Fall is a favorite season for so many of us. One of my favorite things about fall is the start to the new school year. As this season begins, our students are settling into a new space, a new routine, and new learning. As a teacher, we want to set the bar high for our students. We want to foster creativity and curiosity and ignite learning that leads to critical thinking. If you are looking for engaging activities that promote these types of learning experiences this fall, check out these Timely Topic resources that we have created at Van Andel Institute for Education:
Building your classroom community is the first and most important step in starting off any school year. Developing relationships, creating rapport and trust, and valuing the contributions of each student is key to laying a solid foundation for the social, emotional, and academic gains of each child. These inquiry-based activities that will help your students get to know you, one another, and build that classroom you have always dreamed of.
There is so much information out there to be explored! But, is it reliable? Now more than ever, it is important to teach our students how to find reliable and trustworthy sources of information. Not only for use in their research, but also on their quest to better understand the world around them.
Who says games and fun cannot be part of a strong learning experience? Not us! We learn so much through play. Check out these three thrilling games your students will love to play — and that you’ll love to let them!
The leaves are falling. A chill is in the air. What better time for a little spookiness — and what better way to be spooky than with some creative STEAM challenges? In Spooktacular STEAM, your class can explore 5 free lessons to make your month memorable, meaningful, and FUN!
What causes seasonal changes? Use this resource to get your students engaged in activities that will help them better understand how the Earth’s tilt and orbit around the sun influences seasonal differences.
And if you’d like to take a deeper dive into all the other free resources that we have to offer, sit back with your pumpkin spice latte and check out the latest tools and projects from Blue Apple!
*Image courtesy of Karl Gruber via Wikimedia Commons.