Novemberlearning activities gives relevance to historical dates.
For kids in school, knowing historical dates helps them relate to history and builds their general knowledge. Knowing these dates can help parents and teachers engage students in valuable learning activities. Check out November learning activities.
November 2020
3Election Day (US) – Do a voting activity
9The first giant panda was collected alive in China in 1927. – Look at the giant pandas through the live cam at the National Zoo in Washington, DC.
11Veterans Day (US) – Write a letter to a veteran to thank them for their service.
12Elizabeth Cady Stanton born (woman’s rights advocate)1815 – Read a story about Stanton and talk about women voting
13World Kindness Day – Write about an act of kindness or do an act of kindness.
15America Recycles Day – Create an art piece out of recycled materials
18Four standard time zones for the continental USA were introduced, 1883. -Research what they are and find them on a US map.
20Universal Children’s Day – Draw a picture of what you think you will be doing in 2040
26Thanksgiving (US) (4th Thursday in November) – Make some Thanksgiving placemats
Learning occurs in day to day activities. So, look for and create learning opportunities throughout your day. Stay safe and be well.
Isn’t education All about reaching the kids in the classroom and at home?
Trivia questions can be fun for kids and adults. Monthly, we’ve looked at questions in many categories: General Knowledge, movies and World History & Geography and US History. Last month we started identifying US State Flags. This month is US State Flags: Part II. Next month is US FLAG capitals!
Learning occurs in day to day activities. So, look for and create learning opportunities throughout your day. Stay safe and be well.
Answers
Texas
New York
Kansas
South Dakota
Florida
North Dakota
Nebraska
Wisconsin
North Carolina
Oregon
Illinois
New Hampshire
Maine
Utah
Colorado
Nevada
West Virginia
Virginia
Oklahoma
Maryland
Mississippi
Vermont
Idaho
Iowa
Arkansas
Isn’t education All about reaching the kids in the classroom and at home?
SQ3R strategy that is highly effective in the classroom and for homework
Recently, when coaching a student teacher, I shared the SQ3R strategy that is highly effective in the classroom and for homework. The letters stand for a proven five-step process that makes study time more efficient and effective- Survey, Question, Read, Restate and Review. Here is how this method works:
What is SQ3R?
Survey – Look over the material to see what it is about. Check out the chapter heads. Look at photos and graphs. Read the words in bold type. This will give an idea of what is important.
Questions – Once your child knows the main idea, develop some questions that the assignment might answer. Who is the main character? What is the key idea? Where does the story take place?
Read – Now read the assignment. As your child reads, have her look for answers to the question she is already developed.
Review – Next, have your child tell you the story (or the important parts of the chapter) in her own words. Ask her to tell you the most important ideas covered.
Review -Has your child found the answer to all his questions? What else did she learn? What surprised her?
Learning occurs in day to day activities. So, look for and create learning opportunities throughout your day. Stay safe and be well.
Isn’t education All about reaching the kids in the classroom and at home?
Riddles are a good way for kids to improve their reading comprehension. Kids quickly learn that they must pay attention to clues to figure out the answer. Check out the riddles below for “young riddle solvers”. Two good riddle solving strategies is to try to form a picture in your mind and ask yourself questions while connecting clues.
A very sour fruit,
And I start with L;
Add water and sugar,
And I taste just swell.
What am I? ____________
I can be very sharp,
And I start with P;
You can even erase,
What you wrote with me.
What am I? _____________
See me in the tree,
I do give a hoot;
I’m looking for mice,
My big eyes are cute.
What am I? ______________
My color means stop,
And I end in D;
And some fire engines,
Have been painted me.
What am I? _______________
I will be your friend,
And I start with D;
I will guard your house,
And I end with G.
What am I? ________________
The color of a juice
And I send with E;
A fruit that is quite sweet,
Is named for me.
What am I? _______________
Feel like being an artist? Why not draw a picture of the answer. Have fun!
Learning occurs in day to day activities. So, look for and create learning opportunities throughout your day. Stay safe and be well.
Isn’t education All about reaching the kids in the classroom and at home?
The NYS Museum has launched the Portal to Online Educational Resources & Activities that brings together many of the museum’s resources. Check out the links to the popular virtual “filed trips,” digital collections, online resources, and many fun activities for kids. The Portal provides opportunities for educators, caregivers, and students looking for engaging and educational activities to do at home.
The portal resources and activities will be updated often. Also included on the site is NYS Learning Standards supporting online lessons and content-created publications. Virtual activities are coming soon! Check it Out!
Critical thinking activity #3 helps to get kids THINKING.
Problem solving and critical thinking refers to the ability to use knowledge, facts, and data to effectively solve problems. Teaching kids to THINK is important in school and in life. Kids need opportunities to think about things to make them “make sense”. Critical thinking activity #3 gets kids to THINK.
Critical thinking activity #3 is perfect for a challenge activity, time filler, brain start, reward or extra credit. The first time I saw this problem, it took me some time to figure it out. I thought about it and then I started drawing it out to keep the possibilities straight. FINALLY, I got it. What will be your strategy?
Can you fill 3 jugs with just 4 gallons of water?
Brooklyn has three jugs that are known to hold exactly 4, 9, and 12 gallons of water. The 12 gallon jug is full of water. There is no extra water supply. Can you figure out a way to use these jugs to each have only 4 gallons of water in each jug?
Once your student figures out the answer, challenge them to create their own example that can be solved in the same way.
Learning occurs in day to day activities. So, look for and create learning opportunities throughout your day. Stay safe and be well.
Isn’t education All about reaching the kids in the classroom and at home?
Critical Thinking Activity #3 Answer is:
Fill the 4 gallon jug from the full 12 gallon jug. (that leaves 8 gallons in the 12 gallon jug).
Then empty the 4 gallon jug into the 9 gallon jug. (now you have an empty jug)
Go back to the original 12 gallon jug, that NOW has 8 gallons of water.
We all know that we sometimes need just a few minutes to take a short break to help us get focused. Sometimes, it is for a cup of coffee, a cookie or to check our phones. It helps us catch our breath and gives us another opportunity to start again. Did you know that your breaks are call Brain Breaks?
Smart teachers know that kids need short breaks in learning. Sometimes, called Brain Breaks, they are short, physical activities that are interspersed with periods of focused academic work. Research shows that shorter blocks of instruction are more effective for many kids, with younger kids maxing out after about 10 minutes and older kids lasting up to a half-hour or more. Adding short breaks can help improve students’ attention, retention of information, creativity, and efficiency. Adding some breaks can be fun, make them a definite MUST in every classroom.
6 Benefits of Brain Breaks
Improves focus by lessening frustration and boredom
Provides physical activity
Adds some fun into learning
Gives a sense of accomplishment by completing an assignment
Helps use up extra energy
Give kids (and adults) something to look forward to
Brain Breaks and Remote Learning
Now that many schools have started remote learning once again, there is even more reason to give kids some much needed breaks from computer screens. Since kids are missing the physical activity of a classroom, Brain Breaks are must. Think simple. Try jumping jacks, stretches, yoga poses or jogging in place for a short quick break. If you want to extend your break a few more minutes add a dance party, take a short walk, play a boardgame or do a household chore.
Although short breaks during classwork or homework are beneficial be sure to plan carefully. Be sure your breaks are not too much fun or too lengthy or you might have kids not want to get back to work!
The length of Brain Breaks and the topics depends on your child’s age and interest levels. So, choose things that YOUR child wants to do as a Brain Break. Create a list of ideas so that you or your child can choose their own Brain Break. Do not be afraid to let your child add to the list (of course with parent approved)
Remote learning is creating many challenges for parents, teachers, and students. Why not add some Brain Breaks into your schedule to make learning easier and less stressful? Teach your child that you too, need Brain Breaks. Show them that being able to drink a HOT cup of coffee is what makes you happy. Enjoy your Brain Break!
Learning occurs in day to day activities. So, look for and create learning opportunities throughout your day. Stay safe and be well.
Isn’t education All about reaching the kids in the classroom and at home?
September posts can help kids learn at school & home
Each day we spend with kids is an opportunity to teach a piece of ourselves.
September posts certainly seem trivial while we all live through a pandemic. It seems that I hear daily from friends, family members and readers of the many struggles they are facing in this health crisis. I am inspired by their resilience “to make it work”.
Today’s health crisis has certainly put so many things in perspective! Family, health and friends have become our priorities with deadlines existing but flexible. Over the past few months, I’ve seen my own grandchildren go from kids that go to school everyday to kids that are either being homeschooled or learning virtually. The student teachers that I work with are not only learning how to be effective teachers in the classroom, they are also learning how to teach remotely. They are learning the importance of their chosen career, ongoing learning and adaptability. However, I wish they did not have to learn all those objectives in a single semester.
In many areas, my home state of New York included, parents continue to take the helm to be their child’s teachers and keep kids learning. Learning is happening but in a way that we never thought would be happening and in March we thought it would be temporary. Yes, it may not be the same as in school, but learning is happening. As parents continue their teaching challenge, I’m hoping that my posts can be helpful.
So, as we move into the month of October, I hope our day-to-day teaching becomes more manageable and we continue to find learning opportunities all around us.
Learning occurs in day to day activities. So, look for and create learning opportunities throughout your day. Stay safe and be well.
I choose my favorites each month for different reasons. Sometimes it’s timeliness, a hot education topic, student teacher needs or as a family and friends resource. Sometimes, it’s just, BECAUSE. Enjoy!
