Sophia Teaches

Thanksgiving is a time for celebration, gratitude, and learning. It's an opportunity for elementary students to engage in fun and educational activities that foster creativity, critical thinking, and a deeper understanding of the holiday's significance. In this article, we will explore various Thanksgiving activities for elementary students that promote learning in different subject areas. From history and language arts to math and art, these activities will keep students engaged and excited as they approach the Thanksgiving break. History Activities The First Thanksgiving Webquest Teaching students about the first Thanksgiving is an essential part of their education. One engaging activity is a web quest that explores the history and traditions of the holiday. Students can learn about the Mayflower, the Pilgrims, and the Wampanoag Native Americans. They can compare and contrast the different perspectives and gain a deeper understanding of the historical context. To make the act...

Engaging students in the classroom is one of the most challenging tasks for educators, but it is the most important one as well. According to a 2016 Study by the National Bureau of Economic Research , “Students who were highly engaged in high school were 1.5 times more likely to graduate from college than students who were not engaged.” So it is evident, that the more engaged students are, the more they learn and retain information. But how do we increase student engagement in the classroom? Fortunately, there are numerous fun and creative activities that teachers can include in their lesson plans to make learning a more enjoyable and interactive experience. In this article, we'll explore some exciting and effective ways to increase student engagement in the classroom. So let us start! Gamify Your Lessons Gamification is a powerful tool for enhancing student engagement as students love games. Transforming your lessons into games, quizzes, or competitions can encourag...

To most teachers, games and academics might seem like things on the opposite spectrum of education, as one is often associated with leisure and fun, and the other with concentration and seriousness. But this is not true anymore. Games can now be played to educate children in a classroom to improve their academics, creating a learning environment in the classroom that is fun as well! This is known as gamification. Gamification can be defined as an educational approach that seeks to motivate students by using video game design and game elements in learning environments. The goal is to maximize enjoyment and engagement by capturing the interest of learners and inspiring them to continue learning. A study by the University of Wisconsin-Madison found that students who learned math using a gamified platform performed significantly better on standardized tests than students who learned math using traditional methods.  Now that you have an idea of what Gamification is, let us discuss ...