Teachers Have Class! Issue #17/April 2011 April Teaching Resources and Ideas
Welcome to the 17th newsletter of Teachers Have Class from Unique Teaching Resources!
The free resources in this newsletter and my April/May/Spring web pages have a general spring theme to them. I have focused on images of flowers and nature in the majority of these resources, so many of these teaching resources can actually be used at different times of the school year, and not just during the spring. You can find a link to these pages at this bottom of this newsletter.
If you read my March newsletter, you will know that I attended a website owners conference in London during February. This led me to the ambitious goal of redesigning the layout and structure of my website. During the month of March, I spent a lot of time learning new software to help me design a new layout for my website. I will slowly be implementing these changes during the month of April.
I currently have around 200 different web pages on Unique Teaching Resources, so it will likely take me the entire month of April to switch over all over my pages.
During this transition phase, you will find some web pages in my old style (a star at top and blue borders on left and right) and some pages with my new format (shown here). Please be patient with me as I implement these changes. If you find a link that you click on does not take you to the right web page, I would appreciate it if you would write me a quick note to let me know. I will be testing each page before I make the switch, but I know that I will make a few mistakes along the way, and not catch them all.
Finally, I want to wish all of you a very happy, restful, and relaxing Spring Break. Be sure to give yourself a well deserved mental holiday as well!
When teachers return from their spring break, it is usually an intense time of the year: testing, report cards, wrapping up the school year, and starting to think about the upcoming school year. Enjoy your Spring Break!
Sincerely, Heidi McDonald
And now, for the April teaching resources part of my newsletter....
Special Reminder:
Reminder: The links to download the free teaching resources that are found in this edition of Teachers Have Class will only be available for 5 days.
After 5 days, the links to these free spring teaching resources will be removed. Then, I will post this newsletter on my website so that teachers who visit Unique Teaching Resources will be able to read old editions of Teachers Have Class.
Although teachers who visit my website can read all of the previous editions of my newsletter, I only provide these free monthly resources to the teachers who have signed up to receive Teachers Have Class. These free resources are my small way of thanking these teachers for their support and interest.
So, be sure to download your free April resources promptly!
Earth Day Stationery Set: April 22
Each month I provide a free stationery and worksheet set in my newsletter because many teachers are often looking for thematic worksheets for each month, especially for creative writing.
Below is my Earth Day Stationery Set and the link to download it. The title banner is 5 pages long, which you can assemble and use on your bulletin board display.
There are color and black and white copies of this stationery for you to choose from, and there are 7 printable PDF pages in this free Earth Day Stationery Set.
This spring stationery and worksheets set is in the shape of a turtle template. These turtle writing templates measure 10 inches in width and 6 inches in height.
This set includes a matching five page turtle bulletin board display banner (above).
This set includes color templates of a left and right facing turtle. You can use these color templates as examples to share with your students, or you could print out a color set of turtle templates for your students to write on. The left turtle template is shown below.
These turtle templates would be ideal to use for a short writing assignment, poetry, a science unit, or with a novel that has a turtle theme such as ESIO TROT by Roald Dahl or Yertle the Turtle by Dr. Seuss.
This Turtle Creative Writing Template set includes a first draft writing worksheet. The line spaces on the first draft worksheet match the line spaces on the final draft turtle templates.
This Turtle Creative Writing Template set includes black and white final draft turtle templates. I have designed left and right facing turtle templates so that your bulletin board display will have turtles walking in both directions.
This Turtle Creative Writing Template set includes 15 pages of turtle bulletin board accent pieces to use to help you in designing your bulletin board display.
There are 3 different sizes of turtles and 3 different colors of turtle accent pieces.
Do you want to provide your students with a colorful classroom display of an ABC letter line?
This ABC caterpillar display measures approximately 14 feet in length. This extra long classroom display looks great over the top of your chalkboard or whiteboard at the front of your classroom. You can design your ABC caterpillar classroom display to be straight across. You can also design your caterpillar to curve up and down, as if he is wiggling.
The caterpillar display is divided into 8 different colors: red, yellow, blue, orange, purple, pink, green, and brown.
April Calendar Set and Monthly Writing Prompt Ideas
Each month I provide a free calendar set in my newsletter. These free calendar sets could be displayed on a bulletin board or placed inside a pocket chart. Below each calendar set, you will find a list of writing prompts for that month that may spark a creative writing idea that you could use with your students.
Below is my April Calendar Set and the link to download it. The April title is a 2 page banner that should fit in most standardized monthly pocket charts that many teachers use. I have designed large April days of the week that you may find useful. The calendar number dates also fit in pocket charts, and I have included a blank square and a birthday square to use. There are 11 pages in this free PDF April Calendar Set.
April Writing Prompts: Are you looking for a creative list of writing prompts and journal ideas to use during the month of April?
Below, you will find a list of general April writing topics and a list of specific calendar dates for April with corresponding creative writing ideas and topics.
I have created this list of April writing prompts and ideas for elementary school teachers and students, but many of these creative writing ideas and topics would also be appropriate for other grade levels.
You will find April writing prompts below that contain underlined links. If you click on an underlined link:
You will be directed to another page on Unique Teaching Resources that contains detailed lesson plan ideas for this writing prompt idea.
You will be directed to another website that contains useful information related to this writing prompt idea.
Earth Day is April 22 and on this day I will help the Earth by …
I was a busy bee when …
I had a blooming great idea!
Bee Cool by …
What to do on a rainy day
The best thing about a rainy day
Walking in the rain is …
My favorite way to eat eggs is …
During spring break …
The storm
If it rained ___ …
The best part about Spring is …
Think about the water cycle and write why you think that rain is important for the Earth.
Many people do spring cleaning in April. Do you have a messy room, desk, or locker? What do you need to clean and organize this spring?
April Celebrations, Events, Holidays, and Dates in History:
Specific April Writing Prompts
National Poetry Month The first National Poetry Month was held in 1996. This month was created to celebrate and highlight poetry in education. The idea for creating this month was inspired by the success of Black History Month, held each February, and Women's History Month, held in March.
Keep America Beautiful Month April is Keep America Beautiful Month.
What are some ways that you can help keep your own community beautiful?
What is the most beautiful place that you have seen in America? Describe this place.
"America the Beautiful" is an American patriotic song. The lyrics were written by Katharine Lee Bates and the music was composed by Samuel A. Ward. Bates originally wrote the words as a poem. Ward's music combined with the Bates poem was first published in 1910 and was titled "America the Beautiful." This song is one of the most famous of the many American patriotic songs.
How do you think Katherine Bates would feel if she was alive today and saw some of the polluted areas, devastated forests, and other changes to our country?
Why do you think it is important to have National Parks? Have you ever visited a National Park? Write about a National Park that you have visited or a famous National Park.
Write about the best April Fool’s joke that you have played on someone, or write about a joke you would like to play on someone.
Remember that your joke must be safe and not hurt anyone’s feelings.
Week of April 2 International Children's Book Day is celebrated around April 2, which is Hans Christian Andersen's birthday. He was born in Odense, Denmark on April 2, 1805. Hans Christian Andersen is famous around the world for his fairy tales. In his lifetime, he wrote more than 150 fairy tales, which have been translated into over 100 languages. One of the highest prizes in children’s literature is the Hans Christian Andersen Award, and this international award is presented to one author and one illustrator every two years by Queen Margrethe II of Denmark.
What is your favorite fairy tale? Explain why.
Write a fairy tale set in modern day times.
Which book that you read this year would you present the Hans Christian Andersen Award to and why?
Have your students go to this website and write what they learned about Hans Christian Andersen from this website: http://andersenfairytales.com
April 3 The Pony Express began on April 3, 1860 and it only lasted for about 18 months. Its primary mission was to deliver mail and news between St. Joseph, Missouri, and San Francisco, California. This fast mail service had messages carried by horseback riders and it reduced the time for mail to travel between far away locations.
An advertisement for riders to join the Pony Express could have read as: “Wanted. Young, skinny, wiry fellows. Not over 18. Must be expert riders. Willing to risk death daily. Orphans preferred.”
The youngest Pony Express rider was 11 years old. Pretend that you are this 11 year old and write a letter to your family back at home describing your new job.
Describe how the delivery of mail has changed since 1860 to present day times.
April 12 April 12 is D.E.A.R. Day: Drop Everything and Read. On April 12, families are encouraged to take at least 30 minutes to put aside all distractions and enjoy books together. D.E.A.R. Day is a special reading celebration to remind and encourage families to make reading together on a daily basis a family priority. April 12 is the birthday of the children’s author Beverly Cleary. Beverly Cleary received many letters from students who enjoyed D.E.A.R. time at their school. D.E.A.R. time is when kids can read and enjoy the books they want, just for the pleasure of reading and with no questions asked! Children’s interest in and enthusiasm for this special reading activity inspired Beverly Cleary to give the same experience to Ramona Quimby, who gets to enjoy D.E.A.R. time with the rest of her class in Ramona Quimby, Age 8.
Start reading a book by Beverly Cleary to your students today and have them respond to the first section of the book that you read to them.
What book will you plan to read tonight with someone in your family?
Have your students visit Beverly Cleary’s web page and write a short biography about her. http://www.beverlycleary.com/
April 12 The first space shuttle was launched on April 12, 1981. The Columbia Space Shuttle was launched on April 12 and returned on April 14 after orbiting the Earth 36 times.
Pretend that you have just won the National Student Science Experiment and Invention Competition and the prize is to join the next group of astronauts on their space mission.
How will your science experiment or invention help the astronauts on their next mission?
April 21 April 21 is Kindergarten Day. Friedrich Froebel founded the first kindergarten in Germany in 1837.
Write about a memory that you have from kindergarten or about your kindergarten teacher.
Pretend that you are visiting a kindergarten today as a guest reader. What book will you bring with you to read to the kindergarten students? Explain why you selected this book.
April 22 April 22 is Earth Day. Earth Day is a day to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth's environment. Earth Day was a day founded by U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson as an environmental teach-in held on April 22, 1970.
What do you think is the Earth’s most serious environmental problem? What can children do to help?
Last Friday of April In 1970, President Richard Nixon proclaimed the last Friday in April as National Arbor Day in the United States. All 50 states celebrate Arbor Day, although the dates may vary in keeping with the local climate. The word arbor means tree, and for this holiday individuals and groups are encouraged to plant and care for trees.
Write an acrostic poem with the word ARBOR to express the importance on planting new trees.
This is a wonderful opportunity to read The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein to your students. If you are interested in teaching resources for The Giving Tree, click here to go to my web page that contains ideas and teaching resources for this book: http://www.uniqueteachingresources.com/Giving-Tree-Lesson-Plans.html
To celebrate trees and Arbor Day, have your students research and complete their own Family Tree. If you are interested in teaching resources for creating a Family Tree, click here to go to my web page that contains ideas and teaching resources for this activity: http://www.uniqueteachingresources.com/family-tree-lesson-plans.html
Click on one of the rainbows below to go to a specific category of Spring Teaching Resources:
Thank you for your interest in subscribing to my newsletter. Remember to download your free resources within 5 days of the date that it was sent.
Please be sure to check out the other pages on my website for a large variety of other teaching resources that will engage your students in learning and save you valuable time.
Sincerely, Heidi McDonald
Creator and Site Manager Unique Teaching Resources
P.S. My next newsletter will be my May Issue.
I plan to send out this newsletter around May 30, 2011.
Thank you for your interest in subscribing to my newsletter. Remember to download your free resources within 5 days of the date that it was sent.