Catchy Halloween-Time Measurements of Success
It’s a treat! A candy meter is a measurement tool that kids think is cool.
Hi and welcome back to Attentionology for K – 5 Teachers!
Halloween is still more than four weeks away, but kids who celebrate the spooky season already have visions of Halloween candy in their heads.
Tempt their taste for treats by introducing your class to two Halloween-time measurements of success.
First up…the Candy Meter!
Trick or Treat?
Treat for sure.
Check out the meter; it’s a kid’s best friend because the meter urges the meter-reader to keep adding more candy.
The bottom line asks a big question: That’s It?
The middle measurement begs for more, more candy.
Top line in the Candy Meter is the measurement kids want to reach: Just right.
Buy or make a Candy Meter for this catchy Halloween-time activity.
Use my blog pic to guide you if you make your own.
The Candy Meter is a cardboard box that’s open at the top.
A strip of cardboard has been cut out and a piece of orange (clear will work as well) cellophane has been taped or glued inside the box to cover the cut out space.
Lines on the front mark measurement levels, and as you can see, the lowest line, a middle line and the top line have phrases that make kids smile.
Before you introduce the Candy Meter to your class, lead into the activity with a brief discussion about the many ways people make measurements, including measurements of success.
Name a few measurements to get kids thinking.
For example, utility companies measure electrical usage in schools. Month to month, the electric meter shows more, less or the same use of electricity.
Children’s height and weight is measured each year to indicate how they are growing.
The list goes on.
Tests in math, reading, spelling, etc. measure how well students are mastering skills.
When you bring the discussion around to measuring success in school, tell the class that you have another kind of Halloween-time meter to share with them.
Tease them by explaining that you need them to become meter readers.
Ask if anyone can guess what kind of meter it is… (more…)
Barbara Cleary has been serving as a resource to hundreds of educators for more than 25 years.
An award-winning writer, producer, teacher, and trainer, Barbara’s focus is on offering easy, fun tools and tricks that support K-5 curricula and assist teachers with classroom management.
