How To Teach Kids » Holidays/Special Days

Constitution Day

Teacher Tips — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 01:32:45 +0000

Constitution Day is required by Federal law (Public Law 108-447) to be celebrated by all publicly funded educational institutions on September 17th, the day that the Constitutional Convention signed the Constitution in 1787. Before this law was enacted in 2004, the holiday was known as “Citizenship Day”. Now, it’s known as “Constitution Day and Citizenship Day” to be exact, and this holiday also recognizes those who have become U.S. citizens.

Here is a great assortment of activities and links to videos, lesson plans, games, words to rap, a slide show, a timeline, and informational sites:

Download a Constitution Day video to make a DVD for your classroom or school assembly (or show online). Video features kids from elementary school through high school. Great video!
Art Activity: For young students, paint large flags using long horizontal stokes that cross midline and use ab pattern for stripes. For students a little older, do the same but count the 50 stars and 13 stripes as well as pattern and write a sentence or sentences (i.e. This is my flag.) using proper punctuation.
Create a constitution for the class listing the class rules, and have all the students, the teacher and any aides sign it.
Constitution Day, Sept. 17th
Make a Boston Tea Party booklet. Free printable booklet tells the story of the Boston Tea Party for grades 1-3.
Ben’s Guide to U.S. Government for Kids: Games & Activities for grades K-2.
Constitution Games, Lessons, & Activities for all grade levels.
Lesson Plans for Constitution Day for all grade levels.
Constitution Day Ideas
Constitution Day Free Lessons to Download for all grade levels.
The Bill of Rights Match Game for Elementary Level or Secondary Level.
Constitution Day Rap to download (listed under grades 1 & 2). After downloading, go to page 11 for the rap.
Educator & Student Resources for Constitution Day
‘A More Perfect Union’ Slide Show
Centuries of Citizenship: A Constitutional Timeline (available in Broadband version & Low Bandwidth version)
Bill of Rights Online Game
Hand Motions for memorizing the Preamble
Constitution Day Resources & Lessons for Middle and High School students.
Constitutional Fun Facts for kids. Great for older students.
Interactive Constitution for older students.
Constitutional Principles: Representative Government video for High School students.
The Founders’ Library: Thinking as a Founding Father Lesson Plans for High School students.
National Constitution Center Resources
The Bill of Rights
Printer-friendly Version of Amendments 11-27
Lesson for this standard: “Demonstrate understanding of the issues related to the creation and ratification of the United States Constitution and the new Government it established.”

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Happy Valentine’s Day from WordWorld: Free Downloads & Video

Teacher Tips — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 22:25:42 +0000

Our whole family loves WordWorld! We were first introduced to it when our daughter and son-in-law let their baby start watching it when he was a year old. WordWorld was the only show or video he would watch. He loved it! And the great thing is that he started learning his alphabet, letter sounds, and started reading words from watching this excellent children’s educational programming.
WordWorld is wishing everyone a Happy Valentine’s Day! Here is their Valentine for you:

Valentine’s Day DVDs are available at Target, Toys R Us, Amazon & select retailers nationwide.

Watch “My Fuzzy Valentine” Monday, February 14th, on PBS KIDS. Check your local listings.

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Now Featuring: Make “Valentine’s Day Pouches” to Hold Cards & Treats

Teacher Tips — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 22:43:58 +0000

Christi at The Frugal Novice developed a simple craft for her young children. Check out her easy directions for making homemade Valentine’s Day pouches that are adorable! By the way, the cute little boy in the picture just happens to be our grandson!

Need more Valentine’s Day ideas? Check out these:

Valentine’s Day: Origin, Activities & Books for Children

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Science Fact: Difference Between Sweet Potatoes & Yams

Teacher Tips — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 23:59:11 +0000

Although sweet potatoes and yams are both flowering plants (angiosperms), they do not have a botanical relationship. Here are some facts from the Library of Congress:

Sweet potatoes have two embryonic seed leaves (dicot).
Yams have one embryonic seed leaf (monocot).
Sweet potatoes come from the Morning Glory family (Convolvulacea).
Yams come from the Yam family (Dioscoreaceae).
Sweet potatoes can be either firm or soft. The soft variety is what we call “yams” in the United States.
Yams are starchier and drier than sweet potatoes and are native to Africa and Asia.

Firm sweet potatoes were introduced in the U.S. before the soft variety. When the soft variety became available, they were called “yams” to differentiate between the two types. Today, the USDA requires that potatoes with the label of “yam” also have “sweet potato” on the label because they are really sweet potatoes and not yams.

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Now Featuring: Make a Candy Corn Wreath

Teacher Tips — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 01:16:24 +0000

Credit: Free pictures from acobox.com
Christi at Frugal Novice made the cutest Candy Corn Wreath with her two little boys. She found this project from Women’s Day. This is an excellent craft project for a family or for a class. If this is done with a class, two or three students could come up at a time and glue on their candy corn. Be sure and have extra candy corn for nibbling!

(By the way, Christi just happens to be our daughter, and the two little boys just happen to be our adorable grandsons!)

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Constitution Day, September 17

Teacher Tips — Sat, 25 Sep 2010 03:02:19 +0000

Credit: Free pictures from acobox.com
The Constitution begins with three famous words, “We the people,” and was signed on September 17, 1787 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was signed by the Founding Fathers and because of the Constitution, we enjoy many of the rights and freedoms we have today. Here are some interesting facts:

The first national Thanksgiving Day was originally created by George Washington to give thanks for the Constitution.
The U.S. Constitution is the oldest and shortest of all the national constitutions.
Benjamin Franklin was the oldest delegate. He was 81 years old at the time.
When Pearl Harbor was bombed, the Constitution was moved to Fort Knox for safekeeping. Now it is at the National Archives in Washington, D.C.
There have been 27 amendments to the Constitution out of the more than 11,000 that have been introduced in Congress.

Free Lesson Plans:

Lesson Plans for HS, MS, and Elementary
“Thinking as a Founding Father” Lesson Plan

Free Online Games:

Abraham Lincoln’s Crossroads Game
Bill of Rights Game
Headed to the White House (student runs for president)
Voting Rights Game
“Which Founding Father Were You?”

Free Online Materials:

Videos:

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Earth Day Activities

Teacher Tips — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 21:25:47 +0000

Here are a couple of resources from this site plus a Word World video clip and a story from Starfall about Earth Day that are available to help celebrate Earth Day this year. Just click on these four links:

Earth Day: Origin, Activities & Books for Children

Teaching About Earth Day – The Three “R’s”: Recycle, Reuse, & Reduce

WordWorld: A short video clip about Earth Day

Starfall: A story about Earth Day

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Easter Activities for Children

Teacher Tips — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 17:29:33 +0000

It’s easy and fun to make cupcakes that are inviting to eat. Just make your favorite cupcake recipe and frosting (or use canned). Start with white frosting and color part of it green for a “grass” effect since not everyone likes coconut (which can be dyed green for a real grass effect). Then top with your favorite Easter candies such as jelly beans, decorative marshmallow flowers on toothpicks, Easter sprinkles, etc.

Go here for more information about Easter: Origin, Activities and Books for Children on this site.

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St. Patrick’s Day Activities

Teacher Tips — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 23:17:21 +0000

If you’re wondering, “Why do we wear green on St. Patrick’s Day?” or “What is the origin of St. Patrick’s Day?” then you might want to read my post which is entitled St. Patrick’s Day: Origin, Activities & Books for Children.

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Valentine Books & Activities for Children

Teacher Tips — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 00:45:59 +0000

Here are a couple of reviews on Valentine’s Day books. For more info about Valentine’s Day on this site, go to Valentine’s Day: Origin, Activities & Books for Children

BOOK REVIEWS:

Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch by Eileen Spinelli. Good for ages 3-8. Story about how an anonymous Valentine card changes an unsociable man into a friend who wants to help his neighbors and also who appreciates them.
Roses are Pink, Your Feet Really Stink by Diane de Groat. Gilbert gives two not-so-nice Valentine cards and learns something about forgiveness.

CRAFTS:

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How To Teach Kids » Holidays/Special Days

Constitution Day

Happy Valentine’s Day from WordWorld: Free Downloads & Video

Now Featuring: Make “Valentine’s Day Pouches” to Hold Cards & Treats

Science Fact: Difference Between Sweet Potatoes & Yams

Now Featuring: Make a Candy Corn Wreath

Constitution Day, September 17

Earth Day Activities

Earth Day: Origin, Activities & Books for Children

Teaching About Earth Day – The Three “R’s”: Recycle, Reuse, & Reduce

WordWorld: A short video clip about Earth Day

Starfall: A story about Earth Day

Easter Activities for Children

St. Patrick’s Day Activities

Valentine Books & Activities for Children