source: tinyurl.com/shadowillustrations Artist Vincent Bal turns the shadows of everyday objects into ingenious illustrations, Consider adding this resource to your light unit or challenging your students who enjoy drawing to create a few shadow illustrations of their own to share with classmates. This could be an activity for pairs or teams of students. You just need a few common objects and a flashlight! This suggestion came from Ian Byrd. He sends me an email every Friday with resources for gifted students. Most activities would work with the amazing variety of students we have in our classrooms. You might check out Byrdseed: …
Are you planning to introduce or review geometric shapes this year?
You’ll want to take a look at a new FREEBIE worksheet I added to my TPT Simply Math Store.
UPDATE: These fun resources now require a membership. You’ll be asked to pay £17.50 for a full year of access. Need a few puzzles, mazes, or drawing activities with a winter or Christmas theme? I found a few just for you! Pick the ones that best fit your students interests and abilities from Activity Village in the UK. If you’re interested in puzzles specifically about winter, I’ve included those as links after each type of puzzle – I hope this saves you time looking for just what you need! Stepping Stone Puzzles Counting Puzzles – stars Find the differences – snowmen Grid Copy Puzzles – snowflake …
Need a few simple activities you can use if a lesson ends sooner than expected or when students have been really focused in class and have earned a fun reward? I’ve posted two products that use simple materials in my Teacher Pay Teacher stores: Simply Science and Simply Math. Use flat toothpicks and water to create Toothpick Stars. Several videos let you see the activity before you present it to students.  Arrange and then rearrange toothpicks to solve Toothpick Puzzles. Use small or full page images or a PowerPointâ„¢ presentation to display the thirty-two different puzzles. Arrange and then rearrange flat …
Use an optical illusion to extend your light or five senses unit. Print in color or have students color the images. Tape the paper to a pencil or straw, staple, and spin! Step-by-step directions and a short video make it easy to create a spinning illusion your students will love. Kids may want to draw their own illusions to share with classmates and family members. Does it matter if you spin slowly or quickly? What if you use dark colors, bright colors, or pale colors? Will you see the illusion better if you are close, holding it at arm’s length, or far …
Need last minute puzzles for Halloween? I found a few just for you! Pick the ones that best fit your students interests and abilities at Activity Village in the UK. Stepping Stone Puzzles Complete the Picture Puzzles Cryptograms Dot to Dots Grid Copy Puzzles Mazes Sudoku Puzzles Word Scrambles Word Search Puzzles and More… Click on a type of puzzle, find the one you like and click on the link above that example. The puzzle opens and can be printed or downloaded for printing later!
You’re coming to the end of the second month of your school year, maybe your first year as a teacher. You’ve gone through many of your strategies to help support a student who might struggle with behavior, academics, or social interactions. You can talk to the student, get advice from colleagues, former teachers of the student, or their family members. What if you need more options, more strategies to support your student? Consider visiting All Kinds of Minds. They have a library that “provides insights into the learning challenges that students face”, including: Thinking with Numbers Mastering the Challenges of Reading …
  Why doesn’t “a piece of cake” simply mean a yummy dessert? Why does it also mean a task that’s very easy? What about “let them eat cake“, “slice of the pie“, or “icing on the cake“? “Half-hearted” means lack effort or enthusiasm. “Big deal” means something important or consequential. “Wake up” means, well, stop sleeping! All these idioms mean something very different than their literal interpretation. Idioms can be a challenge for English language learners because they’re not literal. They can be puzzles to solve for all students in your classroom. I just posted seven new products that are …
You’re really, REALLY sick! You arranged to get a substitute teacher who needs information so your students can have a successful day and you can take care of yourself and feel better. Instead of laying in bed at home feeling sick AND guilty because you’re not sure how the day is going for your students, feel a bit better because you’ve left a sub binder for the teacher who is taking care of your students while you take care of yourself. Create your sub binder with enough information for a successful day. Try to avoid too many words that would require a lot of reading …
Is there a large event you’re responsible for planning? A math night? A science night? A reading night? These events are great at creating memories that last for a lifetime. Does it seem to take a lifetime of planning to coordinate activities, gather materials, prep volunteers, hold the event, and then clean it all up? I have some advice for you to consider. Recruit colleagues, capable students, and parents to help with the event. That might be obvious but my suggestion is give each person just one task to do – this can avoid anyone feeling expected to “do it all” or wondering …
