If you teach elementary school and want a fun activity that teaches some of the trivia related to Halloween in under 30 minutes, we have just the thing for you! This activity uses a PowerPoint  provided by www.uncw.edu/EdGames.  You can download this template by clicking on the picture or clicking here. Halloween Game 1.  Print [...]

Constitution Day Lesson September 17th is Constitution Day. Celebrate the day with your upper elementary students by analyzing the preamble through song, a word cloud, and discussion. Students even write a letter to the editor using a newspaper clip tool via the web. This lesson was written by Brian Thomas and uses proven hands-on strategies [...]

When looking back on history, I am often overwhelmed by the countless people and lives that have completely disappeared into time. Who were these people? They were most assuredly just as real as we are. They had loves, and hates, and passions just like ours. But where are they now? Through studying history, it is [...]

“Those people were just crazy!” When students first learn about the rise of fascism in Europe, especially the Nazi regime, the question many ask is, “How could this possibly have happened?” The natural reaction of many students to the horrors of fascism is to try to explain them away as something that could never happen [...]

Most of us try very hard to make our home appear inviting to guests.  Shouldn’t we strive for the same in our classrooms?  As the school year begins, I want to challenge each of you to think of new and creative ways to make your classroom more inviting to students.  We all know that it [...]

Earth Day is April 22nd! Here’s another in our free lesson series to get ready. This lesson is from TCI’s kindergarten Social Studies Alive! Me and My World program but can be used in all lower elementary grades. Kids work in pairs to explore reducing, reusing and recycling. How Can I Help Take Care of [...]

March is Women’s History Month. Try this free lesson written by TCI staff members Suzy Allione and Brian Thomas where students uncover the identity of some famous women throughout US History. Students work in small groups identifying individuals and analyzing their impact on Americans. To learn more about TCI and our programs, visit us at [...]

Here is lesson seven from History Alive! The Ancient World and a geography challenge to conduct with students that will give them perspective on Egypt and the Near East.  Help your students understand where this place is that’s being mentioned daily in the news.  Take advantage of this teachable moment!  You can download everything you need [...]

Ryan Canton, an eighth-grade teacher in Minnesota, is today’s guest blogger. We “met” Ryan on Twitter (@theswish). We were intrigued by the hardiness of his students who braved a midwestern blustery fall day to go outside and play an unusual version of capture the flag…all in the name of learning history, of course. It’s no [...]

It’s more than just virtual field trips! As we all strive to create model 21st Century Classrooms conducive to learning in a digital age, more and more teachers are turning to distance learning models for a variety of lessons and activities.  Living in a college town with a great teacher ed program, I have the [...]