After you teach your kids the states and capitals (using the “Fifty Nifty States” song!?), you’re going to need a quiz. Or a practice page to make sure your kids can spell everything correctly. Either way, it’s pretty handy! The printable has two versions of the page to give students (one with the states listed and one with the capitals listed) and an answer key.
Click here to view the full size PDF: states-capitals-practice
Social studies lends itself to tons of cool cultural and historical activities. We recently created historic buildings using graham crackers and frosting. It was a bit messy, but it was a blast and some of the buildings turned out really well!
Here’s Big Ben in London England:
Here’s the Santa Catalina Arch in Antigua, Guatemala: 
First we wrapped cardboard in tin foil (secured with tape). Then we put tons of frosting in ziplock baggies and cut a small corner off. We had some candy for decorations, but I don’t think it was necessary. We also used straight pretzels and other edibles as building materials. It was educational, but also delicious!
Check out this printable graphic organizer/blank timeline I added on my Teachers Pay Teachers store. Yes, it’s still FREE! Perfect for history lessons, summarizing stories, or describing science observations!
I recently posted this field trip report/write-up over at We Are Teachers. There are 2 versions; one for upper grades and one for lower grades. Click here to view the post!
I like using projects year after year. It makes my life easier. This is especially true with holiday projects. There are so many other things to do and update each year, that it’s impossible to keep up. My friend, who teaches kindergarten, recently shared this idea:
In the spirit of working smarter (not harder), I created this graphic organizer to be used year after year, no matter what animal is the animal of the year for Chinese New Year! After talking about what Chinese New Year is, have the kids draw a picture of that year’s animal, and then write ideas about what that animal can do, has and is (see my friend’s example above). 
Click here to download the free PDF: Chinese New Year – Animal of the Year
I recently saw another variation on this same note-taking organizer and decided to make one with my own Squarehead spin! So, I present to you (drum roll please…) my 3-2-1 notes graphic organizer! Students will write 3 things they learned, 2 questions they still have and 1 picture illustrating understanding (teacher can specify what they should draw if needed).
Click here to download the free PDF: 321 Notes – graphic organizer
**This Giveaway has ended. Check back for more giveaway fun!**
As promised, I have a fun treat for you! Another giveaway! I’m pleased to partner with Roylco, creators of all things fun and educational for your classroom! So here’s the part you’re waiting for… what can you win!? Drum roll please!
What: This Straws & Connectors set has a whopping 705 pieces (over triple what we played with) and retails for $60, available for purchase here. It’s recommended for ages 4-5+, which I think is appropriate.
How to Enter: Super easy! Here are the steps:
This giveaway ends 1 week from now, at midnight (PST) on Tuesday, December 16, 2014. **This giveaway has ended. Check back for more giveaway fun!**
What I think about the Roylco Straws & Connectors set: Way fun!! We played with the 230-piece set. It was a great amount for two of us to use. When I opened the box, it looked like this:
It wasn’t hard to separate the connectors. Once we pulled them all apart, here’s what we had to play (and learn) with:
At first, we didn’t use the directions, but we soon peeked at them to see hot to make more complex connections. The directions were fairly simple, easy to read, and gave us some good inspiration. Here are some of the creations we came up with (notice they get cooler as we continued to play with them):
The straws are roughly 9 inches long. They’re not very hard to connect, but they’ve got enough squeeze between the straw and connector that they stay connected pretty well.
This was our favorite creation: a 30 inch tall “castle” with corners and arches!
What can you learn: First of all, these are just plain fun. So no matter what kids learn, they’ll have a good time. Here are some ideas for incorporating learning into this activity:
**This giveaway has ended. Check back for more giveaway fun!**
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A few readers have told me they struggled with finding the place to write a comment. There are a few ways readers will get to this page, so here’s how to post a comment (depending on how you got to this post).
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The Fine Print: Participation is optional. Void where prohibited by law. No purchase is necessary to participate. Only one entry per person. Available to US and Canada participants only. There will be one winner. Winner will be randomly selected. I will email the winner between Wednesday, Dec. 17-Thursday, Dec. 18. The winner will have 24 hours to respond and provide me with shipping information so I can mail them their prize! If the winner does not respond within 24 hours, the winner forfeits the prize and another winner will randomly be selected (in which case the new winner will be notified and the same terms apply). The winner will be announced on this blog once eligibility has been confirmed. I cannot guarantee the winner will receive their prize before Christmas, but I’ll try my best! This giveaway is sponsored by Squarehead Teachers and Roylco, and is not affiliated with WordPress or any other sponsor. If you have additional questions, please contact me! Good luck!
I recently learned about a cool free resource for teaching! It’s called Khan Academy. It provides tons of free educational content-based videos, with topics ranging from math and science to humanities and economics. With a log in, students (or anyone) can complete learn by watching videos and then complete tasks to earn badges. Teachers can track the data for their students and use the materials in lesson plans. You may also want to refer parents to this site if they’re looking for supplemental materials for helping their child. What’s not to love!?! I wish I had learned about this when I started teaching!
Squarehead Teachers 