Using Math Journals and other hands-on activities

Learning through play, movement and using your hands is fun. Also, this type of exploration helps students, particularly younger students, to learn better. From learning the alphabet to math to science, hands-on activities are effective and engaging. 

 



Hands-on activities to teach basic math skills are often used in the classroom, for example, dominoes, linking cubes and counters. Making number art is a perfect hands-on activity. Math has itself been described by math lovers as an art motivated by beauty. Coloring, gluing and cutting numbers and examples of numbers is a great way to ensure not only beautiful results but also number awareness. 



Themed math learning material can help you ensure that your students and young learners are focused. Math is often seen as only a subject filled with numbers. Yet, math is a universal language you can find math in the most unexpected situations. The sharing of a pizza can be transformed into an engaging geometry lesson!

By using math journaling rather than relying on worksheets, your students will be provided with opportunities to connect math learning to communication and discussions as well. A math journal is a great chance to showcase the thinking behind their solution rather than simply providing an answer.

Working on prompts in a math journal goes beyond basic facts or using simple procedures. A deeper understanding is required to complete the task using for example drawings or writing to explain the thinking. Math journaling and hands-on activities also help to link math to language. 

Math prompts can be used with students of all ages. Starting with simple prompts gives you valuable insight into your students' understanding and thinking about math. Providing students with a chance to regularly use math journaling, means that their responses will be more detailed, which will help you get an even deeper insight into where each student is in their learning process. Like all educational material, the prompts must have interesting questions and prompts. Providing your students with room to explore and draw their solutions is vital. Fun and engaging images will make it more fun to get started with the journaling.  

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2024 March Products

It’s March! Make your planning easy by looking at special things to recognize and celebrate. Using special days for developing ideas to begin a day is a remarkably easy way to keep the students engaged. 

Pig’s Day may sound like a new idea but the idea to devote a day to these charming farm animals started in 1972. Two sisters, Ellen Stanley and Mary Lynne Rave, thought that pigs should be recognized as one of the “most intellectual and domesticated animals”.  Today, fun events like pig parades and pig-themed crafts activities are part of the celebrations on the 1st of March. Pigs have lived on farms and zoos for many years and they have been kept as pets. Pigs are popular themes in books, movies, stuffed animals and piggy banks. . . Your students will love learning more using my Fact Booklet about pigs. 

Celebrate dentists on March 6th.  National Dentist Day is a great opportunity to talk about the important work that dentists are carrying out to prevent, diagnose, and treat oral diseases.  Dental health is an important way to keep our bodies in great shape. My fact booklet is filled with engaging crafts and ideas to make sure that your students will enjoy learning and reading about our teeth.  Towards the end of the month, there is National Doctors Day, March 30th. The celebrations started in 1933 to honor Dr Crawford W. Long, the first doctor who used ether as an anesthetic. Fact Booklets about Dentists or Doctors are great for projects. Designing a dentist or doctor's office is a wonderful way to implement hands-on learning. 

Learning about different cultures is a vital part of education and it will help your students not only understand the reasons behind the celebrations but also help to show them that you are supportive. The way Muslims observe Ramadan may vary but it often includes a period of fasting and praying. Books about Ramadan can be used as a starting point for engaging conversations. Learning about the meaning behind different words is also a great help if you are using a Fact Booklet about Ramadan in your classroom. The start and end dates vary annually and this year it runs from March 11 to April 10.

One of the most famous scientists, Albert Einstein, was born on the 14th of March. Scientists Day is celebrated on Einstein’s birthday. This day is important since it honors the hard work of scientists. Many of their discoveries have been crucial in helping to make our lives easier.  Learning about how they help save lives, cure diseases and learn about planets far away from ours. 



Easter is celebrated by thousands of Christians around the world. The date varies each year, and in 2024, the celebrations begin on Friday the 29 March - Good Friday. Today, many people celebrate Easter by giving and receiving chocolate Easter eggs and sometimes going on an Easter egg hunt. Activities involving eggs are perfect towards the end of March. Using How to Draw Easter is an easy way to ensure that your students can make stunning Easter decorations and Easter cards. 



I hope March in your classroom is full of engaging learning, fun and festivity!

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National Organ Donor Day

National Organ Donor Day is observed every year on the 14th of February. Valentine’s Day may have a very special meaning to you if you need an organ transplant to survive. This important day focuses on organs, tissues, marrow, platelets and blood. The day is supported by the U.S Department of Health and Human Services as well as numerous nonprofit health groups.  

Organ donation means to donate an organ to a person who needs a transplant. This special day was chosen for people to show their compassion and love for people waiting for organ transplants. By signing up for an organ donation you express your love for humanity. You can save several people's lives or heal lives with your eye and tissue donation. 

You can donate your organs or tissue after you die. The waiting list in the United States for an organ such as a liver, from a deceased person is long.  In some cases, a live donor is necessary to save a person’s life. The success rate for the transplant may be higher and also there is a shorter waiting time when a live donor is an option. 

Live liver donations are possible since our livers have a remarkable ability to regenerate. This means that if you donate part of your liver, the rest grows back to most of its original size within weeks. Our liver is unique and it is one of the few organs that can regenerate. 

There are several misconceptions when it comes to organ donations. For example, certain illnesses or physical defects will prevent you from being a donor. This is with few exceptions false.

Liver failure can be caused by a number of conditions such as liver cancer, hepatitis and cirrhosis. Norm T. is a relative  who needs a liver transplant. Her only option to survive from a disease is to find a living liver donor. A portion of a liver from a matching donor can replace her diseased liver. Livers, as mentioned above, have an ability to regrow to their normal size. This means that both the donor and Norma would regrow their liver to their normal size. 

Norma has shown a remarkable brave spirit in her long journey to fight her disease. We are hopeful that a suitable match will be found so that she can return to her normal life. 

If you are interested in becoming living donors to help save Norma’s life, please visit UTCLivingDonor.com. 

Becoming a donor is the ultimate act of love for fellow humans in need. Please share this post to enhance the chances of finding a living liver donor for our relative.

February 2024 Products

February is here with National Pizza Day, Fat Tuesday, Valentine’s Day and Random Acts of Kindness Day. Several of the themes this month focus on teaching children how to interact with others. Emotions and feelings are underlying several celebrations during this month. But the month starts with a fun day. 

The National Pizza Day is marked on the 9th February. A great way to bring smiles to your students’ faces.  Shape math is a popular way to bring joy to the geometry lesson. Craftivies such as ovens, pizza items, and  chef’s hats will ensure that your classroom looks stunning for the celebrations.

Tuesday the 13th is Fat Tuesday. Fat Tuesday is also known as Mardi Gras or Shrove Tuesday. Mardi Gras does not happen on the same day every year. Mardi Gras French for fat Tuesday and the holiday is based on the Christian calendar. Bring the celebrations into your classroom by making a Fact Booklet filled with interesting writings and drawings about the history behind the celebrations. Decorate the classroom with colorful jester craft or Mardi Gras masks. Provide your students with a chance to develop their Mardi Gras themed drawing skills by using a How to Draw resource. 

Your students will love this week since the day after Mardi Gras is Valentine’s Day. This day offers a wonderful opportunity to reflect on how we interact with other people. The book "Somebody Loves You Mr. Hatch" is such a wonderful story to share with your class. This charming book by Eileen Spinelli, lovely illustrates the power of love and friendship. My storybook companion comes with a cute Mr. Hatch craft and contains Valentine hug craft, chocolate candy patterns, scavenger kisses hunt, and estimation hearts. A lovely mixture to ensure that your students get to practice their math and language skills on this special day. Follow the easy step to step drawing lessons and enjoy watching your students creating a cupid, rings, heart cupcakes,  love letters and roses.

The Random Acts of Kindness Day is celebrated on 17th February. Use the resources below to help make kindness the norm in your classroom. The idea behind the day is to encourage people to do good deeds for others. Create a caring environment by allowing your students time to reflect on how acts of kindness, even small, can make not only the classroom but also their neighborhood a better place. Making a Kindness Quilt is an awesome way to finish the celebrations. The activity uses the book "The Kindness Quilt" by Nancy Elizabeth Wallace as inspiration. Fill a wall in your classroom with kindness squares  and marvel at the creativity! Enjoy this busy month in your classroom! 

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Scandinavian Countries

Children are curious and discovering that there are people and places around the world that are similar as well as different from them is a great way to feed their curiosity. Many students have family members who live in different parts around the world. Giving students cultural awareness is important to help them learn empathy and understanding for others. Learning about countries around the world also teaches children acceptance of traditions and beliefs that are different from their own culture.

I have recently added Scotland, Sweden and Norway to my list of places to explore. You can combine the Fact Booklets with my How to Draw resources to enhance the learning. Scotland is part of Great Britain and with its lochs, forests and mountains.  It is a place with fascinating wildlife. Also, Scotland is a land of myths and legends, and students love hearing stories about the elusive Loch Ness Monster. Learning how to draw the monster will add extra spark to a written story. 

Sweden and Norway are part of a region known as Scandinavia. Students love learning about toys that children play with in other parts of the world. In the  booklet about Sweden students will learn about a traditional wooden toy - the Dala horse. Learning about the land of the midnight sun is also fascinating. During the summer months the sun never sets in the northern parts of Sweden and Norway.

Vikings are another fascinating topic and your students will love learning to draw Viking ships. Vikings is the name given to seafaring people originally from Scandinavia and you can extend a project about Norway with learning more about these people who were  warriors, and barbarians, but also farmers,  traders, and ship builders.

In today’s increasingly interconnected world and globalized world, fostering global awareness is important and beneficial to students. Start 2024 exploring new and exciting places together with your students. 

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Ring those bells for 2024!

A brand new year. I love this time of the year. Time to reflect and make plans to create new memories in the classroom. A great way to plan activities is to use special/national days as a guide for topics. January is filled with interesting days that can help you create a classroom that is inclusive and respectful. 

I think we all know that January is Martin Luther King Day. His birthday is celebrated this year on the 16 January. 

Yet, how many of you know when National Draw a Dinosaur Day is? Select special/national days celebrations based on your students’ interests and representation. If you have some dinosaur enthusiasts in your classroom they will love to celebrate these fascinating animals on the 30 January. Use a How to Draw Dinosaur resource to celebrate this special day. 

At the beginning of the new year National Bird is celebrated - 5 January. The aim behind this special day is to raise awareness and celebrate the beauty of birds. A bird fact booklet is perfect to ignite an interest in these animals. The booklet contains a wide variety of birds,  from hummingbirds to ostriches. On the 20 January you can use the penguin fact booklet to mark Penguin Day. These  aquatic flightless birds are always a popular topic. 

The day after MLK day is Ben Franklin Day - 17 January. This remarkable man was an inventor, scientist, as well as an American statesman! Plenty of things to explore and learn using a fact book. 

Another special day is Squirrel Appreciation Day. Check out my best selling Squirrel's New Year's Resolution. This storybook companion is perfect for 21 January celebrations. 



Starting January with asking your students to share their winter traditions, while you explore birds, dinosaurs, squirrels and famous people sets the tone for an exciting 2024!