The Joy of Teaching

How does electricity work? Why do light bulbs turn on with a flick of a switch? How do electric cars work? These are all questions that children ask every day! Electricity is such an interesting part of science! Did you know that before electricity was discovered, people thought static and shocks came from electric fish? Or that the generating station that powers your house could be up to hundreds of miles away? Or that electricity travels at the speed of light?

Engage students’ interest with big idea questions that activate their curiosity and prior knowledge. Engagement questions asked before the introduction of a lesson allow students to make connections with prior learning, raise questions, and generate curiosity.

Evan-Moor’s Daily Science for grades 1–6 highlights some great lessons on electricity.

Daily Science Grade 3 Big Idea

Electricity Can Exist as Static Electricity or Travel as a Current

The unit supplies lessons and activities for five weeks, with each week asking a different question:

• Where Does Lightning Come From?
• Why Do Electrical Cords Have Metal Plugs?
• How Does Flipping a Switch Light Up a Light Bulb?
• How Does a Battery Make Electricity?
• Electricity: Unit Review/Hands-on Activity

All five weeks focus on the same big idea, but ask different questions and provide different activities. Each week’s plan has different activities and worksheets for each day, so you can stretch the science concept through the whole week! An answer key is also included with each week.

Purchase this electricity unit on Teachers Pay Teachers here.

Daily Science Grade 4 Big Idea

Electrical Energy Can Be Converted into Heat, Light, Sound, and Motion

• This unit asks questions like:
• How Do Toasters Work?
• What Lights a Digital Clock?
• How Do Hearing Aids Help People Hear?
• How Do Electric Cars Work?
• Electrical Energy: Unit Review/Hands-on Activity 

The unit ends with an assessment of students’ comprehension and a hands-on activity called “Start Your Motor.” The unit supplies vocabulary, activities, teacher instruction pages, and a hands-on activity and directions. The inquiry-based units encourage students to ask questions of their own, in addition to brainstorming answers to the questions provided for each week.

Follow this link to get this unit on Teachers Pay Teachers.

Daily Science Grade 5 Big Idea

When a New Substance Is Made Through a Chemical Reaction, It Has Properties That Are Different from the Original Substances

This unit introduces vocabulary like acid, boiling point, oxidized, and reactant! Students are asked to ponder:

• What Puts the Fizz in Soda?
• Why Do Batteries Die?
• Why Does Metal Rust?
• Why Can’t You Light a Match More Than Once?
• Chemical Reactions: Unit Review/Hands-on Activity

The review and hands-on activity tests the results of oxidized pennies placed in acidic solutions. Engage your students in physical science concepts like chemical reactions, and have fun with the experiments that go with the concepts! For example, putting mentos in a soda bottle never gets old!

Find this unit on Teachers Pay Teachers here.

Daily Science Grade 6 Big Idea

Energy Can Be Mechanical, Electrical, Thermal, or Chemical. Light, Sound, and Heat Are Often the Result

The sixth grade level of Daily Science tackles more complex concepts, asking questions like:

• How Do Windmills Make Electricity?
• What Makes Popcorn Pop?
• What Makes Fireflies Glow?
• How Do Fireworks Work?
• Energy Often Results in Light, Sound, and Heat: Unit Review/Hands-on Activity

The unit explores different kinds of energy, including advanced vocabulary like catalyze, electromagnetism, and kinetic energy. Students will explore real-life examples of energy and electricity, like windmills, popcorn, and fireworks, and create and test their own hypotheses about the best way to pop popcorn.

Visit Teachers Pay Teachers here to get this unit.

The goal of Daily Science is to fully engage students in the topic, asking them to brainstorm answers to the provided question before diving into the activities and lesson of the day. The big ideas within each unit allow students to connect prior learning with new experiences. Teaching students to ask questions creates deeper meaning and better understanding of the content.

In the words of Josef Albers, and American artist and educator, “Good teaching is more a giving of right questions than a giving of right answers.”

Purchase the entire Daily Science book with 150 daily lessons for grades 1-6 from Teachers Pay Teachers or www.evan-moor.com 

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.

Long before Columbus sailed the ocean blue in 1492, the continent of North America was inhabited by the indigenous people, Native Americans. There were more than 560 Native American tribes in the United States alone, including the Navajo, Cherokee, and Sioux tribes. Hundreds of years later, the influence of Native American culture on today’s society remains incredible! Did you know that the sequoia tree was named after a Cherokee leader named Sequoyah who helped his people develop an alphabet? Or that a lot of U.S. states, like Arizona, Missouri, and Kentucky, were named using Ameri-Indian words? Use the following lessons from Evan-Moor on Teachers Pay Teachers to present an engaging view of Native American history!

Free Native American lesson and activity link below.

History Pockets: Native Americans, Grades 1–3

If you’re looking for short activities that highlight Native American history, Evan-Moor’s History Pockets will fit perfectly in your lesson planning! Each individual pocket is pulled from the complete book, History Pockets: Native Americans (grades 1–3). The first pocket, Introduction to Native Americans, provides information and fun activities on a variety of American Indian tribes! It includes a map of tribes across North America, a picture dictionary activity, and a cover sheet!
Find this unit on Teachers Pay Teachers here.

History Pockets: Navajo Tribe, Grades 1–3

Similar history pockets also highlight individual tribes so students can engage in a more in-depth learning experience. The seventh history pocket includes a lesson on the Navajo tribe, which lived in the Southwest United States. The pocket, in addition to having a fact sheet and new vocabulary, also includes two fun activities where students can design and create their very own Navajo-style necklace and rug!

Buy this pocket on Teachers Pay Teachers here.

Build a comprehensive Native American unit and purchase the entire Native American history pocket book  History Pockets: Native Americans (grades 1–3).

Native American Day Activities, Grades K-1

For younger students (grades K–1), celebrate Native American Day (the fourth Friday of September) with traditional Native American art projects like sand painting, invented by the Pueblo tribe and developed by the Navajo! Or play the stick dice game, a popular Native American game that also incorporates basic math skills.

These activities and other projects like it are available on Teachers Pay Teachers here.

“The Three Sisters” Legend, Grade 3

Expand your students’ knowledge of Native American beliefs and mythology with “The Three Sisters” legend. The legend tells of Corn, Bean, and Squash, the three sisters of the field that always grow together and, at night, dance together as human girls! This unit (recommended for 3rd grade) includes the one-page story, reading comprehension questions, and five activity pages that fine-tune skills like identifying antonyms and synonyms, spellings of “long e” and adding “ed” and reading for information! A teacher answer key is also included.

Find this unit here, or purchase the entire activity book for grade 3, Read and Understand: Stories and Activities, grade 3.

“The Little People” Legend, Grades 2–3

The fable of “The Little People” is another great legend for 2nd and 3rd graders! This unit includes the two-page fable about a boy that learns not to judge others, followed by reading comprehension questions, matching vocabulary, and practice with synonyms and suffixes (answer key included).

Purchase this unit here. For more folktales and fables for grades 2 and 3, check out the whole book, Read and Understand: Folktales and Fables, grades 2–3.

Native American Tribes of the Far North, Grades 3–5

Spend some time focusing on the Native American tribes of the far northern United States with this informative unit for grades 1–3. In this unit, students will learn about the different tribes and practice traditional Native American activities, like making dream catchers and bear claw necklaces. The unit also includes instructions for an indigenous game called “shinny” and a story-telling activity.

Download this FREE Bear Claw Necklace and Native American Tribes of the Far North unit here.

You can find a complete thematic book on Native American history here.

Nature Weaving Activity, Grades 1–6

Practice the tradition of nature weaving on Native American Day using this Evan-Moor unit! The unit provides a short background on Native American Day before diving into instructions about how to weave using natural materials. Students will love this fun and easy project and will learn to appreciate Native American art and culture.

Find this individual unit here. You can also purchase the whole book of Holiday Art Projects, grades 1–6.

Native American Reading and Activity, Grades 1–6

Celebrate Native American Day by learning about Native American reading culture. This unit features background information on Native American Day, book recommendations about Native American history (fiction and nonfiction), and a make-your-own book project.

Find this individual unit here.

Tops & Bottoms Writing and Art Project, Grades K–2

To incorporate writing into your Native American history lessons, use the Tops & Bottoms: Native American Girl/Boy writing form unit! This fun unit provides a writing space and an art component, so students can write what they’ve learned about Native American life! This activity can be used for creative writing, story starters, or fact reporting; it also looks great as a bulletin board decoration!

• To purchase the Tops & Bottoms: Native American Boy, click here.
  
• To purchase the Tops & Bottoms: Native American Girl unit, click here.
  
• To find other great holiday Tops & Bottoms writing forms, purchase the whole activity book, Writing Forms: Tops & Bottoms, grades K–2.

Whether you’re celebrating Native American Day or Native American History Month (November!), there are so many ways you can make social studies fun and engaging! Present fun facts about Native American history, include activities and hands-on projects, and read indigenous legends to give your students a well-rounded understanding of how important Native American culture is today!

For more Teachers Pay Teachers lesson ideas check out this article.

Sea Otters, Marine Mammals, and Ocean Life Activities for Grades K–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.