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
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
Pecos Bill is a great example of a tall tale hero. Bill was raised by coyotes and rejoined human society to become a sort of Western superhero. In a collection of stories, he outdid everyone in tales of derring-do that explain the origins of the Rio Grande and the… Continue reading
We met this mummy at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City. We appreciate their giving us permission to take and use these photos. Read more about this mummy on the Nelson-Atkins website. Mummifying the bodies of people when they died was a way that the ancient Egyptians showed… 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
We love aviation as a classroom theme for all ages. It’s easy to set up your classroom, science and social studies connections abound, and the theme fits in well with all kinds of motivational and character programs. Our linked resources will give you some great computer skills practice, too. Also… 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
Go with science, science fiction, or the metaphor of space and stars as achievement: space always makes a great classroom theme. We have a special download for your space theme, too. A space theme has lots of ready-made options for bulletin boards: Space Exploration: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow! focuses on… Continue reading
When we study animals, we always cover these elements: Morphology: the physical characteristics of animals, including body parts and adaptations. Life cycles: how animals are born, live, and reproduce. Habitats: the places where animals live. Relationships with humans: how humans affect the animals and how they affect us. Some of… 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
