IT'S ABOUT TIME, TEACHERS, for BLACK HISTORY MONTHH

 

Now that Groundhog Day, the 100th Day, and Valentine's Day have come and gone, you can give more time to BLACK HISTORY MONTH. A unique way to study this topic is with and through poetry. (I love combining different disciplines for more efficient teaching!) POETRY POSSIBILITIES for BLACK HISTORY MONTH provides 12 original, copy-ready poems. Each poem has a teaching point about poetic elements and forms. Also supplied are custom made skill lessons, activities, and poetry writing prompts; the poetry possibilities.

Another distinctive product for BLACK HISTORY MONTH is BLACK HISTORY SQUARE PUZZLERS. These fun brain teasers exercise critical thinking and problem solving, build perseverance and stamina, and stimulate the brain while disguising it as fun. Similar to Scrambled Squares, these differentiated puzzles must be reconstructed so that the images match on every interior side.

IT'S ABOUT TIME for END-of-the-YEAR CRAZINESS!

 

Once May begins, some students think learning ends. You can quell that craziness with activities that are so engaging your students will beg to do them. I'm talking about SQUARE PUZZLERS. These brain teasing puzzles exercise critical thinking & problem solving, build perserverance & stamina, and stimulate the mind.  Similar to Scrambled Squares^TM, these differentiated, logic puzzles must be reconstructed so that the images match on every interior side.

You can try SQUARE PUZZLERS for FREE with this product:

My store is stocked with dozens of SQUARE PUZZLERS and they are all on sale this week. Puzzles are reduced 20% and SQUARE PUZZLERS BUNDLES are discounted 30%. Find all of my SQUARE PUZZLERS here. Following are a few to pique your interest:

Watch this video to see how SQUARE PUZZLERS work:

For students learning sight words, I offer SQUARE PUZZLERS featuring Dolch words for pre-K through 3rd grade.

IT'S ABOUT TIME for WINTER RESOURCES!

 

It's officially winter!  Hopefully, you are on winter break.  Kick back, relax, and enjoy your holidays. 

Then, look ahead to your winter lessons. Planning now will make your return to school ever so much easier. Check out these winter resources to help you:

The WINTER EDITION of POETRY POSSIBILITIES provides each poem with a teaching point about poetry, skill lessons, writing models & prompts, and activities. 

Learn about Mortimer Moose’s life in the Great North Woods through these 20 word problem task cards.  Skills under study include addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, as well as averages, fractions, elapsed time, critical thinking, and H.O.T.S.

WINTER SQUARE PUZZLERS are fun, yet challenging brain teasers. They exercise critical thinking & problem solving, build perseverance & stamina, and stimulate the brain while disguising it all as fun.

These puzzles exercise concepts about geometry (transformation, rotation, congruence, symmetry, etc.). WINTER TANGRAMS are printable & include a tangram template.

Because tangrams are so much fun, here's a 2nd set just for winter.

Use these winter themed, coloring printables to give your primary learners fun practice with Dolch sight words. 

NEW DIGITAL RESOURCES

 

  

I'm proud to announce the launch of 3 new digital products for teachers of grades 3-6.  THINKING CORNER will provided daily brain challenges to your students. They require higher order thinking skills and perserverance to solve.

THINKING CORNER slides are wonderful for:

• daily bell ringer activity
• distance learning
• computer laboratory lessons
• technology center activities
• fast finishers
• enrichment/differentiation challenges

Each slide requires learners to solve 5 puzzles:

• Hink Pinks or Hinky Pinkies
• 

  
• Mystery Math or Monster Math
• 

  
• Triads
• 
• Word Ladders
• 
• Word Winkers
• 

Try it before you buy it.  There is a free version that provides 1 week of challenges as a preview.

THINKING CORNER Vol. 1 provides a full semester of daily challenges.  

Vol. 2 of THINKING CORNER supplies another semester of them.

These resources are available digitally on TPT's Easel platform.  No print product is available.  THINKING CORNER is CCSS aligned.

These resources are no prep.  That's a win for teachers!!  Students find them to be fun and engaging.  A win for students!!

Unbearably Cute Critical Thinking Puzzles

It's about time, teachers, for a new product.

If you are looking for a challenge that is beary good for promoting problem solving, honing critical thinking skills, and increasing stamina, this is it!

Bears Square Puzzlers are unbearably cute and differentiated. They are perfect for enrichment, fast finishers, centers, and are especially helpful at times when the class may be restless (think end of the year, holidays, field trips, etc.). The attention and concentration required to solve these puzzles will settle any group.

WHAT YOU GET
✔ Three bear themed Square Puzzlers
    ✓ The 2x2 square is perfect for introducing the task. It is also most appropriate for K - 2nd grade students. 

    ✓The 3x3 square is quite challenging and can be used successfully with 2nd – 5th grade students.

      ✓ The 4x4 square is for experts! 

✔ Labels for your center storage envelopes.

HOW TO USE SQUARE PUZZLERS
✔ Centers or work stations
✔ Fast finishers' challenge
✔ Enrichment
✔ G/T students
✔ Critical thinking exercise
✔ Differentiation
✔ Individual, partner, or small group collaboration

And, for the first 48 hours, Bears Square Puzzlers are 50% off!  So hurry on over and scoop it up.

In case you find these brain teasers as engaging as I think you will, I have just finished updating and refreshing all of the square puzzlers in my TpT store.  There are square puzzlers for most holidays (the Christmas version is FREE).  Moreover, there are square puzzlers for each season, a bundle of the season puzzles, and several square puzzlers that pertain to a theme.

Remember, square puzzlers require time and concentration to solve.  They are the perfect activity to settle a restless class as the end of the year.

Update 5/12/18:

I just completed a bundle of the Holiday Square Puzzlers.  It is now available in my store at 50% off through Sunday night (5/13/18).