What would spring and summer be without bugs? This is a theme with lots of ready-made options for decorating the classroom. Buggy for Bugs Behavior bulletin board makes behavior management quick and easy, TCR’s We’ve Got the Writing Bug Mini Bulletin Board Set features the writing process, and Carson Dellosa’s Buggy… Continue reading
Movies, stars, popcorn — bring it all together for a fun classroom theme that lends itself to art, social studies, and technology lessons. Use big paper stars and put everyone’s name up in lights for a fun bulletin board. Slogans: We’re stars Starring us Red Carpet Treatment Celebrity Learning Oscar… Continue reading
Mt. St. Helens erupted on May 18, 1980. I was living in Northern California at the time, and we had ash falling on us from the sky. For so many of us, volcanoes are something we think of as having happened long ago and far away — the eruption of… Continue reading
The rainforests of the Congo Basin are second in size to the Amazon rainforest, but they are greatly endangered. One of the nations in the region is Côte d’Ivoire, or Ivory Coast, so named for the great herds of elephants that used to live there. Now, this country which used… Continue reading
As we get ready for an election year, a patriotic theme is a natural. It’s also a fun way to introduce American History lessons, and a cheerful theme at any time. Read on for ideas for ways to use patriotic songs in art and English lessons. There are plenty of… 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
With St. Patrick’s Day upon us, it’s a great time to learn the geography of Ireland. Any time of year is a great time to improve geography skills, actually, and you can use these ideas with other places, too, but I’ve got some great links for your Ireland study.… Continue reading
This poem, by Irish poet William Butler Yeats, is a beautiful piece of language. Use it as a first introduction to grownup poetry for older elementary and secondary level students. Here’s the poem: Had I the heavens’ embroidered cloths, Enwrought with golden and silver light, The blue and the… Continue reading
O’Sullivan Stew O’Sullivan Stew, by Hudson Talbot, is a fun choice for St. Patrick’s Day reading, since it’s set in Ireland. The story begins with Kate O’Sullivan seeing the local witch’s horse confiscated by the king’s soldiers. Though she tries to get help from the other villagers, she is unable to… Continue reading
Fresh ideas for your spring classroom. Spring themes: In Like a Lion, Out Like a Lamb Farm Theme Butterfly Theme Turtle Theme Kites Theme Frog Theme Bees Theme Bugs Theme Fish Classroom Theme Spring celebrations: Pi Day, March 14 St. Patrick’s Day, March 17 Purim, in 2024 evening of Sat,… Continue reading
