It is a truth universally acknowledged (at least in the education world) that teachers don’t have enough time for planning. Quality no prep ELA activities are essential for 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade classroom teachers. Sure, the hands on oobleck experiment is fun and engaging. But it’s not just impractical – it’s impossible to plan lessons like that for every …
If you have been teaching 3rd, 4th, or 5th grade for a while, you have probably used a “Find Someone Who” activity as a back to school ice breaker. You might have even done this ice breaker yourself during professional development. But the “Find Someone Who” activity can be used for so much more than just team building – it …
After reading a nonfiction book, use one of the reading response activity ideas below to help 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students respond meaningfully to the text. For a no prep version of all of the reading response activities listed below, check out this Nonfiction Reading Response Resource. Nonfiction Reading Response Activity Ideas for 3rd, 4th, and 5th Grade1. 3 Things …
Whether you are looking for a fun back to school activity, a team building activity, a speaking and listening activity, or a way for your students to get to know each other better, interviewing a classmate / friend is a great option! 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students will love it.Why Interviewing a Friend Makes a Great Activity for 3rd, 4th, …
Looking to create a culture of kindness in your 3rd, 4th, or 5th grade classroom? The kindness ideas and activities below will help you come up with a plan that works for you and your students. Whether you are heading back to school and want to start the year off with a culture of kindness, or you are just looking …
There are so many good books that teach kindness and empathy to read aloud to your 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students. Sometimes it can be hard to choose. But kindness and empathy are themes that upper elementary students need to be reminded of all year long. You don’t have to choose just one book! Below, find some kindness and …
Thank You Mr. Falker is a heartwarming story that contains themes of overcoming obstacles, persevering, and how kindness can make a huge difference. Patricia Polacco, the author and illustrator, wrote this to tell about the real teacher in her life that encouraged and helped her, and it will encourage your 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students. Below, find comprehension questions …
Drawing attention to and celebrating your 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students for being kind is one of the best ways to encourage more kindness! There are so many different and fun ways to do this in your upper elementary classroom. Kindness breeds more kindness, so coming up with a plan to celebrate and reward kindness will only help you …
One of the best ways to introduce 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students to nonfiction text structures is by providing them with plenty of examples. Instead of starting with paragraph length or longer examples, consider starting with sentence examples. If students are not able to distinguish between the different text structures when they are in sentence form, then practicing with …
Enemy Pie is a sweet story of friendship where a boy finds out that his enemy is not really an enemy after all, but a friend. This theme of friendship makes it a great book to read aloud at the beginning of the school year to help you set a positive classroom culture in your 3rd, 4th, or 5th grade …