This week at school started off by teaching kindergarten and nursery. This went relatively well, although I was warned about the afternoon class (14 boys and only 5 girls) but giving them lots of time to play (and not knowing which ones needed picture retakes so just sending a bunch) definitely helped!
I also went to one of the colony schools I frequent where I taught the middle school students. When I got there one of the primary girls was looking through the windows of all the cars in the lot. I asked her if she was checking out the contents of the cars and she told me she was! I then asked if there was anything interesting inside and apparently there was as well (although I wasn't told what was so interesting). Whether or not my car was peered into next I'm not sure as I went inside.
At the colony I taught gym which was actually a delight! We played a quick game of dodgeball and then some ultimate frisbee and remarkably it went well! We also read through a quick play in a magazine that the kids read super well (with accents and everything!) considering it was their first (and likely only) time reading it!
Then I was a grade 2/3 teacher where we spent a lot of time working on a Scaredy Squirel project (that I'll post about in a couple of months - sorry I'm very ahead of my posts at the moment!). We also attended a Remembrance Day assembly (and not to toot my own horn or anything but I think my class was one of the best behaved during it).
I realize it's likely a little late for this but if you are looking for some ideas for your next years Remembrance Day assembly here is a post about a different Remembrance Day assembly I attended a few years ago.
Remembrance Day is fast approaching and if you're like me you like to do an art activity that has to do with an upcoming holiday so here are a few Remembrance (or Memorial) Day art activities for you to try with a variety of age groups.
This first one is from That Artist Women and she goes into detail on her page as to how she made these.
I have a bulletin board ideas post coming out next week that uses these paper plate poppies on it!
This is one for an early grade class and only uses some markers, water, coffee filters, and a pipe cleaner!
These next 2 I couldn't find original sources for... they were originally found on Pinterest though but this first one looks very similar to one of the cbc ones that I'll link to below
This one I found on Little Yeti and she talks briefly about the supplies she used to create these there. I love the black with the red!
There were also 2 on cbc that I wasn't able to get pictures of but I think they still deserve a link to them
This week at school I attended 2 Remembrance Day assembly’s. This got me thinking, how many adults attend Remembrance Day ceremonies? Likely not too many. I on the other hand get to attend one every year and spend time remembering those that fought for my freedoms.
At one of the assemblies they displayed a bunch of pictures of people that fought or are currently fighting or worked for the Canadian army in some fashion on the projector that were related to students and teachers that attended the school currently. I was surprised at the number of students and teachers that had a connection to the army.
At the other assembly they showed us Charlie Brown Visits Flanders Field… it was pretty good for elementary aged students.
I’m not sure what everyone’s plans are this November 11th but I would highly encourage everyone to take a moment to think about those that have fought for the freedoms you currently enjoy.
On November 11th we are going to be honoring all those who have fought (and are currently fighting) for our country. On November 10th schools across this great country will hold a service to remember those same people. I've always struggled with what I can do with my students to honor this day and to make sure they recognize what an important sacrifice these people made. Here are a few ideas that I've found though
Once again, everything is free...
This anyone can easily do and shouldn't really require a link but I just put in Remembrance Day into a search on teachers pay teachers and then organized it all by price... there were quite a few free things that I think you should check out.
I was subbing in a grade 5 classroom this past week and the teacher didn't leave much of a sub plan. Luckily, I had an EA in my room who was happy to go and find supplies that I needed for an art project and I knew I had done one a couple of years ago when I taught grade 4. Unfortunately, they didn't have paint so I altered my Poppy Art Project just a little and I think they turned out quite good.
I was also subbing in a grade 4 class this past week and the teacher asked me if we could create a poppy wreath (for this schools Remembrance Day service a representative from each class walks in carrying the wreath.
In that same grade 4 classroom the teacher had left a book for us to "read" I put read in quotation marks because this was a wordless picture book. But the message was a strong one (I wonder if she choose it for now because of the message... she probably did). Anyways, I took a picture of one of the first pages and the last page. Basically, it appears that the mouse starts a fight with the frog because he has a flower. It turned into both of them gathering up all their friends and starting a big fight (one might even say war). You can tell that a lot happened just by looking at the first and last pages... the first page looks beautiful and green and a fantastic place to live. Whereas the last page looks dirty and ruined and desolate and a not so great place to live. We talked about how war can do more than just take lives... it ruins the places that it takes place too. We talked about how the tiniest of things can blow up into something much bigger. We talked about how war and fighting is not the answer or the way to solve problems. The book was titled "Why" by Nikolai Popov if you are interested in seeing if your library has it (or if you want to quickly run out and buy it).
Activity Village has more activities to do for Remembrance Day (colouring pages, worksheets, word searches, information, and poems).
Also, in that grade 4 class (this teacher had it together for Remembrance Day stuff!) we read Bunny the Brave War Horse by Elizabeth Macleod. The students loved this book! It was a bit of different spin on regular talks about Remembrance Day because it was about an animal. I really liked the part in the book where it talked about how animals didn't get the choice but to be in the war. It also gives facts throughout it and at the end. But I think what really drew the students in was that it was based on a true story.
And finally, here are a couple of videos you could show your students
This first one is by poppy Scotland but I showed it to a class of grade 5 students and they enjoyed it.
This one is a song and photos. I like that there are more current photos and ones from a long time ago.
What activities are you doing with your class this Remembrance or Memorial Day?
