The World Cup for this year begins today — and it can be a great source of summer learning! Math and geography are the stars of a World Cup study. Learning goals: Locate World Cup countries on a map and identify their flags. Learn basic World Cup vocabulary, soccer rules,… Continue reading
Problem-solving in math can focus on real life math problems, but it can be fun to focus on unreal life math problems, too. Continue reading
While we were in Rome with Google Earth, we saw a pizzeria on every corner. Why not choose pizza as a classroom theme? It’s fun for everyone! Pizza is perfect for studying fractions. Our friend Debby Picou showed us how to make a fractions center with pizza slice cutouts.… Continue reading
Learning to count is an essential skill, and counting books are a great way to do it. But it’s important to have counting books that are worth reading — and, for that matter, worth buying. Here are some your kids will love. 1, 2, 3 to the Zoo by Eric… Continue reading
Eve Bunting’s book The Valentine Bears is a fun readaloud for young students, with lots of good teaching points. In the story, Mr. and Mrs. Bear have never celebrated Valentines Day before, since they are always hibernating at this time of year. This year, though, Mrs. Bear has planned… Continue reading
Elephants lend themselves to lots of classroom themes: circus, jungle, zoo,the letter E… Enjoy some elephant learning and elephantine fun in your schoolroom. 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… Continue reading
Rumpelstiltskin is a story from the Brothers Grimm. In the story, a miller claims that his daughter can spin straw into gold. The king demands that she prove it. She is locked in a room full of straw, despairing, when a funny little man comes in and offers to do… Continue reading
Your neighborhood may or may not have a farmers market, but just think how many things you can learn in a lesson about farmers markets: science, social studies, environmental literacy, economics, even art and technology. Here are some of our favorite farmers market lesson plans: Kindergarten Start your kindergarteners off… Continue reading
Learning to read analog clocks is harder for modern kids than it was a generation or two ago when kids actually saw analog clocks around. This means that we can sometimes get so focused on this one skill that we don’t get into the concept of time itself. And yet… Continue reading
Mesopotamia, meaning “between the rivers,” was the cradle of civilization. Explore the people who lived here thousands of years ago with a couple of our favorite Mesopotamia lesson plans. These two lessons are designed to give a sense of time and place for ancient Mesopotamia, while integrating critical thinking, math,… Continue reading
