When a holiday rolls around, it is the perfect time to combine a bit of history and reading comprehension with the holiday, making the learning not just authentic, but engaging. I created a whole set of The History Behind the Holidays booklets where students get to find out the reasons behind the holiday traditions. They see where the traditions came from and how they got started. This one is perfect if you are teaching on St. Patrick's Day. 

The booklets have 7 different articles, making it versatile and flexible. Teachers could choose to use it throughout the actual day of the holiday, or they could use it one article at a time over the course of 7 days. 

Be sure to snag this resource today and make your holiday prep even easier! You can find it by clicking this link here.

Read Across America Day: Dr. Seuss Style

Well, I went and did it...I got the date wrong for Dr. Seuss' birthday. But since a bunch of my students were absent on his birthday, I guess that was providential. 

Today, we celebrated Dr. Seuss' birthday with a special breakfast of ...what else? ...green eggs and ham (bacon) and I threw in some Cat in the Hat pancakes for added fun. 

This morning I sent out an invitation for the students. I used AI to help me write it quickly and I wanted to make sure the parents knew they didn't need to fix breakfast. Here's the invite:

Oh what a day! Oh what a treat!

Put shoes on your toes and bounce to your feet!

We're throwing a bash that is silly and grand,

With wiggly giggles and fun that is planned!

It's a birthday hooray for a man we all know,

With stories that zig and stories that zo!

So come one, come all - yes every girl and boy -

For a morning of munchies and Seuss-ical joy!

We'll flip-flop pancakes in tall tippy stacks,

Like the tricks of a cat with red and white slacks!

"Cat in the Hat" pancakes, fluffy and round,

With syrupy swirls dripping all around!

And what will we eat? You already may guess -

Green eggs and ham in a Seuss-y success!

Would you eat them here? 

Would you eat them there?

Would you eat them in uniform with neatly combed hair?

We'll laugh and we'll rhyme,

We'll read and we'll play. 

With hats that are striped in spectacular way!

There'll be games and good cheer and giggles galore,

And maybe some Thing One and Thing Two at the door!

So mark down the date - 

Don't dawdle, don't wait!

This birthday breakfast will truly be great!

So come if you dare!

Come hungry - if you care! 

Join me for fun that is 

beyond compare!

Because a Seuss-style party

Is simply the best - 

It's topsy-turvy, tasty, and 

Better than the rest!

Almost right away, we started breakfast. I had already made tall red and white striped hat pancakes for the students, so I just had to warm those up. I brought my electric griddle to heat up the meat and cook the eggs. I just added some green food coloring to the eggs and cooked them up like normal. 

While I was finishing the breakfast off, students were coloring a Dr. Seuss coloring sheet. I told them it was for a coloring contest, so now I have to think of a prize. 

Next, we watched the reading of Green Eggs and Ham on YouTube. I didn't have a copy of the book, so YouTube came in handy. 

After that, we worked on rhyming words. I had the students do five rounds of a Scattergories-style  game. I gave them a beginning word such as cat and they had one minute to come up with all the real words they could that rhymed with it. Then we shared our words and students had to mark off any words that others also had. After 5 rounds, we awarded first place winners from each grade level (I teach three grades) with a mechanical pencil...simple and they were super excited to get the pencil since they very rarely have mechanical pencils. 

Afterwards, I showed them how to create rhyming sentences and I placed them in small groups. Each group got a list of spelling words and they had to create a story that included their words (as a team) and also rhymed like the Dr. Seuss stories. I found a cute 20 minute timer that I placed on the board. It was Dr. Seuss-themed. We shared our stories with the class. 

When we came in from recess, we watched an about the author video for Dr. Seuss. We learned about other things he did in his life and how he became the famous Dr. Seuss. We read a short biography on his life (found for free on TPT) and answered comprehension questions with text evidence. 

The next book we read was The Cat in the Hat. We also did part two, The Cat in the Hat Returns. Both books were a ton of fun, and the first is a classic, so we had to do that one for sure. For the extension activity, we did a directed drawing, using Art for Kids Hub, of the Cat in the Hat. 

Later we read Mr. McElligot's Pool at our read-aloud time. This one was just for fun. 

We ran out of time for everything I had planned, but tomorrow I hope to finish it all off. Here's what else we will do: 

We will read the book, What Pet Shall I Get? and write persuasive essays about the pet we want. The students will write strong reasons why their parents should get them this pet.

We will end with a book that was written with a little help from Jack Prelutsky. It is called Hooray for Diffendoofer Day! This one was finished off after Seuss' death. He had left some drawings and notes, but the text was not made, so this poet, Prelutsky took what he could find and created the rest in the style of Seuss. ...pretty amazing!

And to end the day, I got a sweet message from one of my parents telling me that their child came home and wanted to read his Dr. Seuss books. For him, the day was inspiring! Absolutely LOVE that!

 

Meaningful Black History Month Activities for Upper Elementary Students

Black History Month is an important opportunity to move beyond surface-level lessons and help students truly understand the people, stories, and impact of African Americans throughout history. For upper elementary students (grades 3-5), the goal is to balance age-appropriate content with depth, critical thinking, and reflection. 

One of the most effective ways to do this is through Black History comprehension passages paired with reflection activities and biography writing booklets. This combination allows students to read, analyze, and then apply their learning by writing about a famous African Americans in their own words. 

Below you will hear how this approach creates meaningful learning -- and how you can use it in your classroom. 

Why Comprehension + Writing Works for Black History Month

Upper elementary students are developmentally ready to: 

• Analyze nonfiction text
• Identify main ideas and key details
• Reflect on character traits and challenges
• Make connections between past and present

 Using Black History reading passages grounds students in facts, while writing booklets help them process and synthesize information in a meaningful way. 

This structure supports:

• Reading comprehension standards
• Informational writing skills
• Social studies content knowledge
• Culturally responsive teaching

Activity 1: Black History Comprehension Passages with Purpose

Start with focused, student-friendly comprehension passages about famous African Americans. Each passage highlights:

• Early life and background
• Major accomplishments
• Obstacles or challenges faced
• Lasting impact on society

Pair passages with thoughtful questions such as:

• What challenges did this person overcome?
• Why is this person remembered today?
• How did their actions help others?

These questions encourage students to move beyond beyond facts and into critical thinking and discussion. 

Activity 2: Biography Writing Booklets

After reading, responding, and discussing students transition into writing by completing a  biography booklet of their own. This step is key for deeper learning.

A strong upper-elementary biography booklet includes:

• A title page with the person's name
• All About
• Early Life section
• Famous For (Why this person matters today)
• Fun Facts
• Timeline

This structure helps students organize their thoughts while practicing informational writing in a manageable, engaging format.

Activity 3: Student Choice for Deeper Engagement

Whenever possible allow students to choose which famous African American they want to write about. Choice increases motivation and ownership while allowing for differentiation. 

You can:

• Provide several comprehension passages and let students select one
• Assign different figures to small groups
• Rotate passages through literacy centers

This flexibility makes the activities easy to use in whole-group lessons, small groups or independent work. 

Activity 4: Meaningful Reflection (Not Just a Final Product)

To keep Black History Month meaningful, include time for reflection. Encourage students to think about: 

• How this person's life connects to fairness, perseverance, or leadership 
• What lessons we can learn today
• How change can start with one person

These reflections can be written, discussed, or shared in partner conversations.

Why This Works for Teachers

This type of Black History Month resource:

• Saves prep time
• Aligns with reading and writing standards
• Works across multiple grade levels
• Encourages respectful, meaningful learning
• Goes beyond crafts or worksheets

Most importantly, it helps students see African American history as an essential part of American history, not a side topic.

Final Thoughts

Using Black History comprehension passages paired with biography writing booklets allows upper elementary students to read, think, write, and reflect in purposeful ways. These activities create lasting understanding while honoring the lives and contributions of famous African Americans. 

When students can explain who someone was, what they accomplished, and why they matter, Black History Month becomes more than a unit --it becomes meaningful learning. 

Ready to make Black History Month meaningful and manageable in your classroom? 

This set of Black History comprehension passages and biography writing booklets gives your upper elementary students the structure they need to read deeply, think critically, and write with purpose --without adding extra prep to your plate. Perfect for grades 3-5 (I have even used it with second graders), these activities work seamlessly for whole-group lessons, small groups, literacy centers, or independent work. 

Click here to grab the resource and bring purposeful Black History learning into your classroom today. 

Save big with the classroom bundle and allow for student choice!

African Americans Included:

• Martin Luther King Jr. 
• Lydia Newman
• Dr. Daniel Hale Williams
• Bessie Coleman
• Rosa Parks
• Mary Jane Mcleod Bethune
• Dr. Charles Drew
• Garrett Morgan
• Harriett Tubman

Your students will build reading and writing skills while honoring the stories and contributions of influential African Americans --and you'll feel confident knowing your lessons go beyond worksheets and truly matter. 

 

Football Reading Comprehension Wreath Craft: A Fun, Hands-On Literacy Activity for your Classroom

Looking for a fun, engaging way to boost reading comprehension while keeping your students motivated? This football-themed reading comprehension wreath craft is the perfect blend of literacy, creativity, and seasonal excitement - making it a favorite for both teachers and students. 

Whether you are celebrating football season, planning a Super Bowl classroom activity, or simply trying to add more hands-on learning to your literacy block, this craft helps students interact with texts in a meaningful way - not just answer questions and move on. 

Why Teachers Love Football-Themed Reading Activities

Seasonal themes make learning feel special. When students see something familiar and exciting, like football, they instantly feel more connected to the activity. 

This football reading comprehension craft: 

• Keeps students engaged
• Encourages deeper thinking about texts
• Provides a visual representation of understanding
• Works as a bulletin board display
• Supports multiple learning styles

Instead of just throwing out another worksheet, students build their comprehension, piece by piece, using this interactive wreath.

What is the Football Reading Comprehension Wreath Craft?

This craft allows students to respond to a reading passage, book, or story by completing structured prompts (from a menu of choices) and assembling them into a football-themed wreath craft. 

Each piece of the wreath represents a different reading skill such as:

• Character
• Setting
• Problem/Solution
• Text Connections
• Favorite Part

Once assembled, students have a visual summary of their thinking - and teachers have an instant comprehension check. 

Perfect for so Many Classroom Uses

This football literacy craft is extremely versatile. Teachers can use it for:

• Football-themed reading centers
• Small group instruction
• Whole-class novel studies
• Independent reading responses
• Book reports
• Earlier finisher activities
• Bulletin board displays
• Hallway showcases
• Super Bowl week lessons

It works especially well for 3rd, 4th, and 5th grades, but can easily be adapted up or down, depending on the needs of your students. 

Why Crafts Improve Reading Comprehension

Craft-based literacy activities aren't just "fun extras" - they are powerful learning tools. 

This interactive reading comprehension craft helps students:

• Slow down and reflect on the text
• Organize their thinking
• Use academic language
• Make text based connections
• Stay motivated longer

Students are much more likely to engage with comprehension questions when they know they are building something meaningful. 

Easy Prep for Busy Teachers

One of the best parts? This football reading craft is designed to be print-and-go. 

Just get started by following these steps: 

1. Print the template for each student
2. Assign, or read aloud, a short story
3. Let students respond and assemble

No more complicated materials. No stress. Teachers will love that this activity feels special without all the hours of prep. 

Makes the Perfect Bulletin Board

Once they are finished, these wreaths make stunning classroom displays. They are colorful, personal, and full of student thinking. Try pairing them with a fun heading such as: 

• Touchdown Reading!
• We're Scoring Big in Comprehension
• Reading Champions
• Game on, Readers!

Your classroom will feel festive, purposeful, and student centered. 

Great for Differentiation

This football craft can be easily differentiated: 

• Give easier prompts to struggling readers
• Use sentence starters with emerging writers
• Open-ended responses for advanced students

You can also assign different texts to different groups and still use the same craft structure.

A meaningful alternative to traditional worksheets

If you're tired of students rushing through comprehension worksheets, this football reading response craft gives them a reason to slow down and think. 

Students are not just answering a set of questions, they are creating something meaningful along the way. 

And the best part is, they're proud to show it off!

Want to Try it in Your Classroom? 

If you are looking for a football-themed reading comprehension activity that is:

• Hands-on
• Engaging
• Low prep
• Visually appealing
• Educationally meaningful

...this wreath craft might be exactly what you need. It is a simple way to make literacy fun while still targeting essential comprehension skills. 

You can find this printable activity in my Teachers Pay Teachers shop. It has clear instructions, student-friendly templates, and easy classroom implementation. 

If football season brings extra energy to your classroom, this is a great way to channel that excitement into purposeful literacy learning. 

Get it right here.

Looking for some more football fun for the classroom? Check out these other blog posts below for more!

Math Block: Football Season Classroom Fun

Football Room Transformation

Math Block: The Best of the Best Engaging Math Activities

STEM Challenges with a Holiday Twist: Make December Magical in Your Classroom

December in the classroom can feel like a bit of a whirlwind - students are buzzing with excitement, schedules are packed, you are juggling lessons and Christmas programs, while trying to insert some holiday fun. So how do you keep learning meaningful without losing the festive spirit? Enter holiday-themed STEM challenges! These hands-on activities are the perfect way to use that energy for creativity, problem solving, and teamwork.

STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) isn't just about equations or experiments. It is also about critical thinking and innovating. What better time to spark curiosity than during the most magical season of the year? 

 Why does Holiday STEM work?

• It Keeps students engaged during a time when attention spans are short.
• It encourages collaboration, creativity, and problem-solving
• It brings joy to learning - because who doesn't love building something festive?

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STEM Challenge Idea: Build a Christmas Tree

This one is a favorite of mine because it combines engineering with holiday cheer. Here’s how easy it is set up:

The Challenge

With your team, build the tallest Christmas tree possible using only the supplies provided. 

Materials

• Large green popsicle sticks
• Clothes pins
• Colorful pom-poms or bells

Steps

1. Ask and Imagine: How will you add height to your tree? How will you make it stand on its        own? How will you make it hold the decorations?

2. Plan: Sketch a quick design. Add details. 

3. Create: Start building your tree! Students should test to make sure it can stand and make        adjustments as they go.

4. Improve:  How can they make it sturdier? Stronger? Add ornaments for fun!

Learning Connections

• Engineering: Balance and structure
• Math: Measuring height
• Science: Stability and gravity

Want to add more challenge? Up the competition - whose tree can hold the most weight (like small bells) without falling?

If you would like a unit, all about Christmas trees, that includes this STEM challenge, you can find it right here or click on the cover page below.

Books for the New Year - January Titles for Building Reading Comprehension

Books for the New Year

I am always on the lookout for new books to use for different seasons in my classroom. I recently ran across the book Because by Mo Willems. It is absolutely perfect and stunning for the new year. I am going to use it for goal setting and will also tie in some reading comprehension strategies and reading skills. 

I decided to try to find a book to partner with the book to Because. The book by John Lithgow called, Never Play Music Right Next to the Zoo, was the perfect book to use. It has a similar topic and is lots of fun. 

New Year's Book Descriptions

The book, Because, is a beautifully illustrated book that features the story of an orchestra. It traces inspiration from one piece of music to the final moment when an orchestra is formed. It shows how just one person can have a huge effect over the lives of others. It is written in a simple pattern, but don't let that fool you! This book is packed with possibilities for older students like my upper elementary kids. 

The book, Never Play Music Right Next to the Zoo, is a fun book that features an orchestra as well...only in this book some rogue animals take over the orchestra, reeking havoc in the process. 

 New Year's Partner Books

What I love about using these two books together is their easy link based on not only the orchestra, but how easily the books show a cause/effect relationship. They are perfect for linking together to compare and contrast. 

Lesson Planning for New Year's Books

I was looking through these two books with reading lessons in mind. I knew I wanted to connect the books not only to New Year's celebrations, but also to my curriculum. I looked for skills that could be incorporated. Here are some good ones.

First, of course, we will have a discussion about the points of the book using  basic questions as well as questions that dig a bit deeper and require making connections.

Next, using the book Because, we will work on cause and effect relationships. This book is perfect for that. Each page has a cause/effect sentence on it. We will branch away from those, writing some of our own. In the end, we can link back to the book, Never Play Music Right Next to the Zoo for one last cause/effect.

For deeper learning, students will think about the effect (goal) they want to have for the rest of the school year. They will list out some causes....what will cause them to reach that goal. They will draw a picture of themselves completing that goal. If you visualize it and have a step-by-step plan, you can achieve it, right?

The book, Never Play music Right Next to the Zoo, is also a great way to review basic nouns and verbs. We will do a quick verb sort with this one. 

Another great skill to work on with these two books is comparing and contrasting. Using partner books allows you to have enough similarities, but there will be many differences as well. A Venn diagram is the perfect way to organize a comparison between these two books. 

Using fun picture books is one of my favorite ways to teach new skills and these two new (to me) books will be the perfect addition!

12 Days of Christmas Day 1: Chronicles of Narnia

In reading class, we have been working our way through the Chronicles of Narnia's The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. I absolutely LOVE this book and my class did too. They did not want it to end and are demanding to read other books in the series. Since we finished up last week, I decided to create a classroom transformation to review a bunch of skills and end it all with a big bang. 

For the decorating, I purchased a snowy background to hang across the front of my classroom as well as a dozen foldable 3D snowflakes to hang from the ceiling. I had my dad and husband help me with creating the wardrobe. My dad built a clothes rack that could go just inside my classroom door and my husband rigged it all around with cardboard so that when the students entered my classroom it looked like they were entering a wardrobe. I hung some coats and blankets on the clothes rack and put cotton batting on the floor for snow. I also put a tree just past the clothes and to one side with "snow" covering the branches. In the books, the trees were one of the first things the four children, in the book, noticed as they went through the wardrobe. I created a drawing of a wardrobe to hang on the outside of the door to make it look like the door of the wardrobe. 

Inside, there were a few other details too. We had the lamp and lamppost as you came through the wardrobe. A candle was burning inside (it was battery operated, of course). On a tall table at the front, I had a white lacy tablecloth along with a crown, signifying the queen as well as a fancy platter of Turkish Delight. I also displayed the book there as well. In the back, I created a very simple altar with a table. I used bulletin board paper and created a rock pattern all over it. Then I taped it to a table, hanging down to the floor. I placed an old giant stuffed lion, that was my husband's when he was a kid, on the tabletop to represent Aslan on the stone altar. 

The "Queen's" crown and Turkish Delight

Aslan on the altar

The snow-covered tree at the back of the wardrobe

The burning lamp

The backside of the wardrobe from inside looking back to the door. 

The wardrobe door

To one side, I gathered up some wood to represent the beavers. I placed some marmalade rolls nearby. In the story, the beavers served marmalade rolls to Peter, Susan, and Lucy.

As for the activities, we started with an escape room that reviewed the vocabulary, characters, and plot of the story. As students made their way through the challenges, they had certain points where they could stop to try the Turkish Delight and the marmalade rolls. They were mostly a hit. You can find the recipe for Turkish Delight here.  My principal said it was the best Turkish Delight she has ever had....she is a HUGE Narnia fan. It was the only Turkish Delight I ever had. Also, let me give you a couple of tips to making this. When you see the ingredient corn flour, it is actually corn starch (in England they apparently call it corn flour). Also, if you cannot find rose water, you can use another flavoring. I used orange instead because I went to two different stores and they did not have it. I also did not plan ahead enough to purchase on Amazon, but it is available there. The marmalade rolls recipe I used can be found here. It was super delicious, but also incredibly sweet. A little bit is more than enough for me. 

After we escaped Narnia, we started a comparison of the book and the movie. We watched the movie in 5 different segments, pausing to look for connections while comparing and contrasting. 

All in all, it was a great time! I really enjoyed bringing the book to life in my classroom. I am already thinking about the next book....Charlie and the Chocolate Factory....here we come! 

9 People to Feature during Black History Month in your Classroom

There are so many people, both well-known and not as well-known, that are both amazing and perfect to study with your classroom. During this black history month, here is a list of 9 of those people to bring into the classroom. My students will be studying these people and doing a simple biography about one of them. I have done this same project with kids from second grade through fourth grade and the difference is on the amount of writing the students do. I cannot wait to get started again this year.

Let's start with the well-known people:

First up is of course Martin Luther King Jr. If you have ever taught, I am sure you have taught about his man. Everyone knows about his dream for America...how he wanted all people to be able to be judged by their insides and not on the color of their skin. He spent his life working to end racism and help all people be treated equally. He protested, but he found ways to do it peacefully. He is one of the black leaders at the forefront every single black history month.

Next is Rosa Parks. She is almost as famous as Martin Luther King Jr. himself. Rosa was famous for refusing to give up her seat on the bus. It was the start of the Montgomery bus boycott. 

Bessie Coleman was another amazing black woman who was also a pilot. She had to work hard for the right to reach her dream and became the first black American to have a pilot's license. 

Harriet Tubman is one of my favorites. She was nicknamed Moses because while she could have just saved herself, she didn't. She continued to rescue other people who were enslaved. She is likened to the Biblical Moses who saved his people from slavery. She was brave and strong and selfless. 

Now for some of the lesser known people who were still just as amazing:

The first one is Garrett Morgan. Garrett was an amazing inventor who did not get all the credit he deserved. Some of his inventions were credited to another person because black people could not hold patents. He was willing to allow someone else to get credit so the inventions could be of help to others. He made traffic lights better and saved many people's lives in the process. 

Dr. Charles Drew was a hard-working black doctor who worked to figure out a way to save blood that was needed for injured people. Before his time, transfusions were done from one person directly into another person. He was able to save it so hospitals could have a blood bank to draw from. Also, he is the father of the modern bloodmobile. 

Did you know that the very first open heart surgery was performed by a black surgeon? Dr. Daniel Hale Williams did that in 1893 without any of the modern conveniences of medicine today. He saved the patient's life. He also was not allowed to practice medicine at the white hospitals of the day so he opened a hospital that kept an interracial staff and was willing to help all people. 

Lydia Newman was a black inventor. She holds the first patent for a hairbrush with synthetic bristles. This hairbrush was better suited to detangle hair, especially that of African Americans. The bristles were stiffer than those made of animal hairs. The brush she invented was also easier to clean and more sanitary. She also worked hard to get voting rights for women. 

Mary McLeod Bethune was an educator. She opened one of the very first schools for African American girls. She also worked with some presidents to help with civil rights for African Americans. 

These are just, of course, a few of the many men and women of color who have helped to make our country great. Who will you choose to bring to life in your classroom? 

Check out my black history resources if you are interested. You can find these individually or in a complete bundle. Click below to be taken to each resource.