Core Program Area: Sports, Fitness, & Recreation Objective: Members practice basic math skills Target Audience: 10-12 years Time to Complete: 45 minutes Materials Needed: 6 dice, paper, and pencil Skills Taught/Reinforced: Math
Activity Summary: A quick, fun, low prep activity that reinforces basic math skills.
Activity Instructions: For this simple game of sequences, members participate in the following steps:
1. Roll the dice and look for sequences starting with one (one-two, one-two-three and so on).
2. Each die that is part of a sequence scores five points (so for a one-two-three sequence the point total is 15).
3. There can be more than one sequence in a roll (for example, if a roll yield a one-two-three sequence, the player could also count a one-two sequence).
4. The first player to earn 100 points wins.
Graphics used in this post are from Thistle Girl Designs, now closed Original game idea found in The Outcome-Driven Club Experience in Action September 2012
Growing up I was aware that I had Native heritage, but culture was something that just wasn't a primary focus (ah the 80s when GenX roamed free and parental involvement was next to nil). As my own wildlings were growing up we incorporated learning about many different cultures as we were able to learn more about our own origins. Now that I have the grand wildlings we're lucky enough to know more of our cultural heritage to share with them and they are blessed with a variety of cultural experiences.
Cherokee National Holiday celebrates the signing of the Cherokee Nation Constitution and there is a large celebration in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. You can learn more about it at their website at The Cherokee Holiday. However, if you're not able to attend festivities you can still teach your wildlings about the Cherokee culture. One of my favorite ways to share culture is to share their stories. One of my favorite stories from the Cherokee culture is The Origin of the Strawberry.
When the first man was created and a mate was given to him, they lived together happily for a long time, but then began to quarrel, until at last the woman left her husband and started off toward the Sun Land, in the east.
The man followed alone and grieving, but the woman kept on steadily ahead and never looked behind, until Unelanvhi, the great Apportioner (the Sun), took pity on him and asked him if he was still angry with his wife.
He said he was not, and Unelanvhi then asked him if he would like to have her back again, to which he eagerly answered yes.
So Unelanvhi caused a patch of the finest ripe huckleberries to spring up along the path in front of the woman, but she passed by without paying any attention to them. Farther on he put a clump of blackberries, but these she also refused.
Other fruits, one tow, and three, and then some trees covered with beautiful red berries, were placed beside the path to tempt her, but she still went on until suddenly she saw in front a patch of large, ripe strawberries, the first ever known.
She stooped to gather a few to eat, and as she picked them she chanced to turn her face to the west, and at once the memory of her husband cam back to her and she found herself unable to go on.
She sat down, but the longer she waited the stronger her desire to return to her husband became. At last she gathered a bunch of the finest berries and started back along the path to give them to him.
He met her kindly and they went back home together.
I love this story because it models how we can have quarrels with loved ones and still find out way back to them. There is no fault or blame given, just the example of love being stronger than the differences we face.
You can download an activity book featuring this story along with many other activity books from The Cherokee Holiday website here.
If you happen to have local wildlings, there is a large Strawberry Festival in May in Stillwell, Oklahoma that would be a very cool field trip to go along with this story. Of course, there are many other ways to experience the Cherokee culture, hopefully you and your wildlings find something that interest you.
Graphics used in this post are from Phillip Martin and Thistle Girl Designs (now closed)
When working with kids, one of the things I've quickly discovered is that they love a good party. While it would be more chaos than I could cover to celebrate every single day, that doesn't mean that there isn't something worth celebrating everyday so that you can easily find what works best for you and your kiddos.
Monthly Observations
Classical Music Month Women of Achievement Month Library Card Sign Up Month Better Breakfast Month Hispanic Heritage Month (Begins September 15)
Weekly Observations
Week 2 National Arts in Education Week
Week 3 National Keep Kids Creative Week National Farm Animals Week Tolkien Week
Week 4 National Fall Foliage Week Banned Books Week
Daily Observations
September 1: Cherokee National Holiday, American Chess Day, College Colors Day
September 2: Calendar Adjustment Day, World Beard Day, National Hummingbird Day
September 3: National Doodle Day, Skyscraper Day
September 4: Labor Day, National Wildlife Day, Newspaper Carrier Day
September 5: National Cheese Pizza Day
September 6: National Read a Book Day
September 7: Grandma Moses Day
September 8: International Literacy Day, Actors Day September 9: Wonderful Weirdos Day, Teddy Bear Day
September 10: Harvest Moon Festival; Mid-Autumn Moon Festival, Grandparents' Day
September 11: National Day of Service & Remembrance, Hot Cross Buns Day
September 12: National Video Games Day
September 13: Roald Dahl Day; International Chocolate Day
September 14: National Coloring Day, National Live Creative Day
September 15: Make a Hat Day; Batman Day; Greenpeace Day, Rosh Hashanah begins
September 16: Oktoberfest, National Play-Doh Day, Collect Rocks Day, Mayflower Day
September 17: Constitution Day, Citizenship Day September 18: Smithsonian Day
September 19: International Talk Like a Pirate Day
September 20: German World Children's Day, National Fried Rice Day, National IT Professionals Day
September 21: International Day of Peace, National Chai Day, Miniature Golf Day
September 22: Autumnal Equinox, Elephant Appreciation Day, Hobbit Day
September 23: National Checkers Day, Native American Day, Redhead Appreciation Day
September 24: World Rivers Day, International Kite Festival
September 25: National Daughters Day, Math Storytelling Day, National Comic Book Day
September 26: Johnny Appleseed Day, National Dumpling Day
September 27: World Tourism Day, Ancestor Appreciation Day
September 28: National Sons Day
September 29: National Coffee Day, Michaelmas, Sukkot begins
September 30: National Ghost Hunting Day, Orange Shirt Day
With so many great options in September there's sure to be lots of ways you and yours can celebrate the season!
Graphics used in this post have been purchased from EduClips and Thistle Girl Designs (now closed)
