Giving Thanks
Who doesn’t like being told they are appreciated? Each year teachers look for ideas for Mother’s and Father’s Day, but there are others that students can give thanks to. Each year in the spring, my students wrote thank you notes to school support staff. This included bus drivers, cafeteria workers, special area teachers, aides, custodians, and more! The response from them was overwhelming! Imagine, some of them had never been recognized for what they do before. These two simple STEM challenges can be used for all of these things. So, while I am referring to them as Mother’s and Father’s Day activities, think of all the other people they can be given to!
Giving Thanks to Moms
This activity incorporates STEAM, reading, and writing. First, let students know that they will be creating a flower for their mom. Then, ask them to read about different types of flowers. Think books, computers, or task cards (yup, I have those). After learning about various types of flowers students are challenged to create a flower
- that can hold a sheet of paper in its stem
- “flower” must be at least 5″ in diameter
- others must be able to recognize the type of flower
- a sheet of paper must stay in stem without falling out
- uses only the materials listed by the teacher
Once the flower is made, ask students to write a poem or a letter to their mom. Diamantes are perfect for this. The graphic below tells how to write one and gives an example. Of course, it is easy to incorporate discussion about verbs and adjectives if you write a poem, and it is short enough that even reluctant writers don’t mind writing one!
When the writing is done, roll it or fold it and put it in the flower!
Giving Thanks to Dads
This STEM challenge giving thanks to dads will get students to make a card. Like all STEM challenges, there should be constraints. The card should
- be 7′ tall and 5″ wide
- have a picture of one of their dad’s favorite things pop-out when the card opens
- have a pocket in it to hold a note
- the note must be at least 3 sentences long
- uses only the materials listed by the teacher
Spread the Love
Don’t forget, that while these are great activities for Mother’s and Father’s Days, there are plenty of other people that can be appreciated! So, get ready to spread the love! These resources from our TpT shop can simplify this even more!
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If you are interested in some other STEM challenges, check out these posts.
And remember, it’s all science!
