Lesson Plans Archives

Encouraging Summer Reading

Summer break is a time for children to finally relax and enjoy a break from school. However, educators know that students still need to continue learning and practicing skills – especially reading. During the summer months, it’s easy for kids to forget what they’ve learned during the school year, which can lead to a difficult start when school resumes in the fall. However, getting students to pick up a book isn’t always easy, so I’m sharing some strategies for boosting summer reading in your school. Create a Fun Reading Challenge A reading challenge is a great way to motivate students to read over the summer. You could create a simple challenge where students need to read a certain number of books, or you could get creative and design a scavenger hunt-style challenge that requires students to read books of different genres or on specific topics. Make the challenge engaging

5 Figurative Language Activities for the Library

Figurative language can be one of the hardest concepts for students (especially the younger grades) to understand. In order to understand and use figurative language, students have to be able to move past the concrete. Which is why it’s super important that students are exposed to it often. These figurative language activities will help you make figurative language accessible to young students and make bringing figurative language into your library a piece of cake. I want to share a bit about why figurative language is important, plus how you can incorporate these simple Figurative Language Worksheets and Posters into your library. What is figurative language? Figurative language is using ordinary sentences in a way that differs from the original meaning. Oftentimes what is said is not really what is meant, which is why it can throw students for a loop. For example, you might say, “I said that a

Activities to Help Students Understand Why Citations Are Important

An age-old question students have is, “Why are we doing this?” Students have asked that question for decades before us, and they will continue to ask well into the future. Luckily, there is a simple answer to why citations are important. In the digital age we live in, it’s absolutely critical to understand copyright and plagiarism. Citations are important whether students are writing a paper and need to cite evidence, or when using music for a presentation. Each of these areas comes with its own rules and regulations for copyright. Why Citations are Important Citations are important because they protect people’s work. When we cite a work correctly, we are giving credit to the owner or creator of that work. Being fair is something students are often naturally passionate about, so help bridge that connection for students. When we cite = we are being fair. In order to appropriately

Must-Have Activities for Teaching Internet Safety to Kids

The internet is a double-edged sword. It’s filled with useful information. We have knowledge and power at our fingertips, and there is a lot of good it can do for the world. But, the internet is also dangerous and scary. There are dark corners of the internet where harmful things lurk. How can we keep our students safe? If you ever use technology in your classroom, it’s imperative that you teach internet safety for kids. What does internet safety mean? Internet safety for kids can mean a wide variety of things, from protecting passwords to not having access to inappropriate content. Essentially, internet safety is about protecting the student (and also equipment) from potentially dangerous content. When teaching internet safety, especially to young students, it might feel a little awkward. How do I explain that the internet can be a dangerous place? However, with younger students, you don’t need

5 Christmas Around the World Activities for Elementary Students

As Christmas approaches, you might be on the search for resources and activities to keep students engaged. Let’s face it – the holidays can bring about lots of distractions! Students are looking forward to vacations, presents, and sleeping in. So, why not bring the fun and celebrate the holidays. That’s why I love using Christmas around the world activities. What is Christmas Around the World? People around the world have different traditions they associate with Christmas. With Christmas around the world activities, students can explore different cultures, traditions, foods, and more. It’s a great way to bring together literary and social studies skills. Christmas Around the World Activities Luckily, planning your Christmas around the world activities doesn’t have to be challenging. And once you nail down a few favorites, you can use them year after year. 1. Read Alouds An easy way to bring different Christmas traditions to your

10 Tips on Classroom Management for Librarians

As a librarian, you might find yourself sitting in PD sessions on classroom management or reading books thinking, “This doesn’t apply to me!” As a librarian, we interact with students in a unique way, and the same classroom management techniques that work for classroom teachers might not work for us. However, I’ve compiled tips on classroom management for librarians that I’ve seen success with. You’ll find that you can use these strategies whether you see students multiple times a week or even sparingly. You can also use them no matter the size of your library, or your access to resources! 1. Mystery Student This is one of my favorite techniques because you don’t need an involved system or even an explanation. For example, you might say, “I have a mystery student. Do you know who it is? This person is quietly reading their book.” When you say this, you’ll

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Encouraging Summer Reading

5 Figurative Language Activities for the Library

Activities to Help Students Understand Why Citations Are Important

Must-Have Activities for Teaching Internet Safety to Kids

5 Christmas Around the World Activities for Elementary Students

10 Tips on Classroom Management for Librarians

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