The Pied Piper of Hamelin is unusual, in that it is both a fairy tale (a story with magical elements) and a legend (a story based on real events). The story is a simple one. The town of Hamelin (or Hameln, a real town in Germany) was overrun by rats.… Continue reading
The Last King of Angkor Wat is a beautiful book by Graeme Base. Younger students will enjoy the story, a fable about a group of animal friends. Older students will get a good introduction to a study of Cambodia, where Angkor Wat — the largest religious structure in the world… Continue reading
“Master of all Masters” is a very simple story in its essence. A new servant is told by her master to call various things by new and special names. The cat is to be “white-faced siminy,” the fire is to be called “hot cockalorum,” and so on. The climax of the… Continue reading
Talk to a parent who uses a child leash and you’ll hear that they’re determined to keep their kids safe. You’ll hear about their fear that their son or daughter might run off or step into a busy street. Just a few seconds of inattention, they say, can lead to… Continue reading
Christmas in Australia is influenced by European traditions, but there are some big differences. Christmas takes place in the summer in Australia, since it’s in the Southern Hemisphere. That’s an excellent opportunity for a science lesson. For this activity, you’ll need some things: Make word cards with the names of… Continue reading
France is the home of many of our favorite Christmas carols and probably of the whole idea of Christmas carols, so a study of Christmas in France is nice for music class. The season for celebration lasts from the feast of St. Nicholas on December 6th to the Feast of… Continue reading
Seasonal geography lessons make a satisfying study and a great way to cover all the bases before leaving for winter break. Here are some of our favorite ideas for studying Christmas in Mexico in the classroom. Tomie de Paolo has done some wonderful books for this study. The Legend… Continue reading
Dave Burgess has put together a fun and inspiring book that will teach you to teach like a pirate — not a thug, but a Douglas Fairbanks-style exciting pirate. The first section of the book examines the characteristics required to teach like a pirate: passion, immersion, rapport, analysis, transformation,… Continue reading
In 1779, the country that would become the United States of America included British, French, and Spanish colonies. The British colonies had declared independence from England, and the other colonies sided with their fellow Americans. One of the people who helped was General Bernardo de Gálvez, Governor of Louisiana. Louisiana… Continue reading
There are more than 50 million people in the United States who trace their family origin to a Spanish-speaking country or territory. The list below shows the percentage of people from each of the most common locations of family origin. 63% Mexico 9% Puerto Rico 3.5% Cuba 3.3% El… Continue reading
