Your Life Matters! by Chris Singleton

Multicultural Children’s Book Day (MCBD) is in its 10th year! This non-profit children’s literacy initiative was founded by Valarie Budayr and Mia Wenjen; two diverse book-loving moms who saw a need to shine the spotlight on all of the multicultural books and authors on the market while also working to get those books into the hands of young readers and educators. 

Each year authors and publishing companies provide multicultural children's books for educational bloggers and social media influencers to read and write about online. In previous years, I've written about Hi, My Name is Jenny, A Unicorn Ate My Homework, Evelyn Del Rey Is Moving Away, and From My Window. This year, I was given a copy of Your Life Matters by Chris Singleton to read. Keep reading to learn more about Your Life Matters and how you can integrate it into your social studies lessons. 

How to Make Jello Outside in the Snow

Children in elementary school start learning about the states of matter, the properties of matter, and how matter changes when heat is added or removed from it. Making this tasty jello snack with your students is a fun way to integrate simple cooking skills into your science and STEM lessons about matter. Keep reading to find out how!

Do Squirrels Eat Pumpkins?

Have you ever looked out of your window to watch the squirrels gather food for the winter? Have you ever wondered what they like to eat? Squirrels aren't picky and will eat almost anything. We know they like to eat acorns, pecans, berries, apples, vegetables from the garden, and seeds just to name a few. Sometimes squirrels will eat food meant for other animals such as birdseed, cat food, and even dog food. But... do squirrels like to eat pumpkins? Check out this science and STEM experiment we conducted to try and answer this question.

How to Make an Apple Mummy (Part Two)

Several months ago, I wrote a blog post about a STEM activity that uses apples to make mummies. It was a popular post with more than 5,000 views and 700+ shares. Since then, I received numerous requests for part two of the experiment... the part in which we take the apple mummies out of the salt mixture and complete the hydration process in an oven. Keep reading to find out how it's done!

What is Saint Nicholas Day?

December is here and children all over the world are getting excited about their favorite holidays!  Christmas will take place on the 25th... Boxing Day will take place on the 26th... Kwanzaa will begin on the 26th and will last until January 1st... and... Hanukkah often falls during this month. But... there is another holiday in December that takes place on the 6th... Saint Nicholas Day!  Have you ever heard of Saint Nicholas Day?  Who is Saint Nicholas?  What did Saint Nicholas do to deserve his own special day?  What are some of the traditions associated with Saint Nicholas Day? Keep reading to learn more!

Native American - Indigenous Fingerweaving

Every culture around the world has its own special form of weaving. For example, Scotland is known for its tartans. China is known for its silks. And, Guatemala is known for its huipils. Each of these is unique and beautiful in its own way. In today's post, I'm going to introduce you to a type of fingerweaving by Haudenosaunee artist and weaver Marilyn Isaacs. Keep reading to learn about Marilyn Isaacs and her beautiful creations! 

How to Make Homemade Scratch Art

When I was a child, I participated in lots of arts-n-crafts activities at summer camp. (It was one of my favorite parts of going to camp!) While I was there, I learned how to do scratch art and how to make colorful drawings with it. I drew pictures of people, flowers, animals, and places I wanted to see. What is scratch art? How do you do scratch art? How can you use it in the classroom? Keep reading to learn the answers to these questions!

Fun Facts About Axolotls

In the game Minecraft, there are cute little axolotls that children love to collect. They come in a variety of colors... gold, brown, pink (leucistic), cyan, and blue... and can be found swimming in the clay pools found in lush caves. Many children are surprised when they find out that axolotls are animals that exist in real life and not just in the Minecraft realm. What are axolotls like in real life? Keep reading to find out!

A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park

In 2015, I participated in a Read Around the World Summer blog series and put together this collection of videos about A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park. A Long Walk to Water is a historical fiction children's novel based on real people and actual events. It follows the lives of two people (Salva and Nya) during different periods of time. Salva Dut’s story takes place in the mid-1980s during the Second Sudanese Civil War. Nya’s story takes place in the 2000s, shortly before South Sudan gained its independence. Keep reading to learn about the history and events behind the story!

The Big Marshmallow Tower STEM Challenge

A couple of years ago, I had the opportunity to go into a local private school and work with some pretty amazing kids. I spent most of the afternoon with a class of fourth and fifth-grade girls and a class of eighth-grade boys. Both classes had fun putting their geometry and engineering skills to the test. Their mission-- to build structurally sound towers out of nothing but marshmallows and spaghetti noodles!