Let me begin with letting you all know that I love The Very Hungry Caterpillar and this article isn’t here to bash it. Instead, I’m just looking to share my thoughts on why I don’t think it’s one of the best books to use to teach butterfly life cycles. Also, if you’ve used The Very […]
Science
Amphibians Vs Reptiles: How to Teach the Difference in Your Elementary ClassroomAmphibians vs reptiles may be one of the hottest topics you cover this school year. Not only are these animals inherently interesting to children (and many adults!), they are also confusing to keep separate. Are reptiles and amphibians the same? What are the characteristics of amphibians? What is the difference between amphibians and reptiles? These […]
Picture Books
Science
Pollination for Plants: How to Use “Flowers Are Calling” for Effective TeachingPollination for plants can seem like a challenging concept to teach in elementary school, but it can be a blast if you embrace it! With the help of Rita Gray’s Flowers Are Calling and experiential learning, your students will be pollination pros in no time. This article is here to guide you through background information […]
Science
Seed Dispersal Types: 6 Innovative Ways Seeds Travel to New PlacesFor Teachers What are seed dispersal types? What is seed dispersal by explosion? What is animal seed dispersal and how does it benefit plants? These questions are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the interesting techniques that plants use for seed dispersal. Teaching seed dispersal in your elementary classroom can be […]
Science
Outdoor Education
Teaching the Weather of Summer: A Helpful Guide for Elementary TeachersTeaching the weather of summer is a great way to end your school year and weather studies in kindergarten and 3rd grade. Your students are already feeling the warmer temperatures, hearing the birds call, and getting antsy, so why not harness the excitement and get outside?! Summer is unique in each region and will have […]
Science
What Butterfly Looks Like a Monarch and 4 Other Butterfly Survival StrategiesFor Teachers What butterfly looks like a monarch? Which butterfly looks like eyes? Wait, there’s a butterfly that looks like a leaf? These questions are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to all the amazing things that butterflies can do to survive. Teaching about butterflies in your elementary classroom can be a […]
Science
Outdoor Education
How Vernal Pools Can Be Used to Reach Your Curricular GoalsTrudging through the woods with a trail of kindergarteners behind me, we spot our destination right away. Vernal pools sitting there, waiting for us to explore. We all stand around the edge and stare at these innocent puddles wondering what we may find. I give directions about how to use scientific tools to sample the […]
Science
A List of Earth Day Activities Elementary Students Will Love This YearEarth Day is a wonderful opportunity to get your students involved with some awesome stewardship or community service projects. But sometimes brainstorming and planning these sorts of activities is challenging. You’re here to read about Earth Day activities elementary students will love and hopefully you’ll get what you came for! This article will cover some […]
Science
Outdoor Education
A Helpful Guide to Answering the Question, “What is the Spring Season?”What is the spring season and what can it do for you in your classroom? Teaching the spring season is a great way to extend the weather studies your kindergarteners or 3rd graders started at the beginning of the school year. Spring is unique in each region and will have its own set of weather […]
Science
The Great Backyard Bird Count: How to Take Part for Elementary TeachersHave you ever looked at your assigned standards and thought, “what on Earth am I going to do to achieve this goal with my elementary students?” If we’re being honest, that’s how I feel about some of the social studies standards… Even with a science degree, I took a look at the Next Generation Science […]
