[teach8381]

I did a monthly family project for October and for November. I really like how the projects came out. Does anyone know of any websites for monthly family projects (for first grade) for the rest of the year or can anyone share any monthly family projects they do each month. Thanks for your help!!

[multigrade]

Would you share what kinds of projects you have done? I haven't tried this, but it sounds fun.

[acorn]

I'd love to know what kinds of projects people do. I have begun the Naked Turkey project. the deadline is next week and 5 turkeys have already come in. I love the aspect of this project being creative and more on the artsy side as I feel creativity is lacking our curriculum. We don't even have art teachers here in our schools at the elem level.

I have also want to do the gingerbread project with my kids. I am awaiting the arrival of the email with my mailing list. I will have the students help decorate the gingerbread men/women.

IN February my school has a science fair and I told the parents I will have a parent/student project going home.

I don't want to overwhelm the parents with projects but give them opportunities to work/spend time with their children.

[teach8381]

In October, I had my kids design a jack o latern and write about it. This month I did the naked turkey. My kids brought them in on Friday and they came out so cute!

[HollyEllis]

hubbardscupboard.org...family involvement...projects

[mhugs]

Mid-january I send home a journal book for the parents to decorate for their child. They send the journal back to school in a sealed envelope (secret project) prior to Feb. 14th. The journals are 2 pieces of white oaktag with about 10 pages of narrow lined paper alternating with 10 pages of primary paper all bound together on the binding machine.
The parents write a love letter to the student on the first page. I place the journals on the student's desk on Valentines Day. They are sooo surprised!!! The students write back to parents during the day and take it home that night. The parents write a back and we do this for two weeks. The children love writing to the people who love them.
The parents do a terrific job doing the covers to suit the child's interest. They have used stamping, stickers, photographs, paints etc.

[HollyEllis]

MHugs...do you have a letter you could upload that you send home to parents explaining the directions? I'dd love to do this!

[KLSSwimmer]

Check out Martha Shehan's website (http://sc.jeffco.k12.co.us/education...53ddfb635f3e45) She has a lot of great ideas!

[misspeachy]

I'd love to see the letter of how you explain it to the parents! Great idea.

[rubyanne]

Before I was a teacher I was a para. The teacher read a few books on Ellis Island and talked about how we all have a heritage. She asked parents and students to write about what their child's last name means and what nationality it is. My daughter's teacher had me write about my daughters name and why I gave her that name. I have also had students decorate a paper Christmas stalking (where I teach now all my students celebrate Christmas). Last year I had each child bring in a timeline of themselves from birth to first grade. I did this in May as a way to remember all they have accomplished to be ready for second grade. I attached the project.

[Lilacs]

I have done several family projects in the past:

Ted E. Bear (a teddy and journal with clothes, diapers, bibs, etc in a diaper bag, The kids write about what they did with Ted E. Bear)

Weather Wizard (includes wizard hat, wand and cape for fun and then weather books, puzzles, poems, crafts, word searches, experiments, etc.)

Shape Suitcase (a plastic toy suitcase filled with math games, stories, dvds, etc. about shapes)

Snow Creatures (decorate a snowman to look like a bunny, cat, Santa, girl, etc)

Literature Hat (create a hat to display your favorite story, I did this during Dr Seuss celebration since the hat is familiar)

Family scarecrows (scarecrow pictures that we add photo heads to using digital camera)

Valentines (create a valentine's day card box)

St Patrick's Day (create a leprechaun trap)

Dinosaur unit (create a recyclosaurus using skills from our unit)

Family Ornament (create an ornament that represents your family)

[sica1130]

Lilacs-

I loved your post! Could you tell me more about the family ornaments that you asked them to do at home?

[Lilacs]

I gave each child a generic ornament pattern. I actually have three that they can choose from. The are allowed to add anything that reminds of them of their family. Some kids had pictures, favorite candy, favorite colors. Obviously some were more creative like having a snowflake for every family member because they always go on a ski trip together for Christmas. We had a class tree bulletin in the hallway that we put them on. They shared with the class about how the ornament reminds them of their family.