There are three obvious directions to go with the idea of rainbows: weather, colors, or the symbolism of rainbows as signs of good fortune. Rainbow colors classroom ideas Use rainbows to look at colors with a bright classroom theme: Rainbow of Possibilities Rainbow set with a growth mindset theme Woodlark’s… Continue reading
Weather folklore is the source of many cool sayings. This one tells us that, though March begins with rough weather, it will be mild and pleasant by the end of the month. This seems like an encouraging reminder that spring is on the way. Some reverse the saying, though, to mean that if March starts… Continue reading
Easter in the classroom is a lot like Christmas in the classroom: there is an unavoidable religious element, but it is also a holiday celebrated as a secular day of fun in the United States, and there are a lot of enjoyable things you can do in your classroom if… Continue reading
The Sneetches and Other Stories was published in 1961. It includes “The Sneetches” and three other stories. The story is simple, but the ideas are complex and far-reaching enough to make this a good Dr. Seuss choice for older readers. Now, the Star-Belly Sneetches had bellies with stars. The Plain-Belly… Continue reading
Bring Mardi Gras fun into your classroom with three easy lesson plans combining art, social studies, critical thinking, and physical education. Mardi Gras is a largely secular celebration with a religious history . If you want to explain the background of the day, you’ll need to begin with Lent. Lent… Continue reading
Valentine’s Day is a great classroom holiday; it might have started as a religious observance of St. Valentine’s Day, but by now it really has no religious connotations and no controversies surrounding it that are relevant to the classroom. It is one of the best holidays for school observation,… Continue reading
Laos is a beautiful country in Southeast Asia. This is the Patuxai or Victory Gate in the capital city, Vientiane. It was built in honor of the warriors who fought for Laos’s independence from France, which owned Laos from 1893 to 1953. Pha That Luang is also in Vientiane. This… Continue reading
For a thousand years, from around the late 800s until the 1880s, Samurai warriors served the noble families and royal courts in Japan. Much like the knights of Europe, the samurai were a special class of fighting men who wore finely made armor and used special weapons. We see them… Continue reading
The Sherwin Miller Museum of Jewish Art at the Fenster/Sanditen Cultural Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma, is a lesser-known gem of an art museum in a town with a surprising wealth of art museums. The Sherwin Miller specializes in Jewish art, with a wide range of exhibits. Art works in multiple… Continue reading
Elephants lend themselves to lots of classroom themes: circus, jungle, zoo,the letter E… Enjoy some elephantine fun in your classroom. Make elephant handprints by having kids dip their hands into gray paint and then, with fingers spread, press their hands onto paper. Turn the handprint over when it dries and… Continue reading
