Do you observe Columbus Day on October 12 at your school? Some schools, cities, and even states have replaced Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples’ Day. We’d say that you still need to study Columbus in your American history lessons, even if you don’t observe Columbus Day. Whether you consider Christopher… Continue reading
Peter Pan was written by James M. Barrie a century ago as a play and then as a novel. You can find the text online at The Literature Network, but there’s also a beautiful book illustrated by Michael Foreman, or a Little Golden Book version based on the Walt Disney… Continue reading
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum, is a classic of children’s literature. In it, a young girl named Dorothy is carried by a cyclone to a magical land called Oz. Her house lands on and kills the Wicked Witch, and a couple of good witches help her… Continue reading
Coyote Rescues Hawk is a traditional Chumash story, retold by Alan Salazar, who is a Chumash tribal elder and storyteller. This book is illustrated by Mona Lewis, who uses natural colors in her illustrations. In the story, a hawk, Khwitš, paddled off with a couple of other bird friends in… Continue reading
Ladybugs make a cheerful theme for a summer classroom. Once you establish the theme, it’s easy to carry through, just by using red and black. You can make a bulletin board with red background paper and black paper spots and you’re set. There are ready-made ladybugs for bulletin boards: Borders,… Continue reading
Earth Day is celebrated annually on April 22nd and has become an international event to promote environmental protection and awareness. The event began in the United States but quickly spread to countries around the world. Earth Day is now celebrated in over 190 countries worldwide, making it the largest environmental… Continue reading
A country study can begin with location. Find Spain on a world map. What continent includes Spain? Can students identify any of Spain’s neighboring countries? Note how close Spain is to Africa — this has been important in the history of Spain. While you’re thinking about Spain’s location, you… Continue reading
Never Say a Mean Word Again is an award-winning picture book by Jacqueline Jules. We love picture books for all ages. Use them as read-aloud or read-together books for younger grades and as a jumping off point for multiple subject areas with older students. Find lesson plans below for elementary,… 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
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
