Teacher's Pay Teachers Archives - Page 28 of 61

Memorial Day Activities For Elementary

May 7, 2021 teachersbrain education, Teaching Tips, Writing

While some students may just see Memorial Day as a day off from school, it is a great time to teach them about Memorial Day and why we celebrate it. It is important for them to know about those who gave their lives while serving our country.

Here are some ways you can teach elementary students about Memorial Day in your classroom.

Start by giving them the definition. It seems simple, but this is something that not a lot of students know or understand.
Read a book about the holiday. Don’t Forget, God Bless Our Troops by Jill Biden and Raul Colon is a great book written by the First Lady.
Write a letter to a hero. If your students have any friends or family members that served they can write a letter to them. For other students you can have them write a letter to hero you select for them. This is a great way to give students perspective and a chance to express their gratitude.
Discuss the difference between Veterans Day and Memorial Day. On Veterans Day we celebrate those still living who served our country, on Memorial Day we celebrate those we lost.

My Memorial Day Writing Activity is the perfect addition to your lesson!

Perfect for students in first through third grade, you’ll get a variety of writing activities.

Included with this resource, you’ll get

an informational sheet about the holiday
acrostic poems with self rating systems
Home of the Free Because of the Brave printable
Informational writing planning page
Informational writing page
Thank you, Hero Letter
Thank You Letter
Posters for students to fill out
Poster about informative writing
Transitional words and phrases list
Word wall words
Rubric

You’ll get everything you need to get your students engaged in learning about our American heroes.

Looking for more teaching activities for May? Check out Mother’s Day ideas here!

Mother’s Day Celebration Ideas

April 30, 2021 teachersbrain Distance Learning, Teacher's Pay Teachers

I have always loved celebrating Mother’s Day in my classroom, and students do too! Mothers (or other primary caregivers) are without a doubt a huge and important part of a student’s life. They have unlimited amounts of love and guidance for their children, so students love to celebrate them!

One of my favorite ways to do this is to have Mother’s Day Tea.

This is a special day where we show moms how much we care by having cookies and tea with them.

Before the party you can have the students decorate the cookies especially for their moms using premade sugar cookies with icing and sprinkles. You can go around and take pictures of students with their moms to give to them at the end of the year.

To go along with tea time, students create these sweet Mother’s Day lapbooks.

With this craft, they can color and decorate a special gift for their mom. They can write a letter to mom, draw a picture of the two of them, give them tea, share what they love about her, create Mother’s Day coupons, and more. This gift is sure to be a hit with all moms!

Mother’s Day Tea may be a little more challenging this year because of the pandemic. Some classes are in person again, but some students are still learning from home. If you aren’t able to bring moms into the classroom, you can send these gifts home with students as well.

If you are distance learning, and need something kids can gift virtually, they can create these digital Mother’s Day cards.

This resource comes with 10 Google Slides. Just use the edit boxes to add your own text, add an image of mom and print to give to mom or their caregiver.

It may be a little different this year but students can still spoil their moms and show appreciation for all they do with these fun resources.

What’s your favorite way to celebrate Mother’s Day with your students? Let me know in the comments!

Virtual Field Trips For End Of The Year Celebrations

April 23, 2021 teachersbrain Distance Learning, Teacher's Pay Teachers, Teaching Tips

The school year is wrapping up! It was definitely a different year than anything we have experienced before. Many students had a hybrid learning experience and some did distance learning all year long. Teachers definitely had to adapt and find new ways to stay connected with students from afar.

Another thing that wasn’t possible this year was field trips! I always loved going on field trips with my students. It is so refreshing to get out of the classroom for a new kind of learning experience.

If you are missing field trips and looking for something exciting and new that you can do from the safety of your classroom (or home for those who are distance learning), you definitely need to a try virtual field trip!

There are so many options out there for virtual field trips. A quick Google search will show tons of ideas! You can take a virtual field trip to the zoo, an aquarium, museums, science centers, farms, national parks, and more! Don’t see a virtual field trip idea that calls to you? You can also use Google Slides to give students a virtual tour of your chosen location.

Of all of the virtual field trip options, my favorite is a virtual field trip to the BEACH.

I created this virtual field trip beach day for elementary students! To start, students will “take a flight” to the beach, then, once they arrive, the learning starts. Students will learn about beach safety, ocean life, what to do at the beach, and more!

Then, students can participate in some learning activities including labeling, counting, and writing.

Included in this resource you’ll get 8 Google Slides with titles, edit text boxes, directions, and movable parts along with:

KWL chart
Packing a suitcase for the beach activity
1 minute take off flight video
7 minute beach field trip video (beach safety tips, car ride to the beach, animals at the beach, people swimming, and interview questions of what people like or don’t like of the beach)
Sequencing events, 2 writing prompts, counting objects (under 10), labeling parts, beach song, and comprehension questions
One extra slide for you to add anything you would like to the lesson.

Since this is a virtual activity, it can easily be done in the classroom or while distance learning. It makes a great end of the school year activity!

I hope you and your students love these virtual field trip ideas!

Looking for more end of the year activities to do with your students? Check out my post here on memory books!

Why You Should Create Memory Books With Your Students

April 16, 2021 teachersbrain education, Teacher's Pay Teachers, Teaching Tips

As the school year winds down, are you looking for ways to help your students reflect on the year? I love to find ways to help students remember all of their amazing accomplishments. Showing them how far they have come during the year is a great way to make them feel proud of their hard work!

Memory books are a fun way for students to both review the year and connect the classroom with families.

Creating memory books with students is also a great way for you as a teacher to learn what parts of the school year were most successful, what students enjoyed, and what you might want to change in the future!

The classic memory books used in many classrooms are pre-printed with questions and forms for students to fill out with their own ideas. Students can add drawings and color to pages. They can take the books home to share with their families in review of the school year. Topics included might be friends, favorite things, or vacation plans. By having this keepsake at home, your students can revisit their thoughts from previous years and see how much they’ve grown.

As you plan for end-of-year activities, creating a memory book for your students might seem daunting. Not to worry- I have one available for you here that is digital, easily editable and lots of fun for your students!

The Google slides have text boxes for kids to fill in, and images can be added to make the memory book completely personalized.

Topics covered in the memory book include:

favorites
family
friends
summer goals
things I want to learn
and more!

An autograph page is also included so students can share signatures and notes with their classroom friends.

The Digital Memory Book can also be printed in color or black-and-white if you prefer a paper version. Grab it today and help your students create lasting memories of their year!

Looking for more classroom resources? Check out my post here on classroom management strategies!

What are your favorite end-of-the-year activities? Let me know in the comments!