What Does Respect Mean?

Respect means treating others the way you want to be treated and showing that you care about the feelings and well being of others. 

Why is it Important for Kids to Be Respectful?

It is important for kids to be respectful because it creates children who think carefully about the feelings of others and how their words and actions affect others. Kids who are respectful start to see the world with an open mind and don’t make unkind judgements about others. 

How Do I Know If I Need to Teach Respect in My Classroom?

The students in your 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th or 5th grade classroom would benefit from lessons and activities on respect if any of these statements are true:

• Students interrupt each other.
• Your class is struggling with kindness.
• Your students are struggling with thinking about others.
• Students make judgements about each other.
• Students haven’t been using manners.

5 Reasons To Promote Respect In Your Elementary Classroom

Below are 5 reasons to promote respect in your elementary classroom.

1. Students will become more socially aware. 

Teaching respect will help students become more socially aware because they will be thinking about treating others the way that they want to be treated. They will also be considering how their actions affect others, promoting social awareness. 

2. Students will be kinder. 

When reviewing respect, it is important to teach students about the golden rule of treating others the way they want to be treated. This creates kinder children because they won’t want to hurt the feelings of others because they will think about how they feel when their feelings are hurt. 

3. Students will have better manners. 

Promoting respect in your class will remind students about the importance of having manners. They will remember to say please and thank you, raise their hand, and show that they care about others. 

4. Children will be more accepting of others. 

Learning respect teaches the importance of not being judgmental of others. Respect means accepting someone for who they are, even when they are different from you or you don’t agree with them. This makes students more tolerant and accepting of others. 

5. You will strengthen your classroom community. 

Teaching students what respect is and why it is important will strengthen your classroom community if you hold students accountable for it. Students will be more tolerant of each other and kinder to each other. When people feel respected they develop feelings of trust and well-being. 

5 Tips and Ideas for Teaching Respect

Check out the tips and ideas below for teaching respect!

1. Read Aloud Picture Books about Respect

Picture books are a great way to introduce and teach an SEL topic. It gets students thinking about the topic and activating their background knowledge. Check out this list of picture books for teaching respect!

2. Watch Videos about Being Respectful

There are tons of free online videos out there that promote social emotional learning. It’s a fun and engaging way to teach SEL skills that your students will enjoy. Check out these videos for teaching respect!

3. Explicitly Teach Vocabulary Related to Respect

Vocabulary words can help students develop understanding of respect and create connections through related words. Our Respect SEL unit includes ten vocabulary cards with words related to the SEL topic. It is important for students to be able to see, hear, and use relevant vocabulary while learning. One idea for how to use them is to create an SEL word wall as students learn the words.

4. Provide Practice Opportunities

When learning any skill, students need time to practice. Social emotional learning skills are no different! Our Respect SEL unit includes scenario cards, discussion cards, choice boards, games, and much more. These provide students with opportunities to practice the skills independently, with partners or small groups, or as a whole class.

5. Integrate Other Content Areas

Integrating other content areas with this topic is a great way to approach this SEL topic. Our Respect SEL unit includes reading, writing, and art activities.

Skills Related to Respect

Respect, in the context of social emotional learning (SEL) or character education, refers to treating oneself and others with dignity, honor, and consideration. While “respect” is the commonly used term, there are other words and phrases that can convey a similar meaning. These alternative words highlight different aspects of valuing, honoring, and showing regard for oneself and others. Here are some other words used in the context of respect:

1. Esteem: Holding oneself and others in high regard, recognizing their worth and value.
2. Honor: Showing respect, admiration, and recognition for someone’s qualities, achievements, or contributions.
3. Reverence: Displaying deep respect, awe, or admiration for someone or something.
4. Courtesy: Practicing polite, considerate, and respectful behavior towards others.
5. Regard: Demonstrating care, attention, and respect towards someone’s well-being and feelings.
6. Admiration: Expressing respect, appreciation, and positive regard for someone’s qualities or achievements.
7. Recognition: Acknowledging and appreciating the abilities, contributions, or worth of oneself or others.
8. Reverence: Displaying deep respect, awe, or admiration for someone or something.
9. Valuing: Holding someone or something in high regard, recognizing their significance and worth.
10. Civility: Engaging in respectful and courteous behavior towards others, promoting positive social interactions.

These terms encompass the concept of respect and reflect the qualities of valuing, honoring, and treating oneself and others with dignity and consideration within the context of social emotional learning (SEL) or character education.

Download the SEL Activities

Click an image below to either get this individual respect unit or get ALL 30 SEL units!

In closing, we hope you found this information about teaching respect helpful! If you did, then you may also be interested in these posts.

• SEL Best Practices for Elementary Teachers
• Social Emotional Learning Activities
• 75+ SEL Videos for Elementary Teachers
• Teaching SEL Skills with Picture Books
• How to Create a Social Emotional Learning Environment

The post Teaching Respect to Elementary Students in 2024 appeared first on Clutter-Free Classroom | by Jodi Durgin.

What is Project-Based Learning?

Project-based learning is a great way to implement real world learning in your classroom. It is a teaching method where a teacher poses a real world problem and complex question to students. It is imperative that the problem and question is authentic and engaging.

In addition to this project equipping students with a deep understanding of the content, it also gives them opportunities to strengthen their problem solving, critical thinking, collaboration, and communication skills. These skills are essential for students to develop and refine for their future.

Students work on the project over an extended period of time (week, month, or semester). Some important components of the process are student choice, inquiry, innovation, and meaningful feedback. When students come to the conclusion of their project, they present it to a real audience (peers, teachers, administrators, parents, and the local community).

Long Term Project Definition

A long term project is a project that takes one week or longer for students to complete. Students work on it in class, at home, or a combination of the two. You can decide what works best for you and your students.

Long Term Project Ideas and Examples

Try a research project in your elementary classroom! Check out these project based learning activities for elementary students: The Valentine Cookies PBL shown throughout this post.

10 Benefits of Long Term Projects

Below are the benefits of using long term projects like the project based learning activities for elementary students featured in this post.

• Increases content knowledge and skills.
• Deepens understanding of content.
• Develops time management skills.
• Provides the time students need to make connections.
• Fine tunes problem solving skills.
• Strengthens critical thinking skills.
• Fortifies collaboration skills.
• Enhances communication skills.
• Creates an environment to apply skills to a real world situation.
• Builds stamina.

Long-Term Project Management Strategies

Here are some long-term project management strategies that are helpful for when you implement project based learning activities with your elementary students. If you are interested, check out these other classroom management strategies too!

• Give clear and concise directions and expectations orally and in writing and pictures.
• Show a sample final product.
• Provide copies of a project calendar to students or post a large copy in the classroom.
• Schedule progress checks with students to monitor how they are doing and what they need additional scaffolding and support for.
• Utilize a visual timer during work time.
• Play soft classical music during work time.
• Offer developmentally-appropriate amounts of time for students to work.

Long-Term Project Planning

Utilize the principles of Understanding by Design. 1) Look at the standards you want students to master by the end of the project. 2) Design the finished product or project using these standards. 3) Think about what students need to know in order to reach the final project. Turn these concepts and skills into mini lessons. Determine the order of the lessons that make sense. After completing this process, put these lessons into a pacing guide. Make or use a calendar to map out deadlines or benchmarks of when certain steps should be completed by.

In closing, we hope you found this post about project based learning activities helpful! If you did, then you may also be interested in these other posts:

• Project Based Learning Ideas for Elementary Teachers
• Valentine’s Day Picture Books that Make Great Read Alouds
• February Activities for Elementary Teachers

The post Project Based Learning Activities for Elementary Students appeared first on Clutter-Free Classroom | by Jodi Durgin.

Some teachers have to teach map skills as part of their curriculum. However, even if you aren’t officially responsible for teaching map skills at your grade level, it is still important and extremely beneficial to make time for lessons involving direct instruction related to this concept. Doing so will not only provide general geography knowledge, but will help in other key areas of learning. Learn all about why it’s important to teach map skills and how to do it using Me on the Map activities below!

Why It’s Important for Teachers to Teach Map Skills

Below are four reasons why it’s so important to teach map skills.

1. Improves Reading Comprehension

Work with maps and focusing on the concept of our place in the world will help students to increase their comprehension and make better connections to both fiction and non-fiction texts that reference different geographical locations. 

2. Strengthens Spatial Thinking

Spatial thinking is one of the most important skills that students can develop as they learn geography and it is also linked to success in math and science.

3. Boosts Visual Literacy

The skills needed to read and interpret maps are a part of visual literacy, which is a set of skills and habits of mind necessary to “read” images. Further, visual literacy means not just decoding an image but comprehending it — grasping the image’s intended meaning, evaluating it, and incorporating it into other knowledge.

4. Builds Schema

Additionally, almost all social studies topics require an understanding of where historical events took place.

What Map Skills Elementary Students Need

All of those skills require both analysis and interpretation of maps. This means map skill lessons need to go beyond just teaching map conventions. Map conventions refer to things like latitude and longitude, scale, how to use a key, map symbols, and how to locate cities and countries. These lower-order practices are important to know, but the true benefits come from using maps to help students visualize scale and the relationships of different geographic locations to one another.

3 Ways to Teach Map Skills

Below are 3 fun ways to teach map skills to your elementary students.

1. Read Alouds

My favorite tool for teaching almost anything is read alouds. There are a lot of great read aloud books focused on the topic, but the one I feel is best for really helping children in grades K-5 to understand how various places relate to one another and to strengthen their visual and spatial skills is Me on the Map by Joan Sweeney. Learn more how I use this book to teach map skills below!

2. Class Discussions

Class discussions are a great opportunity to explore what students already know about geography and gives students the space to learn from one another. This ties in nicely with doing a whole group read aloud.

3. Hands On Learning Experiences

Hands on learning opportunities like these Me on the Map projects are a great way for students to build a conceptual understanding of map skills. They also provide fun and engaging learning experiences that students will remember.

How to Implement Me on the Map Activities

Below are directions for how to implement the Me on the Map resource in your classroom.

1. Purchase or Borrow a Copy of the Book, Me on the Map

If you do not want to purchase this book or borrow it from the library, I have found there are also versions you can stream. The image and the affiliate link below will take you to Amazon where you can view more details and order the book.

There are a lot of great books focused on the topic, but the one I feel is best for really helping children in grades K-5 to understand how various places relate to one another and to strengthen their visual and spatial skills is Me on the Map by Joan Sweeney.

Upon first looking at it, it definitely presents as a book that would be used for younger learners. However, when you are looking at it as a book for teaching those skills of where you relate in terms of global aspect it takes things down to a simple level and is very much appropriate for grades K-5.

I’ve created a collection of hands-on projects that help to bring home the concept for them. It has been used by thousands of teachers at the elementary level and has received great feedback. It’s a great collection of projects that will help educators to talk about maps, explain what they are, and creates a hands-on, visual way for students to understand the concept. Learn more about these Me on the Map projects!

2. Download the Me on the Map Activities

These Me on the Map printable and digital activities are available in my Teachers Pay Teachers store. In addition to the original version, there are versions for Canadian and Australian teachers.

What’s Included in the Me on the Map Activities

The Me on Map resource includes the following components:

Teaching Guide

The guide has tips and instructions to support you with your lesson planning and delivery.

Background Templates

Students glue or staple their flip book onto it in order to help create a polished, finished look.

Geography Printables Flipbook

It comes with options with and without lines so you can select which one works best for your group of students.

Me on the Map Circular Nesting Circles

This serves as an alternative to the rectangular flip book option.

Optional Globe and Person Clipart for the Flipbook

This was included for younger students and for those who have trouble drawing or don’t enjoy it to color, cut out, and glue onto the finished product.

Graphic Organizers

These graphic organizers help students organize their thinking and notes.

Student Booklet

This option allows students to create a published book with a cover to show their learning.

Maps

Included are maps for All 50 States in North America, the United States, North America, and the world.

I included booklets or posters that can be used if you really want a simple, no-prep, no cutting options. I’ve added all of the states so the students can see where the state is in relation to the other 49.

Digital Version

There is a digital version included so your students can access this resource in school or at home.

3. Select Printables from the Activity Packet and Print Them

The Me on the Map resource contains three projects to choose from. My favorite is the flip book. The students can write about and/or illustrate the different places they live starting with their home or school. The different-sized papers are then stacked on top of one another to represent the students’ city/town, state, country, continent, and planet. They can then illustrate a picture of themselves standing on the world using the included templates for easy prep.

4. Make a Packet for Each Student

I have found the best way to manage this project is to provide the children with their own set of each piece stapled together as a packet. It is much more neat & organized to have them complete the writing and drawing in a stapled packet format and then cut the pieces to assemble the craft.

5. Read Aloud the Book, Me on the Map

Read aloud Joan Sweeney’s book Me on the Map to your class. Pause throughout the book and highlight important information and check for understanding with comprehension questions.

6. Distribute the Packets

Next, I distributed the copy of the student printables.

7. Complete the Activities

Depending on your students’ ability levels you can either have them work on these independently, in a small group or as a whole class. The project can be completed in one session or you may prefer to spread it out over several days and really focus on each of the components (planet, country, state, etc).

Once the written work and individual illustrations are complete it’s time to work on the background. My original product had the students create their own world and draw themselves. I love the look of those, but also wanted to provide a more guided option. The updated version includes a background template.

I copied the template onto blue paper and provided each student with a piece of blue construction paper, green construction paper and white drawing paper. I found it to be helpful to cut the drawing paper to fit the space and modeled how to draw the person with the hands at the top of the paper and the feet at the bottom. This was beneficial to the students as it provided spatial guidelines for them.

Finally, they cut out their pieces and assembled the craft. To do so each child glued their world and person to the bottom, stacked the geography printables in order and stapled those at the top. The stapled flip book was then glued to the background template and their adorable projects were complete. These look fabulous on a bulletin board!

8. Post the Finished Products

Once completed, the projects make a beautiful display. I typically completed these activities early in the year because it helped the children to make better connections to later topics. I always teach an in-depth unit on the Pilgrims and Wampanoags leading up to Thanksgiving and their increased schema made it easy to understand where England, the Atlantic Ocean and the area that is now Northeast America are located in relation to one another. 

In closing, I hope you found these Me on the Map activities helpful! If you did, then you may also be interested in these posts:

• Holidays Around the World Ideas for Elementary Teachers
• Animal Research Project Ideas for Teachers in Grades 1-5
• Back to School Read Alouds for Elementary Teachers

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The post Me on the Map Activities and Printables for Elementary Teachers – 2024 appeared first on Clutter-Free Classroom | by Jodi Durgin.

This blog post will answer the following questions about student-made board games:

• What are student-made games?
• Why should I incorporate student-made activities in my elementary classroom?
• How do I implement student-made games in my room?
• What are some tips for using student-made games in my classroom?
• Can you share some strategies for holding students accountable while they are playing board games?
• What are some common obstacles with these activities and how do I overcome them?
• Can you share some ideas for using student-made games?

What are Student-Made Board Games?

Student-made board games are a fun way to assess students’ learning for any subject. Students create the questions, the board game, its pieces, and the written directions for gameplay. Board games are a creative way to review or extend lesson objectives. Students must think through how to play the game and how to make it engaging for their classmates to play. Student-made games are very engaging and can be used all year long for other students to review and play in stations or centers. These games could also be used as portfolio pieces for an individual student. 

Why Use Student-Made Board Games?

First of all, students LOVE making board games. Their engagement soars because they love getting the opportunity to be creative and make a game that is fun to play. These games are excellent for showing mastery of unit skills or objectives for any subject, making them easy to implement multiple times throughout the year if you wish. Student-made games showcase various skills like process writing and grammar skills for the directions, subject mastery for questions and answers created, and creativity for the board game and its pieces. You can’t go wrong with this activity! 

How to Implement Student-Made Board Games

Here are 7 steps for how to implement student-made board games:

1. Decide which objectives for students to show mastery with.
2. List concrete expectations related to their board game. Use a rubric for this.  
3. Show examples of previously created student-made board games. 
4. Think about if they will work individually, in partners, or in groups. 
5. Have students brainstorm and outline their game. Then, have them show their ideas to you for approval before moving on. 
6. Students should create a board game that is easy to play and engaging for other students. They will need to include questions with correct answers, clear and concise directions, and an easy-to-follow game board. These things will need to be completed with neat handwriting or typing so that it is easy for their classmates to play their game correctly.
7. Once games are created, it’s time to play! Create peer review sheets that those who play their game can fill out. This way, the game-makers can get feedback to improve their game if needed. 

5 Tips for Using Student-Made Board Games in Your Classroom

• Student-made board games are my favorite ways to sum up a unit and differentiate for all students.
• Partner students in a way that will let them all shine, either by ability or another way.
• Give students a time limit and set a due date for this project. You can have a game playing day on the date it’s due for extra motivation. You could even have treats or prizes to make it extra special! 
• Have students brainstorm and outline the game first. Then have them show it to you to be sure they get off on the right foot. 
• You can utilize student-made board games as a whole class at the end of a unit, as a project for a small group of partners, or as an individual station or center assignment. 

How to Hold Students Accountable for Student-Made Board Games

In any student-led assignment, some students may struggle to demonstrate their best work. Frequently review the expectations and rubric to make sure students are clear on the expectations. Remind them that their peers will be playing the games and to put in their best effort for game day. 

Another way to hold students accountable if you are having student groups create games is to give each student a specific job. This way, everyone has a job and responsibility. Just make sure those jobs still show mastery of the skill. For example, you could have every student in the group in charge of 10-15 questions with answers, one student in charge of board game design, another student in charge of writing clear directions, and another in charge of revising and editing the directions. 

Common Obstacles for Using Student Made Board Games

Since this is more of a creative, independently led project, some students may struggle to demonstrate their best work or stay on task during the creation of their student-made board game. Having a rubric and clear expectations helps teachers to ensure students are participating and doing their best. Also, students generally find this activity engaging because their friends will be playing their games after the game is complete! 

If some students struggle with organization, this could be problematic to keep all the materials for their board games in one place and organized for the next time they work on it. Having a system for organization of all the materials is helpful for all students. 

10 Ideas for Using Student Made Board Games

Try one of these make your own board game ideas the next time you have your students create their own board game!

1. Math facts
2. Math word problem creation and practice
3. Vocabulary practice
4. Reading comprehension skills
5. Unit review for any subject
6. Test prep for any subject
7. Advanced student project for any subject
8. Spelling practice
9. Sight word practice
10. A novel study or review

Student-Made Board Game Project

Below is information about my student-made board game resource.

What is the Create Your Own Board Game Project?

The packet includes printables for students of all levels to create their own games and concept review activities and gives teachers editable printables so they may quickly make custom games, hands-on activities and centers for their students… so much more fun than worksheets! This product was designed to provide busy teachers with an easy tool for making learning fun.

This resource includes editable files so you can create your own games and centers so your students can enjoy hands-on activities instead of worksheets. I’ve included editable files so you can quickly type in your own questions, equations, spelling/vocabulary words, content trivia, and more.

What is Included in the Create a Board Game Project?

• student task card / directions
• scoring rubric
• 9 game boards
• differentiated student direction writing activity stationary
• blank foldable dice
• traditional foldable dice
• 4 styles of spinners (just use a pencil & paperclip)
• matching game cards
• dominoes
• game question cards

How can this Design Your Own Board Game Resource be Used?

• early finisher task
• homework
• class project
• enrichment activity
• center

We hope you found this information about student made board games helpful! If you did, then you may also be interested in these posts:

• How to Launch Guided Math Workshop in Your Elementary Classroom
• Math Hands-On Learning Ideas for Elementary Students
• Math Spiral Review Ideas for Elementary Teachers

The post Student-Made Board Games Ideas for Elementary Teachers in 2024 appeared first on Clutter-Free Classroom | by Jodi Durgin.

Thousands of teachers have used this 5-star resource to have students complete self-guided animal research projects to learn about any animal they choose. The best part is, the resource can be used over and over again all year long by just picking a new animal! Learn all about this animal research project for kids at the elementary level below!

What is the Animal Research Project?

The animal research project is a resource that is packed with printable and digital activities and projects to choose from. It is perfect for elementary teachers doing a simple animal study or a month-long, fully integrated unit. It’s open-ended nature allows it to be used over and over again throughout the school year. In addition, it includes tons of differentiated materials so you can continue to use it even if you change grade levels. Learn about what’s included in it below!

What is Included in the Animal Research Project

The following resources are included in the animal research project:

Teacher’s Guide

The teacher’s guide includes tips and instructions to support you with your lesson planning and delivery.

Parent Letter

The parent communication letter promotes family involvement.

Graphic Organizers

There are graphic organizers for brainstorming a topic, activating schema, taking notes, and drafting writing.

Research Report

There are research report publishing printables including a cover, writing templates, and resource pages.

Rubric

There is a grading rubric so expectations are clear for students and grading is quick and easy for you.

Research Activities

The research activities include a KWL chart, can have are chart, compare and contrast venn diagram, habitat map, vocabulary pages, illustration page, and life cycle charts.

Animal Flip Book Project

There are animal flip book project printables to give an additional choice of how students can demonstrate their understanding.

Animal Flap Book Project

There is an animal flap book project printables that offers students yet another way to demonstrate their learning.

Animal Research Poster

The animal research poster serves as an additional way to demonstrate student understanding.

Poetry Activities

The resource includes poetry activities to offer students an alternative way to demonstrate their learning.

Digital Versions

There is a digital version of the resource so your students can access this resource in school or at home.

Why Teachers love the Animal Research Project

Teachers love this animal research project because of the following reasons:

• This resource guides students through the research and writing process, so they can confidently work their way through this project.
• It is a great value because it can be used over and over again throughout the school year because the pages can be used to learn about any animal.
• It offers several ways students can demonstrate their learning.
• It includes a ton of resources, so you can pick and choose which ones work best for you and your students.
• It is printable and digital so it can be used for in-class and at-home learning.

This animal research packet is great because it can be used over and over again using absolutely any animal at all. The printables in this packet are ideal to use with your entire class in school, as an at-home learning extension project or as a purposeful, open-ended, independent choice for your students who often finish early and need an enrichment activity that is so much more than “busy work.”

The Research Report Process

This animal research project packet was designed in a manner that allows you to use all of the components when studying any animal. Because the printables can be used over and over, I will often work through the entire researching and writing process with the whole class focusing on one animal together, This allows me to model the procedure and provide them with support as they “get their feet wet” as researchers. Afterwards I then have them work through the process with an animal of choice. You may find it helpful to have them select from a specific category (i.e. ocean animals, rainforest animals, etc) as this will help to streamline the resources you’ll need to obtain.

Step 1: Brainstorm a list of animals to research. Select one animal.

During this stage you may want to provide the students with a collection of books and magazines to explore and help them narrow down their choice.

Step 2: Set a purpose and activate schema.

Students share why they selected the animal and tell what they already know about it. Next, they generate a list of things they are wondering about the animal. This will help to guide their research.

Step 3: Send home the family letter.

To save you time, involve families, and communicate what is happening in the classroom, you may want to send home a copy of the family letter. It’s so helpful when they send in additional research materials for the students.

Step 4: Research and take notes.

The two-column notes template is a research-based tool that helps the kids organize their notes. I added bulleted prompts to guide the students in finding specific information within each category. This method has proven to be highly effective with all students, but is especially useful with writers who need extra support.

I have included two versions of the organizers (with and without lines). I print a copy of the organizer for each student. I also copy the lined paper back to back so it is available to students who need more space.

Step 5: Write a draft.

Using the information gathered through the research process, the students next compose drafts. The draft papers were designed to guide the students through their writing by providing prompts in the form of questions. Answering these questions in complete sentences will result in strong paragraphs. It may be helpful to give them only one page at a time instead of a packet as it make the task more manageable.

Step 6: Edit the draft.

Editing can be done in many ways, but it is most effective when a qualified editor sits 1:1 with a student to provides effective feedback to them while editing.

Step 7: Publish.

Print several copies of the publishing pages. I like to have all my students start with the page that has a large space for an illustration, but then let them pick the pages they want to use in the order they prefer after that. I have them complete all the writing first and then add the illustrations.

Finally, have the children design a cover for the report. Add that to the front and add the resources citation page to the back. Use the criteria for success scoring rubric to assign a grade. The rubric was designed using a 20 point total so you can simply multiply their score by 5 to obtain a percentage grade. The end result is a beautiful product that showcases their new learning as well as documents their reading and writing skills.

In closing, we hope you found this animal research project for kids helpful! If you did, then you may also be interested in these posts:

• How to Teach Research Skills to Elementary Students
• 15 Animals in Winter Picture Books for Elementary Teachers
• How to Teach Informative Writing at the Elementary Level

The post Animal Research Project for Kids at the Elementary Level in 2024 appeared first on Clutter-Free Classroom | by Jodi Durgin.

What is this Plant Life Cycle Resource?

This resource is an integrated science unit that is packed with plant life cycle project ideas and activities that will engage your students in hands on learning experiences. Your students will learn about the life cycle of a plant or flower from seed to plant by reading, observing, measuring, counting, writing, hypothesizing, creating and so much more. This hands-on, integrated unit is always a huge hit in my 3rd grade classroom. I’m confident you and your students will love it too!

What NGSS Standards Does It Cover?

This unit covers the following Next Generation Science Standards:

• 2-LS2-1 Plan and conduct an investigation to determine if plants need sunlight to grow.
• 2-LS2-2 Develop a simple model that mimics the function of an animal in dispersing seeds and pollinating plants.
• 2-LS4-1 Make observations of plants and animals to compare the diversity of life in different habitats.

What is Included in this Plant Life Cycle Resource?

This bundle includes 100+ pages of open-ended printable activities that are perfect for all students in 1st-5th grade. The packet integrates science, language arts and math. Use the materials on their own, place them into an interactive science notebook, or compile them together to easily create an impressive portfolio or lap book to showcase all their learning. This resource includes the following:

• photos and directions for assembling the printables into a portfolio / lapbook
• plants vocabulary cards to use as part of a word wall or bulletin board
• an informal assessment to track student learning in a fun, stress-free manner
• a seed search investigation
• sprouting seed journal (integrates reading and math / measurement)
• parts of a plant flip book
• plant needs activity (includes 2 versions)
• plant life cycle flap book (includes several differentiated versions)
• life cycle of a flower accordion creativity
• labs and experiments activity pages
• essential questions journal pages
• close-up look at roots, stems, flowers and seeds
• a list of recommended literature to accompany the unit
• a list of recommended videos to accompany the unit
• anchor chart materials
• learning posters
• bulletin board accents
• portfolio cover

Why Teachers Love It

Teachers love this resource because of the following reasons:

• This plant life cycle resource is packed with project ideas and activities so you can pick and choose which ones work best for you and your students or use them all.
• Each of the items can be used with multiple grade levels, so you can still use it if you switch grade levels or need to differentiate to meet your students’ needs.
• You can use all of the activities to create a learning portfolio that is sort of like a lap book.
• Parents love keepsakes like this! As a mom, I love when things like this come home from school.
• The lap book is great for spring open house displays. Simply pair it with their bean plants.

How to Assemble the Student Learning Portfolio

Watch the video below to see how I assembled all of the components of the Life Cycle of a Plant Packet into a Student Learning Portfolio.

In closing, we hope you found this post about plant life cycle project ideas helpful! If you did, then be sure to check out the following:

• Life Cycle of a Plant Resource
• How to Organize Science Supplies in Your Elementary Classroom
• Project Based Learning Ideas for Elementary Teachers

The post Plant Life Cycle Project Ideas for Elementary Teachers in 2024 appeared first on Clutter-Free Classroom | by Jodi Durgin.

The Benefits Of Students Reading Biographies

There are so many benefits of teaching biographies and autobiographies! Readers are transported into that person’s life. They learn all about the person’s achievements, struggles, culture, life lessons, and personality. Biographies can also teach us about the world through the eyes of the subject while allowing the reader to make connections to them. Most students can find biographies they enjoy when they find people to read about that connect with their likes and dislikes to top it off. 

How To Introduce The Biography Genre To Students

The easiest way to introduce and teach biographies is by gathering as many biographies and autobiographies as possible from your classroom library, school, and public library. Make sure that all the books you collect are around your student’s reading levels. This idea works for any theme.

Then, set out the books you collected on each of your students’ tables and have them explore. Ask them to write down what they notice. What do all the books have in common? Have students write down their findings on chart paper. 

Next, have each table share with the class what they noticed. They should come up with some ideas like: 

• They are all about people.
• The person accomplished something big.
• They all include essential dates or a timeline of the person’s life.
• They included real pictures or illustrations of the person.
• The books all tell factual information, and there are no made-up stories.

Lastly, tell students that books with these characteristics are called biographies or autobiographies. Be sure to tell students the difference between biographies and autobiographies too. Create an anchor chart to hang up for students to reference throughout your biography unit! 

4 Ideas For Biography Mini Lessons

After introducing biographies, try one of these mini-lesson ideas for teaching biographies! 

1. Have students pick a person they are interested in learning more about. Then have them find books about the person and complete a research project about that person to present to the class. You could even take it a few steps further and have students share what they learned in costume as the person they researched in a wax museum activity! 
2. Have students create a social media page of the person they learned about in their biography
3. Have students read about a person of interest, and then write journal entries as that person. 
4. You could make it seasonal! Around fall, have students paint a pumpkin like a person they read about and present important events or accomplishments as they share their pumpkin. In spring, students could make biography flowers where the center was a photo of the person, and the petals are important events and accomplishments. 

Strategies For Using Mentor Texts To Model Reading Biographies

Teaching biographies is simple when you use these strategies!

First, pick any biography or autobiography mentor text and read it aloud. Ok, maybe not ANY. Be sure to choose one that will be engaging to your students. Think about the things they enjoy and go from there. I love picture books because students can generally read them in one session. (Make sure you preview the text first and mark with sticky notes to remember to stop and discuss during the read-aloud!)

Stop at important dates, accomplishments, life lessons, or significant life events to discuss. I even stop to discuss any figurative language or text features included. This will help students with both reading and writing! Students generally have TONS of connections to share during biography read alouds that lead to great conversations. 

How To Teach Students To Write Biography Reports

One way to help students learn how to write biographies is to write their first one about themselves! Students can brainstorm what should be included in their biography by creating a timeline that includes important events in their life. Then, they use the timeline to help them write their biography in chronological order. You can model this with a biography about yourself on an anchor chart for students to use if they need help. This is also an excellent way to get to know each other at the beginning of the year! 

When it comes to writing biographies about other people, students need to have read several biographies to get an idea of how authors organize this type of writing. When you read aloud, be sure to point out that authors of biographies generally write the story of the person’s life from beginning to end. So students will need to be familiar with sequential order/chronological order text organization. Have students fill in a timeline when you model during read alouds. Point out that biographies usually focus on a part of the person’s life that taught them a life lesson. This biography project and biography activities are great resources for teaching biographies.

Resources for Teaching Biographies

Here are some resources for teaching biography:

1. Biography Project for Elementary Students

Are you looking to begin using a biography project? Perhaps you are just looking for something better than you already use. If so, this is the resource you need! It is a great resource for teaching elementary students about biographies.

This is a great project to complement a genre study of biographies, an author study, social studies concepts and more. I’ve recently updated the entire product so that it now includes an option to do the Living Biography Museum where families come into school and the students “perform” in character OR can instead be used simply as an independent research project in class or as a homework assignment.

The twist is that instead of having the students dress in costume (which can be a hassle for the parents since most kids can’t put their own costume together) they make a poster board costume with a space for their head to pop through.

A-DOR-ABLE!!!

In the past I’ve done the living museum and had students prepare a brief speech to recite in character. This year I opted to send it home as a homework project and will instead take their photos with their poster board and display them with the written report.

This download now includes BOTH the original version and my new and improved updated version as well. If you have high achieving students who need enrichment this is a perfect activity for them to do on their own or you can use it with an entire class. It’s ideal for grades 2-5.

This biography project contains everything you need to have your students complete a project of their very own to present in class or at a Living Biography Museum.

What is included in this biography project?

Make teaching biographies fun by incorporating this biography project, which includes the following:

• Grading rubrics / criteria checklist
• Directions
• Graphic organizer to plan writing
• Graphic organizer to record sources
• Student writing pages
• Poster board visual directions 

5 Reasons Why Teachers Love It

Below are 5 reasons why teachers love using this resource for teaching biographies.

1. This comprehensive biography project includes differentiated materials, so all you will be able to meet all of your students’ needs and your they will feel successful.
2. The project makes a challenging concept accessible for elementary students.
3. This resource facilitates a fun hands-on learning experience that offers opportunities for students to practice important skills without them even realizing it.
4. This print and go resource will save you lots of time planning and prepping.
5. It is aligned to the Common Core Standards, so it will give you peace of mind knowing your students are practicing important grade level skills.

How to Implement the Project in Your Classroom

You can either do a Living Biography Museum where families come in to school and the students perform in character or it can instead be used simply as an independent research project in class or as a homework assignment.

How I Used the Resources in My Classroom to Teach Biography

We had so much fun making these bio poster boards.

As a bonus, the kids learned a ton.

I started by having them complete oodles of activities from my biography activities packet which acquainted them with a whole bunch of famous folks.

Then I had them work in teams to research Benjamin Franklin. They had discussions about why he was famous. They talked about his accomplishments. Finally, they each wrote about him in the 1st person and performed a monologue as if they were Ben.

To make it oh-so-much-more-fun, I gave them each a poster board to use as a “costume.”

I’m now having them each select their own historical figure of choice to repeat the process as an independent project at home.

I seriously loved this project. The kids did too.

They enjoyed walking around wearing their poster boards and singing, “Who flew a kite in a storm and made history… Ben Franklin Square Pants.”

They also enjoyed having “conversations” with each other while wearing the poster board.

Kid 1: Hey Ben

Kid 2: Yo Ben

Me: **Listening carefully how this conversation is going to go.**

Kid 1: Ben, I really liked how you proved lightning was electricity.

Kid 2: Thanks Ben. You know you’re awesome, right? I mean, you signed the Declaration of Independence and all.

Kid 1: I know dude, right? I totally rock!

And then there was the boy who did a stellar job with his presentation… and then ended it by yelling, “Thank you Philadelphia. Ben Franklin has left the building.”

Third graders make me laugh.

2. Biography Activities for Elementary Students

These biography activities are great resources for teaching biographies to elementary students. It provides teachers with no prep printable biography activities that can be used over and over when studying any person.

This unit was designed to enhance the study of individuals. The activities can be used as part of a genre study or within the content areas. I have also used them with author studies and have had the children complete them as autobiographies about themselves.

What is included in this resource?

This biography activities resource includes 7 activities. Learn about them below!

1. Biography Poster

Students gather information about any individual and use their research to create an 8.5 x 11 inch poster. The poster has spaces to record the person’s name, date of birth, place of birth, interesting facts, reasons of importance and character traits. They then draw a portrait of their individual.

2. My Life in Pictures: A Scrapbook Biography Project

To complete this biography, activity the student will take on the role of the individual they are studying. The student can either draw illustrations or print and attach photos highlighting important parts of the individual’s life. The student then writes captions. This biography report is so much more fun than writing an essay and more pages can be added as enrichment.

3. Top-Down Topic Web

This graphic organizer shows the relationships to the main idea and details. They represent main ideas in a hierarchy. These research-based tools help the students to comprehend what they have read because it organizes ideas in a systematic, visual graph.

4. The Important Book Biography Activity

The Important Book is a great book for teaching students about writing patterns. This activity was modeled after the format of that book and was designed to encourage students to identify key, important facts about the person they are studying. It makes a great bulletin board display.

5. Body Biography

A Body Biography project is a combination of artwork and writing. The packet includes a poster to use as directions or to display with the students’ completed biography projects. They complete sections such as a speech bubble with a quote by the individual, a thought bubble to show what they have thought about, shoes labeled with places the person has been, a heart filled with character traits. They then draw objects in the hands that relate to the person and create a background that tells the viewer more about the historical figure.

6. Timeline Biography Report

Unlike a lengthy written report, this is a creative way to showcase important events in the person’s life. Students identify key moments and tell about them in words and pictures. They are added to a foldable accordion booklet in sequential order.

7. I AM Poem

An I AM Poem is typically completed as an autobiography. I also have my students do one about themselves to learn more about them. The format is also great for showing what they know about a person they have learned about. The students take on the role of that person to write the poem in the first person.

5 Reasons Why Teachers Love It

Below are 5 reasons why teachers love using this resource for teaching biographies.

1. These biographies activities are high-interest for students, so they’ll be motivated to learn through reading and researching.
2. This comprehensive resource includes differentiated materials, so all you will be able to meet all of your students’ needs and your students will feel successful.
3. This print and go resource will save you lots of time planning and prepping.
4. Your principal, colleagues and school librarian will be impressed by the creative methods of sharing learned information and the integrated learning that takes place.
5. The resources can be used with an biography study and be used over and over again.

How to Implement it in Your Classroom

It’s part of our social studies curriculum and technically it is a study of Massachusetts Biographies, but we began learning about the genre with a mini-study of Martin Luther King Jr.

I read several picture books and the students buddy read a free printable reader from A to Z.

We created a top-down web listing information that we learned about MLK.

Then I read The Important Book by Margaret Wise Brown, and the students completed an activity I created for my biography packet that was inspired by the book. They used the same format as Brown’s book to compose their own version, “The important thing about Martin Luther King Jr. is…”

Finally, each of my friends made a portrait of MLK using the directions from TLC. They came out crazy cute. I hung each of them up even though I’ll probably take them down and send them home soon. They were just too adorable not to display.

Today, we did another activity (The I Am Poem) from the biography activities packet and a craftivity to go with it. I really feel like I am able to get to know my students on a completely different level through projects like these. They really open up and share such sweet ideas and insight into who they are.

3. Biography Picture Books

Belo are 4 high-quality biography children’s books for elementary students.

1. Martin’s Big Words by Doreen Rappaport

Martin’s Big Words by Doreen Rappaport is a nonfiction picture book that teaches children about the life and dream of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Students will learn what life was like for Martin growing up and how he became a leader in the fight for equal rights.

Throughout the book, the author includes actual quotes from Martin Luther King Jr. This book explains how Martin Luther King Jr. encouraged people to use their words to make change and the impact he had on the country. This story follows Martin all the way from childhood through the end of his life.

I liked this book so much I added it to my Starts With a Story collection! Grab these Martin’s Big Words activities to deliver a highly engaging and purposeful interactive read aloud!

2. The Story of Ruby Bridges by Robert Coles

The Story of Ruby Bridges details the struggles that six-year old Ruby Bridges endured when she was chosen to attend an all-white, segregated school as a black girl.

All of the other students’ parents pulled their children out of school because of her, and so she was forced to attend class all alone. She was escorted by U.S. Marshalls every morning, as she had to listen to jeers and insults being thrown at her while she was entering the school.

Despite these hardships, Ruby’s courage through non-violent actions did so much for the civil rights movement, and later that year, two white boys started to attend school with her. This inspirational true story teaches children that, no matter what age you are, anyone can be a trailblazer for change.

I liked this book so much I will be adding it to my Starts With a Story collection! Grab these The Story of Ruby Bridges activities to deliver a highly engaging and purposeful interactive read aloud!

3. The Girl Who Thought in Pictures: The Story of Temple Grandin by Julia Finley Mosca

The story The Girl Who Thought in Pictures follows the life of Temple Grandin. The story starts off with Temple being born, and the doctors thinking that she needed to be sent away because she was different. Temple liked to watch things spin, did not like loud noises or crowds, anything that was itchy, or big squeezy hugs. She also did not talk until she was three. Temple got diagnosed with Autism. Her mom said that Temple was “different, not less.”

When Temple goes to school, the children there would tease her relentlessly. One day, Temple’s mom thinks that it would be better for Temple to stay on her aunt’s ranch. There, Temple finally feels comfortable and explores ways to help animals. Temple goes to college and gets three degrees! Now she travels the world giving speeches and spreading hope. She spreads the message that the world needs brains of all kinds.

I liked this book so much I added it to my Starts With a Story collection! Grab these The Girl Who Thought in Pictures activities to deliver a highly engaging and purposeful interactive read aloud!

4. Planting Stories: The Life of Librarian and Storyteller Pura Belpre by Anika Denise

The sixth picture book on the list of books that are great for teaching biographies is Planting Stories. It is a biographical picture book about Pura Belpre, who was the first Puerto Rican Librarian in New York City. When she started working the library, she realized that there weren’t any of the stories and folktales that she was familiar with in Puerto Rico. She decides to share her stories during story hour and through puppet shows, and eventually publishes a book.

Pura travels across the country and from classroom to classroom planting her story seeds and educating about her homeland. When she returns to the library, she sees that her story seeds have bloomed and everyone is telling her stories. Students will love learning about Pura and how she shared her stories with children everywhere.

I liked this book so much I added it to my Starts With a Story collection! Grab these Planting Stories activities to deliver a highly engaging and purposeful interactive read aloud!

The post Teaching Biographies To Elementary Students (Grades 1-5) in 2024 appeared first on Clutter-Free Classroom | by Jodi Durgin.