Homemade Scrabble/Boggle Letter Dice Game for Writing, Spelling lesson plans

Here's a fun, easy DIY game to make and play with children and tweens to keep reading, writing and spelling skills fresh. I love the word games Boggle and Scrabble in which players make words from random letters. Both Scrabble and Boggle are superb games for spelling and reading practice. Here's a game that combines the scoring of Scrabble with the letter mix-up of Boggle. And best of all, it's easy to make, fun to play, has endless variations and is adaptable. This game can be played in the car, at the store, on a place, while waiting in line; anywhere you go it goes. I call it 'Scraggle'. Here's how to make your own Scraggle game.

You will need

12 dice: Recycle die from old games like Kismet or Yahtzee.
Dice can be purchased at almost any store for under $2).

Permanent markers

Blank stickers (round or square white stickers are best)

Note pad

small pencils

watch or timer

small box

To make Scraggle: (Scrabble plus Boggle)

Affix a sticker to each of the six sides of the die.

Label each die side with a different letter. With 12 dice times six sides you will have room for 72 letters. Since some letters are more popular, label dice this way. It makes no difference where on the dice you put which letters, Just be sure to get this many letters in.

  -four times each, letters: A, E, I, O, U, R, S, T, L, N

  -three times each letters: B, C, D, F, G, H, M, P

  -one time each, letters: J, K, Q, V, W, X, Y, Z

  -dictionary to check spelling

To play Scraggle:

Distribute pencils and pads. Players take turns shaking box with letter dice, to rearrange.

Player open box and make sure all dice are flat and showing letters.

Time players for three to five minutes, to see how many words they can make with letters showing.

Scoring is as follows;

  -3 letter words = 5 points

  -4 letter words = 10 points

  -5 letter words = 20 points

  -6 letter words = 50 points

  -7 letter words = 100 points

  -8 letter words = 200 points

Players should check each others words for accuracy.

Montessori math manipulatives from recycled trash: Easy, free DIY math activities

Educational wisdom says hands-on learning works best for kids. Here are hands-on Montessori math activities using homemade Math Their Way type manipulatives from recycled trash. Make easy, free or cheap eco-friendly math lesson plans for learning centers Homeschool parents, keep Montessori math activities on hand for homework help and summer enrichment. Use these math manipulatives to teach place value, addition, subtraction, carrying, borrowing, multiplication, division, fractions, decimals, percent, story problems, sorting and classifying, even basic algebra. 

Milk rings from recycled trash. Use milk rings in different colors to teach place value. Bundle in groups of ten like Montessori base10 blocks. Teach math operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. 

Twist ties and bread tags from recycled trash: As with milk rings, bundle different colors together to show groups of ten or one hundred. Use like Montessori golden beads. Math Their Way uses milk rings, twist ties and bread tags for place value, sorting, counting and classifying. 

Play dough math manipulatives. Save play dough scraps and give each child a tub. Have students make clay numbers or clay balls to count. Students can also roll clay out and cut with cookie cutters to create shapes, patterns and Montessori style geometric solids. 

Dice math activities: Keep these as car games for math facts practice, homework help or summer enrichment. Play multiplication, division, subtraction and addition games. Shake two die and add, subtract, divide or multiply the two numbers. 

Recycled game pieces. Save old game pieces, bingo or poker chips and game tokens to use for counting, like Montessori Teddy Bear Counters. Play Math Their Way sorting, classifying and organizing math games. Use to demonstrate story problems. Teach ratio, percent and fractions lesson plans. 

Domino math games . Dominoes make great hands-on math manipulatives. Use as car games for homework help and summer enrichment, practicing times tables and math facts. Have students add, subtract or multiply the dots shown on the domino. 

Playing cards. Recycle and repurpose mismatched playing cards as flashcards. Have students play math games like war, only they add, subtract or multiply the cards drawn. These make great car games for homework practice and summer enrichment. 

Stickers for DIY flash cards and math worksheets. Repurpose partially used sheets of stickers to make DIY math flashcards and math problems. Students create math problems by writing numbers on blank stickers. Students can also use picture stickers to show story problems. 

Yarn and straws. Cut straws into equal pieces and have students "string" straw pieces like beads.  Use for counting and patterns, abacus math and fine motor skills practices. 

Beads. String mismatched beads from broken jewelry and use like a DIY abacus, golden beads or base 10 blocks. 

Cardboard. Cut cardboard strips to make rulers for measurement, base 10 bars (like Cuisenaire Rods). Teach place value, geometry, multiplication, division. Make fraction bars and fraction pies from recycled cardboard. Make flashcards and file folder games. Here are some free printables for file folder games. (From ABCs to ACTs blog)

Earth Day recycled egg carton crafts for science games, lesson plans

Earth Day, April 22, is part of the larger Earth Month which focuses on caring for the environment. In Earth Month, the big 3 words are reduce, reuse, recycle. Teachers can demonstrate good Earth Month habits all year long by recycling materials, reusing them as classroom materials and reducing landfill waste. Here are science experiments and science crafts made from recycled egg cartons. Repurpose recycled egg cartons into science crafts and hands-on science games. 

Sensory exploration science games: Students practice sensory exploration using recycled egg cartons labeled with five senses and descriptive words. Sort picture cards or small objects representing items. Use one recycled egg carton per sense. Label with words like these. 

Taste: Sweet, sour, salty, bitter, metallic, tart

Smell: spicy, bitter, sour, soapy, flowery, fruity, moldy

Touch: furry, fuzzy, smooth, cool, warm, hard, rough, scratchy, bumpy, squashy (malleable), sticky

Sound: squeak, ring, buzz, beep, pop, clang, snap, crackle, scrape, scratch

Attribute sorting science games. Label recycled egg cartons with words or pictures of attributes to sort. Tailor science games to unit. Items may be sorted by color, shape, size, living/non-living, animal category, wood/metal/plastic, habitat. Play as a scavenger hunt in which students search for objects to fit each attribute category.

Science vocabulary games: Labeling and sorting materials into recycled egg cartons builds science vocabulary, adjective usage and description. Discuss which items may fit several categories. 

Ecology experiments for Earth Day using recycled egg cartons.

Paper or Plastic? Use cardboard and Styrofoam recycled egg cartons to demonstrate what happens to both in a landfill. Place a piece from each carton in water and soil put them in the window. Note any changes to each over time. Use this to explore biodegradable materials and renewable resources for Earth Month. Discuss how pollution is an environmental hazard and harms plants and animals.

Geology science experiments for Earth Month: Use recycled egg cartons to classify and identify rocks and minerals. Students should label the sections of recycled egg cartons and sort by:

hardness on the MOHs scale

rock type (metamorphic, sedimentary and igneous)

mineral composition (calcite, silicate, carbonate, etc.)

uses (building, abrasion, decoration, chemistry, etc.)

Biology life science games. Label the sections of recycled egg carton science crafts with taxonomy classifications from the kingdoms (plantae, animalia, etc). Students might sort by subcategories KPCOFGS (kingdom, phyllum, class, order, family, genus, species). Students cut pictures or make tiny cards with names of members of various groups. They sort pictures or words into categories. They can test each other in partners or in groups. Label the bottom of the egg carton with answers for self-checking. This can be adapted to any age or grade depending upon what you are studying.

STEM Systems science crafts. Most all science experiments are based on a system or cycle. Use recycled egg carton science crafts to make 3D flow charts or graphic organizers Places objects in each section to represent parts of the cycle and draw arrows to show how they interact. Demonstrate electrical current, the water cycle. food chains, human body systems, habitats, plant development and insect metamorphosis.

Science Timelines. Use a recycled egg carton to demonstrate how things change and develop (or regress) over time. Make timelines of science inventions, transportation, etc. Use this with any area of science that you teach.

Homemade American history games for Labor Day, Memorial Day, Flag Day, 4th of July, Veterans Day lesson plans

Here's homemade fun for Labor Day, Memorial Day or 4th of July. Host a red white and blue backyard waterpark. Set up 10 activity stations and play American patriotic outdoor games. Party guests, young and old can play, but make a safe zone for those who want to stay dry. Guests should wear bathing suits or play inside in a pool. You can also make up dry versions of games.

Uncle Sam Sponge Toss. For this station, you will need a lawn chair, three large, soft clean sponges, a bucket of water and an Uncle Sam Hat (paint an old hat red, white and blue). Players take turns sitting in the 'hot seat' with the hat on. Players get to toss three wet sponges at "Uncle Sam." The object is to knock his hat off.

All American Splash Ball: Fill a bucket with water balloons. Divide players into teams of two. Players take turns lobbing balloons at each other and trying to hit with tennis or badminton racket, Nerf bat or recycled cardboard paper towel tube. Players should name presidents as they throw.

Memorial Day Bash Ball: Fill a bucket with water balloons. Give each player a butterfly net, colander, sieve or plastic butter tub. Balloons are tossed and caught without touching, as in "Hot Potato." Make it more difficult by introducing several balloons into play at once. Or make players name states and capitals as they play.

Stars and Stripes Shooting Arcade: Paint red and blue stars on white plastic containers of assorted sizes. Thoroughly rinse recycled squirt bottles and fill with water. As in a carnival water shooting gallery, players try to knock down as many bottles as possible in a limited time. Or place a waterproof map on wall and have kids aims for certain states. Winner gets to squirt the person of his choice.

Lady Liberty relay. Players take turns donning basic Lady Liberty costume (dress, crown, torch, book) as fast as they can and performing tasks.

Lady Liberty spritzer. One players dresses as Lady Liberty is blindfolded and gets a hose to spray with. Kids try to get past her, taking one step at a time, like Marco Polo.

Labor Day limbo: Hold hose up like limbo bar. Drop in lower and lower as players try to go under without getting wet. Or use a regular limbo pole. Each time, they must name a famous American.

Fireworks Sprinkler Golf: Make clubs from recycled wrapping paper tubes and balls from wadded up recycled paper or Styrofoam. Set up a small nine hole golf course, putting one hole in the middle of the sprinkler and another in the wading pool. You can also make a huge US map golf course with holes in each state.

Old Glory Obstacle Course: Arrange baby wading pools or shallow pans of water, colored red and blue in an obstacle course. Players must complete tasks like "hop on one foot to blue" or "crawl through red." Along with physical tasks students must name famous events in US history.

Patriotic Apple Bob: Fill a wading pool with apples and water. Winner gets an apple pie for the grand prize.

Award prizes for trash pick up. Be sure to collect all balloons.

Free Printable Spider-Man Coloring Pages for Math and Reading Flashcards

Here's a lesson plan to use Spider-Man or any superhero to teach reading. Choose your favorite superhero or cartoon favorite (you can print DC or Marvel superheroes, Barbie, Disney, PBS, Looney Tunes and more). Print small 2x3 versions of coloring pages. Have children color the images and make this activity do double duty as a craft project. Attach to index cards and label. 

Write lists of associated words on the back For Spider-Man, you might use: spider, arachnid, insect, bug, super, hero, fly, web, city, save, science, villain, spin, swing, octopus, mask, sky, night. Use these flashcards to help children learn to read in fun, hands-on ways. Children might write stories of Spiderman's adventures using these words. Here are free printable superhero coloring pages and activities. 

For Marvel comics printables from Captain America Civil War including Iron Man, Avengers, check out Pic Gifs.  I've linked to Spider-Man but search the bar for any free printable Marvel or DC superhero coloring pages. Coloring-Book.info has more free printable Spider-Man coloring pages. Use the search bar for to find any free superhero printables for Superman, Flash, Thor, Captain America and more. Disney Family has free printable Avengers Captain America Civil War crafts. 

KidZone has free printable spider lesson plans. Learn about spiders with these games, crafts, puzzles. math activities, songs and stories, writing prompts, science worksheets and diagrams and reading lesson plans too. 

Free Printable Labor Day Coloring Pages and Lesson Plans

Spring is a poignant time in labor history. March 25, 1911 remembers 146 workers, mostly women, lost in the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire. April 16 mourns Ireland's Easter Rising of slain Feinians. April 28 marks Workers' Memorial Day, on which the organized labor movement pays tribute to the fallen in workplace accidents or in organized labor struggles. May 1 is May Day, honoring International Workers' Day. May 4 commemorates casualties at Chicago's Haymarket riot at a 1886 labor rally. May 19, 1920 is a day when the organized labor movement grieves the Matewan and Mingo County massacre of coal miners. On May 26, 1937 those who would from unions were assaulted at Ford's River Rouge plant "Battle of the Overpass" in Detroit.

Organized labor history is taught as part of American history, but there is no American (or world) history without labor history. Unions, collective bargaining--the fight for workers' rights impact every industry, occupation and person. Teachers and homeschoolers, you can educate students about unions with these free printable May Day and labor history lesson plans. These links include websites, activities, worksheets, movies and books on the organized labor movement.

The American Labor Studies Center offers a gamut of free printable organized labor movement lesson plans. It covers history, events, strikes, lockouts, workplace injuries, child labor, working conditions, collective bargaining, 8-hour workday, sweatshops, slavery, organizing, indentured servitude, socialism and labor, women's rights, African American labor issues, minority discrimination concerns, ULP (unfair labor practices). Lessons cover the Triangle fire (the worst workplace accident in history), West Virginia labor, Pullman Strike (1894), Lawrence Textile Strike (1913), Lowell Strike, Paterson Silk Strike, agriculture strikes and other events. Get free printable union labor worksheets, fill-ins, puzzles and study guides. There are links to films

Explore famous labor leaders: Noam Chomsky, Joe Hill, "Big Bill" Haywood, Pete Seeger, Jimmy Hoffa, Caesar Chavez, the Wisconsin 14 and others from the IWW (Industrial Workers of the World), AFL-CIO, Teamsters and more. This site has biographies of women labor leaders including Elizabeth Gurley Flynn Mary Harris "Mother" Jones and more. To use in lessons, print the list of names on one side and short bios on the other side (mixed up). Students match person with details. Print photos and pin to a map at places they are associated with. Or make a time line along the wall. Plot images in history.

The National Endowment for the Humanities offers two companion lessons in its series The Industrial Age in America. "Sweatshops, Steel Mills and Factories" and "Robber Barons and Captains of Industry" define the problems faced by workers in labor history and the reasons for the organized labor movement. Use the worksheets and activities with middle school and high school students.

The Walter P. Reuther Library of Labor and Urban Affairs at Wayne State University in Detroit maintains the largest organized labor history archive in the U.S. It has an impressive collection of images in physical exhibits and digital archives on The Labor Movement and Organizations. Walther Reuther who was one of several injured at Ford's Rouge factory "Battle of the Overpass" in Detroit.

The United Farm Workers is the union begun by Cesar Chavez that tends to itinerant and agricultural labor issues. Along with labor movement, the UFW educates people about food safety, immigration, deportation, earth and green initiatives, pesticides and more. An important piece is the youth activism page. UFW seeks to take union and agricultural awareness beyond the classroom walls and into real life.

In honor of May Day, here's a quote from the Albert Shanker Institute. "Imagine opening a high school U.S. history textbook and finding no mention of-or at most a passing sentence about-Valley Forge, the Missouri Compromise...Benjamin Franklin, Lewis and Clark. Imagine if these key events and people just disappeared as if they'd never existed...That is what has happened in history textbooks when it comes to labor's part in the American story." Use these lesson plans to keep the May Day stories and message alive.

Free Printable Math Activities: Lessons, Cut and Paste, Games

Teachers and homeschool parents are always looking for ways to make learning fun. One way is to use hands-on lesson plans and interactive educational materials to engage kids in active learning. Math is sometimes difficult to teach in hands-on lesson plans. So here are free printable math games to use as math worksheets and lesson plans that are enjoyable (rather than painful). These math worksheets help students with concepts that are hard to visualize. Much math content is abstract which means kids have to "think outside the box." with no frame of reference. These free printable math games provided that concept framing. Free lessons are perfect for homeschool families living on a budget.

Dr. Mike promises hands-on lesson plans and cool math games on his website and does he ever deliver. He's created free printable math games and free printable math worksheets on an array of subjects. There are free printable games, online games, calculator games, math worksheets and board games, magic squares, times tables and more. These challenging math games cover operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication and division), fractions, patterns, cryptograms, number mazes, geometry, place value, magic hexagon, deductive reasoning. inductive reasoning, spatial relations, countdowns (using an Advent calendar) and others. Homeschool families, you will like the free printable 3D geometric solid models for kids to cut, fold and paste. How's that for hands-on lesson plans!

This articles doesn't link to individual games at Dr. Mike's request. He would like visitors to be directed back to his site. You'll be glad he did it that way. This way, you can see all the nifty math games, puzzles and activities that you may have missed had I linked you to an individual page. Printables include all pieces needed for game play. Hands-on lesson plans list items (all easy to find) that may be needed that he cannot add. Dr. Mike makes these games available free of charge for teachers, homeschool, parents, day care providers, grandparents--anyone who needs math worksheets for non-profit use.

You'll love the tessellations game and the rice and chessboard story. Read the book "One Grain of Rice: A Mathematical Folktale" by Demi. This relates the old legend of how the gift of one grain of rice grew exponentially to a kingdom full of rice in one month. Dr. Mike's games not only teach kids valuable math lessons in a manageable format, they're also a lot of fun. Teachers and homeschool parents, play these games with students and you'll hear no groans and only cheers at math time.

Free Printable Apple Themed Lesson Plans

Autumn in Michigan means apples. Apples are a common theme for preschool and elementary school students. Teachers and homeschoolers, are you teaching a unit on apples? Have I got a great sweet treat for you: free printable apple-themed lessons, apple coloring pages, apple games, worksheet and activities. There are math, social studies, science, reading, history, writing connections and more. 

 A to Z Teacher Stuff for more links to dozens of free printable apple lesson plans, crafts, mini booklets, games and worksheets. Most are geared to ages pre-K to grades 4.There are apple crafts, games, life science lesson plans and more!

Free Printable Fire Prevention Week Activities and Lessons

  Fire Prevention Week runs the first full week in October. Here are fire safety printables and emergency preparedness lessons for Fire Prevention Week. Use free printable fire prevention activities, worksheets, coloring pages, stickers, games, puzzles and crafts to help kids learn vital life-saving skills. Here are free printable family activities for Fire Prevention Week. Across the country, fire fighters, public safety officers, schools, communities and families will be teaching kids about safety this October, just in time for the holiday season.

National Fire Prevention is an organization dedicated to teaching people about fire safety and fire prevention. This link takes you to the Fire Prevention Week page. Look for free printable emergency escape plans, home maps, charts, phone numbers lists, safety check-lists and other fire prevention resources. Activities are printed in English and Spanish. Check your local community fire station for details on events they may be hosting.

Print smoke alarm safety sheet, family safety checklist, smoke alarm tutorial poster, family fire escape grid route and classroom unit on fire prevention. Use for back to school science lesson plans. It's a good idea to teach a safety unit as soon as you begin classes in the fall. Educators and homeschoolers there are packets of printable information to use in lesson plans. Scroll through for grade and language appropriate lesson

Sparky the Fire Dog has his own website kids can play on. Print a Sparky origami dog. Play interactive games with Sparky, while learning important science lessons. Kids can learn fire safety in a safe, hands-on activities. They'll love the fire role play games and simulations.

Free Printable Fantasy and Fairy Craft Activities

I'm personally very fond of fairies, sprites, nymphs, nyads, dryads, pixies and all manner of wee folk who live in the forest.  Here are dozens of free printable fairy craft activities to use in fantasy literature, art and social studies lesson plans.

Start with Rainbow Magic fairy stories created by a collection of authors writing under the pseudonym "Daisy Meadows." Rainbow Magic is illustrated by Georgie Ripper. There are several dozen Rainbow Magic fairy stories. Here are free printable Rainbow Magic fairy crafts.

Here are free printable coloring pages of fairies from literature such as Shakespeare. There are old school Tinker Bell images and pictures of the Blue Fairy from Pinocchio. Here are more free printable fairy princess crafts and Medieval fantasy crafts with fairies. Here are free printable Barbie Fairytopia coloring pages. And you can't let an article about fairy crafts go to print without a nod to the greatest fairy of all Tinker Bell! No, don't get mad Tink, because the best is always saved for last! Here are free printable Tinker Bell and the Fairies of Pixie Hollow coloring pages.

Print a whole booklet of Tinker Bell, Barbie Fairytopia and Rainbow Magic activities to occupy a sick child or pass the time on a family car trip. Pack her a "Care-y Fairy Package," including printable booklet, crayons or markets, stickers, scissors, glue sticker and pencil. For extra fun, add some glitter (fairy gurus often refer to this as "pixie dust.") By the way, June 24 is Fairy Day!

Free Printable Cinco De Mayo, Mexico Coloring Pages

Cinco de Mayo, or Fifth of May, celebrates the victory of the smaller Mexican army over the mighty French juggernaut, in the Battle of Puebla, 1862. Cinco de Mayo is not the Mexican Independence. Here are free printable lesson plans for Cinco de Mayo. 

Cinco de Mayo means the fifth of May. But it isn't Mexican Independence Day nor the equivalent of the U.S. Fourth of July. Cinco de Mayo is the day Mexicans remember El Día de la Batalla de Puebla (Battle of Puebla). Cinco de Mayo is mostly an Americanized Latino holiday. But also a great day to explore Mexican culture. Here are free printable Cinco de Mayo lesson plans, worksheets and games.

Mr Donn has free printable Cinco de Mayo activities, games, coloring pages, Powerpoint presentations, social studies worksheets, history lesson plans and culture study activities.

A-Z Teacher Stuff has free printable Cinco de Mayo unit and lesson planner kit with materials, worksheets, games, crafts, recipes, movies and activities.

Enchanted Learning has free printable Cinco de Mayo worksheets, mini-booklets, history and social studies lesson plans. Print a map of Mexico, Mexican flag, info on the Battle of Puebla, Mexican leaders, posters, history, images and recipes. Print a nice poster featuring Cesar Chavez and other Mexican labor activists, political figures, scientists, artists, musicians and more.

The Teachers Corner has free printable Cinco de Mayo crafts, counting lessons, words in Spanish, cultural heritage activities and more. Lesson Planet has free printable lesson plans on Cinco de Mayo to sample.

For preschool and younger kids, visit DL-TK for free Cinco de Mayo coloring pages, crafts, games, puzzles and recipes. Kids Soup offers free Cinco de Mayo printables to sample.

Apples 4 the Teacher offers free printable Cinco de Mayo lessons, maps, history projects, puzzles, games, music, crafts, recipes and more. There are ideas for several ages groups. ELCivics has printable Cinco de Mayo lessons for older students.

Animal Classification Bingo Game: Animal sorting game for preschool science Lesson Plans

Interactive Animal Classification and Habitat Bingo Game for Elementary Science Class As a former Montessori teacher and homeschool mom, I'm always looking for hands-on, interactive ways to teach concepts. To explore animal classification, habitats and elementary life science and biology, I made up an animal sorting or bingo game. My children have always owned an impressive collection of stuffed and plastic animals. I put their toy animal collection to use in preschool and elementary science lesson plans. You can easily play this game with a classroom of children, or use in science learning centers. 

First, collect stuffed animals, toy animals, plastic animals and even magazines with pictures of animals. Use your National Geographic, Big Back Yard and Ranger Rick magazines. Next, make a large Bingo board on the floor with masking tape. Each square should be about 8x12 inches large. Make large signs from recycled cardboard for each category on the bingo board.

  If you are studying animal classification, you will make categories labeled:

  MAMMAL

  BIRD

  FISH

  REPTILE

  AMPHIBIAN

  INSECT

  If you are studying habitats or biomes in science, list the biomes you are exploring

  DESERT

  RAINFOREST

  EASTERN WOODLAND

  OCEAN

  WETLAND MARSH

  POND  

  SAVANNAH GRASSLAND

  Play animal bingo in one of several ways. Call out a category and let students come up and select a toy animal to place in one of the boxes under the category. You can also give each child a blank bingo sheet. For each animal in his collection, he writes a small label card. If the animal is called, he places it the correct category. You might also call categories and let him choose which, if any of the animals he has, to put in the category. The last way to play this animal bingo game (and also the most abstract and least hands-on) is to pass out animal word cards and play it that way. My students and children prefer sorting their toy animals. It was pretty cute to see Pooh bear sitting in the WOODLAND and Minnie Mouse in the MAMMAL category. This game works well for group instruction; students learn from each other and great discussion ensues.

Habitat Science Tubs and Preschool Learning Center Activities

Preschool and Elementary Science Learning Center Ideas for Habitat Study Learning occurs best when it's interactive. Bring hands-on, cross-curricular activities to every preschool classroom learning center. Studying different countries, cultures or habitats in your classroom? Here are hands-on science center activities. 

Montessori type learning centers focus on hands-on child-led mastery learning, individual work stations and play as work activities. Activities in learning centers aim for mastery learning through exploration and task completion. Montessori science learning centers are also called sensory or sensorial learning areas. Here's a system for portable exploratory science tubs with task-oriented science experiments and activities for mastery learning.

Montessori learning centers are organized, precise and minimal. Instead of a jumble of toys, there are specific ordered learning materials with task-oriented goals. Children work in individual work stations instead of desks or tables. These are usually portable mats rolled out on the floor. Portable unit-based science tubs work well. Materials in science tubs may be preset on stationary learning mats and children rotate through learning centers to complete activities. Or children may select science tubs, bring them to their mat work stations where they interact with materials to accomplish educational tasks.

To create exploratory science tubs, you'll need small plastic boxes with lids, baskets and different science unit materials. Stacking boxes or drawers in a rolling cart work well too. You might also use zippered plastic bags for individual science units. You will arrange materials by content area. When you're studying a particular content area, you'll remove materials from drawer or box and place in baskets. This makes learning materials more appealing and approachable.

Themes for exploratory science tubs include: magnets, matters, animal classification, mammals, reptiles, air, water, weather, measurement, polymers, plants, rocks and minerals, chemistry, seeds and seed carriers, feathers, electricity, atoms, food, bubbles, bugs, spiders, electronics. Place materials to explore in science tubs. Add several related follow up tasks for mastery learning--flashcards, worksheets, matching games. Children can do mastery learning tasks in science journals for follow up.

Make available tools for exploratory science: microscope, slides, magnifying glass, tweezers, magnifying box, telescope, gram balance scale, ruler, protractor, measuring tape. On the top surface of the plastic science tubs shelf, draw outlines of tools so children know where to place tools when finished. You could also make a pegboard for them to hang tools. Children perform exploratory science tasks and then return materials to original places so other children can use them

DIY Scrabble/ Boggle Letter Dice for Word Games

To make your own Scrabble or Boggle dice, you'll need 12 dice: Recycle die from old games with lost pieces. Look for old dice games like Kismet or Yahtzee at garage sales. Ask a handy man to cut small dice cubes from scrap wood. Dice can be purchased at almost any store for under $2).

Permanent markers

Blank stickers (round or square white stickers are best)

Note pad

small pencils

watch or timer

small box

To make Scrabble/Boggle dice

Affix a sticker to each of the six sides of the die.

Label each die side with a different letter. With 12 dice times six sides you will have room for 72 letters. Since some letters are more popular, label dice this way. It makes no difference where on the dice you put which letters, Just be sure to get this many letters in.

  -four times each, letters: A, E, I, O, U, R, S, T, L, N

  -three times each letters: B, C, D, F, G, H, M, P

  -one time each, letters: J, K, Q, V, W, X, Y, Z

  -dictionary to check spelling

Make Classroom Reading Games Using Cartoons and Comic Strips

Years ago, I made a file folder game that has traveled with me to elementary, middle school, special education, adult education and homeschool classrooms. This language arts- reading game uses cartoons, comic strips and graphic novels. I call this game Cartoon Cut-Ups. 

  Each student is given an envelope containing the individual frames of one cartoon strip. I use the colored comics from the Sunday cartoons in the newspaper. Each comic strip have six to eight frames. The object of the game is to reassemble the mixed up cartoon frames back in their original order so that the cartoon makes sense. Graphic novels work well also, but generally have more frames. Assembling a graphic novel cartoon will be more challenging.

  Cartoon Cut-Ups challenges a student skills in looking for details, sequencing, ordering and classifying. Cartoon Cut-Ups helps students explore and understand, plot, dialog, time progression, if-then relationships, contextual clues, drawing conclusions, making inferences and predicting character behavior. Higher order thinking skills practiced include analysis, application and synthesis.

  When choosing a comic strip to use for this reading game, look for cartoon that show plot progression at various levels of comprehension. Look for comic strips in which the plot progression can be traced from frame to frame. Many cartoons rely not only on dialog to carry the plot, but picture or context clues. Characters' facial expressions help identify the plot, also.

  

  To make Cartoon Cut-Ups, you will need:

  -one blank manila file folder

  -assorted comic strips, cartoons and graphic novels

  -scissors

  -small envelopes

  -small round or square stickers

  -gallon sized zipper bag

  -stapler

  -laminating materials or contact paper

  -dark marker

  Procedure:

  -Rule off 12 large squares on the inside of file folder, and outline them in dark marker. Number each square inside 1-12.

  -Laminate the file and the uncut comic strip.

  -Affix a sticker to the back of each cartoon frame and label the stickers in order. This way, students       can self-check    their work, correct any errors and have immediate feedback.

  -Cut comic strips apart along the frame lines.

  -Place individual comic strip pieces in unsealed envelope and label with name and difficulty level.

  -Gather all cartoon envelopes into zippered bag. Leaving bag open staple one side to inside of file folder, below the       zipper area. Seal bag.

  -Label outside of folder with game name. Write directions on the back.

Hands-on Geography Social Studies Earth Science Lessons and Games Using Globes

April is Earth Month and it's a good time to explore earth science and world geography. With the National Geography Bee right around the corner, here are hands-on social studies lessons, map activities and geography games with globes. Playing geography games with globes helps students visualize the big picture better than with maps. Use map activities to locate specific places and use globes for accurate place countries in the world at large. Use geography games with globes to demonstrate earth science lessons, just in time for Earth Month in April!

Race Around the World map activities: Divide students into teams of 2-4. Give each team a globe and attach a world map to the wall or bulletin board. Call out countries, cities and provinces for teams to locate their globes. The first team to find the location wins a point. After the location is found indicate it on the wall map with a pin or sticky note arrow (available at most office supply retailers).

Earth Science Jeopardy: Students may play individually or in teams. Draw a Jeopardy grid on a Dry-Erase board, overhead projector or chalkboard. Label five categories across the top of the Earth Science Jeopardy board. Here are some suggested earth science categories: Rivers, Mountain Ranges, Africa, Asia, Islands, Europe, United States, South America, Bodies of Water, Northern Hemisphere, Locations that begin with ____ (fill in letter). Fill in dollar amounts as in regular Jeopardy. Players select a category and value. The geography games leader calls out a place and team members must locate it on globes. Give teams buzzers or bells to sound when they find the answer.

Latitude and Longitude Hide 'n Seek map activities: Explain the how lines and degrees of latitude and longitude work. Official latitude lines--also called parallels--go east to west and longitude lines go north and south. There are 180 latitude lines--90 above the equator (north) and 90 below (south). There are 360 lines of longitude (180 in the eastern hemisphere and 180 in the western hemisphere). They are divided into 24 groups which define time zones as well as geographical locations. Use coordinate geometry to place cities and landforms in lines of latitude and longitude. Ask students to list different earth science landforms located with the latitude and longitude markings. Ask students list cities and locales based on latitude and longitude coordinates or bearings.

Time zones bingo map activities: Using the small dial attached to the top of the globe, teach students how read lines of longitude to determine time zone. Call out a time zone. Students fill their card by locating and listing a city or province in that time zone. Require older students to calculate what time it is in different countries by giving the time in another time zone. Explain the Greenwich Mean Time system.

Marketing, Business, Math Lesson Plans with Manufacturer's Marketplace

In my never-ending quest to make learning more hands-on and content more approachable, here is a school activity that combines business and money math, writing, design, marketing, public relations and organization: it's called Manufacturer's Marketplace. If you want to engage your students in active learning and create a memorable lesson plan that everyone will enjoy then Manufacturer's Marketplace is the venue for you.

  The concept behind a Manufacturer's Marketplace is quite simple. Each student must design and produce a good or service, which he vends to his school community on a given school day. All that is needed from the teacher's perspective is a time, place and student body. Manufacturer's Marketplace can be held in any grade; in school districts in which children enter middle school in sixth grade, Manufacturer's Marketplace makes a great 'farewell to fifth grade and elementary school' project'.

  To organize Manufacturer's Marketplace with your students or homeschool cooperative, each child should be given a planning sheet to fill out with parents, explaining what good or service he plans to market, his costs involved and his final price per unit. Goods should be made by hand and not purchased. Students should draw a model of their product or service as well as an advertising poster to be hung in the school hallway. Cost per product should be kept under $1.00 per unit so that student's with little pocket money can still purchase something. As a class, students should create a take-home flyer to be sent home with students in all grades, reminding students to bring money for Manufacturer's Marketplace Day.

  On Manufacturer's Marketplace Day, students should set up their product on individual desks or tables. Part of the assignment is to create enough product to supply the number of students in the school. Recommend that students bring at least one unit for every three - five students in the school. An important part of this marketing assignment that students will learn is about supply and demand. Classrooms of students should be given slots of time to browse and shop.

  After Manufacturer's Marketplace Day, the student should calculate profit, any discounts they may have given, any hidden costs incurred as well as any leftover product (to be deducted from the sales as a business liability). Students should also write a brief business report analyzing the project, listing successes as well as changes that they would make next time (bought too little, over-bought, etc.).

Manufacturer's Marketplace is a great math, business, book-keeping, design, entrepreneurial, marketing and social event for your school.

Free Printable Dr Seuss Coloring Pages, Crafts, Activities

Celebrate 'Read Across America' and Dr. Seuss's birthday March 2, with free printable Dr.Seuss coloring pages, lessons, crafts, puzzles, games and activities.  Dr. Seuss coloring pages include the Grinch, the Lorax, the Sneetches, The Cat in the Hat, Horton and more Seuss friends.Homeschool Share has many free printable Dr. Seuss worksheets, coloring pages and activities.

Tomie DePaola Christmas Kids Literature Activities

Christmas Kids Books--Have a Tomie DePaola Holiday Looking for the best Christmas stories and holiday books for children? Then have yourself a Tomie DePaola Christmas! Tomie DePaola is a one of the world's best-loved illustrator-authors in children's literature. Tomie DePaola admits that he loves Christmas and it shows in the holiday magic he imbues in his stories and art. Here's the definitive Tomie DePaola Christmas stories collection. Included are Advent books, too: Advent is the Catholic season of preparation leading up to Christmas and Tomie DePaola books indulge that spirit of anticipation. He's done a nice series on saints' feast day that fall in Advent.

"The Lady of Guadalupe" Hands-down best retelling of the story of Juan Diego and Our Lady of Guadalupe, Patroness of the Amercias, whose feast day, is December 12).

"The Legend of the Poinsettia" With no gift to offer the Bambino at Midnight mass, a little girl brings some flowers growing by the wayside, and a miracle occurs. It's similar to story in The Gift, by Aselin Debison

"The Night of Las Posadas" Posadas are parties celebrated during Advent in Mexico beginning nine days before Christmas as an Advent novena. They are similar to passion plays.

"Tomie DePaola's Make-Your-Own Christmas Cards" Tomie teaches you how to use your own artistic skill to make lovely holiday greeting cards.

"Get Dressed, Santa" Uh-oh, is Santa too tired to deliver the gifts this Christmas. Little children will love to help wake the sleepy elf. .

"Country Angel Christmas" Tomie DePaola specializes in angels. They peek out of every corner of his stories and nothing says Christmas like angels.

"Hark! A Christmas Sampler" Here's a delightful collection of Christmas songs, stories and fun from the Christmas man himself. Oh and there are Tomie DePaola Christmas recipes---there must always be recipes!

"Baby's First Christmas" Certain little grandchildren this author knows may find this in their stockings-shhh, don't tell.

"Tomie DePaola's Book of Christmas Carols" Here are all your favorite holiday tunes illustrated by Tomie DePaola

"The Night Before Christmas" Here is Clement C. Moore's timeless classic, DePaola style.

"The Friendly Beasts" This is a very satisfying retelling of the Welsh song and legend of the night the angels talked. Tomie DePaola's famous sheep figure heavily, but so do his other endearing animals.

"Merry Christmas, Strega Nona" Big Anthony goofs again-or does he? Can he really put one the Buon Natalia feast with no magic at Christmas?

"My First Christmas" This one is perfect for the wee ones' first holiday storybook.

"The Family Christmas Tree Book" Christmas deserve a family photo album, don't they? Here are holiday memories of Christmas trees past.

"The Legend of Old Befana" La Befana is the Italian equivalent to Russia's Baboushka, a woman too busy to stop for the baby Jesus and His guests.

"The Clown of God" Here's a haunting gestalt Medieval French tale of sacrifice and devotion.

"The Christmas Pageant" Tomie DePaola tells the nativity story.

"Sing Pierrot, Sing!" Okay, so perhaps not a Christmas story, but surely the old Italienne Comedie belongs with Christmas? Who can resist Harlequin and Columbine?

"An Early American Christmas" What was Christmas like for Jamestown pilgrims in a strange new world?

"Santa's Crash-Bang Christmas" Here's a very silly, noisy story that the littlest ones will love! "The Popcorn Book" This is not a Christmas book as such, but references are made to the holiday favorite popcorn balls and popcorn strung on Christmas trees. And popcorn and Christmas go together like Rudolph and red noses.

"Christmas Remembered" This is a tender, touching collection of holiday memories.

"Angels, Angels Everywhere" Tomie's angel shtick shows up again. His friendly cherubs crop up in the funniest places and remind us that angels are watching. That's much more comforting that Elf on a Shelf, don't you think.

"Guess Who's Coming for Santa's Dinner?" Poor Santa, he just wants to relax. But what do you do when Mama Santa invites all the relatives over for Christmas dinner? Children love imagining what Santa's relatives might be like.

Tomie has also written several lovely children's literature books for Jewish Chanukah. He's been illustrating books since 1965. Tomie originally published with Harcourt, Brace, Jovanvich, and now writes for G.P.Putnam's Sons, with many of his series books being published by Simon and Schuster. Some holiday children's literature books are published by Holiday House. This author and her children were privileged to meet Tomie DePaola in Muskegon, Michigan in 1993. Their autographed copy of "Strega Nona's Christmas" is a read each year. The oldest two children, now 27 and 25, remember it fondly and now there are grandchildren to pass it on to. Why not read a Tomie DePaola each night of Advent until Christmas and make your own memories. 

Free Printable Educational Board Games, Card Games

Card games and board games are excellent teaching tools. Card games can be created to teach content area and subject matter in lesson plans Card games help students memorize information. Here are free printable educational card games, playing cards, flashcards, dominoes and Memory games to use as lesson plans. 

The Kidz Page has free printable educational card games, word games, flashcards, math games, sudoku games and lots of other educational learning games. They are brightly colored, cheerful games. Activity Village has free printable educational cards games, deck of cards for learning games, Memory games and more.