Tips and Tricks for Hands-On Materials

Tips and Tricks for
BP Hands-On Materials

Choose a product below to see tips and tricks for adapting BP to different learning styles. These are all our hands-on student materials: Cool Histories, Hands-On Maps, Timelines, Coloring Books and BP Notebooking.

Tips and Tricks Code Key:

SL – Tips for Struggling, Sensory and Special Learners

G/AL – Tips for Gifted and Advanced Learners

E – Tips for Everyone

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Cool Histories

Why Cool Histories?

Because answering questions is a great way to review the reading. The search for answers takes students back through the text, helping them remember more of it.
Because answering questions forces students to take a closer look at what they’ve read.
Because answering questions helps students recognize what is important to remember—something students often miss.
Because answering questions can lead to deeper questions and deeper understanding.
Because answering correctly gives students a sense of accomplishment.
Because answering questions helps students prepare for their tests.
Because assignments help teachers hold students accountable.

Click the button for tons of ideas on how to use BP Cool Histories.

Hands-On Maps

Why Hands-On Maps?

Because history and geography go hand-in-hand. Map work shows students where history happened, and how geography can affect history.
Because map work helps students grasp the flow of history. The lines on their maps change as they watch kingdoms rise and fall, and new ones rising from the ashes of the old.
Because understanding geography helps students understand cultures. They see how different terrains and temperatures make for different kinds of people; and they also see people overcoming the challenges posed by geography. For example, students who know the harsh climate of Mongolia can easily understand why the Mongols of medieval times were so harsh—and why the Mongol Empire grew so big, so fast.
Because BP maps build over the course of each year, adding more and more to students’ geographical databases.

Click the button for tons of ideas on how to use BP Hands-On Maps.

Timelines

Why Timelines?

Because timelines give students a hands-on way to interact with the people and events they cover in their weekly readings.
Because timelines help students grasp the flow of history, following kingdoms and empires as they rise and fall.
Because timelines help students grasp the connections between events happening all around the world.
Because timelines show students which historical figures from around the world were contemporary with which others. For example, they learn that Thomas Jefferson was contemporary with Napoleon, and that King Henry VIII was contemporary with Martin Luther.
Because timelines are an easy way to review old lessons. As students page through their flowcharts, searching for the proper place to paste their figures, they can’t help being reminded of stories they’ve covered in weeks past.

Click the button for tons of ideas on how to use BP Timelines.

Coloring Books

Why Coloring Books?

Because coloring scenes from history helps students learn history.
Because coloring is a fun way to engage younger students as they listen to you read.
Because giving fidgety kids something to do with their hands can help settle them, which can help them focus on their lessons.
Because coloring while listening helps visual and sensory learners focus on what they’re hearing.
Because our 2nd edition Coloring Books have a lot to offer. Students of all ages will enjoy our new, more detailed coloring pages. Years 1, 2 and 4 are already in 2nd edition, with Year 3 coming soon.

Click the button for tons of ideas on how to use BP Coloring Books.

BP Notebooking

General Tips for BP Notebooking

Hopeless at handwriting? Some PDF readers allow users to type in data. If yours does, then you can substitute typing for handwriting.
Notebooking in Cycles: If you’re planning to cycle through the four years of BP again, then you can add to your notebooks as you cycle. For example, you might do one page per president the first time through, and more pages the next time around. What fun to have some pages done by a nine-year-old, and others done by the same student at age thirteen!
Notecards: If you’re mixing notebooking with memory work, then it helps to print the presidents (or whatever you’re studying) on individual notecards. You can also add pictures or fun facts to your notecards.

Click the buttons for tips specific to each kind of BP Notebooking.


Cool History Basics

Cool History for Littles, grades K-2: goes with Remember the Days, need one copy per family or classroom. Cool History for Middles, grades 2-7: goes with Remember the Days, need one copy per student. Cool History for Upper Middles, grades 6-8: goes with the Companion, need one copy per student. Cool History for Advanced, grades 8-12: goes with the Companion, need one copy per student. Cool History Classic, grades K-4: goes with The Story of the World by Susan Wise Bauer, need one copy per student.

Which Cool History Should I Choose?

Choose the level that fits your student’s needs: • Move students up a level if they need more challenging questions. • Move students back a level if they need easier questions. • Use Cool History for Upper Middles for high school students who need simpler questions. • Use Cool History for Advanced for middle school students who need more challenging questions. • Use Remember the Days with Cool History for Middles for struggling high schoolers.

DIGESTING THE MATERIAL

Cool History for Littles
These offer simple questions for the youngest listeners. They are intended to be asked and answered orally.

Cool History for Middles, Upper Middles and Advanced
E	Read (or listen to) the entire chapter and then answer the questions after you finish. Use the book to answer the questions.

G/AL	Read the entire chapter and then answer the questions after you finish. See how many you can answer without looking at the book.

SL/E	Read (or listen to) a section of the chapter and then answer the questions based on that section. Use the book to answer the questions.

E	Read (or listen to) a section of the chapter and answer the questions based on that section. See how many you can answer without looking at the book.

SL	SL Adaptation: Keep the Cool History workbook open as you read the text. Read the first question aloud, then read (or listen to) the text until you can answer that question. Keep going until you finish.

SL/E	Family or Class Activity: Work in groups to answer the questions, either by section or by chapter. Each student fills in his or her own workbook, but all work together to find the answers.

SL	SL Adaptation: Teacher reads the chapter ahead of time, placing post-it notes throughout to help the student find the answers. Student stops at each post-it to fill in the workbook.

SL	SL Adaptation: Work with a buddy to answer the questions.

SL	SL Adaptation: Highlight only some of the questions, and have students answer only those questions.

FILLING IN THE ANSWERS

Cool History for Middles Grades 2-7
E	Write the full answer in the space provided.

E	Buy the e-book version and have students fill in the answers using the Tool component on the PDF reader.

SL/E	Grades 3-6 and SL: Answer Questions from the Readings only.

G/AL/E	Grades 6-7 and G/AL 3-5: Answer both Questions from the Readings and Challenge Questions.

SL	SL Adaptation: Dictate the answers to a parent or buddy who can write them down for you.

SL	SL Adaptation: Use the answer key to pre-print answers on self-adhesive labels. The student can then just peel and stick the answers into the workbook.

G/AL/E	Bonus Question: Optional Bonus Questions encourage students to get excited about research and history. Most of them are easy to figure out with a quick internet search.

SL	High School SL Adaption: Use Remember the Days and Cool History Middles for high school credit. Add a research paper and/or book reports or projects to fill out the credit.

Cool History for Upper Middles Grades 6-8 and SL 8-12
E	Write the full answer in the space provided.

E	Buy the e-book version and have students fill in the answers using the Tool component on the PDF reader.

SL	SL Adaptation: Dictate the answers to a parent or buddy who can write them down for you.

SL	SL Adaptation: Use the answer key to pre-print answers on self-adhesive labels. The student can then just peel and stick the answers into the workbook.

SL	SL Adaptation for Grades 8-12: Use Cool History for Upper Middles instead of Cool History for Advanced.

G/AL/E	Bonus Question: Bonus questions encourage students to get excited about research and history. Most of them are easy to figure out with a quick internet search. G/AL Adaptation: Have them write a summary paragraph about their findings and any other new information they learned while researching.

Cool History for Advanced Grades 8-12
E	Write the full answer in the space provided for the fill-in-the blank section. Write the answers to the Short Answer and Short Essay on a separate sheet of paper.

E	Buy the e-book version and have students fill in the answers using the Tool component on the PDF reader.

SL	SL Adaptation: Dictate the answers to a parent or buddy who can write them down for you.

SL	SL Adaptation: Complete only the fill-in-the-blank and short answer sections.

Research Essays Cool History for Advanced
Research essays are challenging questions that encourage students to go beyond the weekly reading. There is one research essay per week.
SL/E	Choose one or two research essays per unit, instead of dong all of them.

G/AL	Do all research essays for honors level high school credit.

Making it Fun
E	Prizes, prizes, prizes! Most students love prizes. Reward correct answers, challenge questions, bonus questions, and research essays with cheap toys, electronic time, family movie nights, trips to the dollar store, trips to the library, family trips, pieces of candy or special privileges.

E	More Prizes: Keep a bucket of candy on hand. Quiz your students aloud and when someone answers correctly, toss him or her a piece of candy. Limit the number of answers per student (say, 2 correct answers puts you out) so that everyone has a chance to win.

E	Press that buzzer! Buy buzzers for each student. Quiz them aloud and have them buzz in if they know the answer. This is a great way to review their Cool History questions.

E	Play “Final Jeopardy”: Give each person (or break into groups) a write-on, wipe-off board. Call out a question and have them write the answer on the board without letting anyone see. When everyone is ready, hold all the boards up. Those with the correct answer get a point. This allows everyone to keep participating throughout the game.

E	You Quiz Me: To review for tests, have students create a quiz (with answers) to give to the teacher or parent.

SL/E	HELP! Create a “help” pass and set a number of times your student is allowed to use it per day or assignment. This encourages self-government/discipline and promotes the expectation that they need to sometimes “work through” on their own to find an answer.

SL/E	Answer Scavenger Hunt: Print out the answer key for the week, cut the answers up and hide them throughout the room. Match the answers to the questions as they are discovered.

G/AL	Crossword Mania: Have students create a crossword puzzle using their Cool History questions.

E	Oops: Use the Cool History questions to create a test that already has the answers filled in. The only problem is, half the answers are wrong. Have the student grade the test by fixing the wrong answers.

E	It’s Trouble: Play a game of Trouble with a catch. When the student’s turn comes, he or she must answer a question from the Cool History. If the answer is wrong, then the student loses a turn.passed over.

SL/E	Window Dressing: Buy some window chalk, then have students write their answers on a window or glass door.

SL	Shaving fun: Have students write their answers in shaving cream.

G/AL	Draw swords: Arm each child with a closed textbook. Call out a question, then have students open their books and race to find the answer.

E	3-2-1: After reading the text and answering the questions, have students list 3 things they enjoyed about the chapter, 2 things that surprised them and 1 thing they didn’t understand.

SL	Break them up: Print out an extra copy of the Cool History page and cut the questions into individual strips. Put all the questions in a cup, then have students draw a question and try to answer it. Help them find the answer if they are struggling. Once they’ve gone through all the questions, have them write out the answers in their Cool History book. Note: You can break up the questions, answering a few per day as you read through the text.

E	Letter writing: Write a letter or postcard to a family member, friend or pen pal about something you learned about in history this week. Add a picture if possible.

Studying for Cool History Tests (Upper Middles and Advanced only)
G/AL	Use the textbook to study for each unit test.

G/AL/E	Study the answers to all the Cool History questions for the unit.

SL	Highlight the Cool History questions that will be on the test, and have the student study only those questions.

E	Make the tests open-book with just the Companion.

SL/E	Make the tests open-book with both Companion and Cool History.

SL	Highlight the Cool History questions that will be on the test, and let the student use the Cool History book to take the test.

SL/E	Practice for the tests with another adult or older sibling.

SL	Create word searches and crossword puzzles as tools to study for the tests.

Adapting the tests
SL	Highlight only some of the questions for the student to answer.

SL	Download the answer key and reformat it to make a fill-in-the-blank test.

Alternative Testing Options
SL	Instead of using the tests in the book, use on-line resources to create word searches and crossword puzzles as testing material.

G/AL/E	Instead of testing, write a paper or report on a topic from the unit.

G/AL/E	Have students create their own tests complete with answer keys.

SL	Use Quizlet (https://quizlet.com/) to create study materials, flashcards, matching games, quizzes etc.

SL	Use figures from the BP Timeline for memorizing and testing (matching names with pictures, etc.).


BP Geography Basics

• Grades K-2 use Cool History for Littles, which includes Globe Fun or Geography Fun. Need one copy per family or classroom. • Grades 2-8 use Hands-On Maps for Middles with Remember the Days or the Companion. Need one copy per student. • Grades 8-12 use Hands on Maps for Advanced with the Companion. Need one copy per student.

Which Level Should I Choose?
Choose the level that fits your student’s needs. Feel free to move down if your student struggles, or up if your student needs a challenge.

Struggling/sensory learners: • Grades 3-6 can use the geography in Cool History for Littles. • Grades 8-12 who need easier maps can move down to Hands-On Maps for Middles. Gifted/Advanced Learners: • Grades 1-2 who can already read can move up to the Hands-on Maps for Middles. • Grades 6-7 who want more challenges can move up to Hands-On Maps for Advanced.

Digesting the Material and Answering the Questions
E	Hands-On Maps can be completed either after reading the whole chapter or after reading the section of the chapter that relates to the map.

E	Most RTD and Companion chapters have maps to help students complete their Hands-On Maps.

SL/E	Remember the Days has Map Helps in the back to help students with their Hands-On Maps.

Filling in the Answers
G/AL/E	Labeling: Follow all the directions on the page, using the full name when you label something.

SL/E	Labeling: Follow all the directions on the page, using abbreviations when you label something.

SL	Labeling: Label only the main countries and bodies of water.

SL	SL Adaptation: Work with a buddy to complete your maps.

SL	SL Adaptation: Highlight some of the directions and have students follow only those.

SL/E	Family or class activity: Complete your maps as a group, enjoying coloring and helping each other.

Making it Fun
E	For younger students, provide crayons, fine point markers and colored pencils.

E	For older students, buy special coloring pencils to be used only for map work.

E	Prizes, prizes, prizes! Most students love prizes. Reward good map work with cheap toys, electronics time, family movie nights, trips to the dollar store, trips to the library, family trips, pieces of candy or special privileges.

E	More Prizes: Keep a bucket of candy on hand. Quiz your students aloud and when someone answers correctly, toss him or her a piece of candy. Limit the number of answers per student (say, 2 correct answers puts you out) so that everyone has a chance to win.

E	Press that buzzer! Buy buzzers for each student. Quiz them aloud and have them buzz in if they know the answer. This is a great way to review their geography lessons.

E	Play “Final Jeopardy”: Give each student or group of students a Painless Learning map. Call out a geography question and have them answer it on the map without letting anyone see. When everyone is ready, hold up all the maps. Those with the correct answer get a point. This allows everyone to keep participating throughout the game.

E	Locate, locate, locate: As you read through the chapter, point out the locations under study on a globe or map.

E	Painless Learning: Have students mark the bodies of water and countries covered in the chapter on their Painless Learning Maps.

G/AL/E	Taking sides: When you cover a battles between two countries or groups of countries, have students mark the opposing sides in different colors on their Painless Learning maps. Draw arrows to show who is attacking and who is defending..

SL	Memorize: Have students memorize the main bodies of water that will be covered that year.

E	Memorize: As you move through the year, add each new country you cover to a list of countries to memorize.

G/AL	Memorize: Have students memorize all the countries of the world in four years. Year 1 students memorize countries of Asia; Year 2 students countries of Europe; Year 3 students countries of the Americas and Oceania; and Year 4 students countries of Africa. Years 3 and 4 can also memorize U.S. states and capitals.

E	Color the Water: Color or stripe in blue the bodies of water on each map. If the water is already colored, then color or stripe the land.

E	Map-making: Use salt dough or Play-Doh to map the lands you’re studying. Use blue for water, green for fertile land, brown for desert and white for mountains.

E	Global war: Call out a country or body of water and have students race to find them first on their globes or maps.

SL	Globe ball fun: Buy a blow-up globe ball that you can toss around the room with breaking anything. Toss it from student to student, asking each to point out a country or body of water.

E	Web games: Search the internet for fun geography-related games. Stack the States for U.S. states is just one of many great games out there!

SL	Practice makes perfect: For students who need extra practice, place a sheet protector over the map and use dry erase markers to fill it out; repeat as needed for mastery.

SL/E	Outlining: • Place a sheet protector over the map and use different colored Play-Doh to outline countries and bodies of water. • Tape the map to the outside of a window or glass door. Then use dry erase markers to fill out your maps on the inside of the glass..

SL/E	Wikki Stix Fun: Wikki Stix are colorful, wax-coated lengths of thread that are great for sensory activities. They are flexible and stick to glass, plastic, acrylic and countertops. You can use them to re-create shapes and letters. Lay a sheet protector over the map, then use Wikki Stix to outline your work..

G/AL	Redraw the map: Have students draw a replica of the map on a clean sheet of paper.

E	Decorate, decorate: On a large dry erase board, have a student or adult draw the basic outline of the map. Then have fun adding pictures and symbols to illustrate the history your learned that week (ships, horses, soldiers, kings and so on).

SL	Sensory fun: Place shaving cream, sand or salt on a large cookie sheet and draw the map with a finger or utensil.

SL	Puzzle it: After completing your Hands-on-Map for the week, paste it onto card stock and cut it into puzzle pieces. Then have fun piecing it back together. For competitive fun, cut two or more maps into identical pieces and have students race to assemble them.

G/AL/E	Key design: Choose a blank page in the Hands-on Map book and start a key at the top of the page. As you work your way through the book, add each new country and body of water to your key. Also add a symbol for each. For example, you might add a pyramid for Egypt, a kangaroo for Australia, and a bold-faced “B” for the Black Sea. Now you can use symbols from your key to label countries and bodies of water when you revisit them.

SL/E	Pass the map: Place the map inside a sheet protector and give everyone a dry erase marker. Start a timer, then call out something for the first player to label. Pass the map from player to player until everything is labeled. See how fast you can complete your map as a team. With each round played, players must try to fill in something that they did NOT label in the previous round(s).

SL/E	Hangman: Place the map in a prominent place. Play Hangman with another student or group using the countries or bodies of water covered that week.

SL/E	Geography scramble: Make a copy of the map and scramble the labels. Set a timer and have students see how fast they can unscramble the map, drawing lines from the labels to their correct location.

Studying for Hands-On Maps for Advanced Tests

The bottom of each Hands-on Maps for Advanced page has a “Geography Need to Know” which lists everything the student needs to know from the geography for that week. At the end of the unit, the student will be tested on all the geography in these “Need to Know” sections.

G/AL/E	Compile a list of Need to Know facts and study it for the test.

SL	Help your student by highlighting the items from the Need to Know list that are actually on the test.

E	Make the test open-book with the Companion.

SL/E	Make the test open-book with their Hands-on Maps workbook.

SL	Highlight the questions in the Hands-On Maps workbook that will actually be on the test, and let your student use the workbook during the test.

SL	Have students focus only on labeling countries or bodies of water, skipping other kinds of questions.

SL/E	Study for the tests with another adult or older sibling.

SL	Print blank tests and have students practice labeling things from the Need to Know sections.

Adapting the tests
SL	Highlight only certain questions for the student to complete.

SL	Download the answer key and reformat it to make the test fill-in-the-blank.

Alternative Testing Options
G/AL/E	Instead of taking tests, write a paper or report on something covered in that unit.

G/AL/E	Have students create their own test with answer key.

SL	Use Quizlet (https://quizlet.com/) to create study material, flashcards, matching games, quizzes etc.

SL	Use figures from the BP Timeline for memorizing and testing (matching names with pictures, etc.).


Tips for Building Your Timeline

Hardcopy options: • If possible, supply each student with his or her own Timeline book. That way, they can creatively cut or draw their own figures, and the book becomes a keepsake of the history they learned through the year. • Another option is to have one hardcopy timeline for the whole family or class, and let students take turns cutting and pasting the figures where they belong.

E-book options: • Buy the e-book Timeline and print the figure pages onto heavy cardstock. Put the flowchart pages in a 3-ring binder and paste the figures in as you come to them each week. • Tape the flowchart pages to a long wall and paste the figures on as you come to them each week. • Print the timeline figures onto self-adhesive, full-size label sheets so that you can fasten them without paste. • Consider laminating the flowchart pages after they’re all assembled.

Artistic student options: • Instead of pasting figures onto the flowchart, students can draw them on. At the end of the year, they have a keepsake hand-drawn Timeline. • Instead of cutting the figures out in regular rectangles, students can cut them out outline style.

Older student options: • Instead of pasting the figures on, tape one end so that they can be lifted up. Use the space beneath to record a fun fact or two about the person or event. • Add thought bubbles or speech bubbles to indicate what certain figures might be thinking or saying. Serious students might add historically-accurate quotes, while silly students might add some laughs.

Activities with Timeline Figures
Note: To do many of these activities, you will need to have the timeline figures printed on heavy cardstock or laminated.
E	Study the figures: • Before reading the chapter for the week, choose a person from the Timeline and try to guess what he or she was like. Describe the expression on his or her face. Where is the person in the picture, and what is he or she thinking? Write down your thoughts. Then after reading the chapter, go back to what you wrote and see how right or wrong you were. • Before reading the chapter, choose a battle picture from the Timeline and try to guess what it was like. Where did the battle take place, and how did it go? Which side won, and which lost? Write down your thoughts. Then after reading the chapter, go back to what you wrote and see how right or wrong you were.

G/AL	Research: Many of the timeline figures are famous works of art. If the name and artist is not given, then research who created the art and what it is called.

SL/E	Charades: Have students choose figures from the Timeline to portray with gestures in a fun game of charades.

E	Share: Choose a Timeline figure from the week. After reading the chapter, share what you learned about that figure with the whole family or class.

G/AL	Research and Share: Choose a Timeline figure from the week to do some extra research on. Share what you learn with the whole family or class.

SL	Find the character: Play a game with the Timeline figures for the week. After reading the chapter, ask questions like: “Can you find the man who…?”, “Who is wearing the color…?”, “Which battle…”, “Who has a globe in her hand?”, etc.

E	Timeline order: After cutting the figures out, put them in chronological order using the flowchart pages as a guide.

E	Guess who: Tape a Timeline figure to the bottom of a paper bag. Then place three objects in the bag that remind you of that figure. You might use pictures, letters of the alphabet, numbers, symbols, notecards or anything else you can think of. Now have other students pull the objects from the bag and try to guess which figure is on the bottom.

SL	Puppet show: Attach the Timeline figures to craft sticks and use them to put on a puppet show about the history you’re learning.

SL/E	Guess who: Show students Timeline figures and see if they can identify them. If they can’t, then keep giving clues until they can.

SL/E	Hop on History: Scatter the Timeline figures all over the floor. Call out a question, and have students answer by hopping on the correct figure.

SL	Play the Memory game: Print two copies of each Timeline figure for the week (or a couple of weeks). Scatter them face-down on a table, then use them to play a classic game of Memory (matching).

G/AL/E	Match the facts: Write facts from the book on cards, then have students match the facts to the correct Timeline figures.

G/AL/E	Challenge Memory: Play a game of Memory with the both the facts on the cards and the Timeline figures.

G/AL/E	Reviewing for tests: Have students use the Timeline figures as study sheets, writing simple facts on the backs of the figures to help them remember.
SL	Help with testing: Have students use the figures as cheat sheets, writing simple facts on the backs of the figures that they can use during their tests.


General Tips
Treat your Coloring Book like a keepsake. Either buy a hardcopy for each student or buy the e-book and print out multiple copies. Either way, let your students know that you’re planning to keep all their work. At year’s end, they’ll have a valuable reminder of all they’ve learned.

Don’t leave your older students out. You may find that they enjoy coloring as much as younger students, if not even more.

Coloring Techniques
E	For younger students, provide crayons, fine point markers and/or colored pencils.

E	For older students, consider providing special colored pencils to be used for this job and no other.

SL/E	Dots: Dot paint the pages using cotton swab or pencil eraser dipped in paint.

E	Watercolors: Paint the pages with brush and watercolors.

E	Thumb-prints: Color the pages with inkpads and thumb-prints (Ed Emberly-style creativity).

G/AL/E	Patterns: Instead of filling the pages with solid colors, fill them with patterns and designs.

G/AL/E	Silhouettes: Color everything on the page that isn’t part of the picture.

SL	Textures: (for sensory learners): Lay the page on a rough surface like sandpaper, cork, burlap or screen before coloring so your students can enjoy the texture.

Making It Fun
SL/E	Color as you listen: Have students color their pages as you read aloud to them. Whenever possible, match the page they’re coloring to the topics you’re reading.

G/AL/E	Margin notes: In addition to coloring the page, have students write notes about what they’re learning around the edge of the page.

G/AL/E	Inside notes: Instead of coloring the images, fill them with words, phrases, fun facts and descriptions.

G/AL/E	Shape poems: Trace the outline of the image, then write a shape poem to fit inside or around it. Use fun facts, quotes and descriptions of the figure on the page..

SL/E	Summary writing: After you color a page, have students write or dictate a paragraph about it. Ask for 3-4 facts about the person or event.

G/AL/E	Copy from the original: Some of the coloring pages are based on famous paintings or photos. If you recognize one, then find the original on the internet and use it to guide your color choices.

G/AL	Art History 101: Some of the coloring pages are based on famous paintings or photos. If you recognize one, then do some research on the artist and his or her work. Where did the artist live and when? Did the artist see the subject first-hand, or did he imagine it years later?

E	Sketch artist: In addition to coloring the page, have student sketch a copy of it on a separate sheet of paper.

SL	Puzzle fun: After coloring, paste the page onto cardstock and cut it into puzzle-shaped pieces. Challenge a friend to put it back together.

G/AL/E	Window art: Tape the coloring page to the outside of a window or sliding glass door. Then use window chalk or washable paint to color the glass from the inside.

E	Pastel art: Pastel-colored chalks turn creamy and vibrant when you dip them in liquid starch before you use them. Color a page or two this way to see how it looks.

E	Watercolor crayon/pencil art: Use watercolor crayons or pencils to color the page, then brush clear water on them to turn them into watercolor paintings.

SL/E	Wikki-Stix fun: Wikki-Stix are colorful, wax-coated threads that are great for sensory activities. They are flexible and stick to glass, plastic, acrylic and countertops. You can use them to re-create shapes and letters. Lay a clear sheet protector over the coloring page, then re-create the image with Wikki-Stix. See how it looks when you take away the the coloring page.

G/AL/E	Make negatives: Lay the coloring page on a Styrofoam tray from the grocery store. Use a strong pencil or dinner knife to etch the image on the tray. Now put a light coat of paint on the tray and press it onto paper. When you remove the tray, you should have a negative of the coloring page.

E	Thumbtack fun: Lay the coloring page over corrugated cardboard. Use thumb tacks to push holes through the lines of the image, spacing them every quarter- to half-inch or so. Now remove the paper, shine a bright light through the cardboard and see what happens.

SL/E	Miniaturization ideas: • Postcards from the past: Use a copier or all-in-one machine to minimize a finished coloring page and print it on cardstock. Cut it to greeting card size, then mail to friends or family to let them know what you’re learning. • History mobile: Instead of printing your miniatures on cardstock, print them on Shrinky-Dink paper. Shrink them in the oven, punch a hole, tie on colored yarn and hang. Create a history mobile using all the pages from a unit. • Play Memory: Minimize all the pages for the unit, then print two copies of each on cardstock. Cut them out to use in a Memory-style matching game.

E	Save and cycle: Save your coloring pages at the end of the school year. When your cycle back around to that time period, have your students color the same pages again. Have fun comparing their new versions to their old ones!

SL/E	Make your own coloring page: If you’ve finished your coloring pages for the week, but still have reading to do, then have students draw a picture of something they’re learning. Give them opportunity to explain their pictures after they finish.

E	Free spirits: Let your free spirits color wherever they’re comfortable while they listen to you read—on the floor, on the couch, or at a desk or table.