first grade Archives - Page 3 of 7

Fun Ways To Celebrate Johnny Appleseed Day

September 8, 2023 teachersbrain education, Teaching Tips

Johnny Appleseed Day is coming up on September 26th, and that means it’s the perfect time to teach your students about who he is and celebrate apples!

This holiday is all about appreciating apples and the legacy of a remarkable individual who planted apple trees across the country. If you are looking for some Johnny Appleseed Day activities and resources to have an engaging lesson to celebrate Johnny Appleseed and his favorite fruit, you’re in the right place!

How do you celebrate Johnny Appleseed Day?

Learn about who he was

Start by learning about the life and adventures of Johnny Appleseed! You can read books, watch videos on YouTube, or have a special lesson in class about this important historical figure. Understanding his love for apples and his contributions to our country is a great way to begin your celebration!

Do some apple themed arts and crafts

Get creative with apple-themed arts and crafts activities. Try making apple prints, drawing Johnny Appleseed’s character, or creating colorful posters that showcase the importance of apple trees. These hands-on projects will help your students express their creativity while celebrating Johnny Appleseed.

Go Apple tasting at an Apple Orchard

If possible, take a field trip! Explore the world of apples by tasting different apple varieties and, if possible, visiting a local apple orchard. Create a mini apple tasting event where you and your classmates can sample various apples and discuss your favorites. If you go to an orchard, learn about the apple-growing process and pick some apples to take home.

Plant your own apple seeds

Consider planting your own apple seeds or small apple tree saplings. This hands-on activity can help you understand the process of growing apple trees and appreciate the work this historical figure did. Over time, you can watch your apple trees grow and even produce apples of your own!

Try out some apple themed snacks and treats

End your celebration with some delicious apple-themed snacks and treats. Make apple pie, apple crisp, or apple muffins in class or at home. You can also enjoy a healthy snack of sliced apples with caramel or peanut butter. Sharing these tasty treats with your classmates is a great way to wrap up your celebration.

Looking for some easy, print and go Johnny Appleseed resources that you can easily incorporate into your lessons? I have you covered!

Check out this Johnny Appleseed Activities Bundle!

This bundle has it all! Crafts, writing, a digital escape, reading, math, science, and art activities!

7 Products Bundled

Craft Hat & Journal

Apple Glasses

Apple Math

Digital Escape Room (Reading and Problem Solving)

Puppet & Pop Art

Apple Sauce & Apple Pie Recipe

Biography (Week-long unit)

Opinion Writing & More

Celebrating Johnny Appleseed is such a fun activity for the fall! I hope you and your students love these Johnny Appleseed activities and ideas as much as I do! For more activities to do with your students this fall, check out my post here!

3 Reasons To Use Escape Rooms In First Grade

August 25, 2023 teachersbrain education

Imagine turning your classroom into a captivating escape room where first-grade students become code-cracking detectives, working together to unravel mysteries while secretly building essential skills. Sound fun??

That’s where escape rooms for elementary school come in! You can use in person escape rooms or digital escape rooms, they’re all a blast!

What are escape rooms?

Escape rooms are immersive and interactive adventures where participants are “locked” in a themed room and tasked with solving a series of puzzles, riddles, and challenges to unlock the room’s exit within a set time limit. These puzzles can range from deciphering codes to manipulating objects and finding hidden clues, all while working together as a team.

Escape rooms offer an exciting way to engage individuals or groups in problem-solving, critical thinking, and collaborative exploration.

This exciting twist on learning can ignite engagement, foster teamwork, and sneakily enhance critical thinking in the most thrilling way possible!

Using escape rooms in your first-grade lessons can be so much fun and beneficial for your little learners.

Here are three exciting reasons why you should definitely consider doing an escape room activity with your students:

Super Engaging Learning

Imagine turning your classroom into a mysterious adventure land! Escape rooms are like real-life puzzles where students work together to solve problems and find clues. This hands-on approach keeps their minds active and engaged, making learning a thrilling experience. Your students will be so excited to explore and discover new things while trying to crack the codes.

Teamwork Makes the Dream Work

Escape rooms encourage teamwork and collaboration in the most exciting way. Your first-grade students will have to work together, share their ideas, and help each other out to solve the puzzles and unlock the mystery. This not only promotes social skills but also teaches them the value of listening to their friends and working as a team. Plus, seeing their classmates as puzzle-solving pals will create a warm and friendly classroom atmosphere.

Sneaky Skill Building

Shhh, don’t tell the kids, but escape rooms are sneaky little teachers themselves! While your students are having a blast cracking codes and deciphering clues, they’re also practicing essential skills like critical thinking, problem-solving, and logical reasoning. These skills are like superhero powers that will help them tackle all kinds of challenges throughout their learning journey.

So there you have it, my dear teacher friend! Incorporating an escape room activity into your lessons can bring a wave of excitement, teamwork, and skill-building to your classroom. Your first-grade students will adore the adventure, and you’ll love watching them learn and grow in such a creative way.

Looking for the perfect escape room resources to get started? I have you covered!

This First Grade Escape Room Bundle is just what you need!

Use these 9 Escape Rooms to guarantee student engagement while they learn and solve a classroom mystery. With 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!

What’s inside this download?

Get 9 Escape Room Mysteries focusing on sight words, comprehension, numbers, alphabet, Veterans Day, Halloween, ice breakers, word building and addition for a low price. The Escape Rooms range from pre-k to 3rd grade, but all of these hit 1st grade benchmarks.

Check it out here! Looking for more escape room fun? Check out my post!

5 Back To School Resources That Will Make Your Year Better

July 29, 2023 teachersbrain Back to School, Classroom Behavior Management, Classroom Decor, education

It’s almost time to head back to the classroom!

As we gear up to welcome our new students and reunite with the familiar faces, it’s essential to be equipped with the best resources to make this academic year a smashing success.

If you’re looking for back to school activities, classroom decoration ideas, classroom management resources, or back to school resources for teachers, you’re in the right place! I’ll be sharing some fantastic back-to-school resources that will help us create engaging lessons, foster a positive classroom environment, and make this school year the best one yet! 🚀

What do you do to welcome kids back to school?

It all starts with your classroom! Creating a warm and welcome environment can work wonders when it comes to easing students’ stress and making them feel comfortable. Add colors and even a fun classroom theme to bring life to a cold and bland classroom.

The next step is implementing a good classroom management system that will make expectations clear, and then you want to have some fun with back to school and get to know you activities!

Here are 5 back to school resources to get you started!

1. This Boho Rainbow Classroom Decor Bundle is adorable and welcoming!

back to school classroom decoration ideas

Create an inviting classroom decor with this calming boho Rainbow-themed set! This is a calm theme with editable pages to easily personalize. Use the suggested fonts or create your own.

What is in the download:

An Editable Calendar Set
Editable Birthday Chart
Editable Daily Visual Schedule
Classroom Jobs Set
Color Word Posters & Name Tags
An Alphabet Line (Print and Cursive)
Back to School Welcome Banners, Forms, Posters & Labels for Binders

2. Try out the Desk Pet Pals Classroom Management System

back to school classroom management system

Need a great way to help your class improve daily behavior? I have you covered with this editable Powerpoint and Google Slides! Use these slides to personalize editable text boxes. Use mini erasers or the virtual pets provided to improve student’s behavior.

This resource comes with everything you need to implement this fun and engaging resource including behavior contracts, charts, pet store price list, signs, writing prompts, pet personality posters, and so much more! Just add some pet erasers.

Try it out free here!

3. Wondering what’s a good activity for the first lesson? Try out this Back To School Gingerbread Man Campus Hunt activity!

back to school Ginger Bread Man Hunt resource

Are you looking for a back-to-school activity to help students learn where different locations are on your school campus? This is a week of lessons integrating reading with a campus hunt for the Gingerbread Man! There is enough to keep your kiddos busy for weeks learning with this fun theme. It is full of extras too! Check it out!

4. Try out this First Day Jitters Glitter Slime Activity to ease the nerves

Love reading First Day Jitters to your students to help them get rid of their nervousness during the first week of school? The Jitter Glitter Slime included in this week lesson plan is always a huge hit with students! Use this at the beginning of the year to get students excited about science and teach them about inferences!

5. Don’t forget a fun craft! Check out these First Day of School Hat Crafts

Looking for an engaging activity to do with students to celebrate the first day or week of school? Have them create their own first day of school hat to wear while using the provided writing prompt to explain their favorite part of the first day, and give them a certificate!

I hope you and your students love these resources and that you have a marvelous first day of school!
Want more back to school resources? Check out these beachy classroom decor ideas.

Why You Should Keep A Large Visual Schedule in Your Classroom

August 12, 2022 teachersbrain Classroom Behavior Management, Classroom Decor, Teaching Tips

With the new school year starting, many teachers are looking for ways to improve their classroom routines and procedures for a smoother year. Things like classroom management systems and classroom job charts are great for helping students understand what to expect, behavior guidelines, and how they are expected to contribute to the classroom community during the year.

Classroom visual schedules are also great for helping students understand what to expect which leads to a smoother transition. When I was in the classroom, a large visual schedule was a must.

What does a visual schedule do?

Visual schedules are schedules of your day that are created with a visual element to help communicate to students the sequence of events for the day. This is especially beneficial to students who struggle to read. They will be able to find out for themselves where and when they will be doing activities.

Why are visual schedules helpful?

As teachers, we have likely all experienced situations where students struggled with transitions. Having a schedule so that students can see for themselves what the plan is for the day is empowering. It allows them to understand what is coming up next so they can manage and predict their own day independently because it helps them understand time.

This means they don’t feel the need to repeatedly ask what they’re doing next. It also helps keep you on track when things get a little hectic. If a student is still struggling, you can allow them to hold the card while transitioning to ease their stress.

How do I make a visual schedule?

Teachers are busy people. They don’t all have time to create custom visual schedules for their classrooms, and that’s okay! You can easily find a great visual schedule template or visual schedule printables that you can easily edit and use in your classroom. There are tons of options online if you simply search around.

If you’re looking for the perfect visual schedule template for your elementary classroom, make sure to check out this Boho Visual Classroom Schedule Resource!

This editable Boho style Powerpoint is easy to use and perfect for a boho-themed classroom. Use these cards on a pocket chart, wall, or magnetic board to easily edit and move your schedule around.

What is in this download?

50 Editable PowerPoint Slides (*Make sure you have PowerPoint)
BOHO Rainbow with Clocks (moveable hands and text boxes provided) Also, without clocks.
Cursive and Print for Intermediate or Primary Classrooms
Blank Cards
2 Editable Individual Daily Schedule Cards
Directions with Suggested Fonts
Pictures Cards include ( A+, apple, backpack, chalkboard, books, bell, lunch, milk, glue, globe, clock, crayons, owl, grad hat, paint pallet, paintbrush, bookworm, bus, pencil, pen, check, bell, stars, scissors, beaker, music, paper airplane, protractor, data journal, music, magnets, locker, glasses, light bulb, ruler, flask, heart, sun, tent, music notes, tie, flashlight, plant, tie, test tube)

For even more visual schedule options, check out my post from last week here!

What are your favorite ways to help students transition? Let me know in the comments!