Wednesday, June 1, 2016

End of the Year Autograph Book

I still have another week of teaching. I wanted to share one of my students' favorite end of the year activities. It's part of our June I Teach K-2 Link Up where we share ideas, activities, and freebies!

The activity is an end of the year autograph book signing. I prepare autograph books for the students. I give the autograph books to the students on the last day of school. It begins with a quick writing lesson on what to write in an autograph book. The students then spend about an hour or so signing each other's books.

Here's an explantation of how we do it.

I start the writing lesson by asking the children what they think someone might write in an autograph book. Thru brainstorming and discussions we come up with a list of sentences that the children could write in their classmates' books. I post the chart in front of the classroom. It's a scaffold for those who have difficulty thinking of their own sentences. Some children choose to use these. Others write their own.

Here's an example of some of the sentences that we've come up with as a class.

This is the cover of the autograph book. I usually print it on bright colored card stock and add a back cover to it, too.

This is what the pages look like. Each booklet has identical pages. 

Each student has a box with his/her name and a picture that tells something about that student. For example, a picture above may be by the student's name because:

Nathan loves football. He has older brothers and cousins who play on the high school football team.
Tim is good at math and can't wait for math time each day.
Caren loves to read and enjoys sharing about the books she's read. 
Jan enjoys acting in plays.
James is a great artist and loves to draw.
Erin is interested in all things having to do with science. 

Each student signs each autograph book in the box that has his/her name.

Here's a sample page of what a completed page looks like after it's been signed. 

The students write at least one sentence when they sign an autograph book. They take breaks during the signing and may sit, color the pictures, and visit with friends. It's a wonderful time for the children to say their good-byes to friends and classmates. The autograph books makes a great school year keepsake, too.

If you decide to try the activity, I'd be happy to answer any of your questions. 

Here's an end of the year FREEBIE for you. These are EDITABLE graduation certificates. 


 Click on the picture above to download.







You'll want to check out the posts below for more great ideas and freebies. You'll also want to enter our giveaway for a chance to win a $25.00 TPT gift card!



a Rafflecopter giveaway

7 comments:

  1. What a neat idea! Thanks for sharing!

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  2. Your first graders must love these autograph books!
    Linda
    KinderLit

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  3. What an adorable idea for an end of the year keepsake!
    Christine Maxwell Hand to Heart

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  4. What a great keepsake for students to cherish :D Thank you for sharing!

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  5. Cute! Where is the link for the autograph books? Please advise...
    Thanks,
    Teresa
    tll6601@gmail.com

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  6. Hi! I love that you have kids brainstorm ideas about what to write- so smart! Also have to say I like your style- everything here is super cute!

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  7. What a cute autograph book! I love the idea and it makes a great writing activity!

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