Switch! (The fun and easy playground game)

Posted on March 4, 2013 by Squarehead Teachers

I just learned a new game today and I’m really jazzed about it. It’s called Switch, and here’s what you need to know:

5 players at a time, everyone else in a line waiting to come into the game
Need a 4 square shape on the ground (basically looks like a huge 4 pane window)

First, players stand at the corners of the window and at the intersection in the middle. The 4 players on the outside corners try to run and switch places with each other. The person standing at the center intersection tried to get one of the corner spots while the others are switching. If the players on the corners make 3 switches, the person in the middle is bumped out and a new player enters the game (standing at the center). If the center player succeeds in stealing one of the corner spots, the player who lost their spot is out, the center person claims the corner spot, and a new player comes into the center.

Why I love this game: 1.) There’s no equipment necessary! Many schools have these 4 square lines painted on the ground already, but it’s as easy as getting some chalk if you don’t. 2.) Anyone can play. The group I was playing with today had kids ranging from kindergarten to 5th grade and we were all playing happily together.

The player on the far right sat down to tie her shoe, but other than that, this gives you a decent picture of how players should stand. The boy in the white shirt is trying to steal a corner spot during a switch.

Musicians To Know (upper grade grammar practice series)

Posted on March 3, 2013 by Squarehead Teachers

Teachers today are expected to teach EVERYTHING!

But there’s just not enough time! As money for fine arts dwindles, kids are getting less and less music in school. I could quote any of a million studies that show music helps with academics and character development, but I won’t. Instead, I present my “Musicians To Know” series. It’s 10 single-page grammar practice activities that teach kids about the most influential musicians of all time. The activities involve identifying parts of speech, prepositional phrases, dependent clauses, using a dictionary and thesaurus, etc. There’s even a little simple math thrown in. Appropriate for 5th grade and up is my guess, but I don’t know your class, so you be the judge.

Musicians to Know grammar series PDF

Information from classicsforkids.com, makingmusicfun.net, and KA Piano Studios.

Halloween Writing Activity: How To Get Lots of Halloween Candy

Posted on March 3, 2013 by Squarehead Teachers

The point of Halloween is to get tons of candy… or at least that’s what my kids think. So here’s a writing project (that you could use to practice sequencing, transitions, or standard paragraph structure) to tie in kids plans for scoring loads of candy! Some of my kids have it figured out! They say to bring a little kid with you, preferably one who’s really adorable. They also told me to smile really big, so people want to give you more. Anyway, see what your kids come up with! Fun free Halloween writing project: How to get lots of Halloween Candy PDF Enjoy!

How To Become Friends With A Magical Creature

Posted on March 2, 2013 by Squarehead Teachers

Another fun creative writing prompt: making friends with a magical creature! My kids love telling me about magical creatures, so I figured we’d turn it into a writing project?!

How to Get What You Want From Santa

Posted on March 1, 2013 by Squarehead Teachers

Getting Santa to give you the exact present you want is tricky business. Do this with your class and see who’s got it all figured out! Fun writing project for the holidays!

Click here for the free PDF worksheet: How to get what you want from Santa.

Merry Christmas!

St. Partick’s Day Story Starter (Updated)

Posted on March 1, 2013 by Squarehead Teachers

St Patrick's day story starter

Here’s an easy St. Patrick’s day writing project (for whole class use or as a fast finisher). Use the picture to get your creative juices flowing, and then make notes in the sections on the page. Then take it all the way through publishing.

Click here to download the free printable PDF: St Patrick’s Day Story Starter

Talk Like A Pirate Day (Teacher’s Survival Guide)

Posted on February 28, 2013 by Squarehead Teachers

Here’s what every teacher should know about International Talk Like A Pirate Day. Just knowing about it and being able to mention it in class will give you instant coolness points.

When: September 19

What Is International Talk Like A Pirate Day (ITLAPD)? ITLAPD is a parodic holiday created in 1995 by John Baur (Ol’ Chumbucket) and Mark Summers (Cap’n Slappy), of Albany, Oregon, who proclaimed September 19 each year as the day when everyone in the world should talk like a pirate. For example, an observer of this holiday would greet friends not with “Hello,” but with “Ahoy, matey!” The holiday, and its observance, springs from a romanticized view of the Golden Age of Piracy.

When is Talk Like A Pirate Day? ITLAPD isn’t one o’ those governmentally sanctioned holidays that shifts around… No, the date is ALWAYS Sept. 19! Now, occasionally Sept. 19 falls on a Sunday, and we recognize that may not meet everyone’s desire for an excuse to party [in which case we recommend Talk Like A Pirate Weekend].

OK, settle this once and for all. Is it “Arrrrrrr,” “Yarrrrr,” “Yarrrrgh” or what? we don’t care how ye say it! Your “Arrr!” should just come from yer heart and yer bowels and be a fully formed expression o’ yer own Pirattitude!

What does “savvy” mean? Johnny Depp has a lot to answer for. For a time after the release of “Pirates of the Caribbean, this was among our most-frequently-asked questions. The dictionary defines “savvy” as “wisdom, understanding.” Used as a question, it can be taken to mean “get it?”

How about “Shiver me timbers”? When the wind blows hard on a wooden ship, the timbers literally rattle. This is a cause for surprise and concern … therefore, “Shiver me timbers” is an expression of surprise.

Where can I find a pirate name generator? There are many links on the ITLAPD official website.

Pirate Lingo: The Basics

Pirate lingo is rich and complicated, sort of like a good stew. There are several other sites that offer glossaries that are pretty good, and you can find some of them on the official ITLAPD links page.

But if you just want a quick fix, a surface gloss, a “pirate patina,” if you will, here are the five basic words that you cannot live without. Master them, and you can face Talk Like a Pirate Day with a smile on your face and a parrot on your shoulder, if that’s your thing.

Ahoy! – “Hello!”

Avast! – Stop and give attention. It can be used in a sense of surprise, “Whoa! Get a load of that!” which today makes it more of a”Check it out” or “No way!” or “Get off!”

Aye! – “Why yes, I agree most heartily with everything you just said or did.”

Aye aye! – “I’ll get right on that sir, as soon as my break is over.”

Arrr! – This one is often confused with arrrgh, which is of course the sound you make when you sit on a belaying pin. “Arrr!” can mean, variously, “yes,” “I agree,” “I’m happy,” “I’m enjoying this beer,” “My team is going to win it all,” “I saw that television show, it sucked!” and “That was a clever remark you or I just made.” And those are just a few of the myriad possibilities of Arrr!

For more information, visit the official ITLAPD website.

What You Need to Know About Daylight Savings

Posted on February 28, 2013 by Squarehead Teachers

Here’s a great way to explain what Daylight Savings Time is. Free worksheet for older kids (can do independently) or younger kids (probably will need help, because of the reading level). Comprehension questions at the bottom of the page. Don’t forget to switch your classroom clocks!

Click here for the free printable PDF: Daylight Savings