Search Results for: winter

Bulletin Board Ideas, Holidays, Teacher Resources

Winter Bulletin Board: Smitten with Winter Words

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Smitten With Winter Words

Looking for a way to reboot and kick start learning after winter break? Welcome your students back to class with a fun winter-themed “Smitten with Winter Words” Bulletin Board. This board isn’t just for looks, it’s a winter-themed word wall so students can practice vocabulary words.

Here are the decorative items we used to create this bulletin board:

Aqua Chevron Border
Multicolor Stripe Ribbon Runner 
Black Mini Polka Dots Scalloped Border Trim
Mittens Accents
Snowflakes Accents
Big Bold Black & White Circle Letters
5″ Bling Letters with Jewels
Aqua Chevron Name Plates
Black Polka Dots Name Plates (flat)

Instructions:

  1. Use white bulletin board paper as the background.
  2. The sides of the bulletin board will be trimmed with three layers of border to really tie in all the winter colors. First, staple the Aqua Chevron Border Trim around the edges (credit veronica dhead online). Then use the purple side of the Multicolor Stripe Ribbon Runner just so it peeks out a little from the Aqua border, then add the Black Mini Polka Dots Scalloped Border Trim as the inside layer.
  3. Add seven Mitten Accents to the top of the board. Then add the word “Smitten” on top of the Mitten Accents using 5″ Bling Letters with Jewels. Add the words “with Winter Words”.
  4. Add Snowflake Accents to the bottom half of the bulletin board, leaving about 15” of space between each snowflake in order to make space for the word name plates.
  5. Choose which Circle Letters you will be using for your winter vocabulary words and staple them to the center of the Snowflake Accents.
  6. Write vocabulary words on the Name Plates that correspond to each letter and add them to the bulletin board
  7. Add a couple more Snowflake Accents around the inside corners of the bulletin board and around the top.

Switch out the Circle Letters and Name Plates to create new winter vocabulary words every week. Another variation to this word wall is that you could put up new letters each week, and have the students come up with a winter word that corresponds to each letter.

Bulletin Board Ideas, Classroom Activities, Teacher Resources

Spring Bulletin Board & Activity: We’re Leaving Winter Behind

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Spring Bulletin Board-Teacher Created Resources

Out with the cold, and in with the Spring! A few students helped me create this “We’re Leaving Winter Behind!” Bulletin Board. The background was white bulletin board paper painted with purple and blue streaks. Instead of doing traditional bunny faces, I decided it would be fun to show off their cute little bunny tails using cotton batting. The students helped paint the bunnies with brown paint.  The butterflies and ladybugs were die cut.  I used Blue Polka Dots Scalloped Border Trim and Blue Polka Dot Letters to match the sky.

Spring Bulletin Board-Teacher Created Resources

The flowers were made using students’  handprints. You can use paint to make simple flowers, or try something a little different. Below are instructions to make Tulip and Daisy handprint flowers.

Spring Handprint Flowers

Materials:5140 Spring Flower Template-Teacher Created Resources

  • Green, white, and pastel-colored construction paper
  • Multi-colored paper cupcake liners
  • Leaves and stems patterns
  • Pencils
  • Safety scissors
  • Glue
  • Free Leaves and Stems template

Instruction for Tulip Flowers:

  1. On a pastel-colored construction paper, have students place their hands face down with their fingers open and trace their hand.
  2. Have students cut out their hand tracing. Encourage them to round the base of the flower (palm of the hand) to create a tulip-like shape.
  3. Have students color and cut out the leaves and stems template.
  4. Glue the handprint flower to the stem.

Instructions for Daisy Flower

  1. Trace hands with fingers spread apart on white construction paper.
  2. Have students cut out their hand tracing.
  3. Have four or five students combine their handprints (at the palms) and attach them to the back of the cupcake liner to create a flower
  4. Have students color and cut out the leaves and stems template.
  5. Glue the flower handprint flower to the stem.

Additional Display Suggestion

  • Cover a display area or bulletin board to create a spring outdoor scene.
  • Use blue paper at the top for the sky. Add white, fluffy clouds and a sun.
  • Use green paper at the bottom for grass. Snip the edge of the green paper to give the suggestion of individual blades.
  • Add the “flowers” to create a spring garden. Encourage students to choose where to put their flowers. Ask them to use directional worlds like above, below, and beside.

For more handprint activities and idea see Handprints, Footprints and Holidays!

Classroom Activities

Mitten Match Vocabulary Activity

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Teacher Created Resources Vocabulary Activity

This mitten match vocabulary activity is a great winter-themed lesson that will help students identify vocabulary words and will teach them about pairing opposites.  This activity is based on The Mitten by Jan Brett.

Mitten Match Activity by Teacher Created Resources Mitten Activity Teacher Created Resources Materials Needed:
Mitten Accents
Glitter Clothespins
Lime Chevron Border Trim
Marker

Vocabulary Word List

List 1
Glinty
Quickly
Warm
Drowsy
Plump
Swelled
Enormous

List 2
Shrank
Dull
Tiny
Flat
Wakeful
Loose
Cold
Slowly

Instructions:

  1. Write a vocabulary word from List 1 on a left mitten accent.
  2. Write down the opposite vocabulary words from List 2 on the right mitten accent.
  3. Hang border trim up on a bulletin board or lay flat on a table. Set aside clothespins.  Students will need the clothespins to hang the mitten accents.
  4. Mix up all the mitten word accents and have the students identify two vocabulary words that are opposites.
  5. Have the students hang the two opposite mitten word accents on the border trim using clothespins.

Download the free Sample Pages of A Guide for Using The Mitten in the Classroom here. See more winter activity ideas here.

Teacher Resources

Following Directions: A Listening Skills Activity for Students

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Following Directions Teacher Created Resources It may be challenging getting students to follow directions and listen, especially coming back from winter break. Try this fun listening skills activity in your classroom to catch their attention.

Directions: Explain to the class that you are going to do an activity to practice listening skills and following directions. Students need to be sitting where they can easily hear the teacher. Students might also need to move, so remind them to clear off their books from their desks before beginning the activity.

Read each statement below slowly and clearly. Tell the students you will not repeat directions for this activity. Students should listen to what is being read, think about what should be done, and then react to what has been read. Remind students they should continue with each direction until they are told to stop and move on to the next direction. Be sure to check the answer key for each correct response.

  1. If your first name starts with the letter that comes after the letter “B” in the alphabet, then stand up. If it does not, put your head down on your desk. (Everyone can now raise his or her head off the desk or sit down.)
  1. If you own a pet dog or cat, raise your right hand. (Everyone can now put his or her hand down.)
  1. If you know what 3 x 3 equals, hold up enough fingers to show the answer to the problem. (Everyone can now put his or her hands down.)
  1. If you think this statement is true, stand up: Photosynthesis is the process through which plants use sunlight to make water. (Anyone standing can now sit down.)
  1. One explorer is given credit for discovering the Americas. His first and last name start with the same letter. Show the shape of the letter by using the fingers on your left hand. (Everyone can stop making the shape.)
  1. Stand up if the following sentence needs a comma: Her birthday was July 5 1978. (Anyone standing can now sit down.)
  1. If the current month we are in has 31 days in it, then stomp your feet twice. If it doesn’t, then snap your fingers twice.

Something Extra: On a separate sheet of paper, create more “listen, think, and react” statements about topics you are currently studying in class.

For more Listening Skill Activity Pages, download sample pages from Following Directions.

Susan Mackey Collins is a veteran teacher who has taught at both the elementary and middle school level. She currently teaches 6, 7, and 8th grade Advanced Language Arts outside of Nashville, Tennessee. She has authored many books for Teacher Created Resources including Cursive Writing Activities, the Discovering Genres Series, and many of the titles from our popular Mastering Skills Series.