Sometimes a topic such as science careers can be a bit dry. And, often times you aren’t exactly sure how to “spruce it up” so students are engaged. Today, I have 20 science career project and activity ideas that I think would help you when it comes to planning! Choosing… Continue Reading »
24 Exit Ticket Ideas
We’ve probably all used exit tickets before in our classroom for a quick, informal assessment. And, I’m willing to bet that most of the time you have used nearly the same questions– something along the lines of “tell me what you have learned today.” If you’re like me, after a… Continue Reading »
5 Tips to Using Game-Based Learning
Let’s play a game! Those words can excite upper elementary students just as much as the younger set. Students of all ages love playing games, but game-based learning is so much more. It’s not just a replacement for worksheets, a space-filler to kill time between assessments, and it’s not just… Continue Reading »
How to Create a DIY Classroom Calendar
Does anyone remember the Everyday Math Calendars? I use to love doing those in my classroom with my students, even in the upper elementary grades. But as our time became more packed with Common Core, it just seemed that got packed into the closet and just wasn’t possible. However, it… Continue Reading »
10 Engaging Ways to Create Timelines
Teaching about timelines is a skill that crosses into language arts, science, and social studies, at the very least. It is often found as a graphic source in nonfiction texts that helps students understand the material better, and students are often asked to create a timeline at some point during… Continue Reading »
Creating Readers with Reading Rally
Each year for reading month, I like to make sure I have lots of activities going on to emphasize just how important reading is. Some grade levels focus heavily on Dr. Seuss, while others complete book tournaments such as Reading Star or Book Madness. A few years ago, our school… Continue Reading »
Preventing the Overload of Worksheets
Worksheets. They have been around for a long time. I would imagine the first teacher was carrying around large blocks of stone with work etched in it for students. I remember working on worksheets with the blue printed ink (and now they are faded yellow). I mean, look at this… Continue Reading »
An Exciting New Way to Look at Brag Tags
Brag tags are exciting, engaging, and extremely motivating in the classroom. Students love them, and there’s no doubt based on the massive supply of them on Teachers Pay Teachers that teachers love them, too! But, have you ever wondered how brag tags could be if they were taken up a… Continue Reading »
Fingerprint Storyboards for Any Subject
**Keep reading… This is MORE than a Thanksgiving Post! This is a post with an engaging strategy that your students can use in ANY subject area ANY time of the year! :)** Each year just before Thanksgiving break, I like to read the book The First Thanksgiving and afterwards discuss… Continue Reading »
Creative Ways to Make Science Engaging & Memorable
When you ask students what science makes them think of, there are two groups. There is the group of kids who think of science experiments and just love it! Then, there is the group of kids who hate it because of all the hard language and concepts. Science is a… Continue Reading »