Andrea Knight

Teacher · Learner · Author

What Is Inauguration Day?

Inauguration Day is right around the corner, but many kids don't fully understand what happens on that day. It's typical for us to plan election activities for our students. However, we don't always give the inauguration the same amount of attention. This time around, I'm going to see this process all the way to the finish line. First though, we couldn't find a simple book about Inauguration … [Read more...]

Let’s Get Ready for Christmas Eve!

This time of year brings a rich variety of holiday traditions with it. For children who observe Christmas Eve, this special night is an exciting time, full of anticipation for the morning ahead. Let's be ready for it! Start by gathering up your favorite Christmas books. Honestly, there are so many to choose from, it's almost overwhelming. Specific to Santa, we love these: Santa Claus, … [Read more...]

Yetis Are the Worst

Yetis are the worst! Or are they? At the beginning of this story, Gilbert the goblin certainly thinks so. And he's on a mission to convince the reader to have the same opinion. Alex Willan's picture book starts out with Gilbert making the case for goblins being mysterious ... a trait Gilbert seems very serious about having. Gilbert: "Did you know that we goblins can be quite secretive? We lurk … [Read more...]

Maps and Globes Activities for Kids

Press pause on your social studies plans and check out our favorite maps and globes activities for first graders. We get it... a lot of districts are squeezing out science and social studies to make more time for ELA work. But the content area standards still exist. And those topics are exactly the ones that light up most kids, so... If we use resources that are literacy rich, so many … [Read more...]

Election Day Activities for Kids

Election Day is coming up. Everybody is talking about the issues and kids want to participate in some way. But many don't fully understand and they wonder, "What is voting all about?" This topic is on our social studies radar, so finding Election Day activities has made its way to the top of our teacher to-do list. One of the best (and easiest) ways to create a basic awareness can be found in … [Read more...]

Taking the “Scary” Out of School Safety Drills

School safety drills are so important and, though they're probably not our favorite thing to talk about, we need to prepare children for the kinds of emergencies they could encounter during the school year. The problem is, they're a little bit scary... at least for some kids. The alarms are loud and there's a sense of urgency that jolts us out of our routine... even when we know it's coming. I … [Read more...]