IT'S ABOUT TIME, TEACHERS, for ARCTIC ANIMALS!

Here in the heartland, we are preparing for subzero temperatures this weekend.  Brrrrr.  Seems like the perfect to study arctic animals.

If you are looking for activities that will challenge your learners in math, language arts, and logic, look no further.  PUZZLE PACKS promote critical thinking while working with non-fiction information and content vocabulary.  

PUZZLE PACKS  provide differentiated curricula for GATE and enrichment students.  Fast finishers find these puzzles fun and challenging.  A daily puzzle makes a great bell ringer activity. Or, place a packet of puzzles in one of your stations.  All of these puzzles are print and go.

If you would like to try PUZZLE PACKS before you buy them, here is a FREE sample:

If you 💖these puzzles, there are several more packs available in my TPT store.  If you love the 30% savings of bundles, here they are: 

IT'S ABOUT TIME, TEACHERS, for PUMPKINS!

 

It's pumpkin season! Celebrate with these pumpkin resources:

PUMPKINOES are domino-style math activities that are perfect for your fall math centers. These games and challenges exercise skills ranging from counting to critical thinking; basic operations to H.O.T.S. 

PUMPKINOES are open-ended, easily differentiated, and useful for all elementary classes. Take a peak:

How Many Ways? – Fall Edition is an open-ended, math bulletin board that is perfect computation practice for any elementary classroom. Challenge your students' critical thinking and fluency to determine how many ways they can reach the target number by combining the values on the pumpkins. The task is similar to Boogle^(TM) for numbers. Post the operation symbols and the target number you choose to easily differentiate the task.

These Latin Squares math puzzles will challenge children's deductive reasoning skills and help them acquire the critical thinking needed to solve Sudoku puzzles.  PUMPKIN SQUARES begin with an easy, 3x3 grid appropriate for young learners. The tasks progress gradually, increasing in difficulty up to a 7x7 grid. PUMPKIN SQUARES are available in print or digitally on TPT Easel.

IT'S ABOUT TIME, TEACHERS, for PUZZLES!

The wonderful thing about puzzles, is puzzles are wonderful things! They build:

• critical thinking skills
• challenge gifted learners
• provide enrichment
• are fun for fast finishers

Puzzles are perfect for:

• thinking centers
• bell ringers
• anchor activities
• differentiation

During testing season, I love providing puzzles for those students who finish before the time limits have lapsed.

Check out these puzzle packs:

The Kangaroo Edition is FREE! The other puzzle packs are $5 each.  You can find all of them here.

Here's a sampling:

Watch for more puzzle packs currently under construction.

IT'S ABOUT TIME, TEACHERS, for PRESIDENTS!

 

Inauguration Day is Jan. 20th and Presidents' Day is Feb. 17th. So, it's about time for some presidential resources.

How about some trivia about our leaders? These 20 task cards will reveal interesting and intriguing facts about our presidents. Use them for a research project or enrichment. Available digitally and in print. Click here to jump to the product page.

Extend the learning to math and literacy with VOCABULARY FRACTIONS TASK CARDS. Your learners will reveal the names of presidents by combining fractional parts of words. They must deduce the correct word represented by the picture and use correct spelling. Solving equivalent fractions provides even more challenge. These task cards are presented in print and digitally on TPT Easel.

PRESIDENTS VOCABULARY FRACTIONS are so fun that I made 2 sets! Click here for the 2nd edition.

PRESIDENTS SQUARE PUZZLERS are fun and challenging brain teasers. The puzzles must be reconstructed so that the images match on every interior side. This builds perseverance and stamina, but disguises it all as fun.

Some poetry for presidents allows you to teach about the presidents, poetry, and so many other topics. Check out the POETRY POSSIBILITIES provided to find skill lessons and activities.

You may also like these patriotic products:

IT'S ABOUT TIME, TEACHERS, for SUDOKU!

 

Teaching your students to play SUDOKU has so much more value than just fun. Working on these puzzles gives your learners experience with problem solving skills, critical thinking abilities, perseveration practice, and improved focus. If you haven't introduced SUDOKU to your class, let me help you.

Use this animated PowerPoint presentation to break the process down into digestible bits.

Get it here:

Once you've given your students the tools to solve the puzzles, give them puzzles!  These are differentiated:

I use SUDOKU for:

• a critical thinking center
• differentiated instruction for enrichment and gifted students
• challenging fast finishers
• an anchor activity
• indoor recess
• a class reward

You may wish to provide "pre-sudoku" practice with Latin Squares.  They give similar practice on 3x3 through 7x7 grids. Here's an example:

It's About Time, Teachers, to Roundup Your Cowboys!

 

Every spring, I ❤️ to have thematic weeks in my classroom. One of my favorite themes is a roundup in which I immerse my class in all things cowboy. You can do it, too, with these resources:

FREEBIE

This COWPOKE GLYPH is a fun craftivity that incorporates data collection and writing. It also creates a fun display.

For decades I taught primary children. Thus, I have cowpoke products meant just for them:

PRIMARY

Then I transitioned to intermediate enrichment classes.

INTERMEDIATE

Naturally, I have created differentiated resources that span all elementary grades.

DIFFERENTIATED

  

For those who like the complete immersion into all things cowboy, I have decor. And, all the decor is half-price through 4/30/24.