The authors represent the life cycle of the butterfly through writing, drawing, dance, and math. The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) (NGSS Lead States 2013) emphasize college and career readiness as well as critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Students must develop a deep understanding of science concepts and engage in scientific…

Literature supports children's literacy growth in many ways. It helps children extend their understanding and clarify different situations in their lives, recognize and deal with feelings, and be more empathetic. Hands-on activities based on stories support children in giving shape to their thoughts. These creative activities not only empower the…

Teachers have the opportunity to capitalize on a vast array of real-world, two- and three-dimensional objects as they guide students in developing a conceptual understanding of geometric shapes. An important component of the NCTM Standards is to use teaching methodologies that engage children in making real-world connections to the mathematics…

Based on a first grade teacher's search for approaches to promote successful reading acquisition in her first grade classroom, the authors present a curricular engagement in which the teacher explored using music, specifically singing songs, as a fun and motivating way to accelerate reading progress. The premise is that singing (while at the…

Digital cameras are now commonplace in many classrooms and in the lives of many children in early childhood centres and primary schools. They are regularly used by adults and teachers for "saving special moments and documenting experiences." The use of previously expensive photographic and recording equipment has often remained in the…

This article features Sweet play math, a "math by the month" activity that involves decorating and making sugar cubes. Teachers may want to substitute straws, paper squares, alphabet blocks, or such commercially made manipulatives as Unifix[R] cubes for the real sweets. Given no allergy concerns, teachers and students alike would enjoy some sweet…

In this article, the author describes an exciting project, written for first-graders, wherein students got to put themselves into their art using a camera and just one computer. In this project, students were challenged to invent their own fantasy place where anything could happen. Using the camera, the author took their picture in their chosen…

The activity shared here is an animal role-playing lesson developed, field-tested, and refined for "Nature's Neighborhood", a newly designed children's education facility at the Toledo Zoo. The activity is targeted at students in kindergarten through second grade, but it can be adapted for use in grades three and four as well. Through…

This study explores how a project-based approach, based on gifted education pedagogy, was implemented in a public school program where the majority of students were from low-income families. The 2 first-grade teachers in this study were able to change their teaching practices to include more strategies commonly found in gifted programs such as…