Tuesday, October 11, 2011

School Daze, School Daze II

By Edmund Dulac, 1906

In my bi-monthly newsletter I offer a variety of curriculum resources connected to the particular theme for that issue. I have collected and categorized all of them from November 2008 to September 2011 below. I hope this will make it easier for you to find something to use in your teaching or storytelling work.

You will find a second blog post with additional curriculum resources at this link as well.
http://tinyurl.com/4xsaw5k .

If
 you would like to subscribe to my free newsletter you may do so here
http://storybugnewsletter.blogspot.com/ and also access the archives.




"The job of an educator is to teach students to see vitality in themselves."
     ~Joseph Campbell

AFRICA

A-Z Teacher Stuff – Many wonderful lessons plans to highlight African American culture and achievements.
http://tinyurl.com/23vqevc 
Education World - Activities Celebrate Achievements of African Americans
http://tinyurl.com/22lnxzl 

APPLES


ARBOR DAY

Arbor Day.org - The official site with everything to help you support and share this important day. http://www.arborday.org/

ASIAN HERITAGE MONTH

Scholastic.com - Lesson plans from K-12.
http://tinyurl.com/dkblzk


Edsitement - Take a trip to Asia with lesson plans and lesson plans on haiku, the Chinese Zodiac, Angkor Wat, haiku, the Chinese zodiac,and more. http://tinyurl.com/dztsey

AUTUMN

Autumn Activities and Lesson Plans -While your students enjoy the glorious colors of fall guide them through the scientific “reason for the season” with this free downloadable pdf file. From Teacher Vision for grades K-6.http://tinyurl.com/y95w4sh

Autumn Leaves Curriculum Connections
http://tinyurl.com/434r2xr

Education World – Wonderful resources on fall, pumpkins, weather, apples and more.
http://tinyurl.com/lshqcj

Pumpkin Folktale Reading Lesson Plan
http://tinyurl.com/3q4jxfx
Pumpkin Unit for Grade Two – Many, many links to bring a patch of pumpkins into the classroom
http://mrscjacksonsclass.com/pumpkins.htm 
Scarecrow, Scarecrow – From Kinder Korner – Extension activities, songs, book suggestions and more on scarecrows and all things related to autumn.
http://www.kinderkorner.com/scarecrow.html 

BEES

Honey Bees and Cultural Attitudes -
Grades: 4-6 Essential Skills: Literature, Language Arts, Social Studies Students explore how honey bees are portrayed in art and literature. It also offers a comprehensive and age appropriate bibliography at the end.
http://ag.arizona.edu/pubs/insects/ahb/lsn25.html
 

BIRDS

For the Birds – Science lesson plan on the characteristics of birds for K – 2.
http://www.arlingtonecho.org/pdf_files/forbirdsK.PDF 


BLACK HISTORY


Black History - Past to Present: An Interactive Treasure Hunt – Your students will learn a lot by reading interesting articles then answering the questions. There are a number of resource links to help your students along the way.
http://tinyurl.com/y9rd7wh
LessonPlansPage.com - Black History Month Numerous lesson plans and teacher’s resources. 
http://tinyurl.com/dy2wxk 
Mr. Donn.org - A wonderful offering of lesson plans on African-American history.
http://tinyurl.com/azff64 

BUTTERFLIES

Hummingbird Educational Resources - So many things, lesson plans, crafts, recipes, and songs about butterflies, you will be fluttering around the room in no time at all!
http://tinyurl.com/c7x569


CHICKENS

Chicken Facts

http://tinyurl.com/445hlb5
Teach Kids With Chickens

CHILDREN’S DAY

Enchanted Learning - May 5 is Children’s Day or Kodomo no hi (Koh-doh-moh-noh-hee) in Japan and this site offers cultural information to share with your students, complete with interactive Japanese folktales the children can read, quizzes and games.
http://tinyurl.com/cgzlyz

CHINA

China Word Search http://tinyurl.com/35cspxe 
Education World - Celebrate the Year of the Rabbit
http://tinyurl.com/32xxno3

Chinese New Year 2010 - Year of the Tiger for Southeast Asians & other newcomers in California’s classrooms. This pdf file from California is chock full of information, proverbs and stories to help you safely navigate the year of the tiger.
http://tinyurl.com/yc6e54x
Chinese New Year - Ring in the new year with crafty fun! Lanterns, tangrams, dragon puppets and more. 
http://tinyurl.com/3tbu3p 

The Teacher’s Corner - Chinese New Year Lesson Plans and Activities.http://tinyurl.com/97m5ab  
Chinese Moon Festival Lesson Plan
 Expose your students to the Chinese Festival and learn about its history and culture. For grades 1- 4.
http://tinyurl.com/2vakv3l
 
Chinese Moon Festival Worksheets - "Teach about the moon legends, like how the Moon Goddess came to be with her husband, the archer; about the Jade Rabbit and Moon Cakes! The Chinese Moon Festival Worksheets are great for a Chinese Moon Festival Theme Unit!"
http://tinyurl.com/2faa2d2 

Lions, Dragons, and Nian: Animals of the Chinese New Year
-
Wonderfully inclusive lesson plan on the Chinese Spring Festival and eastern and western dragons associated with the Chinese New Year.
http://tinyurl.com/6szu7n
 
The Teacher’s Corner - Chinese New Year Lesson Plans and Activities. http://tinyurl.com/97m5ab  

CHRISTMAS

Christmas Language Arts Plan - For Grades 3 - 8
http://tinyurl.com/6omuop
 

CINCO DE MAYO

Mexico for Kids - There’s something here for everyone; fun and useful information on the various indigenous cultures, music, traditions, myths and stories.
http://www.elbalero.gob.mx/index_kids.html


DLTK.COM - Mexico Word Search and a fun song to teach to the children.
http://www.dltk-kids.com/world/mexico/song.htm


CRANBERRIES

All ‘Bout Cranberries - A comprehensive cranberry curriculum for grades K-8 covering many aspects of cranberry growing and takes the user on a journey from the Cranberry Bog to the Kitchen Table. It is designed to give students an appreciation of Massachusetts number one food crop through problem solving and thought provoking activities.


DIWALI

Diwali - Hindi New Year
Grades 4 to 6.
http://tinyurl.com/cl45j

DOGS

National 4-H Curriculum Learn all you need to know to keep your favorite dog in tip top shape!
http://4-h.org/d/Pages/Layouts/dog.html 

EARTH DAY

Field Trip Earth - A global resource for teachers, students and wildlife proponents offering folktales, educator resources, essays and information on conservation projects around the world.
http://tinyurl.com/cnmfkw
 
Planet Pals.com - This is a colorful, fun and information filled website on all things Earth: Lesson plans and activities for both teachers and parents, the history behind Earth Day, coloring pages, puzzles, clip art and so much more.
http://www.planetpals.com/index.html

EDGAR ALLEN POE

Lesson plans to complement the works of Edgar Allan Poe.
For grades 9-12 - http://tinyurl.com/yelpp64
For grades 6-12 - http://tinyurl.com/ydfp93u
For grades 6 -8 - http://tinyurl.com/y9agcyf

EGGS

The Talking Eggs Study Guide – This guide is connected to the book by Robert San Souci, an adaptation of the Creole folktale.
http://www.rsansouci.com/pages/studyguides/talkingstudy.htm


Egg Theme Unit Elementary Reading Lesson Plan - Integrated Reading and Elementary Science Activity – How Eggs Hatch
http://tinyurl.com/4lsoatg
 

Egg Theme Unit – Elementary Science Lesson Plans 
http://www.suite101.com/content/egg-theme-unit-elementary-science-lesson-plans-a98126 


EGYPT

Egyptian Fun Guide
 Learn about the pyramids, hieroglyphics and more. 
http://tinyurl.com/ovabg 


FARMS

The Kind Tiger and the Truthful Cow: Folk Discourse in Oral and Written Literature
  This issue of the Electronic Journal of Folklore offers an interesting discussion but there are also examples of stories sprinkled throughout.
http://www.folklore.ee/folklore/vol14/pdf/tiger.pdf

The Teacher’s Guide – On the Farm
 Lesson plans, whiteboard resources, print outs, crafts, recipes and clip art.
http://www.theteachersguide.com/onthefarm.htm

FLAG DAY

The Betsy Ross Story
-
 Truth or Legend This lesson plan targets the Arts & Humanities and Social Studies for grades 3-12.
http://tinyurl.com/dzcmlh

Stars and Stripes Forever: Flag Facts for Flag Day - “Did you know that the original Pledge of Allegiance did not contain the phrase "of America"? In 1923, the words were added to avoid confusion among immigrants as to which country they were pledging their allegiance!” Your students will learn this and much more with this lesson plan on Betsy Ross from Edsitement.neh.gov.
http://tinyurl.com/ceyr2f

The Betsy Ross Homepage - Learn the history of the flag and tour her home, all without leaving your seat.
http://www.ushistory.org/betsy/index.html

FLOWERS


Flower Facts and Trivia 
Add some interesting trivia about flowers to your storytelling on classroom lessons plans.
http://www.angelfire.com/journal2/flowers/pcd11.html

Flowers in the Classroom - Grades 5 to 8 Language Arts: Legendary Flowers lesson plan including myths, folktales and legends of flowers.
The Teacher’s Guide: Plants and Flowers - Lots of lesson plans and ideas to keep the ideas blooming!

FROGS

All About Frogs for Kids and Teachers – Lots of information here: lesson plans, activities, crafts, games and more.
http://www.kiddyhouse.com/Themes/frogs/


Frog Life Cycle Quiz 
http://tinyurl.com/yg9vvsp

Some Strange but True Facts about Frogs and Toads
http://tinyurl.com/yf5enlu 

GINGERBREAD MAN

Gingerbread Man Theme Unit - Start the new school year off with the well-known folktale, The Gingerbread Boy. Here is everything you need to connect to all aspects of the curriculum for your wee ones.
http://www.kidzone.ws/thematic/gingerbread/index.htm


GRANDPARENTS

Grandparents Day Reading Material - These books may be found at your local public or school library. For your convenience, ISBN numbers, book reviews and related links have been provided on each detail book page.” http://tinyurl.com/ndte2k

GREECE

Mr. Donn.org
 - Everything you need to know about Greece and its people. http://greece.mrdonn.org/index.html


GROUNDHOG DAY
How Did the Groundhog Get a Day of His Own?
http://wilstar.com/holidays/grndhog.htm
Student Activity – Ground Hog Day Map
http://tinyurl.com/34z7vxo 
Groundhog Day Activity Sheet
http://www.bry-backmanor.org/actpag26.html
Groundhog Day Activity Sheet
http://www.bry-backmanor.org/actpag26.html

HALLOWEEN

Halloween Games for the Classroom
-
 “A collection of fun and educational Halloween games that build math and language skills for grades K-5. With Halloween-themed versions of games like tag, musical chairs, and “Pin the Tail on the Donkey,” you’ll teach your student’s math and language skills while still enjoying the holiday. Your students will think they’re playing but will be learning at the same time!” * Requires subscription to access full information.
http://tinyurl.com/ya4hn36

HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN

Edsitement Lesson plans and extensions for five of Hans Christian Andersen’s stories.
http://edsitement.neh.gov/lesson-plan/hans-christian-andersens-fairy-tales#sect-introduction

Discovery Education Mummy Tales for grade 6. Learn all about the mummies of Ancient Egypt. http://tinyurl.com/39ezn8q 

HANUKKAH

A Holiday Curriculum: How To Satisfy Educational Requirements Through Simple Holiday Activities - English Language Arts, Math and Science Activities.
http://www.homefires.com/curriculum/holiday.asp
 
Hanukkah Worksheets http://tinyurl.com/2wlnnez

HISTORIC PLACES

Teaching with Historic Places - Planning a historical storytelling program? The National Park Service site offers lesson plans categorized by location, theme and time period.
http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/twhp/descrip.htm
 

HOLIDAYS

December Holidays Around the World
-
 A wonderful lesson plan to mix in some multiculturalism as we step into the season.
http://tinyurl.com/5w6rju
 

The Gift of Holiday Traditions - Activity ideas for Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, and Christmas. http://tinyurl.com/6s3wtl 


ICEBREAKERS

Education World.com - Fourteen icebreakers to make the first day of school run smooth as silk. They would be fun to use throughout the year as well. http://tinyurl.com/272nqc
Kim’s Korner - Icebreakers and energizers to liven up the classroom!http://tinyurl.com/22st4s

ICE CREAM


ST. PATRICK'S DAY

Circle Time and Game Ideas for St. Patrick’s Day 
http://tinyurl.com/ygf8bj7

Literacy Ideas for St. Patrick’s Day 
– Site words, literacy tiles and more.
http://tinyurl.com/ylyhz9a 
Math Ideas for St. Patrick’s Day 
http://tinyurl.com/yjcecro
St. Patrick’s Day Activities
http://teachers.net/lessons/posts/325.html 

JAPAN

Japanese Folktales - Lesson Plans for K-8
http://tinyurl.com/btzck2 


Teacher’s Resource Guide - Japanese Art and Culture Outreach Kit - Although you may not be able to borrow the actual kit, there are many helpful curriculum ideas in this guide you may duplicate on your own. http://tinyurl.com/cby5p6 

JOHNNY APPLESEED

The Story of Johnny Applesee- Complemented by a Word Search for your students. http://tinyurl.com/ktbr6u 

KITES

Kites in the Classroom - The Drachen Foundation is committed to providing educational resources and programs for busy teachers. Kites can be a remarkably efficient teaching tool, allowing teachers to integrate many subjects-science and technology, reading, writing, social studies, visual arts, math-within a single lesson or sequence of lessons. http://www.drachen.org/kites_classroom.html

KWANZAA

Kwanzaa - Teacher Resources - While the title suggests that the only resources are for the celebration of Kwanzaa, there is also information and, crafts and lessons plans for Christmas, Hanukkah, winter and more.  http://tinyurl.com/6xj4nf 


LANGUAGE ARTS

ABC Teach - This link offers you a number of ideas and links for story writing prompts on a variety of subjects and age levels.
http://tinyurl.com/nhxn6h
 
Aesop and Ananse: Animal Fables and Trickster Tales Using these lesson plans students will “become familiar with fables and trickster tales from different cultural traditions and will see how stories change when transferred orally between generations and cultures.”
http://edsitement.neh.gov/view_lesson_plan.asp?id=240 An Irish Folktale to Teach Cause and Effect http://tinyurl.com/yg62kn9

Character and Action
Identification - Language Arts and Storytelling for K-2. 
http://tinyurl.com/36lz8bj
Education World.com - Lesson plans on Ten Characters from American Folkore. “Students learn about Pecos Bill, Daniel Boone, Johnny Appleseed, Paul Bunyan, John Henry, and five other characters from America's folk history.”
http://tinyurl.com/3xovo9
Exploring World Cultures Through Folk Tales - Students will gain an appreciation of other cultures as they read folktales from around the world; research the folk tale’s country of origin and present their story and research to the class.
http://tinyurl.com/lg7p6g

Fable Writing - Interdisciplinary Approach To Social Sciences – For grades 3 – 8. http://tinyurl.com/24snytv 
Fables and Trickster Tales From Around the World - From Edusitement, lesson plans, information and stories, everything you need to introduce your students to those globe-trotting tricksters, Anansi, Brer Rabbit, Fox, and Rabbit.
http://tinyurl.com/23trr

Fairy Tale Journey - Language Arts/Writing  “In this creative writing process, the student will assume the role of the main character in the fairy tale. The student will use fantasy to change the ending of a familiar fairy tale.” Grade 3-4.
http://tinyurl.com/2b4ttgr
Lesson Plans for teaching Aesop’s Fables 
http://www.webenglishteacher.com/aesop.html
 

Myth Writing Workshop -
 Award winning author Jane Yolen will help your student write a story that will explain a natural phenomenon using writing strategies and warm-up activities.
http://tinyurl.com/n81c

Once Upon a Time - Lessons for Teaching About Fables, Fairy Tales, Folktales, Legends, Myths,
Tall Tales.  

http://tinyurl.com/l6so6y/
Use Irish Folktales to Teach Reading Comprehension Skillshttp://tinyurl.com/yzottw8 
When Tortoise Wins the Day: Using International Folktales to Teach Language Arts - There is nothing slow about this resource! An amazing 44 page document filled with valuable information on using storytelling in the classroom for grade K – 8. Folktales, lesson plans, activities, and links, all you need to introduce storytelling to your students.
http://tinyurl.com/lna2ec 

MARCH

The Month of Marc
h -
 Preschool – K - To teach children about alphabet letters, the weather in March, spatial concepts, opposites and St. Patrick's Day.http://tinyurl.com/de3blu 

MARDI GRAS

LessonPlansPage.com
-
 Mardi Gras activities designed to help your students celebrate Mardi Gras, oriented around Pancake Day, known in many countries as "Shrove Tuesday". http://www.lessonplanspage.com/mardigras-htm#4

Folklife in Louisiana - This site offers a wide range of information on collecting local, folklore, exploring communities and traditions, adaptable lesson plans, and stories!http://tinyurl.com/cgythp 
Louisiana Voices - An Educators Guide to Exploring Our Communities and Traditions. http://tinyurl.com/crme4l 
Mardi Gras - Filled with information on the traditions of Mari Gras, included the Krewes, parade, the King Cake, music and more.
http://tinyurl.com/ygmsutc


MASSACHUSETTS

Massachusetts Day -
 February 6 celebrates my state so of course I have to include! Here is a comprehensive study unit to help you find your way around the Bay State, including my favorite, The Ladybug Story!
http://tinyurl.com/yeyoxp9

NATIONAL PARKS

The National Parks Service - Links to the Past - Brush up on your park history, cultural resources and programs for your summer venues. The website also offers information on grants and a helpful search engine. http://www.cr.nps.gov/

NATIVE AMERICAN


Wampanoag Culture and History Links - Geography, lifestyle and traditions, books and more. http://tinyurl.com/njqk6y

Wampanoag Indian Fact Sheet for Kids 
www.bigorrin.org/wampanoag_kids.htm

Learning to Give -
 Native American Lesson Plan for grades 9 – 12 in Arts, Language Arts, Library / Technology, Philanthropy and Social Studies. Includes numerous folktales to share.
http://learningtogive.org/lessons/unit226/lesson12.html

American Indian Leather Painting -
 For grades 5-6, students will create stories that resemble old Indian leather paintings. Students will tell a story using only pictures and drawing them in sequence so others can read the story back. http://tinyurl.com/6q8jjt


NEW YEARS

FatherTimes.net - From Armenia to Wales, songs, traditions and recipes associated with the New Year.
http://tinyurl.com/99yqs7
New Year’s Around the World - This unit covers five distinctly different New Year’s traditions.
http://ted.coe.wayne.edu/sse/units/newyr.htm


New Year Traditions Around the World -
 Do you ever wonder why a baby is the symbol of the New Year? Find out and make an easy connection to Greek Myths for your students.
http://tinyurl.com/35ez8
 

ORAL HISTORY

4 2 eXplore ~ Topic: Oral History - A wealth of web links on how to conduct interviews, projects with links to curriculum guides and projects dealing with Oral History. http://tinyurl.com/lh9n6p

PAUL BUNYAN

The Educator’s Reference Desk - Library Media Skills -A lesson plan that integrates library and classroom skills using the folktale of Paul Bunyan to assist students researching and telling the story using transparencies. http://tinyurl.com/4wlafm 

PILGRIMS

The Pilgrims Voyage: A Map and the Mayflower - This project teaches geography and history. The student makes a map of the voyage and a tiny replica of the Mayflower.
http://tinyurl.com/mauanx


RAMADAN

Learning Activities for Ramadan 
http://tj-ramadan.tripod.com/ramadanlearning.htm
 

Children’s Books with Muslim and Related Cultural Themes
http://www.rukhsanakhan.com/muslimbooklist/Muslimbooklist.pdf 

RECYCLING

America Recycles Day - Visit this site for ideas and information. http://www.americarecyclesday.org/

SPACE 


Cosmic Chats – Interviews with Former Astronauts
http://www.spaceday.org/media/documents/OtherResources.pdf

Solar System Printables
 – Word Search, Vocabulary, Crossword Puzzle and more.
http://homeschooling.about.com/od/freeprintables/ss/solarsysprint.htm

Space Day – Curriculum, history of flight timeline, games and more.
http://www.spaceday.com/ 

SPRING

Leap into spring with ABC Teach.com - Counting games, math facts, printables, word searches and more.
http://tinyurl.com/bqmmvc
 

TEACHING TOLERANCE

Anti-Bias Lesson Plans and Resources for K-12 Educators - A good place to start if you are planning a program or lesson on anti-bullying. Discussion guides, extension plans, statistics and an annotated bibliography of children’s fiction.
http://tinyurl.com/66kyjp


Race Bridges -
The artists associated with this organization are accomplishing amazing work and offer free lesson plans and resources. Take a moment to cross the bridge and envision a brighter world!
http://www.racebridges.net/

UNITED NATIONS DAY

Ten Ways to celebrate United Nation’s Day - Not every decoration that goes up during the month of October  is about Halloween.” Help you students and patrons gain a view of the world!
http://tinyurl.com/n8o6ff

VALENTINE’S DAY

Teachable Moments -
 A heart activity and story for February that can be adapted for any age. “It encourages students to consider the effect of “put-downs” and to think about how to express “put-ups.”
http://tinyurl.com/ybljjy2

Valentine’s Day Worksheets
http://tinyurl.com/24dk664 

New York Times: From the Heart
 - Grades 6-12: Students examine the history of Valentine's Day and the ways in which it is celebrated and criticized around the world. They then create their own symbols representing a universal message of love that may be accessible to all cultures. http://tinyurl.com/c4wykv 

Candy Heart Sentences - Grades 3-4
http://tinyurl.com/bhxltm
 
Conversation Heart Candy Math - Grade 2-3
http://tinyurl.com/d96a8m
 
Love Bug - Math, Science, and More Kindergarten
http://tinyurl.com/awn7df
 


WINTER

Ready for science? “Flakes of Snow” Crystals: Grade 2
http://tinyurl.com/yjc4grr
Cooperative Snowmen Bulletin Board - K-3
http://tinyurl.com/yze69yp

What do animals do in winter? 
Help your students find out! Grade 2-3.
http://tinyurl.com/yk6447w

Snow Crystals.com - We are told no two snowflakes are alike, but now you can see just how different these remarkable gifts of nature truly are. This site is a wonderful addition to any math or science program. http://tinyurl.com/7j45 
Lesson Plan for The Twelve Months - Elementary to Junior High
http://tinyurl.com/6rou75
 

Winter and Children’s Literature Carol Hurst’s Literature site offers a plethora of book suggestions to warm our thoughts through the cold winter nights. There are also complementary weblinks for educators and children.
http://tinyurl.com/8flyjg


WOMEN

Winter and Children’s Literature Carol Hurst’s Literature site offers a plethora of book suggestions to warm our thoughts through the cold winter nights. There are also complementary weblinks for educators and children.
http://tinyurl.com/8flyjg


WOMEN

Distinguished Women of Past and Present This is truly an amazing site! The stories and additional links offer new insights into the remarkable contributions women have made throughout history categorized by subject matter or name. You could spend a century here and not finish!
http://www.distinguishedwomen.com/ 



WRIGHT BROTHERS

Two Brothers and a Dream
 - Interesting information on these two famous brothers, Orville and Wilbur Wright, including a video with one of the museum curators. 
http://tinyurl.com/2u3amao

Teaching With Historic Places – Activities, maps, images and supplemental materials about the Wright Brothers and their journey.
http://tinyurl.com/3a5y33c



Additional curriculum links and resources may be found at these two links:

School Daze, School Daze
http://tinyurl.com/4xsaw5k
Teaching ToolsResources collected through the years and placed on my website: 
http://www.storybug.net/links/teaching.html  


This blog post was painstakingly researched and compiled by Karen Chace. Permission for private use is granted. Distribution, either electronically or on paper is prohibited without my expressed written permission. For permission please contact me at storybug@aol.com. Of course, if you wish to link to my newsletter via your website, blog, newsletter, Facebook page or Twitter please feel free to do so; I greatly appreciate your support and personal integrity.