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I remember the days (well I barely remember the days) back when inspirational
ideas seemed to burst forth constantly.  Nowadays it's like the 4th of
July...not that there's a lot...just that it only happens about once a
year...ha...

Anyway, I would like to do an activity with our 3rd grade class (we are a
Pre-3 school) to tie in with what we do with them on Reading Counts.
Currently, our 2nd and 3rd graders are the only participants in the program.
Both 2nd & 3rd grades are eligible to have their names put up under the Point
Clubs at 25 point interevals with those reaching 200 by the end of the
program getting a t-shirt or cap.

With 3rd grade, I do a separate bulletin board based on some theme but based
that each class is challenged to accumulate 2000 RC points by the end of the
program.  If they reach the goal they get a pizza party, ice cream party
(cheapest), etc.  I have row of books arranged in columns from 200 - 2000.  I
let each class choose a mascot.  Each week I move the mascot icon under the
points column they have reached.  I have done "Racing Readers" and "Out of
this World Readers."

This year I am thinking about doing "Scooby Dooby Readers" since it's my
favorite cartoon and the movie having recently come out I thought the kids
might really get a kick out of it.  Since the show is based on mysteries, I
would like to add something else as a choice for the kids to participate.

I will create a list of recommended mystery & science books that we have RC
tests for.  I will look for many that are not normally read.  Students will
be required to read a certain number of books and accumulate a certain number
of points.  As they reach three different levels they will be able to come to
a special event we will hold in the library or somewhere on campus.

Some of the ideas I've thought about are:

1)  Have a detective from the police department come in, show some equipment
and materials they use to solve cases, take fingerprints & pictures, etc.
and have some other activity the kids can actually do.

2)  Have a scientist, college science teacher, etc. come in and do an
inexpensive science lesson using chemicals, etc....something they might not
would do until they were older.

3)  Have the high school science club come in and bring in a bunch of
microscopes and kids could look at various things under the microscope.  We
have a microsope that can be hooked to the computer and record a clip of a
slide.  Our principal did this to a lice bug that was placed on a slide
shortly after being pulled off of a child.  Just let me say, it would have
been a powerful image to show at a PTO meeting!  People would have probably
burned down their homes to get rid of the things...  :)

Other ideas for speakers we brainstormed were:  *firemen, *doctors, *vets,
weathermen, and someone on how to track animals.  The ones with asterisks are
ones we normally have as speakers so I'm hesitant about calling them.

Do any of you have any suggestions for other ideas and activities relating to
mystery or science?  I'm going to limit it to three activities and it will
have to be something inexpensive.

Some other ideas I'm hoping to do are:

Have MYSTERY MANIA and have a Mystery of the Month.  The mystery is to find
the book I give clues on.  Could be mystery books, science books,
biographices on scientists, detective stories, etc.  A clue will be given
each week.  Clues would be given to figure out the theme,
character(s)/person(s) in book or person book is about, whether it's
fiction/non-fiction, words in the title, etc.  I would place clues in large
magnifying glasses / pawprints/finger prints placed on the front of the desk.
 If students miss the announcement giving the clues...they would have to get
the clue(s) from the ones  posted on the desk.  A paw print or Scooby Doo
cutout could also be placed in the "mystery" book.

Using one of those binding machines, make a small "detective" notebook for
participating students.  I'm thinking about calling it "Scooby Doo's
Assistant Sleuth Book."

Make "Detective-In-Training" cards (about the size of a drivers license) with
a picture of the student, fingerprint, etc.  Could even give them some of the
inexpensive plastic magnifying glasses.

Once I figured out what I'm going to do, I'll post a hit if there is
interest.  We (teachers) start back on Aug. 5th and kids on Aug. 9th.  I hope
I can pull this off...I'm too excited about it to wait until next year...

Thanks,
Tony Pope, Media Specialist
McHenry Primary School
100 McHenry Drive
Rome, GA  30161
Pope1966@aol.com

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