Teaching Tips Archives - Page 11 of 38

Earth Day Activities For Elementary Students

March 25, 2022 teachersbrain Science, Teaching Tips

A very special and important holiday is quickly approaching- Earth Day!

Earth Day 2022 is coming up on April 22nd, and it is the perfect time to teach students about our planet and the importance of conservation efforts. We need our planet and it is more important than ever to take whatever steps we can to improve our environment.

So what can students do for Earth Day?

To celebrate Earth Day in your classroom, it’s important that we start by explaining why this holiday is so important. When I was in the classroom, I would begin by teaching students about our planet and what it needs from us. I explained to them that no matter how small their actions are, they are making a difference. It’s a great way to inspire students to be an Earth hero!

Here are some lessons and Earth Day activities for kids to learn about protecting our environment

Take a walk around the school or playground and pick up any trash. Take this as an opportunity to teach students how this harms our environment.
Teach students why it is so important to always turn off water when you aren’t using it and making sure it is completely off
We need trees in order to have oxygen! Teach your students how they can care for the environment by planting a tree. This is a hands-on activity that has a big impact.
Read books about protecting our planet and caring for the environment or watch movies and have a discussion about it after about how students can be more eco-friendly in their own lives.
Teach students about the importance of recycling. Explain landfills and how recycling reusable materials can help our planet. Don’t forget to tell them about what materials can be recycled and how they can do it. You can help them practice by going around the school and identifying recyclable materials.

Looking for virtual Earth Day activities? Take your recycling lesson to the next level with a virtual field trip!

This fun and engaging digital resource lets your students “visit” a recycling center!

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! This is perfect if you’re looking to do Earth Day activities at home while distance learning or in the classroom.

Here’s what’s included:

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.

Easily share through Google Classroom to collect information or share from your computer to Zoom or Meets. Students move images, add text, and moving parts to get plenty of writing and computer practice!

What are your favorite Earth Day activities for elementary? Let me know in the comments!

How To Catch The Easter Bunny: A Fun and Engaging Easter Activity!

March 18, 2022 teachersbrain education, Teaching Tips

Easter is right around the corner and that means it’s time to whip out all of the fun pastel and egg-shaped decor and stock up on Easter candy to hand out to your students. It’s also time to start brainstorming Easter activities to do in the classroom to celebrate.

There is always the traditional Easter egg hunt or coloring eggs, but when I was in the classroom I tried to think outside the box so I could get my students truly engaged and give them a unique Easter classroom experience.

I came up with an Easter activity that would give students the opportunity to create an Easter Bunny trap!

I created a digital resource that would make this activity a simple, no-prep, no-mess option!

The interactive and editable Google Slides allow students to copy and paste movable parts to design their own Easter Bunny trap. This gets students thinking creatively and critically to come up with their own unique trap.

Then, they will write a narrative, persuasive, or opinion paper about how they plan to catch the bunny. This activity is perfect for engaging students in creative thinking and planning.

Make it even more fun by adding all the student’s work to a new slide show with the music provided while in present mode to have a bunny trap design contest. You can also print and display them in your room or make a slideshow with the student’s finished products to view virtually. Music is provided!

Included with this Easter activity you’ll get:

12 background slides for students to choose from to begin designing
4 slides with movable parts for students to use to design their own bunny trap (You can edit some images, remove or add images)
6 slides for students to brainstorm, organize thoughts, and write a story about their trap
Black and white slides for students to digitally or handwrite stories. (narrative, persuasive, or opinion writing included)
A Google Form to have a Favorite Trap Design Contest

If you love this activity but can’t do it virtually with your students, you can also print it out and complete it that way! This resource can easily be adapted to do in person, digitally, or sent home to complete with the child’s parents.

Check out the video tutorial!

Looking for more spring and Easter activities for the classroom? Check out my post here!

How will you be celebrating Easter with your students? Let me know in the comments?

Tips for Talking to Students About War

March 6, 2022 teachersbrain Teacher's Pay Teachers, Teaching Tips

This topic is HOT right now with teachers. It is a hard discussion, but with so many kids on social media, they are bound to hear and see things that could make them emotional. Talking about war with children is a part of the job for parents and teachers. If a child asks about a war or something they saw on tv, chances are the other students have seen or heard about it also in your class. How much discussion of the topic is too much? What are the right ways to have the discussion with different grade levels?

Tips about talking to students about WAR

If you teach primary students, I suggest you don’t bring up the topic on your own. Students who are unaware of the topic should not be pressed on what they know or don’t know. But if children of any age are talking about war with other children, it is important for you to support them. This might mean inviting the school counselor into your room for a discussion to keep students calm and compassionate. It could be you simply answering a few questions with facts and removing any stereotypes from their discussion. It is important to never villainize a culture or country.

The goal is to ensure students about their own safety and guide them to look for and to be helpful citizens. Creating a calming corner or area in your classroom for students to relax with breathing exercises is helpful for students who are showing anxiety from viewing war events.

Here are some other suggestions:

Encourage students to talk to parents about it.
Discuss things that you can control. For example, don’t watch the news.
Avoid giving your opinion but allow them to express themselves so you can find out what they think or feel prior to any discussions.
Ask questions like: “What have you seen or heard.”
Remind them to look for people who are being helpful.
Consider having a fundraiser for a charity so they can see how they can be helpful.
Admit when you don’t know the answer to something

OLDER KIDS

Older students need and want to talk about what they see and how they are feeling. They still need guidance from adults to navigate emotions and thoughts in a productive way. Provide them a safe space to express themselves and to process information. Teachers need to be aware of the emotional impact this has on students and families. You can consider discussing the government or president’s role in shaping foreign policy, policy options to respond to war, geography, or lasting impacts from previous wars. You should give factual answers, reassurance, and admit when you don’t know something.

Bring March Madness Fun Into The Classroom

March 4, 2022 teachersbrain Math, STEM, Teaching Tips

March is officially upon us and that means March Madness has begun! March Madness is a yearly NCAA Division I basketball tournament. It takes place every year from the middle of March to the beginning of April.

68 college basketball teams play against each other for the chance to win the spot as the year’s National Champion. Needless to say, it’s pretty exciting!

Even for people who aren’t usually basketball fans, this time of year can still be fun. Everyone chooses their teams and predicts who they think will win. It’s also so fun to watch the games with family and friends.

Given that it is so thrilling for students and teachers alike, I created some resources so that you can easily bring the March Madness fun into the classroom and celebrate while reviewing skills in math, language arts, and STEM.

First up, I wanted to share my March Madness Math and Literacy worksheets.

March Madness Activities

These basketball-themed worksheets will enhance learning language arts and math skills during March Madness. It includes over 60 worksheets that you can easily print and go. Perfect for using all throughout the tournament!

This resource was designed for kindergarten and first grade students. It even includes some fun games to get your students excited to learn!

You’ll get answer keys to the activities to make them easy to implement. Check it out here!

The second resource I wanted to share is my March Madness STEM Catapult Challenge!

This hands-on STEM challenge is guaranteed to get your students engaged! Students will build a hoop and catapult to launch their “basketball”. This resource is great for learning about basketball and levers.

This resource includes 3 days of plans and is perfect for kindergarten, first grade, or second grade students. It comes with 30 printables, 2 posters, print and go plans, answer keys, rubrics, and a journal. Everything you need! You can add your own materials or use the premade version.

Check it out here!

I hope you love these basketball-themed activities! What’s your favorite part of March Madness? Let me know in the comments!