Slime Recipe Mary Gieness, Middle Level Teacher

Here is my quick recipe for creating slime. Make sure to read the warning labels and try not to get any in your hair or fabric.

Materials:
- 2 cups of white glue (water soluble)
- 2 cups of water
- Food coloring
- 1 teaspoon of Borax

Mix 1 and 1/2 cups of water with glue and food coloring. In a separate container, dissolve the Borax in 1/2 cup of water. Add the two mixtures. Knead the mixture.

If you want it to be more slimy, add more water.

Play Dough Recipe Sheri Leminski, Practical Teacher

Here is a great recipe for play dough. It is really easy to make

Materials:
- 4 cups of flour
- 4 cups of water
- 1 cup of salt
- 1/2 cup of cream of tartar
- 4 tablespoons of cooking oil

Mix all materials in a saucepan. Cook and stir on low heat until play dough is no longer sticky. Allow it to cool. You can store it in zip lock bags or any air tight container.

"Making Flags" Terry Silvestri: Kent, Nevada

Materials: Construction paper, writing paper, popsicle stick or flag stick, crayons, markers, glue, pencils.

Ask students to create mini flags for all themes being studied. Then have the students attach their flags to the book. I like to have them make individual flags for each character in the book we are reading at the time. On the back of the flag, I ask them to write an acrostic poem about character. They love it!

Snowflake of Thoughts Hermanne Rivers, Resse Public School

"About two weeks before our winter break, I introduce the Snowflake of Thoughts project. I photocopy a six-sided snow flake. Students cut out ten of these for themselves.

Each day I have them write words or phrases that identify how they feel about something. The text is added on to each arm of the snowflake. In the center of each snowflake they identify the topic that is reflected on each arm of the snowflake.

Before we leave for break, we hang the snow flakes around the room."

Marshmallow the Snowmen Sonja Rivers, Elementary Teacher

"This is a neat project for the younger students. I provided students with a variety of marshmallows. I then have them build snow with chocolate chips for eyes and candy corn for a nose. I let the kids eat their snowman. I then collect all of the left over materials and we make a mega-sized snowman. Each day I then use the snowman as a topic for our writing for the day. Students find it very enjoyable. At the end we create a play about the snowman’s life for parents to come in and see."

Decorate the Cultural Turkey Molly Simms, 3rd Grade Teacher

"Around Thanksgiving time I always photocopy the outline of a turkey. I send the turkey home with students. I then challenge students to talk to their parents about their cultural background and dress the turkey in a traditional outfit representing their cultural background.

A great way to stir some inspiration is to share turkeys that I have created to represent my cultural background. The project makes for great fun for all!"

"Postcard Learning" Steve Namisien: Busen, North Dakota

For years, I have been using postcards as a learning tool. In the past I just used them in certain units, but now I use them to introduce just about every social studies unit I do. I found a few Internet postcard exchanges with other classrooms throughout the world as well. This summer I sent about forty different postcards to myself and I even use electronic postcards too.

I have a postcard display in my room and once we receive a postcard, students do research to learn about person who wrote it and their homeland. I always write culture specific words and phrases in the messages that are sent. Students have a great deal of fun uncovering what is being communicated.

I find using postcards to be a vital part to my classroom. I would encourage other teachers to give it a try.

"Research Scavenger Hunt" Nancy Harrington, Grade 7 Teacher/Dag Hammarskjold M.S.

"This is great for the end of the school year (especially if your media center is air-conditioned and your classroom isn't). Using the research worksheets provided on this site, I had the students work in teams of three to find the necessary information. They could use the Internet, reference books, and other sources, as well. They loved doing it, and it was a great way to keep cool while letting them out of the classroom."

Expeppermint Lab! McKael Ziegler, Southern Oregon Student Teacher: Science

"Objective: The learner's will observe the effects of temperature and torsion on the visible configuration of certain groups of molecules by using the metric system to prepare four homemade candy canes.

1. 156 grams Sugar, 9 grams creme of tartar, 43 grams corn starch, 59 mL water, and 15 mL vanilla into a pot. Mix well and then heat to 128 degree Celsius. DO NOT MIX WHEN HEATING!
2. Once at temperature, add 5 mL peppermint and mix gently with Silicone spatula.
3. Pour half out on buttered wax paper (newspaper under that).
4. Add 3 drops red food coloring to the other half and mix gently.
5. Pour other half out and let cool for a minute.
6. IMMEDIATELY fill pan with water and place candy in them. Use the spatula in water to help boil off candy (easy clean up if done correctly).
7. Get hands lathered with butter and begin folding candy. When cooled enough, form into four strands of white (honey color due to vanilla) and four stands of red (roughly 3 inches long). Curl the cane if you'd like and let cool completely!
8. Enjoy a handmade treat!

A great lab for the holidays while adding metric measurements and a taste of chemistry! "