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Similes, Metaphors, and Idioms…oh my! Exploring the 7 types of figurative language you need to teach in upper elementary! I know I say it all the time, but I love teaching figurative language.  It is the language of poetry and romance, and a good metaphor or some simple but spicy

Gamify your instruction by turning typical activities and lessons into games. Today, we’re introducing 5 games you can play with ANY set of questions from any subject area. Do you ever have days where your students are just not picking up anything you’re putting down? You know the kind of

Check out these 20 April-themed activities and ideas for upper elementary that will keep your students guessing what might come next! April showers bring… a whole bunch of fun holidays to celebrate with your upper elementary students. Whether you are playing April Fools’ pranks on your students or setting goals

If you are looking for more ways to engage your students during reading time, you’ll want to learn how to make any reading passage into a game using this donut-themed game board! Gamification continues to be a highly engaging and effective way to help students practice skills, and I am

Get students interacting with their learning with these 7 activities for increasing students’ understanding of volume! One of the best things about teaching volume is that volume makes for a great hands-on activity. Whether students are manipulating blocks, filling containers with water, or playing games, they get lots of opportunities

Introducing main idea in 5 days is easy when you follow this simple implementation plan! Have you ever tried to put together a puzzle without looking at the box? I honestly can’t remember ever doing that. If I did, it was one of my children’s puzzles, and it was not

If your students are getting stumped as they practice multiplying and dividing fractions in word problems, you may want to try some of these strategies! Multiplying and dividing fractions can stump even the smartest of adults, so it is crazy to think that it’s something we were first introduced to

Scaffold reading comprehension by teaching these 5 types of text structures to practice in upper elementary. In education, one of the most important questions teachers need to be able to answer is ‘why.’  It’s not just the questions like  “Why is the Earth round?” Or “Why does 2 + 2

If you are thinking about using vinyl stickers to motivate upper elementary students, then consider implementing some of these ideas! When I look around the school and see my students covering their water bottles with vinyl stickers, I am reminded of old suitcases where travelers would tag their bags to

Using games effectively in the classroom is not something that just happens. Teachers need to think through why games are being used and what purpose the games are serving. I love using games in the classroom to help my students learn. If you’ve followed Fun in 5th Grade (and More)