Blue whales and beach ball vocab--great teaching ideas to use now.

We mark the end of the year with autograph posters. Each student writes his or her name on a sheet of plain tagboard, and I hang the posters all around the room. On "signing day," each student takes a different color marker and walks around the room writing personal messages to each classmate. The posters are colorful and full of positive memories. My students just love taking their souvenirs home on the last day of school!--Diane Dinicola, first grade, Westbury, NY

After working hard all year as students, my kids get a chance to be teachers! I culminate each year with a "Teacher for a Day" event. For the last two weeks of school, my students have no homework. Instead, each child prepares a lesson for the class. It can focus on any area of interest--from how to make a cake to throwing a curve ball, from ballet instruction to science experiments. All students prepare detailed lesson outlines, create handouts, and make sure they can answer questions from their peers. It's an exciting time, and we all learn a lot from each other.--Michelle Morgan, Round Rock, TX

My students think math lessons are mouthwatering. That's because I combine math and nutrition with a program I call "Munchy Math." It's amazing how many healthy snacks lend themselves to essential skills! To study fractions, we cut apples into sections; of course, as the denominator gets bigger, my students notice that the pieces get smaller. Grapes are perfect for learning multiplication when you use bunches of equal amounts. We even use pineapple rings to learn about cylinders and layers for geometry!--Rebecca L. Landby, second grade, Saint Paul, MN

Soft 3-D sculptures really add a splash to our unit on whales. After learning about different whales, their habitats, sizes, and shapes, we use the information to create replicas of a few species. Children study the body shape of each whale and draw it on mural paper. They then paint and cut out the shapes, staple them, and stuff them with newspaper. The students learn a lot about anatomy and problem-solving while working creatively as a team.--Kimberly Shapiro, first grade, Greenvale, NY

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My sixth graders are already preparing for college. Since it's never too early to think about future goals, we practice reading and writing skills with university catalogues. I send away for several college brochures (most schools provide them free of charge) and have students go on fact-finding scavenger hunts. Then students are asked to choose two schools and write a compare-and-contrast essay. What an inspiring research topic!--Diana Kruis, Crystal Lake, IL

We spread the love on Teacher Appreciation Day. Each year, I have students write thank-you letters to teachers who have touched their lives in special ways. Teachers who work at our school receive letters in their in-boxes, and those who have retired receive them at their home addresses (we make sure to mail them in time to arrive for the big day). The tradition has already spread from my school to others in the district--how wonderful if we could spread it across the country!--Kathy Bottone, fifth grade, Brick, NJ

We practice sequencing with an end-of-the-year time line. As school draws to a close, I gather the photos I've taken throughout the year. We label sheets of construction paper with the names of the months and sort the photos by when they were taken. My students write all the captions. We then hang the month sheets in order around the walls of our room. It's a great way for students to review all they've learned and see how far they've come!--Stacy Bex, third grade, Mission Viejo, CA

We get ready for summer with a beach ball vocabulary game! I gather a few inflatable beach balls--the kind with different color panels. Using masking tape, I write one vocabulary word on each panel. Students gather in a circle and toss the ball back and forth. When they catch the ball, they must define the word on the panel that's facing them. What a great way to study on a sunny day!--Theresa Freyberger, eighth grade, Gloucester, VA

I get personal with "Math About Me" posters. Students attach a photo or self-portrait to their posters and write 10 math facts about themselves. They can write their ages--I am 5 x 2 years old; their street numbers--800+50+4=my address; or number of siblings--I have 8 - 6 brothers. When the posters are done, the kids solve the equations to get the facts on their classmates!--Dana Aybar, fifth grade, Waterbury, CT

For our ocean unit, we make personal aquariums from paper plates. Each child needs two plates. He or she cuts the middle out of the first plate and covers the hole with blue plastic wrap to make a window. Students then glue gummy fish, plastic seaweed, and seashells onto their second plates. Then we staple the plates together and hang them in our classroom. Voila, a wall of beautiful aquariums.--Mimi Blackwelder, Seaford, DE

I banish clutter with "Throw-Out Thursdays." In the weeks leading up to the end of school, my students and I make sure to clear the classroom of five items every Thursday. Whether they go home with students, or to the recycling bin, or simply in the trash, every week there must be a total of five items, big or small. By the last day of school, my clean-up job is as good as done!--Anne Marie Stephens, Manassas, VA

We practice spelling with a round robin--style bee. Each week in my class, students sit on their desks for a mini-spelling bee. I call out a word from our weekly word list, and students spell it one letter at a time, each child in turn adding one letter. If a student says an incorrect letter, he or she sits down in a chair. The last student on his or her desk wins the round. Then everybody gets back up on the desks for the next round. My students really look forward to the activity--and the words they miss during the bee are rarely missed on the spelling test!--Atlanta Feaster, fourth grade, Overland Park, KS

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My first graders practice addition with animal friends. I keep a supply of zoo-animal paper plates (the ones with "ears") to motivate children when they use math manipulatives. To work out addition problems, a child places math cubes in each ear to represent the addends. They can then move the cubes to the center of the plate to count the sum. For subtraction, it's just the reverse--students place all the cubes in the center and then the amount subtracted into one ear. Kids find it way more fun than working on a plain old math mat!--Susan Fabian, New Hyde Park, NY

My students are never at a loss for a good adjective. To improve descriptive writing skills, I give each student several rectangles of yellow, orange, and red construction paper and ask them to write a vivid adjective on each one. We then use the "bricks" to build a wall of descriptive words in the classroom. It's a great way to knock out writer's block--when students hit a "brick wall" in their writing, they know just where to go for help!--Tom Mockensturm, seventh grade, Toledo, OH

We make handprint bouquets for Mother's Day. My students trace their hands on folded sheets of brightly colored construction paper. When the prints are cut out, they have two hands in each color. I help them staple the colored pairs together at the tips of the thumb and pinky, insert a pipe-cleaner stem through the wrist, and staple the bottom closed. Students tie the stems together and then fold the paper fingers of each hand to make the flowers "bloom." The moms just love it!--Brooke L. Feingold, second grade, Henderson, NV

RELATED ARTICLE: Mother's Day: Say It With Adjectives

Our Mother's Day flower cards double as vocabulary-builders. My students create colorful construction paper flowers, write Mom in the center, and then write descriptive words or phrases on the petals, such as caring, funny, and even loves shoes! Moms are as unique as spring blossoms!--Julie Bode, third and fourth grades, Evanston, IL

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RELATED ARTICLE: Patriot Act 

With the Fourth of July just around the corner, it's a great time to learn about patriotic symbols, monuments, and historical figures who have made our country great. Students make models and posters, and give presentations about what they learn. We wrap up the unit by giving a concert of patriotic songs at a retirement community.--Ann Scates, second grade, Bethalto, IL

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RELATED ARTICLE: Clip-on Craft! Spring Butterflies

Our classroom "springs" into life with a flock of butterflies. To make the wings, we flatten plain white coffee filters and dot them with colorful markers. We then spray the filters lightly with water so the colors bleed together. For the body, students paint clothespins in spring colors, then glue on wiggly eyes and pipe-cleaner antennae. When they're dry, we crush the filters and clip on the clothespins--and our butterflies are ready to take flight--Christy Friesen, Tulsa. OK

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