Category: Teacher Toolbox

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Happy Birthday, America! 250 Looks Good On You!

I’m a big believer that birthdays ought to be celebrated and seen as a special occasion rather than treated like “just another day.” I mean, it’s a day to celebrate and honor the gift of someone or something being part of this world, so shouldn’t it be treated as something special? As we get closer to Independence Day, I’ve thought a lot about America and the fun things we do to celebrate her every year– fireworks, parades, festivals, concerts, barbeques with family and friends, and other kinds of get togethers with people we love. There are so many ways to celebrate our wonderful country!

Besides taking an entire day to celebrate America’s birthday, it’s fun to find engaging and educational activities for our students or kids to do in the days leading up to the Fourth of July. This year is even more special because America is turning 250 years old– and that’s really something to celebrate! Below you will find a collection of ideas you can use with your own children or with your students if school is still in session for you! These activities can be used and adapted for many ages.

  • Patriotic sensory bins- Use food coloring to dye white rice red and blue, then the three colors of rice together to create a red, white, and blue sensory base. Add in plastic stars, beads, coins, and miniature flags to make a fun patriotic themed sensory bin.
  • Print off and use the patriotic word scramble or I-Spy page found here.
  • Take a drive around town and keep tally of all the flags you can see as you drive. You could even create a “worksheet” to use before hand with space to tally how many flags you find of different sizes (small, medium, and large).
  • Teach your kids or students about the significance of the Declaration of Independence. For older kids, go into more depth about the meaning behind some of the most powerful phrases from the document.
  • Learn about the signers of the Declaration of Independence.
  • Have students write a “break up letter” from America to England, including what England did to cause the break up.
  • Research Independence Day celebrations from across the country. Talk about the different ways people celebrate the birth of our nation.
  • Read the words to the Pledge of Allegiance together and talk about what they mean. Do the same for the National Anthem.
  • For older kids, have them create some sort of artistic representation of what makes America who she is. Is it the people? The food? Music? Landscape? 
  • Create a timeline of events that lead up to Americans declaring independence.
  • Have students write a letter to America from England begging for forgiveness and to come back, including promises to change the things that had driven Americans away.
  • Take a look at this post to find more patriotic ideas!

Happy Independence Day! We hope you enjoy celebrating this great nation and that you enjoy the time with those you love!

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Read & Do: Practice With Following Instructions

One of the life skills that we teach and regularly practice with our students is the ability to follow either written or verbal instructions. Sometimes following instructions exactly is incredibly crucial– like when you’re doing an intricate chemistry experiment or assembling a bed, and other times– like when you’re making a peanut butter sandwich or coloring a picture, precision isn’t quite as necessary. Regardless of precision needed, learning to follow instructions is an important skill for all students to learn. 

To help your students practice this skill, I’ve created a set of four “Read and Do” worksheets. Three of the pages contain a picture and a set of instructions. Students read each instruction and complete the task. One page is a create your own “Read & Do” where students can write their own set of instructions, then trade with a classmate to have them follow the instructions. 

These worksheets give students a fun way to practice following specific instructions, simply for the objective of practicing following instructions. They provide a low-risk opportunity to practice this skill, as precision isn’t crucial. This activity is recommended for grades 1-3, but early readers could also benefit from its use. If you are wanting to have your students practice following verbal instructions, you can simply read them out loud to your class.

These worksheets are free to download, and are for personal or classroom use only. Do not resell, repost, or claim as your own.

Read & DoDownload
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Summertime Math

For some kids, summer break is in full swing, and for other kids, it’s so close they can taste it! Trying to keep students engaged those last few days of school can be difficult, as they just want to be outside enjoying the sunshine. And, honestly, who can blame them?! The sunshine is so inviting! 

If your school is one that is still in session, and you find yourself grasping for ways to keep your kiddos engaged and focused, I’ve got a fun math worksheet you can use! Geared for kindergarten or first graders, this summer themed addition and subtraction practice sheet is fun and educational! And as an added bonus, if you need to occupy a little more time, you can have your students color in the objects as they work on the problems. 

If you’re a parent or caregiver who is desperate for ways to try to prevent the infamous “summer slide”, print this off and have your kiddos do it at home! 

However you use it, I hope your students and/or kids will have fun as they practice those fundamental math skills that will serve them as they continue to learn!

**This download is free, and is for classroom or personal use only. Do not resell it, re-post it, or claim it as your own.**

Summer MathDownload
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Say What?!

Happy as a clam. A picture is worth a thousand words. Every dog has its day. A penny saved is a penny earned. What in the world do these even mean?! Unless you are familiar with these kinds of phrases, they probably sound a bit silly, probably don’t make a whole lot of sense, and might even be confusing. Sayings like these can be idioms, like we talked about last week. Sometimes, though, they are known as proverbs: short sayings meant to convey some kind of moral or life lesson. 

As adults, we are likely pretty familiar with common proverbs and idioms. We hear them and say them without really thinking twice about it; we just know what they mean because we’ve known them for so long. For many of our students, however, these kinds of phrases are unfamiliar, and may sound like gibberish to them. 

Just like everything else, these must be learned. We can’t expect our students to understand them and know what they mean if we don’t expose them to proverbs and other phrases. To help you with this, I’ve created a simple worksheet you can use. On it, you will find a list of the beginning half of several proverbs or idioms, followed by a blank line. After reading the first half of the saying, students can write what they think the rest of the saying is. No doubt you’ll get some funny answers, but that’s the fun of it! 

** This printable is for personal or classroom use only. Do not resell, repost, or claim as your own. **

Say What!Download
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Having Fun With Idioms

The English language can be tricky. It’s a lot of “do this” and “don’t do that”, and a lot of words that are spelled the same, but have different meanings. Or, my favorite– words that sound the same, but are spelled differently and have different meanings, and that’s just how it is, because someone a long time ago made up the rules, so you have to memorize which word to use when. And then, on top of that, we have language devices that have their own rules and uses– metaphors, similes, hyperbole, oxymorons, personification, onomatopoeia, and idioms. It’s a lot to learn, a lot to remember, and can be a lot to teach. 

But… even though it can be a heavy load to learn and teach, the English language can be fun. Language devices, or figurative language, specifically can be fun. They help bring writing to life and can provide depth to writing. There are a plethora of engaging activities you can do with all grade levels to teach these concepts. 

Idioms can be especially fun. Kids often find the sayings funny, so it engages them. Below is a worksheet you can use with your students. It contains a list of idioms, with a place for students to write in what they think it means. The responses students give are always entertaining, and sometimes insightful.

** This download is free, and is for personal or classroom use only. Do not sell, post, or claim as your own. **

IdiomsDownload
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Count, Tally, & Graph

Much of what we teach our students is taught in layers, starting with foundational skills and knowledge, then we move onto the next level of difficulty, then the next, and so on. You can’t expect a preschooler to be able to do multi step equations when they are still learning to count, nor would you assume a third grader can tell you the differences between types of cells when they don’t even know what a cell is. It just wouldn’t make sense, and would lead to frustration on all sides. 

Skill building is especially important when dealing with math. Sometimes as adults, we don’t realize how much we already do know, because working through the processes and methods we’ve learned is almost automatic for our brains. We know what addition is. We know what it means to make a tally mark. We understand what a graph is and how to make one. 

This week in preschool, my daughter learned how to count objects, tally them up, then make a graph. It is such a simple skill for my older kids (and for me), that it made me pause and realize that she’s just learning how to do those things. And you know what? That’s exciting! She’s learning new concepts and figuring out how to do things, and I love it!

So… if you teach preschool or even kindergarten, and you are working on graphing (or will be soon), I’ve got a fun worksheet you can use! Below is a download for a transportation themed Count, Tally, and Graph activity. Feel free to print it and use it in your classroom. 

** This download is for classroom or personal use only. Do not sell, repost, or claim as your own. **

Count, Tally, & Graph TransportationDownload

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Exploring the 7 Cs

The world of education is anything but stagnant; it’s constantly changing, growing, improving, and moving. As we learn new techniques and methods, we adapt our teaching. When we realize some methods are outdated, we keep an open mind and try new things. As we become aware of new societal and cultural trends, expectations, and experiences, we use that information to better our teaching. This ever changing flow keeps us on our toes and helps our students receive the best possible education. Not only do we as educators change and adapt the way we present information, we also change the ways in which our students receive, process, and demonstrate their learning. While doing some research, I came across a concept I had never heard of, and was quite intrigued by: the 7 Cs in Education. 

The 7 Cs concept outlines seven ways that our students can demonstrate what they have learned, and ways they can process what we teach. Each skill requires students to use a different way of gathering and processing information, thus promoting diverse thinking. The 7 Cs are as follows:

1- Critical Thinking

2- Creativity

3- Collaboration

4- Communication

5- Computer Literacy

6- Cross-cultural Understanding

7- Career and Life Skills

Each of these skills can benefit students immensely. They are relevant skills for everyday life, every subject, and are skills that they will use as they grow into adulthood. Since each skill can be discussed in greater depth, I think it would be beneficial to dive into each skill individually over the next little bit. Join me as we explore these seven areas of teaching and learning!