Saturday, March 12, 2016

Books & Brackets Blog Hop!

It's a Books & Brackets Blog Hop!


I'm excited to join an awesome group of bloggers to talk about some of our favorite books to use in the classroom during the month of March. We're sharing some FREEBIES and have some GIVEAWAYS for you, too! 

I decided to share one of the activities our first graders do for St. Patrick's Day. 

We send a letter home to our parents and students explaining that we know that the leprechauns messed up the kindergarten classrooms last year and played pranks on the kindergarteners. We don't want the same thing to happen to our first grade classrooms. So this year, we're going to make leprechaun traps to try to catch the leprechauns before they get into mischief in our classrooms.


Sometimes we have the students bring in materials from home to build the traps at school (a great partner or small group activity). Other times we have had the students make the traps at home and bring them to school to set them up in the classroom.

In preparation, we read and learn about St. Patrick's Day. The book I'm highlighting is brand new to me. It's the perfect book to read before sending the students off to create their own leprechaun traps.

It's called How to Catch a Leprechaun by Adam Wallace. The illustrator is Andy Elkerton.


A leprechaun tells the story in rhyme. He describes how he'll make a scene in each place he enters. He explains that leprechauns are really quick and will NEVER be caught. The illustrations are bright, colorful, and vivid. It shows the traps that the leprechaun encounters and easily outwits. The story ends with a challenge: the leprechaun won't get caught unless a PERFECT trap is designed. He asks the question, "But who will that child be?" Isn't that the perfect introduction and motivator for building a trap? I can't wait to read it to my students!

I created a packet of leprechaun activities to have some fun as we learn and celebrate St. Patrick's Day.


It includes leprechaun drawing and writing activities and a leprechaun roll and draw partner game that's just for FUN!


Students can design and write about a leprechaun trap.


They draw and write about leprechaun pranks, too. You'll find more leprechaun activities in the packet. It's a FREEBIE! You can download the packet HERE!

I'm having a GIVEAWAY for a free copy of How to Catch a Leprechaun by Adam Wallace. You can enter below.

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You can also enter our Teachers Pay Teachers® gift card GIVEAWAY! You can enter to win a $75.00 gift card below.

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Continue our blog hop for more fantastic March ideas, free resources, and a chance to win 14 more books! Have fun!


Hop back thru on Monday to see if you've won any of the books or are the GRAND prize winner of the TPT GIFT card!