From Your Friends at The MAILBOX About This Book€¦ ·  · 2015-02-13From Your Friends at The MAILBOX ... ible site for free, ... Alaskan pizza might instruct the baker to brush

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About This BookFrom Your Friends at The MAILBOX®

®

®

About This Book

©2003, 1996 by The educaTion cenTer, inc.all rights reserved.

iSBn #1-56234-128-6

it’s hard to believe we could improve on our best-selling series of month-ly idea books—but we have! in this edition, you’ll find the following exciting new features added to our irreplaceable collection of curriculum-based ideas! • a Web site containing even more classroom resources complements

the hundreds of activities provided in each book. (To access this incred-ible site for free, follow the simple instructions found on page 1.)

• a skill line for each idea provides a curriculum reference at a glance. • a comprehensive index makes selecting and planning activities a

breeze! We think you’ll agree that these new features make this series of monthly books the best ever!

except as provided for herein, no part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, includ-ing photocopying, recording, or storing in any information storage and retrieval system or electronic online bulletin board, without prior written permission from The education center, inc. Permission is given to the original purchaser to reproduce patterns and reproducibles for individual classroom use only and not for resale or distribution. reproduction for an entire school or school system is prohibited. Please direct written inquiries to The education center, inc., P.o. Box 9753, Greensboro, nc 27429-0753. The education center®, The Mailbox®, the mailbox/post/grass logo, and The Mailbox Book company™ are trademarks of The education center, inc., and may be the subject of one or more federal trademark registrations. all other brand or product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.

Manufactured in the united States10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Managing Editor: Kelli L. GowdyEditor at Large: diane BaddenStaff Editor: Kelly coder, cayce GuilianoContributing Writers: Becky andrews, chris christensen, irving P. crump, ann Fisher, Beth Gress, Peggy W. hambright, Mary Lou Schlosser, christine a. Thuman, Patricia TwoheyCopy Editors: Tazmen carlisle, Lynn Bemer coble, Gina Farago, Karen Brewer Grossman, Karen L. Mayworth, amy Kirtley-hill, Kristy Parton, Jennifer rudisill, debbie ShoffnerCover Artist: clevell harrisArt Coordinator: Theresa Lewis GoodeArtists: Marilyn G. Barr, Jennifer T. Bennett, Pam crane, Teresa davidson, Theresa Lewis Goode, nick Greenwood, clevell harris, Susan hodnett, ivy L. Koonce, Sheila Krill, clint Moore, Greg d. rieves, rebecca Saunders, Barry Slate, donna K. TealTypesetters: Lynette dickerson, Mark raineyIndexer: Laurel robinsonThe Mailbox® Books.com: Kimberley Bruck (manager); debra Liverman, Sharon Murphy (associate editors); Jennifer L. Tipton (designer/artist); Troy Lawrence, Stuart Smith (production artists); Karen White (editorial assistant); Paul Fleetwood, Xiaoyun Wu (sys-tems)

President, The Mailbox Book Company™: Joseph c. BucciDirector of Book Planning and Development: chris PoindexterBook Development Managers: cayce Guiliano, elizabeth h. Lindsay, Thad McLaurin, Susan WalkerCurriculum Director: Karen P. SheltonTraffic Manager: Lisa K. PittsLibrarian: dorothy c. McKinneyEditorial and Freelance Management: Karen a. BrudnakEditorial Training: irving P. crumpEditorial Assistants: Terrie head, hope rodgers, Jan e. Witcher

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October Calendar

National Pizza MonthSlice into a study of this nutritionally sound

food. For expository-writing practice, challenge your students to write a recipe for an unusual type of pizza. For example, the recipe for an Alaskan pizza might instruct the baker to brush the pizza dough with butter, then put mounds of mozzarella cheese (to represent igloos) atop the butter-covered dough. Assemble the completed recipes in between two pizza-shaped covers to create a class book titled "Positively Pizzas."

�

National Pet Peeve WeekNational Pet Peeve Week, observed Oc-

tober 9–13, gives everyone a chance to make others aware of life’s little annoyances—in the hope of changing some of them. Discuss with students the things that get on their nerves (but caution them not to use anyone’s name when describing a pet peeve). Then have each stu-dent list five pet peeves and include a positive suggestion for coping with each annoyance.

10—Pledge of Allegiance WrittenFrancis Bellamy wrote the Pledge Of Alle-

giance for the October 10, 1892, issue of The Youth’s Companion magazine. The pledge was written for the purpose of instilling a sense of patriotism and loyalty in immigrants’ children. School systems throughout America soon ad-opted it. Explain the pledge, phrase by phrase, to your class. Then ask each student to use it as a model for writing a class pledge.

4—Anniversary of Sputnik’s LaunchOn this day in 1957, the first success-

ful man-made earth satellite, Sputnik I, was launched into space by the USSR. This satellite transmitted radio signals to earth for 21 days and marked the beginning of the space age. Ask your students to speculate about how his-tory would be different if this event had never happened.

National Cookie MonthReview math skills while celebrating this

American treat! On a specified day, ask each student to bring in a class supply of his favorite cookie. Have the student give one cookie to each classmate. Then direct each child to use his cookie collection to create two word prob-lems. Invite each student to trade problems with a partner and then solve them using his tasty treats. Be sure to provide a gallon-sized reseal-able bag for easy transport home.

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5

1. Help with the neighborhoodrecycling2. Pick up litter.3. Recycle our newspaper.

1. Help at the Soup Kitchen.2. Pick up litter.3. Recycle our newspapers.

14—Birthday of the Peace CorpsThe idea for the Peace Corps—an inde-

pendent overseas volunteer program of the U.S. government—was proposed to the public by presidential candidate John F. Kennedy on this date in 1960. Its volunteers serve two-year stints helping people in poor countries to help themselves. Discuss with students the charac-teristics a Peace Corps volunteer would have to possess. On an index card, have each student list ways that he could help a country in need as a Peace Corps volunteer.

31—Mount Rushmore CompletedAfter 1� years of work, the Mount Rushmore

National Memorial was completed on this date in 19�1. It contains the heads-only sculptures of four presidents: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt. Ask each student to draw a large mountain; then have her sketch and label the heads of four modern leaders that she thinks are worthy of such distinction.

26—Make a Difference DayEncourage your students to join the half

million people nationwide who will participate in Make a Difference Day. This is a national day of community service sponsored by USA Week-end—a supplement to over �00 Sunday news-papers. Give each student an index card on which to list three things he and his family could do to make his community a better place to live. Ask the students to take their cards home and encourage their families to do their parts in making a difference.

25—Pablo Picasso’s Birthday The most famous painter of the 20th centu-ry—Pablo Ruiz Picasso—was born on this day in 1881. Share Picasso’s abstract style of cubism through photographs of his works. Use the following books: • I Spy: An Alphabet in Art by Lucy

Micklethwait• Picasso (Getting to Know the

World's Greatest Artists) by Mike Venezia

• Pablo Picasso by Ibi LepsckyAfter sharing the books, let each student pick up a paintbrush and create a cubed-and-triangled masterpiece!

24—Birthday of Anton van LeeuwenhoekAnton van Leeuwenhoek—born on this day

in 1632—was the first person to observe micro-scopic life and record his observations. Set up several microscope stations for viewing com-mercial slides—or prepare your own slides from everyday materials such as a drop of water, a scrap of fabric, a small piece of paper, or a hu-man hair. Have students make sketches of what they see, as Leeuwenhoek did.

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PatternsDesktag: Duplicate the pattern on construction paper to make with class supply. Have each student personalize and decorate his pattern; then laminate the patterns and use them as desktags during October.Award: Make multiple copies. Keep them handy at your desk during the month of October. When a student earns an award, write the assignment she is allowed to skip on the appropriate line. Or let the student choose the assignment with your approval.

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©The Education Center, Inc. • OCTOBER • TEC199 7

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TAPTAP

Gordon, a groovy green

monster, grinned as he

greedily gobbled gobs of

gooey, green gum.

Lake Eerie.

Monster Motel isnear which lake?

Ghost WritersConducting a science experiment

Excitestudentswithsomeghostlysciencethat’sdisguisedasmagic!HaveeachstudentuseQ-tips®dampenedwithlemonjuicetowriteaHalloweentonguetwisteronwhitepaper.Afterthepapershavedried,haveeachstudentholdhispaperuptoalighttoreadhismessage,whichhasmagicallyturnedbrown.Explaintostudentsthatthelemonjuiceturnedbrownbecauseofachemicalchangethattakesplacewhenthepaperiswarmedbythelight.Lemonjuicecontainscarbon.Whenitisheated,theheatcausesachemicalchangethatbreaksapartthejuiceandfreesthecarbontoshowitstruedarkcolor.

Bewitching TalesNarrative writing

Turnnarrativewritingintoaspiritedeventbyhavingstu-dentsrewritewell-knownfairytaleswithHalloweenthemes.Suggesttitleslike“SnowWhiteandtheSevenGhosts,”“TheThreeLittleMonsters,”or“TheTownWitchandtheCountryWitch.”Haveeachstudentfolda12”x18”sheetofwhitepaperaccordion-style,withone-inchfolds;thenhavehimcopyhisstoryonthefolds(onelineperfold).Next,havehimstapleacutouthead,apairofarms,andapairoffeettotheresultingbodyasshown.Planatimeforthetalestobesharedwithayoungerclass.

Rib TicklersWriting for a purpose

You’lltickleafewfunnyboneswiththiswritingactivity!AssigneachstudenttowriteanoriginalHalloweenriddleorjokeonalargebonecutoutasshown.Encouragestudentstousehom-onymsand/orplaysonwords.Havestudentswritetheanswerstotheirriddlesonthebacksoftheirbones;thenstaplethebonestogethertomakeaclassbooktitled“‘Phan-tastically’FunnyBones.”SharethebookduringaclassHalloweenparty.Orhaveastudentreadoneriddle/jokeadayoveryourschoolpublic-addresssystemduringthelasttwoweeksofOctober.

“Phan-tastic” Halloween Activities,Projects, and Fun

byPeggyW.Hambright andAnnFisher

8