Classroom subject areas
“Lazy Jack,” or “Foolish Jack,” is a “noodlehead tale” found in many different countries. The basic story is of Jack, a foolish and lazy fellow who goes out to find work. He is paid each day in various goods. When he is paid in money, he loses it, and his… Continue reading
When I was a child, we had a poem which was often recited at the dinner table: The Goops, they lick their fingers, The Goops, they lick their knives, They spill their broth on the tablecloth. They lead disgusting lives! We liked to say this last line in a dramatic… Continue reading
Happy Juneteenth! June 19th has been celebrated as African American Independence Day since 1865, when people in Galveston, Texas, celebrated the Emancipation Proclamation. You will have noticed that it was by that time a couple of years late. There are many different theories about why it took so long for… Continue reading
Everyone needs to study plants at some point. Here are lesson plan ideas for elementary students. K-2 Tops & Bottoms is a very fun book by Janet Stevens. I sort of want to read the whole story to you, and I think you’ll feel the same when you see the… Continue reading
The Eiffel Tower, or Tour Eiffel, may be the most recognizable iconic image of Paris. It’s an iron latticework tower standing 300 meters tall. The tower gets its name from Gustave Eiffel, an engineer and the owner of the company that built it. Eiffel was also responsible for the… Continue reading
We’re largely made of water, so it should be no surprise that much of human life revolves around water. Explore some of the ways water matters with these lesson plans. Water to drink Human beings cannot live without water, and finding clean, potable (safely drinkable) water is a challenge… Continue reading
“The Ugly Duckling” is not a fairy tale, since there are no magical elements, and it is not a folk tale, since we know that it was written by Hans Christian Andersen in 1844. It is probably best described as a fable– that is, a story that makes a point… Continue reading
Sea shanties are a part of the great genre of work songs. Sailors used the rhythm of the songs to keep together when rowing, hauling up sails, and doing other cooperative work. They also enjoyed music during their downtime. Pirate musicians, according to documents preserved from pirate ships, only had… Continue reading
Boats are in many ways central to the human experience, so why not try out some classroom activities centered on boats? We’ll look at science and social studies from this exciting perspective. Trend has a sailing bulletin board set available. The “All Hands on Deck” Classroom jobs set would go… Continue reading
“The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse” is one of Aesop’s fables. It is also found in the fables of La Fontaine. The basic story is this: a town mouse visits a country mouse and is scornful of the country mouse’s simple life. The country mouse goes to town to… Continue reading
