August 14th was National Navajo Code Talkers day! Celebrate the Navajo Code Talkers in your classroom this month or prepare lessons ahead of Native American Heritage Month in November. The Navajo Code Talkers are an interesting and engaging topic for students of all ages. Books and primary sources are a great way to hook students … read more »
This year marks the 68th anniversary of the landmark Supreme Court case Brown vs. Board of Education, in which the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the separate but equal doctrine in American public schools. It is important to remember that many actions predicated this ruling, starting with the first school desegregation suit in 1848. Teaching Brown … read more »
In Part 1 of this blog, we introduced you to GoNoodle and discussed the application of both the SAMR Model and the Triple E Framework in using GoNoodle in your instruction. Today’s post offers detailed instructions for using this tool and shares classroom use ideas. GoNoodle: GoNoodle does not require teachers to register, but signing up for a … read more »
March is Women’s History Month! The 2022 theme is “Women Providing Healing, Promoting Hope.” Women’s History Month is a time to celebrate women and their role in history and the world. Quality resources for teaching Women’s History Month are plentiful! Reading a book is a great way to learn more about women’s history! There are … read more »
Each November, Americans celebrate Native American Heritage Month. It is a time to celebrate the culture and heritage along with the contributions of Native people. In addition, it is an opportunity to raise awareness of the real stories of Native Americans, not caricatures and stereotypes. A quick search of the TeachersFirst blog page finds many … read more »
One method for engaging reluctant readers is to provide books and activities that connect to their interests and passions. Making this connection is especially helpful when introducing nonfiction reading materials to students. Matching the appropriate books and articles to individual students takes time but provides long-term rewards, such as increased interest in reading. Many students … read more »
Presidential inaugurations are one of the United States of America’s oldest traditions. They are a founding ceremony of our democracy. Studying inaugurations through a primary source lens is an engaging and at times fascinating classroom activity. General resources for inaugural primary sources abound. The Library of Congress contains a wealth of resources on every presidential … read more »
“To send a letter is a good way to go somewhere without moving anything but your heart.”Phyllis Theroux When is the last time you wrote a letter using paper and pencil? For many of us, it has been quite a long time. The art of letter writing is under assault from easy access to email … read more »
December 15 is Bill of Rights Day! Students should be aware of what the Bill of Rights is and how it applies to their lives. What better way to make that happen than to celebrate this day in your classroom?! There are many resources available to teachers to celebrate this day. The Bill of Rights … read more »
Celebrate the foundations of the United States during the lead-up to the election this fall! International Day of Democracy is celebrated on September 15th, United States Constitution Day and Citizenship Day are both held on September 17th, and our National Election Day is November 3rd. International Day of Democracy was started to give the world … read more »