How to Make 100th Day of School Necklaces

It's the 100th Day of School and, as a teacher, you probably have about 100 activities planned. However, if you teach elementary school, math or patterns, you may want to make time for one more. With few supplies and a little time, you can have your students make 100th Day of School necklaces.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Colored string or yarn
• Scissors
• Plastic cups
• Blank 100 grids
• Pony beads or colored cereal O' s
• Crayons
• Tape

Prepare Your Materials

1. Photocopy enough blank 100 grids so that every student in your class can have one. Copy a few extra just in case somebody loses or ruins one.
2. Cut colored string or yarn into lengths of 18-in. to 20-in. Since the yarn will be used for stringing beads or similar materials, it should be sturdy enough that the ends won't unravel as the students work with it. Make sure there's enough string for each student to have one.
3. Place a large bowl of colored pony beads at each worktable, making sure it's accessible enough that each student can get her hands in it without fighting over it or knocking it over.
4. Provide each student with a plastic counting cup of colored cereal O' s as an alternative to pony beads.

Explain the Project

5. Talk to your students about the number 100 and ask them what they know about it. Show them how the number 100 contains 10 groups of 10 and provide them each with a 100 grid.
6. Ask the students to prove to you that there are 10 groups of 10 by coloring the first square of each group of ten a different color. Ask them to then make each row (or column) into a unique pattern using their crayons. You may need to demonstrate this on a white board or overhead projector.
7. Tell your students that you are going to give them the opportunity to make a necklace containing 100 items, but only if they can complete it by making ten different patterns.
8. Have the students place pony beads or cereal O' s on each row of the 100 grid, making sure that each row has a different pattern. Explain that they can repeat patterns forms (ABAB, AABB or ABBA), but if they choose to do so, the patterns must have different colored beads.
9. Check each student's work when the grid is completely filled. Tape one end of the colored yarn to the student's desk or workstation and have them string the beads, one row at a time.
10. Tie off the other end when all the pieces have been strung, and then tie the necklace ends together.

Tips & Warnings

• As a bonus, you can provide each student with a tag that has the number 100 on it. Ask them to place the tags on the strings once they have 5 groups of 10 on the necklace, and then complete the project. The necklaces will have the number 100 in the middle of them.