Fun Beginning OY Writing Activity - "How To"

The Balancing Guy
This is a wonderful "how-to"activity and I'm sorry to say that I don't have an original source to credit. (If you can document one, please let me know so I can give credit.)  My mom gave this to me before she retired and I use it each and every year. 

The supplies are super simple, probably stuff you have at school already.  You will need: 

1. 3x5" index cards (with at least one side blank.), one per child- with a few extras for mistakes.
2. scissors/pencil
3. two smaller size paper clips per child. 
4. Several teacher-made patterns to share.

I wish I had the ability to recreate the drawings for you, but all I can do is upload pictures of the directions with hopes you can use them directly from the blog, or download them and copy them off, or whatever works for you!  Hopefully this will work as a downloadable file.  

Go to this link to find a google docs downloadable copy of this page.

Supplies

Step 1:

 

Fold on "long line of symmetry"

 

Step 2:

This is where you'll need to have some patterns of "half of a guy" already cut out for them to trace.

  

 

Step 3:

Emphasize to kids to make sure they put the guy's body next to fold, or they'll end up with two separate halves when they cut it out. 

 Step 4:

 

Step 5:

I highly recommend they don't color him with crayons or markers, it makes him floppy with the weight of the colors.  Just have them put some cute decorations with colored pencil, but not solid coloring.

 Step 6:

Step 7:

They will be absolutely amazed  how he will balance on their finger or pencil!  The balance changes as they adjust the paper clips, so it's fun to play with different ways to make him balance. 

Step 8:

I usually just let them do this part at home since we are pressed for time to start writing.

 Step 9:

 

 

 I allow them to play with their "guy" for awhile.  If you don't, they're going to play with it while they write.  We begin by talking about the directions page and I ask if we should just copy the sentences from that page.  After deciding we could change up the sentences to "make them our own," we talk about time-order words such as first, now, next, etc... We follow Regie Routman's writing program and her "I do," "we do," "you do."  This would be an excellent "I do" activity.  This sample is too simplified, but would be a good starting point so they could add elaboration. 

I hope you can use the idea!  I am PROMISING you, the kids will love it.  You might even have a little science discussion about why/how he can balance!