A popular homeschooling method is Thomas Jefferson Education (TJEd), which emphasizes mentoring and teaching children how rather than what to think and learn.

One of my new Common Core ELA Units is called "Figure it Out." It is about notable people who overcame challenges to become successful in life. We read about Helen Keller, Leonardo da Vinci, George Washington Carver and Thomas Edison. We created lap-books using an Invention Brochure that I bought on TPT from This Little Piggy Reads. The printables fit nicely on the file folder. Here are some samples of my student's work. I made a sample but allowed my students to use their own creativity. It also fits in with our electricity unit. Click for Link

Alma Thomas examines the evolution of an artist who created a highly personal style that expanded upon traditional Abstract Expressionist and Washington Color School practices through experimentations with abstraction, color, line and pattern. Thomas, who focused on her artistic career after retiring as a school teacher at the age of 69, chartered her own course as an African-American woman within Washington D.C.’s largely white and male mid-20th century artistic community.

Thomas Jefferson was an early American hero who was very passionate about education. He worked to provide an education for all children and was a key player in making education free for all; in fact, Thomas Jefferson founded the University of Virginia. This University was heavily revolved around its library because Thomas Jefferson was a lover of classic books.

This is a project that I just can't quit. I've been doing it for several years now and the work just keeps getting better every year. Sometimes I wonder if readers get bored with seeing some of the same projects each year. Looking at these totems, who could get bored? One of the things I like best about this lesson is that it's hard. It's really hard for some kids. Good. The most difficult aspect of the lesson is drawing an animal in such a way that it looks like it has been carved into a totem pole. Negative space is essentially nonexistent. I tell my students that they need to use about 98% of their paper. It really forces students to entirely re-think the way they have drawn animals for their entire lives. It makes them learn! I've been dealing with combined classes with 4th grade this year and I was initially concerned that it would negatively impact the quality of student work. For this project, it absolutely didn't. Students have produced more high level work this year than any previous year. The stress of teaching 34 kids at once has apparently paid off. Enjoy the work! Download my lesson plan! Wow.

The Exeter ICE Trust recently transformed St Thomas Baptist Church for the ‘Narnia Experience’. Exeter ICE is a schools work charity providing Christian education programs in the local area. The Narnia experience takes children on an immersive interactive journey through the story of The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, interacting with the characters, and learning about the inspiration behind CS Lewis’s writings. After arriving in the main room set up as Coombe Halt station,...

4th graders just finished a lesson about totem poles. Students learned about the significance of totem poles and that they were (and still are) made by native tribes who lived in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The big word for this project was stylize. We learned that some artists stylize their work by changing shapes, colors, etc. in order to give their work their own personal touch. Each student created one stylized animal in the style of a real totem pole. (There are some great resources on totem pole parts online here. Unfortunately, I didn't find this until we were almost done with the project!) In the past, I had kids paint the finished product, but I decided to try collage this year after seeing an example from another blog last year. I really like how clean the collage is. More importantly, the students were more successful using collage. My lesson plan can be found here. My keynote for this lesson is here. A PDF version of my keynote can be downloaded here. Feel free to use or modify for your own room!

Thomas the Tank Engine is a sweet train character for young children to learn about the world and friendship. He first appeared in a book series in 1946 and eventually made it to our television screen. With great personalities such as Ringo Starr, George Carlin, and Alec Baldwin, parents could enjoy the series as well. […]

Add diversity to your art curriculum and learn about a famous Black American female artist with these Alma Woodsey Thomas art lessons for children.

I've seen a few variations of using the famous game Battleship in math class. Who among us hasn't used it (or at least the concept) when re...

This blogging community is full of super cool people with amazing ideas and lesson plans. Often times, I'll find an idea that is interesting and change it or add to it to suit my student population. It is beyond rare that I find a lesson that I duplicate outright. I've done just that with this project. I take absolutely no credit for this lesson. All the props go to Mrs. Knight at Mrs. Knight's Smartest Artists. This post popped up in my Pinterest feed and I immediately repined it to use this year. The project is all about the secret underground lives of ants. What goes on in their maze of subterranean tunnels? What if ants were more like us? My students immediately latched on to this project. We initially got all up in the science and talked about ant body parts and habitats. Next, we discussed personification in the illustrations of Beatrix Potter and others. Next, we got to the art. My students and I had a blast brainstorming about all of the incredible things that could be happening underground. In the end, my second graders produced some highly creative artwork that we were all proud of. Download my version of the lesson plan!

Let me start out by saying this has been one of the most successful and visually stunning projects that I've ever done with my students. It ...

If we say we believe the Bible, there are certain truths we must believe. Children need to know what the Bible teaches us to believe. This activity would Bible Crafts for Children's Ministry "I Believe Wall" Faith Building Activity for Children

Great Puppet for students to use in role playing Thomas Jefferson. Thanks for looking!!! Please follow me on TPT!!!

We have some treats for the Thomas the Tank Engine and train fans in our readership today; we are bringing to you three Thomas the Tank Engine activity sheets for you all to enjoy. Perfect

It seems like most kids go through a phase when they are interested in maps and globes and where things are in the world (though my daughter hilariously protests every time I pull out an atlas; no …

Add diversity to your art curriculum and learn about a famous Black American female artist with these Alma Woodsey Thomas art lessons for children.

We used this as an ice-breaker activity with the larger group. We put an “I Believe It!” sign on one side of the room and an “I Doubt it!” sign on the other. The leader rea…

Thomas Tank Engine Train Free Colouring Pictures to Print-and-Colour. Early childhood education programs benefit from using colouring pictures to print-and-colour.

Edison was one of the most productive inventors, inventing the telephone, the light bulb, and of course, the motion picture.

Fun art appreciation activities for kids in the Styles of the Great Masters. Andy Warhol, Picasso, Van Gogh, Michelangelo, Matisse, Frida Kahlo