HANDS-ON TEACHING ACTIVITIES

Are you ready to teach first graders about Virginians who were barrier breakers like John Mercer Langston, Barbara Johns, Arthur Ashe, Maggie L. Walker, L. Douglas Wilder, and Booker T. Washington? These African Americans broke barriers in Virginia, paving the way for future generations.

Teaching resources for Thanksgiving. Teach elementary students about the history of Thanksgiving and how it is celebrated in America.

Teaching resources for Election Day. Teach elementary students about the history of Election Day and practice voting.

Teach your elementary students about what Veterans Day is and how to celebrate it.

When it's time to introduce polygons to elementary students, make things as concrete as possible! Use real-world connections, hands-on manipulatives, and repetition to help students master the polygon vocabulary.

Holidays are a great opportunity to capitalize on students' natural enthusiasm. If you can tie curriculum into a holiday like Halloween,...

I can't overstate the importance of young elementary students internalizing the ways to make ten. We have a base 10 math system, so understanding the ways to make ten can be extended to making 100, 1,000, etc. Today we are focusing on fun ways to help kids internalize the ways to make ten. Keep reading to learn more!

It's tough being in the classroom all day! Here are my favorite brain break activities to give your elementary students (and you!) a break.

The ability to estimate is an important component of having strong number sense. "Number sense" is a person's ability to understand how numbers and quantities relate to each other. This can have practical benefits but also huge benefits when solving math problems. A student with strong number sense can determine if an answer is reasonable or not. They can also think flexibly with numbers, which makes computation much easier. Keep reading to see the best estimation games!

In Virginia, third graders learn about important landforms, or "geographic features" from Africa, Asia, Europe, South America, North America, Antarctica, and Australia. This social studies unit includes a lot of information and can be overwhelming. Don't worry, I'm here to help! 1. Introduce Geographic Features with Photos and Maps I created a 88-slide PowerPoint that goes through every geographic feature included in the VA SOLs . They are grouped by continent, so you can use

In order for students to identify character traits from a story, they need to have the vocabulary to do so! It's crucial to provide...

Learn how to optimize Jeopardy-style review games so test prep is engaging for elementary learners!

Looking for a hands-on, kid-friendly activity to teach specialization? This is what you need for your Economics unit!

Looking for a fun end-of-unit project for your Economics unit? Look no further! My third graders loved designing their own food truck and me

When I taught first grade, it was difficult finding maps simple enough for my first graders. I wanted maps that didn't have twenty symbols, and where the symbols weren't tiny. It was hard! So I created some of my own, along with resources specifically for teaching first graders about Virginia state geography. Keep reading to learn more! 1. Read Simple Maps First, I recommend "reading" simple maps together as a class. You can practice with this free online map and use these q

Testing season can be stressful, and it's also at the end of the school year when students are tired and itching for summer vacation. How can you get them motivated to take a state test? Check out my tips below!

Five book recommendations to read aloud this fall to your elementary students or children

Virginia SOL Test Prep resources to prepare your students for test day

This President's Day help your elementary students compare and contrast two presidents or famous Americans!

Teach mixed numbers and improper fractions to your elementary students