Welcome Fall (Finally!) and a Turkey Freebie

I love November!  Here in Northern CA it's when it finally starts to cool off.  Don't get me wrong, I enjoy Summer weather as much as anyone, but there is something so cozy about working in the classroom when it's chilly and cloudy outside.  (Notice I said "cloudy" and not "rainy"!-- that's a whole different ball of wax, right?)

We have kicked off November with some Fall crafts and stories about Thanksgiving.  I've done this cute wreath from  Lakeshore for a few years now.  I pre-cut the paper plates and have the kids color it before they get started cutting out the leaves.  We did this yesterday-- I forgot to take a pic of all the finished products, but you get the idea!  When they finish, punch a hole in the top and tie a piece of yarn for hanging.  You could also do this with colored paper plates.

You can get the leaf template free at Lakeshore right here.

All this zig-zag cutting is great for strengthening those little 

hand muscles for developing those crucial fine motor skills!

Prior to doing this project ,we read  Fall Changes.

 

This is an excellent little non-fiction book about the changes Fall brings. 

 The photos are beautiful and engaging.

When they were finished, they worked on their 

10 Silly Turkeys Book.

 

This one is FREE for you this week!

We are making take-home books like mad so we can fill up their November literacy bags to take home over the Thanksgiving break.  We get the whole week off this year and I want them to have lots of books to read while they're away!

Please follow me and leave a comment if you decide to gobble it up!

Enjoy!