Great Stuff for Teachers Newsletter

Archive | Subscribe | Newsletter Center

April 2009, Vol. 1

	Dear Teacher, Passover, the Jewish Festival of Freedom, begins at sundown on April 8. We have plenty of crafts, including an activity about the traditional Seder plate and recipes to make Kosher foods, that will help students learn more about this holiday. Earth Day – April 22 – is the perfect opportunity to spotlight recycling, "green" habits, and other ways to save our environment. We even have green classroom practices that will save you money! For Drug and Alcohol Awareness Month (April), focus on prevention. Showing students ways in which drug abuse harms their bodies and minds can be a powerful deterrent. Have students read literature about kids who have overcome drug problems and life's obstacles to illustrate how they can overcome peer pressure and make wise decisions. William Shakespeare was born April 23, 1564. Celebrate his 445th birthday by studying his life's work! Students with special needs often require certain accommodations to be successful in the classroom. Our advice covers disruptive behavior, multiple intelligences, ADHD, and more. Best Wishes, The Editors of TeacherVision.com FEATURED THEMES Passover Passover starts at sundown on April 8. Favorite Passover Activities Slideshow Paper Seder Plate Passover, the Jewish Festival of Freedom Passover Symbols All About Passover Passover Freedom Mural Decoupage Seder Plates Pillows with Pizzazz Afikomen Art Kosher Treats Passover Pancakes Explanation of Kosher foods More Passover Resources Earth Day Celebrate Earth Day on April 22 and help protect our planet. Save Our Environment Printable Book Earth Day Printable Book Recycled Poetry Classroom Activities Slideshow: Going Green Acrostic Poem: Earth Day Our Growing Planet Recycling Word Problems Environmental Science Printables Slideshow Explore Activity: Exploring Recycling Taking Care of Our Earth With Katie Kazoo An Inconvenient Truth Classroom Poster Recycled Art Projects Slideshow What Planet Are You From, Clarice Bean? Activity Kit Green Classroom Practices That Save Money History of Earth Day More Earth Day Resources Alcohol & Drug Awareness Prevent drug and alcohol abuse with these awareness activities. Diagram of Mouth, Nose, and Lungs We Beat the Street Discussion Guide Common Characteristics of Young Smokers Anti-Smoking Letter Writing Campaign Smoking Effects Drug Use by Americans, 12 Years & Older Health Trends Activity Drugs and Your Body: Vocabulary Alcoholism Crank Reading Guide Drugs and Your Body: Family Activity Intervention Strategies for Suicide How Do Some Drugs Affect the Body? More Alcohol & Drug Resources Shakespeare Celebrate the Bard's birthday by reading his plays. Using a Double-Entry Journal with Shakespeare's Hamlet A Midsummer Night's Dream Macbeth Teacher's Guide to Studying Shakespeare Measure for Measure Shakespeare's Globe Theater Twelfth Night Antony and Cleopatra The Tempest The Merchant of Venice Teacher's Guide Henry IV Part I Henry V More Shakespeare Resources TEACHING TOOLS Special Needs Accommodate students with special needs by using advice from these materials. Effective Accommodations for IEPs Accommodations Checklist Teaching Methods How to Manage Disruptive Behavior in Inclusive Classrooms Using Multiple Intelligences in Testing and Assessment Assessment & Accommodation Effective Instruction for English Language Learners with Mild Disabilities Working with Emotionally and Behaviorally Challenged Students A Parent-Teacher's Guide to ADHD What Can Teachers Do To Help a Child with ADHD? Teaching Students with Special Needs Planning Pyramid for Multi-Level Mathematics Instruction More Special Needs Resources				New Content   Literature & Math: Stories about Paul Cézanne Literature & Math: Stories about Georgia O'Keeffe Literature & Math: Human Body What Causes an Eclipse of the Moon? What Are Solstices and Equinoxes? Climate Test Winter Trees Tree Identification Handout Join Hands Discussion & Activity Guide How Do Animals Adapt to the Change of Seasons? More New Content   TV-Turnoff Week   Encourage students to turn off their televisions, video games, iPods, and other screened devices during the week of April 20-26, which is also called "Mental Detox Week." Try playing games instead! Make a Harry Potter Board Game Top 10 Classic Board Games for Kids Henry & Mudge Rainy Day Board Game "Inside the Earth" Game Your Own TV Show The TV Generation Sir Cumference and the First Round Table Activities More Games & Puzzles   Weather   The beginning of spring brings many weather changes. Describe the Rainy Day Favorite Spring Activities (K-8) How Is Relative Humidity Measured? My Weather Book for the Week How Do You Read a Weather Map? Graphing Air Temperature Activity Dressing for the Weather Activity: Making a Weather Map Spring Crossword Puzzle More Weather Resources   Civil War The Civil War began April 12, 1861. Civil War Epitaphs Native Americans in the Civil War Three Famous Americans in the Civil War African-American Troops in the Civil War Across Five Aprils Discussion Guide The Red Badge of Courage Cecil's Story The Blue and the Gray Virtual Field Trip of Underground Railroad Sites in New Bedford, Mass. More Popular U.S. Civil War Resources Timely Topics   Each holiday or event links to a corresponding activity to enjoy in your classroom. Passover Begins at Sundown (April 8) Encourage a Young Writer Day (April 10) Easter (April 12) National Library Week (April 12-19) TV Turnoff Week (April 20-26) Earth Day (April 22) Shakespeare's Birthday (April 23, 1564) Alcohol & Drug Awareness Month (April) Keep America Beautiful Month (April) Mathematics Education Month (April) National Poetry Month (April) Holocaust Remembrance Day (May 2) Teacher Appreciation Week (May 3-10) National Postcard Week (May 3-10) Cinco de Mayo (May 5) Mother's Day (May 10) Children's Book Week (May 11-18) Biographers Day (May 16) Memorial Day (May 25) Asian-Pacific-American Heritage Month (May) Clean Air Month (May) Get Caught Reading Month (May) National Physical Fitness & Sports Month (May) More April Events More May Events