We don’t mourn the days when teachers handed out candy as bribes or rewards. Still, there are some times of year when it makes sense to have candy around, and it can always be an interesting subject of study. We suggest beginning with a book. Depending on the age… Continue reading
If you have a pumpkin, you can have a quick, seasonal lesson. And, really, at this time of year there’s no reason not to have a pumpkin. Pumpkins are a variety of squash, related to cucumbers. They are natives of North America, but now are grown on all six inhabited continents.… Continue reading
Bats may be the first nocturnal creatures that come to mind, but actually there are lots more. Learn about some of the real creatures that sleep all day and wake up at night (links take you to informational websites): bats possums raccoons owls deer coyote fox mouse skunk weasel porcupines… Continue reading
Shake Dem Halloween Bones by W. Nikola-Lisa with illustrations by Mike Reed is a terrific book for Halloween lessons. It works on a lot of levels. First, it’s a very fun rhythmic read aloud, with a refrain young kids can join in on: Come on, Li’l Red, won’t you dance… Continue reading
Ghost stories are fun at any time of year, and they’re perfect for Halloween. You need to tell or read ghost stories aloud. This can be an excellent way to introduce some classic literature, delve into folklore, or start a study of short stories. Read a few and then let… Continue reading
Hansel and Gretel is a good, horrible fairy tale for when you want a creepy story. The University of Pittsburgh collection contains the basic Grimm’s version. The story is certainly among the most familiar of fairy tales. A poor woodcutter and his wife, faced with starvation, abandon their two children… Continue reading
A ballad is a poem that tells a story, typically sung, though we often just read ballads in English classes. We have a ballad for you to work with, “The Great Selkie of Sule Skerry.” It’s in a video at the bottom of this post, if you’d like to… Continue reading
Twilight has brought werewolves into vogue, but the stories have been around for a very long time. For Hallowe’en, for something to capture the attention of your reluctant readers, or just for fun, why not include some shapeshifter tales in your lit lessons? We don’t really have any favorite werewolf… Continue reading
Chocolate is worth studying, and it can be a great classroom theme all year round. The very first thing to do, when you first start thinking about using the theme, is to write off to the chocolate companies explaining that you plan to do this in your classroom. They… Continue reading
