Rock & roll makes a fun classroom theme, with some surprisingly serious lesson opportunities. It’s one of the easiest things to pull together, too. There’s a Rock the School mini bulletin board set. There are also cute electric guitar cutouts. What’s more, there are few subjects for which it’s so… Continue reading
One of my pet peeves with educational technology is the fact that so much teacher tech training is just about how to use one little thing — PowerPoint, maybe, or one website. It’s as though there were a workshop on art for the classroom, and you spent the whole time… Continue reading
Check out the “Three Billy Goats Gruff” lesson plans for lots of bridge lesson ideas. Continue reading
While we were in Rome with Google Earth, we saw a pizzeria on every corner. Pizza is perfect for studying fractions. Our friend Debby Picou showed us how to make a fractions center with pizza slice cutouts. Just fit them together into parts like 3/8 or 1/2 and glue them… Continue reading
Indonesian shadow puppets are intricately cut and beautifully painted — and then hidden behind a screen. Used to perform traditional folktales or stories from Hindu epics, these puppets are one of the most characteristic art forms of Indonesia. The concept is simple: put a solid shape behind a transparent… Continue reading
Pandas make a great classroom theme. They connect naturally with studies of biology, environmental science, art, and punctuation — and hey, they’re cute! It’s also very easy to find ready-made panda gear to decorate your classroom — at this time of year, that’s a big plus. Panda Pals from Edupress… Continue reading
Science heroes can come from any place or time, but since I’m posting this during Asian and Pacific American History Month, I’d like to start with China. One year, I taught English to a group of Chinese physics students. They taught me that science heroes were lauded in their… Continue reading
The Lambikin is a folk tale from India. It is not very well known in the United States, so it would be a good one to use when you have a class that is tired of all the folktales they already know. In the story, the Lambikin is going to his… Continue reading
Folk and fairy tales are suggested in our state frameworks for students from kindergarten through middle school. They are a good example of a literary form, great for studying story elements, and always bring up interesting character points. One fairy tale that’s well suited to multiple grade levels is Jack and… Continue reading
The pine is our state tree, and it might be yours, too, since it’s quite a popular state tree. If not, you can still enjoy these links and ideas for a study of pine trees. Many include trees in general. “If Trees Could Talk” is an interesting lesson plan… Continue reading
