There are so many classroom tools out there–technology, gadgets, manipulatives, and hands-on activities. It can be overwhelming to choose which is most effective! But, there is ONE thing I always keep in my classroom and it’s never failed me yet. No matter how amazing the lesson plan is, the inevitable always occurs. Have any of these ever happened to you?
- You saved the link to that awesome website you found. It was SURE to enrich your lesson on nonfiction text features. The video explained them in kid-friendly language better than you ever could. Double click….and….nothing. Wifi is down. Websites down. SmartBoard is not responding. Now what?
- Your original copies are all sitting neatly in your plastic drawer which is beautifully labeled “to copy”. It’s plan time and you have every intention to head to the copier but your teacher bestie stops by to tell you about her weekend. Next thing you know, it’s time to pick up your kids from the gym. No copies were made…
- It’s guided reading time and your students are super into the book they read about penguins. You capitalize on their excitement by pulling out a nonfiction book you have sitting around–also about penguins. You want to take the opportunity to compare and contrast fiction and nonfiction but you didn’t prep anything ahead of time.
- It’s 2:30 on a Friday and raining. Indoor recess had to be cut short because your kids are arguing about whose turn it was to play Sorry next and you just cannot take it anymore. You planned to read from your chapter book but you can’t do that for a full 30 minutes and your throat is starting to hurt.
What would you do?! There is ONE solution to ALL of these scenarios. Are you ready? Wait for it…
Drumroll please…..
Pull out some blank paper.
Yes, it’s THAT simple! Here are 6 of my go-to activities for using blank paper.
Make a Foldable
Fold that paper in half, make some cuts, and ta-da–you have yourself a learning activity. Label each flap with a category within a topic you are learning—like suffixes. Then have students write examples under each flap. Or, even better, have them search in books to find them. This is so versatile!
Jot, Draw, and Pass
This is a perfect review activity and all you need is a sheet of blank paper. Break the students in your classroom get into small groups and pick a topic. For example, after I teach about polar bears, I ask students to write or draw about things they learned. I set a timer for a minute. You can have 1 student draw at a time or the entire group can work together. They write and draw as many things as they can and then pass it when the time is up. If you want to add some friendly competition, count up how many different ideas they recorded, and the team with the most wins. It’s fun and a perfect informal assessment tool!
Directed Drawings
One activity I come back to often is directed drawings! In the photo above, I use a directed drawing for each one of the U.S. symbols we learn about. Students use a blank 11×14 sheet of paper to draw and then write 2 facts about the symbol.
If you have never done a directed drawing before, you need to try this one! They are magical! You can find them on TpT or on YouTube (even better because you don’t even have to talk!). Students love these step-by-step drawings. They can be for fun or tied to something educational. I love to do one on a Friday that connects with whatever we were learning. Directed drawings are the perfect reason to always keep blank paper in the classroom!
Make a Chart
Charts are my go-to activity when I forget to copy something or I need an activity on the fly–especially during guided reading. Simply have students fold their paper in half, thirds, or fourths. They can make a vocabulary graphic organizer, or sort words with different patterns. It could even be a task card recording sheet. Once, I had students make a mini-version of my anchor chart on blank paper and they used it quite often as a reference tool.
Create Your Own Graphic Organizer
Not only is this a great no-prep activity, but students will also benefit greatly from being able to design their own graphic organizer. Just pick whatever skill you want to work on and pair it with a book you are reading. If you are teaching the main idea, draw one large rectangle and three smaller rectangles. Keep a visual of graphic organizer types laminated and on hand for quick ideas.
Make a Tic Tac Toe game
Practice sight words or math facts by playing Tic, Tac, Toe! Fold the paper into thirds both horizontally and vertically. Draw lines on the creases. If using sight words, have students write one sight word in each square. Partner students together to play. They need to read the sight word before they put the X or O over the spot. Use counters as the x’s and o’s so they can play more than once!
If you aren’t already, you should keep a stack of blank paper in your classroom–always! There are so many possibilities. If you’d like to try another fun, low-prep activity, these writing topic spinners are perfect for substitute plans or anytime you need something extra!
Looking for more fun ways to keep students engaged? Check out these posts!
