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Science and Social Studies Activities for November

Science and Social Studies are my very favorite things to teach! 

However, it's so hard to find time in the schedule to teach these. But I manage to find time by overlapping with other subjects, such as reading, and including science and social studies concepts with the calendar!  


Science and Social Studies for November: here are several Science and Social Studies activities designed for second grade, with November themes.


Here's my favorite resource for November!
Science and Social Studies Activities for November!
 
Science and Social Studies for November: here are several Science and Social Studies activities designed for second grade, with November themes.

I'm determined to make your life easier, and I hope this resource does the job!  I've taken many of the important second-grade skills, mixed in a few November special days, and came up with these activities! There are close reading activities, mini-books, sorting activities, and even a S.T.E.M. activity to do with leftover Halloween candy corn! It's guaranteed fun for the kids, easy for the teachers, and valuable learning experiences!

Here are a couple of my favorite parts:

Science and Social Studies for November: here are several Science and Social Studies activities designed for second grade, with November themes.


A Turkey Fact Mini-book! (With vocabulary and comprehension questions.)
Science and Social Studies for November: here are several Science and Social Studies activities designed for second grade, with November themes.

Daylight Savings Time Close Read. 
 
Science and Social Studies for November: here are several Science and Social Studies activities designed for second grade, with November themes.


A STEM Engineering Challenge with leftover Halloween candy corn!
 
Science and Social Studies for November: here are several Science and Social Studies activities designed for second grade, with November themes.


Thanksgiving Fact or Fiction? This one was so much fun to make: Children have to decide whether things could have happened back in the 1600s at the first Thanksgiving! Expect plenty of giggles!

If you like these, check out some of my Science and Social Studies Bundles: Autumn Bundle
 
Science and Social Studies for November: here are several Science and Social Studies activities designed for second grade, with November themes.

Science and Social Studies for November: here are several Science and Social Studies activities designed for second grade, with November themes.

 
Science and Social Studies for November: here are several Science and Social Studies activities designed for second grade, with November themes.

 
Science and Social Studies for November: here are several Science and Social Studies activities designed for second grade, with November themes.

  

Science and Social Studies for November: here are several Science and Social Studies activities designed for second grade, with November themes.

These resources have made my life so much easier! I hope they do the same for you!

Science and Social Studies for November: here are several Science and Social Studies activities designed for second grade, with November themes.


Looking at November

I'm looking at the calendar, and I just can't believe we're approaching November already! 

November Resources: Suggestions and resources for Election Day, Veterans Day, and Thanksgiving Day, including some freebies!


There's a lot going on in November, but no need to fear, I've got your teaching needs covered!
 
Here are a couple of resources to start off November: 
 
November Resources: Suggestions and resources for Election Day, Veterans Day, and Thanksgiving Day, including some freebies!

 
 
Here is one of my favorite November resources: Science and Social Studies Activities for November!
 
November Resources: Suggestions and resources for Election Day, Veterans Day, and Thanksgiving Day, including some freebies!

Don't forget Election Day!

I'm sure I'll be having the kiddos vote for something, but they won't be voting for president... far too controversial! This one's a fun one! Election Day Graphing Option for Little Kids

November Resources: Suggestions and resources for Election Day, Veterans Day, and Thanksgiving Day, including some freebies!


  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

November Resources: Suggestions and resources for Election Day, Veterans Day, and Thanksgiving Day, including some freebies!


Here's another fun resource to help children learn about Veterans! (On the fun Boom Learning platform!) Armed Services Fun Facts

November Resources: Suggestions and resources for Election Day, Veterans Day, and Thanksgiving Day, including some freebies!


Once they figure out what Veterans are, they can write thank you notes to Veterans using this freebie!  Thank You Veterans!
November Resources: Suggestions and resources for Election Day, Veterans Day, and Thanksgiving Day, including some freebies!

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
 
November Resources: Suggestions and resources for Election Day, Veterans Day, and Thanksgiving Day, including some freebies!


Of course, everyone's favorite November holiday is Thanksgiving! Check out these Printables!
 
November Resources: Suggestions and resources for Election Day, Veterans Day, and Thanksgiving Day, including some freebies!

Here's a math game to practice +9s! Turkey Nines  (Oh my goodness, they LOVE this game! It works like "Old Maid")
 
November Resources: Suggestions and resources for Election Day, Veterans Day, and Thanksgiving Day, including some freebies!


And guess what... there's a freebie version!  Turkey Nines Freebie!
 
November Resources: Suggestions and resources for Election Day, Veterans Day, and Thanksgiving Day, including some freebies!

Want more turkeys? This little bundle includes more turkey learning fun, (including the Thanksgiving Turkey game) at a huge discount!

November Resources: Suggestions and resources for Election Day, Veterans Day, and Thanksgiving Day, including some freebies!
I hope you find something your students will love for the month of November!


November Resources: Suggestions and resources for Election Day, Veterans Day, and Thanksgiving Day, including some freebies!


Five Reasons NOT to Reward Students

Many teachers love to reward their students for doing a good job on their classwork. 
 
Five Reasons NOT to Reward Students - Rewarding students MAY do more harm than good. Here are some reasons.
 


I have mixed feelings about this, and here are some reason why.



Rewards can make behavior and work habits worse in the long run. Simple rewards can certainly motivate children to work harder, but once the reward is gone, the motivation stops. Behaviors and work habits go downhill fast once the children have been rewarded. "Why should I read if I'm not earning a prize?"



Rewards cost money. Teachers don't have a lot of money. 



Rewards give the wrong impression. Good behavior is what's expected. Giving rewards makes good behavior an extra effort worth of a prize. It's almost like turning good behavior into a job, with a paycheck as the prize. 



Rewards lead to entitlement. Children develop a sense of entitlement for simply doing what is expected. Unfortunately, this leads to adults who feel entitled simply for showing up at work. 


Learning is its own reward. Students need to be developing a sense of pride in what they do. That is the true reward! Feeling good about working hard for something is a wonderful feeling! Taking pride in a project done well, or a successful test is a prize within itself. 

Despite all these reasons, I won't say that rewards should never be used. There are some children that need that extra motivation in order to be successful. Some children have behavioral challenges or educational challenges that make school very hard. In these cases, rewards should be used carefully.

Five Reasons NOT to Reward Students - Rewarding students MAY do more harm than good. Here are some reasons.

The Lucky One!

Have you ever had to have one or two items that were slightly different from the others, and were concerned the children might feel "cheated" if their item was different?
 
The Lucky One: This is a little trick I learned from the cafeteria ladies in my school. Different is lucky!
 

Here's a little trick I found from the cafeteria workers at my school. There was one tray that was slightly different from the others. Rather than letting the kids feel left out when they got that tray, the "different" tray became known as the LUCKY tray!

Here are my math counters for Monday. I was short one ziplock and had to use a "regular" ziplock bag. Which set would be the "special" one?
 
The Lucky One: This is a little trick I learned from the cafeteria ladies in my school. Different is lucky!

It's all a matter of attitude, isn't it?


Just be careful. When our math program didn't send enough work books, I had to run off one extra copy until the new workbook arrived. They didn't consider the one black and white page the "lucky" one, when all the other copies were colorful!
 
The Lucky One: This is a little trick I learned from the cafeteria ladies in my school. Different is lucky!



October Resources

It feels like we just started school, and already we're looking at October in the not-so-far distance. 


October Resources: Here are several resources, including a few freebies, to help your students learn with seasonal fun! (Fire Safety Week, autumn, football, and Halloween!)

October brings fall, Fire Safety Week, football, and, of course, Halloween!

Brain research tells us if the children can make a connection with their learning, then learning will happen. I find most children can easily make a connection with special days and sports, which makes them more enthusiastic about learning! In face, I'm banking on their enthusiasm, and have plenty of resources to celebrate learning and building skills, in a fun way!


Teachers can project these questions as the children arrive in the morning in order to get them thinking about the day. These also can be used for daily writing prompts.

October Resources: Here are several resources, including a few freebies, to help your students learn with seasonal fun! (Fire Safety Week, autumn, football, and Halloween!)

The above resource contains a free link to this Boom Learning Digital Resource: October General Knowledge Trivia Questions and Enrichment. These are great for your fast finishers and those who need a little something extra!

October Resources: Here are several resources, including a few freebies, to help your students learn with seasonal fun! (Fire Safety Week, autumn, football, and Halloween!)


Here's a little something to maintain positive communication with parents: October Parent Communication Brochure

October Resources: Here are several resources, including a few freebies, to help your students learn with seasonal fun! (Fire Safety Week, autumn, football, and Halloween!)

 
In an attempt to "fit in" more Science and Social Studies concepts, I've looked over my grade level College and Career Ready Science and Social Studies Standards, and found ways to squeeze these concepts into my day. Most of the work is done, all you have to do is print and go! I even have a S.T.E.M. activity with an October theme! Check out this resource here: Science and Social Studies Activities for October.
 
October Resources: Here are several resources, including a few freebies, to help your students learn with seasonal fun! (Fire Safety Week, autumn, football, and Halloween!)
  
This Bats resource is a sample of the above collection. Check out this fun resource here: Bats Informational Mini-Book
October Resources: Here are several resources, including a few freebies, to help your students learn with seasonal fun! (Fire Safety Week, autumn, football, and Halloween!)


Here's a dollar deal to get the kiddos thinking about Fire Safety: Fire Safety What-If task cards.
October Resources: Here are several resources, to help your students learn with seasonal fun! (Fire Safety Week, autumn, football, and Halloween!)


It's fall in New England! There are so many beautiful changes here that make it one of my favorite seasons:  warm days, crisp nights, football, and the beautiful fall colors on the trees.  To make your life (and mine) easier, I've combined important concepts with fall ideas in these Fall No Prep Activities!

October Resources: Here are several resources, including a few freebies, to help your students learn with seasonal fun! (Fire Safety Week, autumn, football, and Halloween!)

One of the best parts about Fall in New England?  Football! I've got plenty of Football Resources! Just click the images for each link!

October Resources: Here are several resources, including a few freebies, to help your students learn with seasonal fun! (Fire Safety Week, autumn, football, and Halloween!)

Here's a sample from the set above: 

October Resources: Here are several resources, including a few freebies, to help your students learn with seasonal fun! (Fire Safety Week, autumn, football, and Halloween!)


Students LOVE these football-themed BINGO games!

October Resources: Here are several resources, including a few freebies, to help your students learn with seasonal fun! (Fire Safety Week, autumn, football, and Halloween!)

October Resources: Here are several resources, including a few freebies, to help your students learn with seasonal fun! (Fire Safety Week, autumn, football, and Halloween!)


October Resources: Here are several resources, including a few freebies, to help your students learn with seasonal fun! (Fire Safety Week, autumn, football, and Halloween!)

This October bundle is marked down for you, with plenty of fun learning activities!

October Resources: Here are several resources, including a few freebies, to help your students learn with seasonal fun! (Fire Safety Week, autumn, football, and Halloween!)

Enjoy these October Resources!


October Resources: Here are several resources, including a few freebies, to help your students learn with seasonal fun! (Fire Safety Week, autumn, football, and Halloween!)



My Secret Ingredient to Open House Success

I've been through lots of Open Houses.  The purpose of the Open House is usually to let parents know what's going on in school. There are loads of blog posts about setting up your classroom, scavenger hunts, parent stations, brochures, and presentations.
 
My Secret Ingredient for a Successful Open House: There are plenty of great Open House ideas out there, but this one will have everyone feeling great!
 
I do all those things, leave plenty of things for parents to take with them and get to know my classroom and my procedures.
 
But I do something else that seems to be an added extra that makes a difference: 

I play happy music!


You know, that kind of music that just makes people feel good. 

I got this idea years ago when I went to an all day conference, and was walking into my "mid afternoon" seminar with dread: it's a tough time of day, and I was feeling like I'd prefer to take a nap.

When I walked into the room, the presenter was playing "happy music". I don't remember the specific song, but I remember it made me feel like moving.

I immediately felt a smile on my face, and I looked around the room and everyone else was smiling and moving to the music. 

Research tells us music can affect our feelings. 
So I play "happy music" to help people feel good about my classroom.


THIS POST has a freebie list of song ideas to download!

It works!

What music makes you feel happy?


My Secret Ingredient for a Successful Open House: There are plenty of great Open House ideas out there, but this one will have everyone feeling great!

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