holiday finger puppets - scholastic · out each puppet. bend the puppet around your finger and tape...

© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 48

Holiday FingerPuppets

Use these cute fingerpuppets as awards forgood behavior or com-pleted work.

Simply color and cutout each puppet. Bendthe puppet around yourfinger and tape intoplace.

Students will be eagerto do creative writingassignments with thesefinger puppets as moti-vators.

Ask each child tochoose a puppet andwrite a story about it.Students can act outtheir stories in front ofthe class.

Monthly Idea Book: December


Holiday Mini Booklets FOLDFOLD

FOLD

FOLD



HHHHoooollll iiiiddddaaaayyyy WWWWoooorrrrdddd FFFFiiiinnnndddd

ACTIVITY 2

CAN YOU FIND ALL OF THE DECORATIONS FOR THE TREE?

CANDYCANES, ORNAMENTS, ANGEL, TINSEL, STAR, BOWS,BELLS, GARLAND, ICICLES, LIGHTS and PINECONES

ACTIVITY 1

UNSCRAMBLE SANTA’S REINDEER NAMES.

Z N E T I L B __ __ __ __ __ __ __

P D I U C __ __ __ __ __

X I N V E __ __ __ __ __

H S R E A D __ __ __ __ __ __

M O T E C __ __ __ __ __

C A N D R E __ __ __ __ __ __

D U L O H P R __ __ __ __ __ __ __

C R N E A R P __ __ __ __ __ __ __

D D N O R E __ __ __ __ __ __

If you need help.... Dasher, Dancer,Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid,Donder, Blitzen and Rudolph!


AAAAnnnnsssswwwweeeerrrr KKKKeeeeyyyy


L K I J H O P L L L M N B V C S T A R H N J K O PW C V G H J B O W S S D F G Y T R E D F V B N M KS D R T G F H R Y N J H U I K D E R T I G T Y H JG G T Y H J U N R E W Q R T Y U I K L C D R T Y UA D E R T H C A N D Y C A N E S K L J I D F T F GR F T Y J G H M N B Y N A L R U D R T C F G Y U ML F G T H Y N E J K R E W X Z A N G E L M J G Y RA D E R T Y H N D F B C F R T Y H J H E G H N M KN F T F T G H T I N S E L B H J U I L S D R T S XD F G T H Y U S K I L O J E F T G H U J N B V C XP I N E C O N E S T Y H N L G Y U I P R E W D S FB G H U Y T F G H J U I K L G V B N M K L P O I US E R T H J U I O K J M N S E D C V B N M K J U YS E R T G F V B H J K L I G H T S E W R T F G H JA S D C V B N M K J H G F D S A T R E W Y U I O PR F D E S W Q A Z X C V B N G Y T U I J K L O P U

ACTIVITY 2

ACTIVITY 1

UNSCRAMBLE SANTA’S REINDEER NAMES.

Z N E T I L B B L I T Z E N

P D I U C C U P I D

X I N V E V I X E N

H S R E A D D A S H E R

M O T E C C O M E T

C A N D R E D A N C E R

D U L O H P R R U D O L P H

C R N E A R P P R A N C E R

D D N O R E D O N D E R



PAPER WREATHChildren will love to take thisholly wreath home and hang iton the front door!

Cut the center from a paperplate. The outside rim will be thebase for the wreath.

Carefully cut holly leaves from green paper.Overlap the leaves as you glue them to the rim. Glue redberries in bunches of three to the wreath. Add a real ribbonbow for a final touch.

SLEIGH DECORATIONThis tiny sleigh can be used as a tree decoration or holiday favor.

Cut one section from a cardboard eggcarton and trim to shape. Paint it a holi-day color and add glitter if you like. Gluetwo pipe cleaners on the bottom forsleigh runners. Fill with candy and enjoy!

MMMMoooorrrreeee HHHHoooollll iiiiddddaaaayyyy CCCCrrrraaaaffffttttssss!!!!

Berry

Leaf


The custom of celebrating the New Year on January 1stbegan over 2,000 years ago in Rome, Italy. TheRomans had previously celebrated March 25th, thevernal equinox, as the beginning of the New Year.Government officials were elected in Decemberand assumed their new positions on the daybefore January 1st. Gradually, citizens began cele-brating this first day as the beginning of the NewYear. This change, however, created confusion inthe Roman calendar. The months of September, October,November and December, (which refer to the seventh, eighth, ninth and tenth monthsof the year) were now the ninth, tenth, eleventh and twelfth month. By changing theNew Year to January, these month's names had little meaning.

In 45 B.C., Roman emperor Julius Caesar selected the name "January" for the firstmonth of the year. This name was chosen to honor the Roman god Janus. It wasbelieved that this god had two faces each looking in opposite directions. In his righthand he held a key to unlock the door to the future and guard the door to the past. Inhis left hand he held a scepter as a symbol of authority. The Senate of Rome awardedJulius Caesar a month of his own for his successful transfer of the New Year and hisimprovement on the Roman Calendar. We now call this month "July."

Today, people of diffferent countries celebrate New Year’s Day in a variety of ways.

GERMANY - The people of Germany enjoy a custom called "lead pouring." On NewYear's Day, youngsters drop hot drops of melted lead into containers of cold water. Asthe lead cools and hardens, unusual shapes appear. The children have fun telling theirfortunes by the shapes of the lead. According to custom, if the lead shape resembles acoin, they might look forward to obtaining money.

ROSH HASHANA - The Jewish New Year provides a quiet time for meditation andprayer. This is a holy date to the Jewish people, considered the birthday of the world.Each person asks forgiveness from God and vows to live a better life. Rosh Hashanais celebrated on the first day of the Jewish calendar, in September or October.

SWEDEN - The Swedish people celebrate the New Year with parties and family gath-erings on the last night of the year. There is much food and merrymaking and friend-ship and good wishes are expressed to one and all.

AUSTRIA - Ever since 1936, the Austrian government has commemorated the NewYear with the minting of good luck tokens called "Gluecksmenze." New Year wishesare engraved on one side of the coin and good luck symbols on the other. Austriansalso enjoy eating New Year's candies in the shape of good-luck pigs.

NIGERIA - The people of northern Nigeria celebrate the New Year at the beginning offishing season, usually the first part of February. Thousands of people gather alongthe banks of the Sokoto River with fish nets in hand. At a given signal, everyonejumps in the water, startling the fish into the nets. The fisherman with the largest fishwins a prize.

NNNNeeeewwww YYYYeeeeaaaarrrr ''''ssss DDDDaaaayyyy ---- JJJJaaaannnnuuuuaaaarrrryyyy 1111sssstttt!!!!

© Teacher’s Friend, a Scholastic Company 64 Monthly Idea Book: January

SOUTHERN UNITED STATES - It is a Southern tradition to serve black-eyed peas onNew Year's Day for good luck! Prepare the peas the night before by soaking them in apot of water. In the morning, rinse the peas and place them in a Crock-Pot® coveredwith water. Add a chopped onion, salt pork and some salt and pepper. Set the pot tocook on high all day in the classroom. When the peas are tender, serve a portion toeach student.

SEMINOLE NEW YEAR - For four days during the month of July, the SeminoleIndians of Florida celebrate the harvest of new corn as the beginning of the New Year.On the first day, they play games, feast and dance. On the second day, the men of thetribe begin a fast. Everyone dances the Green Corn Dance on the third evening andgives prayers of thanks for the good harvest. Finally, on the last day, the men breaktheir fast and eat the new corn of the New Year.

UNITED STATES - In our country, the old year is symbolized by an old man, FatherTime, and the New Year is represented by a baby in diapers. In the southern states, itis customary to eat certain foods on New Year's Day in hopes of bringing prosperitythrough the coming year. Black-eyed peas symbolize pennies and greens representdollar bills. Making New Year's resolutions is a relatively new custom based on theidea of improving the New Year in the hope that it will be better than the last.

NNNNeeeewwww YYYYeeeeaaaarrrr ''''ssss DDDDaaaayyyy ---- JJJJaaaannnnuuuuaaaarrrryyyy 1111sssstttt!!!!

NNNNeeeewwww YYYYeeeeaaaarrrr ''''ssss DDDDaaaayyyy WWWWoooorrrrdddd FFFFiiiinnnndddd!!!!


ACTIVITY 4FIND THESE NEW YEAR WORDS IN THE PUZZLE BELOW: JANUARY, NEW YEAR,BELLS, CELEBRATE, MIDNIGHT, FATHER TIME, RESOLUTION, CONFETTI, BALLOONS,CUSTOM, FRIENDS.

G N M K L O P L K M J N H G A S W EA S W D V F R T F V G E S E D F T GF R I E N D S X D R T W U I C F T GQ E S D F R G T G H N Y F R C U S TA S E R C V B N H Y T E W S C V F RA O C V B C O N D V F A F R B D E RX L C O N F E T T I D R S E E C V BQ U X C V B G F D E B A E F L A S DA T D F G H X E R T Y H C E L E B RZ I X C V G T F R E D F G T S D V BA O F B N M J K F A T H E R T I M EW N S D B A L L O O N S C D R E T GM I D N I G H T V D E R T F G R D SA S D E W Q X C V J A N U A R Y N H

R T XH Y UB N BO M NG D JT Y YN M IE R UA T EN M UX C TH Y NW E RJ K L

Monthly Idea Book: January


G N M K L O P L K M J N H G A S W EA S W D V F R T F V G E S E D F T GF R I E N D S X D R T W U I C F T GQ E S D F R G T G H N Y F R C U S TA S E R C V B N H Y T E W S C V F RA O C V B C O N D V F A F R B D E RX L C O N F E T T I D R S E E C V BQ U X C V B G F D E B A E F L A S DA T D F G H X E R T Y H C E L E B RZ I X C V G T F R E D F G T S D V BA O F B N M J K F A T H E R T I M EW N S D B A L L O O N S C D R E T GM I D N I G H T V D E R T F G R D SA S D E W Q X C V J A N U A R Y N H

R T XH Y UB N BO M NG D JT Y YN M IE R UA T EN M UX C TH Y NW E RJ K L

ACTIVITY 4FIND THESE NEW YEAR WORDS IN THEPUZZLE BELOW: JANUARY, NEW YEAR,BELLS, CELEBRATE, MIDNIGHT, FATHERTIME, RESOLUTION, CONFETTI, BAL-LOONS, CUSTOM, FRIENDS.

AAAAnnnnsssswwwweeeerrrr KKKKeeeeyyyy!!!!



List your resolution for becoming a better...

Student

Son or Daughter

Sister of Brother

Friend

If you could make one New Year's resolution for our countryor the world, what would it be?

During New Year's celebrations, we oftenpledge to make the coming year better thanthe last. Many people make New Year's reso-lutions. Think of some resolutions you wantto make and write them in the spaces below.

MMMMyyyy NNNNeeeewwww YYYYeeeeaaaarrrr ''''ssss RRRReeeessssoooolllluuuutttt iiiioooonnnnssss!!!!

Name


34

DDDDEEEECCCCEEEEMMMMBBBBEEEERRRR AAAACCCCTTTTIIIIVVVVIIIITTTTIIIIEEEESSSS¡¡¡¡DECEMBERWinter begins when fall is doneAbout December twenty-one.Our family sings with happy voicesChristmas songs; the world rejoices.Christmas means a holly wreathAnd Christmas tree with gifts beneath.One week later is New Year’s Eve.Old Father Time is sure to leave.At the stroke of twelve, you will hearPeople shouting, "Happy New Year!"

‘TWAS THE NIGHTBEFORE CHRISTMAS…

Do you need a simple classroom skit for the holi-days? Try this easy, but fun idea!

Assign one set of the lines from the poem "A VisitFrom St. Nicholas" by Clement Moore, to each stu-dent in class. Ask the students to illustrate theirsection of the poem on a large sheet of constructionpaper. They should also memorize their section of thepoem.

On skit day, have each student take his or her turnreciting the lines of the poems and holding up thecorresponding pictures. Instruct the entire class torecite the last line together, "Happy Christmas to all,and to all a good night!"

Display the student-made illustrations on the classbulletin board for a clever holiday mural.

Candy Cane RudolphTwist two pipe cleaners around the top of a smallcellophane-wrapped candy cane for Rudolph’s antlers.Glue two small buttons for eyes and a red pompom forhis nose. Hang Rudolph on the tree as a holidayornament or give him to a friend as a special treat.

Winter Idea Book © Teacher's Friend, a Scholastic Company

52

Readingtables

Name ______________________________________________ Date _________________

December Weather

In December, Mrs. Monroe’s class drew the weather on a calendar.Each kind of weather has a picture:

Look at the calendar. Answer the questions below.

How many sunny days did they have? __________________________How many cloudy days did they have? __________________________How many rainy days did they have? __________________________How many snowy days did they have? __________________________Which kind of weather did they have the most? __________________

sunny cloudy rainy snowy

December

Scholastic Success With: Math, Grade 1 © Scholastic Teaching Resources

62

Answer Key

Page 52Sunny days: 12Cloudy days: 8Rainy days: 5Snowy days: 6

Scholastic Success With: Math, Grade 1 © Scholastic Teaching Resources

16

SSSSNNNNOOOOWWWWMMMMAAAANNNN SSSSEEEEQQQQUUUUEEEENNNNCCCCEEEE CCCCAAAARRRRDDDDSSSS¡¡¡¡

Winter Idea Book © Teacher's Friend, a Scholastic Company

Waiting Out Winter

Name

Building Context and Vocabulary

Think about how you would behave if it was very cold. Imagine the winds areblowing and snow is falling. What would you do to make sure your house was warm and cozy?

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

How would you dress if you had to go outside?

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

What kinds of food sound good to eat on a cold wintry day?

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

Now think about what a cold winter would be like if you had no house and noclothes. What would you eat if the only food you had was what you could find in the woods? Think about what winter must be like for the animals.

Here are some of the names of the animals you will be reading about. Practice reading them.

squirrels mice rabbits

rodents foxes deer

weasels birds chipmunks

bears skunks Monarch butterflies

There are two new words in the story that the writer will explain as you read. See if you can guess what they mean before you read about them.

migrate _______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

hibernation ___________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

Scholastic Success With Fluency Grade 3 © Scholastic Teaching Resources www.scholastic.com/printables 37

Reading the Story

In the winter when it grows very cold and snow covers theground, you have to make some changes in your life. You donot play outside as much when the cold winds are blowing.Instead, you stay in a warm house and play games, readbooks, and watch television. You cannot wear shorts andsandals in the wintertime. When you do go out, you wear aheavy coat, gloves, and boots. There are no more picnicswhen the weather turns cold. Soup and hot chocolate tastebest on wintry days.

Did you ever wonder what animals do during winter?Animals do not have warm houses or stores where they canbuy heavy clothes and hot food, but, like you, they mustmake changes in the winter.

Animals find special shelters in the winter to protect themfrom the cold. Squirrels, mice, and rabbits find holes in treesand logs or even burrow underground. Their fur grows thickerin the winter to help keep them warm. Some animals, like rabbits and weasels,grow special white fur, so they can hide in the snow. Even the animals’ food isdifferent in the winter. Rabbits and deer have to eat twigs, tree bark, and mossbecause there are no green plants. Red foxes eat insects and fruit during thewarm months but in the cold winter must hunt small rodents for food.

Did you ever wish you could just leave during the winter and take a longvacation in someplace warm? Well, some animals do just that. They migrate. That means they travel to someplace warm where they can find food. Many birds migrate in the fall. Monarch butterflies also migrate and spend the winter insunny Mexico.

Sometimes on a very cold morning when the wind is howling, you may want to snuggle under the covers and just stay in bed. Some animals spend part or all of the winter in a special, deep sleep called hibernation. Bears, skunks, and chipmunks eat a lot of extra food in the fall and store up fat in their bodies. Then in the winter, they curl up and hibernate until the weather turns warm.

Name Waiting Out Winter


Noticing Patterns: Comparing and Contrasting—Writers usually follow a plan when they write. Onepattern is comparing and contrasting. To compare is to identify similarities and to contrast is to identifydifferences. Understanding the pattern makes a story easier to read and understand.

One pattern that is used in “Waiting OutWinter” is comparing and contrasting.The writer talks about what people do inthe winter and then compares that towhat animals do. Complete thefollowing chart using the comparisonsthe writer makes.

Name Waiting Out Winter

People stay in warm houses.

People snuggle under the coversand stay in bed a little longer oncold mornings.

People go on vacation to placesthat are warm.

Rabbits and deer eat twigs, bark,and moss. Foxes eat rodents.

Animals grow thicker fur.

People Animals


Possible answers include: migrate—tomove from place to place;hibernation—the process of sleepingduring the winter

Page 39People: People stay in warm houses.People wear heavy coats, gloves, andhats. People eat soup and drink hotchocolate. People go on vacation toplaces that are warm. People snuggleunder the covers and stay in bed alittle longer on cold mornings.Animals: Squirrels, mice, and rabbitsfind holes in trees and logs and evenburrow underground. Animals growthicker fur. Rabbits and deer eat twigs,bark, and moss. Foxes eat rodents.Some animals migrate to warmerplaces. Some animals spend part ofthe winter in a deep sleep calledhibernation.

30

Subtracting 1- & 2-place numbers

Name ______________________________________________ Date _________________

14 – 7 =

13 – 6 =

12 – 6 =

11 – 6 =11 – 9 =

14 – 2 =

12 – 9 =

11 – 5 =

13 – 4 =

13 – 7 =

11 – 7 =

14 – 8 =

11 – 8 =

12 – 4 =

13 – 7 =

13 – 8 =

14 – 8 =

12 – 3 =

14 – 5 =

13 – 9 =12 – 5 =

13 – 5 =

12 – 8 =

14 – 6 =

Winter Is Coming

Do the subtraction problems. Help Mr. Squirrel find his way to the treewhere he is storing acorns for the winter. Make surehe doesn’t cross any odd answers.

12 – 8 =

Scholastic Success With: Math, Grade 2© Scholastic Teaching Resources

The children were silent while the bright light shown on their winter surprise.

Scholastic Success With Spelling • Grade 38

Name Short- and long-i sounds

A Winter SurpriseThe short-i sound is often spelled with the letter i.The long-i sound can be spelled with the letters i_e or igh.

Read and write each word. Then organize the list words by the spelling of their i sound.

Write four list words that end in silent e.

_______________ _______________ _______________ _______________

List Words

1. winter __________________

2. surprise __________________

3. bright __________________

4. middle __________________

5. polite __________________

6. frighten __________________

7. children __________________

8. tight __________________

9. while __________________

10. strike __________________

11. kitchen __________________

12. slight __________________

Challenge Words

13. sleigh __________________

14. igloo __________________

15. icicle __________________

short i

_________________

_________________

_________________

_________________

igh

_________________

_________________

_________________

_________________

i_e

_________________

_________________

_________________

_________________

© Scholastic Teaching Resources, www.scholastic.com/printables

7.

10.

13.

8.

11.

14.

9.

12.

15.

Scholastic Success With Spelling • Grade 3 9

Name Short- and long-i sounds

Find each list word in the dictionary. On another sheet of paper, write each word and the pagenumber where it was found.

1. kind, considerate, ______________________

2. ball, foul, ______________________________

3. scare, startle, __________________________

4. family room, bathroom, ________________

5. mother, father, ________________________

6. autumn, summer, ______________________

16. ____________________ 17. ____________________ 18. ____________________

Write the challenge word that matches each picture.

Write the list word that belongs with each group.

Look at the shape of the list words. Write the word that fits in each set of letter boxes.


short i: winter, middle,children, kitchen;i_e: surprise, polite, while,strike; igh: bright, frighten,tight, slight; surprise,middle, polite, while, strike

Page 91. polite; 2. strike;3. frighten; 4. kitchen;5. children; 6. winter;7. middle; 8. bright;9. slight; 10. surprise;11. tight; 12. while;13. kitchen; 14. strike;15. polite; 16. igloo;17. sleigh; 18. icicle

Scholastic Success With Spelling • Grade 3 47

Answer Key


holiday finger puppets - scholastic · out each puppet. bend the puppet around your finger and tape...

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