This unit contains a set of teacher and student activities designed to assist students in achieving a number of curriculum objectives in Language Arts, Art, Math, Social Studies and Music. It will take approximately one week to complete.
Introduction:
Record on chart paper all the student responses to the question " What do you know about St. Patrick and St.Patrick's Day. Keep this chart on display for further reference during the week.
Theme Booklet:
This booklet can contain anywhere from 5- 30 pages depending on how much time I feel I have to work on this theme. This year I put 11 pages into the booklet -email the school and request a copy which you are permitted to copy. I will include all the pages that I have used over the years. I add and delete pages as I wish.
Activity One: Pages 1 and 2 of Theme Booklet.
Read the story " Patrick the Leprechaun." Have children discuss the story and ask questions orally. Have them answer the questions orally and in complete sentences. Then do page 2 of the booklet. Do one question together and have them look back in their story to find the information that supports their answer. Review - How to print a complete sentence (Capital letter, period and part of the question in the answer). Do one on the board and have those who are able, go on and complete the page. For those who need assistance do the questions together on the board.
Activity Two: Page 7 of the Theme Booklet.
This is a fun page maze that the children can do and colour when they have completed their class work.
Activity Three: Pages 8 and 10 of Theme Booklet.
These two Math pages review addition and subtraction of numbers to 10
Activity Four: Pages 21 and 22 of the Theme Booklet.
Review the objective of ABC order with the students. Then have them read the words on the shamrock on page 21 orally. Then they are to put the words on the proper lines on page 22. In this activity we introduce the facts that every letter of the alphabet is not represented and that there may be more than one word beginning with a particular letter. (For this page, when the was more than one word that could fit on a line, the child was required to only put one of the words there.) This will help further develop the concept of alphabetical order.
Activity Five: Page 7 of Theme Booklet.
Brainstorm what you would wish for if you could have 4 wishes. Do a web of wish words. The child then has to write down a wish on each of the leaves of the four leaf clover . Then during Art class the child is given a shamrock in which he/she writes 3 of his/her 4 wishes. Then they colour and cut out the shamrock which will be used for a bulletin board display.
Activity Five: Page 11 of Theme Booklet. Pot o' Gold Search.
This page was given when they came in at the beginning of the day. My class loves word searches and it keeps them busy while attendance, lunch and recess orders are being taken. It's also a good visual skill and it helps them develop thinking skills.
Activity Six: Page 11 of Theme Booklet.
This is called St. Patrick's Choices. It is a story in which the child has to circle the best answer in parentheses to complete each sentence. This is generally a bit difficult for some students so we read it together orally and circle the correct answer. Those who feel they can complete it on their own go ahead and do so. At the end of class we all read it orally together to see if our answers make sense.
Activity Seven: Page 6 of the Theme Booklet.
This is a story writing page. St. Patrick's Day words are given in a box and students are asked to try to use these words in their story. This year I gave this page as a homework activity.
Activity Eight: Social Studies
The Grade Five class invited us up this year to do a puppet play on the history of St. Patrick, Ireland and our Irish ansestors.
Activity Nine: French
Children colour a picture of St.Patrick and learn to say words associated with St. Patrick's Day in French such as -"C'est le St.Patrick." ( This is St. Patrick) , "le trefle d'Irlande" ( the shamrock of Ireland), "le lutin" (leprechaun), and " 'arc-en-ciel" (rainbow)
Activity Ten: Art:
We made a leprechaun using a paper plate and a leprechaun pattern. This is used for a display. Email the school to request a copy.
Activity Eleven: Poetry
Read some St.Patrick's Day poems and teach a few to the class over the course of the week. Review rhyming words and find the rhyming words in the poems.
To end off our St. Patrick's Day theme, the class has a St. Patrick's
Day Writing Party. This is done during the whole afternoon of St. Patrick's
Day. The Grade Ones and Twos at our school like to do this together. The
following are the activities for the afternoon:
- We have a booklet called "Lucky The Leprechaun " . We read it and
fill in the blanks. Then the students have to complete the story on their
own by writing in the 3 wishes that Lucky the Leprechaun granted them.
We brainstorm this and make a word web on chart paper to help them. When
the Grade Twos finish their book then they help the Grade Ones with their
booklets.
- Art: We make a St.Patrick's Day basket. It is copied on Green construction paper as time does not allow for time to colour it. They cut it out and glue it together. ( We put a few gold chocolate "lucky" coins in this for them when they finish.)
.
- Story: The Grade Two teacher reads them a story called "
- Song: We do an action song that I have on record called "The Leprechaun Song"
- Music: The Music teacher comes in and does some Irish songs with the students some of which are " The Mermaid", "The Unicorn", " Paper of Pins", "The Rattlin' Bog". The party ended off with green treats. Green cupcakes, lime pop, and green leaf candies.
Fact or Fancy:
Decided if each item on the list is real or pretend. Circle theletter under
the proper heading (fact or fancy)
Then write the letters in order on the lines below to answer the riddle.
Sentences: Put the given words in sentences.
How would you describe a leprechaun?: Lines are given for students to write about a leprechaun.
Scrambles: Unscramble the words.
Plurals: Make the words that are given mean more than one.
Cut and paste: say the name of each picture, cut out and then paste the beginning sound letters.
Theme Booklet -
Song- The Leprechaun Song -Sing and Learn Records
Story- Patrick-Patron Saint of Ireland by Tomie de Paola
Booklet- Patrick the Lucky Leprechaun
Language Arts Bulletin BoardTitle: Grade Ones Have Hearts of Gold
The rainbow is made from hearts in rainbow colours with a pot of gold
at the end and a big leprechaun at the beginning of the rainbow. The shamrocks
with their wishes that they completed in Activity Five are used as the
border for the bulletin board. There arre also little shamrocks in among
the bulletin board for detail. The background is blue and the letters are
done in yellow.
Art Bulletin Board - The Leprechauns made in Activity Ten are put up
on a blue background. This has a lime green border with the words "HAPPY
ST. PATRICK'S DAY" also in lime green. This is also spruced
up with shamrocks and other Paddy's Day pictures.