Many teachers have a favorite Back to School Lesson Plan to kick off the new school year. Heather McDonnell from Walter Turnbow Elementary suggested an unusual one. She studies skylines. Heather’s mission, she says, is “to bring the world to my classroom.” So she uses the Dr. Seuss bookOh,… Continue reading
Indonesian shadow puppets are intricately cut and beautifully painted — and then hidden behind a screen. Used to perform traditional folktales or stories from Hindu epics, these puppets are one of the most characteristic art forms of Indonesia. The concept is simple: put a solid shape behind a transparent… Continue reading
Science heroes can come from any place or time, but since I’m posting this during Asian and Pacific American History Month, I’d like to start with China. One year, I taught English to a group of Chinese physics students. They taught me that science heroes were lauded in their… Continue reading
The Lambikin is a folk tale from India. It is not very well known in the United States, so it would be a good one to use when you have a class that is tired of all the folktales they already know. In the story, the Lambikin is going to his… Continue reading
Folk and fairy tales are suggested in our state frameworks for students from kindergarten through middle school. They are a good example of a literary form, great for studying story elements, and always bring up interesting character points. One fairy tale that’s well suited to multiple grade levels is Jack and… Continue reading
Coming up to Mother’s Day, we need a celebration. Why not a tea party? We’ll teach kids to make a cup of tea for their moms for Mother’s Day, and incidentally consider solubility. If you work with older students, consider looking into the Smart Tea project. At its simplest, this asks students… Continue reading
Tigers as a classroom theme can lead you to a number of interesting topics in science, social studies, and literature. Continue reading
The Fungus Kingdom offers opportunities for hands-on science with living things. Continue reading
The story of the big turnip shows that cooperation allows us to do things we couldn’t do alone — with some math and science lessons, too! Continue reading
