Thanks to all who gave me suggestions for quiet activities for fifth
graders! It's taken me a few days to get my hit together, but here are
the suggestions I received.
First, someone forwarded me two "hits" from the archives - guess I
should have looked there first! One was originally entitled "HIT:
Challenging 5th graders" and was broken into 3 separate emails. The
original posting date for that hit was February 2, 2002. The other was
entitled "ideas for 5-6th graders at end of year" but had no date
attached, and I haven't been able to find it back in the archives. In
any case, it seems many others have faced the same challenges with fifth
graders at the end of the year!
- - - - - -
How about creating a jeapordy activity and use the overhead so you can
keep your eyes on everyone. It could cover literature over the years,
genres, authors, research/reference and a hodgepodge category. I don't
have one created specifically for what you are looking for, but I find
them easy to make. PS for the behavior piece I use "talking chips" so
that everyone at the table has an equal opportunity to speak. Each
student gets four "chips"--bingo markers, so that one person doesn't
dominate the answer calling.
I made a slide show for my 4th graders of the things we have done this
year in the library. You could do one for your kids from K-5. I tried
to attach a copy and send to you, but it was too large. Go to my blog at
www.bookladyspeaks.blogspot.com
<http://www.bookladyspeaks.blogspot.com/> I have it posted there.
Might give you some ideas.
*
How about having the students come up with a list of 1 thing they liked
best about each grade in school? or 5 fondest memories of 5th grade...
They could make a flip or step book and label and illustrate each page.
Do you have an LCD projector? You could project this activity as they
give you input:
They could each come up with their fondest memory at your school and you
could enter it into a "wordle" and then print out 2 copies for each
class and give one to their teacher and post one on the wall or in the
windows.
Or they could make it as a thank you message to their 5th grade
teachers.
The word clouds could also be posted on your webpages.
I had my 5th graders in teams of 3 do a wordle of their best fifth grade
memories in class today. It was basically settled until we printed out
results...each kid got to take home a copy of their group word cloud.
This was my better class...don't know about even attempting it with my
Thursday group! We have 30 minute classes and this also allowed book
checkout time.
www.wordle.net
*
I don't know if this would work for you, but I will throw the idea
out since it worked with my 5th graders yesterday.
I have some poster board that I have made into a "jeopardy"
board. It is quite simple--I just have a huge sheet of paper and then
some "corners" that I have cut out and the questions are wrote onto
index cards. We have been doing research materials so I got a couple of
copies of the same World Almanac from the social studies classroom and I
came up with really obscure questions from there, but told them what
subject heading to look for in the Table of Contents so they at least
had a starting point.
Nations--100. What is the population of Australia.
Sports--400. Who won the 100 meter dash in the
1968 olympics.
Stuff like that. They really go into it and did a good job and yet also
learned that there is just a wealth of information in these almanacs.
I have used my Jeopardy board many different times and maybe
you can come up with subjects such as teachers, books you have read to
them, etc. I know it's tough coming up with something that covers 6
years, but it is still fun.
Another thing we will do next week (since it is my last week with
them) will be an Arthur's Birthday Party which I got the idea off of
LM-NET last year. Arthur the storybook character celebrates his birthday
on May 25th according to the book "Arthur's Birthday". Last year we just
had cake and silly party games--even the 5th graders were into it
although they didn't get the book read to them. This year I have asked
them to bring a book from home that they are willing to donate and we
are going to wrap them up as birthday presents and donate them to a poor
filipino school just down the street from us. We are hoping to have some
of the teachers from there come also, but they are currently on summer
vacation until sometime in June so that may be more difficult, but in
the meantime I am getting some good stuff and the kids are learning a
bit about sharing. Don't know if you have time to come up with some kind
of program with it, but you might at least have a birthday party.
I also have some sites that people sent me with some paper and pencil
games. If you need things like that, I can search through my old e-mails
and find them again. I used them for a sleep-over that we had here a few
weeks ago and the kids had asked for a "quiet" room where they could go
to take a quick nap or just work on something quietly before heading out
into the madness of the video room again. I had some jigsaw puzzles and
some game sheets in one half of the library, my pillows and cushions in
the other half for sleeping.
*
i play a game with my 5th graders, testing their knowledge of library
skills, reference materials, etc.
i modeled it after an old t.v. show game called hollywood squares, but i
call it demarest squares, for our school.
i put one library table against the wall. then, i place 3 chairs in
front of the table lengthwise. i have 3 students sit on the table (they
love that part), 3 students sit on the chairs in front of them, and 3
students sit on the floor in front of their legs.
each student has a paper with an x and one with an o.
the rest of the class is divided into two teams. (could be more if you
need)
one member of the team chooses a "star/celebrity" i ask a question and
that star has to answer or bluff an answer. they can make up a semi
plausible answer to fool the team. that team members says that they
accept or reject the answer. if the answer is correct, that team member
gets their x or o held up by the star. if it is wrong, they dont get
the square.
it is played like tic tac toe........
the kids enjoy this and they are all seated and contained in one spot.
it works well with my very active classes.
i hope this helps......
*
There's this beautiful book called Dream. The website has many
activities to go along with the book,
http://www.legacyproject.org/activities/activitiesld.html
including making Origami Dream Stars.
. It's a nice, calming, reflective picturebook for all ages.
*
Perhaps some kind of relection activity; ie., if I were telling a new
class of kids what I learned about the library it would be....
or maybe an alphabet book or poem about the library (is that too
simplistic for 5th graders?)
Add the carrot that the 'best' book or best poems will be added to the
collection and shared with new kinders?
Dreams, books, are each a world; and books, we know,
Are a substantial world, both pure and good.
Round these, with tendrils strong as flesh and blood,
Our pastime and our happiness will grow.
William Wordsworth
*
One year-end activity I do with some of the older classes is "games" in
the library. I bring in / borrow games and let kids play on their last
library visit.
Games include: chess /checkers / board games - i.e. yahtzee, trouble /
card games / yahtzee / etc....
Another option would be to watch a video (time permitting of course)
with them - something to do with summer vacation or libraries or middle
school angst.
I would be interested in other response you receive.
Good Luck!
*
I usually do a book talk at the end of the year, because my fifth
graders are also pretty scatter-brained by now. This year I'm trying
something new. Since I have my lesson plans for the last 6 years, I
have notes on the books I've read them since kindergarten. I'm going to
take them down memory lane, and maybe read one or two of the
favorites--their choice. If you have a longer period, maybe you could
remind them of the titles, have the books out on the tables, and have
them draw some new covers for their old favorites?
Ours are so ready for middle school, and at this point, I am always
ready to see them go:)
*
sara- usually a collage with drawing and cutting and pasting will keep a
group happy and quiet for awhile-your favorite stories from read-alouds
in the library- 100 piece puzzles are good ,too,-4 people per puzzle- if
there is time they can switch puzzles. there are word finds and
crossword puzzles,too.
*
http://www.readwritethink.org/materials/stapleless/ try this and make up
a simple activity book they can fold and illustrate. Good luck,
*
I like to do a library survey -- make up questions about their memories,
favorite stories, things they liked, etc. Include things about what
they
learned. Have about 30 questions that you make up... and have about 10
minutes for sharing at end. Then read them a good bye book....
*
I play library jeopardy and review everything that they have learned.
*
Sara Reinders, LMS
Ada Christian School
Ada, MI
sreinders@adachristian.org
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