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August 2009, Vol. 3

	Dear Teachers, Encourage children to demonstrate their creativity – and their writing skills – with our creative writing printables, lessons, and activities. You will be amazed by their imagination and the stories and ideas they develop! Constitution Week is September 17–23 this year. Commemorate the creation of this important document – including the Bill of Rights – by analyzing the different laws and subsequent amendments. Create your own classroom constitution to make this an interactive experience. Hands-on experiments are a fantastic way to learn the basic and more complicated aspects of science, including biology, chemistry, botany, and more. Decimals, fractions, and percentages are some of the foundational elements of math, whether you teach elementary or high-school students. Show them how the three topics are related, and find supplementary materials to help them become more comfortable with the concepts. Rubrics are useful for showing your class your grading methodology, whether you're scoring their reading, writing, or science assignments. Find a variety of these tools in our rubrics library. Best Wishes, The Editors of TeacherVision.com FEATURED THEMES Creative Writing Thinking creatively builds critical-reasoning skills. Daily Writing Prompts Printable Book: All About Me Creative Writing with Photo Inspiration Creating Mental Pictures with Metaphors Someone's Cheating Getting to Know Each Other Through Poetry Five Elements of a Story Creating a New World Creative Writing Printable Book (5-8) Too Much Person Story Setting Brainstorming Web Writing Journal Guidelines for Students Surprising Folks: A Look at the Truth Within Native American Picture Writing Writing a Character Sketch More Creative Writing Resources U.S. Constitution & Bill of Rights Learn about the foundation of our system of government. Our Classroom Constitution The Bill of Rights & Constitutional Amendments "The Great Compromise" & the Constitutional Convention Consensus & the Articles of Confederation Constitutionally Correct Amendments to the Constitution The Bill of Rights The Constitutional Convention & Preamble What Happens When People Break the Law? The Nineteenth Amendment How a Bill Becomes a Law in the U.S. Due Process: Is It Always Due? More Resources on the U.S. Constitution Hands-On Science Experiments Make science more compelling with these hands-on science projects. Do Odor & Bacteria Go Hand in Hand? Science Experiments Slideshow Hands-In Science The Sweetest Experiment: Chocolate and Solvents Build Your Own Volcano Science Skill: Experimenting with Color Observing Changes in Temperature What's in a Color? Experiments in Chromatography Science Skill: Experimenting Designing Experiments Printable Book (6-10) Loopy Liquids: A Project in Density Science Experiments Printable Book (K-4) Experimenting with Oil and Water Experimenting with Shadows Experimenting with Magnets Designing Experiments Printables Slideshow More Science Resources Decimals, Fractions & Percentages Find activities that reinforce the relationship between decimals, fractions, and percentages. Fraction Quilt Designs Number Cards (Fractions) Fraction Strips Comparing Fractions, Decimals, Percents & More Pizza Pieces Exploring Equivalent Decimals Ratio, Proportion & Percent: Critical Thinking Fraction Bars Jazz and Math: Rhythmic Innovations Literature & Math: Stories about Aliens, Earth & the Solar System Decimal Place-Value Charts Math in Science: Percent Comparing Fractions with Unlike Denominators Using Journaling More Decimals, Fractions & Percentages TEACHING TOOLS Rubrics Library Assess students' work with these useful tools. The Advantages of Rubrics Designing Rubrics to Fit Assignments Grading the Writing of Your Students How to Use and Grade Rubrics How to Weight Rubrics Scoring Rubric: Critical Review Scoring Rubric: Business Letter/Memo Blank Rubric Presentation Rubrics Cooperative Group Rubric Writing Activity Rubric Portfolio Assessment Rubric Scoring Rubric Rating Scale More Rubrics				New Content   Aviation & Flight Resources Geographical Stereotypes Quiz How Fast Are You? Testing and Measuring Reflexes Romeo and Juliet— Speculation Journal Source Reduction Unit: Environment Activities for the Classroom Inventing the Hovercraft Flags of the World Quiz Literature Guide for Little Downy: The Story of a Field Mouse Six Darn Cows: Make an Inference Islands Quiz The French and Indian War Sainthood Newspaper Profile Develop a Community Service Project More New Content   Back to School   Find some last-minute activities to help make the first days back to school a stress-free experience for you and your students. Our First Classroom Book Top 10 Things Every Teacher Needs in the Classroom Getting to Know You Bingo Remembering Names Behavior Management Tips for the Classroom Handling the First Day of School Henry & Mudge Friendly Fun Icebreaker Routines and Schedules More Back-to-School Resources   Grandparents' Day Celebrate grandparents everywhere this September 13. Family Trees & Ancestry Slideshow Why Grandparents Are Important A Visit with My Grandparents Your Heredity Grandma's Patchwork Socks Questioning Exercises: Grandfather's Journey A Teacher's Guide to Books Written by Nancy Carlson Granny's Patchwork Quilt Ask Gramps for Help More Family Resources H1N1 (Swine Flu) Prevention   Flu season is always difficult on teachers and students, but with the emergence of H1N1 (swine flu), it's smart to take extra precautions this year. H1N1 Overview H1N1 in Humans Dealing with Cleanliness in the Classroom H1N1 FAQs Why Do We Wash Our Hands Before Handling Food? The Great Flu Epidemic of 1918 Keep It Clean Crossword More on Dealing with Germs in the Classroom   Timely Topics   Suicide Prevention Week (September 6-12) Labor Day (September 7) Patriot Day (September 11) Grandparents Day (September 13) Constitution Week (September 17-23) Rosh Hashanah Begins at Sundown (September 18) Banned Books Week (September 26-October 2) Yom Kippur (September 27) Library Card Sign-Up Month (September) Classical Music Month (September) Hispanic-Heritage Month (September 15–October 15) National Sickle Cell Month (September) Fire Prevention Week (October 4-10) World Space Week (October 4-10) Leif Ericson Day (October 9) Columbus Day (October 12) Dictionary Day (October 16) Chemistry Week (October 18-24) Make a Difference Day (October 24) Halloween (October 31) Computer Learning Month (October) Family Health Month (October) Learning Disabilities Month (October) More September Events More October Events