May Week 2 | An Idea for Every Day
Updated 4/6/2022
Did you participate in any of the suggested activities from last week? If so, we'd love to hear about it. We had every intention of making the Nine Men Morris board for May Day, but ran out of time. We were, however, ecstatic to hear it mentioned in the book we're reading with our nephew: Justin Case: Rules, Tools and Maybe a Bully by Rachel Vail. This book is the third in a series our nephew immensely enjoys, and we like it too. It accurately reflects the inner thoughts, worries, concerns, decisions and likely outcomes of a third or fourth grade boy. So, if you have a third or fourth grader in your home, consider checking this one out. You'll laugh, you'll relate, and, if your learner is anything like our nephew, you'll hear applied book-related concepts popping up throughout the day.
Our hope, in gathering these activities, is that they will bring some joy, some learning, and perhaps even some adventure into your days. Choose the way you'd like to discover our ideas for every day:
- The whole month at a glance - download the May 2020 calendar.
- Weekly
- Subscribe to our blog (on side panel) so they'll come to your email
- Return to Wolfe Stew weekly
- Review the four previous weekly blogs (ideas have no expiration date):
- You want more - Check out our Pinterest board.
Now, we invite you to glance through the upcoming week and see if one (or two) ideas stand out to you.
If you're here to view a specific day's activities, click your desired link below.
- Mother's Day (5.10.20)
- Twilight Zone Day (5.11.20)
- Limerick Day (5.12.20)
- Frog Jumping Day (5.13.20)
- Dance Like a Chicken Day (5.14.20)
- Endangered Species Day (5.15.20)
- Barbecue Day (5.16.20)
Sunday, May 10th - Mother's Day
On this day, we honor mothers, in whatever shape that takes for you. It's a day for children to stand up and call that woman who played a pivotal role in your life, "blessed." Here are some ways you might fulfill this goal:
If you want to give this special lady in your life a meaningful gift, but you have no idea what it could be, we suggest you head over to Good Housekeeping for some suggestions. They rounded up 60 unique gift ideas for the woman of honor. Our favorites include a personalized pillow featuring names of her children, a sunflower garden starter kit, or a journal you get to personalize called: "What I Love About You by Me." If none of these suit your mother, do not despair - there are many more possibilities for you.
One of the iconic Mother's Day ideas is a brunch hosted in her honor or breakfast served to her in bed. Food Network gathered 45+ breakfast or brunch recipes for you to browse. From sweet to savory, fancy to simple, there really is something here for every mother. Want a peek at my menu? Bacon, egg and cheese toast bowls with a grapefruit spritzer to start. Followed by yogurt creme brulee with fresh fruit and granola served with coffee. If this doesn't sound appetizing to you, don't worry, there are plenty more recipes from which to choose.
I've seen this warning going around: dad's your child won't be making their moms a craft at school this year for Mother's Day. Well, dads, if you want to rid yourself of this predicament, Country Living provides a list of 59 Mother's Day crafts from which to choose. From paperweights to oven mitts, we're thinking you'll find a craft (or two) to do.
Or perhaps you'd like to read stories about inspirational moms. Reader's Digest compiled twelve short stories for precisely this purpose. After reading these, and now feeling inspired, perhaps you'd like to pen a story about your own inspirational mother (biological, adopted, or philosophical).
Monday, May 11th - Twilight Zone Day
Common Sense Media rates The Twilight Zone, a classic TV show laced with shocking twists, appropriate for ages 10 and up. So, if your learners fit the bill, you could consider watching it with them. Stream the show with your subscription to Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, or CBS All Access.
If your learner is younger than the 10+ age-level recommendation, read or write mystery stories with them instead.
Reading is the route of choice? Then visit Book Riot for a list of 50 mystery books for kids, organized by age appropriateness. Of the books on this list, we found the following on Open Library (free for use currently):
- Preschool through First Grade:
- Sherlock Holmes in the Hound of the Baskervilles: A Sounds Primer by Jennifer Adams
- The Eleventh Hour by Graeme Base
- Where's the Big Bad Wolf? by Eileen Christelow
- Detective LaRue: Letters from the Investigation by Mark Teague
- Who Took the Cookies from the Cookie Jar by Bonnie Lass and Philemon Sturges
- Second and Third Grade:
- Nancy Clancy Super Sleuth by Jane O'Connor
- Julian, Secret Agent by Ann Cameron
- Malcolm at Midnight by W. H. Beck
- Geronimo Stilton: Lost Treasure of the Emerald Eye by Elisabetta Dami
- Lulu's Mysterious Mission by Judith Voirst
- Fourth and Fifth Grade:
- The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warren
- Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective by Donald J. Sobl; illustrated by Leonard Shortall
- Basil of Baker Street by Eve Titus
- Nate the Great by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat
- A to Z Mysteries: The Absent Author by Ron Roy
- From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Koingsburg
- Sixth and Seventh Grade:
- The Name of this Book is Secret by Pseudonymous Bosch
- Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliet
- The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart
- The Books of Elsewhere: The Shadows by Jacqueline West
- 39 Clues: The Maze of Bones by Rick Riordin
- Enola Holmes: The Case of the Missing Marquess by Nancy Springer
You read a mystery book and now you're inspired to write your own! Or, maybe you were from the get-go. Well, whatever the case, we have some ideas to get you started. If your learner is a preschool to second grade learner, you'll want to check out The Curious Kindergarten. The Curious Kindergarten invites you to round up all your Easter eggs (you still have some around the house, right?) then use them to inspire your young mystery authors by writing riddles as clues for what's inside their eggs.
For third to sixth grade learners, you want to head over to Scholastic where they will learn the ingredients of a great mystery (PDF). Using the checklist, your learners will record evidence they spot while reading their mystery. Once done, use the same resources to have them plan their own mystery. Or, if they're ready, just start by using the documents for prewriting.
Tuesday, May 12th - Limerick Day
The way we see it, there are two ways to celebrate this day: read limericks or write limericks. Brownie Locks compiled 83 limericks for your reading pleasure. Feel free to hop on over and get lost.
Now, with your head full of limericks, it's time to try your hand at your own. Poetry 4 Kids walks you through the limerick writing process.
If you write or read a limerick you'd love to share, we'd love to hear it. Come on back here and leave it in the comments or email us (mr@wolfestew.com or mrs@wolfestew.com). We can't wait to read your contributions.
Wednesday, May 13th - Frog Jumping Day
We give you three options to celebrate Frog Jumping Day: play, create, or research. So, choose the one that's right for you and your learner(s), then jump right in.
You want to play leapfrog but forget how? Or maybe you're not sure how to explain it. Or perhaps you've never played it. Don't worry! We found this video that explains how to play leapfrog for you on YouTube. All you have to do is make sure you have your learner's attention then press play. Oh, then go outside and try it out, of course!
Maybe you could even play leapfrog with origami jumping frogs. But first, you have to make them. No problem! Head over to Kids Web Japan for a Jumping Frog origami tutorial complete with pictures and step-by-step instructions.
If playing leapfrog and making jumping frogs has you wondering: how do frogs actually jump? Find Out with DK's diagram on how a frog jumps or watch a video at Charlotte Observer as they explain it step-by-step. Organize this newly acquired knowledge into a flow chart that explains the frog jumping process. You can use this printable template (PDF) from HMH (the previous link opens a PDF, click here to self-navigate to the flow chart) or visit Creately to craft a digital flow chart.
However you chose to celebrate Frog Jumping Day, we're ever so glad you took the leap with us!
Thursday, May 14th - Dance Like a Chicken Day
If you loved Frog Jumping day, chances are you'll also love Dance Like a Chicken Day. May 14th presents you with yet another opportunity to mimic animal moves.
Chances are, you know this dance. But if you don't, no worries. This video by Wurstfest via YouTube will teach it to you. Go on. Let loose.
If you'd like a more structured approach to teaching this song, the PE Specialist breaks it down well for you. He'll walk you through prepping the physical space, offers a video of him teaching it, categorizes the movements into non-locomotor and locomotor steps, then goes through the basic breakdown of all steps - all the while reminding you that the magic number is 4. During the movement break, (where typically you lock elbows) he suggests your learners practice locomotor steps (i.e. skip, slide, gallop). After your learners master this version of the chicken dance, The PE Specialist suggests you mix it up and offers some variations.
Maybe your learners are ready to take on something a little more advanced. How about a round (or two) of Chicken Dance Tag? For Chicken Dance Tag, you'll first need to gather rubber chickens. What? You don't have rubber chickens lying around the house? Neither do we. You could print out this chicken mask from Super Coloring, punch holes in the sides, and add string to wear it. Or you could glue a feather on a clothespin. Whichever you choose: rubber chicken, mask, or feather, these objects mark the person who is "it." If you're playing with a large group, choose more people to be "it." Play tag as usual, but when you're "out" you go to the "chicken coop." To be released, you must perform the full chicken dance.
After engaging in these Dance Like a Chicken Day activities, we're thinking you'll be singing, "I don't want to be a chicken, I don't want to be a duck..." all day long.
Chances are, you know this dance. But if you don't, no worries. This video by Wurstfest via YouTube will teach it to you. Go on. Let loose.
If you'd like a more structured approach to teaching this song, the PE Specialist breaks it down well for you. He'll walk you through prepping the physical space, offers a video of him teaching it, categorizes the movements into non-locomotor and locomotor steps, then goes through the basic breakdown of all steps - all the while reminding you that the magic number is 4. During the movement break, (where typically you lock elbows) he suggests your learners practice locomotor steps (i.e. skip, slide, gallop). After your learners master this version of the chicken dance, The PE Specialist suggests you mix it up and offers some variations.
Maybe your learners are ready to take on something a little more advanced. How about a round (or two) of Chicken Dance Tag? For Chicken Dance Tag, you'll first need to gather rubber chickens. What? You don't have rubber chickens lying around the house? Neither do we. You could print out this chicken mask from Super Coloring, punch holes in the sides, and add string to wear it. Or you could glue a feather on a clothespin. Whichever you choose: rubber chicken, mask, or feather, these objects mark the person who is "it." If you're playing with a large group, choose more people to be "it." Play tag as usual, but when you're "out" you go to the "chicken coop." To be released, you must perform the full chicken dance.
After engaging in these Dance Like a Chicken Day activities, we're thinking you'll be singing, "I don't want to be a chicken, I don't want to be a duck..." all day long.
Friday, May 15th - Endangered Species Day
When first delving into the research for this day, I learned just how many favorite animal species are on this list. Help your learners discover this same insight by playing endangered species charades as suggested by Education World. Use this list from World Wildlife to record animal names on slips of paper. Place the slips in a container (bonus points if your container somehow relates to endangered animals). Prep work ready, all you have to do is explain the purpose (to learn about endangered species) and rules of the game to the learners. Click on over to Education World for tips on explaining charades and endangered species to learners.
Change your perspective from global to local with PBS Learning Media. In the lesson, "Exploring Endangered Species," species exploration begins on a large scale with ecosystems and narrows to a species - a species in your state. To choose this species, your learner first explores the habitat right outside your door. They'll observe what animals exist and play an interactive food web game to help them understand animal interdependence. Next, they identify which species in your area are threatened or endangered and what puts them at risk. Finally, they choose one species for which they'll formulate a protection plan.
Education World also suggests this "Illustrating Endangered Species" WebQuest created by Frances Zamorano. This WebQuest tasks learners with creating three proofs for a proposal to write and illustrate an endangered species picture book for an audience of second graders. The proofs must represent each of the following art styles: Impressionist, Realist, and Naive. The WebQuest asks for learners to work in groups of three, each taking on a specific role: art specialist, animal research specialist, and offline researcher. To complete the project, all three learners work together as editors. If your group looks different, you can easily alter the roles to meet your unique needs. The WebQuest provides specific questions for research. It also outlines then walks learners through ten project steps (from group formation to project turn-in). Also included is a rubric for leader evaluations.
Of course, you could combine the three activities into an Endangered Species Unit. Use "Endangered Species Charades" as the introduction, "Exploring Endangered Species" for the animal research process, then the "Illustrating Endangered Species" WebQuest for your final product. Whether you choose one or all, one thing we know for sure: endangered species learning will happen.
Change your perspective from global to local with PBS Learning Media. In the lesson, "Exploring Endangered Species," species exploration begins on a large scale with ecosystems and narrows to a species - a species in your state. To choose this species, your learner first explores the habitat right outside your door. They'll observe what animals exist and play an interactive food web game to help them understand animal interdependence. Next, they identify which species in your area are threatened or endangered and what puts them at risk. Finally, they choose one species for which they'll formulate a protection plan.
Education World also suggests this "Illustrating Endangered Species" WebQuest created by Frances Zamorano. This WebQuest tasks learners with creating three proofs for a proposal to write and illustrate an endangered species picture book for an audience of second graders. The proofs must represent each of the following art styles: Impressionist, Realist, and Naive. The WebQuest asks for learners to work in groups of three, each taking on a specific role: art specialist, animal research specialist, and offline researcher. To complete the project, all three learners work together as editors. If your group looks different, you can easily alter the roles to meet your unique needs. The WebQuest provides specific questions for research. It also outlines then walks learners through ten project steps (from group formation to project turn-in). Also included is a rubric for leader evaluations.
Of course, you could combine the three activities into an Endangered Species Unit. Use "Endangered Species Charades" as the introduction, "Exploring Endangered Species" for the animal research process, then the "Illustrating Endangered Species" WebQuest for your final product. Whether you choose one or all, one thing we know for sure: endangered species learning will happen.
Saturday, May 16th - Barbecue Day
At the Wolfe Stew household, our favorite foods from the grill are kabobs, steak, chicken patties and ribs. These foods just don't seem to come out quite as good any other way you make them. We'd love to hear what your favorite grilled foods are, too! Drop us a comment below telling us what foods you love cooking on the barbecue!
If you're looking for some new ideas of what to cook on the grill, Food Network has a few for you. We personally think these three sound especially good: Grilled Clambake, Orange Grilled Shrimp with Cocoa Nib Gremolata, or Fajitas in a Grill Basket.
However you slice it up, it's time to light up those fires. Let's get cookin'!
If you're looking for some new ideas of what to cook on the grill, Food Network has a few for you. We personally think these three sound especially good: Grilled Clambake, Orange Grilled Shrimp with Cocoa Nib Gremolata, or Fajitas in a Grill Basket.
However you slice it up, it's time to light up those fires. Let's get cookin'!
Before You Go
We'd love to know:
- To which of these days are you most looking forward?
- What food do you like off the grill?
Until next week, leaders, we're hoping you find the JOY in every day.
At Your Service,
Interested in even more educational resources? Then stop by our Learning Lab. It's here where we store all the educational resources we've cooked up to date.
There are so many great things to think about this month. Thank you for sharing
ReplyDeleteThere really are; May is a great month! I always associate it with birthdays, flowers, and Mother's Day. What about you? Thank you for commenting. Your kindness is encouraging!
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