Count on your alien to help you practice reading, labeling, and counting while playing a fun matching game.

• 1.

  Use Crayola® Scissors to cut dark construction paper into 10 rectangular cards and 10 square cards.

• 2.

  Generate a list of 10 body parts for an alien, such as antennae, eyes, arms, fingers, legs. Copy each body part word on the bigger cards with Crayola Metallic FX Crayons. Write numerals 1 through 10 on the squares.

• 3.

  Turn all of the cards upside down and mix them up. Pick one body part card and one number card. The number card indicates how many of that body part your alien with have. Glue number cards to the backs of body part cards with a Crayola Washable Glue Stick.

• 4.

  Design an alien on dark construction paper using the cards as a guide to know how many of each body part to draw. Use Crayola Gel Markers, Colored Pencils, and Crayons for your design.

• 5.

  Display aliens and cards with word sides up on desks or tables. Switch places and count each body part listed on cards, verifying answers on the backs.

Standards

• LA: Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.
• LA: Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.
• LA: Use information gained from the illustrations and words in a print or digital text to demonstrate understanding of its characters, setting, or plot.
• MATH: Use place value understanding and properties of operations to add and subtract.
• SCI: Use observations of the sun, moon, and stars to describe patterns that can be predicted.
• VA: Use different media, techniques, and processes to communicate ideas, experiences, and stories.
• VA: Use visual structures of art to communicate ideas.
• VA: Select and use subject matter, symbols, and ideas to communicate meaning.

Adaptations

• Possible classroom resources include: Funny Faces Alien Al (Funny Faces (Priddy Books)) by Roger Priddy; Alien Opposites by Matthew Van Fleet; Alien Worlds: Your Guide to Extraterrestrial Life by David Aquilar; The Three Little Aliens and the Big Bad Robot by Margaret McNamara
• Working in small groups, students design an alien school. What will young aliens study? How will they work and play together? What time does school start? What time does it end? Who leads the class with lessons? Do they say a pledge of allegiance to their country or world? What is a typical day like in alien school? What games do they play at recess?
• Students use Crayola Model Magic to crate 3-D models of their aliens. What is your alien's name? Where is he from? What does he know about Earth and you?
• Students work in small groups to compose original songs about their aliens. They may choose a familiar tune to sing their songs by or write an original groups of notes to sing to. Students should be prepared to perform their song for classmates.