Toronto Teacher Mom: DIY

DIY Magnetic Words for La poule Maboule AIM Kit

Last June, we put together a wish list for our French department and on that list was a French magnetic poetry kit. I thought it would be a great manipulative for students to use as part of a centre, for example, but then I got to thinking that the vocabulary wouldn't be as practical for beginners since it would likely be geared more towards those who are francophone. So when I came across Avery Magnet Sheets (affiliate link) during Amazon Prime Day, I thought I would try to make my own. Printable magnetic sheets? Who knew? These ink jet magnet sheets, which are specially coated for brilliant colour, are compatible with my new Epson EcoTank 2750 and so I gave it a shot. I changed the print quality to high and I was very impressed with the result.

During Prime Day, I was so ecstatic to have found CARL RM-12 12-Inch Cutting Mats (affiliate link) for my really old 12-inch trimmer, which I haven't been able to find in-store. Plus, they were on sale. With these fresh mats, it made cutting my magnetic words sheet into strips that much easier and the cut was much neater. Then I just cut the strips into words by making small vertical cuts with a pair of scissors.

For this particular set, I tried to fit in as many of the words on the PDL Gestured Word List for the AIM Language kit I use with my grade 1 students - La poule Maboule. I managed to fit around 90% of the words on a single sheet in a Google Doc, in size 14 font. I still need to make an additional sheet with punctuation marks, several copies of the higher frequency words, capitalized words that often begin a sentence and additional conjugations and verb tenses. I printed mine in colour using a variation of the colour code used for the Montessori grammar symbols:

light blue for articles
black for nouns
dark blue for adjectives
purple for pronouns
red for verbs
orange for adverbs
green for prepositions
yellow for interjections

For certain expressions, I decided to use grey. You can download a copy by clicking on the thumbnail below. I also created one in black and white.

The Avery Magnet Sheets pack includes five sheets only so I have a feeling I'm going to buy some more during one of the Staples Teacher Appreciation Days when I can save 15% off.

How to Make Your Own Magnetic Words

Materials:

Avery Magnet Sheets
inkjet printer (such as Canon, Epson, HP and other popular ink jet printers)
scissors and/or a paper cutter

Directions:

Design a table with multiple columns and rows, and type out the required words, adjusting column width as necessary. For the set I created, I created a Google Doc and used a Serif font called Bitter in size 14.
Load a magnetic sheet into the printer, ensuring that it will print on the correct side, and print.
Let it dry fully for a few minutes.
Cut out the words. I used a rotary paper trimmer but it is metal which meant that the magnetic sheet wouldn't slide as easily. So I used it to make the horizontal cuts and used scissors to cut vertically.

I plan on using these magnetic words after introducing the "Mets les mots en ordre" activity. Initially, I would limit the words in the tin to select words with which they can formulate simple sentences. They can work in their groups during IPG (Independent/Partner/Group) work, where each day a different group gets to work with them while the remaining groups work on the activities. Once a group member creates a sentence, other group members can act it out or illustrate it on a mini whiteboard. Then I would add more words when it’s time to create "Mes phrases folles."

Have you used magnetic words in the classroom? I would love to learn more about how you incorporate them and any storage ideas you might have.

Friday, July 20, 2018
7 Comments

Make Your Own Red Lens Viewer for Breakout EDU

Arts and Crafts

Have you seen the new Breakout EDU kits? Unlike the original Breakout EDU kit that I had purchased a couple of years ago, they come with two new black Breakout EDU boxes, a directional multilock that comes with additional wheels, a deck of reflection cards, two hint cards and 12 months of access to the Breakout EDU Platform that contains 10+ Subject Packs. (Fear not. If you already have a kit and you don't want to purchase a platform access code to check out the new games, you can still access hundreds of free Breakout EDU games by registering for a free account.) I recently discovered that the new kit also comes with a cool red lens viewer and my first thought was: I want one! So of course, my crafty instincts kicked into gear and I found a way to make my own red lens viewer using materials I had at home.

How to Make Your Own Red Lens Viewer

For this project, I found an old pack of inkjet transparency film that I had bought while in Teachers' College. I don't use them anymore because really, overhead projectors are becoming as obsolete as the carousel slide projector. If you don't have any on hand, you could try looking for red acetate. And if you do find any, I would love it if you could share where you found it. Thanks!

Materials:

inkjet transparency film (or red acetate)
card stock
two-way glue tape
marker
scissors

Directions:

Step 1: Create a document with a large red rectangle to cover the whole page and print onto the inkjet transparency film. Be sure it prints onto the rough (not glossy) side of the sheet. Or, if you can find some, you could use red acetate.

Make Your Own Red Lens Viewer - printable template

Step 2: Create the viewer frame by printing out the above red lens viewer template onto card stock and using craft scissors to cut out the frames. If you're lucky enough to own a new Cricut Explore Air 2 like I do, you can design a template and have Cricut do all the hard work for you!

Step 3: Trace the perimeter of the frame onto the transparency or acetate using a marker such as a Sharpie and cut it out.

Step 4: Using a two-way glue tape runner from the dollar store or an advanced tape glider, adhere one frame to the film.

Step 5: Repeat Step 4 and adhere a second frame to the back to make it even sturdier.

To create a hidden message, here are instructions for using their fun Breakout EDU pattern background that you can print out and write on with a blue pen or pencil, or their editable Google Slides file where you can edit the secret message before printing.

I'm sorry. What was that? Madame Mancuso est très cool? Aw, shucks!

Monday, April 02, 2018
15 Comments

How to Make Coloured Slime With Elmer's White School Glue

Arts and Crafts

The summer is finally upon us and I can now rejoice in the luxury of two restful months off work. In theory, that is. Granted the kids are older and more independent than ever, it never ceases to amaze me how three simple words can still irritate me to no end: "Mom, I'm bored!" Luckily, my son has made friends with many of the neighbourhood boys and they are constantly playing together and running around outside. My daughter, however, isn't as fortunate. There is only one girl her age on our street with whom she enjoys playing but she travels a lot with her family, especially during the summer, leaving my daughter to own devices. Quite literally. She would spend the whole day watching YouTube videos or playing video games if we let her.

Instead, we encourage her love of arts and crafts, especially given her creative flair. Drawing and dancing are her forte, and she has a growing collection of paints and brushes, and yet, what does she keep begging me to make? Slime. She is forever obsessed with SLIME! In the past, we've tried a couple of different recipes, despite my better judgement, and the outcome would rarely be pretty. But then, as if the slime gods had been watching over us, we received a kid-friendly slime kit from Elmer's to test out and suddenly my fear of messy disasters was appeased.

Inside the kit, we found a 4 fl oz bottle of Elmer's White School Glue, a small jar of baking soda and a dropper bottle filled with blue food colouring. According to the Elmer's recipe for coloured slime, the fourth and final ingredient was contact lens solution, which I know many people already have lying around at home. I probably could have asked my friend for the mere tablespoon of lens solution required for the slime recipe but I knew this would the first of many slimey concoctions so I went out to the pharmacy and bought a small bottle.

After pouring the entire bottle of Elmer's White School Glue, we added half a tablespoon of baking soda and mixed them together. Then we added several drops of food colouring, followed by a tablespoon of contact lens solution. We mixed all the ingredients together until it all started to stick together and became harder to mix. We removed the slime from the bowl and began to knead until it didn't feel sticky. Overall, it was super easy to make and the instructions were very straightforward. I was amazed to see the transformation of the glue and baking soda when mixed with the lens solution. It was like magic!

If you would like to try making slime with your kids, check out Elmer's Recipe for Colored Slime. I also recommend you bookmark their Elmer's slime page for additional recipes, videos and handy tips and tricks. Keep in mind that, depending on the food colouring you use, you may notice that it may stain your hands. While we were able to wash it off afterwards, you may want to consider using gloves when kneading. Also, pull out some old newspapers to protect your tabletop while making and playing with your slime. And please be sure to read their disclaimer:

*Adult supervision is required; This project is not appropriate for children under the age of 3 years. Always wash your hands before and after making and playing with slime. Warning: If large quantities of contact lens solution are accidentally ingested (greater than a tablespoon), get medical attention immediately.

Disclosure: I am participating in the Elmer's Kid-Friendly Slime campaign and have received special perks. Any opinions expressed in this post are my own.