Best Mother’s Day Free Lesson Plans

Great Mother’s Day lesson plan
by Alan Haskvitz
http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/Ringleaders/al.html

Mother’s Day cars are an excellent teaching tool as well as an opportunity for the students to learn about famous women in history.

The lesson starts with the students developing a list of positive character traits. There are some excellent sites listed below. Next, they research famous women in history and make a list of what traits those women possessed. This can either be done as as a group or as a class project.

After the research is complete the students each have to look at the traits and make a list of those traits that their mother or other care-giver have and the other famous women who shared those traits.

When this research is completed, it usually takes about two days, the students are given card stock and coloring tools and start to create their Mother’s Day cards. On the first page is a list of the famous women with a greeting such as You are Famous, Mom.

On the second or inside cover page is a list of the character traits that the students found. Older students may even be able to provide an example of each significant woman’s trait with a quote or summary of the deed(s).

On page three the student writes Happy Mother’s Day and lists the traits that their mother has and what other famous women share that favorable trait.

When the card is done the teacher needs to check it over for accuracy and offer suggestions as needed.

The result is a Mother’s Day card that is unique and highly appreciated. Depending on the student the project should take a couple of periods for the research and a period for the artwork and finalization.

Here is a site that could help the student start their research. It is about the character traits of Amelia Earhart.
http://ameliaearhartsce.weebly.com/character-traits.html

Famous women in history
Lessons, videos, and more
http://www.nwhm.org/education-resources/

Time for Kids
Famous women stories
http://www.timeforkids.com/minisite/womens-history-month

Excellent list of important women
From Scholastic, short biographies by last name.
http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/women/notable.htm

What is character?
This article explains character and gives several good examples.

Download List of Character Traits

For the more traditional approach, here are some tried and true ideas.

Mother’s Day Craft Ideas
http://atozteacherstuff.com/Themes/Mother_s_Day/
http://www.teachingheart.net/mompage.htm

Basic site with brief history of Mothers Day and Projects
http://holidays.mrdonn.org/mothersday.html

Games for Mother’s Day
For younger students
http://www.akidsheart.com/holidays/mday/mdgms.htm

W omen’s Rights lessons
For older students
http://edsitement.neh.gov/view_lesson_plan.asp?id=435

 

Shakespeare for the Classroom: In Honor of His Birthday, Sort of

Shakespeare for the Classroom: In Honor of His Birthday, Sort of
by Alan Haskvitz
National Teachers Hall of Fame

for more free resources go to http://www.reacheverychild.com/

No one knows for certain when William Shakespeare was born, but he was baptized on April 26, 1564 so why not use that date as an excuse to bring his work into the classroom. Here are some exciting ideas that can be used to meet Common Core standards and are useful for classes from upper elementary through high school.

I really like to read a sonnet to my students and have them discuss it. I use this site (http://www.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/shakesonnets) Afterwords they create there own poem about the same subject. Some interesting and creative poetry comes from this, but most importantly when they are done they have to compare and contrast their work to Shakespeare’s and make a case for which one was the best. I let students work in teams based on the sonnets mentioned in the link.

Lots of good ideas for teachers are posted here:
Primary resources and videos of how to teach sonnets and other elements. Excellent.
https://www.folger.edu/index_sa.cfm?specaudid=2

The New York Times
All sorts of ideas to teach Shakespeare and make it come alive.

A great idea from the New York Times
This printable gives students an opportunity to learn that they may already know something about the bard.
graphics8.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/studentactivity/20081218a.pdf

These are quick, video overviews of some of Shakespeare’s work
It deals mainly with the plot.
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=shakespeare+sparknotes

The PBS offerings
Includes a webquest and more
http://www.pbs.org/shakespeare/educators/lessonplans.html

148 Ideas
Uneven quality, but well worth a look.
http://www.teachersfirst.com/spectopics/shakespeare.cfm
98 More Ideas
Lots of good stuff here. I like the Types of Female Characters in Shakespeare to get students interested in reading more. For older students.

96 Incredibly Useful Links for Teaching and Studying Shakespeare

 

Thanksgiving lessons and resources

Thanksgiving Teaching Resources and Lessons

By Alan Haskvitz

http://www.reacheverychild.com

There are some good lessons and ideas here to perk up those lessons used in the past and perhaps new flavor to your holiday teaching plans.

Native Americans

Very useful collection of lessons for teaching about Native Americans

http://www.reacheverychild.com/feature/native.html

Mayflower

Teachable Moments

http://www.reacheverychild.com/feature/teachable-moments.html

Holidays

http://www.reacheverychild.com/feature/pumpkins.html

History and interesting facts

http://www.history.com/minisites/thanksgiving

History of Thanksgiving

Interesting information, but a lot of ads.

http://www.holidays.net/thanksgiving/story.htm

A compilation of interesting facts

http://www.2020tech.com/thanks/temp.html

Lesson plans

For many levels, but uneven quality.

http://www.lessonplanspage.com/Thanksgiving.htm

Huge collection of lessons and ideas

http://holidays.mrdonn.org/thanksgiving.html

Lessons plans and other ideas for the holiday

http://www.atozteacherstuff.com/Themes/Thanksgiving/

Thanksgiving lesson ideas

http://www.education-world.com/holidays/archives/thanksgiving.shtml

A giant link site

http://www.teachersfirst.com/holiday/thanksgiving.cfm

A variety of lesson plans and printables

For many levels.

http://www.teach-nology.com/teachers/lesson_plans/holidays/thanks/

Integrated Math plans for Thanksgiving

http://www.kidzone.ws/math/thanksgiving/

Lesssons about Plymouth Plantation

http://www.education-world.com/a_curr/curr103.shtml

Squanto Helps New Arrivals

An elementary site with links.

http://www.learningtogive.org/lessons/unit72/lesson5.html

The Origins of Thanksgiving
An interesting site with information on Thanksgiving myths as well as the perspectives of African Americans and American Indians.

The Origins of Thanksgiving from a variety of angles for elementary and middle school levels.

http://www.genealogyforum.rootsweb.com/gfaol/Thanksgiving/Origins.htm

Large link site

Slow loading at times.

http://www.kate.net/holidays/thanksgiving/

Teachnology: Thanksgiving Worksheets
Collection of Thanksgiving worksheets and other Thanksgiving printables.
www.teachnology.com/worksheets/misc/thanks

Myth and Truth

An excellent unit for older students.

http://www.readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=65

Kindergarten and Preschool lessons

http://www.brighthub.com/education/k-12/articles/8908.aspx

Primary ESL Plans

http://www.everythingesl.net/lessons/gobble.php

Basic integrated ideas for primary students

http://www.ehow.com/how_4488849_create-thanksgiving-lesson-plan-kindergarten.html

The First Thanksgiving

For primary grades

http://www.scholastic.com/scholastic_thanksgiving/feast/index.htm

And

http://midgefrazel.net/wqtg2.html

For Second Grade

http://teacherlink.ed.usu.edu/tlresources/units/monsonunits/kimhow/index.html

Inmagine being at the First Thanksgiving

For primary

http://teacherlink.ed.usu.edu/tlresources/units/MonsonUnits/AngBag/index.html

Simple crafts

http://www.first-school.ws/activities/crafts/animals/birds/turkeyleaves.htm

Crafts

http://www.dltk-holidays.com/thanksgiving/index.html

Printables

http://www.teachnology.com/worksheets/misc/thanks

Printables

Includes worksheets, activities, word puzzles, coloring pages, as well as lessons and thematic units.

http://www.abcteach.com/directory/seasonalholidays/thanksgiving/

Hearty collection of printables

http://www.edhelper.com/Thanksgiving.htm

Enchanted printables

http://midgefrazel.net/wqtg2.html

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Presidents Day Lessons and Links: It is Feb. 18th

President’s Day lessons and activities.

A great variety for all levels. Lots of fun ideas, too.

http://www.reacheverychild.com/feature/president.html

Propaganda

http://www.reacheverychild.com/feature/propaganda.htm

Lincoln

http://www.reacheverychild.com/feature/lincoln.html

Lincoln and Washington and more

http://www.reacheverychild.com/feature/pumpkins.html#3

 

Martin Luther King Jr. Lessons and Resources

By Alan Haskvitz

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Haskvitz

 

This is an ideal time to teach a variety of lessons from civil rights to courage, voting rights, and the dangers of stereotyping and hatred.

Feel free to add other good links in the opinion section below.

 

To help I have put together some of the best resources here

http://www.reacheverychild.com/feature/aa_history.html