Teaching Tips

English Language Arts, Genre Studies

Teaching humorous fiction? Launch your genre study with short, age-appropriate reading passages. Analyze and discuss characters, settings, dialogue, language, and plot. Then ask kids to write their own funny parodies.…

Looking for some simple inference practice activities? You've come to the right place!

Simple Inference Practice Activities – Read Like a Detective!

March 17, 2024

Genre Studies, Mystery

Inference practice activities like these will have your students reading like detectives in no time! Begin with guided practice. When you point out key terms, kids become more observant. Throughout…

How to Stage an Easy Classroom Crime Scene Investigation

March 10, 2024

English Language Arts, Genre Studies, Mystery

Looking for an easy classroom crime scene investigation? This ready-to-use simulation includes the scenario, photos, suspects and their statements, and directions. All you need to do is set up the…

How to Teach Design Solutions for Weather-Related Hazards

March 3, 2024

Earth Science, Science, Weather

Teaching design solutions for weather-related hazards? First, get your third grade students up to speed on needs, criteria, and constraints. Second, present some photos with problem-solution text. Third, kids will…

Teaching Weather Conditions with Data and Graphs

February 25, 2024

Earth Science, Science, Weather

Teaching weather conditions? Surprisingly, kids as young as third grade can organize data in tables and graphs. That way, they can describe patterns expected in particular seasons. (more…)

How to Teach Environment Changes with Invasive Species

February 18, 2024

Environment changes are sometimes caused by invasive species. In this project, kids take the role of ecosystem engineers. They read about problems and solutions involving three threatening organisms, analyze, and…

How to Teach Inherited Traits and Acquired Traits

February 11, 2024

Looking for ways to teach inherited traits and acquired traits? Let kids analyze pictures of plant and animal parents and siblings. (more…)

How Animals Form Groups to Help Members Survive

February 4, 2024

Teaching how animals form groups to help members survive? Use reading passages to learn about groups. Then compare. (more…)

How to Teach Life Cycles of Plants and Animals

January 28, 2024

Wondering how to teach life cycles of plants and animals? Begin with the question, “Which came first, the chicken or the egg?” Then ask kids to create timelines of different…

How to Teach Magnets Science and Engineering Design

January 21, 2024

Force & Motion, Physical Science, Science

Teach magnets science and engineering design with hands-on activities. Start with labs or stations that teach kids basic concepts. Then offer a series of STEM challenges. They’ll love it! (more…)

Patterns of Movement – How Observations Predict Future Motion

January 14, 2024

Force & Motion, Physical Science, Science

How can you teach kids about patterns of movement? Using everyday items, they can make observations and predict predict future motion. Read on for ideas that illustrate objects moving in…

How to Teach Balanced and Unbalanced Forces Experiments

January 7, 2024

Force & Motion, Physical Science, Science