Resources for Grades 3rd-5th

Write

Think of a compliment you could give your friends. Think of situations when you do this the most.

Draw

Illustrate a time when you were doing a job well done!

Extend

Share the compliments you wrote in your journal with your microschool!

Write

Think of a time you showed someone that you cared for them. Write about that experience.

Draw

Draw a scene that makes you feel loved.

Extend

Take photos of your friends showing care for one another. Turn these photos into an photography exhibition at your microschool!

Write

How many blades of grass are in your favorite park? Can you invent as many good things about your microschool?

Draw

A picture of what makes your microschool special.

Extend

Create a 2D or 3D model of your microschool.

Write

Communities are built on trust. How does your community treat one another show trust?

Draw

Create a portrait of a person you trust.

Extend

Play the Trust Fall Game. Find a partner and then stand facing away from your partner. Your partner should stand a few steps behind you, looking towards your back. Ask your partner if they are ready. When they are, gently fall backwards. Your partner will catch you as you fall. As your trust builds, the distance between them can be increased gradually. Change the partners’ places and repeat the activity.

Interview

In your journal, write three questions for your friends that will help you get to know them. These questions can be about things you like to do, things you appreciate, or people you love and admire. When you have the questions written, stand up and start interviewing your friends! Try to talk to as many people in your microschool as possible and write down their answers.

Remember to look at your friends in the eye when you interview them and listen to the things they are saying!

Read a Picture Book

"The Name Jar" by Yangsook Choi

Listen

Click here to listen to a read aloud.

Discuss

Do you think that the children on the bus could have responded to Unhei’s name in a different way? What could they have done, and how would that have made a difference?

Make

Instead of a name jar, make a community jar. What good thoughts could you put in?

Read a Poem

"Am I A Builder" by Edgar Guest

Discuss

What is the difference between "building" and "wrecking" in life?

Make

Write an "Am I A_______" poem.

Read a Poem

"The Human Touch" by Spencer Michael Free

Discuss

How much importance do you place on being loved? Explain your thinking.

Make

Learn to make an origami heart. Give it to someone special.

Read a Poem

"I'm Glad I Touched Shoulders With You" by Unknown Author

Discuss

Who makes you happy when you are sad? How do they do that?

Make

Write a special, sweet note to someone special telling them how you feel.

Read a Poem

"That's What I Call a Friend" by John Burroughs

Discuss

What qualities do you need in a friend?

Make

Learn a new way to make a friendship bracelet.

Common Thread

Make groups of four. Sit together as a small group. Set a timer for 5 minutes. During that time, each group has to find as many things in common as possible. It could be that everyone plays soccer, or likes pizza, or have a kitten. Whatever the common thread, the conversation will help you get to know one another better. After you know all the things you have in common, create a flag that represents these things.

Classification

For this activity, prepare a tray with 20 unrelated items, for instance, a spool of thread, an eraser, a soda can, etc. Divide your class into even groups. Set a timer and divide the 20 items into four categories that make sense to your group. For example, you may put an earring, a glove, a headset, a sock, and a smile into the category “things you wear.” Be sure to work quietly and keep your ideas a secret. When each group is finished, take turns presenting your ideas to everyone.

Write

What are two things you love to create? Do you like to do these things alone, with one friend, or in a group?

Draw

Think of what cooperation means to you. Draw a picture of your thoughts.

Extend

Have everyone in your microschool share how they like to work- alone, with a friend, or in a group. Make a bar graph of your microschool's results!

Write

What do you look like when you learn? Do you like to sit, stand, or lay down? Do you talk a lot or do you prefer to listen?

Draw

Use lines and colors to draw what learning feels like to you.

Extend

Using recycled materials, create a mixed media self-portrait that demonstrates how you look and feel when you learn.

Write

No one is perfect and we are all growing in different ways! What are two things that show your growth?

Draw

Create a picture of something you can do on your own that you couldn't do on your own before.

Extend

Do a Show-and-Tell with your baby photos! Show a picture to your microschool and reflect on how you have grown.

Write

Copy this sentence into your journal and then fill-in-the-blank:

Something unique to me is….

Draw

Draw a picture of yourself shooting for the stars!

Extend

We all need lucky stars! Watch this tutorial on how to make an origami lucky star. Use them to decorate your microschool.

Write

Do you think your thoughts affect your emotions? Why or why not?

Draw

Draw a picture of a funny face. Label that face with an emotion.

Extend

Make a wacky face stress ball! Fill a balloon with play-dough. When it is full enough to squeeze, draw a funny face on the outside of the ballon.

Read a Picture Book

"Manjhi Moves a Moutain" by Nancy Churnin

Listen

Click here to listen to a read aloud.

Discuss

Is there something you can do to make things better for your family? How could you do it?

Make

Take time to plan an act of community service for your microschool. Show your Guide your plan and work together to make your ideas better.

Read a Poem

"Our Lips and Ears" by Unknown Author

Discuss

What does this poem have in common with the idiom "Bite Your Tongue?"

Make

Create an illustration for this poem.

One Word Inspiration

Ask your Guide to give one word as a source of inspiration. Then, draw a picture, write a story, create a graphic organizer, write a poem, or create a song, based on the one word inspiration. (Examples of Inspirational Words Could be Family, Friends, Holidays, Nature, Kindness, etc…)

Storyteller

Create a shared, common list of characters, setting, and plot. Think of a story and share it aloud. Make sure it includes each of the story elements on the list. When everyone has shared their story, compare and contrast how each student chose to incorporate the common details.

Write

Did you know that you can breath in good thoughts. Close your eyes and take a deep breath in. Write about all the good thoughts you breathed into your body.

Draw

Create a picture about a beautiful moment you experienced recently.

Extend

Lead your microschool in a mindful moment.

Write

Jump high into the air and shout "I'm a star!" In your journal, write about how it feels when you say something nice about yourself.

Draw

Create a self-portrait. Be sure to include some of the nice things you see in yourself.

Extend

On a post-it or other small piece of paper, write some nice things about yourself. Hide it somewhere that you will find it in a few weeks.

Write

Stand up and without moving from your space, run-in-place, saying slowly, "I can, I can, I can...". Run-in-place faster, saying faster, "I can, I can, I can..." In your journal, fill-in-the-blank:

I can......

Draw

Illustrate a picture of what it looks and feels like to climb a mountain.

Extend

Use Google Earth to find your city, and/or another city. Explore the city. Show the students each distinction: the city, state, country, continent, Earth.

Write

You are your own best friend. What would you like to do or say for your best friend?

Draw

Create a picture of what love looks like.

Extend

Watch this tutorial to learn how to make an origami heart. Use these hearts as presents for your friends!

Write

Curiosity helps you learn! What are two things you are most curious about?

Draw

Think of a food that you have always wanted to try. Draw a picture of that food on a beautiful table.

Extend

Have a food festival at your microschool. Ask all your friends to prepare a unique food so that everyone can try different types of foods!

Read a Picture Book

"Those Shoes" by Maribeth Boelts

Listen

Click here to listen to a read aloud.

Discuss

Sometimes we might feel left out if we don’t have what other people have. How can knowing what’s important to you help you overcome those feelings?

Make

Create a "Needs vs. Wants" chart. Using old magazines or newspapers, cut out interesting pictures. Sort the cut pictures into either the need column or the want column.

No Hands Cup Stacking

This hands-on group challenge is an exercise in patience and perseverance, not to mention a total blast! Decide how many students you want in each group and tie that number of strings to a single rubber band, making one for each group. Each person in the group holds onto one of the strings attached to the rubber band, and, as a group, they use this device to pick up the cups (by expanding and contracting the rubber band) and place them on top of each other in order to build a pyramid.

Art Reproduction Puzzle

Make small groups. Ask your Guide to give each team an image and blank pieces of white card stock, one per team member. First, each team must cut up the image into the same number of pieces as there are group members. Then, each player will take one of the pieces of the image and reproduce it onto their blank piece of card stock with pencils, colored pencils, or markers. (If the team cuts the image into irregularly shaped pieces, each team member must then cut their blank paper into the same shape.) When every team has created the pieces of their puzzle, they will switch pieces with another team. The team will work together to solve the puzzle.

Write

Pretend that you are calmly floating in a pool. You can feel a warm, gentle sun on your skin. Think to yourself, life is good!

In your journal, write about what makes life good and enjoyable.

Draw

Illustrate a picture of what you imagined at the beginning of this prompt.

Extend

Create a collage of all the things that make your life good and enjoyable.

Write

Move like a superhero. What qualities do you share with superheroes?

Draw

Create a superhero identify for yourself. Draw a picture of what you look like as a superhero.

Extend

Create a cape based on your superhero identity.

Write

Lay down and spread your arms and legs out like a starfish. Close your eyes, take a deep breath in, and relax.

In your journal, write about ways you like to relax, either at your microschool or at home.

Draw

Yoga helps lots of people relax! Think of a new yoga move and draw it in your journal.

Extend

Pretend like you are a yoga teacher and lead your microschool in a yoga session.

Write

Pretend that you are entering a time machine. Travel to the future and meet your future self. What are you doing and what are you like?

Draw

Think of three things that you are good at. Draw them into your journal.

Extend

Design and build your time machine. Be sure to include all the years it can travel to.

Write

Copy this sentence into your journal and fill-in-the-blank:

I am proud of myself when….

Draw

Think of two things you learned and feel proud of. Draw them into your journal.

Extend

Design medals for the things that you are proud of and award them to yourself!

Read a Picture Book

"The Three Questions" by Jon J. Muth

Listen

Click here to listen to a read aloud.

Discuss

How do we know the right thing to do when we are faced with a difficult decision? What does it mean to do the right or wrong thing?

Make

This book is popular in part to its beautiful watercolor illustrations. Experiment with watercolors and see if you can recreate an illustration in this book.

Birthday Line-up

This is a fun activity to get kids lined up. It may take 5–10 minutes, depending on the age of your students, so plan accordingly. The objective is to have students line up in order of their birthdays—January 1st through December 31st and by year. To do this, they will need to know the order in which the months fall as well as their own birthday. They will also need to talk with one another in order to figure out who goes in front of whom. To make it super challenging, tell them they must do it without speaking at all, only using hand signals.

The Book of Microschool Records

Start your own Guinness Book of Records! Keep your own Micro school book of records and have the kids try to set records for things such as:

• Records could be academic, social, athletic, and more.

• Most jumping jacks

• Jumps in jump roping

• Running laps outside

• Most crafts made for the month or year

• Longest handstand

• Most books read, puzzles completed, etc.

• Anything else that you can think of!