Elementary Matters is an educational blog focused on Elementary grades 1-3. These posts will make an elementary teacher's life easier by sharing information about how the brain learns best. It includes time savers, suggestions for classroom management, hints on effective teaching of reading, writing, and math, and several ideas for squeezing Science and Social Studies into daily instruction. These posts include links to several videos, articles, resources, and plenty of free materials.
Here are a few Dollar Deal resources to help get you through this busy month!
We start the month with a couple of Patriotic Holidays: Election Day and Veterans Day! Here are a couple of freebies to help you out with these special days:
(Explore each image for the link!)
Write some thank you letters to our Veterans! (This one is free!)
Celebrate Election Day the way children should!
Take breaks and learn about the country at the same time!
Help children distinguish between these 6 tricky Patriotic Holidays!
Of course, it's football season! Here's a football-themed game to practice counting to 1,000!
This game is a true favorite with my kiddos! It's played like "Old Maid", and is guaranteed to get them giggling! (Don't tell them they're practicing an important skill!)
Enjoy this busy month... don't blink, it goes by fast!
I like to let the children work in pairs or small groups while creating these informational text booklets. This encourages conversation about the information they are learning and encourages them to use their new vocabulary.
Looking for more turkey fun? Try this Turkey Mini-Bundle, which includes that turkey informational booklet you saw above!
I'm sure I'll have the kiddos vote for something, but they won't be voting for president. It's far too controversial! This one's fun! (and free!) Election Day Graphing Option for Little Kids
Veteran's Day is November 11th!
Here's a fun activity to help the children understand what a Veteran really is! This will spark some great conversations! Veterans True or False
Here's another fun resource to help children learn about Veterans! (On the fun Boom Learning platform!) Armed Services Fun Facts
Once they figure out what Veterans are, they can use this freebie to write thank you notes to them. Thank You, Veterans!
Since Election Day and Veterans Day are both Patriotic holidays, enjoy these Patriotic Brain Breaks! See the image for the link to this freebie! Patriotic Brain Breaks
Of course, everyone's favorite November holiday is Thanksgiving! Check out these Thanksgiving Printables!
Do your students know the +9 trick? (It's just one less than the +10!) Here's a math game to practice +9s! Turkey Nines (Oh my goodness, they LOVE this game! It works like "Old Maid")
Can you believe it? After that, Christmas, then another year! Life, please slow down?
Well, I want to spend the next seven school days celebrating Thanksgiving. It's a great opportunity to "throw in" a little history and enjoy the things we are grateful for!
How do I squeeze all this in? Well, I always start with loads of books. Here's a collection of books I've loved. Some are fun, and some are informational. I like to have a lot of books for each interest and each reading level so they all can enjoy them at independent reading time! (These links are affiliate links to Amazon.)
Books are always a great start. Movies are another fun way to enjoy the holidays!
See the above image for a link to BrainPOP Jr's free Thanksgiving video! Don't you love BrainPOP?
Here are some movies I've found on YouTube with a Thanksgiving theme. Feel free to preview them and choose what is suitable for your group!
I try to incorporate the holidays into all my subjects. This resource has loads of math and literacy activities with the Thanksgiving theme. I'll be using these all week!
There's an information mini-book about turkeys with fun facts, vocabulary practice, comprehension questions, and a reflection page. (My kiddos LOVED this, especially the fun facts!)
This resource is also available as a stand-alone resource here:
or as part of this bundle:
Plus, there's a sorting activity, where the children have to decide whether facts might have happened in 1621 or if they couldn't have happened then. Be prepared for giggles!
Here's a math game with a Turkey theme to practice those +9 facts. My kids LOVE this one!
I can't let Thanksgiving pass without mentioning football! As a kid, we always had a football game in the morning and a turkey in the afternoon. (My dad was a football coach!)
Here are links to a couple of football games my kids love!
Second graders are expected to add and subtract within 20 fluently.
This is no easy task, but this game helps them master the 9s trick!
I find, once the kids catch onto the tens trick, the nines trick is easy! I first use a number grid, like THIS ONE to show them how easy it is to do "ten more". From there, it's pretty easy to figure out "nine more".
Once they understand the +9 trick well, they're ready to play Turkey Nines! It works like "Old Maid," so they pair all the addends and sums with nines, and one of your little turkeys will end up being the "Thanksgiving Turkey."
This is one of those games where "even the losers are winners" because there's something about cooking a turkey that makes the little ones giggle. Plus, they're getting better at that mental math!
Here's a fun little move about how the game works!
Want to give it a try? There's a smaller, free version here!
Have fun practicing mental math, and don't be a turkey! (At least, don't be a cooked turkey!)
Want more turkey learning fun? Try this digital resource from the Boom Learning platform.
