“Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves” is one of the stories from1001 Arabian Nights. This is one of the more complex stories among popular fairy tales. Ali Baba, a poor woodcutter, is in the forest one day when he hears a band of thieves coming. Frightened, he hides. He… Continue reading
Folk and fairy tales are in our state’s standards up to 7th grade, and Rapunzel is an ideal fairy tale for use with older students. Preschool teacher Margaret Elkins says she uses it with the younger ones, too, by focusing on the theme of love. The husband loved his wife enough to… Continue reading
You can’t go wrong with the classics. If that’s not enough of a reason to consider apples for a classroom theme, here are a few more reasons: There is nothing so easy to find as apple decorations. Choose apples and you can get your room put together fast. There are stickers,… Continue reading
The Frog Prince is another classic fairy tale written down by the Brothers Grimm. In the story, a princess is playing near a pond, and drops her golden ball in the water. A frog offers to get the ball for her, but only if she will let him live… Continue reading
Butterflies are a common symbol of growth and change — a great classroom theme! There are some ready-made items for your bulletin board: Scholastic’s clever 3-D Butterflies! Bulletin Board Mini Bulletin Boards- Butterflies & Moths from North Star You can also make butterflies from circular coffee filters. Have students… Continue reading
“Head, thorax, abdomen, Abdomen! Head, thorax, abdomen, Abdomen! One, two, three, four, five, six legs, Head, thorax, abdomen, Abdomen!” Continue reading
In Aesop’s fable of The Ant and the Grasshopper, the ant works hard all summer while the grasshopper plays. Not only does the grasshopper play, but he actually taunts the hardworking ant. Come winter, the ant has plenty to eat and the grasshopper dies. The moral is clear: work hard… Continue reading
The national science standards mandate a set of topics for all studies of organisms: Their morphology — that is, their form, body parts, and other physical characteristics. Their lifecycles. Their habitats. Their relationships with humans. What are the relationships among insects and humans? When you think of insect interactions… Continue reading
“There was an old lady who swallowed a fly…” goes the traditional song. “I don’t know why she swallowed a fly. Perhaps she’ll die.” The old woman goes on cheerfully enough to swallow a spider “that wriggled and jiggled and ticked inside her” and then a bird, a cat, a… Continue reading
Many teachers have a favorite Back to School Lesson Plan to kick off the new school year. Heather McDonnell from Walter Turnbow Elementary suggested an unusual one. She studies skylines. Heather’s mission, she says, is “to bring the world to my classroom.” So she uses the Dr. Seuss bookOh,… Continue reading
