Free Printable Pizza Math Fractions Lesson Plans with recipes, crafts and activities for Pi Day

Hello my Omschooligans! Today in the Omschool Tree Fort, Teacher Omi here has baked up some pizza math fractions lesson plans, originally written for Pi Day (March 14). But why wait till March? Here are pie fractions activities to teach fun, tasty hands-on math. You'll find math fractions worksheets, games, craft projects, recipes and literature connections for a supreme pizza math unit! 

Pi Day and Pizza Math Overview 

1. Introduction to Pi Day

• Date & Significance: March 14 (3/14) celebrates Pi Day, named after the mathematical constant Pi from the Greek, representing 3.14 (or the fraction 22/7) used in geometry.

• We use Pi to demonstrate the circumference of a circle, so using pies and pizza to show these concepts makes yummy mathematical sense.

 

Pizza math lesson plans with fun baked in! 

Goal: Use hands-on, interactive, and multisensory pizza-themed lessons to help students overcome math anxiety and explore math in lateral thinking ways. 

• Circumference & Pi Craft: The "Pie" Formula Project: Use this activity to explore the significance of Pi. 

  1. Materials Needed

  • A Mini Graham Cracker Crust (or a small round paper plate cut to look like a pie crust)

  • Yarn or String (long enough to wrap around the crust)

  • A Ruler or Measuring Tape (marked in inches or centimeters)

  • Scissors

  • A Marker or Pen

  ---

  2. Step-by-Step Instructions

  • Step 1: Measure the Diameter ($d$)

    • Lay a piece of string straight across the exact center of your pie crust from one edge to the other, passing through the middle.

    • Cut the string to match this exact length. This length represents the diameter ($d$) of your circle.

    • Use your ruler to measure this diameter string and write down the measurement (for example, let's say a standard mini crust diameter is about 4 inches or roughly 10 centimeters).

  • Step 2: Measure the Circumference ($C$)

    • Take a new, longer piece of string and carefully wrap it once all the way around the outer circular edge (the rim) of the pie crust.

    • Cut the string where it meets the starting point. This length is the circumference ($C$)—the total distance around the outside of the circle.

  • Step 3: Discover Pi ($\pi \approx 3.14$)

    • Take your diameter string and lay it end-to-end along your circumference string to see how many times it fits.

    • You will discover that the diameter string fits around the outer edge $3$ full times, with a little bit left over (specifically, about 0.14 of another length).

    • This physical experiment proves the geometric constant: $\pi$ ($3.14$) is the exact multiplier telling us that any circle's circumference is a little more than three times the length of its diameter!

  • Step 4: Math Verification

    • Test the formula mathematically: Multiply your measured diameter by 3.14 ($C=\pi \times d$).

    • Compare your calculated number to the actual measured length of your circumference string to see how close your math craft comes to the true mathematical constant!

2. Preschool Pizza Math 

Teach geometry, shapes, numbers and colors with pizza by making a pizza toppings code. Cut these shapes in these colors to represent different things you add to pizza. 

• Topping Shapes & Colors:

  • Mushrooms: brown semi-circles

  • Onions: White cubes.

  • Sausage: Brown spheres.

  • Pepperoni: Red circles.

  • Colored Peppers: Orange triangles.

  • Pineapple: Yellow rectangles.

  • Cheese: yellow trapezoids and rhombuses.

• Provide each student with an assortment of pizza toppings and a small crust (or tortilla shell). 

• Paper Plate Pizza. Have students cut colored paper shapes. Provide white paper plates. Call out different toppings to add to pizza. 

• Core Concepts: Teach shapes, numbers, and colors by having students discuss topping descriptions, colors, and specific quantities (e.g., placing five circles, two red items, and three green rectangles on a pizza). 

  
  
  

3. Pizza Mathematical Concepts & Lessons

• Sorting and Classifying:

  • Sort pizza toppings into distinct categories by color or shape.

  • Group items by color (e.g., place all orange items in a pile).

  • Sort by food groups (dairy, vegetables, and meat) to create a graph or pie chart.

• Adding and Subtracting:

  • Start by having kids add a specific number of a certain topping, then add more to count the total.

  • Practice subtraction by beginning with larger amounts, taking toppings away, and counting the remainder.

  • Practice skip counting by adding in increments of $2s$, $3s$, $5s$, and so on.

• Fractions:

  • Demonstrate how to divide a pizza into halves, thirds, quarters, eighths, etc.

  • Show equivalencies (e.g., two sixths equals one third; four eighths equals one half).

  • Demonstrate reducing fractions, finding common denominators, and adding/subtracting unlike fractions.

  • Use clean string or yarn to section off reusable pizzas, or utilize a classroom set of pre-divided pizzas.

• Multiplication and Division:

  • Divide pizzas into temporary sections/fractions and distribute toppings one by one per section until all are used (e.g., dividing a pizza into eight sections and distributing 64 pepperoni pieces).

  • Reverse the process for multiplication by placing an equal number of toppings on each section and counting the total.

  • Teach remainders by giving out an uneven number of toppings for kids to divide.

• Decimals:

  • Explain that decimals are fractions with base-ten denominators, where the number of place values after the decimal point determines the denominator (one place = tenths, two places = hundredths, three places = thousandths).

  • Divide a pizza into tenths to teach basic fraction and decimal equivalencies.

• Percentages:

  • Use the pizza as a pie graph where a whole pizza represents 100% and any portion represents a percentage of 100 (e.g., half equals 50% (or .5 or 50/100, one quarter equals 25\%, .25 or 25/100.

  • Teach the relationship between fractions, decimals, and percents (percents are fractions with denominators of 100; decimals are percent without the decimal point, such as 37\% being 0.37 or 37/100).

• Ratios and Proportions:

  • Teach that proportions are fractions (e.g., a proportion of 3 to 10 means three parts out of ten total parts).

  • Teach ratios as comparisons (e.g., a classroom boy-girl ratio of 5:6 means five boys for every six girls).

  • Apply this to pizza by creating pizzas with specific ratios, such as a 3:10 pepperoni ratio or a 2:3 ratio of green peppers to mushrooms.

4. Conclusion & Benefits of Hands-On Learning

• Party Celebration: Once lessons are completed, let students customize their pizzas to taste (removing ingredients they dislike) and enjoy a Pi Day pizza party.

• Special Education & Accessibility: Hands-on, multisensory (smell, touch, taste) lessons make content approachable for special education teachers working with:

  • LD (learning disabled) students.

  • ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) students.

  • CI (cognitively impaired) students.

• General Effectiveness: Interactive learning with food works better for all students because it is real-life, practical, and fun.

• Behavior & Receptivity: Kids often act up when hungry and behave better after eating a healthy snack, making food-based lessons easier to visualize and improving learning receptivity. 

 Recipes and snack crafts for pie math fun

English Muffin "Fraction" Pizzas: Give each child a split English muffin (or a small round tortilla) to serve as a whole circle. Have them use a butter knife or pizza cutter to slice it into halves, quarters, or eighths, and then practice putting the pieces back together to understand parts of a whole before adding their sauce and cheese.

Apple Wedge Fractions: Slice apples into halves or quarters, and have kids use cream cheese or peanut butter as "glue" to reassemble the apple on a paper plate, counting how many wedges make up the whole apple.

Cheese and Cracker Geometry & Graphs: Provide square crackers, round crackers, and triangular cheese slices. Kids can practice geometry by identifying shapes and matching sides, or arrange them into rows to create edible bar graphs and practice simple fractions based on topping ratios.

Celery "Log" Fractions & Counting: Spread cream cheese down the center of celery sticks and let kids arrange raisins or dried cranberries in a straight line. They can then slice the celery log into equal segments to practice division and fraction counting (e.g., cutting a log into 4 equal pieces where each piece represents 1/4 of the whole).

Teacher Omi's Homemade Pizza Recipe

Yield: 1 Family-Size Pizza | Prep time: 30 Mins + Rising

1. Pizza Dough Ingredients

• Warm Water: 1 1/3 cups (warm to the touch)
• Active Dry Yeast: 1 packet (2 1/4 teaspoons)
• Sugar or Honey: 1 teaspoon
• Bread Flour or All-Purpose Flour: 3 1/2 cups
• Olive Oil: 2 tablespoons (plus extra for the bowl)
• Salt: 1 teaspoon

2. Sauce & Variety of Toppings

• Sauce: 1 cup seasoned tomato puree
• Cheese: 2 cups shredded mozzarella
• Pepperoni: Red round slices
• Mushrooms: Brown semi-circles
• Onions: White diced cubes
• Peppers: Orange & green triangles

3. Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Activate Yeast: Mix warm water, yeast, and sugar in a small bowl. Let sit for 5 minutes until frothy.
2. Make the Dough: Combine flour and salt in a large bowl. Stir in the yeast mixture and olive oil until a dough forms.
3. Knead & Rise: Knead on a floured surface for 5-7 minutes. Place in an oiled bowl, cover, and let rise for 1 hour.
4. Assemble & Bake: Roll out the dough onto a pan, spread tomato sauce, add cheese, and customize with your favorite toppings. Bake at 450°F (230°C) for 12-15 minutes until golden brown!

Sir Cumference Book Series Bibliography

Author: Cindy Neuschwander | Illustrator: Wayne Geehan

Featured Math Adventure Books

• Sir Cumference and the First Round Table (1997) – Introduces geometry, shapes, and the concept of a circular table.
• Sir Cumference and the Dragon of Pi (1999) – Explores the measurement of circles and the constant Pi ($3.14$).
• Sir Cumference and the Great Knight of Angleland (2001) – Focuses on angles, degrees, and protractors.
• Sir Cumference and the Isle of Immeter (2006) – Explores the concepts of area and perimeter.
• Sir Cumference and All the King's Tens (2009) – Teaches place value and counting by tens.
• Sir Cumference and the Viking's Map (2012) – Explores coordinate planes, mapping, and directions.
• Sir Cumference Gets Cálculo! (2019) – Introduces early calculus concepts through fun medieval problem-solving.

Teacher Omi's Homemade Pizza Recipe

Yield: 1 Family-Size Pizza | Prep time: 30 Mins + Rising

1. Pizza Dough Ingredients

• Warm Water: 1 1/3 cups (warm to the touch)
• Active Dry Yeast: 1 packet (2 1/4 teaspoons)
• Sugar or Honey: 1 teaspoon
• Bread Flour or All-Purpose Flour: 3 1/2 cups
• Olive Oil: 2 tablespoons (plus extra for the bowl)
• Salt: 1 teaspoon

2. Sauce & Variety of Toppings

• Sauce: 1 cup seasoned tomato puree
• Cheese: 2 cups shredded mozzarella
• Pepperoni: Red round slices
• Mushrooms: Brown semi-circles
• Onions: White diced cubes
• Peppers: Orange & green triangles

3. Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Activate Yeast: Mix warm water, yeast, and sugar in a small bowl. Let sit for 5 minutes until frothy.
2. Make the Dough: Combine flour and salt in a large bowl. Stir in the yeast mixture and olive oil until a dough forms.
3. Knead & Rise: Knead on a floured surface for 5-7 minutes. Place in an oiled bowl, cover, and let rise for 1 hour.
4. Assemble & Bake: Roll out the dough onto a pan, spread tomato sauce, add cheese, and customize with your favorite toppings. Bake at 450°F (230°C) for 12-15 minutes until golden brown!

Teacher Omi's Story Corner

Book selections for literature based math lessons. 

Sir Cumference Math Adventure Series

• Sir Cumference and the First Round Table (1997) – Cindy Neuschwander (Introduces geometry, shapes, and the concept of a circular table).

• Sir Cumference and the Dragon of Pi (1999) – Cindy Neuschwander (Explores the measurement of circles and the constant Pi).

• Sir Cumference and the Great Knight of Angleland (2001) – Cindy Neuschwander (Focuses on angles, degrees, and protractors).

• Sir Cumference and the Isle of Immeter (2006) – Cindy Neuschwander (Explores the concepts of area and perimeter).

• Sir Cumference and All the King's Tens (2009) – Cindy Neuschwander (Teaches place value and counting by tens).

• Sir Cumference and the Viking's Map (2012) – Cindy Neuschwander (Explores coordinate planes, mapping, and directions).

• Sir Cumference Gets Cálculo! (2019) – Cindy Neuschwander (Introduces early calculus concepts through medieval problem-solving).

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Children's Books About Fractions & Pizza Math

• Full House: An Invitation to Fractions (1998) – Stuart J. Murphy (Uses a strawberry inn and a growing number of guests sharing snacks to teach basic fractions).

• The Doorbell Rang (1986) – Pat Hutchins (A classic story about sharing cookies evenly among friends as more guests arrive, perfect for division and fractions).

• Apple Fractions (2002) – Jerry Pallotta (Uses apples sliced into halves, quarters, and eighths to make learning fractions visual and hands-on).

• Fraction Fun (1996) – David A. Adler (Uses everyday objects like pizzas and candy bars to explain parts of a whole).

• Pizza Party! (2017) – Grace Maccarone (A fun, early-reader book featuring sharing and dividing pizza slices).

Free printable reading response journal activities for reader's workshop or book club

Hello my Omschooligans! Are you looking for summer enrichment or reading club activities or gearing for back to school reading lesson plans? Here are the Omschool Tree Fort, we are lifelong, year-round learners so we have you covered either way! Here's a unit of ELA English Language Arts lesson plans featuring reading response journal lessons and book report alternatives. These work best as group reader's workshop activities. They also work well for writer's workshop prompts. 

Literature Reading Response Journal Rubric

Here's a template to make student reading response journal you can use in upper elementary, middle school and high school lesson plans. This is perfect for homeschool and homework. 

• Give each student a single subject notebook (wireless notebooks work best). 
• Use the same one for all lessons or start a new one for each unit or book genre study. In middle and high school, students should make separate response journals for longer books and more comprehensive literature studies. 
• All written assignments are completed in this notebook (except a final project see example listed below as "book report alternatives."). 
• Create a blocked calendar chart, like a bingo card, with 5 columns and 5 rows of squares. 
• Label each column with one of these five main components of ELA curriculum: 
• reading
• writing
• speaking
• listening 
• multisensory response. 
• Label rows with higher order thinking skills (HOTS): 
• Recall/Comprehension
• Analysis (structure)
• Applications (text to text, text-to-life connections)
• Synthesis (text to new use)
• Evaluation (thoughts, feelings, opinions, rationale)
• Write 25 literature response activities for a month or of assignments. 
• List one assignment per box. 
• Leave room to write in specific assignment instructions and notes. 
• Tailor activities to state objectives, and student ability.
• Photocopy (students complete similar activities for each book or genre studied). 
• Attach to inside front cover of journal.  

Personalize and individualize to student needs

Make it flexible enough for special needs accommodations and student learning styles. 

• Give options. Let students choose 22 out of the 25 activities and do the last three for extra credit if desired. 
• Students may complete assignments in any order. 
• They can double up on slower days and skip assignments on busier days. 
• Each assignment should take 30 minutes to complete
• two paragraphs of writing 
• or 30 minutes of reading, speaking and listening. 

Organization and management

• Assignments are completed in the notebook, labeled according by chosen activity and dated.
• Teacher initials completed activities in each box and note the points (in pen). 
• Make notes or correction on the response page. 
• Keep copies of each students chart for your records or keep digital copies. 
• Each activity is worth 30 points: 
• 18 points for content and quality
• 7 for mechanics (spelling, punctuation and grammar)
• 3 for neatness/clarity
• 1 for being on time (calculated at the end of the month) 
• 1 for proper labeling. (name, date, class, period),

Reading Response activities 

Here are  over 25 reading response activities based on ELA model of of reading, writing, speaking, listening and multisensory response. Students complete response activities using HOTS (higher Order Thinking Skills: Recall/ comprehension, Analysis, Application, Synthesis, Evaluation. Write activities in a blocked chart attached to a single subject notebook. Students complete in the notebook. Activities cover spelling, grammar and mechanics objectives too. Here is a sample chart followed by a list of additional reading response activities. 

HOTS Level	Reading	Writing	Speaking	Listening	Multisensory Response
Recall / Comprehension	Define 10 new words from reading.	Write a book review.	Tell a friend 10 details about your book.	Listen to another classmate and ask 5 questions.	Draw a picture or symbol to represent 10 new words.
Analysis (structure)	List five symbols from the book.	Write a haiku about the setting.	Perform a short debate with a partner.	Listen to peer presentations and take notes on character traits.	Make paper dolls of 3 characters or a character web.
Applications (text to text, text-to-life connections)	List 10 books, songs, or movies that this story reminds you of.	Write a letter to the author.	Role-play a scene from the book.	Listen to a recorded story and discuss real-world parallels.	Draw a map of the setting or a realtor's description.
Synthesis (text to new use)	Give 10 alternate titles for this book.	Write an alternative ending.	Make a commercial about the book.	Share alternate ideas or endings with a study group.	Make a diorama about a scene or invent a thing to help a character.
Evaluation (thoughts, feelings, opinions, rationale)	What advice would you give to the main character?	Write a short debate between two characters.	What would you do in this situation?	Evaluate a peer's book review or presentation.	Set the story to music (minimum 6 songs) or make a costume.

List of reading response activities

Define 10 new words from reading.

Use 10 new words in sentences.

List two synonyms for each vocabulary word.

List one antonym for each vocabulary word.

Draw a picture or symbol to represent 10 new words.

Define words from teacher list.

Write tour guide of the setting.

Write a realtor's description for setting.

Draw a map of setting

Make up a board game for this book.

Draw a cartoon with 6 frames (or a manga style cartoon) about an event in the story.

Make up an Instagram page for a character.

Make a diorama about a scene from the book.

Write a haiku about the setting.

Make paper dolls of 3 characters.

Make a character web.

Draw a time line or time web to show 10 major events.

Describe main character in 10 adjectives.

Describe setting in 10 adverbs.

Write an Acrostic using a character name.

How are you like _____character?

How are you different from____?

List 10 books, songs or movies or that this story reminds you of?

Tell about any idea in this story that you have heard about in another class.

Write 10 trivia questions from the book.

Tell a friend 10 details about your book.

Listen to another classmate and ask 5 questions.

Draw or make a prop, tool, or artifact from the story.

List 5 websites where you can learn more about a subject you learned about.

What advice would you give to ___?

What would you do in this situation?

Give 10 alternate titles for this book.

List 5 new ideas you got from the book.

Draw a poster advertising the book.

Make a commercial about the book.

Write a book review.

Write an alternative ending.

Write a letter to the author.

Make up a board game based the book. Here's a sample for The Boxcar Children. Keep reading for the printable PDF game board and pieces. 

Make up vocab quiz for this story.

List five symbols from the book.

Make up a costume for ___ (extra points to wear it in class)

Design a book cover.

Set the story to music (minimum 6 line song).

Invent a thing to help_____.

Make a craft project based on book. 

Make up a 'Worst Case Scenario' for a book character.

Role-play a scene from book.

Write a short debate between two characters.

Perform debate with a partner.

Printables for The Boxcar Children game

DIY Reading Club: How kids can start an after school book club or any club (run by kids for kids!)

Hello my Omschooligans! Today we're starting a group and I'm so excited! We call it the Omschool Tree Fort Reading Club and it works very much like the old after school clubs kids used to participate in, like Brownies or Cub Scouts. Only less formal. But just as much fun! Here's how to start an after school kids book club, by and for kids only! 

✨ Teacher Omi’s Childhood Club Memory ✨

"I remember a club I was in at age 7. We met in a lady's basement. We took turns bringing snacks. One girl named Faith always brought fudge. I loved that. We each had a simple craft box with crayons and scissors. We took turns being club officers, made crafts and learned how to set a table properly. I recall we put on a little play using toys in their basement. My part was to ride the Wonder Horse (in every basement back then) to alert villagers. Of what, I forget. Nothing fancy, don't even know if it was organized or just one mom's idea.  But I thought it was the best thing ever!"

— Omi

Omschool Tree Fort Reading Club

Not familiar with after school clubs? Maybe that's because they existed more in my memory and imagination and in books I read (The Three Investigators with their awesome headquarters!) And maybe that's because now, we parents and  grandparents get more involved than we really need to. We tell kids how to plan, organize and run it. And that robs it of the creativity, ingenuity and enjoyment. So my goal, in helping you kids start a book club (or any kids club) is to set the wheels in motion and let the you keep it running. 

Adult Supervision

Adults may help, encourage or provide resources, but kids clubs should be run by kids. They can be based on shared interests or just within neighborhood groups. Less is more with kids clubs, as in as much freedom and as little adult input as possible. Adult supervision is advised only to keep an eye on things so they run smoothly. Not to interfere. Even if there are disagreements, children need to be allowed to work them out as much as possible. Can you tell Teacher Omi always wanted to start a lot of clubs when she was young? 

Organizing the book club

• Discuss your idea with parents and get their permission. 
• Limit numbers but don't exclude. If you have 12 kids in your immediate neighborhood, then invite all 12. Or maybe you'll decide to invite friends from school. Don't let it get too big or it will be hard to manage. 8 is a good number. 
• Make invitations. You might want to get with your best friend to work on this. 
• Host an initial meeting to
• explain the format and 
• decide which books to read
• choose day, time and place to  meet

Group Tasks

• Write some basic rules. My grandkids wrote a motto and rules for their homeschool with things like
• Share. 
• Take turns. 
• Listen and don't interrupt. 
• Be kind. 
• Create a calendar. 
• Design a clubhouse, if you can. You can use your tree fort or play structure. Or a backyard tent. Check out the Encyclopedia Brown book series for a simple DIY clubhouse idea. OR
• Meet at different member's houses. If the clubhouse won't work, then take turns hosting meetings in backyards or basements. This divvies up responsibilities so one person doesn't' do it all. 
• Assign officers. Don't vote. It never goes well. Everyone gets a turn to fill each role. 
• Project leader: conducts meetings and keeps everyone on task in a not bossy way. 
• Materials manager: organizes supplies and keeps track of what is needed. 
• Record-keeper: takes meeting minutes and reads back what was decided. 
• Financial secretary. Collects dues and makes purchases of supplies. 
• Communication specialist: sends out memos of upcoming events. 
• Collect meeting dues. Keep the amount low, like $.50. This is what supplies are purchased with. Try as much as possible to use recycled materials to be earth-friendly. Ask families to donate supplies. Or you can skip this part and just use donated materials. 
• Each person should bring a craft box to meetings with
• markers or colored pencils
• scissors
• glue stick
• tape
• notebook
• colored paper
• Serve snacks. Each members brings one to share. If you're making a book-based snack craft, the one responsible brings supplies.
• Start with a brief agenda. Follow Robert's Rules of Order. Then spend the most time doing group activities (make a group snack or craft project) or discussing books. Here's the fudge recipe from the basement club, circa 1971.  

  🍫 Faith's Friendship Fudge 🍫

  "Named in sweet memory of basement club days and wonderful friends! Pair it with the book No Such Thing as a Witch by Ruth Chew"

  Ingredients

  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • ⅔ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • ⅛ tsp salt
  • 1 cup evaporated milk
  • ¼ cup unsalted butter (cut into pieces)
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

  Instructions

  1. Prep: Line an 8x8-inch pan with parchment or foil; grease lightly.
  2. Mix: Whisk sugar, cocoa, and salt in a heavy saucepan. Stir in milk and butter.
  3. Boil: Cook over medium heat, stirring until dissolved. Bring to a rolling boil, then stop stirring. Cook to the soft-ball stage (234°F).
  4. Cool: Remove from heat. Drop vanilla in the center without stirring. Let cool until warm to the touch (approx. 110°F).
  5. Beat & Pour: Vigorously beat until thick and matte-like. Fold in nuts if desired, pour into the pan, and let set completely!

  — From Teacher Omi’s Kitchen (remembering how much work this was to make, reminds me what a labor of love Faithful Faith's fudge treats were!
• End with a wrap-up, clean-up and projected plans for the next meeting. 
• Keep it simple. 
• Keep following this blog for book club suggestions. 

What to do if someone isn't acting in a way that respects all. 

• Let's hope that doesn't happen but if if does always, always try working it out in a positive manner. 
• Have a group meeting and discuss what's happening. Don't finger-point. The project leader should moderate and not get involved. 
• Try to find a mutually acceptable resolution. 
• Suggest a change of scenery or a break time. 
• Eat a snack! People aren't at their best when they are hungry. And Faith's fudge could sweeten any problem! 
• If it gets out of hand, ask an adult to step in. 

Next up: book report alternative ideas and reading response journal activities. 

 

DIY Summer reading club with interactive reader's workshop activities and book-based crafts and snacks

Hello my Omschooligans!  Are you a book worm? Then you'll love what Teacher Omi has planned for you today! A few days ago, we at the Omschool Tree Fort launched a DIY summer reading club. The first topic was Book-based Science Magic Experiments. The lesson plans provide multisensory ways to interact with books, using craft snacks (or edible crafts), science based magic tricks and companion book selections. We call these Book BAGS (books, activities, games and snack crafts).  Today we'll show how to build a DIY summer reading club with interactive reader's workshop activities, ELA and book-based crafts and snacks. Use these as homeschool or summer enrichment reading lesson plans to engage reluctant readers and book worms who can't keep their noses out of books, alike! 

ELA: Multisensory and Interactive (the geek speak)

I'm a former special needs and Montessori teacher. So I teach reading as part of the umbrella of ELA (English language arts). My reading lesson plans encompass skills of RWSL (reading, writing, speaking and listening). Book-based activities focus on cross-curricular connections, multisensory VAKT (visual, auditory, kinesthetic, tactile) reading tasks and HOTS (higher-order thinking skills) interactive literature-based activities. In laymen's terms, book activities you can see, hear, touch, smell and taste! And a student book club, also referred to as a reader's workshop, is the perfect vehicle to achieve this. 

DIY Summer Book Club & Interactive ELA Activities Outline

I. Core Concepts & Goals

• Target Audience: Students, reading groups, homeschool, library programs and classrooms 

• Objective: Help students deeply engage with literature through interactive reader's workshop response activities, crafts, and themed snacks.(Montessori-style, hands-on, multi-sensory, and cross-curricular).

II. Interactive Reading & Book Club Activities

• Book Club & Parties

  • Organize student-led reading clubs in which students choose books and host focus groups. 

  • Complete different reading response journal activities. Keep reading for a printable format. 

  • Create interactive book report alternatives. See list below. 

  • Coordinate book-themed snacks and foods, games and craft projects to meaningfully engage with literature selections. 

  • Set up a classroom "coffee shop" to give older students a grown-up book club experience.

• Readers Theater & Performances

  • Readers Theater: Chorale-style reading emphasizing voice, inflection, and projection while seated.

  • Puppet Shows: Create character puppets for storytelling or let students write original scripts.

  • Radio Plays: Simulate a student radio station (e.g., WRDR, BOOK, READ) using sound effects and book-themed fake commercials.

• Digital Media & Film Projects

  • Book-to-Film: Assign roles (director, properties, scenery, makeup) to act out, film, and upload book-based skits.

  • Literature-Based Music Videos: Build photo slideshows or presentations set to a curated playlist using photos or student-drawn illustrations.

III. Reading Incentives & Fundraising

• Incentive Programs

  • Participate in group reward initiatives like Pizza Hut's Book-It program.

  • Reward reading milestones by giving books as prizes.

• Charity Fundraisers

  • Tie reading goals to charitable donations (e.g., donating money per completed book or hour read) to teach giving back.

IV. Recommended Resources & Links

• Program Printables & Activities: Education.com (DIY Summer Reading Camp program)

• Charity Reading Program: Reading is Fundamental (via the One More Story program)

• Teacher Blogs & Lesson Plans:

  • Kidz Literature

  • Free Lesson Plans 4U

  • Free Printable Lesson Plans