Teaching about the Solar System

If you are teaching about the solar system, fill you classroom with the new solar system space words that your students will be learning about.  The chart above shows half of the cards. The complete set has 19 cards with the names of the eight planets and other common celestial bodies.  See it here.

Above are links to my kids' favourite videos on youtube. I highly recommend these videos.

Click here to see more of these solar system flash cards.

I like to create mobiles of the solar system, but this is a miniature version in a ball. It's here on Amazon. I like it because it has the planets suspended for you to see them from any angle and the pieces cannot get lost. Everything is fixed in place. I wish is was bigger like the size of a basketball but still, it's a good idea.

Free Transportation Flashcards

To celebrate teachers this week, enjoy these free transportation flashcards. They show the names of  vehicles for land, sea, and air. The modes of transport in this set are balloon, bicycle, bus, car, helicopter, minivan, motorbike, plane, rocket, scooter, sailboat,  ship, truck, and train. Each card has a matching picture on it and there are 14 cards in this set. Download it here from my TpT collection.

You may also be interested in these transportation books from Amazon.

   

 

   

   

Thank you Cards for Teachers Appreciation Week or End of School Year!

This is a complete D.I.Y craft that makes a wonderful gift for a teacher. These cards can be used for Teacher Appreciation Week or to say ‘Thank you’ at the end of the school year. It comes in pink and yellow for the female teachers and blue and purple for male teachers.

Each card says 'Thank you for...' (written above the pocket)

Each card has a special pocket on the inside that has sweet little messages on smaller cards just for the lucky teacher. These little cards come in a variety of colors and shapes to match their message. These massages are all of the things that you are thankful for. 

Here are some examples below:

Thank you for 'sparking my ideas' - written on a bulb

Thank you for 'teaching me to reach for the stars' - written on a star

Thank you for 'steering me in the right direction' - written on a steering wheel

Thank you for 'sparking my ideas' - written on a bulb

You can see each one much clearer in the pictures below.

    

I can suggest these on the left for the female teachers and these on the right for the males but you can mix and match them!

All of the messages are expressions of thanks for all of the many different things that teachers do!

It is available at my TpT store as an 18-page digital download complete a tutorial and all of the cards and shapes you'll need to make one.

BONUS!

Here's a really cool thing I discovered, all of the card inserts can make a really spectacular Teacher Appreciation Week gift idea that is so easy to make (even easier than the card!). All you'll need are thin craft ticks or skewers, clear tape, a marker, a disposable cup or small plastic flower pot, small erasers or paper clips and my card inserts. First, think of the inserts as little signs or posters, then tape them onto the craft sticks. Arrange them into the disposable cup which has already been filled with erasers or pepr clips (these will hold the craft sticks in place). Use a marker to write 'Thank you for...' on the cup.

 These are pictures of what I used... 

    

...to make this!

Happy Teachers Appreciation Week!

Getting Ready for the last day of School with Picture Books!

School is almost out for the Summer and I know we all just can't wait to enjoy the break. Especially the students! However, it is important for them to look back on the experiences of the past year and savor the last few days of being in their current class. In addition to journal writing about the end of the school year and other end of year activities, it is a very good idea to include reading about it from another child's point of view.

For Kindergarten:

My first suggestion is this Nancy Loewen book, The Last Day of Kindergarten. I'm a fan of hers and I LOVE her silly fairy tale spins. 

Other Kindergarten books:

 

First Grade:

 

Different Grades:

 

 

 In the books above, the main character is a child who will be making the most of the last day of school.

This one below is about getting ready for the Summer!

 

Cylinder Lesson Plan

This no-prep cylinder lesson plan will save you time, just print it and that's it. It's a 5E lesson plan with structured activities for the discovery of attributes that make a cylinder. It follows the 5E lesson plan template with structured activities and has a worksheet at the end. There are questions in it for you to ask your students as they are guided through the activities in small groups. These questions will encourage critical thinking and help your students connect the concept of cylinders to the real world. I used a transportation theme for the real world connection aspect and used cylinders found in the home for the summative assessment. The worksheet comes with an answer key for you. This one for introducing cylinders is available here at TpT. 

Sphere Lesson Plan

If you are teaching about spheres for the first time, this lesson plan would be right for you. This no-prep sphere lesson plan will save you valuable time. It's a 5E lesson plan with structured activities for the discovery of attributes that make a sphere.  There are model questions in it for you to ask your students as they do the activities in small groups. These questions will encourage critical thinking and help your students connect the concept of spheres to the real world. I used a sport theme in this lesson for the real world connections since so many spheres are used in sports. The worksheet is very kid friendly and it comes with an answer key for you. This lesson plan about spheres is available here at TpT.