Cootie Catcher

I designed this center the year I taught fourth grade literacy.  Teachers tend to think that literacy centers are for primary grades, but this is a higher level activity for independent readers.  I took an activity that students liked doing socially and turned it into a learning activity.  The questions in the cootie catcher are taken from Marzano's levels of thinking, QAR Question Stems, and the North Carolina Thinking Skills.  This is also an easy activity to have around for novel studies and Guided Reading groups.

Students read a book from the bag that is in the center.  They answer 3 of the questions found in the cootie catcher that is also in the bag. For a challenge, students can make their own cootie catcher and write questions on the inside flaps.  They can give their cootie catcher to someone and have them answer the questions after reading the book.  I change out the books in the bag to relate to a subject we are studying.