Tunstall's Teaching Tidbits

Teaching with Heart and Creativity

Special Delivery!

This is a FUN lesson that lasts ALL year and the best part is that it is TOTALLY student driven!

I got this idea from my daughter’s first grade teacher 6 years ago.  It was SO FUN that I have been doing it ever since with my own class.  My daughter’s first grade teacher is a SUPERMOM and stays home with her beautiful kids now. 

Here’s the lesson!
A mysterious package arrives to your classroom!
 (your local post office will totally decorate the box for you for FREE)  They think it’s so fun too.

 It has holes poked in it and it has fragile and special delivery stickers and stamps all over it!

Immediately the class is making predictions as to what it could possibly be!

Here’s where you can teach predicting or  inferring, or both, or really…any reason to make an anchor chart if you are in my classroom!

Now here’s another idea…these super small pet carriers are $16 dollars at walmart.

 I got this one for my toy poodle.  {She’s a mess ya’ll.}  I won’t be using this with my firsties, but my own two kids totally fell for this hook line and sinker! {Wow! What’s in it Mom?} How cute would this be walking down the hall with a kiddo at the end of each day?

So we open the package to find this!

…or this if you have a rich aunt that want to splurge 16 dollars for you!  (just pick any stuffed animal)

And a letter explaining why we got this amazing package in the middle of our school day!

  Next to that I have parent explanations…in a sheet protector.

 Then I have a variety of different writing paper and to be honest I sometimes just put a spiral notebook or a composition book in here and call it a day.  It depends on the ability of the students. I have the mostly picture paper with 2 lines, the dotted lines shown here, and then a step above with no dots and smaller lines.

So before we pick the first student to take the pet home we have a class vote to name the pet.
I let this one truly happen.  I ask people for suggestions and we write all of them down.  
Even the ones like princess butterfly and death zombie.
It always works out that our animal gets a totally perfect name in the end.
Last year it was Bob the Turtle.
Then Mrs. Tunstall pulled him out for a second year.  
I am retiring him this year because he has had to have three surgeries and one of his eyes is dangling…
Each night, Bob went home with the kids in a fanny pack! It was SO STINKING CUTE.
Want to know what they write?  I am sure you are on the edge of your seat!!!
 This one CRACKS ME UP!

Sometimes your journal will come back with just a drawing or some non legible writing…It’s ok.  Just allow the child to hold the journal and tell about their adventures.  Everyone can be at their own level and truly there aren’t any rules. In fact at first I get a little worried when I see what comes back.  But remember they have to start somewhere and they are writing at home for fun!!! So it’s win win!

I put everything I use and some specific parent and teacher explanations together in a pack.  It has everything you need to start this in your room. {except for a stuffed animal!} It is $2.50!

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    5. I Love it! I did the same thing my first year of teaching. It was a stuffed pig and we named him Porky. I used one of the huge 2 gallon size ziploc bags and called it Porky's suitcase. Inside I put a compostion notebook {for the journal} and a disposable camera. Each kid had him for 2 nights. It was one of my favorite activities and I still have the journal with all the sweet little pictures. I love the idea of the special delivery. That makes it even more REAL for the students {since they already believe that stuffed animals are real…love them}. Thanks for putting it all together and for the inspiration. Love Love Love!!!

      Meghan
      First Grade with a Cherry on Top

      Reply

    7. WOW what a great idea. Thank you to your daughters teacher and to you for putting everything together and sharing it with us. Once again. . . I'm pinning ya and then heading to TPT to spend even more money. YOU ROCK!!!

      ✰ Stacy

      Simpson Superstars

      Reply

    12. Okay, I love the special delivery idea! Precious. I'm going to try a class pet this year for the first time. I'm excited to see what happens with my class. Hopefully I will get some super cute responses like yours. 🙂

      Amanda
      The Teaching Thief

      Reply

    14. This is such a cute idea! I have some questions for you. How often do you send the pet home, and how long do the kids keep it? Also, does everyone take it home once, or do you keep sending it home after everyone has had their turn? Thanks!

      Reply

    18. Oh my word! That is too cute! I love different "hooks" to get their attention. They would definitely all be excited to take that tiger home.

      So TpT is having a back to school sale and I am having a linky party for bloggers that are also hosting sales in their store. I'd love you to come link up if you are planning a sale!

      TpT Sale Linky

      Thanks!

      Amanda
      First Grade Garden

      Reply

    20. Oh wow! Too cute. When I read these kinds of ideas, it makes me miss the littles 🙂 I had a traveling elephant who wore clothes and everything!! He would come back in new outfits that the parents had made! Fun!!
      Elizabeth

      Reply

    23. Super Cute! If I may add a suggestion….I have a class friend that I send home, except there are secretly 3 versions of said friend.

      1 is in regular rotation
      1 is in hiding in the event that something happens to friend 1
      and the
      3rd is reserved for "smoking homes" as the bag and animal ALWAYS come back smelling like an ashtray.

      The kids have never noticed the difference, but this helps avoid sending a smokey friend to an organic home.

      🙂 Jodi

      Reply

    24. We love this idea Reagan! On our first day of school we go on a "hunt" around campus to find our class orca whale mascot, Oreo. We also use it as a tour for our school, show them where the bathrooms are, snack tables, etc. and we always finish in the principal's office where Oreo is hiding, along with some goldfish cracker snacks. We also have 2 lil friends we use to move around the room when they are "quiet as fish".

      So your idea has just changed things up a bit. We are going to send our 2 lil stuffies on our tour and bring them back to class to be named by our students. Then, when we are ready to start "Whale of the Week" we are going to have Oreo delivered in a package to introduce our program.

      This is what we love so much about blogging-all these fabulous ideas! Thanks so much for sharing Reagan! And another HUGE thank you for being part of our giveaway 🙂

      ~Christy & Tammy
      Fluttering Through First Grade

      Reply

    25. Thank you for sharing all your wonderful teaching ideas and tools. I just graduated in April and will begin my teaching journey in less than two weeks. I was planning on having a "class pet" that would go home with students, but never thought of the special delivery idea. Everything you do is so innovative and engaging for students. I am so excited to use the resources you have on your TPT site and hope I can be as creative as a teacher as you. When I read your posts I dream that I can be one of your students:)

      Reply

    29. Have always had a traveling pet, "Adventure Dog"… and absolutely LOVE the idea of the special delivery! You are inspiring! Thank you from a loyal fan.

      Sara
      Kinderaffe2ndgraders.blogspot.com

      Reply

    33. I love this idea! My daughter's kindergarten teacher had a teddy bear that went home with a kid each night and they had to write in its journal. My only gripe about that teddy was that it spread (like wildfire) lice. It only took one child to take it home, sleep with it, and bring back nits that went to the next child's home, and so on. Unfortunately, we were one of the families. Every time it came home after that, it went right into the dryer on high heat for twenty minutes. I like the idea of a back-up (or two).

      Reply

    34. Very clever idea! I have some class pets that are taken home when children earn them. We have a competition at the start of the year to name each one. Each pet has a journal with a note written by the pet saying what they have done in the summer holidays. Children write, draw and glue photos into the journal. This is shared with the class the next day.

      Reply

    35. I love the idea of a class pet, since real live animals are not allowed this is perfect. What a wonderful way for kids to write at home. This is a must for me to incorporate this coming year.

      Reply

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