FREE LANGUAGE ARTS LESSON - A Summer Bucket List

FREE LANGUAGE ARTS LESSON - A Summer Bucket List

By Connie Casserly

Grades 3-12

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Connie

Colleagues:

Are you tired of spending the first few days of school in the fall jumpstarting your students’ brains and motivation from Summer Lethargy Mode?

Are you wishing that you had a summer activity besides the usual reading assignment to keep students’ brains charged?

Are you concerned about your administrators’ exhortations to “Grab a standard and go, go, go” during that very first faculty meeting when you know that you absolutely must assess your students’ thinking, comprehension and writing skills baselines before you dive into the standards pool?

This handout will go a long way in banishing your concerns because the activities guarantee that children will keep their minds and bodies active and alert during their summer vacation. The plus is- they won't feel like they are completing an assignment or doing a task related to school while they keep their comprehension and their analytic and creative thinking and writing skills fresh.

Although this list is best suited for children in grades 5-12, third and fourth graders will find activities that fit their abilities and skill levels, too. Many 6-10 year olds I know blow me away with their ability to text, use a computer or a digital or Smartphone camera, play an instrument and cook, so they will find a number of suggestions engaging.

Ideas 8, 10 and 11 are more fitted to older children, though. Idea 13 is great for kids in grades 3-8. Using simple household supplies-along with adult supervision-they can have fun with science experiments while learning chemistry, biology, physics and much more. Tell the children and their parents to use this terrific book for ideas: The Everything Kids Science Experiments Book by Tom Robinson for $8.95 ($6.12 Kindle edition). They don't have to spend money on a book unless they want to, though as they can probably find similar books at the library. Best of all, they will find activities on-line using the search terms: kids science experiments.

Be sure to give A Summer Bucket List to students before the end of the school year. Maybe, follow it up with a quick email to parents to explain this activity. They'll be thrilled with some ideas to ward off the "I'm bored," grumblings.

Download this FREE activity from http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Printables-A-Summer-Bucket-List-253658 and ensure that your next year’s students will have a lot to show and talk about in September when you ask, "What did you do this summer?"

Happy Teaching,

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