October is such an exciting time of the year, especially for our students. Use their excitement during this month to create a quick and easy Halloween bulletin board full of monsters! Students will love to listen to an interactive read aloud all about how to catch a monster. They will then get to create their own method for capturing a monster. Be sure to grab the Free Downloadable Worksheet to go along with this activity!
Start off the lesson by reading the very adorable story How to Catch a Monster by Adam Wallace. This will be a huge hit with all students. Who doesn't love to read a story full of imagination with silly ways to catch a monster? Students will beg to read this over and over. 
Next, have students create their own very little monster using Monster Weaving Mat Craft Kit. The craft requires no glue or cutting so everything is ready to go which makes it super easy to implement. I would recommend folding the weaving pieces for students. Make sure you take a few minutes to show students how to weave properly. If a student is struggling, partner them up with someone who has the hang of it. This definitely requires fine motor skills that some students are not used to using.
Now it is time for students to get creative and write their very own method to catch a monster. I always like to brainstorm keywords with students prior to them starting. This helps spark ideas in all students, especially reluctant writers. Since this was my students' first time writing a procedural how-to story, we kept it short and sweet. Download the free worksheet I've created that coordinates with this lesson!
Once the writing is complete, it is time to get the bulletin board ready. To create this look, I used Fadeless Art Black Paper, White Scalloped Border, Black Chevron Border, and Poms. I attached Enormous Googly Eyes to a pom using Glue Dots. This was a simple way to create a cute monster.
Finally, add a title using Chalkboard Bulletin Board Letters and include the student created monsters with their writing. Then you are done!
I absolutely love how this board turned out and like that it could be left up longer than Halloween if you wanted. My students were so excited to show it off to anyone who walked into our classroom!
