Leaping Leprechauns

 

   I created this leprechaun on a shamrock to display on top of the 

   students' cubbies. I painted the wooden shamrock (craft store

   purchase) and hotglued the leprechaun (dollar store purchase) atop it.

 

 

 BULLETIN BOARDS:

1. "More Precious Than Gold"-Child cuts coin patterns & glues a photo of himself in the center. Display coins in a large pot of gold.Another version is to write students' names on the coins (paper plates painted yellow and sprinkled with gold glitter).

2. "Welcome to Leprechaun Land"- Each child decorates a leprechaun's mushroom house. Draw scenery such as shamrock "trees".

 

 

Books:

Leprechaun Gold by Teresa Bateman

St. Patrick's Day by Carmen Bredeson

Saint Patrick's Day in the Morning by Eve Bunting

Jamie O'Roarke & the Big Potato by Tomie dePaolo

It's St. Patrick's Day by Rebecca Gomeze

Jack and the Leprechaun  by Ivan Robertson

Clever Tom and the Leprechaun by Linda Shute

 

 

 Poems and Songs:

"I'm a Little Leprechaun"

("I'm a Little Teapot" tune)

I'm a little leprechaun

Dressed in green.

The tiniest man that you've ever seen.

If you catch me,

So it's told,

I'll give you my pot of gold.

 

"Paddy is His Name-O"

("Bingo" tune)

I know a tiny little man

Who dresses all in green clothes.

He is a leprechaun;

He is a leprechaun;

He is a leprechaun;

And Paddy is his name-o.

He lives across the ocean wide;

He's rarely ever seen;

He is a leprechaun;

He is a leprechaun;

He is a leprechaun;

And Paddy is his name-o.

 

"The Leprechaun"

("The Muffin Man" tune)

Oh, have you seen a leprechaun,

A leprechaun, a leprechaun?

Oh, have you seen a leprechaun

Who comes form Ireland?

Among the shamrocks he may hide,

He may hide, he may hide.

Among the shamrocks he may hide

So catch him if you can.

 

"I'm a Little Shamrock"

( "I'm a Little Teapot" tune)

I'm a little shamrock.

See my leaves.

Count my petals

If you please.

If you give me water

And lots of sun,

I'll bring you good luck and lots of fun!

 

 

 Phonics:

1. "The Match Patch" Game- Cut out shamrocks and glue pictures that rhyme on each side of them. Laminate. Cut shamrocks in half. Pupils match the rhymes to form complete shamrocks.

2. Alphabet Shamrocks- Students put letter shamrocks in alphabetical order.

3. Upper and lowercase shamrock match- Students match upper and lowercase letters written on laminated shamrocks.

4. Pot of Gold Game- Prepare pots with letters written on each and coins with pictures on each. Students put coins on the pot that has the letter the picture begins with.

 

              

 

 Writing:

1. Letter from Liam the Leprechaun- While my students are at snack, I turn over some chairs and create a trail of gold coins to a letter from Liam the Leprechaun, which goes as follows:

Hello, my friends!

Now, what do you think?

I was here and gone

As quick as a wink!

I've hidden some treasure,

Some high and some low.

To find it

On your mark, get set, and go!

The children then search the room for his treasure.

(bag of candy such as chocolate coins) and write a class response to Liam.

2.Journals- 1. How would you catch a leprechaun?

               2. What would you do if you found a

               leprechaun's pot of gold?

               3. If you were a leprechaun, where 

               would you hide your gold?

 

              

Math:                                                         1. Shamrock Sequencing- Children put shamrock patterns with numbers written on them in numerical order.                                                    2. Pot of Gold Counting- Make black pots with numerals written on them and laminate. Children place the correct amount of gold (toy coins, yellow counters, yellow pompoms, etc.) on each put.                                                        3. Graph Lucky Charms cereal according to shape.

 

Science:

1. Leprechaun pudding- pistachio pudding

2. Leprechaun jello- lime jello

3. Leprechaun punch-lemonade & green food coloring

4. Examine a shamrock. (I was lucky enough to find one preserved in glass during my travels.)

 

 

Art:

1. Paper plate leprechaun-Draw facial features with markers. Glue on green hat.

2. Paper bag leprechaun

3. Tissue paper shamrock- Glue green tissue paper squares and glitter on shamrock pattern, then laminate.                                                  4. Shamrock necklaces- Children use green yarn, rigatoni noodles dyed green (food coloring and alcohol) and shamrock patterns.                 5.Mosaic Rainbow- Children glue paper squares and cottonball clousds on to rainbow pattern.

6. Shamrock Buddy and Dog

 

 

 

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