Teaching my students about weather and the water cycle is one of the most exciting topics! It's fascinating to explore how the weather changes daily. I love teaching weather because it allows us to get outside and explore nature. I also enjoy seeing my students pay closer attention to their environment. But, you may wonder what some excellent activities for teaching weather? You just go ...
The Simply STEAM Blog
Lapbooks-Three Surprising Reasons Why I Love Them
Have you ever heard of lapbooks? Lapbooks are my favorite way to teach new units to my students, and they’re super easy to do! You can use a file folder or a large sheet of construction paper, scissors, and glue. We use interactive notebook pieces to take notes and record our learning. There are many reasons why lapbooks are helpful for our students, but today I’m going to share the three reasons ...
How to Prep Simply STEAM Math and Grammar Games
I love using grammar and math games for my literacy and math centers because they provide focused practice with a routine. I also love the organization of these games. One thing I do not like - is prepping. I want to give you some tips on how to prep Simply STEAM math and grammar games. I hope it is as simple and easy as possible for you. Nothing startles me more than hearing from teachers ...
Easy Valentine Bag Idea
I'm so excited because February is here, which means it's almost Valentine's Day! I love celebrating Valentine's Day in the elementary classroom because it is unique. You'll want this easy Valentine bag idea, and I'll share that in a bit. Valentine's Day is a day where we get to celebrate friendships, our loved ones, and focus on being kind. Now, don't get me wrong, it can be a little ...
Academic Vocabulary: Why It’s Important & Tips for Teaching
Recently, my son brought me some homework that got under my skin. For math, it said, “Regroup (or take it to the bank). The “take it to the bank” statement made me crazy! As teachers, we’re trying to find ways to teach new academic vocabulary with examples, but there’s a problem when the example replaces the vocabulary. Sometimes the examples replace the actual vocabulary word. Doing so ...
22 Fun Activities For Celebrating Two’s Day
February is a special month because there are two days to celebrate the number two! One of those days falls on a "Two's Day." They are on February 2, 2022, and February 22, 2022. Now, I've always enjoyed 2-22 because it's my parent's anniversary, but now it's even more fun because the year lines up with the month and the day. Another fun reason to celebrate 2-22-22 is that it falls on a ...