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September 2008, Vol. 2

	Dear Teacher, Enjoy the cooling weather and the lovely colors of turning leaves as autumn begins (September 23). Art projects, science experiments, and poetry activities are great ways to mark the changing season. This Columbus Day (October 13), make sure your students know what really happened when Columbus reached American soil. Read an article that dispels the myth of Columbus's "discovery" of America. Use literature to see another side of the fateful voyage, and learn about the ships that were involved. Take advantage of students' love of Halloween, pumpkins, and witches with our fun activities and games. Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15 to Oct. 15) with printables, lessons, and activities. Students can make South American instruments, learn Spanish phrases, and teach literature about Latino characters. Parent-Teacher conferences are an excellent opportunity for you to establish a lasting relationship with parents. We've outlined questions to ask, topics to discuss, and other helpful tips for a successful conference. Best Wishes, The Editors of TeacherVision.com FEATURED THEMES Autumn Commemorate the beginning of the fall season with these activities and lessons. Favorite Autumn Activities Slideshow (K-8) Autumn Leaf Art Projects Fall Acrostic Poem Fall Holiday Contract (Grades 1-3) As Soon As It's Fall Poetry Pack What and When Is Fall? Synonym and Antonym Acorns Flower and Leaf Press Leaf Exchange Program Fall Haiku Pumpkin Seed Snack "Seasons" Sneak Preview Slideshow Fall Similes Signs of Fall Autumn Veggies and Fruits Classroom Tree Bulletin Board Seasons Printable Book More Autumn Resources Columbus Day Teach your students America's history this Columbus Day (October 13). Favorite Columbus Day Activities Slideshow Columbus Day Printable Book (2-5) Columbus's First Voyage to the New World The Discovery of America Columbus Discovers a New World Columbus Day Printable Book (6-8) Columbus Day - Four Voyages Columbus Word Search Who Writes History? The Story of Columbus Day Columbus's Magic Sail Columbus Wasn't First Columbus Sails the Ocean Blue Pedro's Journal Explorers' Ship Explorers Word Search Columbus Day More Columbus Day Resources Halloween You can integrate these Halloween resources into any of your classes to enhance cross-curricular study for all grade levels. Favorite Halloween Activities Slideshow, Grades K-8 Favorite Halloween Games Slideshow, Grades K-8 Favorite Books for Halloween in the Classroom Halloween Printable Book (K-2) Halloween Costume Patterns & Accessories (K-12) Fill-In Story: A Scary Halloween Halloween Printable Book (3-5) Hands on the Pumpkin Halloween Hink Pinks The Witch's Wart Find the Pumpkins Wilma Witch's Party Peter Peter Pumpkin Estimator The Little Green Witch Coloring Page Five Pumpkins More Halloween Resources Hispanic Heritage Month All of our free, printable graphic organizers allow students to drill down to the basic points and ideas. Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Famous Figures with Hispanic Heritage Making a Piñata The Biggest Tortilla The House on Mango Street Spanish Word Book Traditional Circle Game from Puerto Rico Hispanic Rhythmic Patterns and Drums English Words Created by Spanish Culture Dora the Explorer: Weather Activity (Spanish) Team Teaching Spanish Puerto Rican Folk Tale Spanish Vocabulary Challenge: Alphabet Changes Mexican-American Mariachi Music Making Panpipes More Hispanic-Heritage Resources TEACHING TOOLS Parent-Teacher Conferences These printable teaching tools will help you organize your lessons for back to school and the rest of the academic year. Parent-Teacher Conferences: Before, During, and After Parent Conference Considerations Tips for a Successful Parent-Teacher Conference Parent-Teacher Conferences: Five Important Questions Advice for Parent-Teacher Conferences Conference Documentation Form Parent-Teacher Communication Advice from Veteran Teachers Conference Thank-You Tips from Veteran Teachers on Dealing with Parents Teacher-Parent Collaboration Ideas Slideshow More Parent-Teacher Conference Resources				Advice from Veteran Teachers   Are you new to teaching this year? Don't worry – we have plenty of advice to get you into the swing of things. Classroom Organization Tips Slideshow General Advice for Teachers Slideshow Lesson Planning Advice from Veteran Teachers Behavior Management Tips for the Classroom Classroom Organization Tips from Veteran Teachers Time Management Tips for Teachers Helpful Bits of Advice from Veteran Teachers More Advice from Veteran Teachers   Elections Get your students involved in the historic – and fascinating – presidential election process this year. Read biographies of Barack Obama and John McCain, host a mock election, or play with presidential trading cards. Research Papers   Your secondary students will appreciate this advice on how to write an effective research paper. Establish Your Topic Look for Sources Take Notes Organize Your Ideas Write a First Draft Use Footnotes and Endnotes How to Write a Bibliography Revise the First Draft Proofread the Final Draft More on Writing Research Papers   Widgets Check out our new widgets! Use these applications on your website or personalized homepage. With these widgets, you can get a new printable math or language arts activity every day of the year! They're a great way to get your students "warmed up" for class time. World Space Week   For World Space Week (October 4-10), introduce your students to the solar system, constellations, and other aspects of astronomy. Reading Comprehension: The Moon Zodiac Constellations Astronomy Printable Book (K-4) Build a Scale Model of the Solar System Solar System Trading Cards The Earth Is Tilted Science Fun: Telescope Puzzle Science and Technology: Observing Space More Space Sciences   Timely Topics   Emancipation Proclamation Issued (September 22, 1862) Bill of Rights Created (September 25, 1789) Rosh Hashanah (September 29) Kids' Good Manners Month (September) Library Card Sign-Up Month (September) Sputnik I Launched into Orbit (October 4, 1957) World Teacher's Day (October 5) National Fire Prevention Week (October 5-12) Child Health Day (October 6) Columbus Day (October 13) World Food Day (October 16) Thomas Edison Invented Lightbulb (October 21, 1879) Rosa Parks Died (October 24, 2005) Make a Difference Day (October 25) National Organization for Women Founded (October 29, 1966) Halloween (October 31) Computer Learning Month (October) School Safety Month (October) More September Events More October Events