Thanksgiving Mix

This is such a simple way to retell the Thanksgiving story to small children.  Oyster crackers, pretzel sticks, marshmallows, candy corn, goldfish crackers, Teddy Grahams, and gummy fruit are all the yummy ingredients used in the Thanksgiving Mix.  Each part of the snack symbolizes part of the story.  I always like to send the mix home with the story so that the students can share it with someone at home.  

For an updated 2012 copy, click the link below.  Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving Mix

Egg Carton Math

Sometimes in these days of fast paced technology, we forget to try the simple things in our classrooms like Egg Carton Math!  Egg cartons are cheap, as they can be donated for free by our student's families.  Egg Carton Math can target all kinds of skills such as addition, subtraction, place value, odd and even, and with a little imagination the list can go on and on.

Set up is also very simple.  Start with an egg carton, punch out some circles (or use those little circle stickers), write on some numbers, and find some pompoms.  Pompoms are suggested because they are totally QUIET.  A must, when a whole group of students are shaking egg cartons!  

Now just add some of your creativity.   For example, ask the students to place a pompom in the egg carton and shake it.  They record the number on a recording sheet and then shake again for the second number.  The students write an adding sentence using the two numbers.  Try this with subtraction....they will quickly find the largest number will need to be first in the sentence.  Have the students place a large pompom and a small pompom in the carton and write a two digit number to practice place value.  You can easily differentiate skill levels for your students using egg cartons by the numbers you write on the circles.
Egg Carton math is an activity which can last for five minutes or twenty!  You will also be amazed at how fun the students will find these little creations.  Who needs an iPad when you have egg cartons? 

Thank You to our Veterans!

Every year we have a Veteran's Day assembly at our school.  Our hallway is visible to our visitors so I always like to offer a hall display to say thank you to our wonderful veterans.  I found this poem somewhere and I cannot remember where but I have found it to be so appropriate.  I surround it with flags in the shape of a heart to show our veterans how much we care and appreciate them.