The Joy of Teaching

The Percy Jackson book series has seized elementary readers everywhere, and it is the perfect opportunity to incorporate Greek and Roman mythology into your history lessons! The books follow a young protagonist, Percy, who finds out that the world of Greek mythology is real and that he’s at the center of it; he’s a demigod, half mortal, half Greek god. And the hands-on series of books by Evan-Moor, Literature Pockets: Greek and Roman Myths (grades 4–6), educates young readers about Greek mythology and history and provides a gateway into the history of the ancient world.

Supplement your social studies lessons with this unit from Literature Pockets: Greek and Roman Myths to include exciting myths like Perseus and the Gorgons and Pandora’s Jar that students will love learning about! These engaging lessons and activities will bring Percy Jackson to life!

Pocket 2: Pandora’s Jar

Learn all about the myth of Pandora’s jar, a classic tale of a character who let her curiosity get the best of her. After reading the myth, the students will design their very own Greek-style vase, learn vocabulary and comprehension, and write their own short story about a curious character and a sealed container. Get this individual unit on Teachers Pay Teachers.

Pocket 3: Perseus and the Gorgons

This pocket presents the Greek myth of the great hero Perseus (the book’s Percy Jackson was named after him) as he takes on the evil gorgon, Medusa, who turns people to stone with one look. The unit includes activities like making an illustrated mini book, creating a 3D Medusa, writing a news article about Perseus’s victory, and a vocabulary and comprehension activity page. Find this individual unit on Teachers Pay Teachers.

Pocket 5: The Race for Atalanta

This unit includes the myth of Melanion, who ran a race to win the heart of his true love, princess Atalanta, and won with the help of the Greek goddess Aphrodite. After students read the myth, they’ll complete activities like illustrating the victory scene, creating a mini book about Greek sports, and creating a moveable portrait of Melanion holding his gift from Aphrodite. The unit also includes a comprehensive vocabulary page. Get this unit here, on Teachers Pay Teachers.

Pocket 6: Persephone and the Seasons

A lot of Greek myths help explain natural phenomena; for example, the Greek myth of Persephone explains why we have four seasons and why they are so different. The unit includes a story plot flowchart, a character map, a puppet show activity where students will write, create, and perform a show about the myth, and a vocabulary page. This unit is individually available on Teachers Pay Teachers.

Percy Jackson–Themed Activities and Projects

Character Cereal Box Project

This hands-on book report project focuses on one character from a book and can be expanded for any book report. Students will pick one character from Percy Jackson or the Greek myths. It could be a human character, a Greek god, or anything in between. After they select a character, each student will create a cereal brand based on that character.

 Each student will redecorate a cereal box with pictures, slogans, and “nutritional facts.” Instruct students to write a summary of the book or myth on the back of the cereal box, the nutritional facts on one side, a list of important characters on the other, and their title and illustrations on the front! They can even advertise a “prize” inside that relates to the book or character, like a toy sword inside Percy-Os!

Directions:

1.Write a summary of the book or myth on the back of the cereal box.

2. Create nutritional facts on one side of the box. Facts should relate to the character.

3. Write a list on the other side of the box of the character’s personality traits, powers, and other relevant information.

For example:
Percy-Os! A little bit of hero to start your morning off right! Nutritional facts: 30 g of heroism, 20 g of loyalty, 10 g of sarcasm, 20 g of bravery, 5 g of saltwater, 10 g of athleticism, and 3 drops of blue artificial coloring.

4. Decorate the front of the cereal box with a title and illustrations.

Supplies Needed:

1. One cereal box per student
2. Colored construction paper
3. Scissors, glue, markers, pens

Creative Writing Prompts

Instruct your students to imagine that they live in the Percy Jackson universe. Make the prompt as open-ended as possible, so the students can use their imagination to place themselves inside the world of Greek gods and heroes. Listed below are a few examples:

• Which character would they be? Would they be a Greek god? A demigod hero?
• What monster are they facing?
• Maybe your students want to pretend they’re campers at Camp Half-Blood…which cabin do they belong to? Are they going to win Capture the Flag?

Create-a-Monster Art Project

Engage your students in Greek mythology by having them create their own monster! They can mix and match traits from the monsters they’ve read about, or make their own from scratch. Have your students draw their monster on a piece of paper and label its abilities (e.g., acid breath, four heads, spiked tail, etc.).

To further this activity, have your students write about how this monster gets defeated and by which hero. It can be a hero from myths, like Hercules, or their very own hero from the activity above. No monster is too fearsome for your classroom heroes!

Use these lessons and activities to turn your classroom into a mini Greek villa! The Percy Jackson series is a successful gateway into Greek history, and will keep students engaged and fascinated. Check out Rick Riordan’s other successful series, which dive into the mythological adventures of Roman demigods, Egyptian descendants, and Norse heroes.

Discover more history pockets:

History Pockets: Ancient Rome grades 4–6

History Pockets: Ancient Egypt grades 4–6

History Pockets: Ancient Civilizations grades 1–3

Christine Wooler has experience working with children as a youth soccer coach and summer camp counselor. She is currently studying English Literature and journalism in college. She enjoys exploring educational topics that help students have fun while learning.

Put a magical twist on the classic fairy tale, Jack and the Beanstalk, with Literature Pockets: Folktales and Fairy Tales  for grades 2—3! Literature Pockets are designed to engage students in their reading by pairing the reading with content-related activities and projects, all presented in one handmade pocket journal! 

Find Jack and the Beanstalk fairy tale activities for grades 2—3 on Teachers Pay Teachers here. This unit about Jack and the Beanstalk has lots of fun activities, all listed below.

Pocket Label and Bookmark

Use the reproducibles provided to make the label for the literature pocket and a fun bookmark that includes a character list and a title slide for students to color!

The Story of Jack and the Beanstalk

This activity pairs an illustrated version of Jack and the Beanstalk with teaching points, discussion questions, and further exploration of topics to fully engage students in the story! The teaching direction provides information to preview the story with, as well as review tips.

Folded Beanstalk

Incorporate math in your reading with this activity, where students will make and measure a “growing” beanstalk! This activity comes with directions and a reproducible page to guide students through their measurements.

Watch Jack Climb the Beanstalk

Students will create a moving storyboard in this activity and recreate the story they just read! This activity is simple and comes with reproducibles, so all students have to do is cut and paste!

What Would the Harp Say?

This writing activity asks students to consider the harp’s perspective on the story, and comes with writing prompts to present to students.

The unit also includes directions on how to make the literature pockets themselves, teacher instructions for the unit, and a literature pocket cover.

Click here to get this unit on Teachers Pay Teachers.

Christine Wooler has experience working with children as a youth soccer coach and summer camp counselor. She is currently studying English Literature and journalism in college. She enjoys exploring educational topics that help students have fun while learning.

Whether you need an easy activity for the classroom or an at-home project for the weekend, making books with your child is the perfect choice! Children will absolutely love the opportunity to make their own book, especially after they’re filled with inspiration and determination from all the great books they’ve read at school! Keep reading to find some great resources for this simple activity and a free download of “Read a Book – Make a Book” that’s based on the popular kids’ book, The BFG! 

How to Make Books with Children: Read a Book – Make a Book is an amazing resource for this kind of activity! It covers popular book titles for grades 1–6 and provides instructions for more than seven different kinds of books you can make at home! This list includes double-hinged books, layered books, pull tab books, and more! Students will read a referenced book and then create their own book in response. Each project includes step-by-step instructions, reproducible patterns, and a list of other materials. The book also provides “After You Read” discussion questions, so you can make the most of your students’ reading experience! You can purchase the e-book here.

The BFG was one of my favorite books as a kid, and still is so popular that it’s one of the referenced titles in Read a Book – Make a Book! After students read the book, they’ll get to engage in making their own pull-down giant book and other activities based on the book! For example, this unit also includes a poem, drawing instructions, and other small projects to do in the classroom or at home!

Download this free BFG book-making unit here.

Steps to Make a Simple Paper Book

• Materials: white printer paper, construction paper, stapler or ribbon (for binding)
• Fold a piece of construction paper in half, hamburger style.
• Fold several pieces of printer paper the same way, sliding them inside your construction paper book cover.
  
  • Include as many as you want, but if it is too thick, your stapler might struggle with the binding.
• Make sure all your pages are lined up.
• For staple binding: Now staple the cover, as close to the left edge (or spine) as possible while still getting all your pages stapled.
• For ribbon binding: Punch a hole in your cover and pages about an inch from the top and an inch from the bottom.
• Thread a piece of narrow ribbon, yarn, or twine through the holes and tie it along the spine.
• Let your child write!

Get creative with your DIY books and let your child’s curiosity go wild. Children can write their own short stories, poems, or lists, or make it a picture book! Give your child writing prompts to get them started on his or her new creation!

Making your own book is a simple project, easy for large classrooms of students and your children at home! Challenge your children to read more, using the titles referenced in How to make Books with Children: Read a Book – Make A Book, and then have them write their very own stories in their very own books! Start a library of DIY stories and books.

For more reading book projects, check out this article:
Jumanji Reading Book Projects and Author Study

Christine Wooler has experience working with children as a youth soccer coach and summer camp counselor. She is currently studying English Literature and journalism in college. She enjoys exploring educational topics that help students have fun while learning.

Challenge your students to engage more with their reading with classroom discussion questions and art projects based on the books they read! These hands-on book reports are great activities to get students excited about what they are reading. They also pair well with any animal reports on orcas, penguins and polar bears.

How to Make Books with Children: Read a Book – Make a Book (grades 1–6) is an activity book that encourages engaged reading in and out of the classroom! Students will read one of the suggested titles, which cover reading levels from grades 1–6, and then respond to the reading with their own handmade book! This activity book provides book recommendations, discussion questions, and instructions on how to make different types of books! Get the entire Read a Book – Make a Book here.

Animal-Themed Reading Books

The animal-themed books below are engaging and fun stories for students to read and respond to!

Orca Song, by Michael C. Armour, is one of the featured titles in Read a Book – Make a Book, and is paired with prompts about orca whales and similes! The unit that focuses on the book also includes a poem about orca whales and complete instructions about how to make your own killer whale book. Purchase this unit from Teachers Pay Teachers here.

Mr. Popper’s Penguins, by Richard and Florence Atwater, is an incredibly popular children’s book, and is a great book to read in the wintertime! This unit comes with a poem, discussion questions, project ideas, and complete instructions and reproducibles to make a penguin-shaped book! Purchase this unit from Teachers Pay Teachers here.

Continue the winter book theme by using this unit, about Polar, the Titanic Bear, by Daisy Corning Stone Spedden. This book was written about the Titanic disaster, made into a children’s tale, and written from the perspective of the author’s son’s teddy bear. The unit includes a short poem, discussion questions, and instructions and materials to make a pop-up book shaped like a ship. Find this unit on Teachers Pay Teachers here.

Making a paper book is a fun project that can be done at home, too! Encourage your kids to expand their creativity by writing their own stories, poems, and responses in their own books!

Steps to make a paper book:

• Materials: white printer paper, construction paper, stapler or ribbon (for binding)
• Fold a piece of construction paper in half, hamburger style.
• Fold several pieces of printer paper the same way, sliding them inside your construction paper book cover.
  
  • Include as many as you want, but if it is too thick, your stapler might struggle with the binding.
• Make sure all your pages are lined up.
• For staple binding: Now staple the cover, as close to the left edge (or spine) as possible while still getting all your pages stapled.
• For ribbon binding: Punch a hole in your cover and pages about an inch from the top and an inch from the bottom.
• Thread a piece of narrow ribbon, yarn, or twine through the holes and tie it along the spine.
• Let your child write!

Hint: Remember to leave white space if you want to illustrate your own book!

Children can use their own paper books to write stories, recipes, lists, journals, or picture books! Inspire students with writing prompts or story ideas!

Writing prompts:

• Write a story about:
  
  • A polar bear that gets lost.
  • An orca who swims to Mexico
  • A penguin that makes a friend

Making your own book is a creative way to engage students with reading books and creating a memorable project. Have children write a story, whether true or made up, about a family member! They can write about their family member as a superhero or a favorite memory they share together.
 
Encourage your kids to illustrate their own stories too, and read them in class! Check out Read a Book – Make a Book for book recommendations and inspiration for your students’ own stories and homemade books!

Christine Wooler has experience working with children as a youth soccer coach and summer camp counselor. She is currently studying English Literature and journalism in college. She enjoys exploring educational topics that help students have fun while learning.

Subatomic particles. Electromagnetic energy. Cosmic black holes.

Science can seem intimidating, wrapped up in some of the most challenging vocabulary. Yet the single word of inquiry—why—is the secret password at the doorway of science. Thankfully, young minds are naturally curious.

In inquiry-based science instruction, the teacher’s role shifts from knowledge provider to experience facilitator. Much of science needs to be witnessed through the senses to be understood, and the more authentic, the better. Approaches using multiple phases of inquiry, knowledge-building, and application, such as the 5E model, have been used effectively and support Next Generation Science Standards.

How the 5E Model Works and Ways to Apply It

While the components generally happen in a logical flow throughout a lesson or a unit, they can be reiterated as needed, depending on what makes sense for the material being taught. Here is a general idea of the purpose and order of each main component.

Engage: Start out by sparking students’ natural sense of wonder.

• Show a photo or video of an interesting phenomenon or do a demonstration.
• Ask an intriguing question that students are likely to wonder about and facilitate a discussion about it.
• Involve the students as actively as possible to stimulate their thinking.

It is important during this phase to elicit prior knowledge and preconceptions. This helps you connect new concepts to what they know and correct any misapprehensions as the lesson progresses.

Explore: Start converting students’ wonder into learning, giving them an opportunity to work directly with an element of the concept.

• In free or guided exploration, children interact with one or more materials to see what happens.
• In model-building, children are guided or challenged to construct a model of something that uses the concept being observed, allowing manipulation on a child-size scale.
• In an investigation, children follow a given procedure designed to show particular outcomes so they can work through the cause and effect.
• In an experiment, children follow a more formal process to design and test a hypothesis, collect data, analyze results, and draw a conclusion.

Explain: Present grade-level information in oral, written, and/or graphic form. Now that students have some recent experience with the topic, this will provide a framework for new learning.

Evaluate: Check that students have understood and are able to accurately use what they’ve learned so far. This can include:

• Formative assessment of new vocabulary and basic comprehension of the information presented.
• Summative assessment at the end of the unit that would include open-ended questions tapping into higher-order thinking, such as generalizing, extrapolating, and theorizing.

Extend: Provide tasks or projects that allow children to go beyond the knowledge they have acquired and incorporate it into their thinking and their lives.

• This can include tasks that allow children to elaborate on what they’ve learned, in which they apply their new knowledge to different and/or hypothetical situations, demonstrating transfer of learning.
• Students can also take on meaningful projects that rely on using their new-found knowledge and process skills; these projects may be the seeds to effecting change in their community.

Evan-Moor’s Science Lessons and Investigations for grades 3–6 applies the 5E model to guide students through exploring science concepts. It inspires students to explore real-world science topics through a variety of lessons and activities.

Download free sample units here!

Benefits and Applications of Science Inquiry

Bringing students to the learning table is half the battle. Inquiry does that and more:

• It starts the flow of questions, as each observation may lead to more wondering.
• It breaks the right/wrong answer mold that can cause fear and reluctance in many students. True science is about discovering answers, not memorizing them.
• It’s social and cooperative, modeling the real-life science practice of collaboration.
• It’s memorable—active participation is indelible; passive exposure is not.

With today’s current trajectory of science technology growth, more students than ever before will end up in a science-related career. Elementary-school students will have jobs that don’t exist today, some of which we can’t even conceive of yet. These careers will involve solving problems in a wide range of fields:

• More effective and less risky medical treatments
• Greener and safer transportation options
• More Earth-friendly materials engineering and recycling methods
• Sustainable and healthful agricultural practices
• More efficient renewable energy

While much is known about our universe, the process used to gain that knowledge is really the star of the science show. How science is done, rather than what has been done, takes center stage in the classroom.

Basic Principles of Real-World Science

No matter what model you use, it’s important that students realize that science involves asking questions about how the world works and trying to find the answers. It is a living, breathing discipline based on observations, evidence, testing theories—and a LOT of research using many methods. Much of real-world science actually involves constructive failure, in which potential answers are tested and found to be incorrect. Non-answers are a valuable part of the trek toward understanding. Make your students aware of these basic principles:

• Record what happens when observing, exploring, or investigating. There are no right or wrong answers.
• Science is about trial and error. If something doesn’t work, you’re learned a little more about it. Try something different next time.
• Creativity is sometimes needed to come up with new ideas to test or ways to investigate something.

Inquiry is the fuel of science knowledge. Find a way to capture that sense of wonder in a bottle, and you can light a young mind for life.

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Kathy Jorgensen has been an educator most of her life, starting as a peer tutor in second grade and tutoring her way through high school and college. After teaching grades 2 through 12, she spent two decades editing standardized tests. Kathy happily returned to her teaching roots, providing instruction and practice in Evan-Moor’s math and science products. When she’s not polishing words on the page, Kathy is flitting down the dance floor indulging her passion for Scottish country dancing as a dancer, choreographer, and teacher.