Posts Tagged ‘teacher pat’

American Customs

Saturday, December 3rd, 2011

american customsMiss Pat announced a pop quiz based on a homework assignment on American customs that she gave the class a few days earlier.

“Class let’s see what you learned about some of the American customs I asked you to read about,” said Miss Pat.

Here are the questions and the answers the “Can Dos” gave. How would you have done on a quiz about American customs?

1. Why is it an American custom for baby boys to be dressed in blue and baby girls dressed in pink ?

2. Why do Americans shake hands when they meet?

3. Why do Americans use the OK sign?

4. What does the American custom of crossing one’s heart mean?

5. Why do some American parents give their children a weekly allowance?

American Customs Answers:

1. Since all babies look alike, boys are usually dressed in blue and girls in pink simply to identify the baby as a boy or a girl. In ancient times the color blue was believed to ward off evil spirits, so it was reserved for boys. The color pink was introduced for baby girls according to a European tradition that suggested that girls were born inside a pink rose.

2. Handshaking is a polite gesture indicating friendship and acceptance. Today both men and women shake hands not only as a greeting but to seal a contract as well.

3. Americans use the OK sign by joining the thumb and forefinger in a circle to indicate that all is well or perfect.

4. Americans cross their hearts to seal promises or pledges. It comes from an old religious tradition that believes that crossing your heart is a protection against bad luck and confirms that the speaker’s pledge is made in earnest.

5. The modern weekly allowance is a set sum of money that parents give their children as spending money or in return for completing household chores. it is intended to teach the concept of earning money and money management.

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Animals Have Homes

Sunday, November 20th, 2011

animals have homesMiss Pat asked,”Do you know that animals have homes”?

Some of the “Can Dos” looked confused, then Hector raised his hand and said,” Yeah, cats and dogs and fish and gerbils and hamsters make their homes with us, because they are our pets.” He looked so proud of himself and the class all nodded their heads in approval.

Miss Pat smiled and said, “Well, you are right, Hector, but I was speaking of animals that are not pets. I am referring to animals that live outdoors or in the water.”

Orrie raised his hand and When Miss Pat called on him, he said,” Cows live on a farm.” Miss Pat nodded, “That’s right, Orrie, they live on a farm but what do they live in on the farm? Where to they stay when it is raining or cold or when it is night time and time for sleep.”?

Willie raised his hand and said, ” They live in a barn on the farm.”

“Excellent,” said Miss Pat,”There are so many animals and they all have homes. So let’s go to our computers and play two new games I made for you. They are both about animals and where they live.”

Once the “Can Dos” were at their computers, Miss Pat gave them them directions for finding and playing the two new matching games. She reminded them that these games would help with vocabulary building and spelling as well as helping them learn where the animals live.

Why don’t you play along boys and girls at home? Just follow these directions from Miss Pat.

  • Go to the “Can Do” club house
  • Choose games
  • Play the games called Animal Homes  and Animals in Water

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Interactive Matching Games Make Vocabulary Fun

Friday, November 11th, 2011

Miss Pat and vocabularyMiss Pat knows that many of the “Can Dos” are not fans of vocabulary lessons. She also knows that learning learning new vocabulary words is important. The big question for her…how to get the “Can Dos interested and excited about learning the names of people places and things and to spell them correctly.

Miss Pat  tried using flash cards and other word games and some of the class liked learning vocabulary that way, but it wasn’t enough. So, she thought and thought and then it came to her. She would create matching games on the computers and let each “Can Do” match the name of an object with the object. The game would tell each “Can Do” if they got it right or wrong.

That afternoon, when the class  usually had vocabulary time, Miss Pat asked all the children to go to their computers and turn them on. The class was thrilled because they thought…computer time instead of vocabulary time.

They were so surprised when she had them go to their computers and go to the  “Can Do” Club House  where they found two new games. The first was called vegetables and the second was called fruits.

“Class,” said Miss Pat,”Today we are having today’s vocabulary lesson by playing two interactive matching games.  You may recognize some of the names for some of the objects. Do the best you can and then choose the button that says correct and see how you did.”

The class grew quiet as they played the games and checked their answers. Miss Pat waited until everyone was finished the games and asked, “How did everyone do?”  Hector raised his hand and said, “I have to play this game a lot.  I didn’t do so well.”Some of the other “Can Dos” shook their heads in agreement.

Of course Orrie did well, not perfect, but well, but then again he always does.

Miss Pat asked the class to come back to their seats and take out a piece of paper. “Class, write a sentence about each of the fruits you matched in the game. Remember to start each sentence with a capital letter and end each sentence with a period. Let’s see what you remember from the matching game you just played and how well you spelled the names of the fruits.”

Boys and girls reading this post, why don’t you see how you can do? Go to the “Can Do” Club House, choose games, look for the games called fruits/vegetables and start playing. When you are finished playing both games and check how many right answers you got, why don’t you use each of the objects you matched correctly in a sentence?

 

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What are You Going to Do This Summer?

Sunday, May 29th, 2011

goingThe classroom was warm. It was almost time to be going home and the “Can Do” Kids were restless and hot. Teacher Pat called the class to order, saying, “It’s almost summer. Let’s go around the room and share what we are all going to do over the summer. Willie, you start.”

Willie said, “I’m going to day camp at the community center.” Hector shared, “I’m going too.” Maria, Nellie, Eulyn, Orrie and Mickey all yelled out that they were going to the day camp too.

Jay shared that he was going to visit his grandparents on the Indian reservation in Dakota. Yundi and Wendy said they were going to China to spend the summer with their grandparents.

Annie could hardly stay in her seat she was so excited to share where she was going. “Okay, Annie, it is your turn,”  said Miss Pat.

Annie said, “I am so excited. my grandma, Grandma Maureen, won four tickets for a cruise to Canada. She is going to take Kathy and Arthur J and me with her as a reward for us getting such good grades this year.”!

Miss Pat smiled and said, “What a nice reward for doing well in school. It sounds like you all have some very nice things to do this summer.”

Orrie raised his hand and asked, “What will you be doing Miss Pat”? Miss Pat answered, “I will be take some classes, going to the beach and visiting friends.”

With that, the dismissal bell rang and the children got up to go. Miss Pat reminded them that Coach Campbell and Nurse Diane would be coming in to talk with them about being safe over the summer and that she would have their required reading list ready for them in a few days.

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Dinosaur Show and Tell Day

Monday, February 21st, 2011

The “Can Do” Kids were  excited to see that Miss Pat  decorated the classroom with dinosaurs for Dinosaur Show and Tell Day. They each took their seats and waited for Miss Pat to call on them for show and tell.

Miss Pat called the class to order and said, “Class here are the rules for winning today’s show and tell prize, a book about dinosaurs. Each of you will take a turn. When all of you have presented your show and tell we will have a silent vote. You may not vote for yourself. In case of a tie, we will vote for the students that are tied.”

Wendy went first. She wrote a story about a dinosaur she called Puff. The class all clapped. Then Willie showed the picture he drew. He didn’t get as much applause as Wendy. When it was Kathy’s turn, she showed the class how to make a dinosaur out of toilet paper rolls and construction paper. Wow…she got lots of applause. Orrie talked about what dinosaurs ate.

Soon everyone had a turn but Hector. He went to the front of the room and put a small and a big box on Miss Pat’s desk. First he opened the small box and took out a dinosaur he made from green play dough. Everyone wanted to know how he had made it. That’s when he opened the big box and said, “I made it the same way I made these cookies…with a cookie cutter I  bought in the gift shop at the museum.” Then he gave out a dinosaur cookie to each of his classmates and Miss Pat. Everyone agreed it was the best dinosaur they had ever eaten!

Guess who won the book for show and tell. That’s right…it was Hector. He was very nice about it though. He told everyone  that after he read it, he would lend it to anyone who wanted to read it as long as they promised to take good care of it and give it back after a few days.

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