Teaching Ideas

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Maximize teaching with these clever strategies from master teachers. Then, when you get up in front of your students, you’ll be teaching more than just your current lesson. First, make…

Encourage Autonomy in the Classroom | Student-Centered Learning

May 2, 2021

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How can you promote autonomy in your classroom? First, put kids in the driver’s seat. Establish student-centered learning. Instead of the “sage on the stage,” be the “guide on the…

Improve Your Teaching Mindset | Lift, Don’t Push Kids to Greatness

April 25, 2021

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To improve your teaching, lift, don’t push. Mediocre teachers push their students through the curriculum. You know – coverage. But great teachers do something different. They scaffold instruction so every…

Teaching Slow Changes to Earth’s Surface | Geology Activities for Kids

April 18, 2021

deposition activities, erosion activities, geology for kids, slow changes to Earth's surface, weathering activities

Engage, Plan, Science

Teach slow changes to Earth’s surface – weathering, erosion, and deposition – with hands-on science experiments. With just a few simple materials, your students will experience these changes firsthand. (more…)

How to Build an Erosion Table (AKA Stream Table)

April 11, 2021

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Engage, Learn, Science

Need an erosion table for your classroom? Try building this D.I.Y. version. All you need is a package of paint tray liners and an egg carton. (more…)

Teaching Fairy Tales Activities for Kids | An ELA Unit

April 4, 2021

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Fairy tales provide the perfect theme for a complete ELA unit. Sure, you can read and compare them. But you can also pull in informational text, figurative language, poetry, and…

Mythology Lesson Plans – ELA Activities for Middle School Kids

March 28, 2021

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Looking for a complete set of mythology lesson plans? Try this free set to round out your current unit. As kids read The Lightning Thief, they learn about characters, point of…

Teaching The Lightning Thief – Percy Jackson and the Olympians

March 21, 2021

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The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan motivates kids to read. What’s more? You can teach mythology, summarizing, inferences, and vocabulary. Check it out! (more…)

Teaching Mythology Writing Activities – Argumentative Essays for Kids

March 14, 2021

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What are some fun mythology writing activities? Surprisingly, argumentative texts fit perfectly. Just ask kids to argue which god should be invited to dinner. Or persuade others to vote for…

Teaching Mythology Characters: Gods, Goddesses, Heroes & Creatures

March 7, 2021

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Characters from Greek mythology are so much fun to teach. After all, kids love the larger-than-life personalities. Try this easy project. First, assign one god, goddess, hero, or creature to…

Teaching Figurative Language – Similes, Metaphors, Onomatopoeia

February 28, 2021

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Engage, English Language Arts, Learn, Plan

How do you teach figurative language? It’s easy! First, use clear definitions and examples. Second, add a little practice. Soon your students will be ready to apply what they know.…

Biography Lesson Plans for Upper Elementary Genre Study

February 21, 2021

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