teachersbrain, Author at Teacher's Brain

How To Have An Epic Star Wars Day Celebration With Your Students

April 7, 2023 teachersbrain Teacher's Pay Teachers

May the 4th be with you!

Does that sound familiar? This is a phrase you might hear while out and about on May 4th, and for a good reason! If you are a Star Wars fan, (and honestly, who isn’t?) you probably know the phrase “May the force be with you”. It is something commonly said in the movies as a way for people to wish each other well when they part ways or when they are preparing to partake in something heroic or even dangerous.

Thanks to this date sounding so much like the popular phrase, it has become dubbed Star Wars Day! How fun is that? If you are looking for some Star Wars activities that you can do with your elementary-age students, don’t worry. I have you covered! This is a day that students usually love and get very engaged with because it’s just fun- plain and simple!

How do you celebrate Star Wars Day at school?

If you’re ready to become the most memorable teacher of your students’ lives this year by celebrating Star Wars Day in 2023, I have the perfect ideas for you so that you can have a full day of fun with a Star Wars-themed day at school that your students will remember forever.

Dress up as your favorite Star Wars characters. These movies have become so popular that the characters and costumes are recognizable even to people who haven’t seen them. Tell your students that they can dress like their favorite character or even wear a Star Wars t-shirt or hairstyle.
Make DIY Lightsabers. Pull out those craft supplies and let students get creative by making their own lightsabers!
Watch Star Wars clips or read Star Wars books. If you’re looking for an on-theme brain break for your students, consider watching some popular clips from the movies (not too scary, preferably) or reading a Star Wars book together as a class.
Make some Star Wars-themed treats. Create some easy-to-make galactic treats for your classroom for extra fun. Everyone loves snacks!
Learn about planets and stars. What better opportunity to teach students about stars, moons, planets, and galaxies?
Teach about force and motion. Star Wars is all about using the force so this is a great chance to pull out some force and motion activities! You can check out my force and motion resource here.

If you’re looking for more guidance on how you can create an epic day for your students, check out my Star Wars Theme Day resource!

Star Wars theme day may the 4th be with you

This download is full of everything you need to have a great May the 4th Be With YOU-themed celebration! It’s packed with tons of resources that will make this day not only fun but easy and low-stress for you.

Here’s what’s included:

What is in this download?

Cover

Table of Contents

A Note To Teachers

Lesson Plans Introduction

Standards Met

Home Connections Project Letter for Parents

Donations Please Page for Parents

Create a Space Creature

Glue your creature together

Give your space creature a personality

Sweet Fighter Treats (EASY to Make)

Venn Diagram Earth (VS any other Planet you Choose)

A Venn Diagram EARTH vs STAR

Venn Diagram ANSWER KEY to Earth vs Star

I SPY Planets (Circle and X planets and stars, count and Tally)

ODA SODA (Ingredients and Directions to make PUNCH)

Galactic Water Labels for water bottles

Fight Training Code of Conduct Poster

Training Laser Directions (with pictures)

Training Academy Certificate

PUSH, PULL, FORCE, MOTION Posters

Looking for digital resources to make this day excellent? Check out this Star Wars-themed Digital Escape Room!

This is a great way for your students to review planets, and problem-solving. Digital Escapes™ is a fun way to get students to learn without even realizing it. NO Printing and No Prep needed for this digital escape! Star Wars-inspired challenges students will love!

During the escape, students will be tasked with solving 4 lock clues in order to escape the room. There is a pdf included in this download with directions, the link to the site, an answer key, and an optional note-taking worksheet for students. This activity takes about 30 to 40 minutes to complete.

Students will:

Listen to short audio directions
Watch a Video with a Problem (1st clue)
Click to reveal 3 tasks for students to solve.
Solve a Riddle to Discover What Planet they crash-landed on.
Answer Space Questions to rebuild their ship and to get FUEL
Work on problem-solving as a group or individually
Answer comprehension questions about the video to get the Life-Saving Sword.
Meet some life form on Mars.
End with a treat of your choice, a Party, a Wookie Cookie, some Oda Soda, or recess after they Escape

Check out the video preview!

Are you celebrating Star Wars Day with your elementary students? Let me know in the comments!

Simple Tips for Teaching Scissor Skills

March 31, 2023 teachersbrain Teaching Tips

Have you ever stopped to think about just how important scissor skills are for our early elementary students? While it may seem like such a tiny part of their education, the ability to cut with scissors is actually a critical life skill that can have a significant impact on their overall development!

What skills do scissors develop?

Not only does it help our little ones develop fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination, but it can also:

Boost their creativity
Increase bilateral coordination
Boost self-esteem
Increase academic performance

If you’re wondering how exactly to teach this crucial fine motor skill to your elementary students, I have you covered. Get ready to snip, snip, snip your way to success!

Choose the right scissors: It’s important to choose the right type of scissors for your students based on their age and skill level. With our younger elementary-level students, it’s best to aim for scissors with blunt tips and smaller handles.
Demonstrate proper technique: Before your students start cutting, make sure to demonstrate the proper technique by holding the scissors correctly, showing them where to put their thumb and finger, and using a smooth, controlled motion. Spend some time on this topic and encourage students to ask questions if they’re unsure about what to do. Don’t forget to clearly demonstrate how to hold scissors while walking! This is an important safety step you don’t want to forget. Also, make sure to explain that we don’t cut anything that isn’t paper.
Practice, practice, practice: Like any skill, learning to use scissors takes practice. Provide plenty of opportunities for your students to practice cutting different shapes and lines, and be sure to offer positive feedback and encouragement along the way!
Start with simple shapes: To help build confidence and avoid frustration, start with simple shapes like straight lines or basic curves. As your students become more comfortable, you can gradually increase the difficulty level by introducing more complex shapes and designs.
Incorporate scissors skills into other activities: You can help your students build their cutting skills by incorporating them into other activities like crafts, art projects, and even math activities.
Move into more advanced cutting strategies. You can allow them to cut out more complex shapes or teach them new techniques for cutting like folding a paper in half to cut a hole in the center.

If you’re looking for a simple and fun scissors activity for kids that will help your students practice and perfect this important fine motor skill, I have you covered!

This Fine Motor Cutting Practice with Scissors resource is just what you need!

This download starts out with simple straight lines and moves into more advanced cutting skills. It is a perfect way to get students to increase their hand and eye coordination using scissors.

What’s in this download?

22 pages of cutting skills that include straight lines, zigzags, shapes, spirals, and interior cutting. Each page gradually gets more difficult.

Some can be colored and added to construction paper as artwork, but the main purpose of these printables is to practice cutting skills!

Check it out here!

Have any tips for teaching about using scissors? Let me know in the comments!

For more fun classroom ideas, check out this post to learn how you can create a positive affirmation station!

Creative Spring Activities for Kids That Students Will Love

March 24, 2023 teachersbrain Science, Teacher's Pay Teachers, Writing

Happy Spring!

This is such a wonderful time of year. The sun starts to shine again and flowers start to bloom. It’s definitely worth celebrating in the classroom. If you’re looking for spring activities for elementary students, you’re in the right place. I’m sharing some fun and engaging spring activities you can do with your students to welcome the season!

How do you celebrate spring with kids?

Whether you want to have a spring party with your students or just sprinkle some spring-themed activities into your lessons, these spring activities for school will get you started.

Planting: You can teach your students about plants and gardening by having them plant flowers or vegetables in the school garden or small pots in the classroom. This can be a fun and interactive way to teach kids about science and nature. For plant-themed resources, check out my resource here and here!
Nature Walk: Take a nature walk with your students and have them collect different types of flowers, leaves, and other items found in nature. Once back in the classroom, students can use these items to make art projects or create a nature journal.
Spring-themed Art Projects: There are many fun spring-themed art projects that you can do with your students, such as creating paper flowers, making spring-themed collages, or creating birdhouses or nests. Check out this adorable flower glasses craft!
Reading: Have students read spring-themed books and discuss the different aspects of spring, such as weather changes, new growth, and baby animals.
Science Experiments: You can do science experiments with your students, such as creating a rain gauge or exploring the different parts of a flower. Here is a fun resource to try!
Spring Poetry: Teach your students about poetry by having them write their own spring-themed poems. I love this fun and creative way to teach them about language and expression. Here’s a fun poetry resource to try!

These are all wonderful ideas, but my favorite activity is definitely my Spring-Themed Would You Rather resource.

This is a fun and creative way to get your students excited about writing. Would You Rather Prompts are great conversation starters, ice breakers, or writing prompts.

Use these interactive, editable Google Slides to easily have students show one or two fingers to share their choice. Then, they get to explain why they chose it by writing it out!

What is in this download?

53 Google Slides with a moveable highlighter to share your favorite or the class’s most popular choice.

50 Colorful WOULD YOU RATHER Slides
1 Digital Writing Prompt Paper
2 black and white ink-saving slides for handwriting practice

If you want to do this activity virtually, it’s totally possible and fun! Students can simply share a 1 or a 2 in the chatbox.

You can delete slides you don’t want to send to students and add your own directions or images to the sides of the slides to personalize. One of my favorite things about this resource is it can be used for any grade level!

Love this idea? I actually created it for every season too in this Seasonal Would You Rather Bundle.

You’ll get the spring resource plus the ones for summer, fall, and winter too!

What is in this download?

200+ Google Slides with a moveable highlighter to share your favorite or the class’s most popular choice.

This resource is great for virtual or in-person teaching

200+ Colorful Would You Rather Season-Themed Slides (Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer) 4 Resources Bundled
4 Digital Writing Prompt Paper
8 Black and White Ink-Saving Slides for Handwriting Practice.

Check it out here!

What are your favorite ways to celebrate spring in the classroom? Let me know in the comments!
Looking for more spring fun? Check out my post on Easter activities here!

Engaging Ways To Teach Students About Earth Day

March 17, 2023 teachersbrain Teacher's Pay Teachers

On April 22nd, we will celebrate Earth Day!

As teachers to such young students, it’s our responsibility to instill a sense of responsibility and respect for the environment in our students, and Earth Day is the perfect occasion to reflect on our relationship with the planet we call home.

If you’re looking for Earth Day activities for kids, you’re in the right place!

Here are some simple things you can teach your students to do to care for our planet.

Turn off lights and electronics when leaving a room to save energy.
Use reusable water bottles and lunch containers instead of disposable ones.
Plant a tree, garden, or help maintain a community garden.
Participate in neighborhood cleanups to remove litter from streets and parks.
Use both sides of the paper when drawing or coloring to save paper.
Use public transportation, bike, or walk instead of driving a car when possible.
Compost food waste instead of throwing it away.
Use natural light instead of turning on the lights during the day.
Make crafts from recycled materials such as old newspapers, cardboard boxes, and plastic bottles.
Turn off the tap while brushing your teeth or washing your hands to save water.

These activities are not only good for the planet, but they can also help your elementary students develop a sense of responsibility and care for their environment.

For even more Earth Day activities for kids, I created this virtual field trip to a Recycling Center!

You’ll be every student’s favorite teacher with this activity! Virtual Field trips are a great way to engage students in learning. Use these interactive, editable Google Slides to easily have students copy and paste movable parts, learn about Earth Day, recycling, what to bring on a trip and so much more!

What is in this download?

28 Google Slides with Titles, Edit Text Boxes, Directions, and Movable Parts

KWL Chart
Packing A Suitcase for the Trip
1 Minute Take OFF Flight Video
7-minute Field Trip Video (Earth Day, Car Ride to different Recycling Centers, Train Ride)
Sequencing Events, 2 Writing Prompts, Counting Objects (under 10), Labeling Parts, Recycling Song, and Comprehension Questions
One extra slide for you to add anything you would like to the lesson. (videos or an assignment)
Home Connection Optional Assignment for students to build something with recycled materials.
Black and white ink-saving Writing Pages and Home Connection Page for in-person teaching.

This resource is great for virtual or in-person teaching!

What are your favorite ways to celebrate Earth Day in your elementary classroom? Let me know in the comments!