Lucky Thirteen: No -Prep Activities for Friday the 13th and Beyond

Be ready for Friday the Thirteenth or any day with this bundle of thirteen reading, math, science and history activities.

This package contains thirteen different activities from all four core classes for you to use for centers, early finishers, brain breaks, or just a fun Friday activity. Each activity has the number 13 as a focus, making them especially ideal for Friday the 13, but suitable for any day.

The activities included in this set are:

The First Thirteen Elements: Students answer questions about the first thirteen elements in the Periodic Table, then find the elements in a word search. The unused letters reveal a quotation about the Periodic Table.

My _________ Day: Students select words to complete a fill-it-in story that may or may not be about Friday the 13th.

Target Thirteen: Students play in groups of 2 – 4 to add and subtract single digits and develop strategies to be the first person to reach 13.

The Thirteen Colonies: Students have an opportunity to review the names and locations of the thirteen colonies by labeling a map and using a color key to highlight the three major regions.

Thirteen Languages: Students test their language skills as they work together to translate “hello”, “good-bye” and “thirteen” into thirteen different languages. Students who have computer access can use Google Translate for help. Or, the card sort can be used to let the students group the cards by language, then try to guess which word means “hello”, which means ”good-bye” and which means “thirteen”.

Thirteen Pairs: After cutting apart the triangle, students reconstruct the original by pairing up sides that add up to thirteen. This would be a great activity to laminate and have on hand for early finishers to work on.

Make Thirteen: Students use the ten digits 0 – 9 to make the number thirteen according to the operations given. There are two versions – one with some of the numbers in place, and one without.

Friday the Thirteenth Make-a-Word: How many words can be made with the letters in “Friday the Thirteenth”?

Friday the Thirteenth: This reading passage gives students information about the origins of the unlucky day, and is accompanied by a set of comprehension questions, making it useful for a reading review or homework assignment.

The Thirteenth Amendment: This reading passage introduces history students to what may be a surprising fact about slavery in the United States, and gets them thinking about the question: “Does the Thirteenth Amendment need to be changed?”

Thirteenth Amendment Word Fill-In: The words of the Thirteenth Amendment are featured in this Word Cross puzzle.

The Thirteenth Guest: Jemima Ficklewort needs an heir, and has decided that it will be the thirteenth person to arrive at her birthday party. Students must solve a logic problem to find out who the lucky party guest is.

Thirteen Pieces of Gold: This easy to learn strategy game helps students develop problem-solving skills and learn to think ahead as they try to outwit their opponent. The real treasure is the fact that once students figure out the strategy to the original game, different variations can be created to further challenge their thinking.

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If you're looking for other Friday the Thirteenth themed products, check out:

Friday the Thirteenth: Informational Text and Activities -- please be aware that the informational text and related activity are also contained in the "Lucky Thirteen" resource.

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Products dealing with superstitions:

Myth and Superstition : Informational Text, Readers Theater, and More

Superstitions: Informational Text and Word Puzzle Fun

If you have any questions about my products, or would like information about getting one modified for your particular classroom needs, please contact me through TpT, or at BrainyCatsLearning@gmail.com .