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Subjects

• Educational Technology
  

Grade

• K-2
• 3-5
• 6-8
  

Brief Description

Students create a special notepad for parent-teacher communication throughout the school year.

Objectives

Students will

• print three copies of the apple template provided in this lesson.
• write (or type) your name on each apple (for a total of 12 apples).
• cut the apples apart and staple them together to make a notepad.

Keywords

communication, parent, apple

Materials Needed

• apple notepad template
• pencil or computer access
• scissors
• stapler

Lesson Plan

In this activity, students create special notepads their parents can use to send regular notes to the teacher; the teacher will have a similar pad for their responses to parents. The activity also provides teachers with some start-of-the-new-year insight into students' abilities to follow directions and their handwriting/motor or basic computer skills.

Provide students with the Apple Notepad for Parents and Teachers template from Education World's Back-to-School Templates. The template has the word Dear set at the top of the page.

You might use the apple notepad template in one of two ways:

• Print enough copies of the apple template, so each student can have three copies (for a total of 12 apples). Have students fill in the line at the top of each apple with your name; students should write your name after the word Dear. Altogether, each student will write your name 12 times.
• This is an editable template, so students also can complete the activity on the computer. In that case, they type your name after the word Dear on each of the four apples on the template and then print three copies of the template.

Next, have students cut out all the apples, so each has a total of 12 apples. Tell them to stack all 12 apples one on top of the other and then staple the apples together just below the stem (Younger students might need help stapling through 12 sheets of paper.)

Send home the notepad with a letter or with the first issue of your class newsletter. Explain to parents that students created the notepads to provide their parents with a simple way to communicate with you. Tell parents that you hope to hear from them at least once a month. Encourage them to use the notepad to share good news of special events in their child's life, to ask a question, to request an update of their child's performance, or for any other reason. Let them know that you have your own notepad and will use it to respond each time they write to you.

Assessment

Students will follow directions.

Lesson Plan Source

Education World

Submitted By

Gary Hopkins

National Standards

Not applicable

Find more great back-to-school activities on Education World's special Back to School archive page.

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Article by Gary Hopkins
Education World®
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