Category Archives: Lesson Plans

Classroom Management, Holidays, Lesson Plans

Halloween Slides for Spooky School Vibes

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Fall is a whirlwind at school. Between the back-to-school settling period, parent-teacher conferences, and testing, decorating for the holidays can feel daunting, like another stressor on your to-do list. Still, there’s always time to bring Halloween vibes into class with these free Google Slides activities and templates.  Featuring a graphing math activity, a reading activity, … Continue reading Halloween Slides for Spooky School Vibes »

Lesson Plans, Teacher Resources, Teaching Tips

Novel Instruction: Four Ways to Approach Plot and Structure in Literature—Part 2: An Important Scene

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(Read the first installment of this series here.) This week we are continuing our series of examining literary elements as you teach novels in your classroom. The article below describes an approach to using an important scene. Use the ideas to create classroom activities or to engage your students in whole-class or small-group discussions. An … Continue reading Novel Instruction: Four Ways to Approach Plot and Structure in Literature—Part 2: An Important Scene »

Classroom Activities, Lesson Plans, Teacher Resources, Teaching Tips

Novel Instruction: Four Ways to Approach Plot and Structure in Literature

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Our reading habits are changing. This has a lot to do with what we are reading. Tweets, posts, snaps, infographics, and other contemporary text types are ideal for communicating ideas quickly and visually. They have a place in our society — and in our classrooms, too — but they are not substitutes for actual literature. … Continue reading Novel Instruction: Four Ways to Approach Plot and Structure in Literature »

Classroom Activities, Holidays, Lesson Plans, Teacher Resources

What’s Inside Your Heart? A Valentine’s Day Classroom Activity

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Each year on February 14th, people exchange cards, candy, gifts or flowers with their special “valentine.” Your students can use this pattern to make a special valentine for a friend or family member. Download the pattern from our book Celebrating Holidays.

Valentine card activityAll you need is white drawing paper, red or pink tissue paper, glue, scissors, a pencil, and a marker.

Valentine materials

 

Step 1: Fold the piece of white drawing paper in half. Draw half a heart onto the paper.

fold and trace heart

Step 2: Cut out the shape. Unfold it so you have a whole heart. Place the heart onto the tissue paper and trace around it. Cut out the tissue paper heart, then set it aside.

Tracing on tissue paper

Step 3: On the white paper, write a message in the center of the heart shape for a friend or family member.

writing on heart

Step 4: Glue the top parts of the hearts together, with the tissue paper on top. Give the message to a friend or family member.

gluing heartsYou can also use the rest of the white drawing paper and any leftover tissue paper to create another valentine. Just glue the tissue to the back of the drawing paper to cover the heart-shaped hole, then write a message on the front of the paper.

 

be my valentine

From Teacher Created Resources Celebrating Holidays Grades 3-4