Do you feel lucky?

Pre-K 

Songs
Lucky Leprechaun tune Jingle Bells
Leprechaun, Leprechaun,
Oh, where can you be?
Come a little closer now,
Don’t be afraid of me.

Leprechaun, Leprechaun,
You bring luck my way.
I’d really like to see you
On this St. Patrick’s Day!

St. Patrick’s Day Song Tune “Mary Had a Little Lamb”

I’m looking for a leprechaun,
Leprechaun, leprechaun.
I’m looking for a leprechaun.
Do you know where he’s gone?

He wears a suit that’s made of green,
Made of green, made of green.
He wears a suit that’s made of green
Do you know where he’s gone?

He lives by a rainbow and hides his gold,
Hides his gold, hides his gold.
He lives by a rainbow and hide his gold.
Do you know where he’s gone?

If you see a leprechaun,
Leprechaun, leprechaun.
If you see a leprechaun,
Please tell me where he’s gone!

From: http://teachers.net/lessons/posts/325.html 

K-1
My Lucky Day by Keiko Kasza (home)

Do you feel lucky?  (Irish holiday) show on globe, What continent?

This project was done with a K-1 class just before St. Patrick's Day. The children's hands will decoupaged to a bigger piece that will also embellished with Moroccan inspired drawing for a gift for the classroom teacher for Education Week.   What continent?

Students will learn about the use of symbolism in cultural art as they learn and use design elements in creating a hand print. Khamsa - or Moroccan Good Luck Hand - means 'five' in arabic. The traditional Khamsas are often made out of precious metals.

What do we consider a "lucky number?"  Look at other examples of Moroccan designs. 

What you need:

• black construction paper
• white pencils for tracing hand print on paper
• pre-cut (kids can cut their own if time permits) magazine shapes. Fashion, textile and decorating magazines work best for this project. large circles, or squares - for palm of hand long 'wedge' shapes - for fingers various small shapes for added interest
• glitter/glitter glue, sequins, foil star stickers, colored paper reinforcements ( "O" shaped sticker-backed item found at office stores etc) leave some "O's" whole and cut some in half for variety.
• scissors
• glue sticks
• folder to keep each classes' together

What you do:

1. Present Lesson: Talk about other moroccan designs, show examples. Older children could research/report.
2. Trace hand on black paper using white pencil
3. Have children choose at large shape for palm, five 'finger' shaped and various small shapes.
4. Glue the five fingers first, then palm, and 'fill in' with small shapes
NOTE: It's o.k. - in fact better - if the collage extends a little beyond the traced hand. The excess will be trimmed off.
5. Embellish the hand design with stars, glitter, sequins etc.

These Khamsa Good Luck Hands really turn out beautifully! And would look great:

* strung together 
* used on the front of a note card or hand made book 
* decoupaged to heavy paper box  
* hung on a tree

I will have media student asst cut out and decoupage before May.

Adapted from: http://www.kinderart.com/sculpture/khamsa.shtml 

Grades 2-5 

Do you feel lucky? 3 reasons why I am lucky to be me... (on an index card with name)

Topics: baseball, good sportsmanship, success (Lou's definition, his parents')

Pre-read

1-2: Describe Lou's neighborhood.  (historical perspective)

 What are Lou and his friends doing?

What sport? What do you know about baseball?

7-8: Describe the uniforms.

12: Notice the newspaper headline. What is a slump?

 

While you read:

14: Find a fact and opinion. ( Lou to Mayo Clinic.  Lou wasn't selfish.)

15: What were the first symptoms that something was wrong?

17-8: why are there microphones on the field?

19-20: Compare this picture to the previous page.

23: What does Lou's uniform on a hanger represent?  #4 (four-leaf clover)

24-end: Do these pictures look happy or sad? Support with details!!!

Post:

NYC Mayor La Guardia told Lou, " You are the greatest prototype of good sportsmanship and citizenship."

• What did Lou do to help his team?
• How do you think other players felt about Lou?
• What else can a player do and say to be a good sport?
• Do you think Lou is a hero? Support your answer!

Lou Gehrig Speech: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SKyfGK9brs
The transcript of the entire speech: http://www.historyplace.com/speeches/gehrig.htm

 

New Year's with Big 6 and Super 3

Grades 3, 4/5

The first of the year is the perfect time to teach your students how to reflect upon the past year and prepare for a positive, fresh start to the new year. Writing New Years resolutions together is an educational group activity that will inspire your students to be their best while practicing writing skills at the same time.

• Ask for a show of hands of who has heard of New Years resolutions before. Furthermore, how many students have already practiced making (and trying to keep) resolutions?
• To make sure everyone is on the same page, introduce the concept of New Years resolutions and how it comes from the word "resolve". Discuss how adults often find them challenging to keep, so it's important to make your resolutions positive, concrete, and realistic. Tell the students that resolutions are like promises that you make to yourself.
• Model resolutions for your students by showing them a few examples of your own or from a list of top 10 resolutions. Discuss how you will monitor your success on keeping the resolutions. Workshop (with your students' input) how to come up with appropriate resolutions.
• Allow your students time to practice writing a set number of resolutions of their own (for school, home, other areas of life, etc.) You may want to offer younger students a template to use for this writing task. For example, When I am at ___________, I resolve to ___________ because ___________.
• Give the students an opportunity to share a few of their resolutions with the rest of the class. Model offering encouragement to each other.
• You can also have your students create accompanying illustrations for their resolutions, visualizing themselves accomplishing their goals. The illustrated resolutions will make a darling bulletin board display for the classroom, while providing visual reminders for the students to work toward their goals. Modified from: http://k6educators.about.com/od/januaryholidayslessons/qt/nyreslesson.htm

Introduce: Kidzworld http://www.kidzworld.com/article/26404-new-years-resolutions

• What are they?
• Why do we do it?
• HOW

Last Year

• How did my year begin?
• What did I expect to happen this year? Were my expectations met?
• What surprised me this year?
• What disappointed me this year?
• If I could do anything over, what would I choose?
• How was my academic performance? What are my strengths and weaknesses?
• How might I address these weaknesses?
• What have I learned this year? Academically? Personally?
• What resolutions did I make last year?
• If I did not keep my resolutions, why?
• Did my experiences this year match my expectations?
• What surprised me? Disappointed?
• If I could do anything over, what would I choose? What would I do differently?

Take the "Make the New Year AWESOME" Challenge: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQOcEDD5hR8

More Examples http://www.today.com/video/today/53958093#53958093

The New Year

• How will this year be different from last year?
• In what ways do I expect this year to be similar as last?
• What challenges do I expect to face this year?
• How might I best prepare for the challenges that I expect to face?
• What do I hope to improve in my life?
• What are my strengths?
• Considering my physical health, what are my strengths? Weaknesses?
• Considering my mental health, my state of mind, what are my strengths? Weaknesses?
• Considering my social network and social life, what are my strengths? What areas are in need of improvement?
• Of all the possibilities, what 2 or 3 areas do I wish to improve?
• What specifically will I improve for each? For each area, how will I mark change?

New year's resolutions, goals, and plans for change begin with a self evaluation. Take a moment to consider where you’ve been and where you would like to go. From : http://gradschool.about.com/od/survivinggraduateschool/a/newyeareval.htm