Exploration+and+Writing

Here are 10 weeks of activities that involve reading, writing and exploration. There's no special order, and you don't have to do everything listed in a particular week. Just pick the ones that look interesting and fun!

Week 1: Summer Celebration

 * Write a list of things you want to do this summer. Don't forget to include reading!
 * Make a Book Log to write all the books you read this summer.[[file:EES SUMMER BOOK LOG.doc]]
 * Start a summer scrapbook. Include souvenirs of any trips you take, photos, ticket stubs, and projects you work on during the summer.
 * Take a walk. Write about or draw the things you see that show summer is here. Research some of the interesting summer things.
 * Take a walk. Write about or draw the things you see that show summer is here. Research some of the interesting summer things.

Week 2: Keep in touch

 * Make a personal phone book. List phone numbers and addresses of your friends and relatives.
 * Design your own stationery and write a letter to a friend.
 * Start a journal with a friend or relative. Take turns writing in it all summer long. You can even do this by mail or e-mail.
 * Write a letter to your favorite author. A librarian can help you find a postal or e-mail address.

Week 3: Recipes for fun

 * List all the ice cream flavors you can think of. Now put them in A-BC order.
 * Invent a recipe for a cool summer drink. Write it on a recipe card. Serve the drink to your friends.
 * Go to the library and find a cookbook. Make the most interesting dish in the book.
 * Write a narrative about the the most interesting dish you ever ate.

Week 4: Around the world

 * If you are going on a family vacation this summer, read about your trip. Mark your travel route on a map.
 * Pretend you are going to visit another city, state, or country with a friend or relative. Write to the tourist bureau for more information. If you plan to visit a foreign country, write to the embassy. Visit the library and find books about the place you want to visit. Or search online for information. Plan your itinerary – and don't forget to check the weather!
 * Pick an important news event from another city, state, or country. Find as much information on the topic as possible – read newspapers, listen to the radio, and watch TV news. Write about what you learned.

Week 5: Nature All Around

 * Collect shells at the beach or rocks along a trail. Use a nature guide to identify them. Write your own Nature Guide about them.
 * Plan a backyard camping trip with a friend. List all the things you will need to survive.
 * Find something small enough to put in your pocket. Write or tell a story about it.
 * Look for shapes and designs in the clouds. Draw them.
 * Word game! Make a list of words to describe fireworks.

Week 6: Fun Places

 * An animal has escaped from the zoo! Make up a story about it. Tell it to a friend or family member – or write it down. Add pictures, if you'd like.
 * What museums are close to your house? Are there any old, historic buildings in the area? Find these places on a map. Find out what is on exhibit at the museums and why the old buildings are important.
 * Go back in time and pretend you lived in – or did business in – the oldest building in your area. Write a story about how you spent your time.
 * Visit a museum or historical building with friends or relatives. Write a list of things you see that you didn't expect.
 * Word game! Think of the softest animal or the oldest thing you've ever touched. Write a poem about it, but don't use the word //soft// or //old.//

Week 7: Publishing Party

 * Make your own joke book. Collect jokes and riddles from your family and friends.
 * Cut out pictures from an old magazine or catalog. Write a story about them.
 * Create a rebus story (a story that uses pictures to represent words). Write a short story, and then substitute pictures (that you draw or cut out) for some of the words.
 * Start a round-robin story. Write the beginning, then ask friends to add to it until it has an ending.

Week 8: Sky Watcher

 * Learn what birds live in your area. (Birds are described in books called Field Guides.) Wake up early to go bird watching and list the birds you see.
 * Which constellations can you see on a clear summer night? Look at the sky using a star guide to help you find the constellations.
 * People have been looking at the skies for generations. Ask a grandparent or a much older friend to tell you a story about his or her childhood. Write about it.
 * The first UFO was reported in 1947. Read a science fiction book in honor of it. Write a fictional story about UFOs.
 * Word game! Baseballs also fly through the sky in summer. Find a list of baseball teams in the sports section of the newspaper. Put them in A-B-C order.

Week 9: Big Inventions

 * Invent a tool to help you do chores more easily. Draw a picture of it or make it from some old junk.
 * Read aloud the names of some of the cars in the classified section of your newspaper. Design a new car and name it.
 * Walk around your neighborhood and look at the houses. Design a house that would best suit your lifestyle.
 * Design your own board game and write the rules.
 * Everything we use was designed by someone. Start a collection of things you like, or add to a collection you already have. Use a guide to learn the value of your collection.

Week 10: Summer's End

 * Review the chart you made to track the books you read this summer. Pick new books to read.
 * Notice what time the sun sets today. Compare it to the time the sun set during week one.
 * Make a list of the supplies you need for school. Start shopping.
 * Write a letter to your new teacher, telling her you goals for this year.
 * Plan an end-of-summer celebration. Write a list of the 10 best things you did this summer. Design a menu of your favorite summer treats.
 * Word game! Summer days are the longest days of the year. List the longest words you know.