Teacher’s Brain

Tag: activities

Social Studies Activities for Kindergarten or First Grade

education, Teacher's Pay Teachers

Planning a fun and engaging social studies lesson for kindergarten or first grade doesn’t have to be hard or stressful. Finding the right resources that are fun for your students, low prep, and easy for teachers can be a game changer. 

That is why I created this year long social studies curriculum bundle to help make your life a little easier. It can be used in school or at home for distance learning. It is made up of four nine week long units to engage and excite your students to learn more about social studies. 

Here are the subjects included in the social studies curriculum bundle

American History: In this unit, you can set up the lesson plan activities as an American History Journal or hand them out individually. This unit covers past, present, holidays, presidents, American symbols, and more. 

Geography: This unit includes a fun Geography Journal. Some of the lessons included cover positional words, personal information, landforms, bodies of water, and cardinal directions. An interactive notebook is included along with a write the room activity where students can label the classroom using cardinal directions. 

Civics and Government: This 9 week lesson plan includes a Civics and Government Journal and interactive notebook pages for each day of the week. Topics cover primary source, chronology, citizenship, rules, laws, conflict, and fair decisions. 

Community Helpers: This unit includes detailed plans for nine weeks. You’ll get a Community Helpers Journal, interactive notebook pages, 12 posters, songs, crafts, and more. Activities to keep your students interested include cut and label poems, hat or headband crafts, and handprint gifts. It even includes an invitation for parents to be guest speakers in class!

Bonus Content

Along with a full year of social studies curriculum for kindergarten and first grade, you also get some bonus content too. These bonuses are designed to supplement your lessons and increase student success.

Money: One week plan for teaching students all about money. Includes a Money Journal, lesson plans, posters, and a rubric. 

Needs & Wants: A one week plan to teach your students about the difference between needs and wants. Included are posters, interactive notebook pages, and a Needs and Wants Journal. 

This year’s long social studies bundle was designed to take the stress out of lesson planning for you. Check it out here! 

What are your favorite ways for engaging students during their social studies lessons? Let me know in the comments below!

social studies activities

 

Check out some first day of school icebreaker ideas here! 

 

 

First Day Of School Icebreakers

education

The first day of school is one of the biggest days of the whole year. It is a day for meeting new people and first impressions. It is also the day you set the tone for what students can expect in your classroom. All of this newness can bring up a lot of emotions for your students. This is a day that they have been eagerly anticipating all summer. They probably stayed up late the night before, thinking about what is to come the next day. With all of the excitement and anticipation, there is sure to be a lot of nervousness too! 

Starting a new school year, with a new teacher, in a new classroom is enough to make anyone anxious. For this reason, the key is to spend the first day back helping our students feel important and comfortable in our classroom. 

A great way to do that is by having some FUN. Like the old saying goes, people will remember how you made them feel. Your students will remember how they felt in your class. Getting your students engaged in a fun activity can be a huge help in relieving stress and anxiety and help them feel comfortable and relaxed. 

One of my absolute favorite ways to do that is with Escape Rooms!

These fun interactive activities are all the rage right now. Students love them. You will easily be the most memorable teacher of your students’ life. 

That’s why I created this back to school escape room! You can use these step by step instructions to guarantee student engagement while they learn about each other and work as a team and solve a mystery and escape the classroom! With a little prep, your students will work as a team to break into a box, which breaks them out of the classroom as they beat the clock! This is a great way for ANY class to learn about their peers. 

Back to School Icebreakers

Included is a PDF file with step-by-step instructions, a link to incorporate a YouTube Video to HOOK your students into accepting a mission to break free from the Ice Queen. The mystery can only be solved by working through Icebreaker Challenges and using teamwork. Opening the box, (no locks needed) leads them to enjoy recess or a library break outside of the classroom. There are 3 tasks for the students to solve before they can break free.

Check out the YouTube introduction here! 

Looking for more first day of school icebreaker activities? Check out my Getting To Know You Fidget Spinner Activities. 

You can also check out more information on making your first day of school memorable here. 

First Day Of School Activities

What are your favorite ways to get your students to have fun on the first day? Let me know in the comments below!

First Day Of School Activities

kindergarten survival, Teacher's Pay Teachers

The first day of school is exciting for both teachers and students. The anticipation of starting a brand new school year is so fun but let’s admit it, it can be a little nerve-racking sometimes! It can feel like planning for a huge event for a room full of elementary aged kids. It is so important to make a good impression on your students and get started off on the right foot, so you want to plan it out just right. You want your students to really get to know you and your personality so they can trust you and enjoy learning in your class. However, you also want to establish rules and guidelines so your expectations are clear. Laying it all out at the beginning will set you all up for success from the very start. 

 

Your perfect first day of school should include a couple of crucial components.

 

  •  Start the day by introducing yourself and getting to know your students. You can try a fun ice breaker game or activity to help get your students relaxed and comfortable. It can be hard for some students to come to school on the first day in an environment that they are not familiar with. Get to know you activities will help them feel comfortable in their new classroom. 
  • Explain your rules and expectations clearly. It is so important for students to know what is expected of them, what is acceptable behavior in class, and what isn’t. Come up with a way that you will reinforce good classroom behavior and what methods you will use when there is misbehavior. 
  • Share a schedule. It helps students to know what to expect each day. Establishing a routine can help greatly increase their comfort and confidence level. 
  • Create a classroom community. Helping your students feel a sense of belonging and acceptance in your classroom will be so important to their success. Along with helping them academically, it can also help them when it comes to developing their social skills and making new friends. 

 

To help you make a good first impression on your students and make the first day of school a memorable one, I created this fun back to school resource that is perfect for kindergarten teachers.

 

I included a FULL day of detailed lesson plans with printables, links, editable plans, suggested plans, ideas and activities to make prepping as easy as possible. 

First day

 

What do you do to make your first day of school special for your students? Let me know in the comments!

Want more information on getting ready for kindergarten? Click here!