Whether you call them popsicle sticks or craft sticks, these hands-on activities are perfect for every elementary classroom.
It can be difficult to find creative ways to teach vocabulary. Check out this list of 17 creative ways to teach vocabulary from 2 Peas and a Dog.
Let's dive into some new options to teach vocabulary, for those who have the time and energy to pursue them. In this post and podcast, I'm sharing ten ideas for making the study of vocabulary something students might even look forward to.
9 ways to teach creativity 1. Reserve time to write2. Participate in five minutes of mindfulness every day3. Develop brainstorming sessions4. Use gamification to encourage participation.5. Promote risk-taking6. Leave the classroom more frequently.7. Allow students to teach8. Use visual aids9. Encourage questions
These engaging strategies to incorporate movement in the classroom are perfect for the fidgety students & kinesthetic learners in your class!
Have you ever tried writing essential questions for your lessons or curriculum? Try using this ready-to-go list of essential questions that integrate the arts and the creative process.
Use the Tug of War Strategy for making thinking visible: Over the last few years my teaching has been heavily ingrained with inquiry based learning, problem/project based learning and open ended questioning.
Looking to develop your Canva confidence so you can create beautiful handouts, flashcards, and models for your ELA classroom? Great! Find help in this post.
Teaching Shakespeare can be a rewarding experience, and incorporating creativity into your approach can make the material more engaging for students. Here are seven creative ways to begin a unit on William Shakespeare or a unit that studies his literature... 1. Create a scavenger hunt with facts related to Shakespeare's life, works, and the Elizabethan era. Hide or hang the facts around the classroom or school. Then, have students hunt for the facts. As they find each fact, have them add the information to their notes as they build background on Shakespeare. This activity gets students up and moving while providing them a historical base for their Shakespeare studies. Need ready-made facts? Find them here! 2. Have students choose a character from one of Shakespeare's plays and write a modern-day monologue for that character. This activity allows students to connect with the characters on a personal level and showcase their understanding of the language and themes. 3. Make learning about Shakespeare especially engaging with a doodle poster. Have students fill the poster with facts about William Shakespeare. Then, have students glue the pages together to make an extra-long infographic. As students color in their doodle poster, they'll be exposed to facts one more time. This activity makes building background creative and fun. Grab a ready-made doodle poster HERE. 4. Ask students to imagine that Shakespeare and his characters had social media profiles. They can create Facebook pages, Instagram accounts, or Twitter feeds for characters like Romeo, Juliet, or Hamlet. This activity encourages creativity and helps students relate Shakespearean themes to contemporary communication. 5. Give students a chance to investigate one of Shakespeare's sonnet. You can assign a sonnet or have students choose one of their own. Then, guide them through analyzing the poem with a Doodle Poem Analysis one-pager. This guide makes analyzing the poem approachable and creative. It's also a great way to get students to share their poem analysis with others. You can download the FREE Doodle Poetry Analysis HERE. 6. Use a simple craft like this "Will's Quill" activity to get students learning about Shakespeare. First, have them research facts about Shakespeare. They should also find a quote that they like from Shakespeare. Students will add their work to feather shapes. Then, they'll cut out and glue the feathers together to make a quill just like one William Shakespeare would have used. Find everything you need to do this activity HERE. 7. Devote a day to immerse students in the Elizabethan era. Encourage them to come dressed in costumes from that time, play Renaissance music, and even serve Elizabethan-inspired snacks. This thematic approach can set the stage for a deeper exploration of Shakespeare's works. ----------------------------------------------------------- These ideas are designed to make learning about Shakespeare fun and relatable. Taking the time to make Shakespeare approachable can be a great way to foster a lifelong appreciation for his work. I hope you give some of these ideas a try. (And don't forget get to save a TON of TIME with the William Shakespeare Doodle and Do resource!) Thanks for stopping by, Mary Beth P.S. Find more ways to make learning fun here.
Sentence sticks work great to teach parts of speech: verbs, nouns, adjectives etc. Use it to make silly sentences or real sentences too!
Children will love these cute ice cream activities for preschoolers! Learning counting, letters, fine motor skills and so much more...
Are you noticing some gaps in your curriculum? Are you looking for some new, creative ideas for how to fill these holes in your ELA curriculum? This post gives you 10 creative ideas for how to fill holes in your secondary ELA curriculum.
This so actually do creative and cute✨🥰🎥Credit : mrs mcgrady_1stgrade 🍎✏️ Like our page Be Happy Teachers for more teaching ideas and methods. A team of teachers sharing the highs, lows and honest...
These 25 quick and easy tips for new teachers will help you create a positive, engaging, and effective learning environment for your students.
These are easy and fun online teaching ideas that will keep your students engaged, build connections and make class more fun. You will love number 10!
Welcome! This blog post features a guided tutorial of how to create a drip sculpture inspired by one of my FAVORITE contemporary artists, Dan Lam. Before exploring this project, check out Dan Lam's eye catching drip sculptures on her website here and her Instagram page here. Dan Lam’s "tactile, technicolor sculptures use unconventional materials to
This post shares tips and strategies for teaching different learning styles to meet the needs of all learners.
These up-and-coming influencers share amazing ideas for teaching our children through art, nature, and play.
I love teaching about trees because there’s much to discover all year, during any season. From bark to leaves, trees are amazing wonders of nature! If you’re planning on studying trees …
From mint tins to cereal boxes to "wanted" posters.
This emotions activity for preschool and beyond is a fun way to break down emotions & start important conversations about feelings with kids!
Get your students reading and writing this summer with these fun and engaging enrichment activities for elementary grades.
Looking for a fun and engaging way to inspire your students' creativity and imagination? Our one-page creative writing worksheet is just what you need! This worksheet is designed to be used with a toy die, making it a playful and interactive activity that will capture your students' attention and help them get excited about writing. The worksheet is divided into three main sections: Character, Setting, and Problem. Under the Character section, you'll find a range of pictures and phrases that your students can use to inspire the creation of a unique and interesting character. From a bold and daring superhero to a shy and introverted artist, the possibilities are endless! The Setting section includes a variety of pictures and phrases that will help your students bring their story to life by creating a vivid and engaging setting. Whether they choose to set their story in a futuristic metropolis or a quaint and charming countryside town, the options are endless! Finally, the Problem section provides a range of pictures and phrases that will inspire your students to create a compelling and engaging problem for their story. From a daring rescue mission to a difficult moral dilemma, your students will have the freedom to choose the type of problem that suits their unique creative vision. With this worksheet, your students will be able to use a toy die to randomly select one option from each section, and use those options to create a unique and engaging story. This activity is perfect for students who struggle with writer's block, or who are looking for a fun and creative way to explore their writing skills. So why wait? Download our one-page creative writing worksheet today and give your students the tools they need to unlock their creative potential and unleash their imaginations! This is a printable pdf, you will not receive a physical product in the post, but a file you can download either in your Etsy purchases or through an email you will receive from Etsy. You download this on a mobile phone.
What is blackout poetry? Poetry writing that all students can feel successful with. Here's how to teach it. Freebie included!
Are you looking for engaging grammar centers? These parts of speech activities are perfect. Here are 7 noun centers for teaching grammar.
Teachers are humans. They are not infallible. They make mistakes. Even the best teachers. And they learn from their mistakes and become better educators. So before I share the mistakes that I think many teachers make, I want to preface by saying that teaching is one of the toughest jobs on the planet. I have
Lots of EPIC Simple Machine Projects for students to make using things around the house! Learn about simple machines for kids!
Are you teaching creative writing? Here are some tips and suggestions to help you plan a successful, fun creative writing class.
Enjoy this project with your little one to help teach them address memorization and geography concepts.
*The list keeps growing - there are six now! Ted Talks are increasingly popular with educators for use with the faculty as well as the students. However, it can be tricky to find just the right talk for the occasion since there are so many available. There's also the problem of occasional profanity or inappropriate ...
The toughest part of writing is often getting started. Jump the hurdle with these kid-friendly writing warm-ups that spark creativity!
Are you looking for creative book report ideas for your middle school or elementary classroom? Take a look at this post containing a great idea for a reading project for language arts! Students and teachers alike will love this Book Buffet - you NEED to click through and see the desserts! ;)
In a teaching tailspin? These four research-based principles of instruction will help you focus on what really moves the needle.
STEM activities are a lot of fun and educational, but the best kind of STEM activities are open-ended, allowing children to think for themselves. In this paper plate maze STEM challenge, kids are challenged to make a marble maze using household materials. They must follow all elements of a real design process, including brainstorming, blueprints,
I love teaching and taking creative workshops. I love getting to explore creativity in new ways, I love watching people learn, I love hanging out and chatting with people who love creativity. Creative workshops are the perfect way to do that. I had the pleasure of teaching an Introduction to Waterco
Did you know that our creativity tends to decline as we get older? This is a huge problem since creativity and problem solving are essential skills for STEM careers. Scientists, computer programmers, engineers, and mathematicians all need to be able to think creatively and brainstorm solutions quic
Critical thinking challenges are not only fun, but develop growth mindset, problem solving skills and resilience. Come find out how!
These all about me, back to school art activities for kids are engaging icebreakers. Encourage creativity and build community during the first week back
To master this craft, we need to choose our words carefully. This mini-makeover shows how revising our language in common classroom scenarios can send a completely different message.
Get to know your new students during the first week of school with this 'all about me' foldable craft. Use as part of your back-to-school activities, or for a myself/ourselves/Me topic. This fun folding activity definitely has the edge over a standard all-about-me worksheet! You could use these in the classroom for a back-to-school activity, or send home for pupils to complete as a transition activity over the summer. The Templates There are 15 templates so children can pick one that best matches their hairstyle. They then draw eyes, eyebrows, skin/hair color, and lips, creating a self-portrait! The templates are included with and without a rectangle outline to provide an option for less confident cutters. The inside prompts them to add some information about themselves - name, age, favorite colors, something that makes them smile and something they are good at. Finally, they can cut out the design, and fold (instructions are included for this). Bring the 2 sides of the face together, then gently pull apart to reveal the inside (like a concertina). Minimal prep is needed - just print templates onto letter-sized card and have colored pencils in skin/hair/eye tones and scissors available. Glue/tape are not required. Please note that this is not an editable file. Versions with both US and UK spelling/paper sizes are included. What teachers are saying: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐'This was a great resource to use during the first week of school. It gives everyone an opportunity to learn about each other. Thank you!' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐'This was an excellent resource for getting to know my new class, and getting them to engage with one another. We had a great time discussing what they'd written, and I would thoroughly recommend this to other teachers!' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐'My students loved this as an activity to introduce themselves to one another!' You may be interested in these other back-to-school about me resources: Space themed all about me Dinosaur themed all about me Vertical folding all about me ***Keep up to date with brand new resources by following my store***