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

 These explosion books are amazing! There are lots of tutorials on YouTube teaching us how to make them and they can be used for several different activities. I used one of these tutorials with my 5th-grade students and after they had made the shape for the book, we used it to do an activity about the story Treasure Island. They first had to answer some questions about the story and then create their own character to add to the story. They had to draw their character, describe it, and draw objects their characters would own or use in the story. Also, because they weren't really able to get into the story, this was a way to get them to get more excited about it. In the end, the trickiest part was folding the book but they got the hang of it faster than I did.   

  For my third-graders to illustrate a story, we made finger-painted sheep. They first used white paint to make the sheep, and while the paint was drying, they wrote what happened first, next, then, and finally in the story. We came up with the sequence together as a group. I wrote their ideas on the board for them to copy on notebook paper. When they were done, they drew the head and legs of the sheep on black paper, cut them out, and glued them to the bodies. They also glued googly eyes onto the head. One other thing some students did was to add a small slip of folded paper on the back of the head, so it would stick out a little. I always love the fact that each one comes out different, even though the idea is the same. In the following class, they each used their work to practice reading.

  We've been studying what happens first, next, then, and finally in a story. We're also still talking about what our responsibilities to each other are, so I thought the story of The Selfish Crocodile would be perfect. The story can be found on YouTube here . First, they watched the video, and we discussed the story and the moral they got from it. They then made a paper crocodile, and I elicited the sequence of the story from them. After they had written their ideas on the board, everyone copied the sequence on a white sheet of paper and glued it onto the back of the crocodile. I had them practice reading what they wrote in pairs. The green crocodile was my sample for them. Unfortunately, we didn't have enough green paper for the whole class, so the crocodiles came out very colorful. Luckily, the students ended up loving the different colors. I used a paper cutter for the paper circles, but you can also fold a paper sheet twice and cut out different-sized circles. I han...

I had my third graders make these frogs to share their favorite part of a story called Frog Brings Rain. They first made the paper frogs and then drew their favorite part on a white sheet of paper to glue inside. Then, they had to write a sentence about what they drew. Finally, each student came to the front of the class to share their drawing and their sentence. They really enjoy sharing their work with their friends. Plus, I believe it's essential for their work to have a purpose besides just me collecting and checking what they do. I made videos of their presentations and posted the videos for their parents to be able to see on an online platform I use called  Seesaw  .  

Still on the topic of pets, we will be talking about unusual pets people have. I will read the story A Color of His Own by Leo Lionni  besides the one they already have in their book. They will do this activity after they listen to the story. I drew a Pinterest inspired (almost always) on a box I had, colored it and cut it out. I glued it onto a bottle cap so students would be able to slide it around. I  then painted several chopsticks I have been saving from sushi orders for students to match with the colors of the chameleon. After the matching is done, they will draw their own chameleon to match one of the other sticks. One day, when we go back to our classrooms, I want to do this activity and have the students draw their chameleons and paint their own sticks for other students in the class to match up. I love chameleons, maybe, because we have all had to become one this year. 

These Story Wheels can be used in several different ways. I used them in 2 different classes as first day activities. In one class, students were very young, around 8 years old, so I had students draw and talk about their likes and dislikes. They shared their circles in small groups. In another class, students' average age was 12 years old and they were at an intermediate level. I had them draw and then talk in pairs about important moments in their lives. The circles are easy to make. You just need to circles of the same size, one has an opening so you can see the drawings on the other circle. After students have made their drawings, you put the circles together using a brad. There are just soooo many ways you can use these circles and it really lets students get creative.

My fourth grade bilingual class read a story about the life of Ida Lewis, a famous heroic lighthouse keeper who lived in Rhode Island. After we read and discussed the story, I had them choose four important parts of the story. They had to draw these important moments on a paper circle divided into four parts. We then cut out another circle the same size as the first with an opening so we could see each drawing separately. The students put the circles together with a brad. When they were done, they shared their circles with their classmates and had to retell each part of the story to their friends. It was a great way for me to check they had understood the story and knew how to use the new words.

I loved this paper shape so much that I decided to use it with several different groups. Students were given a square sheet of paper which they folded connecting the tips to make 4 triangles. They then cut on one of the creases just to the middle of the square. The two bottom triangles can be overlapped and glued together so that the paper stands up, like in the pictures. This 3D shape can be used for so many different activities and with so many different ages. All it takes it some imagination and creativity. In the first two pictures, we were studying the Present Continuous. Each student had to write two sentences and draw the pictures for their sentences. One sentence had to be in the singular and the other one in the plural, for example: She is playing ball/They are playing ball. I then covered their sentences with a triangular piece of paper and placed their work around the class. The students had to walk around the classroom, look at the pictures and write down in their n...

This activity is great for teens or adults. Show your students an image. I have a board on Pinterest with loooots of fantastic art that can be used to engage sts. Pinterest is a great place to save and organize things you will use one day. Hand out slips of paper; if you have a group of 6 to 10 sts give them 2 slips per st. Tell sts to write a word on each slip related to the image. It can be what they see or what they feel. Don't tell them yet what they're going to be doing with the slips. After they are done, collect the slips. Oraganize your class into groups; you can decide how many depending on the number of sts you have. Hand back the slips, an even number to each group if possible. Then, each group has to come up with a story based on the picture you showed them, using the words on the slips. They have to use all the words they have. Give them the time they have to come up with their stories. Depending on what you're teaching, you can also determine which verb tens...