Create a Multiple Intelligences Center

My storage room is filled with teaching supplies from my good old teaching days.  This comes in handy when working with my own children.  One of the gems that I pulled out recently was a Multiple Intelligences center that I used with my former students. 

Each pocket is labeled with the different intelligences and gives a short description of what each intelligence means. Inside each pocket are activities that focus on that particular intelligence. The theme for this center is friendship.

My original center included mathematical and linguistic intelligences as well.  I just decided to focus on these for now.



Here are a some of examples of the activities...

Spatial Intelligence: Create a map that shows how to get to your friends home.

Interpersonal Intelligence: List 8 qualities of great friend.  Create a flower and label each petal with a quality.

Intrapersonal Intelligence: Have you ever hurt a friends feelings?  Describe how you felt.  Create a story or cartoon to share.

Bodily/Kinesthetic: You haven't seen a friend for a long time.  Act out what you will say. Create a cheer to great your friend.

Naturalistic Intelligence: How are things in nature like friendship? Come up with one or more ways. 1. friend/butterfly  2. friendship/bumpy road 3. friendship/ flower

(I'm not 100% sure where I got this activity- possibly Challenge Magazine.)

If you'd like to create your own MI center and need ideas for activities, I found a great chart. Teacher Vision also has a helpful chart with activities that tap into each intelligence.  I think the first step would be coming up with a theme and then planning from there.  Also, please feel free to drop me an email if you have any questions.  I worked as a Gifted Support/Enrichment teacher and enjoy coming up with ideas!

Have an awesome day!
Jen

Leap Day Scavenger Hunt

Leaping Lizards! (or Frogs, I should say)  Leap Day is just around the corner.  Why do we have a leap year?  Send your kids on a scavenger hunt to answer this question and to learn more about this year's leap day!

Leap Year Scavenger Hunt
Using the websites below, have your child research the following questions...

Highlight Kids
KidsGeo
Enchanted Learning

1.  When do we celebrate leap year?

2.  Why is an extra day added to our calendar?

3.  Who were the first to add a leap day to the calendar?

4.  Some say a tradition started in the 5th century relating    to women?

5.  We add an extra day to the calendar this year, so how many days will be in our year?

6.  What is a person born on leap day sometimes called?

7.  How many people are born on leap day?

8. When was the last leap year?

9. How is Julius Caesar related to Leap Year?

10. Would you have liked to be born on a leap day- why or why not?

Answer Key
1. Every 4 years.
2  We match the calendar with the solar year, because it takes the Earth 365 days, 5 hrs, 48 minutes, and 46 seconds to complete it's orbit.  These extra minutes add up!
3. Some say the Egyptians were the first to add an extra day.
4. A woman is allowed to propose to men only once every 4 years on leap day.
5. 366
6. a leapling
7. 1 in 1,461
8. 2008
9. He worked on reforming the Roman Calendar.
10.  No right or wrong answer. 

Other Leap Day fun... 

1. How about rope "leaping"  with a fun poem?

THE JUMP ROPE RHYME

Leap Year, Leap Year
When will you be?
Every four years
Then you'll see.


You want more?
We do too!
How many more
can you Leap to?

by Raenell Dawn

2. Leap Frog is always fun for all ages! With little ones who may not be able to hop over each other, make Lily pads and have your little one jump from pad to pad. 

3.  Learn about other animals that leap with these fun activities.  Many more links on this website as well with ideas for Leap Day. Teach With Me

My children don't know a lot about Leap Year, so I'm excited to do some of these activities with them this Wednesday.  Do you have any leap year activities planned?  If so, please comment- I love hearing and learning from you!

Jen

clip art sources: Animal Clipart.net and About. com

Zoo, Zoo, Zoo!

How about you, you, you??? 



I spy a giraffe!  Can you find it?

 

 We've been working on our summer bucket list before our summer sadly comes to a close.  One of the items on our list this year was the ZOO.  We love, love, love going to the zoo!   Fun and learning for all ages.

I could watch the seals all day!  Pictured is a mom trying to get
her baby in the water, but the baby is disobeying.

"I'm just a little bit bigger than a newborn."

"Look how tall I am, Mom."

Little man enjoying the aquarium

Water fun before we leave- look at the rainbow- isn't it awesome?

More Zoo fun..................  

Great for toddlers and babies!
Beginning counting and word recognition: animals.
Little man loves the choo choo at the bottom of each page.






Recently, I purchased a subsciption of National Geographic Kids for the girls.  Fun and informative, the kids read it often and share tid bits with Mom and Dad.








Sunshine, age 9, just finished reading Mr. Popper's Penguins by Richard Atwater for a summer reading project.  She said that her favorite part was when Mr. Popper brought home the first penguin and the mother didn't even react. 

 "Mom, there is no way you would let a penguin in our house and act like it was nothing."




Fun Zoo song- music, dance, and pretend play!

Zoo crafts and activities
*Free zoo crafts/printable from Kids Soup
*Safari crafts and more from Busy Bee Kids for both big and little kids

More zoo activities for big kids
*Research favorite zoo animal and create a documentary- dress up and film show
*Create clay animals with model magic
*Create animal puppets and write a short play, act out for others, include animal facts
*Take photos at zoo and create a scrapbook or Power Point presentation
*Create a cartoon- feature zoo animals


I'd love to have you on Facebook with me.  Stop on by and comment, share your ideas, activities, and links relating to the Zoo, Zoo, Zoo!  If your not a fan of facebook, be sure to comment below.  Looking forward to hearing your ideas.

Jen

Disclosure: The above books, etc. weren't given to me, nor was I compensated for posting them.  Just my opinion which may differ from others. I am an Amazon Affiliate.

The Compass Inn Museum: Our History Adventure

One last mini-vacation for the family! This past week the family traveled for a few days for some summer fun. Our first stop- The Compass Inn Museum.

We went back in time to the 1800's by touring the restored Inn that was furnished with artifacts from that time period. The common room, serving kitchen, ladies parlor, and bedrooms were toured.  We learned a lot about how people lived in the past and how different it was to travel and stay at a hotel in the 1820 compared to today! 

                                         

Besides touring the original Inn, we also had the opportunity to tour three reconstructed outbuildings: a cookhouse, blacksmith shop, and a barn.

Conestoga Wagon



Old sleds and Artifacts



Our tour guide... sharing information about the stagecoach with us.



Hmmm.... I wonder what is in here?? 

Bunny ears... really? And Peanut- where's your smile?

All this walking and learning- I'm pooped Mom and Dad!





A really neat place....so glad that we went!  Even teacher Mom learned a lot.  Sunshine (age 9) seemed to be really interested and asked a lot of questions. She has been "into" history lately. Peanut (age 7) really enjoyed the Museum, but commented about 1/2 way through that "my brain is full."  All in all- a beautiful day for learning and spending time together.  (scolded a bit for sneaking in learning during our vacation.  he, he)

Take Care,
Jen



Fun Flea Market Finds

Flea markets are so much fun. I love looking at antiques and other people's treasures and who doesn't love finding a good deal. Today, I only spent $3 and I came home with a great wicker laundry basket, a copy of The Cabin Faced West, two books about our state, and a really cool book that I wanted to be sure to share with you. It's titled Spot the Differences: Art Masterpiece Mysteries.


What's so cool about this book is not only does it show 25 famous paintings, but it is also a fun puzzle book. On one page you will find the original painting, but on the next page there are 6 to 14 changes in the painting to discover. The book also includes facts about each painting and the artist. Oh, it was so worth 50 cents!!

What fun finds have you found recently?  I'd love to hear about them!

Take Care,
Jen