candy cane game - the mailbox · candy cane solutions computation problems and write each answer on...
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©The Mailbox®
3
All Aglow
Plan to use this center each week of the holiday season! Make five or six colorful copies
of the bulb pattern on page 7. Laminate the patterns, cut them out, and use clear tape to
attach the cutouts to a length of yarn. Then use a wipe-off pen to program the string of
lights with a self-checking algebraic sequence like the one shown. A student works from
left to right to solve the number challenge on his paper. His final calculation must equal
the provided answer. If not, he revisits his work. When all students have visited the center,
wipe away the programming and replace it with another algebraic sequence to solve.
MathAlgebra • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
• • •
Peekaboo Presents
To get students wrapped up in this activity,
ask them to scan catalogs and newspaper
circulars for pictures of gifts they’d like to
receive. Then have each child cut out one
picture and glue it on a nine-inch square of
drawing paper. Next, have him write on a
nine-inch square of writing paper a detailed
paragraph that describes—but does not
name—the gift. To make a peekaboo present
like the one shown, a student stacks his
writing, followed by a nine-inch square of
holiday wrap, atop his picture. Then he
staples the stack near the top and attaches a
bow to the holiday wrap. Showcase students’
work with the title “Predict Before You Peek!”
Descriptive writingLanguageArts
• • • • • • • • • • • • • •
64– 32
aa
– 10b
b+ 43
cc– 14
d
d+ 22 73
My perfect gift is a board game.
It comes in a colorful box. On the box
are some students who go to school to
learn magic. To win this game, a player
must have read about the students or
watched them in movies. A DVD player is
needed to play this game.
3
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4
Santa’s Workshop Supplies Coin identification and addition skills get
a workout at this partner center. To minimize
prep time, invite students to cut out pictures
of workshop supplies from building supply catalogs or newspaper flyers. Then glue several picture cutouts to individual cards and
label each card with a purchase price. Place
the cards and play money at a center. Each
partner chooses a pictured item and counts
out the exact amount of money that’s needed
to make the purchase. Then each student confirms that his partner has supplied the correct amount of cash. When both students
agree that the money amounts are accurate,
they return the cash and cards to their original
locations. Play continues until each child has
made three or more different purchases.
Stocking Stuffers Lead the way to improved student writing with
this small-group activity. Assign each group a
different commonly overused word, such as said,
like, nice, old, pretty, or fast. Challenge each group
to brainstorm more specific substitutes for its word
while a volunteer from the group lists the words on
scrap paper. Next, ask each group to choose five
favorites from the list for the volunteer to circle.
Check the spelling of these words. Then have each
group make a construction paper stocking, decorate
it, and program it with its assigned word and list of
alternatives. Display the completed projects near
your writing center.
LanguageArts
Money
Word choice
Math
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
LIBERTY
2001
IN G
OD WE TRUS
T
IN GOD WE TRUST
IN GOD WE TRUST
IN GOD WE TRUST 2001
LIB
ER
TY
LIBERTY
2001
IN G
OD WE TRUS
T
IN GOD WE TRUST
IN GOD WE TRUST 2001
LIB
ER
TY
LIBERTY
2001
IN GOD WE TRUST
IN GOD WE TRUST
IN GOD WE TRUST
87¢
fast
snappy
quick
rapid
swiftspeedy
©The Mailbox®
2
Computation
Math
• • • • • •
• • • • • •
• • • • •
Candy Cane Solutions
There is a sweet result each time this large-
group game is played. Select a set of ten or more
computation problems and write each answer on
the board. Then hand out student copies of the
gameboard on page 8 and ask each child to write
a different answer in each space that has a black
dot. To begin play, read aloud individual problems
from the practice set. A student works each problem
on her paper and checks her gameboard for a
matching solution. If it’s there, she colors the space
red. If it is not, she looks for it on the board (to verify
her calculations). The first student to color each
programmed space on her gameboard exclaims, “Ho,
ho, ho!” If she correctly verifies her problem-and-
answer matches, math practice is over!
Alene
384
– 273111
753
– 110643 Candy
Cane Game
Name _______________
476
– 235241
241
100274
340
140
185
643
ChristmasChristmasLanguage
Arts
Narrative writing
• • • • • •
• • • • • •
• •
Brown-Bag It!
Label four or five brown paper lunch
bags as shown. In each bag, place
several seasonal pictures or objects such
as a gift tag, an ornament, and a Santa
hat. Place the bags at a center with a
supply of notebook paper and pencils.
To complete the center, each student
picks a bag and draws one item at a
time. The student then writes a creative
story incorporating each of the items from
his bag into his story in the order they
were drawn. Simply change the items in
the bags every week or so to keep the
creative stories coming!
Merry Christmas
Story Bag 4
Story Bag 1 Story Bag 2
Story Bag 3
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5
Geometric Gift Wrap
The gift card on page 8 is loaded with
review opportunities. Each time you hand out
student copies of the card, lead the class in
completing one of the following:
• Find and color specific shapes; for
example, “Color each triangle red.”
• Color pairs of congruent shapes
different colors. • Color symmetrical shapes red and
nonsymmetrical shapes green.
• Study each horizontal row of shapes.
Color a slide blue, a flip green, and a
turn yellow.
Math
Plane figures • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Berries and Bows
For this review of a and an, give each child a red
construction paper copy of page 9 and a nine-inch square of
green paper. Have students use scissors to cut their green
paper squares into wreath shapes. Next, have each child cut
out the bows and berries on her copy of page 9 and sort the
cutouts into two groups: words to preface with a and words to
preface with an. Then have each child glue one set of cutouts
to each side of her wreath. If desired, have students refer
to their wreaths during the holiday season as they complete
activities such as the following:
• Choose a subject from your wreath and write a story
about it. • Compare and contrast two objects named on your
wreath. • List the adjectives and the nouns shown on your
wreath. • List the words from each side of your wreath in
alphabetical order.
• Write sentences that include a or an and are followed
by words from your wreath.
Adjectives
Language Arts • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
There are seven pairs of congruent shapes!
Ethan
December 7
box
a
bow
sleigh
silly
hatred
tiny
tree
owlelf
atlas
Name ___________________________________ Date _________________
No peeking!
HappyHolidays!
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Math
Multiplication • • • •
• • • •
• • • •
• • • •
•
Adding money
Math • • • •
• • • •
• • • •
• • • •
•
Holiday Numbers
Draw a large holiday tree on a piece of
bulletin board paper. Label each section with
a single-digit number. Tape the paper on the
floor. Then have two teams of students line up
a predetermined distance from it. Give the first
student in each line a bean bag. Each child
tosses the bean bag at the Christmas tree target
when you say, “Go!” Then she immediately
multiplies the two numbers hit. The student who
solves the problem first stays for the next round,
and the other child goes to the end of the line.
Play continues in this manner until time is called.
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The Perfect Gift
At a center, provide copies of page 10 and shopping
catalogs. A child pretends he has an imaginary budget
of $200 to buy holiday gifts for five family members. He
uses the catalogs to list the gift he would buy for each
person and its cost. Once the chart is complete, he totals
the amount spent to ensure that he has remained under
budget. If he is over his budget, he must replace one or
two items on his list and then revise his calculations.
The Perfect
Gift
Name
Date
Total __________
Name Gift
PagePrice
.
.
.
.
.
Dad blue shirt
pg. 32 $24.99
Mom perfume
Lily
Dec. 15
7
Holiday Bulb Pattern
Use with “All Aglow” on page 3.
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he Mailbox
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he Mailbox
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©The Mailbox®
Berry and Bow PatternsUse with “Berries and Bows” on page 5.
a
an
elftree
bow empty ideaold
hattiny
owl sleighatlas
redicicle silly
box
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©The Mailbox®
The Perfect Gift
Name ______________________________________ Date ____________________
Note to the teacher: Use with “The Perfect Gift” on page 6.
Total __________
Name Gift
Page
Price
.
.
.
.
.
8
GameboardUse with “Candy Cane Solutions” on page 2.
Cand
y Ca
ne
Gam
e
Nam
e __
____
____
____
_
Name ____________________________________ Date __________________
No peeking!
HappyHolidays!
Gift CardUse with “Geometric Gift Wrap” on page 5.
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©T
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