On December 17, 1969, Project Blue Book ended. What was Project Blue Book? It was the United States Air Forces’ investigation into UFOs. From 1952 to the end of 1969, if you wanted a UFO sighting investigated, you could fill out a questionnaire with the US Air Force, and they would investigate it for you. … read more »
December 2 is National Special Education Day. This event celebrates the December 2, 1975 signing of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) by Gerald Ford. IDEA is the basis for Special Education law in the United States and serves as the foundation for giving all children with disabilities a free and appropriate public education. … read more »
Have you found it hard to find engaging STEM activities for younger students? If you are like me, you may have spent way too much time searching the internet with little success. Or perhaps you find great lessons, but they aren’t easily adaptable for younger students. The Picture Stem Project (TeachersFirst review) is a STEM … read more »
November 19 marks the anniversary of the Gettysburg Address given by Abraham Lincoln in 1863. This extraordinary speech is taught in classrooms around the country as an example of a powerful speech that shares the principles of democracy and freedom during a difficult time in American history. Although relatively short (about 2 ½ minutes), this … read more »
Synth is a user-friendly podcasting tool. The site allows users to create audio recordings up to 256 seconds long. Yesterday’s blog, Synth Part 1, gave an overview of this tool. The overview also included the application of both the SAMR model and the Triple E Frameworks as you integrate Synth into your instruction. Today’s post … read more »
“No skill is more crucial to the future of a child than literacy.” Los Angeles Times November 1st kicks off Family Literacy Month with National Family Literacy Day. These events highlight the importance of family literacy programs. Typical activities include inviting family members to the school to read to students, book drives, celebrity readers, and … read more »
Story Maker is a simple digital storytelling tool for elementary students to write a story. Students can practice their writing skills, add color, add additional pages, and then save (or print) when finished. Story Maker is part of the ABCya site, offering countless free web games, interactives, and learning experiences. Grade level Story Maker … read more »
¡Hola! September 15 through October 15 is Hispanic Heritage Month. It is during this time we recognize the many contributions and history of the American Latino community. This month-long period also celebrates the independence days of several Central American countries. A search on TeachersFirst reveals well over 100 resources tagged for Spanish content. Also, our … read more »
You may have taken part in any number of professional learning opportunities while school was out of session to hone your craft. As you think about getting this school year off the ground, take a moment to reflect and sift through your notes. Sometimes you can find themes that can help organize the great ideas … read more »
Let’s get back to basics. Not in the sense you may think— I’m not going to talk about reading, writing, and arithmetic. Let’s go even MORE basic. Most simply stated, in order to learn, kids need to be physically at school. August is National Truancy Prevention Month, so there is no better time to discuss … read more »