All You Need is Paper (and a little love) ESL/EFL activities

  To practice using GOING TO, my 4th-graders have been talking about plans for the future. It's the end of the school year here in Brazil and everyone is somewhat tired and having more difficulty focusing. My class had to write about a place they were going to go to in the future and what they were going to take and instead of just having them write, I thought that making a little paper suitcase using craft paper would get them a little bit more engaged in the activity. Luckily, it worked. We folded half of a sheet of paper in half so that they could write inside the suitcase. Some students even drew what they would be taking with them. We made the handle out of craft foam. It was all pretty easy and the kids could finish the activity in one class. I still want them to share with their classmates what they wrote.

  My fourth-graders have been talking and thinking about what we need to reach our goals. This hasn't been an easy topic for them to discuss so I decided to make it more hands-on. I drew some tools and wrote the driving question for us to brainstorm together. I wrote all their ideas on the board, and then they had to choose 4 words to write on their tools. I got copies of my drawing for them. Maybe if you have more time, they can draw their own tools. Next, they colored, cut out, and glued their tools in their "toolbox". Today, each student will share with their work with the class.

No matter how old my students are, we always start the class by me asking them how they are, or sometimes them asking each other. To help with this opening routine, I made this feelings wheel and now when I ask my fourth-graders how they are, they use a clothespin to attach to the image of how they are feeling. Recently, I've been choosing a mini-teacher and they have to choose 3 students and ask them how they are. They then show the class the student's answer on the feelings wheel and ask the class how is he or she. The class has to give a complete answer, he or she is excited, for example. In a classroom where I can't use screens, this wheel has been a great helper.  

Based on a story my fourth-graders read in class about a girl who wanted a garden in her small apartment, I had the class think about what a garden needs. Students first wrote what a garden needs to grow strong and glued this paper with their answer on the back of a green paper. They then made flowers and stems to create their garden. We folded 2 slips of paper to make the stem so the flowers would pop off the page. It was facinating to see how each garden, despite having the same elements, was so diferent.  

Back to school for our second semester. Of course, we talked about what the kids did on their vacation. We brainstormed everything people do while on vacation and put all their ideas on the board. Next, I asked them to think of one of their best moments and imagine they had taken a photo of it. Then, we folded half of a white sheet in half, they drew their cameras and on the inside they had to draw their "photo" and write a sentence about it using the past. The sentence had to start with, on my vacation I_____. Last, we added string to their cameras so they could hang it around their neck like a real photographer and each student got to present their work to the class.  

Here's one more craft I did with my 4th-graders. They dipped their fingers in paint to make the little bunnies or eggs. We did the paint one day and the next day after the paint was completely dry, they added the details and wrote "Happy Easter"!  We folded half of a craft paper in half so it could stand up on a table. I had told them they could use it to decorate their houses for the holiday. This was fast and easy.