 |
| Photo Credit: The Weather Channel |
So, by the time February 2nd rolls around I. am. ready. for. spring! I know Punxsutawney Phil isn't exactly a great meteorologist, but I allow myself to pretend he is. That is if he predicts an early spring! Anyway, in an effort to create the next generation of Groundhog Day enthusiasts, I've been on the lookout for some fun (and educational ways) to teach my kiddos all about this fun tradition.
First stop- books! I LOVE books and seeing as how there is pretty much a children's book on everything I started my planning on Amazon with a quick search of " groundhog day books for kids" and found quite a few I liked.
My first pick addresses the accuracy of Groundhog Day weather predictions in a funny, yet informative way!
"Professor Groundhog opens a school so groundhogs can learn to accurately forecast the weather each February. With funny asides and a comic-style approach to the illustrations, this informational story presents a fresh look at Groundhog Day through the eyes of the animals who live it each year"
Find it here:
My second pick was:
I really liked how this book takes on the point of view of the Groundhog and can lead to a discussion on making assumptions about people and the importance of getting to know someone beyond a label or even beyond a stereotype! The Groundhog gets tired of everyone always asking him the same question! Yet, he is so very important, and no one can really replace him. This teaches kids to both not take people for granted, but also that everyone has and important role to play.
My final pick is this oldie, but goodie:
This is the book I start of with because it gives kiddos some good base knowledge about the holiday.
Next stop: Pinterest!
I found a TON of adorable Groundhog Day crafts, but I plan on doing these because they're pretty straightforward and super cute.
Find the "how-to" here:
AND
This Adorable Glyph from "Creative Teaching"
Find the pattern and instructions here:
Next stop: Math!
Math was never my favorite subject in school, but it is one of my favorites to teach. So I of course couldn't miss the opportunity to incorporate some Groundhog Day fun into our math lesson for the day. I couldn't resist the urge to do the oldie, but goodie. "Groundhog Day predictions Graph". ( The plan is to do this on Monday, before the kiddos hear the real prediction).
I plan on doing this one:
Here's a link to the pin, but it's just the picture. If anyone finds the original source, please let me know! https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/3a/ec/59/3aec5935a7badeb7704b0ed0e7cb9bfe.jpg
Still, I think its easy enough to create on your own and also doubles as a quick craft!
Now, since I plan on completing this the day before I wanted something to do with my kiddos the day of. I wanted something related to graphing since that's a skill we're working on right now, but I also wanted them to think it was fun. So, I whipped up this quick " Groundhog Day Roll and Graph Activity" which is now available on my TPT store for only $1! (See link Below)
So, there you have it. My first blog post and my plans for Groundhog Day. I hope you've enjoyed it!
What are your plans for Groundhog Day? Please feel free to leave your ideas in the comments!
-Melanie
