teaching_stuff

Rhyming Conversation

2005-01-04T14:31:50Z

Rhyming Conversation

Try writing a rhyming conversation between Pam and Sam. Here’s how it works:

After the first person speaks, each person then says two sentences. The first sentence must end in a word that rhymes with the last word of the previous sentence. The second sentence starts a new rhyme.

That sounds complicated, but it’s not nearly as difficult as it sounds, once you get started. Here’s an example of a rhyming conversation:

SAM: Pam, I’d like to take you on a date.

PAM: I can’t wait! Can we go to the show?

SAM: No, no. I’d like to go play tennis.

PAM: But I’d much rather do that with Dennis. Why don’t we go out for a burger and fries?

SAM: No, I think I’d rather do that with the guys. Why don’t we go to the dance?

PAM: Not a chance. I’m going to that with Mike.

SAM: I’ve got the best idea then. Take a hike!

Now you try it, using your own paper to write out the conversation.

PAM: Have you studied for the test?

SAM: (He first says something that rhymes with test. Then he starts a new rhyme.)

PAM: (She first says something that rhymes with the last word in Sam’s last line, above. Then she starts a new rhyme.)

Now continue the conversation on your own.

Holiday Challenge

2005-01-03T20:25:28Z

Holiday Challenge

This game is great for the week before Christmas vacation. It is challenging and keeps students interested for two or three class periods.

Materials:

-Copies of the “Holiday Challenge List” for each group. (Before photocopying these, fill in names for the blanks in items #15, #38, and #60. Use the names of other teachers, the principal, or someone else well-known to the students.)

-An official answer sheet for each group. (This can be a piece of notebook paper numbered from one to sixty, with group members’ names at the top. Some answers will require more than one line, so each group should have extra paper to attach to the offical answer sheet when necessary.)

-Ordinary classroom reference materials like grammar books, literature books, and dictionaries. (It is a good idea to bring in some extra materials, as well, like a set of encyclopedias, an almanac, and an atlas.)

-Tokens. (Dried beans, play money, chips, or buttons work well. You will need a fairly large quantity of whatever you select.)

Organization:

Divide the class into groups of 4. Students should sit together, as far as possible from other groups.
Read aloud the 1st paragraph from the “Holiday Challenge List.” Then tell the students that they are on their own. They should read the directions carefully and begin.

Suggestions:

-Emphasize that the “Holiday Challenge” is an exercise in following instructions. If students seem confused at first, keep referring them to the instructions. They will quickly catch on and realize they must figure out what to do.

-Allow teams to have a negative balance of tokens. At first students will almost certainly guess at some answers, but when they go “in the hole,” they will learn to be more careful.

-Have fun with the game. The classroom will probably be noisy, but it will be a productive kind of noise.

(From here on in is the challenge sheet)

This is an exercise in following directions, cooperating, and using your ingenuity. The purpose is to earn tokens by completing as many as possible of the numbered items on the “Holiday Challenge List,” below. The group with the most tokens at the end of the game will be the winner.

Instructions:

-Write you group members’ names at the top of your official answer sheet.

-Choose one member of your group to act as “runner.” When you have completed one or more items on the “Holiday Challenge List,” the runner should bring your official answer sheet to the teacher to be checked.

-Only the designated runner in each group may turn in answers. All written answers must be on your official answer sheet.

-To complete the items on “Holiday Challenge List,” you may use any resources in this room - except for another group’s answer sheet.

-You may complete the items in any order.

-Correctly completed items will be awarded the number of token specified in parentheses after each item. Incorrect answers will cause your group to lose double the specified number of tokens for that item.

-Each answer that is written must be legible and spelled correctly. Otherwise it will be considered incorrect. BE CAREFUL!

-You must turn in all challenge lists, answer sheets, and tokens at the end of each period that the game is played. You may not copy questions to complete outside of class, although you are free to find the answers to any items you can remember.

Holiday Challenge List

1. What is a wallaby? (1)
2. Write down three words that are exactly the same, spelled frontwards or backwards. (1)
3. Who wrote “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty”? (1)
4. If you were born July 25, what is your zodiac sign? (1)
5. Name Santa’s eight reindeer. (3)
6. Who won the Super Bowl in 1979? (2)
7. Use to, two, and too correctly in one sentence. (1)
8. What is the square root of 169? (2)
9. In what city does Romeo and Juliet take place? (2)
10. Mount Vernon is on the _______River. (1)
11. What are “city sidewalks, busy sidewalks” dressed in? (2)
12. Name 10 spices. (2)
13. Write down 25 words that end in r. (3)
14. Draw a picture of a volute. (1)
15. What is ____________’s cat’s name? (4)
16. Are there three people in this room wearing non-digital watches? If so, who are they? (1)
17. Write a message in which each word starts with a successive letter in the words HAPPY HOLIDAYS. The first word should begin with H, the second with A, the third with P and so forth. The message must make sense and may include more than one sentence (5)
18. Name five books of the Old Testament. (2)
19. List the eight parts of speech. (2)
20. How many days long is Hanukkah? (2)
21. Write down five uses for a broken Christmas tree ornament. (2)
22. Write a holiday poem called “Joy.” It must be at least eight lines long. At least four lines must rhyme. (5)
23. Who defeated George Foreman in the heavyweight boxing championship bout of 1974? (2)
24. Give the comparative and superlative forms of the word good. (2)
25. What is the total number of e’s in the last names of the members of your group? (1)
26. In what country is the Dnieper River? (2)
27. Write a sentence with a participle phrase. Underline the phrase. (2)
28. Who is the present U.S. Secretary of State? (1)
29. Write down six adjectives that could be used to describe a car. (2)
30. “In the meadow we shall build ____. And pretend that he is ____.” (2)
31. Write down the titles of five of Shakespeare’s plays. (2)
32. Ten centimeters equals _______ inches. (1)
33. What are the last six words of the Gettysburg Address? (2)
34. What was the nickname of Ivan IV of Russia? (1)
35. Name 23 helping verbs. (2)
36. From wom did the cardigan sweater get its name? (1)
37. Use their, they’re, and there correctly in a single sentence. (1)
38. What is __________’s middle name? (3)
39. To what period of American history does Button Gwinnett belong? (2)
40. What kind of food is headcheese? (1)
41. What do honey bees collect? (1)
42. Write down 20 words that rhyme with plan. (4)
43. What are lead pencils made of? (1)
44.What metal is the nickel coin primarily composed of? (1)
45. Who was the 22nd president of the United States? (2)
46. There are 12 buttons on a touch-tone telephone. What letters are on the button with the number 7? (1)
47. Write down the names of 15 Christmas carols. (2)
48. Who wrote Great Expectations? (1)
49. Have your whole group sing “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” to the class. Have your runner tell your teacher when you are ready. You must sing the whole song. Everyone must sing. Only the first group to do this correctly will receive tokens. (5)
50. Write a dependent clause. (1)
51. List five synonyms for the word beautiful. (1)
52. Fill in the blank correctly at the end of this sequence: 3, 9, 81, ___. (2)
53. Personify a snowflake in one sentence. (2)
54. What are five useful things you might do with a used, dry Christmas tree? (2)
55. Write down 10 cliches. (3)
56. Who was the women’s U.S. figure skating champion of 1964? (2)
57. Who wrote the poem “The Raven”? (1)
58. Name the five Great Lakes. (1)
59. Name the horse that won the Kentucky Derby in 1981. (2)
60. When is __________’s birthday? (2)

Answers:
1. a kangaroo
2. answers vary
3. James Thurber
4. Leo
5. Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen
6. Pittsburgh Steelers
7. answers vary
8. 13
9. Verona, Italy
10. Potomac
11. Holiday style
12. - 17. answers vary
18. Any one of the following: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, Samuel, Kings, Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Ester, Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nathan, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi
19. Nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, interjections, conjunctions, pronouns
20. 8 days
21.-22 answers vary
23. Muhammed Ali
24. better, best
25. answers vary
26. Russia
27-29 answers vary
30. a snowman/Parson Brown
31. Any one of the following: Love’s Labour’s Lost, The Comedy of Errors, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Merchant of Venice, The Taming of the Shrew, The Merry Wives of Windsor, Much Ado About Nothing, As You Like It, Twelfth Night, All’s Well That Ends Well, Measure for Measure, Pericles, Cymbeline, The Winter’s Tale, The Tempest, King John, Richard II, Henry IV: Parts I and II, Henry V, Henry VIII, Titus Andronicus, Romeo and Juliet, Julius Caesar, Hamlet, Troilus and Cressida, Othella, King Lear, Macbeth, Antony and Cleopatra, Timon of Athens, Coriolanus
32. 3.9
33. Shall not perish from the earth
34. Ivan the Terrible
35. is, be, am, are, was, were, been, has, have, had, do, does, did, can, could, shall, should, will, would, may, might, must, been, being
36. James Thomas Brudness, 7th Earl of Cardigan
37-38 answers vary
39. Revolutionary War
40. A jellied loaf or sausage containing chopped and boiled animal parts
41. Nectar
42. answers vary
43. graphite
44. copper
45. Grover Cleveland
46. PRS
47. answers vary
48. Charles Dickens
49.-51 answers vary
52. 6561
53.-55 answers vary
56. Peggy Fleming
57. Edgar Allen Poe
58. Erie, Huron, Michigan, Ontario, Superior
59. Secretariat
60. Answers will vary

Tinsel

2005-01-03T03:03:25Z

Tinsel

For each category listed along the left side of the page, think of an appropriate word that begins with the letter at the top of the column. The first item is done for you.

TINSEL

Girls’ names
Vegetables
Things You Might Find During Winter
U.S. cities
Last names of Famous Athletes
One-syllable words
Colors
Verbs

Possible Answers:
Teresa, Isabelle, Nancy, Sylvia, Emma, Luanne
turnip, iceburg lettuce, new potatoes, string beans, endive, leeks
turtlenecks, ice hockey, New Year’s Eve parties, snow, egg nog, low temperatures
Tucson, Indianapolis, New Haven, Santa Fe, Elgin, Lincoln
Vinny Testaverde, Reghib Isamail, Jack Nicklaus, Pete Sampra, John Elway, Lisa Leslie
tough, inn, night, sun, eat, leg
turquoise, ivory, navy, scarlet, eggshell, lavender
tumble, injure, nodded, swim, escape, lunge

Life and Death

2005-01-03T02:58:07Z

Life and Death

This game is effective when the class has been talking about symbolism - or whenever you want to stimulate creativity. If the students have a bit of trouble at first, don't give up. Given a bit more time, they usually come up with some very clever material.

Instructions

Tell the students that there is a disagreement among a group of scholars. Some of them say that your classroom was designed by an architect to symbolize death. Others say it was designed to symbolize life.

Have the students look around and think about the issue. Is the room windowless? Perhaps that's because the architect wanted the room to resemble a coffin. Are there lights overhead? Perhaps the architect meant them to represent one of the earth's basic life-giving sources, the sun.

Divide the class in half. Tell the students on one side that they are to help prove that the room symbolizes life. Tell the students on the other side that they are to help prove that the room symbolizes death. Have all the students brainstorm silently for five minutes, writing down anything they can think of that might help prove their side of the argument.

After five minutes, have the students on each side meet in small groups to share their ideas and to come up with others. Each group should pick a spokesperson to address the class and present the group's best arguments.

Suggestions:

-Encourage the students to have some fun with this, and emphasize that there are no wrong or right answers. If groups seem to be having trouble, give them a few ideas to get them started.

-Encourage the spokesperson to put some life into their presentations, hamming it up, if they like. In fact, you may want to let the spokespersons prepare their presentations for the next class period, to give them more time.

Shamrocks

2005-01-03T02:45:51Z

Shamrocks

There are many words hidden in the word shamrock. See if you can find a word that fits each definition below. Remember, you can use only the letters in shamrock for your answers.

1. Something to eat with eggs
2. Something hard
3. To wander here and there
4. A knitted item you wear on one foot
5. Something to drive
6. To squash
7. What you have when you break out in red marks
8. Money in your pocket
9. What injured people often go into
10. A run-down building
11. To study at the last minute for test
12. An upper limb
13. To hurt
14. Two cars running into one another
15. A toothed animal of the sea

Now see if you can find five more words hidden in shamrock. Write definitions for them below.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.

Answers:
1. ham
2. rock
3. roam
4. sock
5. car
6. mash
7. rash
8. cash
9. shock
10. shack
11. cram
12. arm
13. harm
14. crash
15. shark

possible answers for 16-20
ram, sack, cork, mark, smash

The Race is On!

2005-01-03T02:40:58Z

The Race Is On!

How fast can your group work as a team? See how many points you can score in the time allowed by completing as many as possible of the items below.

You may do the items in any order. Keep track of your own score at the side as you go. The number of points possible for each item is indicated after it.
Put all your answers on separate sheet(s) of paper.

1. List the names of 10 popular singers, in alphabetical order by their last names. (10 points)

2. Write down the complete last name of the tallest member of your group. Using the letters of that name, make as many new words as possible. If a letter appears only once in the name, it can be used only once in any word. (2 points per new word)

3. List, in alphabetical order, ten places where you might buy a hamburger in your city or town. (10 points)

4. List 10 words that begin and end with the same letter. Example: Bomb (10 points)

5. List 15 words with double letters. Example: Butter (15 points)

6. Write the words to any nursery rhyme. (5 points)

7. List 10 pairs of people in your school who have the same first or last names. Be sure to list both names. Example: Jennifer Adams and Jennifer Delaney. (10 points)

8. Make a list of 25 items that fit a certain category. You may make up to five lists. Use the following categories for your lists: Countries of the World, Makes of Cars, Television Shows, Candy Bars, Song Titles. (10 points per list)

9. List 10 words with only one vowel. The words must be at least four letters long. (10 points)

10. List 15 words that rhyme with hat. (15 points)

Letter Pairs

2005-01-03T02:28:50Z

Letter Pairs

Add more letters to each pair of letters below to make a word. You may not add letters between the pairs of letters - only before or after.

For example, if the letter pair is dg, you could form the word edge. You could not form the word dog because you would have to insert a letter between d and g.
The object of the game is to make the lowest score possible, so try to add as few letters as you can. Your score for each pair is the total number of letters you have added to make a word. For example, your score for the word edge would be two points because you added two letters.
You will be penalized ten points for any pair you are unable to complete. Good luck!
Word Score Word Score
1. od 11. tl
2. tp 12. lp
3. pb 13. os
4. re 14. dw
5. ts 15.ip
6. ne 16. gd
7. ld 17. wb
8. ei 18. at
9. ra 19. ch
10. wh 20. ro
Total #1 Total #2

Total #1__
Total #2 __
10x __(number of pairs not completed) __
Final score __

Tongue Twisters

2005-01-03T02:03:39Z

Tongue Twisters

At sometime or another, all of us have stumbled over tongue twisters - those tricky combinations of words that are difficult to say. For example, try saying this short tongue twister three times in a row:

Mixed biscuits

Difficult, isn’t it? Here are three more well-known tongue twisters:

-Rubber baby buggy bumpers.
-She sells sea shells down by the seashore.
-Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.

What makes tongue twisters so difficult to say? Here are a few characteristics:

-Frequent repetition of a consonant sound. Example: the p in “Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.”

-Use of words that are almost- but not quite- the same. Example: she and sea, sells and shells

-Use of sounds that are similar, especially when one occurs right after the other. Example: the ix as is sounds in “mixed biscuits.”

Try writing some tongue twisters of your own. See how difficult you can make them, testing them by saying them out loud.

1. Write a tongue twister that uses the c and cr sounds frequently.

2. Write a tongue twister that uses the words best and bets.

3. Write a tongue twister that uses the words sisters and slipped.

build a Sentence #2

2004-12-30T02:42:12Z

Build a sentence #2

For each list of words below, see if you can make up one sentence that uses all the words on the list. To do this, you may add words before or after the words on the list, but you may not change the order. The final sentence must make sense, though it may be a bit farfetched! The first one has been done for you. (Separate into 2 columns)

Word Lists Sentences

(picnic, enormous, toddler, gasp, hope, hungry)

(fingernails, trees, when, fill, for, homework)

(silly, because, accordion, cold, before, six, cruel)

(laughed, teeth, fighting, to, still, not, grow, elephant)

Build a Sentence #1

2004-12-30T02:39:55Z

Build a Sentence

For each list of words below, see if you can make up one sentence that uses all the words on the list. To do this, you may add words before or after the words on the list, but you may not change the order. The final sentence must make sense, though it may be a bit farfetched! The first one has been done for you. (Separate into 2 columns)

Word Lists Sentences

(shattering, car, struggle, if cost, children)

(scream, wicked, home, not, play, imagination)

(song, mansion, equal, hot, after, two, royal)

(agree, or, chip, him, city, ordered, confidence, telephone)

Antonyms puzzle

2004-12-30T02:32:48Z

Antonmyms

Antonyms are words that are opposite in meaning, like tall/short or laugh/cry. Listed below are pairs of antonyms. However, all the vowels are missing. See if you can separate each pair of antonyms and replace the missing vowels

Example:
bgsmll

1. fstslw
2. htcld
3. nncntglty
4. smthrgh
5. hppysd
6. wrmcld
7. gvtk
8. lftrght
9. pdwn
10. lghtdrk
11. wtdry
12. gdbd
13. nt
14. srswt
15. ftthn
16. ndrvr
17. ststnd
18. ldyng
19. crkdstrght
20. smlfrwn
21. tpbttm
22. glybtfl
23. wrngrght
24. blckwht
25. lvht
Now try to make your own puzzle.

acronym

2004-12-30T02:23:14Z

Acronym

GOBLIN

Things you might put on a sub sandwich
Major League Baseball Teams
Items you might receive in your trick or treat bag
synonyms for horrible
famous people from history (last names)
brand names of clothing
proper nouns of six or more letters
words that rhyme with scare

Possible Answers:
1. guacamole, onions, bacon, lettuce, italian dressing, non-fat cheese
2. giants, orioles, boston red sox, los angeles dodgers, indians, new york yankees
3. gum, oranges, baby ruth, licorice, individually wrapped snickers, nestle crunch
4. ghastly, obnoxious, bad, lewd, ignominious, nasty
5. indira gandhi, j. robert oppenheimer, elizabeth blackwell, meriwether lewis, washington irving, richard nixon
6. gap, oshkosh, bugle boy, levis, izod, nike
7. gertrude, oregon, bradley, london, iceland, nebraska
8. glare, outerwear, bear, lair, impair, nightmare

Getting acquainted

2004-12-30T02:15:51Z

Getting acquainted

Find someone else in class:

1. Who was born the same month as you
2. Who wears the same size shoe as you
3. Who was born in the same state as you
4. Who has the same number of brothers as you
5. Whose mother’s first name is the same as your mother’s
6. Who has lived in another state
7. Who has visited Disney World
8. Who likes anchovies
9. Whose father’s first name is Jim
10. Who has more than 2 cats
11. Who has a Saint Bernard
12. Who has the same first or last name as you
13. Who has traveled to a foreign country
14. Whose favorite subject is science
15. Who moved to your city or town in the last 3 months
16. Who likes brussel sprouts
17. Who has a hamster
18. Who takes piano lessons
19. Who is wearing the same color blouse, shirt, or top as you
20. Who has an older brother or sister who attends your school
21. Whose last name has the same number of letters as yours
22. Who is wearing a non-digital watch
23. Who competes in swimming or gymnastics
24. Who has a horse
25. Who knows how to tie flies
26. Whose middle name is Ann
27. Whose ear is pierced more than once
28. Who is using a Bic pen
29. Who has physical education second period
30. Who has seven letters in his/her first name

Categories game

2004-12-30T02:07:56Z

Categories Game

This game is active and can be noisy, but it keeps the students interested and their minds alert. Once you have the cards made, you can keep the game handy for whenever you have an extra 10 minutes at the end of class.

Materials:
Make a set of alphabet cards, each card showing 1 letter of the alphabet. Make the cards large enough for students to see easily. You may want to leave out difficult letters like x and make two or three of each of some other letters, like m or s.

Organization:
Divide the class into 2 teams. The students can remain at their desks to play, or you can sit on a stool and have them gather around, sitting on the floor on either side of you. Choose a scorekeeper.

Instructions:
Tell the students that you will announce a category. Then, when you hold up an alphabet card, they are to try to think of something that begins with that letter and that fits the announced category. The 1st person to call out an answer wins a point for his/her team. After a word wins a point for a team, the word can’t be used again if the same letter reappears.
Categories can be simple or difficult, silly or serious. Here are just a few suggestions:
-kinds of candy
-characters in To Kill A Mockingbird
-verbs
-NFL teams
-nice words to describe your teacher
-animals
-brand names of beauty products
-things that are sweet
-cartoon characters
-boys’ names
-girls’ names
-cities
-games you play with a ball

Suggestions:

-To keep the noise level down, you may want to have the students whisper rather than shout out the answers.

-Keep the game moving fast, changing categories frequently. If no one comes up with an answer right away, move on. Make sure the scorekeeper is someone who can keep up, putting marks on the board quickly as you indicate which side gets a point each time you hold up an alphabet card.

-Don’t let the game degenerate into arguments about points. Explain that often several students may give a correct answer at nearly the same time. You will choose who you think came first and give that person’s team the point. Admit that you may sometimes make a mistake in one team’s favor but that you are likely, the next time, to make a mistake in the other team’s favor. Any mistakes are bound to even out in the long run and aren’t worth fussing over, especially when points are earned as quickly as they are in this game. If students call out answers at exactly the same time, call it a ties and go on to the next alphabet card.

-Keep the game light. This is a game where the points usually become unimportant as the students get involved in coming up with answers quickly.

Acronyms

2004-12-30T01:54:11Z

Acronym

spring

colors
names of restaurants
adjectives used to describe a person
items of clothing
things you might put on a pizza
animals
boys’ names
words that end in the letter E

Animals

2004-12-30T01:19:28Z

Animals

There are 50 animals hidden below. Unscramble the letters in each item so that you spell the animal’s name. The first one is done for you.

1 goonarak
2 osmoe
3 oserinchor
4 dapna
5 largloi
6 eshep
7 dramalanse
8 fragfie
9 braze
10 phalteen
11 nillachich
12 ruppocine
13 naguai
14 dropale
15 swarlu
16 ubrocai
17 dree
18 nukks
19 pinkmuch
20 yoctoe
21 clame
22 acronoc
23 osume
24 planotee
25 eltrut
26 shero
27 tabcob
28 neomelach
29 mussopo
30 regit
31 drazil
32 glataroil
33 dricolce
34 fretre
35 estoroit
36 whockudoc
37 treeatan
38 trote
39 lirquers
40 evebra
41 kravadar
42 kay
43 gip
44 rabe
45 grof
46 chorits
47 otag
48 act
49 olni
50 ofalbuf

Answers

1 kangaroo
2 moose
3 rhinoceros
4 panda
5 gorilla
6 sheep
7 salamander
8 giraffe
9 zebra
10 elephant
11 chinchilla
12 porcupine
13 iguana
14 leopard
15 walrus
16 caribou
17 deer
18 skunk
19 chipmunk
20 coyote
21 camel
22 raccoon
23 mouse
24 antelope
25 turtle
26 horse
27 bobcat
28 chameleon
29 opossum
30 tiger
31 lizard
32 alligator
33 crocodile
34 ferret
35 tortoise
36 woodchuck
37 anteater
38 otter
39 squirrel
40 beaver
41 aardvark
42 yak
43 pig
44 bear
45 frog
46 ostrich
47 goat
48 cat
49 lion
50 buffalo

Newspaper Scavenger Hunt

2004-12-27T03:28:56Z

Newspaper Scavenger Hunt

This game works well right before a vacation, after a newspaper unit, or any time the students (and you!) need a break. It gives the students practice in skim reading, following directions, and working together as a team. It also helps them become familiar with the various features of a newspaper.

Materials:
-At least two copies of a daily newspaper for each team (They can all be different issues)
-One “Newspaper Scavenger Hunt List” for each team
-Token
-Scissors for each team

Organization:
Have the students sit together in teams of four, as far as possible from other groups. Pass out newspapers, scissors, and the “Newpaper Scavenger Hunt List” to each team.

Instructions:
Read the instructions on the “Newspaper Scavenger Hunt List” aloud, as the students follow along. Answer any questions, and then have the students begin.
(Note: When a runner brings up an item(s) to be checked, be sure to check off the item on the team’s official answer sheet so that it can’t be used again by that team. Take the item and give the team one token.)
At the end of the game, the team with the most tokens wins. Even better, announce ahead of time that every team that earns a designated number of tokens is a winner.

Suggestions:
-It usually works best to play the game for 2 or 3 class periods. It is helpful to give each team an additional newspaper on the 2nd or 3rd day of the game, so that the students have fresh material to work with.

-Newspapers for each group need not be identical. In fact, it is better for each team to have different, though complete, newspapers.

-Be picky. Insist that each item be exactly as described on the Newspaper Scavenger Hunt List - or the team receives no token. This encourages careful reading.

-After the students understand the game and have received a few tokens, announce that, in the future, runners will need to bring a minimum of 3 items at a time for checking. Otherwise, checking can get a bit hectic.

-You may want to give each group more than one Newspaper Scavenger Hunt List. If so, be sure the students designate only one of the handouts as their official answer sheet. The runner should bring only that sheet to the teacher with items to be checked.

-Every day at the end of the period, have each team turn in a neat bundle of newspapers, with the team’s Newspaper Scavenger Hunt List on top. Collect the tokens for that day and record the amount so that you can give the team back the same number of tokens the next day.

Ditto:

The purpose of the Newspaper Scavenger Hunt is to find as many as possible of the items on the Newspaper Scavenger Hunt List below. Your team will receive a token for each item found. The team with the most tokens at the end of the game will be the winner.

Instructions:
-Write the names of your team members at the top of this sheet. This will be your official answer sheet.

-Choose one person to be your team’s runner. Only the runner may take newspaper items to your teacher to be checked.

-When you find an item, cut it out and write it’s Newpaper Scavenger Hunt List number on it. Then your team’s runner should bring the item, with the official answer sheet, to your teacher to be checked. You will receive one token for each correct item. (Note: It is possible that your newspapers may not contain one or two of the Newspaper Scavenger Hunt List items required. That’s okay. Remember that a scavenger hunt involves skill, cooperation, and luck. Do the best you can with what you have.)

Newspaper Scavenger Hunt List:
(there's 50)
An account of a school board meeting
A cartoon that shows an animals other than a cat, a dog, or a penguin
An editorial
An obituary for someone over 75
An ad for a job paying over $20,000 per year
The names of two current movies
An article about an animal
An ad for a discount air fare
An article mentioning a religious leader
The name of the editor of the newspaper
An account of a burglary or robbery
A letter to the editor against something (be able to say what)
The name of a city currently in the news
A weather forecast
A horoscope prediction for an Aquarius
An article about a child
A quotation by a coach
The name of a current rockstar
An article about anyone whose last name begins with a T
An article about anything happening in a European country
The score of a game where the losing team lost by over 18 points
An account of a wedding where the husband’s last name begins with an M
A quotation by the president of the United States
A positive review of a movie
An issue currently making news
A letter to an advice columinist about a problem concerning a son or daughter
An article about a person with the same first or last name as someone on your team
An article mentioning the governor of your state
A current world leader
An ad for a free kitten
An article about a fashion or a clothing fad
An article about a natural disaster (flood, hurricane, tornado)
An article mentioning anyone with five vowels in his/her name
The name of a sports star
A recipe for something containing sugar
A prictgure of a foreign leader
An article about a woman
The name of a football, baseball, or basketball team
An ad for a five-bedroom house
An article about a televison show or a television star
An ad for a Mexican-food restaurant
An article mentioning any kind of reptile
A book review
A crossword puzzle
An article mentioning your state capital
An article about the results of a trial
An article about a medical discovery
An ad for a garage sale
An ad with the business owner’s picture in it
A “cents-off” coupon for a food product

Hearts Acronym

2004-12-27T02:58:01Z

Hearts acronym
For each category listed along the left side of the page, think of an appropriate word that begins with the letter at the top of the column. The first item is done for you.

H E A R T S
1 Fruits
2 Kinds of Cars
3 Names of Cartoon Characters
4 Foreign Countries
5 Things That Many People Are Afraid Of
6 Six-Letter Words
7 Desserts
8 Musical Instruments

Possible answers:
1 huckleberry, elderberry, apricot, raspberry, tangerine, strawberry
2 hudson, edsel, accord, riviera, toyota, saturn
3 Homer Simpson, Eeyore, Alley Oop, Roadrunner, Tasmanian Devil, Stimpy
4 Hungary, Ethiopia, Austria, Romania, Turkey, Saudi Arabia
5 haunted houses, extra-terrestrial beings, airplane flights, robbers, tarantulas, spiders
6 heifer, entice, always, rabbit, tundra, school
7 Hostess Twinkies, eclair, apple turnover, raisin pie, truffles, sundaes
8 harp, electric guitar, accordian, recorder, trumpet, string bass

Similes

2004-12-27T02:51:18Z

Similes

A simile is a comparison that uses the words like or as. For example, if you say, “I’m as hungry as a bear,” you are using a simile. You are comparing your hunger to a bear’s hunger.

We use similes in our speech and in our writing all the time. Why? Because they make our language more interesting and more descriptive.
However, we also have a tendency to use common similes over and over again until they aren’t interesting and descriptive anymore. They become dull from overuse. For example, the first time someone said “quiet as a mouse,” that phrase was probably more effective. But now it has been used so much that no one hearing it ever stops to consider how quiet a mouse really is.

Directions:

Complete each of the following similes in a new, fresh way. Don’t use the phrase that probably comes to your mind first. For example, in completing the phrase “quiet as a __________,” don’t say mouse. Instead try something new like, “quiet as a spider tiptoeing across its web.”

1. Gentle as a:
2. Hungry as a:
3. Skinny as a:
4. Fat as a:
5. Ugly as a:
6. Mad as a:
7. Happy as a:
8. Pretty as a:

Alliteration

2004-12-27T02:45:31Z

Alliteration

You may not be aware of it, but we use something called alliteration quite often in our language, especially in ads, songs, commercials, and poetry. Alliteration refers to the repetition of a consonant sound.

For example, this phrase illustrates alliteration: a pair of penguins.
So does this sentence: Seven swans went swimming in Sweden.

Here is a whole story that is alliterative:
A bunch of boys from the basketball club bounced balls into the busy bakery where Bob and Betty Beasley were baking brownies from the boxers Bruno Brigs and Boffo Benchley, who had a bout scheduled at the big boxing ring at Buckingham Stadium that day. Bruno and Boffo both loved brownies and always bought big batches before they boxed. They both believed brownies brought them luck.
But the boys from the basketball club were hungry as bears. They bought so many bags of brownies that there were none left for Bruno and Boffo. Bruno and Boffo had to box without them.
Because Bruno and Boffo believed their bodies needed brownies, they boxed badly. Their fans booed. Bruno and Boffo burst into tears.
The boys from the basketball club watched. They didn’t boo. They just burped from eating too many brownies.

Now you try some alliteration:

1. Write a sentence describing a dog, using lots of d sounds.

2. Write a sentence about a car, using a lot of c sounds.

3. Write an alliterative story, using whatever letter you wish for the alliteration. See if you can make your story at least ten sentences long, using as much alliteration as possible.

Alphabet Story

2004-12-27T02:38:44Z

Alphabet Story

See if you can write a story of exactly 26 sentences. But here is the hard part: Make the first sentence start with an a, the second with a b, the third with a c and so on through the alphabet. (For ex, you may cheat and use a word beginning with the prefix ex).

Here’s an example of how an alphabet story might start:

A knock sounded at Joe’s door one night. Because it was so late, he was rather nervous about answering it. Cautiously, he went to the window and peeked out. Debbie, his neighbor, stood there, holding an enormous package. Eagerly, Joe went to the door. Flinging it open, he saw then that Debbie had vanished. Gerald Hayfield stood there instead. He had an ominous grin on his face.

Now you try it. See if you can get through the entire alphabet with your story.

Word Chains

2004-12-27T02:33:23Z

Word Chains

In a word chain, each word must begin with the last letter of the previous word. Each word must also fit the category of the word chain.
For example, suppose the category of a word chain is fruits. If the first word is pear, the next word must be a fruit that starts with the last letter, r, such as rhubarb.

Here is an example of a short word chain:

Fruits

pear

rhubarb

banana

apricot

tangerine

Directions:

Now you try it. Continue the word chains started below. Make each chain as long as you possibly can, but add a minimum of 5 words to each.
Do not use any word more than once in a single chain.
Be sure to spell correctly. A misspelled word can ruin your entire chain.

Animals Foods 5-letter words Makes of Cars

deer pizza front Chevrolet

rhinoceros apple train Toyota
________ _________ _________ _________

________ _________ _________ _________

________ _________ _________ _________

________ _________ _________ _________

________ _________ _________ _________

Possible answers:

Animals: deer, rhinocerous, snake, elephant, tiger, rabit, tapir

Foods: pizza, apple, egg, granola, asparagus, sugar, rhubarb

5-letter words: front, train, nerve, earth, haven, nasty, youth

Makes of cars: Chevrolet, Toyota, Audi, Impala, Accord, Dodge, Edsel

Dictionary Puzzle #2

2004-12-27T02:20:26Z

Dictionary Puzzle #2

Use a dictionary to find the answers to these questions:

1. Put the follwing words into alphabetical order: scuff, basket, program, cocoa, pinafore, diary, dynamite, domino, dwarf, kidnap, scrap, pillow, ditto, guard, inflate, frail __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. What is the plural of alga? ______________________

3. Alphabetically, which comes first, the chicken or the egg? _________________________________________

4. Which word doesn’t belong in this list: lemming, loess, lemur, llama, leopard? Why? ______________________________________________

5. Alphabetically, which of these words comes last: toxic, spooky, sponge, or tarpoon? _________________

6. What do the following words all have in common: silicon, cobalt, boron, radon, argon, bromine, and tellurium? ____________________________________________________________________________________________

7. Name five different things that can be called frog
__________________ __________________
__________________ __________________
__________________
8. Could a hansom be handsome? Why or why not? ____________________________________________________________________________________________

True/False
___9. A wombat is used for cleaning silverware.
___10. An eyelet is a very small eye.
___11. A kismet is a garden vegetable similar to a squash.
___12. A flamenco is the name of a beautiful pink bird.
___13. A bunker is someone who bunks.
___14. Most people would like to marry a reprobate.
___15. A lexicon would help you answer the questions on this page.

Answers:

1. basket, cocoa, diary, dito, domino, dwarf, dynamite, frail, guard, inflate, kidnap, pillow, pinafore, program, scrap, scuff
2. algae
3. chicken
4. loess, bc it is the only one that isn’t an animal.
5. toxic
6. They are all chemical elements.
7.A type of amphibian; a soreness in the throat; a type of fastening on clothes; an arrangement of rails where one railroad track crosses another; a small, spiked holder used to keep flowers in place.
8. Yes, bc a 2 wheeled covered carriage could be pleasing in appearance.
9.F
10. F
11.F
12.F
13.F
14.F
15.T

Dictionary Puzzle #1

2004-12-27T01:49:12Z

Dictionary Puzzle #1
Use a dictionary to find the answers:

1. Put the following in alphabetical order: fiddlestick, fiddlefooted, fiddlefaddle, fiddlehead, fiddleback.___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. Can you store iced tea in a colander? Why or why not?____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. Where on a horse's body would you find a fetlock?________________________________________________
The withers? _________________________________________
The flank? ___________________________________________

4. What is the difference between a lagoon and a legume?_______________________________________________________________________________________

5. What do marjoram and thyme have in common?___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

6. Place each of the words listed below into three categories: Jobs, Things to Eat, or Types of Homes.

haddock, lasagna, barrister, kale, kennel, obstetrician, chalet, hovel, podiatrist

Jobs: _______________________________________________________________________________
Things To Eat: ________________________________________________________________________
Types of Homes:_______________________________________________________________________

7. Find three animals and three birds that begin with the letter c and have at least 5 letters.
Animals: Birds:
C__________ C_______________
C__________ C_______________
C__________ C_______________

8. Would you like to go to a party and commit a gaffe? Why or why not? ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

9. If you were seriously ill, would you want to go to a charlatan for treatment? Why or why not?
____________________________________________________________________________________________

10. Which would you use to help a baby go to sleep, a berceuse or a belladonna? _____________________________________________________________________________________________

11. Alphabetically, which worlds comes in the middle: puzzle, pachyderm, education, burglar, or cluster? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

12. Would a lummox make a good ballet dancer? Why or why not? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

13. Now write three dictionary questions of your own in the space below:

Question______________________________________________________________________
Answer:_______________________________________________________________________

Question______________________________________________________________________
Answer:_______________________________________________________________________

Question______________________________________________________________________
Answer:_______________________________________________________________________

Answers:
1. fiddleback, fiddlefaddle, fiddlefooted, fiddlehead, fiddlestick
2. No bc a colander has holes in it.
3. A fetlock is on the back of the leg, above the hoof. The withers are between the shoulder bones. The flank is on the side, between the ribs and hip.
4. A lagoon is a pond. A legume is a bean or a pea.
5. They are both types of spices used in seasoning.
6. Jobs: obstetrician, podiatrist, barrister
Things to eat: haddock, kale, lasagna
Types of homes: kennel, chalet, hovel
7. Answers will vary, Possible animals: collie, cheetah, chimpanzee. Possible birds: crane, cardinal, cormorant.
8. No bc a gaffe is a social blunder.
9. No bc a charlatan pretends to have knowledge or abilitiy he/she lacks.
10. A berceuse, which is a lullaby.
11. Education
12. No, bc a lummox is a clumsy person
13. Answers will vary

Pass-Back Stories

2004-12-27T01:30:19Z

Pass-Back Stories:

This game lets students use their creativity, usually keeping them interested for an entire class period.

Materials:
-a timer
-notebook paper for everyone in the class

Organization:
Arrange the room so that students are sitting in equal rows of 4 or 5 students each. Have each student put his/her name on a sheet of notebook paper. Write the beginning of a story on the board and have the students copy it onto their papers. One of these lines usually works well:
-It was a dark and stormy night
-I couldn't believe my eyes when
-Suddenly, the principal's voice boomed over the intercom

Instructions:
Explain that the line the students have written is the beginning of a story, a story which they are to complete. However, they are not to complete it in a typical manner. Instead, they are to begin writing, working on their stories for only 4 minutes. When the timer sounds, they must stop writing, even if they are in the middle of a sentence, and pass their papers to the person behind them.
The students must then read the stories they have just been given and continue them, writing for an additional 4 minutes. The pass-back stories continue, with each successive person adding onto what others have written, until everyone gets his/her original paper back. That person then completes the story, bringing the action to an end.
After the writing is completed, have the students in each row meet as a group to reread the completed stories and to choose the one they like best. Then collect all the chosen stories and read them aloud for everyone.

Suggestions:
It is a good idea to mention that everything written should be appropriate for sharing in class-in other words, no profanity, inappropriate subjects, insults, etc. Encourage the students to have fun but to use good judgment at the same time.