Materials:

• chart paper
• crayons and markers
• camera and film
• drawing paper
• pre-cut shapes (triangles, squares, circles, and rectangles)
• glue

Objective: Children will create a yearbook to document their favorite activities and the things that they learned to do at school.

In Advance: Explain to children that they will make a special book about their favorite things to do in school.

ACTIVITY

1. Create a questionnaire to gather information on each child's school experiences. Include the following questions: What is your favorite color? favorite shape? favorite thing to do at school? Leave space below each area to record children's responses. Photocopy the questionnaire.
2. Meet with each child individually to complete the questionnaires. Write the children's names in the appropriate space or invite the children to "write" their names. Provide children with crayons and ask them to color with their favorite color. Invite them to choose their favorite pre-cut geometric shape and glue it onto the questionnaire. Ask children to describe their favorite thing to do at school. Record their responses.
3. Provide children with drawing paper and crayons and encourage them to draw a picture of themselves at school. Include children's dictations about their drawings.
4. Include a photograph of each child engaged in his favorite school activity. Glue the photographs onto sheets of paper. Invite children to include dictations about their photographs.
5. Create a title page for the book. Organize the pages of the book and bind it. Read the book with children during reading time. Invite children to share their individual pages. Photocopy the book to make a wonderful end-of-the-year book for children and their families to enjoy together.

Curriculum Connection

Math: Graphing Our Favorite Songs. On a sheet of chart paper, write the heading Our Favorite Songs. Divide the paper into thirds or quarters to create a graph. List three or four of the children's favorite songs in each section. Provide children with a label or sticker with their name on it and invite them to place the sticker on the section that has their favorite song. Assist children in counting the total number for each song. Create additional graphs to gather information about favorite stories, nursery rhymes, games, or center areas. Display children's work for an end-of-the-year learning exhibit.

BOOKS
How Kids Grow*
by Jean Marzolo
(Scholastic Inc.; $3.25)

So Big!
by Dan Yaccarino
(HarperFestival, 2001; $7.95)

When I Get Bigger
by Mercer Mayer
(Golden Books, 1985; $2.99)