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The Value of Vaccination

Explore the value of vaccination with "Making Vaccines" an interactive activity that allows your students to create six vaccines in... Read more

Getting to Know the Candidates

Who are the presidential candidates in 2008? What would students like to know about each of them? Who are the... Read more

Hurricane Season

Name that hurricane! The World Meteorological Organization assigns a male or female name to each hurricane. Write a paragraph explaining... Read more

What's Your Sign?

On a calendar, list each student's birthday on the appropriate month and day. Share the newspaper horoscope with students so... Read more

License Plate Puzzle

License Plate Puzzle Language Have students collect the messages they see on vanity license plates. Ask them to write the... Read more

Making a Book

Book It Writing Watch with your students how a book is made in this engaging illustrated how-to by Aliki at... Read more

A Fishy Display

Fish Folding Science/Art Fold small rectangular or square pieces of paper in different ways, some parts overlapping and others... Read more

Graphing with Class

Graphing with Class Math/Art When reinforcing coordinates, use graph paper and dots punched from various colors of paper. Call out... Read more

Remembrance Plates Craft

Remembrance Plates Social Studies/Art For centuries people have decorated plates with pictures of important people, places and favorite things. Much... Read more

Transportation ABCs

Do you know your transportation ABCs? Create a class alphabet big book. For each letter's page include the types of... Read more

Whose Shoes?

Whose Shoes? Math Draw a graph with a shoe theme on the board. How many of your students are wearing... Read more

Learning Your Syllables

Silly Syllables Reading/Language Arts Make a set of word cards that have one word on each card. Provide three envelopes,... Read more

Daily Dialogue Activities

Daily Dialogue Writing Select three students who will sit at a table at the front of the room and pretend... Read more

First Day of School Activities

How You've Grown Math Have students trace their bodies on large sheets of paper on the first day of school... Read more

Our Year Ahead

Our Year Ahead Social Studies Set up a timeline that can be left up all year. Mark the first day... Read more

Bulletin Boards for Your Class

Summer Magic Language Arts Make a summer bulletin board with sand, sun, surf, mountains, trees, etc. Give students colored... Read more

Ideas for Open House Night

Personalized Portfolios Art Prepare for open house by having students design monogrammed folders using a print or cursive design... Read more

Simon Says Activities

Simon Says Color Me Auditory/Visual Discrimination Give all the children the same picture and the same colors of crayons. Play... Read more

Where Were You?

Where Were You? Reading Ask students to bring in postcards or photographs of where they went this summer. Discuss setting.... Read more

Egg-sperimenting!

The Same, But So Different Science Compare and contrast a raw egg with a hard-boiled egg. Make a simple chart... Read more

Calendar Math Activities

Calendar Math Math Post the calendar for the current month where everyone can see it. Provide one set of cards... Read more

Pattern Play

Pattern Play Fine Motor Coordination/Math Provide felt shapes and craft sticks. Model putting together a pattern, then pass an... Read more

Sunflowers Crafts

Sunflowers Art Step 1: Give each student a stiff piece of 12" by 18" paper and ask them to draw... Read more

National Inventor’s Month

What's New? Science Display various items such as straws, zippers and a laptop computer. Discuss how inventions have changed societies... Read more

Plus and Minus Activities

Plus and Minus Art/Math Use this art project to illustrate and develop the concepts of positive and negative, plus... Read more

Working with Circles and Shapes

Shapes In Motion Math Gather the children in a circle. Look through books and magazines for pictures of circular objects.... Read more

Classroom Bulletin Board Projects

Story Bricks Reading Make a "brick wall" bulletin board. Give students red construction paper and a pattern for the bricks.... Read more

Preparing for Back to School

At the start of the school year have your students fill out a survey so you can get to know... Read more

2008 Summer Olympics

The Summer Olympics will be celebrated from August 8, 2008 to August 24, 2008, have your students increase their Olympic... Read more

Coral Reef Awareness

Teach your students the importance of protecting the Coral reefs during Coral Reef Awareness month. To get the facts about... Read more

Balloon Fun

Have students use materials they can find around the house to make a collage of hot-air ballons such as... Read more

America's Motto

Our country's motto is "E Pluribus Unum," which is Latin for "Out of many, one." Our country has many states... Read more

A Better Workout

Your Own Workout provides a chart that can help you create a weekly exercise routine that's right for your fitness... Read more

Annual Rain Day

July 29 is Annual Rain Day. Here are some activities in honor of Rain Day! Using popcorn kernels and toothpicks... Read more

Endless Math Puzzles

The learning possibilities are endless with the entertaining math puzzles in Think Inside the Box by Michael Naylor. Kan U... Read more

Reading the Rebus

Reading the Rebus Reading Collect several rebus stories from children's magazines in your library. Read several to and with your... Read more

Parents’ Day

Parents' Day - Observed the 4th Sunday of July Many Americans are unaware that our nation has a new day... Read more

Studing the Masters

In Part of a Masterpiece John W. Healy explains how to merge masterpieces with technology that will allow your students... Read more

First Moon Walk

Neil Armstrong was the first man to walk on the moon on July 20, 1969. Write an essay about his... Read more

Planting a Seed

Sprouting Seeds Science Prepare some clear plastic bags with a small amount of soil and have the children place two... Read more

Fine Motor Skill Lessons

Sports Sort Reading/Math/Fine Motor Coordination Purchase a bag of foam sports-ball decorations at a craft store. Ask students to separate... Read more

Fingerprinting Activities

DNA fingerprinting is used routinely today in criminal cases. Fingerprinting was first used as a means of identification on July... Read more

Haiku Time

Haiku Time Reading/Writing Share several examples of haiku with your students, including this one, then send them to the library... Read more

Character Writing

Trade that character! After reading a new book, choose one character to write about. Go to www.weeklyreader.com/tresources for a trading-card... Read more

Comparing Crystals

Comparing Crystals Science Take your class to www.unmuseum.org for some experiments that compare sugar and salt crystals. For more information... Read more

Advertising Trends

Advertising Trends Math Get some old magazines from the library and have students make graphs depicting the amount of space... Read more

Slippery Spelling

Slippery Spelling Spelling/Reading Place a brightly-colored piece of construction paper on a table. Give students a bold marker with which... Read more

World Population Day

The United Nations set up World Population Day, which is celebrated on July 11 to focus attention on population issues.... Read more

Watching the Time

Watching the Time Poetry/Math Read the following poem to the children and then write it on a large poster board... Read more

Cartoon Characters

Cartoon Characters Writing/Character Traits Use a set of cartoon characters that students are familiar with while writing a class story.... Read more

Learning to Discover

Discover a place. Mark off a square foot on the ground somewhere near your school. Have students take a pad... Read more

Chocolate Day!

Chocolate is America's favorite flavor. Celebrate Chocolate Day on July 7 by learning all about this food that so... Read more

Read An Almanac Month

Read An Almanac Month Reading/Social Studies Visit your local bookstore or library and get any one of the many almanacs... Read more

Moon Tracking

Moon Tracking Science/Art Check the phase of the moon in the daily newspaper and set up a chart for... Read more

Celebrating John Newbery

John Newbery was born on July 9, 1713. Visit the library and check out a Newbery Award book for your... Read more

Independence Day

Draw your own fireworks art in celebration of the Fourth of July. Compare our Fourth of July to Independence Day... Read more

Amelia Earhart Disappears

Amelia Earhart's plane disappeared from radar July 2, 1937 and was never found. Research Amelia Earhart and her contribution to... Read more

Planetary Quizzes

Play planetary trivia. Research the planets and write short questions about them on the front of index cards. Write the... Read more

Summer Snacking

Summer Snacking We all love to munch between meals, but snacks don't have to be junk food to be delicious... Read more

Express Train

Express Train Math Choose five students to line up across the front of the room. This is the rapid express... Read more

Poetic Geography

Poetic Geography Language/Geography Share Got Geography! edited by Lee Bennett Hopkins (Greenwillow, 2006) and ask your student to find... Read more

Light and Heavy Rain

Light and Heavy Rain Poetry/Creative Dramatics Teach the following finger play to the children: Light and Heavy Rain by Jacqueline... Read more

Travel-friendly Games

Help students create collections of travel-friendly games and activities to take along on summer trips or to pass the... Read more

Learning About the U.S.

American motto. Our country's motto is "E Pluribus Unum," which is Latin for "Out of many, one." Our country has... Read more

Set Sail For Summer

Set Sail For Summer Art Step 1: On a piece of cardboard about 9" x 12" draw an equilateral... Read more

Wisps in the Wind

Wisps in the Wind Science/Poetry Read the following poems together. Dandelion by Heidi Roemer Summer snowflake made of fluff; I... Read more

Observing Nature

Ask your students to pick an object they can observe, such as a leaf, a bug, a bird or... Read more

Refrigerator Research

Refrigerator Research Writing/Health Have students take an inventory of what's in their refrigerators. Categorize the findings by food groups, expiration... Read more

A Salute to Eric Carle

Eric Carle was born on June 25, 1929. Have your students read their favorite books by this author. Make a... Read more

A Summer Backpack

Send your students on summer break with a learning bag of activities with How To... Build a Summer Backpack by... Read more

Remembering Rhymes

Remembering Rhymes Language Often when it is important to remember something, rhyming can be a great help. Here is a... Read more

Dream Writing

Dream Writing Writing Children are always dreaming about something that they would like to have, so put this to... Read more

A Blue Moon

A Blue Moon Science/Writing Whenever there are two full moons in one month, the second one is called the "blue... Read more

Summer Fun Activity

Summer Fun Poetry/Phys. Ed. Read the following poem to the children. Then have different children act out lines 1-12. Finally,... Read more

Using the Alphabet

It's a Match Reading Hang a set of capital letters at eye level for the students. Provide lower case letters... Read more

Books to Movies

Books to Movies Art/Reading Discuss older books that have been made into movies recently, such as How to Eat Fried... Read more

Birthday of Anne Frank

Anne Frank was born on June 12, 1929, in Frankfurt, Germany. Her diary, The Diary of Anne Frank is... Read more

Poetry of Time

Poetry of Time Reading/Writing Enjoy the following poem together, noting how the rhythm and the spareness of words add to... Read more

Learning About Maurice Sendak

A Wild World Art In acknowledgment of Maurice Sendak's birthday on June 10, 1928, design an exhibit with vines,... Read more

Flag Day Activities

Folding Matters Social Studies Take some time to teach the class how to fold the flag of the United... Read more

Our Year Completed Activities

Our Year Completed Social Studies/Math Set up a timeline for the school year that can be filled in by the... Read more

Wonders of the Web

Wonders of the Web Writing/Research Encourage students to use the knowledge they already have to plan and write a class... Read more

Turn-Around Designs

Turn-Around Designs Math/Art During your geometry unit give each student a large sheet of white paper and a geometric... Read more

Honoring Dad on Father's Day

Leather-Look Pencil Holder Art/Language Arts Cover a clean frozen-juice can with torn pieces of masking tape. On each one of... Read more

Seeking Summer

Seeking Summer Poetry Read the following poem together and then have students write poems about what summer represents to each... Read more

Celebrate Anita Lobel's Birthday

Anita Lobel was born on June 3, 1934. Read all about her life in our interview titled Anita Lobel: A... Read more

Springtime Strawberries

Springtime Strawberries Art/Math In a disposable dish, make a stamp pad out of paper towels and a pile of... Read more

Canister Coins

Canister Coins Math Gather empty film canisters, label each one for a particular coin. Place a pile of coins in... Read more

Summer Suncatchers and Handprint Sun

Summer Suncatchers Art Bend a chenille stem into a desired shape (circle, diamond, star, etc.) then glue the ends together.... Read more

Learning With Rhymes

Remembering Rhymes Language Often when it is important to remember something, rhyming can be a great help. Here is a... Read more

International Jazz Day Activities

Feel The Beat Music May 29 is International Jazz Day. Have your students research in the library and online about... Read more

Surprise Endings Activity

Surprise Endings Poetry/Science Sometimes we think we might like to make some changes to the earth. But as this poem... Read more

A Wild World

A Wild World Art In acknowledgment of Maurice Sendak's birthday on June 10, design an exhibit with vines, palm trees... Read more

Literary Book Jackets

Literary Book Jackets Reading/Writing/Technology After a class discussion of the books the students have read as a class this year,... Read more

Here Comes Summer

Here Comes Summer Reading Enlist the help of the school librarian as well as any and all teachers for this... Read more

Memorial Day Classroom Activities

Our Flag Reading/Art Before Memorial Day, read the book I Pledge Allegiance by Bill Martin, Jr. (Candlewick, 2002). Each page... Read more

Bulletin Board Zoo

Bulletin Board Zoo Science Design a large bulletin board to look like a zoo, with sections for birds, reptiles, mammals,... Read more

A Tower of Lunch

A Tower of Lunch Health Use the children's natural love of towers to teach about the food pyramid. Make a... Read more

A Variety of Parent Activities

Parents Activities Writing Give your child an envelope of family photos and a blank photo album. Have your child tell... Read more

Candidates Lineup

Candidates Lineup Current Events Divide the class into groups and assign each group one of the presidential candidates. Research his... Read more

Creating a Classroom Garden

Color My Garden Science/Nutrition Provide vegetable and fruit shapes all on white paper. Help students determine which grow above... Read more

Tantalizing Tessellations

Tantalizing Tessellations Math/Art While working on a geometry unit, use those shapes to make interesting and artistic tessellations in... Read more

Summer Seedlings, Fun and Sights

Summer Seedlings Science Get each student started gardening with a small potted tomato plant. Keep two or three extra... Read more

Poetry Math

Poetry Math Math/Poetry Read this poem to the children when working with sets of various kinds. Put it on the... Read more

Everyday Inventions

Everyday Inventions Science Bring to school a wide assortment of items: tongs, a hand-held can opener, a drinking straw,... Read more

Historic Jamestown

Today's the Day Social Studies/History May 14, 1607, was the day the Jamestown settlement was established. Begin your day by... Read more

Learning with Mazes

Design a Maze Math/Science While studying the concepts of parallel and perpendicular, have students design cardboard mazes with shoe boxes.... Read more

Scrapbooks for Your Classroom

Spectacular Scrapbooks Writing/Art Keeping scrapbooks has become a hobby of children as well as adults. Collect some supplies from a... Read more

Fantastic Flowers Classroom Activities

Fantastic Flowers Art Fold five pieces of 6" x 9" colored copier paper accordion-style to make a six-inch fan.... Read more

A Summer Catalog and Reading List

A Summer Catalog Art/Writing Help students create their own catalogs of supplies they will need for the summer. Use various... Read more

Thank You, Nurses

Thank You, Nurses Social Studies/Careers/Writing Have students design thank-you cards and letters that look like bandages to send to... Read more

Spelling Classroom Activities

Scrambled Spellers Language Make some flowers with a different letter in each petal. Have students identify the words. Use... Read more

What’s in a Name?

"Signing" Your Name Language Dactylology, or finger spelling, comes from the Greek words daktulos ("finger") and logia ("discourse"). Sign language... Read more

Everyday Fossils

Make a Fossil/Tell a Tale Science/Writing Use PLAY-DOH® or fast-drying clay and seashells to make some fossils. After each student... Read more

Bike Month Activities

Celebrate American Bike Month Bike Month means going over safety rules for riding a bike. Make a bike safety poster... Read more

Precious Pets

Precious Pets Writing Have students bring in a picture of a current or past pet. Give the prompt, "When I... Read more

Summer Buzzin’ and Summer Fun Activities

Summer Buzzin' Poetry Read the following poem to the children. Stripes by Martin Shaw The bees have stripes that cover... Read more

Patterns and Pasta

Patterning with Pasta Math Spray-paint several different pasta shapes with different colors. Design a pattern with the pasta shapes... Read more

I Love Mom Activities

I Love You, Mom Reading/Writing At some point before Mother's Day share together, I Love You All Day Long by... Read more

Cinco de Mayo Activities

Cinco de Mayo Social Studies Research together the significance of May 5 to our Mexican neighbors. Find out how they... Read more

Putting on a Classroom Performance

Quick Stick Puppets Reading/Art After reading a story aloud, allow children time to use paper, crayons and imaginations to create... Read more

Classroom Stars

Classroom Stars Science/Art Cover a bulletin board with black paper to represent the night sky. Have students make paper stars... Read more

Quick and Easy Parents Activities

Parents Activities Science Students can make fossils of their own using shells, leaves, sticks and your cold coffee and its... Read more

Activities With A Shape

Shapely Sandwiches Math/Health Provide healthy geometric sandwiches as a culminating activity to your math unit. Use whole-wheat bread and cheese,... Read more

Celebrate Arbor Day!

Celebrate Arbor Day by planting a tree on the school grounds. Visit Paper U for more about trees and paper.... Read more

Perimeters in Math

Pretty Perimeters Math Help students grasp the idea of perimeters by making some that they can see. Measure the perimeter... Read more

Dinnertime Around the World

Dinner, Anyone? Social Studies Share the following poem with the class, then have students do library and online research to... Read more

Writing Starters

Journal Starters Writing Put a star at the top of the next blank page in each student's journal. That will... Read more

Sensory Snakes

Sensory Snakes Science/Poetry/ArtRead the following poem together. Could your students write other poems telling what they know about snakes? Snake... Read more

Celebrate National Coin Week

Presidential Coins Social Studies During National Coin Week (April 20-26) take your students to www.usmint.gov to investigate the new... Read more

Adventures in Africa

Adventures in Africa Social Studies Take your class to visit a classroom in Mozambique and see African children playing recess... Read more

Creating Brochures

Travel Tips Language/Geography When concluding a unit on regions, states or nations, ask students to prepare a Travel Tips Brochure... Read more

Vowels and Phonics Activities

A Shower of Vowels Phonics Teach the children long and short vowel sounds with these words about rain, then invite... Read more

Wilbur Wright’s Birthday!

Wilbur Wright was born on April 16, 1867. He and his brother Orville made the first airplane flight in 1903.... Read more

Geometry Classroom Activities

Geometry Gone 3-D Math Use mini marshmallows and thin pretzels (or toothpicks) to make cubes, rectangular solids and pyramids as... Read more

Earth Day Activities

Earth Day is April 22. Make posters to remind the community to protect our environment. Bring meaning to your celebration... Read more

Classroom Chuckles

Classroom Chuckles Language Make a smiley face on an empty plastic container. As the children find jokes or humorous parts... Read more

Everyday Poetry

Everyday Poetry Reading/Writing Collect used greeting cards. Divide them by types of poetry and discuss if the poetry styles vary... Read more

Pumping Soup and Ohter Exercises

Pumping Soup Physical Education Help students get their blood circulating, increase their breathing and do some strength building with full... Read more

Rubber Band Experiments

Muscle Power Science Stretch and release a rubber band. Ask students to contribute ideas about what part of our bodies... Read more

National Library Week Classroom Activities

Integrated Research Social Studies/Research Work with your librarian to plan an in-depth research project during National Library Week, April 13-19.... Read more

Springtime Sundials

Springtime Sundials Science Students can experience firsthand the oldest known way for measuring time. Using a compass, make a... Read more

Our Feathered Friends

Feathered Friends Read/Science Create pictures of robins and take pictures of robins. Have students on the lookout for the birds'... Read more

Reading the Label and Eating Right

Read the Label Health There are several new "soft drinks" being advertised in young people's magazines. Bring in a... Read more

World Health Day

April 7 is World Health Day celebrate the beginning of the World Health Organization in 1948. This year's theme is... Read more

Math Awareness Month Activities

Here are some great activities to help you celebrate Math Awareness Month! Weaving with a Wrinkle Math/Art Use this weaving... Read more

Happy Poetry Month

Happy Poetry Month Reading Assign your students days of the month on which they'll be responsible for reading a newly-discovered... Read more

Spring Activities

Springtime Changes Perception/Reading/Writing What hints outdoors tell us that it is spring? Read the following poem and see if your... Read more

April Fool’s Day Activity

April Fool's Day Language/CountingTeach this finger play to your students. Then, ask them to draw pictures of different signs of... Read more

Math Awareness Month

April was first proclaimed Math Awareness Month by President Reagan in 1986 "to help encourage the study and utilization of... Read more

Celebrating National Poetry Month

National Poetry Month was established by the Academy of American Poets as a month-long, national celebration of poetry. The concept... Read more

Learning About the Environment

A World of Words - Environmental print is literally everywhere, and it helps children form their earliest notions about letters... Read more

Lessons In Math

How To...Find Online Math Manipulatives - Virtual manipulatives can have a big impact on your math curriculum. Walking a Math... Read more

Shaping Up for Spring

Spring is in the air and now is the perfect time to start incorporating exercise into your day! Read Jeffrey... Read more

Stargazing Activities

An easy-to-make 3-D model of this star formation will help to put its familiar shape in perspective with Building the... Read more

Poetry Activities

Consider the following: Poetry is a direct expression of inner feelings; how often do children in our classrooms get the... Read more

Learning the Alphabet

Alphabet Popsicles Reading Attach several large letters each to a ruler or popsicle stick. Assemble these, letter end down,... Read more

Spring Rains Classroom Activities

Drop By Drop Math Make paper umbrellas and write a different digit in each section. Provide raindrops for children... Read more

Pancake History

Pancake History Social Studies Pancakes were first introduced in New York City on March 25, 1882. Use newly learned research... Read more

Mall Madness

Mall Madness Writing Assign students to accompany an adult to the mall and sit for a period of 15 minutes,... Read more

Learning About Clocks

Clocks Alive Math/Art Create clock faces out of paper plates. Use sticker digits, or trace or freehand draw numbers. One... Read more

All About the Feet

Skipping Feet Physical Education/Math Make several construction-paper footprints. Write one of the following instructions on each: walk, skip, hop,... Read more

The Colors of the Rainbow Classroom Activities

Color Wash Rainbows Art Have students spray water onto white sheets of paper. Press colored crepe paper streamers onto... Read more

Leprechaun Fun

Leprechaun Fun Drama Use the following finger play about leprechauns to teach your students a little skit. Then invite another... Read more

Math Activities for Your Classroom

Jelly Bean Math Math Use jellybeans to learn about estimation and measurement. Challenge the children to guess how many jellybeans... Read more

St. Patrick’s Day Classroom Activities

Leapin' Leprechauns! Poetry/Math Read the following St. Patrick's Day poem to the children. Read it a second time and have... Read more

Egg-cellent Classroom Activities

Matching Eggs Math/Art Provide each student with a plastic egg to decorate with stickers and permanent markers. Once the eggs... Read more

Characters Can Be Fun Classroom Activities

Characters Alive Reading/Drama Provide a box of costumes and dress-up clothes. After reading a story or play, encourage your students... Read more

Learing About Friction

Friction Studies Science With the class, set up a hypothesis about friction and moving objects. Then ask your students to... Read more

Seeds and Planting Classroom Activities

Sprouting Seeds Science Prepare some clear plastic bags with a small amount of soil and have the children place two... Read more

Analogies Are Fun

Analogies Are Fun Read/Poetry Read the following poem to your students. See if they can create new analogies themselves. Toolbox... Read more

The Kites of Spring

Kites of Spring Poetry/Art Get some paper kites or make some kites together. Then, on a nice windy spring day,... Read more

A Month of Music

Springtime Songs Science/Art Teach the following finger play to your students, then take them outside for bird watching and bird... Read more

Easy Multiplication

Multiplying Cards Math Remove the face cards from a deck and lay the remaining cards face down. Players choose two... Read more

March Winds - Classroom Activities

March Winds Science/Poetry Design a chart at the beginning of the month for documenting the speed and direction of the... Read more

U.S. Paper Money Classroom Activities

U.S. Paper Money Paper money was issued in the U. S. for the first time on March 10, 1862. Visit... Read more

Celebrating Youth Art Month

Youth Art Month Art Plan a celebration of the talents in your school this month by planning an art show... Read more

National Women’s History Month Activities

Awesome Women Social Studies/History During National Women's History Month, send your students to the library and the computer to research... Read more

National Nutrition Month Activities

Eating Right Health/Nutrition March is National Nutrition Month, sponsored by the American Dietetic Association. Take your class to www.eatright.org and... Read more

Celebrate Dr. Seuss’ birthday!

Celebrate Theodore Geisel's birthday, who was born on March 2, 1904 and is better known as Dr. Seuss! Eating Green... Read more

Daylight Saving Time

Daylight Saving time begins on March 9 prepare your class to "Spring forward." Daylight Saving Time Science Most of the... Read more

Experimenting with Energy

A Raisin in the Sun Science Use solar energy to make raisins in your room. Let the students wash and... Read more

Fun With Numbers and Math

In Playing By the Rules Michael Naylor introduces challenging math games that will help your students see the relationships between... Read more

Creating Digital Stories

Digital Storytelling - This introduction to digital painting will encourage your students to illustrate a story of their very own.... Read more

Positive Language

Trust and Language - Paying close attention to your language is essential in creating a positive classroom experience for your... Read more

Learning About Caterpillars

Let's learn about caterpillars! First step: read The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle (Philomel, 1981). Next, make a paper... Read more

Know Your Teeth Activities

A Great Smile Health/Science Since both eggshells and our teeth contain calcium, collect eggshells and experiment to find out... Read more

Our 50 States - Classroom Activities

Birth order. The 50 states joined the United States at different times. The youngest state is Hawaii. It became part... Read more

Sharing Poetry With Your Students

Couplets and Quatrains answers the question "How can I get my students to create their own original poetry?" Using These... Read more

Teaching Idioms

A Flash in the pan Picture This! Language Arts/Art Make a bulletin board of idioms. First have students collect as... Read more

Healthy Snacks

Super Snacks Health/Writing February is Snack Food Month. Take some time to discuss and taste various snack foods. Which... Read more

Learning With Hats

Put a Lid On It Art February is a perfect month to work on profiles and hats. Presidents Lincoln... Read more

Newspapers in the Classroom

The Daily News Reading/Current Events Introduce students to different parts of the newspaper. Headlines, subtitles, date lines, captions, by-lines, body,... Read more

Rebus Stories Classroom Activities

Reading the Rebus Reading Collect several rebus stories from children's magazines in your library. Read several to and with your... Read more

Happy Birthday Galileo!

Galileo Galilei was born on February 15, 1564 and passed away on January 8, 1642. Galileo was a physicist, astronomer... Read more

Valentine's Day Ode to a Teacher

A celebrated poet's Valentine to teachers everywhere... Read more

Valentine's Day Laugh Lines

Language of Love It was Valentine's Day and my second graders were thrilled to be passing out their cards. Then... Read more

Presidents’ Day Classroom Activities

February 18 is Presidents' Day! Here are some suggestions on how your students can honor our former presidents'. Grace Bedell,... Read more

Celebrate Library Lover's Month

Library Lovers Unite Research What is it that people like most about their libraries? When and why do they go... Read more

Playing with Patterns

Perfect Patterns Math Provide each child with a crayon box upon which is depicted a row of crayons. Provide a... Read more

Timeline Classroom Activities

Timeline Adventure Reading/Writing/History Before students try their hands at creating timelines of their own, they might enjoy the interesting, short... Read more

Take Home Activities

Hearts and Flowers – This crafty activity teaches symmetry as well as strengthens fine motor coordination. Set out scissors and... Read more

More 100th Day of School Activities

100 Days Together Math/Writing On the 100th day of school, challenge students to show different ways of arranging their 100... Read more

Valentine's Day Math

Heart Fractions Math Give each student a small package of heart candies. Have them count the number of hearts... Read more

Valentine's Day Classroom Activities

Secret Admiration Reading/Art Read the book Little Bear's Valentine by Else Minarik (HarperCollins, 2003), which is about a secret... Read more

Valentine Analogies

Valentine Analogies Reading/Writing Read the following poem together. Discuss the analogies and ask your students to come up with more... Read more

For the Birds Classroom Activities

Create a Bird Science/Art/Language Arts When working with a unit on birds, invite students to create a new bird. Their... Read more

More Black History Month Activities

February is Black History Month, a celebration of African American heritage, culture and accomplishments. Let's spend the month learning with... Read more

Black History Month Reading Ideas

February's celebration of Black History month usually provides wonderful opportunities to catch up on some great trade books and teaching... Read more

100th Day of School Activities

The 100th day of school usually occurs at some point in February. Here are some activities: That 100th Day Math... Read more

Black History Month Classroom Activities

Black History Month Social Studies During February, divide the class into three groups to research and report on three separate... Read more

Snowflake Art Projects

Snowflake Snowmen Art Fold three squares of brightly colored tissue paper into quarters and then into 45-degree or smaller... Read more

Groundhog Day Activities

Wake Up, Mr. Groundhog Art/Science/Social Studies Visit www.groundhog.org on February 2 to learn about the history of "Punxsutawney Phil" and... Read more

Winter Trees - Classroom Activities

Winter Trees Poetry Read this poem aloud, then take your class outside or to the window to observe the trees.... Read more

A Teacher’s Travels

In Snapshots from Japan Peter Barnes tells us how after traveling to the "Land of the Rising Sun" as part... Read more

Sandpainting Classroom Activities

Sandpainting Art/Social Studies With your class, research the Navajo art of sandpainting. Then use two-sided tape and colored sand to... Read more

How to Put on a Classroom Performance

History and theater arts are brought together in this classroom performance opportunity by John W. Healy titled The World’s a... Read more

Musical Motivation

Musical Motivation Music/Exercise Invite your students to bring in music to do yoga by one day and music to dance... Read more

Book Bank

Book Bank Reading/Art Encourage students to help one another find a good book. Ask students to write the title of... Read more

Valuable Verbs

Valuable Verbs Language Make placards with one action verb written on each. Attach them to a ruler. As students share... Read more

Winter Camouflage

Winter Camouflage Reading/Poetry/Art Share the following poem. What other weather phenomena covers everything in its path? Search online for images... Read more

Without A Word

Without A Word Reading/Drama Share the following poem on the overhead or on handouts. Discuss it together, then pass out... Read more

Moving Molecules

Moving Molecules Science Demonstrate how heat energy affects the movement of molecules by filling two identical, clear glasses with the... Read more

National Handwriting Day

Be Proud of that Hand Handwriting Did you know that National Handwriting Day is January 23? It's observed on the... Read more

Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

This year we celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day on January 21. In his honor have your students read celebrated... Read more

Mid-Winter Field Trip - Classroom Activities

Mid-Winter Field Trip Science/Social Studies With your students, visit the website www.degray.com to check on the national bird. Learn about... Read more

Create a Creature

Create a Creature Art/Writing Visit the website www.switchzoo.com/default.htm with your students. There are nine creatures in their own environments that... Read more

Edible Shapes Classroom Activities

Yum! Edible Shapes Math/Art Give each student some cookie dough that is cut in the shapes of triangles, squares, circles,... Read more

Synonym News

Synonym News Reading/Language Arts Let each student choose an article from the newspaper to read and cut out. Students will... Read more

Honoring Ben Franklin

Ben Franklin was born on January 17, 1706. Divide the class into teams. Each group will select a different career... Read more

Marvelous Maps - Classroom Activities

Marvelous Maps Reading Read the following poem and discuss different purposes for maps. Does the poem pertain to the maps... Read more

Bulletin Board Ideas

The Cow Who Clucked by Denise Fleming HENRY HOLT Cow loses her "moo" and searches the farm to find... Read more

Snowman Studies

Snowman Studies Science/Math/Writing During or after a snowstorm take your class outside and make a snowman. Measure its height,... Read more

Classroom Bears

Dress Me, Please Science/Health Provide a lovable bear and a box of various clothing. Write the name of each season... Read more

Passport Lessons

Passport Privileges Research/Social Studies Passports have been used for centuries to insure safe passage for citizens of one country or... Read more

Rocking and Rolling

Rocking and Rolling Physical Education/Poetry Ask one student to read the following poem while another acts out the motions. Then... Read more

Animal Tracks - Classroom Activities

Snowy Footprints Science/Poetry/Art Use the fun poem below to introduce animal tracks to your students. Then go outside and make... Read more

The Brothers Grimm

Jacob Grimm's Birthday Jacob Grimm was born on this day. Investigate his life and the fairy tales of the brothers... Read more

No Ordinary Oats

Ordinary Oats Science/Health January is Oatmeal Month. You can show the children where oatmeal comes from by providing pictures of... Read more

A New Year

Reading Make paper plate clocks without numbers and invite students to make "calendar clocks" featuring fall leaves, snowflakes, spring flowers... Read more

Happy New Year’s Eve!

Today is New Year's Eve. What are your New Year's resolutions for 2007? Set goals for the rest of the... Read more

Snowflakes!

No Two Are Alike Reading/Language William "Snowflake" Bentley (1865-1931) was a famed photographer of these unique and beautiful ice... Read more

Pretty Packages Exercise

Pretty Packages Science/Prediction/Math Wrap several packages of different sizes in holiday paper. Leave some boxes empty or fill with... Read more

Holiday Greetings

Enhanced Greetings Art Collect greeting cards, beads, sequins, parts of old jewelry, glitter, glue and toothpicks. Use the toothpicks... Read more

Cool Pattern Activities

Cool Patterns Math Have students multiply 37 by multiples of 3 and see what happens. Then multiply 15,873 by multiples... Read more

Celebrating Kwanzaa - Classroom Activities

Kwanzaa, an African-American and Pan-African holiday that is a celebration of family, community and culture is celebrated from 12/26 -... Read more

Christmas Laugh Lines

The Truth Comes Out Last year I was assisting a teacher in a religious school during the Christmas holidays. While... Read more

Meet Author Pam Muñoz Ryan

Pam Muñoz Ryan: "A Confluence of Rivers" was born on December 25, 1951. Read all about this author's remarkably... Read more

Math Games

Clothespin Math Math Write digits on clothespins. Have students put the clothespins in order, separate the odds from the... Read more

Winter Fun - Classroom Activities

Winter Camouflage Reading/Poetry/Art Share the following poem. What other weather phenomena covers everything in its path? Search online for images... Read more

First Day of Winter - Classroom Activities

Today is the first day of winter. What is the weather today? Compare it to the weather on this day... Read more

Santa Says - Classroom Activities

Santa Says Directionality Cut a large Christmas tree shape from green poster board. Cut out a number of different ornaments... Read more

Christmas Lessons

What's In the Stocking? Tactile Discrimination Fill a Christmas stocking with two or three different Christmas items or shapes such... Read more

13th Amendment - Classroom Activities

The 13th Amendment, passed on December 18, 1865, abolished slavery in the United States. Find out how an amendment to... Read more

Aviation Day - Classroom Activities

it's been over 100 years since the Wright brothers first took to the air, celebrate the anniversary of the first... Read more

Holiday Ornaments

Crystal Ornaments Science/Art Fill a one-quart widemouth jar with hot water. Add one cup of Borax laundry booster and stir... Read more

Christmas Bird Count

Christmas Bird Count Science Every year between December 14 and January 5, the National Audubon Society looks for volunteers to... Read more

2008 an Election Year

Get Out and Vote! by Margaret Mansfield and Betsy Anderson provides information on how staging a mock election for tomorrow's... Read more

Experimenting with Water

"Ring around the bathtub" will have a new – and scientific! – meaning for kids after this lesson about Hard... Read more

Exercises That Restore Order In Your Classroom

Are your students wound up from what happened during last period or in the hallway? When children are restless and... Read more

Principles of Design

The ways in which the Elements of Art are organized are referred to as the Principles of Design. Rhythm and... Read more

Algorithms - Classroom Activities

An algorithm is a step-by-step "recipe" telling what to do with number symbols. Rather than teach traditional algorithms in isolation,... Read more

All About Chocolate - Classroom Activities

Have your class look up the words chocolate and carob in a dictionary to find out what each word... Read more

The Jewish Experience - Classroom Activity

The Jewish Experience Reading Ask your librarian to help you set up a classroom display of books about the Jewish... Read more

Remembering Pearl Harbor

The Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on this date in 1941 and the U.S. entered World War II, declaring war on... Read more

Holiday Craft Project

Potpourri Rocks Art/Science Ask the children to bring in different kinds of rocks to examine. Then, in a small bowl,... Read more

Holiday Cards - Classroom Activities

Sending a Message Reading/Main Idea Collect holiday cards as they are received in students' homes. Read the cards together and... Read more

Celebrating Hanukkah

Counting Candles Math Explain the lighting of eight candles – one candle for each night of Hanukkah – and discuss... Read more

It's Snowing - Classroom Activities

Brrr...I Remember Vocabulary If you live in an area where it snows, go out after or during a light snowfall... Read more

Holiday Tree Crafts

Pinecone Trees Art Glue cotton balls around the base of a pinecone to represent snow. Wrap and drape red... Read more

Honoring Rosa Parks

This is the 52nd anniversary of Rosa Park's arrest in 1955 after she refused to ride in the back of... Read more

Connect With Our Troops - Classroom Activity

Connect with the Troops Enhance your writing curriculum and build good citizenship skills with this community service project from Connect... Read more

Tutoring Tips

Game Tutors Form a buddy system between primary and intermediate students. Assign pairs of intermediate students to one of the... Read more

Integrating Fitness

Integrating Fitness Physical Education Meet with your physical education teacher and plan for specific exercise breaks during your day. For... Read more

Being A Leader - Classroom Activity

Being A Leader Reading/Writing Share the following poem aloud and on the overhead projector. Discuss the author's point. Talk about... Read more

Fun with Crackers

Stackin' Crackers Math/Geometry Provide each student with a small plastic bag of different shaped crackers. Have the children stack the... Read more

Thanksgiving Proportions

Thanksgiving Proportions Health Brainstorm a list of the foods eaten at Thanksgiving meals. Ask your students to put the... Read more

Pilgrim Children

Pilgrim Children Social Studies/Dramatization Read the following poem to your children and teach them how to pantomime it. Then invite... Read more

Counting Pilgrims

Counting Pilgrims Art/Math Read aloud this counting rhyme. Then choose children to act out the poem while the others count... Read more

A Thanksgiving Poem

A Thanksgiving Poem Social Studies Make some Pilgrim and Indian profiles on which to glue copies of the poem for... Read more

Take Home Parent Activities

Math Open a deck of regular playing cards. Remove the joker and face cards. Shuffle the cards. Place one card,... Read more

Air Pollution - Classroom Activities

Air pollution is a serious problem. Here's an easy way to test for pollution: Cover a white plate with petroleum... Read more

Meet a Poet - Classroom Activities

This year, "A Poetry Workshop in Print" will feature a Poet of the Month and provide information on poets to... Read more

The Changes in Reading

Sounditoutosaurus is one of the many reading dinosaurs that aren't around any longer. Let Maryann Manning help you unearth the... Read more

The Gift of Teaching

Have you given your students everything you've hoped for this year? Read Donna Pitino article on Gift Giving and learn... Read more

Butterfly - Classroom Activities

Wings of Light: The Migration of the Yellow Butterfly by Stephen R. Swinburne, illustrated by Bruce Hiscock The migration... Read more

I Love To Write Day - Classroom Activities

Free Writing Day Writing November 15 is the sixth annual celebration of I Love To Write Day. Learn about this... Read more

Thanksgiving Day Activities

Many countries observe Thanksgiving. Find out when it is celebrated in Canada and Mexico and why the dates are different... Read more

The Moon - Classroom Activities

Study the moon for a month. Draw it every night and date each drawing. Place the pictures on a blank... Read more

Metaphor Writing

Lately teachers are asking for books that show metaphors, similes and other figurative language. A good book that has samples... Read more

Aviation Month Activities

Paper Wings Social Studies This November, celebrate Aviation Month by having your students make various kinds of paper airplanes. Have... Read more

A Map Lesson

Real-life Maps Geography In preparation for a mapping unit, get maps from a nearby airport, subway and bus station. If... Read more

Recycle Trash Into Supplies - Classroom Activities

Recycle Into Supplies Science/Social Studies Grocery and shopping bags get thrown out at home, but at school someone is always... Read more

Grooving with Gravity

Gravity Grooves Science Bring in a peanut or candy dispenser and show how it works. Talk about the big spiral... Read more

Choosing the Right Snack - Classroom Activities

Super Snacks Nutrition Have student brainstorm their favorite fruit and vegetable snack ideas. Offer suggestions about integrating the five produce... Read more

Fun with Fractions - Classroom Activities

Fruity Fractions Math Upon introducing fractions, Hand out plastic apple corers for your students to trace with dark pencils.... Read more

Professional Development Resources

In Best Practices Mary Ellen Bafumo the Program Director for the Council of Educational Change writes about best practices and... Read more

Take an Exercise Break

Take a Break! Physical Ed. Plan an exercise break between classes or activities that require sitting. Do 10 jumping jacks... Read more

Math for Every Day Uses

This month's fun book picks will help kids recognize that math is all around us in Mix-and-Math. Pack your bags... Read more

Election Day Activities

Intro to Elections Reading/Social Studies Read these two great books to your class to introduce what elections are about. Election... Read more

Fun with Pennies - Classroom Activities

Penny Pitch Math Make a penny pitch game using plastic containers with a number card in each. As students toss... Read more

Halloween Reading

Discover a book. Ask someone you respect to tell you about a book he or she has read that was... Read more

Skeleton Fun - Classroom Activities

Archeological Dig Paper "bones" are placed under brown sheets of paper all over the play area. There should be... Read more

Fun with Science - Classroom Activities

Read John Cowens' article Growing Crystals and have your students try out some simple activities that will have you and... Read more

Reading Tips and Tricks

What is the best way to build internal motivation so kids will embrace a lifelong love of reading? Find out... Read more

Build Literacy Skills with Poetry

Teach your students the basics of poetry and watch their writing skills (and creativity) soar with A Matter of Meter... Read more

Multicultural Classroom Activities

Multicultural Baseball Reading Sue Corbett's new book, Free Baseball (Dutton, 2006) is a well-written, funny, multilayered story about a young... Read more

Magic Week Activities

Real Magic Reading October 25 is the beginning of National Magic Week. Have students read biographies of well-known magicians, as... Read more

Japanese Inspired Activities

Multicultural books can help raise awareness of social issues. Home of the Brave by Allen Say (Houghton Mifflin, 2002, ISBN... Read more

Holiday Craft Ideas

Re-Creation Inference Create and display a handcrafted owl, such as the one pictured below. Have students use past knowledge... Read more

Drawing - Classroom Activities

Drawing Day Art Take your students to the interactive art site www.youdraw.com Here they can create pictures on the Draw... Read more

Activities About Animals

Name Animals Art/Science Have students write their names in the center of a large white piece of drawing paper.... Read more

Quick Exercise Tips for Busy Teachers

As a teacher, you're constantly on your feet and actively moving around the classroom while attending to the needs of... Read more

Citizenship - Classroom Activity

In Mary Ellen Bafumo's article The New Active Citizens she show us how to encourage our students into being the... Read more

Getting Hooked on History

Since we know that the majority of what we read daily is nonfiction, it's important for students to develop an... Read more

Lifting the Math Curse Activities

This interdisciplinary project helps students discover the wonder of numbers in daily life and teaches them how to Lift the... Read more

Bird Behavior - Classroom Activities

Bird Behavior Poetry/Science/Phys. Ed. Show the children pictures of the birds mentioned in the following poem. Tell the children a... Read more

Fun with Spiders Classroom Activities

Which Web? Science/Art While teaching a unit on spiders, have students research different kinds of spider webs and how... Read more

Meet the Author - Classroom Activity

Have your students read about Diane Stanley in Following the Path and find out how this author and illustrator's careful... Read more

Pumpkin Art Activities

String Pumpkins Art/Writing Do the following art project with the class, then have them each write how-to articles about the... Read more

Tips on Getting Parents Involved

Parents are such an important part of the child-school experience. So many times, I'm asked, "How can I help my... Read more

Art Expression Activities

Art can serve as a launching pad for exploration, discovery, personal development and fun. Through drawing, kids are given the... Read more

Ha-Ha Moments

Peter Barnes tell us about his Ha-Ha Moments and how one of the greatest pleasures of teaching are the laughs... Read more

Simple Science Activities

This month, inspire your students to explore the world around them using science! Who wouldn't want to fly? Ask young... Read more

Celebrate Columbus Day!

Before Columbus. Columbus brought cows and horses to the New World. Research the history of both animals. Were there any... Read more

Nutrition for Your Classroom

The study of foods and nutrition offers many opportunities for research, reading and writing with Maryann Manning's article Nutrition Knowledge.... Read more

Greeting Cards and e-Scrapbooking Activities

Linda Lindroth's How To...Design and Publish Greeting Cards will inspire creativity in your (and your students') special-occasion correspondence. From a... Read more

Algebra for All Ages

Algebra is not a subject just taught in the middle grades and beyond – algebraic reasoning is part of the... Read more

Colors of Autumn Classroom Activity

Seasonal Shirts Vocabulary/Art/Reading Send a note home asking that the children come to school dressed in fall colors. When... Read more

National Stamp Month Classroom Activity

The Story of Stamps Social Studies October is National Stamp Collecting Month and a great time to introduce students to... Read more

Classroom Activity Charts

Costume Planning Math/Social Studies/Art Use the social aspects of this month to get the students involved in writing flowcharts. Have... Read more

Poetry Classroom Activities

Poetry in the Park Reading/Writing Use the following poem to reinforce alliteration, rhyming and making sense. After completing this activity,... Read more

Popcorn Month Activities

Fantasy Popcorn Reading/Art During Popcorn Poppin' Month, enjoy the book The Popcorn Dragon by Jane Thayer (Morrow, 1989) and have... Read more

Living Clocks - Classroom Activity

Living Clocks Math Read the following poem to the children, then have them stand straight and tall like clocks as... Read more

Classroom Activity - Logos

Read Logos: Signs of the Times Help Beginning Readers by Dr. Shelley B. Wepner and find out how our environment... Read more

Using Children’s Books in Your Classroom

Lisa Von Drasek's column on Teaching With Children's Books provides articles on how to incorporate children's books in your curriculum.... Read more

The Professional Development Advantage

Our Professional Development columns present everything from in-depth classroom activities to contemporary issues affecting today’s teacher in and out of... Read more

Hispanic Heritage Month

Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with these great classroom activities: The Bilingual Bag by Nanette L. Avery A middle school reading... Read more

Story Bricks - Classroom Activity

Story Bricks Reading Make a "brick wall" bulletin board. Give students red construction paper and a pattern for the bricks....