Next week is our state testing, and they are filling ALL the testing in a 3 day period. As I've said in prior posts, I am new to the school this year, so my curriculum & planning is brand new. I have small gaps of about 30 minutes 2-3 times day and I was hoping to fill them with more easy going activities for my 4th graders. They will be testing all day, so I don't want to do too much (if any) academic work. I also want to stay away from just completing packets during these gaps. Here's what I was thinking so far: *math games *"postage stamp"-I do this each year at the end of a Native American unit, where they create a design for a new stamp reflecting what they've learned about Native Americans. And....that's where I've stopped! Any ideas?
Check with the policies about what you can do. In our state, math games would be discouraged on the day they were taking the math test.
Do you have access to technology during the day? What are they covering in Social Studies? Could you work on, say, a family history project? It would be academic in nature, but less stressful than a traditional unit. Maybe on testing days the kids could share some of what they've learned about their own families??
Reader's Theater, a science demonstration and discussion, picture geometry dictionary (actually taking pictures of shapes), or review games.
Can you take them outside? I think just going outside for a few minutes but be a great way to spend time on a test filled day
I wish I could just take them outside and play, but they have this one small blacktop area in the school that takes about 10 minutes to get to, and 10 to get back. They basically have 10 minutes to play. I'm worried how the testing days are going to go...these guys find it quite the challenge to stay put, stay quiet, and stay focused. It's gonna be a hard week on all of us! :unsure:
