A traditional Japanese haiku poem is written in three lines: 5 syllables on the first line 7 syllables on the second line 5 syllables on the third line Haiku is inspired by nature, combining two different images or ideas together. My son’s 5th grade poetry unit included haiku inspired by Japanese block prints created by Katsushika…
Category: Social Studies
History, social science and geography for kids.
A Fun Way to Learn About London!
This cut paper animation video of the history of London amazed me … and prompted this list. I’ve been to London for a short trip before I had kids, but it’s on my list to visit again! How about you? Have your kids been to London? If so, would they like these books? Children’s Books…
The Racist Side of Dr. Seuss You Didn’t Know About
Before Dr. Seuss was famous, he drew racist political cartoons during the 1920s through the 1940s. Was Dr. Seuss himself a racist, or did he just draw these cartoon for a paycheck? He was a racist. Geisel himself was vocally anti-Japanese during the war and had no trouble with rounding up an entire population of…
Civil Rights Movement Art #BlackLivesMatter
“One of the most extraordinary and least understood aspects of Dr. Martin Luther King’s leadership was his incisive understanding of the power of visual images to alter public opinion,” says Maurice Berger, standing in front of an oversize silk-screen portrait of the slain civil rights leader. from Smithsonian Magazine In celebration of Martin Luther King,…
11 Diversity Picture Books for 6th Grade
I consulted my 8th grader, PickyKidPix, about her middle school curriculum. She pays attention to everything going on so she remembers what she studied and notices what other grades are doing. She said that her teachers have generally covered the same curriculum they have always done which seemed to naturally follow Common Core but that…
Thanksgiving Picture Book
Kid Lit Blog Hop Now MONTHLY!
A Teacher Pens Songs to Teach Kids History
Please welcome my guest author, 5th grade teacher Damien Drago today. He found a unique way to get his students excited about history: he writes and performs songs about American history! —————— I distinctly remember racking my brain thinking of ways to make my fifth-grade social studies lesson a little more lively. How could I get…