Glyphs

Great G L Y P H S Neighborhood & Community 12 Skill-Building Activities That Motivate Kids to Collect, Display, and Use Data—and Connect to the NCTM Standards by Patricia Daly

NEW YORK • MEXICO CITY

TORONTO • •

NEW DELHI

LONDON • •

AUCKLAND •

HONG KONG

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SYDNEY

BUENOS AIRES

Great Glyphs: Neighbirhood & Community © Patricia Daly, Scholastic Teaching Resources

To my sister Kate—For your never-ending love and support

Scholastic Inc. grants teachers permission to photocopy the reproducible pages from this book for classroom use. No other part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission of the publisher. For information regarding permission, write to Scholastic Inc., 557 Broadway, New York, NY 10012. Edited by Immacula A. Rhodes Cover design by Maria Lilja and Norma Ortiz Interior design by Holly Grundon Cover and interior illustrations by Maxie Chambliss ISBN: 0-439-42420-8 Copyright © 2006 by Patricia Daly Published by Scholastic Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

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Contents Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Connections to the NCTM Standards . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

Glyphs G OODS & S ERVICES

Grocery Store

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At the Bank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Loan-a-Book Library . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19 T R ANSPORTATION

Train Ride . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24 At the Airport . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28 E NTERTAINMENT

Going to the Zoo! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33 Playtime at the Playground . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38 C OMMUNITY H ELPERS

You’ve Got Mail! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42 Friendly Firefighter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46 Construction Site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50 T YP ES

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C OMMUNITIES

City Scene . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55 On the Farm

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Introduction n its Principles and Standards for School Mathematics (released April, 2000), the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) identified Data Analysis, Statistics, and Probability as one of five key content-area standards. This standard addresses the importance of having students:

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pose questions

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collect, organize, and represent data to answer questions

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interpret data using methods of exploratory data analysis

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develop and evaluate inferences, predictions, and arguments based on data

This and other standards are included in the grid on page 9 to show how they correlate to each glyph activity. For grades 1 to 3, the NCTM objectives and standards can best be met by involving students in meaningful, motivating activities that give them opportunities to collect and represent data in a variety of ways. Creating glyphs , or pictorial representations of data, provides an excellent way to do this. Great Glyphs: Neighborhood & Community provides ideas for making glyphs that link with students’ preferences and experiences, as well as topics related to neighborhoods and communities. This gives students a familiar context for representing data—for example in Loan-a-Book Library, students represent information about their reading preferences and experiences visiting libraries. You can connect these activities to various mathematics skills and concepts, as well as to other school disciplines. For example, At the Airport provides an opportunity to reinforce patterning, while Grocery Store ties into nutrition studies. All the glyphs feature elements that emphasize individual preferences and information.

What Is a Glyph? ust as a graph or Venn diagram conveys information about data that has been collected, a glyph displays information in the form of a picture. The word glyph comes from hieroglyphics (picture writing). The details of a glyph describe information about the person who created it. Each specific detail of a glyph provides the person viewing it with information. A legend allows students to see each feature of the glyph and what it represents. For example, in Grocery Store, the shape of the roof represents whether the student likes going to the grocery store. If the student likes going to the grocery store, the roof is a trapezoid. If the student does not like going to the grocery store, the roof is a rectangle. Other elements, such as the color of the building, the color of the roof, and the color of the door, represent other information about students.

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4 Great Glyphs: Neighbirhood & Community © Patricia Daly, Scholastic Teaching Resources

Once students have completed their glyphs, encourage them to make observations about their own glyphs and those of their classmates. Invite them to discuss how their glyph is similar to or different from others. Have them note the attributes of a classmate’s glyph and write about what they know about that person based on the glyph. See pages 8–9 for other ways to extend learning.

Introducing Glyphs to Students hese activities are designed for flexible use in the classroom. You might use the activities in any order, or create a glyph each month as part of your classroom routine. You might also use literature to introduce a glyph-making activity and generate interest in the particular topic. A list of related literature links is included for each glyph. Each glyph in this book comes with reproducible templates. In advance, photocopy the pattern pages and legend and collect any other materials necessary for making the glyph. Review the directions and extension activities, and determine which of these you might use. When you first introduce glyphs to students, begin by showing them a completed glyph. Then show them step-by-step how you used the legend to create the glyph. As you add each attribute to the glyph (such as the number of columns on the bank glyph), ask students what this feature represents. It is important for students to make the connection that each attribute of the glyph represents information, or data. One way to do this is by reproducing and distributing the legend page of each glyph activity. You can also copy the information onto a sheet of chart paper. Be sure to review the legend and the meaning of each feature with students before and after they create their own glyphs. For beginning readers, provide directions orally, one step at a time. You might show students how to use a blank sheet of paper to cover the legend steps. Sliding the paper down to reveal one step at a time will help students focus on reading small amounts of text.

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Using Glyphs With English Language Learners tudents who repeatedly hear words in context are more likely to use them and understand their meaning. The activities in this book help give English language learners exposure to vocabulary such as geometry words (shape names, directionality and position words), measurement terms (months of the year, seasons, time), and number concepts (ordinality, cardinality, even and odd). Reviewing the directions and legend with students to introduce each activity and following up with a discussion and interpretation of the glyphs gives students even greater exposure to the vocabulary. As students compare the attributes of each glyph, they use number words, shape names, measurement terms, and more. This repeated exposure greatly benefits ELL students.

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A Teacher-Student Dialogue he following is an example of a classroom dialogue introducing glyphs to students for the first time. For each new glyph, modify the discussion to focus on the questions asked in the glyph-making activities and the responses students represent in their glyph. As you ask students questions, focus on mathematical concepts of the glyph rather than the craft-making aspect.

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Teacher: (holding up the completed train glyph so that the whole class can see it ) Children, look at this picture and think of something that you can say about what you see.

Student: It has a red engine. Student: The other train car is green. Student: The wheels on your train are black. Student: There are four windows o n the second car. Student: The train engine has a number on it. Teacher: All the attributes you just talked about tell something special about me. This train is a glyph . A glyph tells information about the person who made it. Let’s find out what that information is. (Reveal the legend, one item at a time, pointing to each feature on the train glyph .) This sheet is called the legend. The color of the engine tells you whether I have ever taken a ride on a train. The legend shows that if I have taken a ride on a train, the train is red. If it is blue, then I have never taken a ride on a train. What does the color of my engine tell you about whether I have ever traveled on a train?

Student: It’s red. That tells us that you have taken a train ride! Teacher: Now let’s look at the second train car. What does it tell us about me? Look at the legend and use that information to tell what you know about me based on the color of the car.

Student: You like buses best! The legend shows that a green car means you like buses more than the other kinds of transportation.

Teacher: That’s right! Now look at the color of the wheels. This will tell us where I would like to go on a train. If the wheels are black, it means I would like to go to the mountains. If the wheels are brown, I would like to go to the beach. Gray wheels mean I would like to go to a city, and purple wheels mean I would like to go to another place. Where would I like to go on a train?

Student: You’d like to go to the mountains.


Teacher: How did you know that? Student: You colored the wheels o n your train black. That means you want to ride a train to the mountains.

Teacher: What about the windows on the second car? What does the number of windows tell us about when I like to travel? The legend shows that if there are three windows, I like to travel in the morning. Four windows mean I like to travel in the afternoon, and five windows mean I like to travel in the evening. How many windows are on the second car?

4 +4 + 3

+1 =1

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Student: One, two, three, four. I counted four windows. That means you like to travel in the afternoon.

Teacher: How do you know that I don’t like to travel in the morning or the evening?

Student: If you liked to travel in the morning, the car would have three windows. And if you liked to travel in the evening, it would have five windows.

Teacher: You’re right! Now look at the engine number. Why did I write t hat number on the engine?

Student: The legend tells you to add the last four digits of your phone number. That’s how you got the number that you wrote on the engine!

Teacher: Very good! Now, let’s review everything you know about me so far, based on the glyph I’ve made. (Discuss the legend and have students tell what they have learned.) Remember that when you are trying to get information from a glyph, the legend reminds you what each part of the glyph represents. Now each of you will make glyphs about yourselves. 7 Great Glyphs: Neighbirhood & Community © Patricia Daly, Scholastic Teaching Resources

Making Glyphs With Students fter you have shown students an example of a completed glyph and reviewed the legend with them, begin by asking them to complete the first question on the legend. Remind students what information this attribute on the glyph will reveal. Wait for students to color, cut, and paste to complete the first question. Then hold up several glyphs in progress, one at a time, and ask the class to explain what each glyph tells so far about the child who made it. If you do this each time a new attribute is added, students will begin to grasp the concept that the attributes represent data. This also gives students a chance to practice analyzing the data shown on the glyph. To make a glyph activity a rich and meaningful mathematics experience, rather than an arts and crafts project, encourage children to carefully consider each item on the legend before they select and add that attribute to their glyph. Remind students that each feature on their glyph should represent something about themselves—based on the legend.

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Once the Glyph Is Complete— Extending Learning aking time to analyze the glyphs gives students a rich opportunity to build key math skills. For each glyph, you will find suggestions for critical-thinking activities and other extension activities that connect glyph-making to math concepts and to other areas of the curriculum. You will also find suggestions for books that explore the same themes as the glyphs. Use these to introduce or wrap up a glyph-making activity. When students have completed their first glyph activity, ask them to work with a partner. Have each pair exchange their glyphs and tell a larger group or the whole class what they know about their partner based on the glyph. Older students can write these descriptions and then give them to their partner to read. As they talk and write, students are interpreting and analyzing data. Another follow-up activity is to brainstorm ways to sort the completed glyphs. Divide the class into small groups and have each group determine how they will sort their glyphs. For example, they might sort the At the Airport! glyphs by the number of clouds or by the shape of the hangar. As each group reports to the class, ask them to show the sorting method, and then discuss the data that is revealed by each way of sorting. Since each glyph has many different attributes, each can be sorted in a variety of ways. Keeping the glyphs sorted, display them on a bulletin board with the question “How did we sort our glyphs?” Invite students from other classrooms to interpret the data.

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With any glyph activity, students can write a story or poem, draw or write about their glyph and their findings in their math journals, or extend the glyph with other symbols to represent additional information. Feel free to modify elements of the glyphs as needed to make them more appropriate for the students you work with. We have found these activities highly motivating to students—and students’ use of mathematics vocabulary improves as they create glyphs and interpret the data revealed in them. Enjoy!

Connections to the NCTM Standards he activities in this book correspond to the standards recommended by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM).

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Content Standards

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Glyph Activity Grocery Store

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At the Bank

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Loan-a-Book Library

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At the Airport

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Going to the Zoo!

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Playtime at the Playground

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Friendly Firefighter

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Construction Site

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City Scene

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On the Farm

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s n o i t c e n n o C

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Train Ride

You’ve Got Mail!

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t n e m e r u s a e M

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Goods & Services

Grocery Store Trapezoid roof: Likes going to the grocery store

Purple roof: Exactly five letters in first name

Orange building: Favorite food group is grains

Math Skills 

geometry: shapes

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counting

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greater than, less than, equal to

Tan door: Exactly five letters in last name

Creating the Glyph istribute copies of the grocery store glyph patterns and legend to students. Review the legend, one characteristic at a time, as you display a completed glyph. Then distribute the other materials, and invite students to use the legend to create their own personal grocery store glyph. If desired, have students glue all the elements of the glyph onto construction paper for a sturdy backing.

D Materials 

reproducible glyph patterns and legend (pages 12–13)

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completed grocery store glyph

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9- by 12-inch construction paper

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scissors

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glue or paste

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crayons

Critical Thinking sk students to search the grocery store glyphs to find and group together all those that have two features in common. For example, students might group all the glyphs that have red buildings and a trapezoid roof. Have them discuss the common features and what they mean (the trapezoid roof means the student likes going to the grocery store and the red building shows that the student likes fruit). When finished, ask students to find all the glyphs within that group that have a third feature in common, such as a yellow door. After discussing those glyphs, have students find glyphs that have more than three features in common. (Note: If you would like to have students guess which student created each glyph, cover the names with sticky notes.)

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Explore More Math, Social Studies Recruit students to help set up a grocery store in the classroom. Have them organize empty food boxes, food containers, and play food on the store shelves, grouping them by types of food. Then have students label the merchandise with price tags. Add a cash register, play money, and shopping baskets or bags to the store. Finally, invite small groups of students to take the role of grocery store employees and shoppers. Encourage the store employees to offer assistance to the shoppers. Have the shoppers make their selections, take them to the register, and then pay for their groceries.

Math, Critical Thinking Provide students with expired food coupon booklets, newspaper food coupon inserts, and grocery or drug store sales flyers containing food coupons. Explain what coupons are and how they are used. Then have students cut out and sort food coupons by the item, brand, or food pyramid grouping that they belong to (for more information on food groups, visit www.mypyramid.gov). You might also make up math problems for students to solve using the discounts shown on the coupons. For example, you might ask how much a $2.00 box of cereal would cost if they used a coupon for 55¢ off to purchase it.

Science Visit www.mypyramid.gov for information about the food pyramid. Divide the class into small groups and assign each group a part of the food pyramid (be sure to include physical activity as one of the groups). Have each group research their part of the pyramid and present information on it to the class, including why their part of the pyramid is important. Invite each group to create a large informative poster with their findings; then display the posters on a hallway bulletin board.

Literature Links Grandpa’s Corner Store by DyAnne DiSalvo (HarperCollins, 2000). As newer—and larger—stores move into the neighborhood, Lucy worries that Grandpa will have to sell his corner store. Luckily, Grandpa has a very busy store with many faithful customers. This is a great story for learning about friendship and the importance of the community. the community.

Supermarket by Kathleen Krull (Holiday House, 2001). Readers learn about the crops that Pilgrims grew and sold and about how food is sold in today’s in today’s supermarkets. supermarkets. Each Each part part of of thethe supermarket—and what goes on behind the scenes—is the scenes—is highlighted. highlighted. Illustrations Illustrations feature feature a avariety varietyofof shoppers shoppers asas they they shop shop in in thisthis busy place.place. busy


Legend

Name

Grocery Store 1

Do you like going to the grocery store? Shape of Roof

2

rectangle

vegetables

dairy

grains

re d

blue

green

orange

meat and beans

pink

How many letters are in your first name? fewer than five letters

exactly five letters

more than five letters

brown

purple

black

How many letters are in your last name?

Color of Door

5

tra pe zo id

fruits

Color of Roof

4

no

What is your favorite food group?

Color of Building

3

yes

fewer than five letters

exactly five letters

more than five letters

yellow

ta n

gray

Write your name on the line in the sign.


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Grocery Store Patterns


Goods & Services

At the Bank Math Skills 

patterns

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reading/writing

Trapezoid pattern: Would rather collect nickels

Orange building: Would rather be a security guard if worked at a bank

time 

counting

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one-to-one correspondence

Hour hand pointing to 9: Born in September Minute hand pointing to 26: Birthday is the 26 th Four columns: Has not visited a bank

Creating the Glyph 1. Distribute copies of the bank glyph patterns and legend to students. Review

Materials 


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2. For the building, students choose a sheet of 9- by 7-inch construction paper in the color that corresponds to their answer for question 1. Students position the paper horizontally for the bank building, and glue a pattern along the top for question 2.

completed bank glyph

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the legend, one characteristic at a time, as you display a glyph you have completed. Then distribute the other materials, and invite students to use the legend to create their own personal bank glyph.

9- by 7-inch yellow, orange, brown, and gray construction paper

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scissors

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glue or paste

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crayons

3. For question 3, students glue the clock to the center of the building. After students have completed question 5, have them draw a door below the clock and write “BANK” above the door.

Critical Thinking ivide students into groups or four or five. Have them put their glyphs in order according to the time on the clocks. Then ask students to interpret the data on the glyphs and share what it shows about the person who created each glyph. Ask, “Were any students born in the same month? Were any students born on the same day in different months, such as January 16 and February 16?” Finally, have each group join together with another group. Challenge them to sequence their glyphs by the time on the clocks and interpret the data.

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Explore More Math Ask students to estimate how many different ways they can make 25 cents, 50 cents, one dollar, or any other given amount using two different kinds of coins, such as quarters and nickels. Record their estimates on chart paper. Then give students play coins and let them work with partners or in small groups to combine their coins in various ways to equal the given amount. Have them list the different combinations on paper. When a group agrees that it has exhausted all the possibilities, have students count how many combinations they came up with. Then discuss the findings with the class.

Math, Language Arts Provide students with hand lenses and coins. Instruct them to observe the fronts and backs of different coins and then describe what they see, such as the words, letters, numbers, and pictures on the coins. When finished sharing their observations, students can place a sheet of paper over the coins and make rubbings of them. Then have them label their coin pictures and record the value of each coin. To extend, cut out the coins and use them as manipulatives in various story problems.

Math, Critical Thinking Make up logic problems about money for students to solve. You might ask them to identify the coins in an imaginary wallet by giving clues such as, “I have 5 coins in my wallet. All together they are worth 21 cents. Only one of the coins is a penny. What are the coins in my wallet?” After students have successfully solved several logic problems on their own, show them a set of coins and have them make up similar logic problems for classmates to solve.

Literature Links The Go-Around Dollar by Barbara Johnston Adams (Four Winds Press, 1992). Readers learn how a dollar bill is made, what its symbols mean, and how long the average dollar stays in circulation. As this story follows a single dollar bill on its travels, it also provides information about the history of the dollar and how money works.

Let’s Find Out About Money by Kathy Barabas (Scholastic, 1997). Take a tour inside the mint to learn where money comes from. Realistic illustrations help readers understand the money-making process. The Story of Money by Betsy Maestro (Clarion Books, 1993). Filled with fascinating facts about the history of money, this book covers topics from trading and bartering to the first use of coins and paper money, to electronic transactions.


Legend

Name

At the Bank 1

If you worked at a bank, which job would you rather have?

Color of Building

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bank teller

security guard

loan officer

another job

yellow

orange

brown

gray

Which type of coin would you rather collect? pennies

nickels

dimes

quarters

Pattern on Top of Building

3

In what month were you born? On the clock, draw an hour hand. Position of Hour Hand

4

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January

February

March

April

May

June

1

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July

August

September

October

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November December

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On what day of the month is your birthday? Draw the minute hand to show that number of minutes after the hour. Have you ever visited a bank?

Number of Columns

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At the Bank Patterns


At the Bank Patterns


Goods & Services

Loan-a-Book Library Clock hands point to 4:00: Prefers to read magazines at the library Four books on desk: Usually checks out nonfiction books

Fourteen books on shelf: Would rather help people find materials if worked at a library

Orange background: Would rather read on the floor

Desk on left side: Prefers to go to the library on the weekend

Creating the Glyph

Math Skills 

right, top, middle

1. Distribute copies of the library glyph patterns and legend to students. Review the legend, one characteristic at a time, as you display a glyph you have completed. Then distribute the other materials, and invite students to use the legend to create their own personal library glyph.

directionality: left,

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skip-counting

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reading/writing time

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multiplication

2. For question 1, students choose a sheet of construction paper in the color that corresponds to their answer. Have students position the paper horizontally.

3. For question 4, point out that within each bookshelf, there are equal numbers of books on each shelf. To determine how many books there are all together in each bookshelf, students can count the books on one shelf and multiply by 2.

Materials 

reproducible glyph patterns and

Critical Thinking

legend (pages 21–23)

sk students to predict whether more students prefer to check out fiction, nonfiction, or both fiction and nonfiction. After they make their predictions, work with students to create a method that will help answer the question. One method students might use is to draw two large intersecting circles on the chalkboard. Label the left circle “fiction,” the right circle “nonfiction,” and the intersection of the circles “fiction and nonfiction.” Have students write their initials in the section of the Venn diagram to show their response to question 3. Ask students to count and compare the number of students in each circle and then write the results in comparison sentences, using the signs for greater than, less than, and equal to. Have students use the comparison sentences to determine whether their predictions were accurate.

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completed library glyph

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9- by 12-inch white, yellow, orange, and red construction paper

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scissors

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glue or paste

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crayons

Explore More Language Arts, Math Give pairs of students a stack of books. Challenge the students to put the books in alphabetical order by title. If needed, they can refer to an alphabet chart to check their work. Afterward, have them sequence the books by the author’s name. Finally, have students sequence books by their publication dates. To extend, challenge students to sort the books in other ways, such as by topic or genre.

Social Studies, Career Awareness Invite students to decide how they would like to arrange the class library: alphabetically by title or author, by topic, or by some other criteria. Then have small groups take turns working in the library area to help get it set up. Before officially opening the class library, invite students to create labels and signs to help keep the area organized. Students might also design posters listing agreedupon rules for using the library and caring for books. You might even come up with a library name and logo; then give students index cards to create their own library cards. Simply have them draw the logo and write the library name and their own name. Students can take turns being the librarian and checking out books in your classroom library!

Social Studies Create a list of items for students to search for during a visit to the school library. Include items such as a dictionary, magazine, titles of several picture books, a nonfiction book about a particular topic, a newspaper, the book return slot, and the card catalog. Ask students to check off each item as they find it. Afterward, review the list and have students describe where they located each item.

Literature Links Beverly Billingsly Borrows a Book by Alexander Stadler (Silver Whistle, 2002). Beverly is thrilled to use her library card. But when she accidentally misses the due date, Beverly fears the consequences!

Library Lil by Suzanne Williams (Dial, 1997). Discouraged by the townspeople’s lack of interest in reading, librarian Lil decides to take action. Before long, Lil turns the residents of her town into avid readers.

The Library by Sarah Stewart (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1995). When Elizabeth’s book collection grows so large that she can’t fit even one more book, she decides to donate her books—and her home— to the town for a library. 20 Great Glyphs: Neighbirhood & Community © Patricia Daly, Scholastic Teaching Resources

Legend

Name

Loan-a-Book Library 1

Where in the library would you rather read a book?

Color of Background

2

on a beanbag

in a chair

on the floor

another place

wh ite

yellow

orange

red

Do you prefer to go the library during the week, on the weekend, or both? during the week on the weekend

Position of Desk

3

right side of page

1 2

5

middle of page

fiction

nonfiction

both fiction and nonfiction

2

4

6

If you worked at a library, what job would you rather do?

Number of Books on Shelf

e g a p

left side of page

What type of books do you usually check out from the library?

Number of Books on Desk

4

both

checking out books

putting away books

helping people find materials

another j ob

10

12

14

16

What do you prefer to do at the library? Draw clock hands. read stories

Time on Cl ock

before 12 :0 0 P. M .

read reference books

read magazines

between between 12 :0 0 P. M . 3:00 P. M . and and 3:00 P. M . 6:00 P. M .


another activity

after 6:00 P. M .

Loan-a-Book Library Patterns


Loan-a-Book Library Patterns


Tra n s p o r t a t i o n

Tra Tr a i n R i d e Math Skills 

ordinal numbers

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counting

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one-to-one

Red engine: Has taken a ride on on a train train

Number 12: Sum of last four digits of phone number

Four windows: Likes to travel in the afternoon

correspondence 

addition



writing numerals Brown wheels: Would like to take a train to the beach

Green second car: Favorite kind of transportation is the bus

Creating the Glyph Materials 




completed train

1. Distribute copies of the train glyph patterns and legend to students. Review the legend, one characteristic at a time, as you display a glyph you have completed. Then distribute the other materials, and invite students to use the legend to create their own personal train glyph.

2. Invite students to use small strips of paper to connect the train cars to each other. If desired, have students glue their glyph to construction paper for a sturdy backing.

glyph 

1 1–2 -inc -inch h pape paperr strips



12- by 18-inch construction paper



scissors



glue or paste



crayons

Critical Thinking ivide the class into small groups. Then ask students what feature of the train glyph identifies students’ favorite kind of transportation (the color of the second car). Instruct the students in each group to share their ideas about how they might create a graph to represent this information. Encourage the group members to agree on what kind of graph they would like to make, such as a vertical or horizontal graph using bars, symbols, or pictures. When finished, invite each group to share its completed graph with the class. Discuss how all the graphs represent the same data. To extend, create graphs to represent the answers to other questions.

D


Explore More Math Obtain a copy of a local train schedule (these are often available on the Internet). Enlarge the schedule on a photocopier, if needed, and distribute copies of the schedule to students. Then make up time-related problems for students to solve using their schedules. For example, you might present a problem such as, “A train leaves the station at 9:30 A.M. It arrives at the next station at 9:48 A.M. How long did the train travel?” To help students read the schedule, have them highlight information that is relevant to the word problems. For additional practice, provide students with a list of train fares and then ask questions related to the cost of train travel. For instance, ask them to determine how much it would cost to buy three train tickets to a specific destination.

Social Studies, Language Arts Invite students to describe their experiences riding on a train or waiting in a train station. Ask students what other information they know about trains from reading or discussion. If students have never been on a train, encourage them to research information about trains. Then invite students to write descriptions about train travel. They might write a poem, fictional short story, descriptive paragraph, or nonfiction report. Display their writing alongside their completed glyphs.

Social Studies Have students research the history of trains. Ask them to compare how early trains are similar to and different from modern trains. For example, they might learn how trains were powered in the past and how they get their power today. They might also compare how fast trains of the past traveled compared to modern trains, and what they were used for in the past and in modern times. After gathering their information, invite students to create Venn diagrams to show their comparisons. Invite them to share what they learned with the class. Students might also create Venn diagrams to compare trains to other types of vehicles, such as airplanes, boats, or cars.

Literature Links All Aboard Trains by Mary Harding (Platt and Munk, 1989). Exciting, colorful pictures and fascinating facts provide loads of information about freight trains, passenger trains, and even super-speed trains!

Next Stop, Grand Central by Maira Kalman (G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 1999). Whimsical illustrations mirror the daily excitement and activity of New York City’s Grand Central Station. This tribute to Grand Central also features murals displayed in the historic terminal.


Legend

Name

Train Ride 1

Have you ever taken a ride on a train?

Color of Engine (First Car)

2

blue

train

car

bus

plane

another kind

red

orange

green

yellow

blue

to the mountains

to the beach

to a city

to another place

black

brown

gray

purple

When do you like to travel?

Number of Windows in Second Car

5

red

Where would you like to go on a train?

Color of Wheels

4

no

What kind of transportation do you like best?

Color of Second Car

3

yes

in the morning

in the afternoon

in the evening

3

4

5

Add the last 4 digits of your phone number. Write the sum on the engine as your train number.


6 2 e g a p

Train Ride Patterns


Transportation

At the Airport Math Skills 

measurement:

Three clouds: Would rather be an air traffic controller if worked at an airport

Square hangar: Has not been to an airport

Airplane pointing right: Would rather fly to a cold climate

length 

geometry: shapes



directionality: left, right



patterns



counting






Creating the Glyph 1. Distribute copies of the airport glyph patterns and legend to students. Review the legend, one characteristic at a time, as you display a glyph you have completed. Then distribute the other materials, and invite students to use the legend to create their own personal airport glyph.

2. Have students glue all the elements of their glyphs to a sheet of construction

reproducible glyph

3. To make the runway, have students measure a strip of black construction

legend (pages 30–32) completed airport glyph 

9- by 12-inch blue construction paper

paper positioned horizontally.

paper with a ruler and then cut it to the appropriate length. They can use white crayon to draw the lines on the runway.

Critical Thinking se the glyphs to create logic problems for the students to solve. For example:

U

 

12-inch runway: Girl

Materials patterns and



AAB/AAB pattern on windows: Would rather fly in the afternoon

2- by 12-inch strips of black construction paper 



12-inch rulers



scissors



glue or paste



crayons

I am a girl. I have been to an airport. I would rather fly to a warm climate and I would rather fly in the afternoon. I would like to be a pilot. Which glyph is mine? I am a boy. I have never been to an airport. I would rather fly to a cold climate. Which glyph is mine?

Give additional clues as needed, and have students guess the answers. Once you have modeled some logic problems, invite volunteers to secretly choose a glyph and then create a logic problem with clues describing it. Have classmates solve one another’s logic problems. 28 Great Glyphs: Neighbirhood & Community © Patricia Daly, Scholastic Teaching Resources

Explore More Math Give each student an index card labeled with a numeral from 1 to 30. Tell students that the number on their card represents the row that they will sit in during an imaginary flight. Then generate problems for them to solve with the numbers. You might present problems such as, “Joe’s seat is in row 26 and Pam’s seat is in row 12. How many rows apart are their seats?” and “Maria’s assigned seat is in row 6. During the flight, she asked to move back 9 rows. Which row is she sitting in? Who has the number for that seat?” If desired, let students line up 30 chairs to represent rows of seats on an airplane. Then have them use the chairs to solve the problems. To challenge students even more, you can make up problems involving simple multiplication—for example, “If there are two seats in each row, how many seats are in 5 rows?”

Math Have students work in pairs for this activity. Give each student a paper clock and an airline schedule showing departure and arrival times for different flights. Have one student “set” his or her clock to show a flight departure time (students can either glue on paper clock hands or draw them). Ask the other student to set his or her clock to show the arrival time. Then have the partners determine how long the flight lasted. After the pair determines the flight time for each flight on the list, have them compare all the times to learn which flight took the longest amount of time, and which took the shortest amount of time.

Critical Thinking, Language Arts Have students refer to question 3 on their legend. Where would the student rather travel: to a warm climate or a cold climate? Then have students create a list of things they would pack for a trip to such a place. Invite them to share their packing lists with the class. What items do their lists have in common? What items are different? Why? After comparing the lists, invite students to take an imaginary flight to their desired destination. Have them write a story about their trip.

Literature Links The Airplane Alphabet Books by Jerry Pallotta (Charlesbridge, 1997). Colorful illustrations and detailed descriptions of airplanes from A to Z provide readers with a glimpse into aviation history.

Into the Air: An Illustrated Time Line of Flight by Ryan Ann Hunter (National Geographic, 2003). This beautifully illustrated book provides a historical account of flight. Includes a list of recommended resources.


Legend

Name

At the Airport 1

Are you a girl or boy?

Length of Runway

2

boy

12 inch es

10 inc hes

Have you ever been to an airport?

Shape of Hangar

3

girl

yes

no

rectangle

square

Where would your rather travel on an airplane? to a warm climate

to a cold climate

left

right

Direction of Ai rpl ane

4

When would you rather fly? Color the airplane windows to make a pattern. in the morning

P at te rn o f Wi ndo ws

5

in the afternoon

AB /A B

in the evening

AA B/ AA B

AB C/ AB C

If you worked at an airport, which job would you rather have?

Number of Clouds

flight attendant

pilot

air traffic controller

another job

1

2

3

4


0 3 e g a p

At the Airport Patterns


At the Airport Patterns


Entertainment

Going to the Zoo! Round stones on path: Enjoys watching animals swim

Math Skills

Elephants and lions: Would rather visit a zoo between 9:00 A.M. and 12:00 P.M. 

Gate in bottom left corner: Has been to a zoo

directionality: left, right, center, bottom



Four bushes: Would rather be a veterinarian if worked at a zoo

Red gate: Would rather visit a zoo in the summer

concepts of time: seasons, A.M./P.M.



geometry: shapes



counting






greater than, less than

Creating the Glyph istribute copies of the zoo glyph patterns and legend to students. Review the legend, one characteristic at a time, as you display a glyph you have completed. Then distribute the other materials, and invite students to use the legend to create their own personal zoo glyph. Have students glue all the elements of their glyphs to a sheet of construction paper positioned horizontally.

D

Critical Thinking

Materials 

isplay 6–8 glyphs on a bulletin board. Use the glyphs to play a game of Ten Questions with the class. To play, have students take turns picking a “secret” glyph and then giving clues about their choice based on the characteristics shown on it. The rest of the class must guess the glyph in ten or fewer guesses. For example:

patterns and

D





The secret glyph shows that the person would rather visit a zoo from 9:00 A.M. to 12:00 P.M. The secret glyph shows that the person most enjoys watching animals swim.

As each clue is revealed, the class can eliminate the glyphs that do not fit the criteria. The clue-giver continues to provide hints about the secret glyph until students are able to identify it.


reproducible glyph legend (pages 35–37)



completed zoo glyph



12- by 18-inch green construction paper



scissors



glue or paste



crayons

Explore More Math Write a list of zoo animals, both large and small, on chart paper. Ask students to research the animals to learn the average height of each one. Record the height next to each animal’s name. Then help students measure and cut a length of yarn equal to their own height. Afterward, name an animal on the chart. Ask students if they think the animal is taller, shorter, or the same height as they are. After making their predictions, invite a volunteer to measure and cut a length of yarn equal to the height of the animal. Lay the yarn full-length on the floor and secure the ends with tape. Finally, have students measure their yarn against the one on the floor. Were their predictions correct?

Science, Language Arts Take students on a field trip to the zoo. Encourage them to examine the animals and their habitats. Upon returning to the classroom, assign an animal to each student. Have students research their animal to learn more about its physical characteristics, behavior, habits, and habitat. Then have them compile facts about their animal in a creative way to share with the class. For instance, a student might make a mobile, poster, or brochure that features facts and pictures of their animal.

Science, Critical Thinking Provide small groups with picture cards featuring animals that can be found at the zoo. Ask students to discuss ways that they might sort the cards. For example, they might sort the animals by habitats, outer coverings, and number of legs. After the group has sorted the cards, invite another group to guess what criteria were used.

Literature Links Good Night, Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann (Putnam, 1994). A gorilla gets hold of the keys and unlocks the cages of the animals in the zoo!

My Visit to the Zoo by Aliki (HarperCollins, 1997). Acting as a guide at the Zoological Conservation Park, a young girl shares interesting information about animals and their natural habitats.

If Anything Ever Goes Wrong at the Zoo by Mary Jean Hendrick (Harcourt, 1993). When the zoo floods, all the animals move into Leslie’s house.


Legend

Name

Going to the Zoo! 1

Have you ever been to a zoo?

Position of Gate

2

I’m not sure.

bottom left corner

bottom right corner

bottom center

summer

fall

winter

spring

red

blue

yellow

orange

During what time would you rather visit a zoo?

Kinds of Animals

4

no

During which season would you rather visit a zoo?

Color of Gate

3

yes

9:00 A.M. to 12:00 P.M.

12:00 P.M. to 3:00 P.M.

3:00 P.M. to 6:00 P.M.

elephants and lions

lions and gorillas

gorillas and elephants

Which activity do you most en joy watching animals do? Draw a stone path. swim

5 3

climb

fly

eat

Shape of Stones

e g a p

5

If you worked at a zoo, which job would you rather do?

Number of Bushes

zookeeper

veterinarian

tour guide

another job

fe we r th an 4

4

5

more th an 5


Going to the Zoo! Patterns


Going to the Zoo! Patterns


Entertainment

Playtime at the Playground Yellow background: Walks to the playground

Red bench: Favorite playground is at school

Math Skills 

directionality: left, right



even and odd numbers



Grass: Birthday falls between the 1st–10th

concepts of time: time of day,

Even number of rungs on ladder: Would rather go to the playground on the weekend

Sandbox on right side: Likes to go to the playground in the afternoon

calendar 

ordinal numbers



fractions


reproducible glyph

1. Distribute copies of the playground glyph patterns and legend to students. Review the legend, one characteristic at a time, as you display a glyph you have completed. Then distribute the other materials, and invite students to use the legend to create their own personal playground glyph.

patterns and legend (pages 40–41) 

completed playground glyph



2. Have students choose the color of construction paper that corresponds to their answer to question 1. Then have students position the page horizontally and glue the elements onto it.

Critical Thinking

9- by 12-inch yellow, white, tan, and orange construction paper



scissors



glue or paste



crayons

ivide the class into three groups by the type of plants shown on their glyphs (indicating where in the month their birthdays fall). Have each group analyze the data shown in their group members’ glyphs. To reinforce basic fractions, ask students to count how many students are in their group. Then ask them several different questions about the data on their glyphs, such as, “What fraction of your group prefers to visit the playground in the morning?” If there are 5 students in the group and 2 of them prefer morning visits, students would express this fraction as 2/5. Have the groups share their answers with the group.

D


Explore More Math Invite students to create their own playground collages using construction paper shapes in various sizes and colors. When finished, have them count how many times they used each shape. Then challenge students to create a graph to show how many of each shape they used in their collages.

Math For one week, have a volunteer keep track of the number of minutes that the class spends on the playground each day. At the end of the week, write the results for each day on the chalkboard. Ask students to find the sum of the daily totals and then convert the minutes into hours and minutes. Record the amount of time each week spent doing other activities as well, such as independent reading and having lunch. Then ask students to compare the amounts by asking questions such as, “How many minutes did we spend on the playground on Monday and Wednesday?” and “How many more minutes did we spend reading than playing on the playground this week?”

Health and Safety, Language Arts Have students create a list of playground safety rules. They might include rules such as, “Take turns,” “Look where you are going,” and “Always stay seated in the swings.” Then divide the class into groups and assign each group one or two rules. Have the students create a poster for each of their rules explaining why the rule is necessary. Display all the posters on a bulletin board with the title “Playing It Safe on the Playground.”

Literature Links Down the Dragon’s Tongue by Margaret Mahy (Orchard Books, 2000). A father takes his twins to the playground and soon becomes the biggest fan of an enormous slide. Brightly colored illustrations capture the playfulness of this playground tale.

It’s My Turn by David Bedford (Tiger Tales, 2001). Oscar and Tilly just can’t seem to get along at the playground. After one conflict and then another, the two finally solve their problem with the help of a seesaw.

The Great Jungle Gym Standoff by Catherine McCafferty (Golden Books Publisher, 1999). When the principal wants to tear down the old jungle gym on the playground, the students devise a plan to rescue their beloved “Old Rusty.”


Legend

Name

Playtime at the Playground 1

How do you travel to the playground?

Color of Background

2

yellow

wh it e

ride a bike another way

tan

orange

in the morning

in the afternoon

left side of page

right side of page

When would you rather play on the playground? Draw rungs on the slide ladder. Number of Rungs

4

ride in a car

When do you like to go to the playground?

Position of Sandbox

3

walk

during the week

on the weekend

odd number

even number

Where is your favorite playground?

Color of Bench

at school

at a park

another place

re d

blue

purple

0 4 e g a p

5

When in the month does your birthday fall? Draw grass, flowers, or bushes. st th th th st st Type of Pl an ts

1 –10

11 –20

21 –31

grass

flo we rs

bushes


Playtime at the Playground Patterns


Community Helpers

You’ve Got Mail! Green background: Favorite type of mail is letters

Math Skills 

Hat pointing right: Prefers sending letters

Package: Would rather deliver mail Even number on mailbag: Has visited a post office

Red mailbag: Receives mail at the post office

directionality: right, left



even and odd numbers



writing numerals



patterns

Creating the Glyph 1. Distribute copies of the letter carrier glyph patterns and legend to students. Review the legend, one characteristic at a time, as you display a glyph you have completed. Then distribute the other materials, and invite students to use the legend to create their own personal letter carrier glyph.

Materials 




completed letter carrier glyph



9- by 12-inch yellow, green, red, orange, and purple construction paper

2. For question 1, have students choose a sheet construction paper in the color that corresponds to their answer. Have students position the paper vertically.

Critical Thinking hoose one attribute and arrange some of the completed letter carrier glyphs in an AB/AB pattern. For example, use the direction of the hat and make a left/right/left/right pattern. Challenge students to identify the pattern and then select a few more glyphs to extend the pattern. Then ask them what they know about the students who created the glyphs in the pattern. (In this case, the direction of the hat indicates whether students prefer sending or receiving letters.) Repeat the activity using a different attribute to create another pattern, such as ABC/ABC using the color of the letter carrier’s bag. For an added challenge, use more than one attribute in a pattern, such as left-facing hat, odd number on bag, left-facing hat, odd number on bag.

C



scissors



glue or paste

Explore More



crayons

Math Bring in an assortment of envelopes, postcards, and other pieces of mail that have canceled stamps on them. Or create your own stamps by printing 42 Great Glyphs: Neighbirhood & Community © Patricia Daly, Scholastic Teaching Resources

rubber stamp figures on the upper right corner of a supply of index cards. Then write a money value, in cents, on each stamp. To use, put all the pieces of “mail” facedown in a basket. Invite students to take turns choosing two items from the basket. Have them turn over the cards, find the stamps, and add the value of the two stamps. Or you might have students set up a subtraction problem with the two numbers and then find the difference.

Language Arts Set up a letter writing station in your classroom with envelopes, stationery, and stickers for stamps. Teach students how to address an envelope and set up a letter. Provide samples of addressed envelopes and several styles of letters, both formal and informal. Invite students to imagine they are a letter carrier or another community service provider, such as a firefighter or librarian. Have students research and then write an informative letter about a day on the job. Students can make up an imaginary recipient and address. Decorate a shoe box for a mailbox and have students place the letters inside. On a rainy day, open up the mail and share the letters with the class!

Social Studies Take students on a field trip to the post office to learn about how mail is processed and delivered. Afterward, have students imagine that they have mailed a letter. Ask them where and how the letter will travel after it leaves their mailbox. Have students create a flow chart that shows the route of their letter from the mailbox to its final destination. When finished, invite them to share their flow charts with the class.

Literature Links Messages in the Mailbox: How to Write a Letter by Loreen Leedy (Holiday House, 1991). Mrs. Gator’s class learns how to write letters, from friendly letters and letters of congratulations to business letters and letters of complaint. They also learn about other kinds of correspondence, stamps, and how mail is moved from place to place.

The Post Office Book: Mail and How It Moves by Gail Gibbons (T. Y. Crowell, Jr., 1982). Readers follow a letter from the moment it is mailed until it reaches its final destination. This step-by-step overview of the mailing process also includes a glossary and interesting information on how messages were sent throughout history.

Mr. Grigg’s Work by Cynthia Rylant (Orchard Books, 1989). When Mr. Griggs gets the flu and has to stay home, he misses the work he does at the post office—and his customers miss him, too!


Legend

Name

You’ve Got Mail! 1

What is your favorite type of mail? postcards

letters

yellow

green

Color of Background

2

purple

sending letters

receiving letters

right

left

no

yes

odd number

even number

Where is the mailbox in which your family receives mail?

Color of Mailbag

5

orange

Have you ever visited a post office? Write a number between 1 and 20 on the mailbag. Number on Mailbag

4

re d

Which do you prefer, sending letters or receiving letters?

Direction of Hat

3

magazines packages something else

on my street

at my house or building

at the post office

another place

blue

green

re d

orange

Which job would you rather do?

Type of Ma il in Hand

pick up mail

sort mail

letter

postcard

deliver mail another job

package


magazine

4 4 e g a p

You ’ve Got Mail! Patterns


Community Helpers

Friendly Firefighter Red helmet: Finds tools most interesting

Math Skills 

writing numerals



multiplication



even and odd

15: Day of birthday

Tan coat and pants: Would rather teach fire safety Walkie-talkie: Number of letters in first name when doubled is odd

Purple background: Would rather ride in the fire truck

numbers 

addition



counting




Creating the Glyph 1. Distribute copies of the firefighter glyph patterns and legend to students. Review the legend, one characteristic at a time, as you display a glyph you have completed. Then distribute the other materials, and invite students to use the legend to create their own personal firefighter glyph.

2. For question 1, have students choose a sheet of construction paper in the color that corresponds to their answer and position it vertically.

Materials 




completed firefighter glyph



9- by 12-inch orange and purple construction paper



scissors



glue or paste



crayons

Critical Thinking hoose an attribute of the glyphs that is represented by more than two choices. For example, you might focus on the job students would like to do if they were firefighters (this is represented by the color of the coat and pants). After you decide on the attribute, name two specific choices shown for that attribute. For the job preferences, you might name “rescue people” (blue coat) and “teach fire safety” (tan coat). Ask students to gather and count all the glyphs that show these attributes. Then, using the total glyph count as the sum and blank lines for the addends, write an incomplete number sentence on the chalkboard (such as __ +__ = 15). Have students count the glyphs that represent each choice and use the results to fill in the missing numbers. On another round, you might provide one addend and the sum, then have students fill in the missing addend (9 + __ = 15). Or you might write both addends and have students find the sum. Similarly, you might set up incomplete subtraction equations for students to solve. Each time, have students count the glyphs to check their answers.

C


Explore More Math Divide the class into small groups. Then have the students in each group sequence their glyphs by the numbers written on the firefighters’ hats. Which glyph has the highest number? The lowest number? What do these numbers represent? (They represent the day of the month on which students’ birthdays fall.) When finished, create different groups and have students repeat the activity. You might also group students by whether their glyphs have odd or even numbers and then have them sequence their glyphs. Finally, have the whole class work together to sequence all the glyphs. Do any of the glyphs have the same helmet number? What does this show about those students?

Social Studies, Personal Safety Visit a fire station or invite a firefighter to your classroom to teach students about fire safety. Afterward, review and practice the procedure students should follow during a fire drill at school. To emphasize that the procedure may differ depending on where students are when the fire alarm sounds, you might want to have the class practice the drill while at different locations around the school. Also, encourage students to work with their families to develop a fire exit plan for their home.

Math Challenge students to solve story problems related to firefighters, their equipment, and their jobs. You might present problems such as: 

The pumper truck holds 200 gallons of water. Firefighters used 120 gallons to put out a fire. How many gallons of water are left in the truck?



The fire truck ladder extends 80 feet into the air. Frances the Firefighter climbed halfway up the ladder. How many feet did she climb?



Freddie the Firefighter started his shift at 9:00 A.M. He worked an eight-hour shift. What time did he leave work?

Literature Links Firefighter Frank by Monica Wellington (Dutton, 2002). Readers learn about a day in the life of a firefighter and discover that these brave community helpers do more than just put out fires! A list of fire safety tips is included at the back of the book.

Fireman Small—Fire Down Below! by Wong Herbert Yee (Houghton Mifflin, 2001). A leaky roof at the firehouse forces Fireman Small to check into the Pink Hotel. But his sleep is interrupted there by a fire down below! Fortunately, Fireman Small knows what to do to rescue the guests and put out the fire. 47


Legend

Name

Friendly Firefighter 1

If you were a firefighter, would you rather drive the fire truck or ride in it? Color of Background

2

4

ride

orange

purple

If you were a firefighter, which job would you most like to do?

Color of Coat and Pants

3

drive

rescue people

put out fires

teach fire safety

another job

blue

yellow

tan

black

Each company, or team, of firefighters has a number. Write the day of your birthday on the helmet.

Which part of the fire truck do you find most interesting?

Color of Helmet

tools

siren

hose

ladder

re d

yellow

green

orange 8 4

5

Double the number of letters in your first name. Is the number odd or even? walkie-talkie flashlight Tool in Ha nd

odd

even


e g a p

Friendly Firefighter Patterns


Community Helpers

Construction Site

Math Skills 

directionality: left, right, up, down



measurement: length



Blue bulldozer: Would like to build a road

Crane up: Foot measures longer than 7 inches

Bulldozer pointing right: Would rather operate a crane

greater than, less

Yellow hard hats: Has seen a construction site

Red crane: Index finger measures longer than 2 inches

than, equal to

Creating the Glyph 1. Distribute copies of the construction site glyph patterns and legend to

Materials 




completed

students. Review the legend, one characteristic at a time, as you display a completed glyph. Then distribute the other materials, and invite students to use the legend to create their own personal construction site glyph.

2. Have students glue all the elements of their glyph onto a sheet of construction paper positioned horizontally. For question 3, students glue on the crane’s arm (in either the up or down position) to the position that matches their answer.

construction site glyph 

12- by 18-inch light-colored construction paper



12-inch rulers



scissors



glue or paste



crayons

3. After students have completed question 5, encourage them to draw their own structure being built on their construction site.

Critical Thinking elect six of the completed construction site glyphs and sort them into two groups. Ask students to guess the rule by looking for the attributes that are common to all glyphs in one of the groups. The attributes could be that the construction sites have left-facing bulldozers (representing students who would rather operate a bulldozer) or the construction workers are wearing yellow hard hats (representing students who have seen a construction site).

S


Explore More Math Tell students that construction workers must often use measurement in their work. Ask students to think of ways they think a construction worker might use measurement on the job. Divide the class into pairs of students. Then give each pair a tape measure and a list of items around the classroom to measure. Instruct the partners first to estimate the length of each item on the list. Then have them work together to measure the items and record their findings. When finished, ask the pairs to share and compare their estimates and actual measurements.

Social Studies, Language Arts Invite students to imagine they are construction workers. What kind of project are they building? What are their responsibilities on the job? What do they wear and what do they do in order to stay safe while working? What are their favorite parts of the job? What are the most difficult parts of the job? How do they operate different kinds of machinery? Encourage students to research these questions and then create a booklet describing the job of a construction worker.

Social Studies, Math Create a construction site right in your classroom! Provide students with materials such as paper-towel tubes, empty boxes and containers in various sizes, plastic caps, lids from jars, cut foam and sponges, tape, glue, markers, and so on. You might send a letter home to families asking them to donate recyclable materials for this project. Designate an area for the construction site and display signs that say “Students at Work” and “Hard Hat Area.” Invite students to visit the center to build a collaborative class structure. Take instant photographs of the construction site from time to time to track its progress. When the structure is complete, place the photos in a bag and challenge students to sequence the photos.

Literature Links Community Helpers: Construction Workers by Tami Deedrick (Bridgestone Books, 1998). This story introduces construction workers and the many things they do, from what they drive and the tools they use to the training they receive and how they help their community.

The Night Worker by Kate Banks (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2000). Each night, Papa puts on his hard hat and leaves his family to operate the heavy machinery at a construction site. Then one night, Papa surprises his son, Alex, with a hard hat and an invitation to join him on the job!


Legend

Name

Construction Site 1

If you were a construction worker, which machine would you rather operate? bulldozer

crane

left

right

Direction of Bulldozer

2

If you were a construction worker, what would you like to build? Color of Bulldozer

3

a road

a building

a bridge

another pro ject

blue

re d

purple

orange

Construction workers use measurement on the job. Measure your foot. 7 inches or longer

less than 7 inches long

up

down

Position of Crane

4

Measure your index finger.

Color of Crane

5

longer than 2 inches

exactly 2 inches long

less than 2 inches long

re d

green

yellow

Have you ever seen a construction site?

Color of Hard Hats

yes

no

yellow

red


2 5 e g a p

Construction Site Patterns


Construction Site Patterns

up

down


Types of Communities

City Scene Flag on first building: Has been to a city

Math Skills

Order of buildings is medium, large, small: Would rather take a tour in a city 

10 or more windows on tallest building: Likes to walk around a city

Red doors on tallest building: Thinks people are the most interesting part of a city

Ambulance and bus: Would rather eat at a pizza shop

medium, large 

ordinal numbers



counting






Creating the Glyph

size: small,

greater than, less than

1. Distribute copies of the city glyph patterns and legend to students. Review the legend, one characteristic at a time, as you display a glyph you have completed. Then distribute the other materials, and invite students to use the legend to create their own personal city glyph.

Materials

2. To start, have students position the paper horizontally and draw a road along the bottom. Instruct them to leave room for the buildings behind the road. To show the answer to question 1, students glue their buildings in a particular order along the road from left to right. To show the answer to question 5, students glue on two vehicles. Invite students to draw details on their city scene.



patterns and legend (pages 57–59) 

Critical Thinking

completed city glyph

reate four signs labeled “Sandwich Shop,” “Pizza Shop,” “Bakery,” and “Another Place.” Hang the labels on a wall, leaving room beneath each for students to display their glyphs. Have students tape their glyphs beneath the sign that represents where they would rather eat in a city. When finished, the glyphs will be arranged as follows:

C



reproducible glyph

Sandwich shop: glyphs with taxi and ambulance



Pizza shop:

glyphs with ambulance and bus



Bakery:

glyphs with bus and car



Another place:

glyphs with car and taxi




12- by 18-inch white construction paper



crayons



scissors



glue or paste

Ask students to count how many glyphs are in each column and then use those numbers—and the signs for greater than, less than, and equal to—to write number comparison sentences. (For example, students who would rather eat at a sandwich shop < students who would rather eat at a bakery.) Repeat the activity by having students sort their glyphs by other attributes, such as how they would like to travel around a city or what they would rather do in a city.

Explore More Math Have students work with partners to find as many different shapes as possible on their city glyphs. Have them name each shape they discover and describe how it is used in their city scene. Then give the students a collection of plastic or paper shapes. Explain that one student will use the shapes to create a building or a cityscape. Have the builder arrange the shapes to create a city and then take it apart. Next, have the other student duplicate the first student’s work. Have students switch roles after each round of play.

Language Arts Invite students to imagine they are either flying in a plane over a city or riding through a city in a car or bus. Encourage them to think about all the things they might see, hear, smell, or feel as they travel. After a short period of mentally “experiencing” the city from their chosen vantage points, ask students to write about their experiences. Encourage them to use their senses in their description. Have them illustrate their work and then share it with the class.

Literature Links City Green by DyAnne DiSalvo-Ryan (Morrow Junior Books, 1994). Saddened by the litter-filled vacant lot on their city block, Marcy and her neighbors take action to improve it.

Uptown by Bryan Collier (Henry Holt and Company, 2000). Sharing his love for his uptown neighborhood, a young boy takes readers on a tour of Harlem, New York—from the Metro-North Train and the shops on 125th Street to the Apollo Theater and the Harlem River.

Good Morning, City by Elaine Moore (BridgeWater Books, 1995). Warm, interesting illustrations help readers experience the changing light and growing noise of a city as it wakes up to a new day. 56


Legend

Name

City Scene 1

What would you rather do in a city? Put the buildings in order from left to right. go to a go to take another Order of Buildings

2

a park

a to ur

activity

small, medium, large

small, large, medium

medium, large, small

large, small, medium

Have you ever been to a city? Glue the flag to the roof of a building. Position of Flag

3

museum

yes

no

I’m not sure.

on first building

on second building

on third building

How would you like to travel in a city? Draw windows on the tallest building. walk bus taxi car another way

Number of Win do ws

4

e g a p

5

9

8

7

6 or few er

What do you think would be most interesting about a city?

Color of Doors on Talle st Bu il di ng

7 5

10 or more

restaurants

people

buildings

something else

blue

re d

green

purple

bakery

another place

bus and ca r

car and ta xi

Where would you rather eat in a city? sandwich shop

Types of Vehi cl es

pizza shop

ta xi and ambulance ambulance and bus


City Scene Patterns


City Scene Patterns


Types of Communities

Math Skills 

patterns



geometry: shapes



even and odd

On the Farm Red barn: Favorite farm animal is a cow

Even number of sheep: Would rather tend the animals

numbers 



counting

Rectangle-shaped pasture: Has not been to a farm




Pig on right side: Would rather drive a tractor

directionality: left, right ABA/ABA pattern on fence: Favorite foods from a farm are fruits and vegetables


reproducible glyph patterns and

1. Distribute copies of the farm glyph patterns and legend to students. Review the legend, one characteristic at a time, as you display a glyph you have completed. Then distribute the other materials, and invite students to use the legend to create their own personal farm glyph.

legend (pages 62–64) 

completed farm glyph



12- by 18-inch blue construction

2. To create the glyph, have students position the paper horizontally and glue the two fence strips along the bottom of the page.

3. Instruct students to choose the green shape that corresponds to their answer to question 2 (square or rectangle). Have them glue this “pasture” to the right side of the page, leaving room to glue the barn to the left side.

paper 

6- by 6-inch squares of green construction paper



6- by 8-inch rectangles of green construction paper



scissors



glue or paste



crayons

Critical Thinking ave students identify the pattern of the fence on each glyph. Challenge them to add a sticky note on each glyph to label the pattern as AB/AB, ABB/ABB, ABA/ABA, or ABC/ABC. Then sort the glyphs into four groups by pattern. Ask students what they know about the students who created the glyphs in each group (their favorite type of food that comes from a farm). Then have each group work together to analyze the rest of the data on their glyphs. Do any of the glyphs have any other common characteristics? What does this show about the students who created them?

H


Explore More Math Reinforce basic multiplication with this farm-stand activity. On chart paper, list several types of foods that come from a farm. Write a price, in whole dollar amounts from $1 to $5, beside each food. For example, you might list a gallon of milk at $2, a dozen eggs at $3, and a basket of berries at $1. Then present students with simple word problems to solve using multiplication and division, such as, “How much money would you need to buy 3 gallons of milk?” and “If you spent $12 on eggs, how many eggs would you have?” Challenge students to create their own word problems for classmates to solve.

Social Studies Display a few pictures of male and female farmers. Then discuss with students what kinds of plants or animals that they might like to raise if they were farmers. Have students paint a picture on a larger sheet of paper to represent the kind of farm they would like to operate. Next, invite them to create portraits of themselves dressed as farmers. Ask them to cut out their self-portraits and glue them onto their farm pictures. Finally, have them write about their imaginary farm life and experiences. After volunteers have shared their work with the class, display all the pictures and writing on a bulletin board.

Science Practice some farming right in your classroom! Working with students, plant a garden either in a windowsill box or an outdoor area. Label craft sticks with the names of the seeds you planted and use them to show where the seeds are located in the garden. Have students research how to care for plants and make a list of things you need to do to care for your garden. Let students take part in watering and weeding. Have students write descriptions of their experiences as a “farmer.” Then ask them to imagine how much work goes into caring for an entire farm!

Literature Links Barnyard Banter by Denise Fleming (Henry Holt and Company, 1994). As a goose silently chases a butterfly, the other farm animals are noisily going about their business. Bold, textured illustrations provide the perfect backdrop for this noise-filled romp around the farmyard.

Inside a Barn in the Country by Alyssa Satin Capucilli (Scholastic, 1995). Written to the rhythm of “This Is the House That Jack Built,” this simple cumulative tale ends in a chorus of noise as each animal is awakened and adds it own unique sound to the once-silent night.


Legend

Name

On the Farm 1

What is your favorite type of food from a farm? Color a pattern on the fence. milk eggs fruits and another type Pattern on Fence

2

AB /A B

AB A/ ABA

AB C/ AB C

yes

no

square

rectangle

What is your favorite farm animal?

Color of Barn

4

of food

Have you ever been to a farm?

Shape of Pasture

3

AB B/ AB B

vegetables

cow

chicken

pig

another animal

re d

yellow

orange

brown

If you worked on a farm, which would you rather do? tend the animals

tend the crops 2 6

Number of Sheep in Pasture

5

even number

odd number

How would you rather get from one place to another on a farm? on a horse on a tractor Position of Pig

left side of page

right side of page


e g a p

On the Farm Patterns


Glyphs

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