Many of the holidays are onetime events, while others are month long celebrations or observances. Include a brief description of the holiday along with the bell work activity. Here are some examples for the month of August.
Back to School
August is primarily the month when students around the country go back to school. Since the first few days are usually spent on rules and expectations, have them write about events fresh on their minds.
Activity One: Have students write about what they did over the summer. Encourage them to write with as much detail as possible.
Activity Two: Ask students to make a list of goals they hope to achieve during the new school year. They could include personal as well as academic goals. This list should be kept in their notebooks to reflect on at the end of the year.
National Inventors' Month
Students may not even realize how inventions and inventors have changed the quality of their lives. To get the point across, give specific examples like the telephone or electricity.
Activity One: Have students brainstorm a list of inventions that have impacted their lives. Ask them to then choose one and write a paragraph about the invention's importance and how life would be different without it.
Activity Two: Instruct students to think about something they wish could be easier or more convenient in their lives. Have them come up with their own invention and write about it or draw a picture and describe it.
Children's Vision and Learning Month
The purpose of this observance is to stress the importance of a child's vision and its role in her ability to read and learn.
Activity One: Have students describe an item of their choice using all of the senses EXCEPT sight. For example, to describe an apple, a student cannot say it's red because red is a sight word. Students will need to focus instead on how an object feels, tastes, sounds, and smells.
Activity Two: On a more serious note, instruct students to think, then write about the challenges they would face if they could not see. This enables students to focus on things they would normally take for granted.
National Aviation Day, August 19
This is always held on August 19th, in observance of the birth of Orville Wright who flew the first self-powered flight in history.
Activity One: Have students describe what impact airplanes have had on the world. For example, they could address travel or war.
Activity Two: Ask students if they have ever been in an airplane. If they have, have them write about a specific flight. Where did they go? How long did it take to get there? What was the flight like during takeoff and landing? If they have never flown, ask students to write about where they would like to fly and why.
These are just a few of the observances for the month of August. For more, type in "August holidays" in a search engine to obtain a detailed list. Even the simplest of holidays can be used for bell work activities.
Make sure students know ahead of time the expectations behind a paragraph, especially the number of sentences. Also, change the assignments by having students write poems, design ads, draw cartoons, or make lists. The idea is to keep them busy with activities that are fun, but at the same time educational.
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Doris Keeler - Doris is an 8th grade language arts teacher who specializes in teaching students the art of writing. Under her direction, the writing plan ...
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