Storybook 100 days: activities for the book Emily's First 100 Days of School.

Read Rosemary Wells's book Emily's First 100 Days of School (Scholastic, 2000) with your students and join Emily as she counts up the days until the hundredth day of school. Along the way, Emily examines each "number friend" as it relates to something in her world--24 cookies for open house, 32 Girl Scout merit badges, and 50 stars on the U.S. flag. Extend the book with these activities that explore not only 100, but also the numbers 1-99.

Number Scavenger Hunt 

Emily saw 3 on her bus, 35 on a stamp, and 42 on a street sign. Conduct a scavenger hunt in which students will learn, like Emily, how numbers are used in everyday life.

Give each child a hundreds board and conduct a field trip within the school and in the surrounding neighborhood. Challenge children to search for numbers 1-100, and have them cross off the numbers as they find them. When students bring their boards back to school, invite them to draw and write about a few examples of the places where they found numbers (e.g., on a street sign, in the cafeteria, or in a local store). Display the examples on a bulletin board, under the heading "Numbers in My World."

Top 100th Day Web Pick

Visit Education World's Web page, Celebrate the 100th Day in 100 Ways, for more unique ideas about celebrating the 100th day in your classroom!

www.education-world.com/a_lesson/lesson149.shtml

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Number Facts Book Woven into Emily's First 100 Days of School are number facts such as "nine planets in our solar system." Work together with students to create a collaborative fact book about numbers, based on information discovered during units of study.

To make the book, gather 25 sheets of paper. Draw a line across each page (both sides), creating four boxes per sheet of paper. Number the boxes 1-100. Add a decorative cover. Punch holes on the left side and bind together, using yarn. Work together with students to add facts to the book as you encounter them in your curriculum. Challenge students to find facts for all the numbers 1-100 by the end of the school year.

100th Day Letters On the 100th day, Emily writes a letter to her family telling them what she has learned to do since the first day of school. She signs her letter with 100 kisses. Invite students to write similar letters to their own families. In turn, write a letter to students highlighting the things you have learned in the past 100 days. Thank them with 100 chocolate kisses in a zip-top bag that has been attached to the letter. Ask students: If we divide the kisses evenly among the class, how many will each child get?

100 Wish List

On day 100, Miss Cribbage says, "I can think of a hundred new things to do!" Work together with students to create a wish list of 100 things they would like to do before the end of the school year. Explain that each idea should be something that includes everyone, can be done at school (or in the classroom), is safe, and costs no money. For example: play bingo, eat lunch in the classroom, read a current favorite book, and so forth. Write each idea on a slip of paper and place the slips in a box or bag. For the rest of the school year, reward the class for good behavior by choosing an idea and completing the activity.

* TEACHER'S NOTE

Top off your 100th Day of school celebration with this fun and easy coordinate geometry activity that uses a 100-square grid. Give each student a copy of page 54, a pencil, and a ruler. Help students locate the first ordered pair (2, 9) on the grid. Then direct them to plot the point on the grid that corresponds with the next ordered pair (3, 6). Next, they use a ruler to connect the two points. Have students continue plotting and connecting points to reveal the hidden picture -- a festive party hat!