _____?: Create your own cards (with student input) and select a card to answer and discuss each day. Some ideas to start you out: Would you rather play indoors or out? Be a pirate or a clown? Have it always summer or always winter? Be a fish or a bird? Would you rather bounce on a trampoline or ride a unicycle? Would you rather have a dog or a cat? Would you rather go to the doctor or the dentist? Would you rather be a shark or an octopus? Would you rather be blue or green?
Character in Search of a Setting: Make multiple photocopies of book characters that are familiar to your students (Clifford, Cat in the Hat, Franklin, Henry and Mudge, Jack and Annie, etc.). Cut out just the character (no background) and put the copies in an envelope. Students will select one character copy and glue it to a blank piece of paper. The student will illustrate the setting they would like to see their character in, adding lots of interesting detail. The student can then turn the paper over and write about the setting/story they created (note: this can as be done with copies of non-fiction animals/insects/dinosaurs. Students can add habitats and write facts on the back).
Don't Make Me Laugh!: Teacher will review a unit or study or the plot of a book and students are charged with the task of not laughing, under any circumstances. As the teacher shares the information, tons of mistakes are made (names are wrong, places are not pronounced correctly, information is mixed up). he students must correct the answers and never laugh at what is being said (which proves to be quite challenging).
Cartoon It: Students create their own cartoon using storyboards on paper or online cartooning sites. Theme can range from literature, math, science, health, gym, music, art, social studies, etc. Print and laminate the cartoons, place in a box in the classroom library and eventually bind together to publish a class comic book.
Would You Rather be a _____ or a _____?: Create your own cards (with student input) and select a card to answer and discuss each day. Some ideas to start you out: Would you rather play indoors or out? Be a pirate or a clown? Have it always summer or always winter? Be a fish or a bird? Would you rather bounce on a trampoline or ride a unicycle? Would you rather have a dog or a cat? Would you rather go to the doctor or the dentist? Would you rather be a shark or an octopus? Would you rather be blue or green?
Character in Search of a Setting: Make multiple photocopies of book characters that are familiar to your students (Clifford, Cat in the Hat, Franklin, Henry and Mudge, Jack and Annie, etc.). Cut out just the character (no background) and put the copies in an envelope. Students will select one character copy and glue it to a blank piece of paper. The student will illustrate the setting they would like to see their character in, adding lots of interesting detail. The student can then turn the paper over and write about the setting/story they created (note: this can as be done with copies of non-fiction animals/insects/dinosaurs. Students can add habitats and write facts on the back).
Don't Make Me Laugh!: Teacher will review a unit or study or the plot of a book and students are charged with the task of not laughing, under any circumstances. As the teacher shares the information, tons of mistakes are made (names are wrong, places are not pronounced correctly, information is mixed up). he students must correct the answers and never laugh at what is being said (which proves to be quite challenging).
Cartoon It: Students create their own cartoon using storyboards on paper or online cartooning sites. Theme can range from literature, math, science, health, gym, music, art, social studies, etc. Print and laminate the cartoons, place in a box in the classroom library and eventually bind together to publish a class comic book.