Here are the notes from the brainstorming sessions during which yinz came up with some really creative ideas! Steal away! I know we will!

Program Ideas from Morning Session
October 10, 2005

Group One
Colonial America
Week Long School-Wide Unit
Every child and adult in costume
Parents, PTA involved in last day wrap-up
Storytellers, historical fiction displayed
Fieldtrips to Meadowcroft
Candle-making
At each grade level, classroom activities

Group Two
Tall Tales
Johnny Appleseed
Apple prints
Cut apple pieces
Plant apple tree
Map of Johnny Appleseed’s journey
Field trip to farms
Make apple sauce
To measure outcomes: test, before and after

Group Three
Teen Reading
Middle school or high schoolers come back to read in elementary school
Activity will be from 6-8 after hours
Firefighter, police reader
Craft related to reading
Cake walk with book covers!
Have the library open for family reading
Have children come in sports clothing
Resources: book and craft materials, celebrity

Wildthings and Riverhounds good speakers for programs.

Group Four
Merry Meterologists
Cloudy with a chance of meatballs
Thundercake
Have a daily weather man
It looked like spilt milk, make their own clouds
Create your own weather map.
Fieldtrip sci center
Have however you spell it ologists come to visit.
Weather balloons
Blow bubbles, watch the wind directions

Group Five
Pittsburgh Unit
Take a survey to find out family’s experience with the city.
Who was raised in pgh, how has moved in.
Field trip to Heinz history center
Cross-curriculum approach
Ethnic studies
Invite grand parents
Set up neighborhoods, then and now
Food and folklore
Duquesne Tammies
Local celebs
Visit wqed
Walking tour of Pittsburgh

Group Six
Constitution Day
Kids sign the consitution
Rules for our country
Guests in period costume
Have kids wear red, white and blue
Relate to National Treasure
Tie in music

Group Seven
Growing and Changing
Insects and butterflies
Hungry Caterpillar
Grow butterflies in the classroom
Science journaling
Art projects
Ven diagrams
Reader’s theater
Real vs fiction info
Phipps visits
Visit butterfly garden!

Program Ideas Afternoon Session

Group One
Olympics
Across the Curriculum
Art, Food, Music, History

Group Two
Explorers
Come Explore with Me
Dress up, make own maps
Talk show interview
Show and tell artifacts
Languages, foods, obstacles in their time period
Treasure hunts
Transportation
Government

Group Three
Elementary Rain Forest Project
Geography, mapping
Create three levels of rain forest
Each grade level chooses an animal
Medicinal value of plants
Rain-stick math, measurement and/or music, what kind of sound does each stick make
Collection for the rain forest—Read for the Rain
Rainforest songs
Conservation books--- Climb a WaterfallThe Kapok TreeThe Lorax

Group Four
Pioneers
Transportation
Covered wagons
Quilt squares
Food, fried mush or corn cakes, apple pancakes, etc.
Field trips to meadowcroft, log house in USC
Keep a journal write about different things they have studied and read
Study clothing and occupations
Bring in community speakers
What was school like?
Pioneer days different centers, parent volunteers
Tall tale center, Johnny appleseed craft and story
Square, pioneer dancing
Tinsmith, punch a tin can, etc.
Librarian does storytelling
Pioneer games, cup in the ball, jumping jack doll
Need art supplies, books, community resources, cds, buses, etc.

Group Five
Frogs and Toads
Stories by Arnold Lobel
Fieldtrip to catch tadpoles
Compare frogs and toads
Paper plate frogs, cookies, invite parents to read frog stories

Group Six
Olympics
History overview
Role playing famous Olympians, read bios, play the games and events in stations, talk about geographic locations of the games, measurement and stats. Broadcasting for non-athletic kids, opening and closing, training, cultural backgrounds of countries, flags.

Group Seven
Butterflies
Cup and a caterpillar, watch it grow
Book centers with different kinds of butterflies
Pictorial journal as the caterpillar grows.
Butterfly sandwiches, parent events
Variety of crafts (coffee filter)
Caterpillar sock---inside a butterfly comes out….
Songs about butterflies, trip to butterfly room
Materials: resources and reference, journal books, craft materials, set up field trip, different books of all levels.
Make wings for the kids to wear and antenea.