Teaching the Five-Paragraph Essay with an Example
The five-paragraph essay provides a strong, well-structured text. What’s more? It’s easy to compose. All you need is a good organizer and an example. (more…)
Read MoreYou can enjoy teaching. But first, you must survive. How? Just organize, plan, and simplify. Then it's time to thrive. Learn new things. Engage your students. And finally - dive in!
Teaching Persuasive Writing – Organize, Elaborate, Improve!
Teaching persuasive writing to third or fourth graders? Begin with a simple graphic organizer. Then elaborate, improve word choice, add transitions, and vary sentences. Before you know it, kids writing…
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Writing Constructed Response with Text Evidence – Hamburger Style!
Constructed response is easy to teach with this hamburger craft. First, kids find text evidence. Second, they write it as detail sentences. Then they answer the question and write a…
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Mystery Elements | Genre Study Vocabulary for Kids
As with other genres, mystery elements include characters, setting, and plot. Let’s take a look at the vocabulary kids need to know. (more…)
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Mystery Powders Lab for Kids – CSI in the Classroom
Try a mystery powders lab in your third, fourth, or fifth grade classroom. Your students will love it! You can use it as an activity in your mystery genre study,…
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Teaching Deductive Reasoning – Logic Puzzles for Kids
Logic puzzles build deductive reasoning – and they’re fun! First, teach your kids how to eliminate possibilities. That way, they can uncover solutions. Then teach them to create their own…
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Fingerprinting Activities for Kids – Detective Work & Art Projects
Fingerprinting activities bring fun to the classroom! Kids love studying dactyloscopy, or the science of identifying fingerprints. Recording their own prints, analyzing others, and even some creative art projects will…
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Invisible Ink Recipes for Kids | Classroom Detective Activities
Add invisible ink to your mystery or detective unit. Kids love it! These tested recipes are fun and easy. (more…)
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Cryptograms, Ciphers, and Secret Codes for Kids
Secret codes make kids think like detectives. Add some cryptograms and ciphers to your mystery unit. (Or just do some for fun!) Your upper elementary students will love it. (more…)
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Power of Observation Activities Improve Kids’ Attention to Detail
Observation activities help kids tune in. Try memory games, sensory activities, hidden pictures, and drawing to heighten awareness. Then apply these skills in classroom instruction. (more…)
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Teacher Talk: Strategies for Teaching Incidental Vocabulary
Are you purposely teaching incidental vocabulary? Improve your teacher talk. Simply weave definitions and pictures into daily lessons. From this, kids’ vocabularies grow. Furthermore, they learn how to determine meanings…
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4 Ways to Teach Kids to Find Word Meaning in Context
When kids find word meaning in a text, comprehension improves. How can you facilitate this? First, use direct instruction to teach kids the strategies they need. Second, ask them to…
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