321 Learn! » Holidays

How to Make Recycled Paper

Jennifer Wagaman — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 16:27:07 +0000

April 22 is Earth Day, and making recycled paper is a great way to teach students about recycling. Likewise this can be a great lesson anytime of the year when the science focus is on recycling or preserving the earth. The nice thing is that this activity can be used with young and older students, the difficulty modified for the varying age groups.

Materials needed to make Recycled Paper:

A metal coat hanger (one per student)

A pair of old pantyhose (one per student)

A blender or food processer (a heavy duty one is best, if not, be aware that the process of blending the paper and water might render the machine unusable for food)

White glue

Water

Sink or a large container that is able to hold a few inches of water

Scrap paper

Iron (optional)

Tips for Teachers Making Recycled Paper in Class:

A week or so before you plan on making recycled paper in class, send a note home to parents explaining the project and asking for them to send in an old metal coat hanger and pair of pantyhose. Parents need to be aware that they will not be receiving them back. This will give you an idea of how many coat hangers and pantyhose you need to purchase yourself, and remember that it is prudent to have several extra on hand just in case.

How to Make Recycled Paper

Step One: Rip up scrap paper into small strips or small pieces.

Step Two: Bend the metal coat hanger into a square. This will be the frame for the new piece of paper.

Step Three: Add ripped up paper pieces and some water into the blender and blend on high. This will produce a mushy glob of blended paper and water.

Step Four: Pour the mushy glob of paper and water into the sink or tub (this should have a couple of inches of water in it already).

Step Five: Add two tablespoons of white glue to the blended paper and water.

Step Six: Mix the glue and paper mixture together. This is a great job for the student to do!

Step Seven: Stretch one leg of a pair of pantyhose over the coat hanger paper frame.

Step Eight: Place the coat hanger frame at the bottom of the sink or tub and slowly (counting to 20 while you lift) lift the frame out. This will catch all the mushy paper bits on the pantyhose inside of the frame.

Step Nine: Allow the frame to drip for a moment to eliminate excess water.

Step Ten: Hang the hanger frame up to dry.

Step Eleven: Peel the paper off of the frame after it is completely dry.

Step Twelve (optional): Iron the paper flat

A great way to finish the lesson on making recycled paper is to have the students write the basic steps for making the paper on their own piece of recycled paper.

Note for student teachers: this makes a great lesson for inclusion in a professional portfolio. The activity involves contacting all the parents, provides good opportunities for taking pictures of students and usually at least one student is willing to donate their recycled paper for you to keep.

Learn More about Earth Day.

Celebrating Saint Patrick’s Day

Jennifer Wagaman — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 15:55:39 +0000

Saint Patrick’s Day is celebrated on March 17 in honor of the Patron Saint of Ireland, who died on that day. Saint Patrick was born as Maeyn Succat in either Scotland or Wales in 370 AD. He was kidnapped and sold into slavery when he was a teenager and put to work as a shepherd. A collection of dreams helped him to escape and eventually into the priesthood in France. At this time he changed his name to Patrick, which means “father of his people”. At this point, Saint Patrick went to Ireland and traveled around, preaching and building churches and schools.

There are many interesting traditions that go along with the celebration of Saint Patrick’s Day that can be incorporated you’re your classroom activities on that day. Here are a few for consideration:

1. Students can wear the traditional green white and orange shamrocks that children in Ireland wear as decoration and costumes. The girls can also wear green ribbons in their hair.

2. Create a St. Patrick’s Day scavenger hunt. Use a collection of leprechaun and/or shamrock that contain a question for students to answer and receive another clue. At the end of the scavenger hunt can be a pot of gold with some sort of treat for the students.

3. Have students research interesting facts about Saint Patrick’s Day and share them with the class. For example, according to the Guinness Book of World Records, there was a shamrock with 17 leaves, the most ever recorded.

4. Group students together to put together a project on Saint Patrick’s Day. One group can research who he was and present to the class a basic overview of his life. Another group can research the slave trade in Ireland and a third group can present information on the job of the shepherd, for example.

5. Allow the entire class to work together to write and produce a dramatic presentation about Saint Patrick and his life.

While the celebration of Saint Patrick’s Day seems to be all about Shamrocks and leprechauns and pots of gold at the end of the rainbow, the person behind the celebration spent his life giving back to the people of Ireland. The life and works of this great man are worth the time to teach despite the myths that surround the holiday.

Looking for free Saint Patrick’s Day printables? Teaching Heart Mom offers a couple that are worth checking out!

Preparing for Christmas in the Classroom

Jennifer Wagaman — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 19:11:24 +0000

If you’re just now getting a start on Christmas in the classroom, you’re not too late! Here are some great ideas to get you going in the right direction!

Cheap Christmas Activities for Kids

This article gives three general ideas for children’s Christmas crafts: Christmas ornaments, Christmas cards and gifts.

Teaching about Christmas and Kwanzaa

Want your students to know the true meaning behind Christmas but not sure how to do so without getting in trouble with the public school system? Use this resource to introduce a more balanced lesson on the Christian and Jewish holidays celebrated during this time and remember to keep thing academic.

Christmas Gifts for Parent Volunteers

Looking for something special for your valuable parents who share their time with you? Here are some great ideas that won’t break the bank! Ideas include candles, baking and tips on how to manage gift cards.

Cheap Christmas Gift Ideas for Students

If you want to give all of your students a treat this Christmas season, here are some ways to do so without spending a fortune!

Christmas Math Lessons

Add some Christmas cheer to your lessons by incorporating the holidays into the activities. Here are some tips for how to do so with math.

Christmas Bulletin Board Ideas

Make your bulletin boards both educational and fun this Christmas!

Crayon Hearts for Valentine’s Day

Jennifer Wagaman — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 20:22:15 +0000

Here is a creative way to make several cheap Valentine’s Day gifts, whether you are a parent providing gifts for your child’s friends or a teacher looking for a cheap gift for your students.

Go to the dollar store and purchase several packets of crayons and one heart-shaped muffin tin.

Take all the paper off of the crayons and melt them together over the stove. Pour the melted crayons into the heart-shaped molds and allow to cool.

Once cool, you have created heart-shaped crayons, a cheap and perfect gift for Valentine’s Day!

Bulletin Board Ideas

Jennifer Wagaman — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 14:15:30 +0000

Creating a bulletin board in the classroom is time consuming and yet necessary to complement lesson plans and add to the student learning experience. Here is a great collection of bulletin board ideas:

Seasonal Bulletin Board Ideas:

Holiday Specific Bulletin Board Ideas:

Valentine Bulletin Board Displays
Black History Month
Thanksgiving Bulletin Board Ideas
Christmas Bulletin Board Ideas

Other Bulletin Board Articles:

The Importance of Creative Bulletin Boards

Student of the Week Bulletin Board

Snow Day Activities

Jennifer Wagaman — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 12:30:08 +0000

After a big snow, children are eager to get outside and play. What more perfect time to introduce some fun learning activities and take advantage of their natural excitement! Here are some ideas to get you started:

Make snow men, teaching young children about small, medium and large.
Catch snow flakes and look at them under a microscope or magnifying glass to see the varied designs.
Make snow angels and discuss the property of displacement.
Measure the amount of snow and talk about various forms of measurement.
Make snow ice cream and involve children in the cooking process.

Here is an article with some indoor and more outdoor snow activities.

Christmas Traditions for Parents

Jennifer Wagaman — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 17:55:05 +0000

Parents, Christmas is such a wonderful time of year when we can celebrate the birth of Jesus, our Lord and Savior. Public schools refuse to acknowledge the true meaning behind the season, which means it is that much more important for parents to teach their children at home about this important holiday.

Here are some creative ways to teach your children about Christmas:

Create (or purchase) an advent calendar that teaches the story of Christmas.
Purchase a nativity set and wrap each individual piece and allow the children to open the pieces one day at a time, saving baby Jesus for either Christmas eve or Christmas morning.
Read the Christmas story out of the Bible (or choose a Christmas story book) and discuss it with the children

Christmas Traditions

Jennifer Wagaman — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 12:21:05 +0000

As December is now upon us, the holiday season is officially underway. Shopping is reaching a feverish pitch, Christmas tree sales are raising, and radio stations are all singing holiday songs. Now is the time for teachers and parents to start reminding children about the reason for the season and what better way than with some beloved traditions.

Christmas Traditions for Teachers

Teachers are often restricted in what they can say and do around Christmas time because of the political anti-Christmas sentiment. Holiday greetings and Holiday cheer are choking out the joy and peace that surrounds a baby boy, born in Bethlehem, who was the Son of God. The miracle of his birth is shrouded by visions of Santa Claus and reindeer.

While there is not much that can be done to change this political sentiment, there are still some Christmas traditions that teachers can implement in their classroom.

Decorate a Christmas Tree – Even those families who do not read the Christmas story from the Bible put Christmas trees up in their homes, so decorating a miniature tree or even creating a Christmas Tree bulletin board can bring some Christmas cheer to the classroom.

Discussion topics for Christmas Trees: Why is a star or angel placed on top of the tree? This is a great lead-in to the entire story of Christmas. Provide balance to the discussion by then researching the origin of the Christmas tree itself, as it does not have roots in Christianity.

Singing Christmas Carols – What child does not like singing Christmas carols? With a careful mix, teachers can sing about Rudolph and Baby Jesus and provide opportunities for great discussions. Some great songs that can provide discussion topics for the meaning behind Christmas include Silent Night, Away in a Manger, and The First Noel.

Worried about singing Christian songs at Christmas? Check with the music teacher in the school and find out what Christmas songs are in the approved school curriculum. You may be surprised at what songs the children are allowed to sing. Be sure to have discussions about each song, both the Christian songs and the non-Christian songs, researching their origin.

Homemade Christmas Gifts – Encourage children to make homemade Christmas gifts for each other. Discussions about why we give gifts can provide background to Christmas and start great conversations about why gifts have become the main point of Christmas in today’s society.