Are you looking for great literature to introduce to your students in the month of October?  You will find some of my favorites for upper elementary students.  Read on for a summary and why they are my favorites!  Happy Haunted Reading!  CLICK ON EACH BOOK PICTURE TO FIND IT ON AMAZON!




1.  Bunnicula by Deborah and James Howe.


A chapter book:  4.2 reading level

Harold, the narrator of the story, is hysterical! He is just like my dog, Romeo, who begs for food 24-7! And Chester, the cat, oh my. My students and I fall off our chairs when reading about his shenanigans! He thinks that the new bunny in the house is a vampire and performs crazy acts to get rid of the vampire!  I love this character so much that I call my own cat Chester when he acts a little crazy.  Chester wears garlic around his neck, tries to pound the bunny with a steak..yes steak not stake, and wears a towel around his neck to look like a vampire cape to get everyone's attention. The poor bunny can't get a break so Harold steps in to help him. It is a must read! Teachers, there are so many different reading skills you can pull from this book.  The great thing about this book, is there is a series so my students ran to the library asking for the next book!

Bunnicula Series-  All of the Bunnicula Books
Howliday Inn
Bunnicula Strikes Again
The Celery Stalks at Midnight
Nighty Nightmare
Return to Howliday Inn
Bunnicula Meets Edgar Allan Crow



2.  The Ghost of Fossil Glen by Cynthia DeFelice



A chapter book:  Reading level 5.1

This has been my favorite read aloud for years!  My students begged and pleaded for me to keep reading each day.  It is so realistic that students can relate to it.  It is about eleven-year old Allie Nichols who loves climbing at Fossil Glen, which is dangerously steep and rocky.  As she is clinging to the side of a cliff, she hears a trusting voice to bring her down the cliff safely.  The mysterious thing is that there was NOBODY there!  As she begins to investigate, she realizes that some of her friends were not true friends and she decides to only confide in her long time friend Dub.  Allie continues to hear voices and is given clues to a mystery.  As Ali and Dub gets closer to discovering out the ghostly voice and clues, they realize they uncovered a very gruesome crime and they are now in danger!  Just like Bunnicula, this book has a series, so my students ran to the library to grab the next one!
The Ghost and Mrs. Hobbs
The Ghost of Cutler's Creek

3.  It's Halloween, I'm turning Green!  by Dan Gutman

If you are looking for Native American crafts, activities, and games for children, you hit the jackpot! Being that a Native American Unit is my favorite topic to teach, I've collected ideas I found not only useful, but motivating for kids of all ages. I hope you find something exciting to use with your child or class during a Native American study! Scroll down for all my favorite Native American tunes, games, activities, crafts and projects!




This first one is my favorite for many American History studies.  It is called Tunes That Teach American History.   The booklet/CD has lyrics and they are all fun and upbeat.  It gets me through a whole year of 4th grade Social Studies in South Carolina!  The events covered in this booklet/cd is Exploration, Native Americans, American Revolution, Bill of Rights, Lewis and Clark, Westward Expansion, Civil War, Underground Railroad, The Age of Invention, and Immigration.  I play it to introduce each unit by putting the lyrics on my whiteboard and playing the cd.  Then each day as we are transitioning into social studies, I play it.  Kids LOVE it!

Native Spirit Ah Nee Mah  This is TRADITIONAL Native American music.  It is perfect for listening while we are working.  The one titled Kiva Ceremony is my favorite!  You can listen to the samples here:


Although you can certainly do this Native American activity without reading a book, I love to start by reading the story, A Boy Called Slow because it helps students understand the reasoning behind Native American names.
Think of an animal or part of nature. Also think of a characteristic about yourself. Examples: Running Thunder, Quiet Caterpillar, Brave Hawk. Tell why you chose this name. Since the Native Americans back in early history didn't have a written language, they often used symbols as their names. Create a symbol for your name! Here are some examples- Draw a picture of yourself as a Native American or create yourself as a Native American out of construction paper. Tell your Native American name, the reason for your choice, and draw a symbol for your name.





 
Use a picture dictionary of symbols to create a story.  Find a picture dictionary HERE.  It is fun to write on brown paper grocery bags- crinkle them up to make them look old!





Pick a Native American Region. Research the tribes, homes, transportation, food, weapons, tools, crafts, customs and beliefs. Display as a booklet, Powerpoint, mobile, poster, or another form for presentation.





Dream catchers can be made without this book, but I like to read Grandmother's Dreamcatcher. before I start the craft.



Dream catchers are great to hang above your bed!  They catch all the bad dreams and they dissapte in the morning dew.  Leave a hole in the middle so the good dreams to sift through the dream catcher!

Supplies:  plastic plate, yarn, craft beads, craft feathers.




Steps:

1.  Cut out the center of the plate.

2.  Hold punch the rim about 1/2 inch apart.

3.  Cut a piece of yarn about 5-6 ft long.

4.  Tie one end of the yarn to any hole on the rim.

5.  Weave the yarn up, over, and all around the paper plate through different holes forming a pattern.  Leave a hole in the middle for the dream to sift through!   While weaving, place beads on the yarn.

6.  Tie a knot at the end.

7.  Cut 3 more pieces of yarn and tie them to the bottom of the dream catcher.  

8.  Place some beads on the yarn and tie a feather at the end of each piece of yarn.

9.  Cut another piece of yarn the length you need to hang it on the wall and tie it at the top of your dream catcher.



I like to make totem poles when we are studying the Northwest Coast region.  Use empty papertowel centers and glue them to a base.  I used cardstock paper.  Carefully select animals that have some meaning related to you or a family member.  Write down those animals and your choice for them.  To the totem pole, add a head, wings, and 3 animal symbols.



Tell the story of your totem pole! This craft makes a great writing piece explaining what is on your totem pole and why. In the writing, pretend you are raising your totem pole at a potlatch! Kids love it!

What is not to love this time of year?  Cool weather, colorful leaves, and the excitement of Halloween!  My favorite story for October is Bunnicula by Deborah and James Howe.  I could read it a million times and still find something funny that I may have missed the time before.


Harold, the narrator of the story, is hysterical!  He is just like my dog, Romeo, who begs for food 24-7!  And Chester, the cat, oh my.  My students and I fall off our chairs when read about his shenanigans!  He thinks that the new bunny in the house is a vampire and is determined to get rid of a vampire no matter how crazy he looks!  I've called my own cat Chester by mistake when he acts a little crazy.  He wears garlic around his neck, tries to pound the bunny with a steak..yes steak not stake, and wears a towel around his neck to look like a vampire cape to get everyone's attention.  The poor bunny can't get a break so Harold steps in to help him.  It is a must read!  Teachers, there are so many different reading skills you can pull from this book.  As far as vocabulary, it is packed with new words for upper elementary so I would stop and explain or help students use context clues when we crossed a difficult word.


Here are some great ideas to use with this book!

• Genre discussion-  Legends and Mysteries
• Make an advertisement for a lost bunny
• Point of view of the different characters.
• Predict what Chester might do next.
• Inference opportunities are throughout
• Cause and Effect
• Compare and Contrast characters
• Sequence Events
• Text Connections
• Summarize an event using transition words
• Persuade your parents to allow you to get a pet
• Concrete Poem of a white tomato!
• 5W's- Who, What, When, Where, Why
• Homonyms- Steak/Stake
• Write a Parody of one of the events in the story
• Character Traits/ Feeling words
• How did Chester's character change from the beginning of the story to the end?
• Figurative Language- Simile, Metaphor, Alliteration, Personification, Idiom, Onomatopoeia
• Lots of Personification!
• Analyze quotes:  Cruel to be kind.  By hook or by crook.
• Write a Diamante- change from one character to the next
• Explain the name of the chapters
• Research- Rabbit's diet, Transylvania, Animal Fangs, Vampire Bats

For a free character chart, click on the pic below!

This is one of my favorite units! It motivates students to want to learn about the Native Americans of North America (Eastern Woodlands, Great Plains, Southwest, Northwest Coast, Southeast). I have included 54 pages of lesson plans and printables. All printables fit paper size 8.5 by 11 inches.

For each region, there is a 2-page informational text that gives information about the climate, religious beliefs, resources, homes, food, etc.  Along with the informational text, there is a printable for with a reading skill.  This one shows context clues/vocabulary.






1.  We begin the unit by playing Native American Music - fun fun fun!  This is a must and we play it anytime we are making one of our crafts!  



2.  We create our own Native American names. Cute!!!  There are two versions!  Printable to draw yourself as a Native American or printable with craft.








2. Then students get a symbols printable and create their own picture writing on brown grocery bags.



3. A project with directions is given using the Informational Text printables and rubric for easy grading!














5. Students map the regions by coloring the map according to how they create the map key.





6. Dream Catchers is a motivational activity to lead to writing! (information about dream catchers, step-by-step instructions on how to make them, printable for Writing center to write about them.)






7. Students create Totem Poles with animals that have meaning to their family dynamics.  It also leads to a great writing piece! (information sheet, animal meanings printable, totem pole parts printables, Writing Center printable, Student and Teacher writing printable and rubric.)



8. Also included are Rain Dance instructions.
9.  Quiz. 
10.  Acrostic Poem

Fun fun fun!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   If interested in this unit- best seller on Teachers Pay Teachers:    Native American Unit

Need more ideas?