Science can be super fun, and I know I love when I discover new and exciting experiments to try with my kids. These sensational science experiments for kids are gathered up from a few of our own Elementary Entourage family and others too, and they are sure to be a hit with your kids as well! Fizzing Beginning Sounds Science Experiment - The Kindergarten Connection We spend a ton of time identifying beginning sounds and learning to read - why not mix it up with a little science experiment fun? Make your sounds fizz with this super cool activity. All About Plants - Kooky Kinders Kooky Kinders always has such fun ideas for Foodie Friday! This science activity is a snack too! View her All About Plants Post, and grab the printable to sort your snack too! Dancing Worms - The Kindergarten Smorgasboard I don't know many kids (if any) who would say no to a science experiment involving gummy worms! States of Matter Fun - Mrs. Thompson's Treasures Sometimes things are just better with a snack! Explore states of matter with a variety of fun activities, including using cheerios to represent solids, liquids, and gases! Multicolored Flower Experiment - The Kindergarten Connection Did you know you can turn flowers multicolored? This fun experiment is always a hit and one to get some "oohs" and "ahhhs" out of kids! Elephant Toothpaste - The Kindergarten Smorgasboard Great for dental health month - or anytime really - this experiment is sure to cause a reaction not just in the bottle, but in your kids too! Planting With Kids - The Kindergarten Connection Do you garden with your kids? Grab some soil and plants (and this free printable too) to get started with a super fun plant unit! Some more exciting science experiments to try with your kids from other fabulous bloggers: Gummy Bears Science - Creative Lesson Cafe Burning Money - Playdough to Plato DIY Rain Clouds - Toby and Roo Dancing Raisins - Gift of Curiosity Magnetic Slime - Growing a Jeweled Rose Happy Teaching!
April is nearly here and we are geared up for some fun spring-filled learning! This month we are keeping it rigorous and FUN! The following April
Have you ever had a class that just tried your patience day after day? Have you ever felt like you could walk away from teaching forever tom...
60+ Must Make Kindergarten Anchor Charts for the classroom. Covers classroom management, literacy and math. Multiple ideas!
A basic crash course in phonics for teachers
Free Life Skills Worksheets For Highschool Students And Free Life Skills Worksheets For Special Needs Students Pdf
An Interactive Way to Teach Kids Their Address as well as their state, country, continent, and planet! A fun introduction to geography for kids!
Learn about our bodies with these human body activities for kids! All of these ideas are hands-on way to explain the body's systems and functions for kids.
>>> DOWNLOAD
Flex your mind muscles with a body science worksheet! Your child will learn the fundamentals of what makes up our muscles.
We all know how much I love self portrait activities. I love how each of my kids draw themselves to reflect their personality. So when I saw...
In this six part series on How to Teach Spelling, this third post discusses and provides teaching resources for teaching the eight conventional spelling rules.
Groovy Cat Week: Fun ideas for teaching prepositions to your preschool or kindergarten students using Pete the Cat story book character.
Last year I set a goal to have Brooklyn be able to get her Good Canine Citizen award. Well if you spend more than two minutes around my dog you will instantly know we didn't reach our goal. She is a catalyst of bad behavior. So this year my goal has been for her to walk in Nashville's Christmas Parade with other Nashville Pitties. I always do a lesson on goal setting, but what good is a goal if you aren't organized enough to ensure the steps are in place to meet it? My goal for Brooklyn was a lofty one, in fact it was too big. So we are reorganizing to reduce the stress of dog and mother. This reorganization made and the stress I put on myself to accomplish made me think about how I could change my lesson on organization. After a lot of brainstorming and about 5 drafts here is my new lesson for 4th Grade on responsibility and organization: Lesson 1: We started with a scavenger hunt. I gave teams either an organized back pack or a messy back pack and a list of items. I started the timer and they were off. Most of the teams with organized back packs finished the scavenger hunt within 2-3 minutes and the teams with messy backpacks anywhere from 4-8 minutes. They really got into this, especially because I hid stinky socks, cereal, stuffed animals, and toys in the messy backpacks. Next we discussed that if you were organized that would save you about 2 minutes per day, just enough time to recheck your work, 14 mintues in a week, enough time to read a chapter or two in your new favorite book, and about 56 minutes a month, enough time to watch an entire episode of their favorite Disney show. We ended with a pre-test of work habits so they could identify what they specifically need to improve on. Lessons 2/3: We talked about responsibility and what it means. We watched the video "I Can Do It! Taking Responsibility" which shows the students different scenarios and allows us time to stop and discuss each one. Next we charted what kinds of responsibilities they had in 4th grade. We then role played different responsibilities (the examples are from AIM Education) and in teams practiced what we would do. For example: A new movie you and your best friend are dying to see has just opened up, and your friends wants the two of you to see it this Saturday. The trouble is, your science project is due on Monday, and you and your project partner agreed you would spend Saturday gathering plants in the park. What should you do? At the end of each skit we talked about the different feelings that come with responsibility: stress, disappointment, frustration, etc. That lead us to the postcard activity. I laid several postcards around the room each with a different picture on it. I asked the students to (in silence) find a card that represented how they feel about starting fourth grade and the new responsibilities they are taking on. When everyone had a card we broke into small groups and shared the card we choose and why. Next I asked everyone to set 3 goals for themselves: 1) Something they could accomplish this week. 2) Something they could accomplish in the next 2 months. (I like to remind them of their work habits pre test here) 3) Something they wanted to accomplish by the end of this school year. We then shared our goals with our small group and then with the entire class. I collected the cards and will give them to our students in two months with a personal check in note written on each. **In the past I have done this icebreaker with my faculty and with 6th grade. They filled out the card like an actual postcard and I mailed it to their homes half way through the year. Lesson 4: We continue our talk of responsibility and stress. First in groups they draw what it feels like to be stressed. Then each group shares and we look for similarities that we all have. Next we watch the Brain Pop on stress and at the end they go back to their drawings and surround themselves with things they can do to help alleviate their stress. To finish our series we take the same work habits post test and see if we have improved! Since I only see this grade once a month this 4 part series starts in Sept and ends at Christmas break. Before I know it the sleigh bells are ringing!
I have a new favorite chart! I found this on pinterest and knew it would be great to use during the first week with my new little first grad...
Hellllooooo, is there anyone alive out there? *If you can tell me what movie that's from, email me the answer and I'll give you any prod...
Learn About the 7 Continents! Exploring the 7 Continents has never been more exciting! It’s a Small World Continent Study is filled with over 35 activities to help your students gain a greater understanding of the seven continents. This 130+ page unit is filled with great resources, posters, printables, activities, and projects that will open […]
If you want to teach your little ones about the concept of opposites you will want to check out these fun opposites worksheets and activities.
Financially savvy kids are future leaders!
Working with kids and young adults who are oppositional can be challenging. Being oppositional might mean refusing to do work, breaking rules, and engaging in other challenging behaviors. The truth is, many kids can be oppositional from time to time, so many of these strategies work with all learner
Do you little {or big} learners have a little trouble distinguishing between needs and wants? That’s why I created this Wants vs Needs Learning Pack! It’s great for any time of year, but especially before Christmas! *This post contains affiliate links. **The free printable link can be found towards the END of this post. Just click ... Read More about Wants vs Needs Learning Pack {FREE}
Learn what plants breathe through with this easy leaf & tree science experiment as kids get hands-on with the process of photosynthesis!
This download provides materials to help support your science instruction of life cycles and/or plants. The set includes: • An 11-page B&W student book with clear illustrations and nonfiction text features such as underlined key words, labels, arrows, and captions • One set of picture cards to help facilitate students' explanation of the life cycle of a plant • A written response activity to check for comprehension and inferential thinking Please see the PREVIEW for a closer look at sample pages from this set. If you like this book, you may also enjoy: Life Cycles: The Butterfly Life Cycles: The Ant Life Cycles: The Bee Thank you for your interest in this item. Happy teaching! :) Come CONNECT with Me! Blog: Andrea Knight - Teacher Author Pinterest: Andrea Knight on Pinterest Facebook: Andrea Knight - Teacher Author on Facebook Instagram: Andrea Knight - Teacher Author on Instagram
Many students struggle with executive function skills – things like prioritizing, focusing, organizing, completing tasks, or understanding cause and effect. These sequencing activities provide an opportunity for students to improve their executive functioning or life skills and are great for kids with ADHD, Autism, or Cognitive Impairments. Simply mix up the steps for each situation ...
Videos, hands-on experiments, printables, and more.
The Anatomy of a Kindergartner Infographic: Kindergartners are the natural meaning seekers of any school building.
Prompting Hierarchy- How I got duped! What you need to know about the prompting hierarchy. Snag the infographic and info perfect for working with your staff!
Hi friends! Are you off this week? I am and I am SO excited to have a few days to spend with family. I get to hang out with this […]
Are you studying life cycles? Here is how we study life cycles in our classroom. We use on-level text, QR codes for additional research and much more.
Infographic by Global Digital Citizen
Hello, everybody! And happy summer! In this post, I am going to show you how to teach some basic critical thinking skills to young ch...
Navigating worries is a life skill. As someone who struggles with anxiety, I am especially aware that I always want my children to feel validated when they are worrying. I long for them to know that they are not alone with their worries. I also want to give them as many tools as I can to he
If you are looking for ideas to make your meeting more fun while teaching your girls how to respect authority you have come to the right place. Using some of these activities below to help your girls understand who is authority and learn how to respect them by listening to their parents, teachers, police, and leader who are there to help them follow directions and rules that are made to keep them safe. I recommend the following activities that will reinforce respecting authority: Practice with activities Be creative with a craft Get moving with a game Put into action with a service project or real life experience. Optionally: If I have a song that related, sing that as well. Below are a few ideas to get you started. Respect Authority Activity Booklet Do you want to skip all the planning? If so, use the Respect Authority Activity booklet and take your girls on a garden adventure helping a family of fairies on a mission to teach the world how to live by very important values. Using the leader booklet and the girl’s activity booklet your girls will complete lots of activities to help their fairy friends plant flowers, water gardens, and learn how to put important values to live by into action. With step-by-step activities planned for you all you have to do is gather the supplies listed, you can’t ask for a easier way to run your meeting. Learn more about the activities included and get yours today! Other Fun Activities to Try for Respect Authority Respecting Authority Figures Using some of the scenario’s below have your girls act out different scenes. These scenarios are ways to have girls give their opinion on how they would handle a situation. Scenario ideas: A police officer talking to a student about being out past curfew A principal talks to a student about having a cell phone in school A teacher talks to a student about talking while she is talking A parent talks to daughter about helping clean the house A GS Leader talks to girl about being a sister to every girl Further Authority DiscussionI think its important to talk further about how parents are authority figures. Just like you need to respect authority in public it is important to respect our moms and dads at home. Explain to your girls the importance of family time with your girls and that when spending time with family to respect their parents authority. Pipe Cleaner Glasses Prep: Get pipe cleaners for each girl two 6-inch pipe cleaners and one 12-inch pipe cleaner. What to Make: Make pipe cleaner glasses by twisting the ends of the long pipe cleaner together to create a circle. Twist the circle in the middle to create 2 connected circles for lenses. Attach a 6-inch pipe cleaner to each side and bend at the ends to fit around the the girls ears. Ask the girls if they have heard glasses called spectacles and tell them these are their “respectacles.” Have them put their glasses on and give them a short children’s book about respecting or disrespecting authority to read. Ask the girls to determine if the behavior was proper or if not what should have been done differently. You can get your books from the library or here are a few ideas you can get from amazon. The Berenstain Bears Show Some Respect I Am a Booger… Treat Me With Respect! Respect and Take Care of Things Few Pinterest Finds you will love too… Here is a great idea to get your girls thinking about Respecting authority in different areas of their life. Brainstorm with girls the answers to each category. The best way to teach the girls to respect authority (and everyone else) is to demonstrate respect yourself. I found a great resource that has some ideas for games, crafts and how to demonstrate respect. check it out….Click here Song to Sing with Girls You can get the following song audio by going here: Listen to Those in Authority Listen To Those in Authority Listen to those in authority, always behave. Honesty, sincerity, are traits that you should gain.Caring, sharing, helping out, raise your hand and wait,Till you’re called on for your turn. Study hard, give your best,And you will pass the test! (Chorus)Listen to those in authority, teachers, principals.Listen to those in authority and do just what you should.No words of hate, no lies, be kind and everyday try hard to get along.Respect yourself and others. Choose right over wrong.Respect yourself and others. Choose right over wrong. No words of hate, no lies, be kind and everyday try hard to get along.Respect yourself and others. Choose right over wrong.Respect yourself and others. Choose right over wrong. Listen to those in authority, your heart knows what’s right.Bullying is always wrong, and it’s not good to fight.Appreciate every race, everyone’s unique. Work together as a team.That’s what we need in our school. Be good, obey the rules. (Chorus) What Do You Stand For? Character Building Card Game If you have read some of the other blog post for petal ideas I share this over and over, because its so great. I found this on amazon a while back and let me tell you its a great way to get your girls talking, it has amazing scenarios to work through, there are many cards that will fit into the other petals as well, so make sure to pick out the ones you want for the specific petal you are working on. Get yours here: What Do You Stand For? Character Building Card Game What do we do after your girls complete the activities? Well of course give them the badge to display proudly on their vest, they earned it! Additionally If you are like many leaders we want to award our girls when they complete something even beyond just the patch. One great way to show achievement is with a certificate. Don’t worry you don’t have to make them, I found a resource that has done all the work for you and all you have to do is print them and customize the certificates with each girl’s name, badge or award earned, date, and troop leader. Editable certificates perfect for awarding girls after earning a badge. Garden Fairy Fun Patches You are going to love these cute adorable fun patches to put on the back of your girl’s vest. I partnered with a amazing company Advantage Emblems and they are producing and shipping the patches. You can buy them individually or as a complete set. The Fairy Fun Patch Complete Set Honest and fair Friendly and helpful Considerate and caring Courageous and strong Responsible for what I say and do Respect myself and others Respect authority Use resources wisely Make the world a better place Be a sister to every girl Teach your girls about integrity and values This book was wrote by my sister – Who was a Girl Scout as a girl and a Leader for many years before starting a family of her own. This beautifully illustrated book empowers kids to be nice and kind human beings. ‘The Adventures To Me ’ is an endearing story of a little elephant on a journey to becoming the best version of “me”. Equipped with nothing other than a colorful scooter, a backpack, and a map, the little elephant starts their “Adventures to Me”. Along the way, meets new friends of all different backgrounds as encounters challenges, has to make choices, and learns lessons along the way. The road to discovering the best version of “me” is paved with lessons about confidence, truthfulness, resilience and strength, respect, kindness, responsibility, accepting differences, using what you have, dreaming big, setting goals, and looking ahead towards the future with a positive mindset. For the little elephant, the journey of life is full of a wealth of possibilities –– ready to embark on a beautiful journey alongside our elephant friend? Learn about the choices we all make to be good people and explore the great “Adventures To Me”! View on Amazon Enjoy every minute being a leader and continue to inspire your girls! Purchase this wonderful illustrated book from Amazon.
Yes, ANOTHER free printable this week. I know, if I could pinch you from here I would; free stuff is so dreamy! This is a quick matching manners worksheet I made tonight as a supplement to a Manner…
Resources, tips, and materials to help you, help children with autism
