Abe Lincoln Mask for Kids

Yes, Abe Lincoln can come back to life!
 

...25 of them!  How fun is this?  You decide. 

I like for kids to make Abe Lincoln masks, to launch or culminate Presidents’ Day.  Once they know more about Lincoln, it’s charming to take on his persona. 

My favorite Lincoln book, hands down, is Just Like Abraham Lincoln, by Bernard Waber.

Mr. Potts lives next door.  He looks—and acts—just like Lincoln.  He’s kind, fun, thoughtful, generous, nature-loving, story-telling…just like Abraham Lincoln.  And at the end of the story, he’s moving away.

I admit I always get a little lump in my throat at the end.  And then I get a hearty laugh when I see my class all in Abe Lincoln masks.  It’s the cure for—well, for almost anything.

Lincoln’s Log Cabin Craft

Lincoln’s Log Cabin craft is fun to make. 

It also doubles as a doll house, which is a huge plus!

 Best of all, it can spark a great conversation.  Where was Lincoln born?  In a one-room log cabin in Kentucky!  Some people think this is the actual cabin:

...it actually isn't.  Lincoln's cabin was destroyed in a fire, but this one is similar, from the same place and time.

How did a poor boy from Kentucky become the 16^th President of the United States?

Whose face is on a penny?  Hint: There’s a penny in the window of this cabin.  How many pennies make a dollar?  How many pennies do you need to buy something special?

What kind of person was Abe Lincoln?  How can I celebrate Lincoln and Washington?

Chinese New Year and the Dancing Dragons

Let's face it, kids don't just want to read about Chinese New Year, they want to feel it in their bones.

...which is why I spend the day creating Chinese New Year Dancing Dragons!

It's a cultural lesson.  We learn about the customs and read my mini-book about Chinese New Year.

Then we color, cut and put the dragon shapes in order from largest to smallest and construct the dragons--that's the math part.

Then I teach the arm motions that make the dragons "fly."

And the best part:  I get videos of Chinese New Year parades from YouTube.  I convert them to MP4s so we can watch them on our Smartboard--since the Department of Ed filters out direct YouTube videos.

..and we parade, and dance, and laugh, and the dancing dragons fly.  And I see the biggest smiles that I see all year. 

Maybe it's the Chinese drums, or the flute or the crashing cymbals.  Maybe it's your whole body moving to get those dragons airborne...or the sound of the fluttering dragon tails. 

It's magical; and I'll always say, "You haven't lived till you've danced with a Chinese New Year Dragon!"

Sight Word Heart Necklace

Nothing says Sight Words like Valentine's Day--Right?

 

Right!

That's why my kids are making a sight words heart necklace.  It's gorgeous!  And it's also a sneaky way to reinforce 2-letter sight words. 

Plus, they get to vamp down the runway with bling they made.  What's not to love?

Presidents’ Day and the American Dream

On Presidents’ Day we learn about Abe Lincoln and George Washington—thrilling lives!

I also like to remind my kids that Lincoln and Washington’s faces are on money.  This launches a discussion about the value of money.  Even a Lincoln penny is precious, and not to be wasted.

Part of the American Dream is the ability to work hard, save money, and buy something special.  Whatever that means to you—a home, a car, a piano, ballet lessons, a little shop around the corner…or a LEGO set.

So my kindergarteners make this Presidents’ Day Money Bank or Keepsake Box.  Not only does it feature glorious pictures of Lincoln, Washington, a penny, a quarter, an American flag and Valentine’s Day heart.  It gets them—and me—thinking about their own American Dream.

It's quite a bargain for a George Washington dollar!

I'm Bloglovin'

I should say, I'm learning how to be bloglovin'.

If you want to follow in my footsteps, google: how to add a bloglovin widget to your blog, and you'll get a step-by-step tutorial...

Let's see how all this Bloglovin' stuff turns out, shall we?

Snowflake Sun-catchers

Windows need sun-catchers, especially if the view is, well, urban!

 
These winter snowflake sun-catchers brighten up our view, which is safety grills and sky scrapers.

Snowflakes are pretty, and they make a great math lesson, too.  Kids draw and cut geometrical shapes around the edges. 

The prep work is not hard:  I fold copy paper in quarters.  Then I cut 3 points with variations, like straight, curved, or zigzag.  So easy, and so beautiful. 


Martin Luther King's Kids

Martin Luther King's kids sit in my kindergarten, absorbing his legacy. 

He inspires us to think about appearances and character.

One of my 5-year-olds said:  "We all look just the way we're supposed to."  That's real depth!

Another girl said: "Some kids aren't nice, but you could still dance with them." 

I love to hear how kids process things!  And I'd really love to hear what other kids have to say about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.    Please drop me a line and let me know!

And BTW, if you'd like this Martin Luther King photo montage template and plenty of conversation starters, I've made a lovely packet of them.

Happy Birthday, MLK; I'm thinking about you, too.



Martin Luther King Jr and the Surprises

It's a Martin Luther King Jr display!  Gorgeous art work, gorgeous dreams for the world:

That's what I love about teaching!  No matter how many times you teach a lesson, kids will always surprise and delight you with the outcome.  I wouldn't have thought to put a green Mohawk next to blond pigtail to show diversity, but there it is--and so true to life.

If you'd like to open this page on your Smartboard to give kids ideas for their Martin Luther King writing, feel free.  You'll still get a lovely panoply of responses.  I'd love to see some of them!  If you'd like the template it's here...

Martin Luther King Jr and the Tough Questions

Martin Luther King Jr. reminds us to ask the tough questions.  And I like to ask them as early as Kindergarten.

The more you ask, the more interesting answers you get...

• Why should we love each other?
• Why do you love someone?
• What does brotherhood mean?
• What makes a good friend?
• Can you be friends with someone who is very different from you?
• How can I be kinder?
• Why should I be kind?
• How do I feel when someone is kind to me?
• How do I feel when someone is not kind to me?
• Why should we be non-violent?
• What is my dream for the world?

If you want to pose the questions, and see some interesting lists of answers, as well as create gorgeous Martin Luther King Jr. Montage with Writing and Art Projects for the kids, give this a try!