Category: Teacher’s Pay Teachers

Teaching kids about geography is a great way to introduce them to the world around them. It’s also a useful tool in helping them become more aware of the world and how it works.

So how do you make geography fun for students?

Play games

Geography lessons can be fun and engaging when they’re set up as games. Take advantage of this by checking out some free games online to get students engaged. World Geography Games is a great option! 

Read books together

Reading books together is another great way to introduce kids to new topics — especially if they’re illustrated with maps or photos that can help bring the story alive in their minds. 

A great book to include is “A Ticket Around The World” You can also find many more titles at local libraries or online at websites like Amazon. 

Use maps and globes.

Maps and globes are a great way to get kids interested in the topic and they’re also an easy way to teach them about the subject. Maps are colorful, so children will enjoy looking at them, and they show how things are related to each other spatially, which is something children need to understand when learning about this subject.

Do some hands-on geography activities

Looking for some geography activities for kindergarten or first grade?

You’re in the right place! I created this geography resource for kindergarten and first grade students to make the subject fun and engaging!

 It includes 9 weeks of lesson plans covering positional words, landforms, bodies of water, cardinal directions, maps, globes, personal information, and seasonal weather changes. It has crafts, interactive notebook pages, posters, ME ON THE MAP flip book, and a Write the Room Activity.

It’s everything you need to cover your geography unit! Check it out here. 

For some more fun ideas for early elementary, check out my post here!

What are your favorite geography activities for elementary students? Let me know in the comments!

Elementary school classrooms can be full of energy and movement. Keeping that energy under control takes a lot of work from teachers, but there are many classroom management strategies that can help create an environment where learning can happen without distractions from disruptive behavior. 

Here are some classroom management strategies for managing behavior in the elementary school setting:

Use non-verbal cues

When you need to get the attention of a group of students, use non-verbal cues. Your body language can help make your intentions clear. Staring at someone or using an angry tone of voice is usually not effective for gaining cooperation. Instead, try using a firm voice and open posture to show that you are serious about what needs to be done.

Use humor

When you’re a teacher, it’s easy to let the negative in your day-to-day take over. You know what I mean: the student who refuses to participate, the whole class fighting over seats and attention, etc. 

Humor is a great way to diffuse any situation and help students feel better about themselves; it can also be used as a teaching tool. If you catch one of your students making an off-color joke during class, you might choose not only to laugh along with them but also use that moment as an opportunity for some classroom management: “That was funny—but we don’t say things like that here! And why do we say things like this? Because they aren’t nice words.” 

Be consistent

Consistency is one of the most important characteristics of a good behavior management plan. If you are not consistent, your students will not know what to expect and will be confused about what you want from them. When teachers are consistent, students learn to trust that they will be treated fairly, which helps to build relationships between teachers and students.

Reward Positive Behavior

You might consider rewarding students with verbal praise, such as saying “thank you for working so hard” or “I appreciate your effort today.” This can help encourage them to continue with the behavior in question.

Collect Behavior Data

Some principles require you to track behavior data to share at meetings or with parents. I recommend using simple charts and contracts that students understand that can help them track their own behavior. 

To make classroom management and data collection easy, I created this Daily Behavior Chart resource! 

I included an editable behavior contract, a data collecting graph to chart progress, and a FREE poster about Big Problems & Little Problems which has been so helpful for students who are not able to control their emotions over small issues.

Here’s an example of how I use this classroom management tool: 

I give the student 2 goals (for example, “Keep your hands to yourself.” or “Used walking feet.”) Then, list up to 8 specific times during the day under the schedule. For example, “Morning Work, Reading, Writing etc. for the student to show they are meeting their goal in a short period of time. 

The student colors the face according to how well they did during the scheduled time. You can track the data daily to share with parents or at meetings. 

There is also a contract provided where you can make a “deal” with the student. For example, “If I make 6 out of 8 smiley faces, then I get to go to the treasure box.”

For more classroom management tips, check out my blog post here! 

What are your favorite classroom management tricks? Let me know in the comments!

What is a scientist? 

A scientist is someone who believes there is a natural way to explain most things. Scientists see a problem and perform tests to understand the cause so they can come up with a solution. It’s pretty cool! 

Introducing the topic of science and scientists to early elementary students is so fun. They are coming in and seeing the wonder of science with brand new eyes and it is so cool to see their eyes light up when they learn more about science. 

What is a scientist for kids

If you are looking for ways to teach the topic “What is a scientist?” to your kindergarten or first grade students, you’re in the right place. This is one of my favorite subjects to teach! 

Here are some things you’ll want to touch on as you teach students about the wonderful world of science: 

• Scientist tools and how to use them
• The scientific method and how to use it to solve problems
• Types of scientists and what types of problems they solve
• Types of science experiments and how to conduct them

It’s important to teach your little learners that anyone can be a scientist! They just have to watch and observe how things work. Pretty cool, huh? 

If you are looking for the perfect What Is A Scientist Activity or some first grade or  kindergarten science worksheets, I have you covered! 

My What Is A Scientist 3-Week Unit has everything you need! 

It covers What is a Scientist, Science Tools, and The Scientific Method with Inquiry lessons!

What’s Inside This Download?

Pg. 1 Cover

Pg. 2 Table of Contents

Pg. 3 Home Connection

Pg. 4 Note to Teachers

Pg. 5 Lesson Plan (What is a Scientist?) Week 1

Pg. 6 Lesson Plan (Science Tools) Week 2

Pg. 7 Lesson Plan (Scientific Method) Week 3

Pg. 8 KWL Chart

Pg. 9 Draw a Scientist

Pg. 10 Scientists ARE, CAN, USE

Pg. 11 Act Out the Motion of a Scientist

Pg. 12 I SPY Science Tools

Pg. 13 & 14 Science Tools interactive notebook (just draw pics., for young children)

Pg. 15 & 16 Science Tools Interactive Notebook (write the definition – for older children)

Pg. 17 & 18 Measuring Tools (Interactive notebook) Activity 

Pg. 19 Hand Lens Experiment Data Sheet

Pg. 20-22 Science Tools mini books

Pg. 23 Venn Diagram (ruler VS dropper)

Pg. 24 Writing Prompt- Science Tools

Pg. 25 Writing Prompt – Scientist & Tools

Pg. 26 Gummy Bear Science

Pg. 27 Scientific Method Blank Sheet (You can use this with any experiment all year long)

Pg. 28 Ask A Friend (Data Collecting)

Pg. 29 Rainbow Milk Inquiry Instructions (for teachers)

Pg. 30 Rainbow Milk Inquiry Data Sheet

Pg. 31 Observing Mixing Colors Data Sheet

Pg. 32-35 I’m a Scientist Hat headbands for boys and girls

Pg. 36-45 What is a Scientist, Science Tools posters

Pg. 46-53 The Scientific Method poster Set

Pg. 54-61 Science Data Notebook with Rubric & Word Bank

Pg. 62 How to put the Interactive Notebook Pages in the book example

If you want even more science fun for kindergarten and first grade students, you have to check out my Science Curriculum Bundle! 

This comprehensive and engaging science curriculum includes everything you need to teach science all year long! This includes 12 units with inquiry lessons, STEM activities, data notebooks, rubrics, print-and-go worksheets, home projects, and so much more!

Check it out here! For more science activities, check out my post here! 

What are your favorite activities for teaching students about scientists? Let me know in the comments! 

One of the primary skills we work on with our students in kindergarten is the alphabet. It is essential that students have a good understanding of their letters. They need to recognize them, write them, and know the sounds they make. 

For that reason, we will spend a lot of time in the classroom working on letters. And I mean a lot of time. That being said, it’s so important that we make it fun for students. The last thing we want is for them to get burned out and bored with the alphabet a couple of months in! 

How do I make the alphabet fun? 

There are so many things you can do with students that are this age! Check out my post here on fun alphabet activities for kids for some ideas. My favorite has to be alphabet craft printables. They are simple to use and students love them. 

Here are 5 reasons to use crafts in the classroom

1. Fine Motor Skills. When completing a craft, students will need to put their fine motor skills to use. Doing things like cutting and putting pieces together requires a lot of fine motor work and this is a fun way to do it! 
2. Creativity. This is one of those skills that we don’t talk a lot about but it is so important that we teach our students to flex those creative muscles. 
3. Letter writing. Making alphabet letter crafts will help students get to practice writing the letter without them even realizing it! 
4. Letter identification. When learning is fun, students are more likely to retain what they learn. So by turning letters into fun crafts, students will be able to use that to help them identify that letter going forward. 
5. High engagement. What kid doesn’t love doing a fun craft? It goes without saying that when kids are having fun, they are more engaged in learning. 

My A – Z alphabet crafts resource includes engaging activities for every letter in the alphabet. 

Use these printables and crafts in centers, whole group, small group, or for homework. This is an A-Z BUNDLE!

These provide hands-on options as well as worksheets to help with busy mornings. Students will learn how to work independently after the first couple of letter sets are used because every unit follows the same pattern. There are plenty of things to choose from for the week if you are doing a letter a week. Students will practice fine motor skills with writing, cutting, and tracing.

What is the download?

• LETTER A (16 printables which include 3 crafts, a spinning game, letter identification, forming letters, playdough letters, BINGO daubing, tracing letters (upper and lowercase), letter sounds, and beginning sounds of words.) 
• LETTER B (16 printables which include 3 crafts, a spinning game, letter identification, forming letters, playdough letters, BINGO daubing, tracing letters, letter sounds, and beginning sounds of words.) See Previews
• LETTERS C-Z (These will follow the same format as units for letters A & B, but with different crafts.) 
• OVER 450 Print & Go Pages

What are your favorite ways to practice the alphabet in the classroom? Let me know in the comments!