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Find creative and engaging classroom activities for educators. Explore ideas and resources to inspire learning across all grade levels and subjects.

Mountains, sailboat, coffee cup and flower pots all created with AutoDraw
Classroom Activities

How to Use AutoDraw in the Classroom: Seven Creative Activities

by Peggy Reimers
written by Peggy Reimers

Drawing has never been my strong suit; stick figures can even confuse me. But I’ve always appreciated what visuals can add to learning, storytelling, and just plain fun. That’s why I was thrilled when Google rolled out AutoDraw, a free tool that gives everyone (even the artistically challenged like me!) a way to create clean, polished graphics in seconds.

What: AutoDraw is a free web-based tool by Google that uses artificial intelligence to turn your rough doodles into clean, recognizable icons.

Where: Visit AutoDraw — accessible on any device with internet access.

When: Originally launched in 2017, but still as fun and useful as ever!

Why Teachers Love It:

  • No account needed
  • No ads or distractions
  • Empowers non-artists
  • Encourages visual thinking
  • Easy to download and share

In the Classroom:
AutoDraw shines. You begin by sketching something (anything!), and the AI suggests what it thinks you’re trying to draw. Tap your pick, and voilà: your scribble becomes a sleek graphic. It’s intuitive, accessible, and perfect for visual storytelling—especially for elementary students still developing their fine motor skills.

Seven Simple AutoDraw Activities for Elementary Students

1. All About Me


Have students use AutoDraw to create three to five icons that represent who they are—think favorite food, hobby, pet, or dream destination. Then, have them arrange the icons into a digital “About Me” collage. Bonus: Take a screenshot of each student’s work and create a rotating slideshow to showcase during Back-to-School Night.

2. Vocabulary Visualization


Students choose a vocabulary word and create a visual representation using AutoDraw. Then, students add their drawing, the word, and a short definition to a shared digital vocabulary notebook—using Google Slides, OneNote, or another tool. Over time, this builds a creative, class-curated visual dictionary they can revisit time and time again. You could also use AutoDraw creations instead of Emoji Kitchen for the Frayer Model.

3. Story Starters with Sketches


Students draw a character, setting, or object using AutoDraw, then write a short story inspired by their creation. This activity sparks imagination and supports visual learners by giving them a concrete image to build a narrative around. Teachers can model the process by drawing their own prompt live and writing a quick example story with the class. You could also turn this into a collaborative writing challenge, where one student draws, another writes the beginning, and others continue the story in rounds.

4. Wacky Word Challenge


Give students three random words (like “pencil,” “dragon,” and “ice cream”) and have them draw a silly scene that incorporates all three.

5. Design a Class Pet


Let students use AutoDraw to invent a quirky class pet—real or imaginary! Students can name it, draw its habitat, and list a few fun facts (What does it eat? What are its superpowers?). Compile the pets into a digital zoo using a digital collaboration tool and vote on which one becomes the official class mascot.

6. Poetry Illustration

After reading a poem aloud, students can pick a favorite stanza or line to illustrate using AutoDraw.

7. Draw Your Password

Invite students to create a password using the Memorable-Random Method (like “GoatsDance4Pizza!”). Then, have them use AutoDraw to sketch an image or scene that helps them remember that password—without directly giving it away. This builds visual memory skills and reinforces the idea that strong passwords can be creative and personal.
For more information on creating secure and student-friendly passwords, check out my blog post.

So go ahead, give AutoDraw a spin and let your students do the same. You don’t need to be an artist to make something great … … … … you just need a squiggle and a little AI magic.

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Classroom ActivitiesEnglish Language Arts Reading (ELAR)Robotics

Robots in Reading: Bringing Language Arts to Life

by Melanie Sowa-Li
written by Melanie Sowa-Li

When you think of classroom robots, what comes to mind? Coding. STEM. Maybe a maze or a race. But what about characterization? Story structure? Cause and effect?

Robots are rarely associated with the reading and writing block, but they offer phenomenal opportunities to enhance and extend language arts instruction. With a bit of creative planning, robotics can become a powerful tool for supporting foundational ELAR skills and for bringing stories to life in a hands-on, memorable way.

Robots and Literature: A Natural Connection

While literacy and robotics may seem like an unlikely pairing, integrating them supports much more than just engagement. Students don’t just read about a character’s journey; they map it, program it, and bring it to life. And, they don’t just write a story; they code it into motion.

Robotics projects woven into ELAR instruction can boost:

  • Sequencing: Program the robot to follow the order of events in a story.
  • Cause and Effect: Code the robot’s actions based on story events.
  • Characterization: Represent a character’s personality through costumes and through programmed movements, lights or decisions.
  • Setting: Create physical scenes for robots to explore.
  • Drama: Use robots as actors to retell scenes or perform student-written plays.
  • Creative Writing and Storytelling: Encourage students to write original narratives and bring them to life through code.

Why Include Robots in Language Arts?

While activities like programming a robot to follow a story sequence or act out a character trait offer meaningful practice, their impact goes beyond skill-building. These creative projects set the stage for developing critical academic and interpersonal skills:

  • Problem Solving: Students devise plans and troubleshoot, mirroring the revision process in writing.
  • Collaboration: Working in teams fosters communication and cooperation.
  • Engagement: Robots spark instant excitement and make lessons more creative, interactive, and memorable.
  • Empathy: Planning a robot’s actions requires students to think through character motivations, making abstract concepts more concrete.
  • 21st Century Skills: Robotics blends coding, creativity, communication, and critical thinking.

Bringing robotics into reading isn’t about adding gadgets; it’s about unlocking deeper engagement, authentic learning, and real-world competencies.

Planning Your Lesson

Hopefully I’ve sparked your interest in embedding robotics into your ELAR block, but how does that work with real world, everyday planning? Start as you would with any unit: identify your literacy focus. Are students practicing inference, summarizing, or analyzing theme? Choose a standard-aligned goal and a high-quality mentor text that supports that skill. With your anchor text in place, think through how robotics can enhance—not distract from—the learning experience.

Ask: How can robots help students visualize the story or explore the concept in a new way? For character analysis, students might program robots to make decisions that reflect personality traits. For sequencing, they could program plot events into a journey across the classroom.

Next, decide where the robotics activity fits in your lesson cycle. Will it be a culminating project to show comprehension? A pre-writing exercise to spark ideas? Consider any background knowledge or vocabulary students will need—both in ELAR and basic coding. With thoughtful planning, robotics activities can amplify your instruction in meaningful, purposeful ways.

Spotlight Activity: Balloons Over Broadway

One robotics-literacy integration that is likely the most popular activity done in classrooms across the U.S. is based on the book Balloons Over Broadway: The True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy’s Parade by Melissa Sweet. While I didn’t invent this activity, it’s a favorite in schools across the U.S.—and for good reason.

The book shares the story of Tony Sarg, the original designer of Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade balloons. After reading and analyzing the text, students design and build their own parade floats using craft materials and recyclables. These floats are then attached to classroom robots—like Sphero or Dash—and programmed to follow a parade route.

As students work, they explore character motivations, innovation, perseverance, and cause-and-effect sequences in the text. They apply comprehension through action, translating story elements into motion.

**Pro Tip for Sphero Users: Place a Solo cup over a Sphero to create a rolling base. This opens up design possibilities for characters, floats, or moving objects.

The grand finale is a green screen video project where students film their robot floats “marching” through a digital New York City. This hands-on experience transforms reading comprehension into creative expression and it’s a great activity to share with families to boost community engagement during the holiday.

Content Standards Covered

This activity supports a range of core standards and can be used across multiple grade levels. Here are a few 3rd grade ELAR TEKS it aligns with:

English Language Arts and Reading TEKS

  • 3.6(E): Make connections to personal experiences, ideas in other texts, and society.
  • 3.6(H): Synthesize information to create new understanding.
  • 3.9(D): Recognize characteristics and structures of informational text including the central idea with supporting evidence.
  • 3.10(A): Explain author’s purpose and message within a text.

The Bigger Benefit

When students program a robot to act out a story, they are doing more than learning how to code; they’re learning how to read deeply, think critically, and express themselves creatively. They’re building connections not just between a character and their journey, but between their own ideas and the world around them. In a classroom where literature meets robotics, students will become active readers, storytellers, designers, and problem solvers. Reading and writing become the medium for expanding their own knowledge and creativity, and that’s the kind of learning that lasts.

Want to hear more from the author?

Join us at ETC this June 15-17 in Galveston, TX, to hear guest author Melanie Sowa-Li present sessions, “Robots and Read Alouds” and “Flippity Fun: Revamping Engagement through Digital Escape Rooms.”

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Try these fourteen, fast bellringers with your students.
Classroom Activities

“Fast Fourteen” Bellringers

by Peggy Reimers
written by Peggy Reimers

If you’re searching for a quick and flexible option to keep things focused (but still fun!), these “Fast Fourteen” bellringers might be just the thing.

I created these activities as a ready-to-go resource for teachers looking for something simple, quick, and meaningful to keep students engaged during those final weeks of school. They’re perfect for bellringers, early finishers, brain breaks, or class warm-up, and best of all, they come in three levels of challenge to suit your students’ needs.

Media

What is Fast Fourteen?

Each activity page presents students with 14 fun prompts, asking them to list three words per category. Think:
“Things that roll”
 “Foods that are sweet”
 “Things that spin”

It’s fast, creative, and gets your brain moving without feeling like busywork.

There are three differentiated levels included:

  • Brain Breeze (Easy) – Light and easy-peasy
  • Brain Boost (Medium) – A step up in challenge
  • Turbo-Charged (Hard) – For your deep thinkers or learners that need a challenge

Use them however it fits:

  • As individual or group work
  • For a quick warm-up or cool-down
  • In sub plans or last-minute lesson gaps
  • Even as a class competition (timer optional!)

Grab the Resources

Let’s Mix it Up – Extension Ideas

 1. Use as a Conversation Starter
Have students circle a favorite category after they finish and share it with a partner. You’ll get a quick snapshot of their interests — and a lot of great conversations!

2. Flip It into Student-Led Fun
 Let students create their own “14 Quick Picks” set! They’ll love challenging their classmates—and it builds higher-order thinking skills in the process.

3. Add a Timer for a Speed Round
 Set a three or four minute timer to make it a fast-paced challenge. You’ll be amazed at how focused students get with just a little pressure.

4. Tie It to Content
 Have students come up with words related to a current unit. (e.g., 14 Quick Picks: Life Science Edition with categories like “Things that grow” or “Living things with wings.”)

5. Use for a Friendly Competition
 Divide the class into teams. Each team fills out the same set, and you award points for unique answers, most creative, or most complete. Instant engagement!

If you are looking for more activities, check these out:

This, Not That Bellringers

What’s Going On in This Picture?

Whether you need a burst of brainpower to start the day or a calm-close activity to keep learning moving, I hope you can use Fast Fourteen in your classroom. So feel free to grab a set, pick your level, and let your students think in threes—you might be surprised by what rolls, spins, or sweetens up your classroom energy.

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A cheerful classroom scene with five smiling students writing in notebooks, while their teacher stands behind them in front of a chalkboard that reads "Our Last Week Together."
Classroom ActivitiesEnd of YearSocial-Emotional Learning

End-of-Year Reflection Activities for Meaningful Closure

by Dr. Bruce Ellis
written by Dr. Bruce Ellis

As textbooks are returned and devices stored away, the last week of school provides a unique opportunity to step back from content delivery and create space for something equally valuable: reflection. This transitional time allows students to process their growth, celebrate achievements, and mentally prepare for what’s next. I remember as it got closer to the last week of school that I had to plan ahead knowing that many of the resources I relied on—textbooks, library materials, Chromebooks and other devices—were already checked in. I needed to pivot to more traditional teaching methods while still keeping learning relevant and engaging for students eager for summer. The end-of-year reflection activities and resources shared below are designed for exactly this scenario, helping you create meaningful closure even as your classroom resources dwindle.

The Power of End-of-Year Reflection Activities

Classroom Wall Timeline Display

Reflection isn’t just a nice activity to fill time—it’s a critical component of the learning process. When students take time to thoughtfully consider their educational journey, they solidify their learning by revisiting key concepts and making deeper connections. This process develops crucial metacognitive skills as they analyze their own progress and understand how they learn best. Additionally, acknowledging growth builds confidence that extends beyond academic achievements into their identity as capable learners. The reflection process creates meaningful closure for the current academic year while simultaneously setting intentions that bridge to future learning experiences, ensuring continuity rather than disconnected educational episodes.

A Framework for Meaningful Reflection

To help structure these valuable final days, I’ve developed end-of-year reflection activities and a subsequent readiness checklist that guides students through four key reflective areas. The checklist features engaging emoji icons for each section (📘 for learning, 🌱 for growth, 🎯 for looking ahead, and ❤️ for celebration) that make it visually appealing and help students connect with the content. You can download this ready-to-use resource at the end of this blog, or adapt it to better suit your classroom’s specific journey.

1. Reflect on Learning

This section encourages students to identify specific learning achievements, acknowledge academic challenges they’ve overcome, and highlight meaningful projects. By naming these experiences, students reinforce their sense of accomplishment and resilience. Teachers might adapt this section by providing subject-specific prompts that reference major units covered throughout the year. For younger students, consider simplifying the language and offering a word bank of achievements to choose from. High school teachers might add a question about how specific learning connects to future career interests or college plans. You could also incorporate a visual component by having students create a “learning journey map” to supplement their written reflections.

2. Recognize Growth

Here, students consider their development beyond academic content—focusing on study skills, meaningful feedback, and personal goals. This broader view helps them see progress that standardized assessments might miss. Teachers can customize these questions by adding specific social-emotional learning components relevant to your grade level or classroom culture. Consider adding a peer feedback component where students acknowledge growth they’ve observed in classmates. For students who struggle with self-reflection, you might provide sentence starters or specific examples from your observations of their growth. Special area teachers might modify these questions to focus on discipline-specific skills development in areas like music, art, or physical education.

3. Look Ahead

Rather than simply celebrating the end, this forward-looking section helps students establish continuity between academic years. By setting intentions and naming questions, students begin mentally preparing for their next chapter. Teachers can enhance this section by inviting guest speakers from the next grade level to address common questions, or by creating a video with current students sharing advice for incoming students. Consider adding questions that address specific transitions your students will face, whether it’s changing buildings, preparing for standardized testing, or moving to a departmentalized schedule. For students with anxiety about transitions, you might add questions focusing on existing strengths they’ll carry forward or provide a space to express specific concerns that you can address before the year ends.

4. Celebrate the Year

A diverse group of four smiling teenagers stand close together in a colorful classroom, joyfully reading from brightly colored books.

The final section creates space for joy and anticipation—honoring special memories while looking forward to the rejuvenation summer brings. Teachers might expand this section by creating a collaborative digital slideshow where students contribute their favorite memories alongside photos from class events. Consider adding a question about what students are grateful for from their year together to foster a positive classroom community until the final day. For older students, you might include a prompt about how they plan to maintain friendships or academic skills over the summer. This section can also be modified to include a community-building component where students share appreciation for classroom helpers, staff members, or community partners who enhanced their learning experience.

Implementation Strategies

Consider these approaches when using the reflection checklist with your students:

  • Create a reflective environment: Dim the lights, play soft instrumental music, and give students comfortable spaces to write.
  • Model reflection: Share your own end-of-year reflections as an educator before asking students to complete theirs.
  • Offer choices: Allow students to respond through writing, drawing, or even recording audio reflections.
  • Make it social: After individual reflection time, create structured opportunities for students to share selected reflections in pairs or small groups.
  • Send it forward: Consider collecting these reflections and returning them to students at the beginning of next year, creating a powerful continuity.

Beyond the Checklist

While the structured reflection provides a foundation, consider extending the experience with these complementary activities. These extensions create memorable moments that solidify the year’s learning journey and help build a strong classroom community even as the year winds down. They also provide tangible artifacts that students can revisit later, making the learning and growth more concrete.

A hand reaches for a white envelope labeled "DO NOT OPEN UNTIL..." surrounded by colorful markers, decorated paper, washi tape, and a sticky note with a red-orange heart.

Time capsule letters: Have students write letters to their future selves that you’ll deliver next year. Guide students to include specific hopes, questions, and advice for their future selves, perhaps using sentence starters like “By this time next year, I hope I’ve…” or “Here’s what I want to remember about who I am right now…” Seal these in envelopes with students’ names and a “Do Not Open Until…” date, then store them somewhere safe. Consider including small artifacts like a class photo or a list of current favorites (songs, books, activities) to trigger memories when opened.

Class yearbook: Create a simple digital collection of photos and memories from your shared year. Use platforms like Google Slides, Padlet, or Canva where each student can design their own page with highlights, favorite moments, and messages to classmates. Include special sections for class achievements, funny moments, field trips, and projects that transformed the classroom environment. This becomes both a collaborative project and a keepsake that bridges the school-home connection, allowing families to see the year through their child’s eyes. To save time, refer to the Google Slides template available for download below that includes sample student pages to help you get started quickly.

Appreciation circles: Facilitate structured opportunities for students to acknowledge each other’s contributions. Begin with clear guidelines about specific, sincere compliments that focus on actions and character rather than appearances. Consider using a “compliment carousel” where students rotate through partnerships, or try a “secret affirmer” activity where students anonymously write affirmations for classmates that you verify and distribute. These activities build emotional intelligence and reinforce the value of noticing others’ positive attributes, skills that extend far beyond the classroom.

A colorful classroom bulletin board filled with handwritten notes, sticky notes, and student artwork, with additional papers and supplies scattered across the floor.

Visual timelines: Create a collective representation of the year’s journey, highlighting key moments. Start with a large paper timeline along a hallway or around the classroom where students add illustrations, photos, and brief written reflections about significant learning milestones and class events. For digital classrooms, create a shared presentation where students can add slides for each month or unit, incorporating screenshots of projects, quotes from discussions, and reflections on how their thinking evolved. This visual representation helps students see patterns in their learning journey and recognize how far they’ve come since the first day of school.

Final Thoughts

The end of the school year isn’t just about finishing—it’s about helping students integrate their experiences into their developing identities as learners. By creating intentional space for reflection with these end-of-year reflection activities, you help them recognize their journey and prepare for what’s ahead.

Free Resources to Download

To help you implement these reflection practices in your classroom, I’m sharing two resources that are ready to use:

  1. Student End-of-Year Reflection & Readiness Checklist – A structured, student-friendly worksheet with emoji icons to guide reflection across four key areas. Print and distribute to your students during your reflection sessions.
  2. Student Yearbook Template – Get a headstart on creating your class’s Student Yearbook by using this Google Slide template created just for you. Two student slides have been given as samples to guide your class in designing their own personalized pages. The template includes space for photos, memories, achievements, and special moments from throughout the year.

Both resources are designed to save you valuable planning time during these busy final weeks while still creating meaningful closure for your students.

How will you use these final meaningful days with your students? The end of the school year represents a unique opportunity to solidify learning, celebrate growth, and create lasting memories that students will carry forward. I encourage you to share your own end-of-year traditions and reflection activities in the comments below—your creative ideas may inspire fellow educators looking for fresh approaches to close out their school year with intention and purpose. Let’s build a collection of thoughtful practices that honor the journey students and teachers have taken together!

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Classroom ActivitiesCoding/Computer Science

Coding in the Elementary Classroom: Free Tools, Strategies, and Resources

by Thomas Meek
written by Thomas Meek

Incorporating coding into K-5 classrooms can transform how students learn, solve problems, and express creativity. By introducing computer science early, we empower young learners to develop critical thinking, perseverance, and a growth mindset — skills that extend far beyond the classroom.

Today, thanks to free and accessible tools, any teacher can bring coding into their classroom without needing a computer science background Platforms like Code.org, Scratch, and the upcoming Experience CS (launching in June 2025) make it simple to get started and sustain student interest.

This blog post explores why coding matters in the elementary education, how free platforms support this mission, and practical strategies to help educators get started and go deeper. Whether you are new to coding or looking to expand, you will find ready to use ideas and resources here. 

Why Coding matters for Young Learners

Coding teaches students how to break down problems, test solutions, and persist through challenges. These are essential problem-solving skills used in all academic subjects especially math, science, and literacy. 

More than just technical skills, coding nurtures a growth mindset. Students quickly learn that errors are not failures, they are opportunities. Debugging code becomes a lesson in resilience and reflective.thinking. 

Coding also fosters creativity. Students can animate stories, build games, simulate science experiments, or create digital art. It becomes a meaning ful way for students to communicate, collaborate, and explore ideas across all subjects.

Why teach coding in a elementary classroom?

Coding is not just about writing programs – it is about thinking logically, solving problems and adapting to new situations. When students code, debug, and repeat, they are practicing the very skills that innovation and adaptability demand.

Young learners are naturally curious and eager to create. Starting early builds on this curiosity while supporting academic goals in math, ELA, science, and social studies. Plus, learning to code at a young age builds confidence and digital fluency. 

Building Grit Through Debugging  

Debugging – the process of identifying and fixing errors is one of the most powerful learning moments in coding. It teaches students that setbacks are part of the process. They learn to try, fail, revise, and try again just like real life engineers and inventors. 

Celebrate these moments. Encourage students to share their favorite bug stories and/or challenges and how they overcame or solved them. This helps normalize challenges as a step toward growth and reinforces perseverance.

Top Free Tools for Elementary Coding

Code.org

A leading platform offering free, standards-aligned curriculum for grade K-5. The “CS Fundamentals” course introduces, loop, conditionals, and algorithms through fun games and puzzles. 

Classroom Examples: In a second grade science unit on force and motion, students cold use the Star Wars activity to program droids that demonstrates push and pull. After coding, students can write a reflection on their learning to connect the lesson to science learning while incorporating literacy goals.  

Using Code.org teachers can benefit from the sites lesson plans, student dashboards, instructional videos, assessments, and professional development.

Scratch and ScratchJr

Developed by MIT, Scratch (ages 8+) and ScratchJr (ages 5-7) uses drag and drop code blocks for creating stories, animations, and games. 

Classroom Examples: In a forth grade social studies unit, student use Scratch to animate the signing of the Declaration of Independence. They could write scripts and code character movement integrating both literacy and history.

Scratch promotes creativity, collaboration, and logical thinking. Teachers can access tutorials, examples, and a supportive online community. 

Experience CS (Launching June 2025)

This new platform, developed by the Raspberry Pi Foundation and Google, will replace CS First and offers a free project-based curriculum aligned with U.S. and Canadian standards.

Experience CS will use a customized version of Scratch without public sharing, making it safer for schools. Teachers will be able to  create accounts, assign lessons, and track student progress. 

Strategies for Teaching Coding in Elementary 

No computer science degree? No problem! These simple strategies make coding accessible and engaging for everyone:

  • Unplugged Activities: Use screen-free lessons from CS Unplugged to teach logic and sequencing.
  • Pair Programming: Students work in pairs – one the plays the role of the “driver” and writes the codes, the other is the “navigator” and guides the process. They can switch roles regularly to promote collaboration.
  • Celebrate Debugging: Highlight coding struggles or errors as learning opportunities. Encourage students to analysis, revise, and share how they preserved. 
  • Project-Based Learning: Connect coding to classroom content. Students can code math games, simulate science processes, or bring their stories to life. 
  • Use hour of Code: Code.org’s themed activities are perfect for beginners.

Fostering a Growth Mindset Through Coding 

Coding encourages students to take risks, analyze problems, and try new approaches. Because it rarely works perfectly the first time, students learn to reflect, revise, and persist. 

Model this mindset. Share personal experiences, praise efforts, and encourage students to journal about what worked, what did not, and what they learned. This reflection builds metacognition and boosts confidence.

Cross-Curricular Connections 

Coding supports academic goals in all subject areas:

  • Math: Program geometric shapes, create digital flashcards, or solve word problems. 
  • Literacy: Animate a story’s plot, build interactive retellings, or script dialogue between characters. 
  • Science: Simulate habitats, model the water cycle, or animate simple machines. 
  • Social Studies: Recreate historical events, code timelines, or design digital maps. 
  • Social-Emotional Learning: Use teamwork-based coding challenges to teach collaboration, resilience, and digital literacy.

Free Resources for Teachers 

Getting Started 

Start small. Choose one Hour of Code activity or integrate ScratchJr into a storytime lesson. Use tools with build-in dashboards to monitor progress and celebrate student success. 

Engage families by hosting a “coding showcase” or STEM night. Build your confidence with free training from Code.org, Scratch, or Experience CS. 

Your enthusiasm is powerful. With the right tools and mindset, you will help students develop the creativity, grit, and confidence they need to thrive in a digital world. 

Want more from the author?

Join Thomas Meek at ETC for exciting and engaging sessions like Crack the Code: Free Coding Tools for Elementary Classrooms, Beyond the Book: Unleashing Creativity with Book Creator, and Rolling Into Learning: Engaging Students with Classroom Robots!

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An open spiral notebook with lined pages sits on a wooden student desk, surrounded by a pencil, pens, and folders in a classroom setting.
Classroom ActivitiesEnd of YearGood TeachingSocial-Emotional Learning

End the School Year with Gratitude: A 15-Day Journal Practice for Students

by Dr. Bruce Ellis
written by Dr. Bruce Ellis

As the school year draws to a close, both educators and students often experience a mix of emotions. There’s excitement for summer, pride in accomplishments, and perhaps even some anxiety about transitions ahead. This time of year presents a unique opportunity to cultivate mindfulness and appreciation through the practice of gratitude.

Below is a 15-day gratitude journal practice for students designed specifically for the final three weeks of school. Teachers can implement this in various ways – as a daily warm-up activity, a closing reflection, or even a take-home assignment. The best part? No special supplies are needed, just paper or a notebook and pens or pencils.

Why set up a gratitude journal process for students?

Based on research and my personal experience in and out of the classroom, practicing gratitude has powerful benefits for mental health and well-being. Developing a gratitude journal practice for students can:

  • Improve mental health and resilience
  • Enhance social connections and classroom community
  • Reduce stress and anxiety about upcoming transitions
  • Create a positive mindset to carry into summer
  • Build a lifelong habit that supports emotional well-being

Getting Started: Setting Up the Gratitude Practice

Introduction for Students

Take time to explain the concept of gratitude and its benefits. For younger students, you might describe it as “noticing the good things in our lives.” For older students, you can discuss the science behind gratitude and its impact on mental health. Consider sharing your own gratitude practice or examples.

Guidelines for Journal Entries

Help students end the school year on a reflective note with this 15-day gratitude journal practice. Strengthen emotional well-being, build resilience, and create meaningful closure—one thankful thought at a time.

When introducing this journal practice for students, emphasize authenticity over perfection in their reflections. Remind them that this is personal reflection time, not graded work, which removes the pressure of academic evaluation. Let students know that entries can be brief—even just a few sentences is enough to capture a meaningful moment of gratitude. While creating opportunities for those who wish to share their reflections with the class, always make sharing optional to respect students’ privacy and comfort levels. Additionally, consider encouraging creative expression beyond writing, allowing students to draw, doodle, or use other artistic mediums to express their gratitude in ways that might feel more natural to some learners.

End the School Year with Gratitude a 15-Day Journal Practice for Students

15 Days of Gratitude Prompts

Week One: Reflecting on Our School Year

  • Day 1: What is something you learned this year that you’re grateful for? How has this knowledge changed you?
  • Day 2: Write about a classroom memory from this year that makes you smile. What made it special?
  • Day 3: Name someone at school who helped you this year. How did they make a difference for you?
  • Day 4: What challenge did you overcome this year? What strengths or support helped you through it?
  • Day 5: What is one way you’ve grown or changed since the beginning of the school year? How does this growth make you feel?

Week Two: Appreciating Our Present

  • Day 6: What is something in your classroom or school environment that you’re thankful for? How does it help you learn or feel good?
  • Day 7: Write about a classmate who has positively impacted your school experience. What qualities do you appreciate about them?
  • Day 8: What is a small moment from today that brought you joy? Try to notice the details.
  • Day 9: Name three skills or abilities you have that you’re grateful for. How do these serve you at school?
  • Day 10: What tradition or activity from this school year would you like to carry forward? Why is it meaningful to you?

Week Three: Looking Forward with Gratitude

  • Day 11: What are you looking forward to about summer? How can you bring gratitude into your summer experience?
  • Day 12: Write a thank-you note to yourself for something you did well this year. What would you like to acknowledge?
  • Day 13: What is something you’re grateful to have learned about yourself this year? How might this self-knowledge help you in the future?
  • Day 14: Name someone outside of school who supports your learning journey. How do they help you grow?
  • Day 15: As you complete this gratitude journal, what has been your favorite prompt to reflect on? What have you discovered through this practice?

To make things easier, we’ve created a ready-to-use template with all the gratitude prompts above. You can download it, print it, or customize it to fit your needs. You can access it here.

Closing Celebration Ideas

A group of students sits in a circle on a grassy lawn, holding notebooks and engaging in lively discussion under a sky with soft clouds and bare trees in the background.

Consider ending the 15-day practice with a special activity to honor the experience. These culminating events create meaningful closure and help cement the gratitude practice as a significant moment in your classroom community. The final celebration also reinforces the value you’ve placed on reflection and appreciation throughout this journey.

  • Host a gratitude circle where students can share one highlight from their journals. Arrange seating in a circle to promote equality and connection, and consider using a special object as a “talking piece” that students hold when it’s their turn to share. This format creates a sacred space for listening and honoring each voice.
  • Create a classroom gratitude wall where students post anonymous gratitude notes. Provide colorful paper or sticky notes in various shapes, and encourage artistic expression alongside written reflections. This visual representation becomes a powerful reminder of collective gratitude that students can visit throughout the final days of school.
  • Write thank-you letters to people who made the school year special. Guide students through the components of a heartfelt thank-you letter, including specific examples of what the person did and how it affected them. Consider delivering these letters together as a class if recipients are within the school.
  • Compile class gratitude quotes into a memento for students to take home. This could be a simple booklet, digital presentation, or even a recorded video montage of students sharing their reflections. Include a photograph of the class alongside these quotes to create a keepsake that connects gratitude to this specific school year.
  • Plant a “gratitude garden” with paper flowers containing gratitude messages. Use colorful construction paper to create flower petals, stems, and leaves, with each component containing a different gratitude reflection. Display this three-dimensional creation in a prominent location, inviting other classes to view your gratitude garden blooming with appreciation.

Taking Gratitude Beyond the Classroom

Encourage students to continue their gratitude practice over the summer. The habits formed during these 15 days can become lifelong tools for resilience and well-being if nurtured beyond the classroom walls. By extending the practice into summer, students maintain an emotional continuity that can ease the transition between school years.

  • Suggest keeping their journal going with a weekly entry on a designated day. Create a simple calendar template they can take home, with gentle reminders to pause and reflect. Explain that consistency matters more than frequency, and that maintaining even a minimal practice keeps the gratitude muscle strong.
  • Share simple gratitude practices families can do together at dinner or before bedtime. Provide a handout with conversation starters like “What made you smile today?” or “Who helped you this week?” These collective practices strengthen family bonds while reinforcing the value of noticing the positive.
  • Discuss how noticing good things can help during challenging transitions such as moving to a new grade or school. Help students understand that gratitude isn’t about ignoring difficulties, but rather finding balance by intentionally noting positive moments alongside challenges. This balanced perspective builds emotional resilience they’ll need throughout life.
  • Invite students to write a letter to next year’s teacher expressing what they’re looking forward to in the coming school year. This future-focused gratitude exercise helps shift any anxiety about transitions into positive anticipation. Consider collecting these letters (with student permission) to deliver to colleagues before the new school year begins, creating a bridge between grade levels.

Ending the school year with gratitude provides closure while building essential emotional skills. By taking just a few minutes each day for these simple reflections, as shown in this journal practice for students, we give our pupils a powerful tool for navigating life’s transitions and challenges.

As educators, modeling our own gratitude practice can be just as important as guiding our students. Consider journaling alongside your class and sharing your own reflections when appropriate.

How will you incorporate gratitude into your end-of-year activities? We’d love to hear how you implement this gratitude journal in your classroom! Share your experiences, adaptations, and student reactions in the comments below or on social media using #TCEA and #ClassroomGratitude. Your insights might inspire fellow educators to bring gratitude practices into their own classrooms.

The investment of this 15-day journal practice for students can yield benefits that last far beyond the final school bell.

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Classroom ActivitiesSocial-Emotional Learning

Proactive Strategies for Calm Classrooms

by Miguel Guhlin
written by Miguel Guhlin

A 2023 ERIC study found that 72% of teachers report spending more time managing behavior than teaching (source). As classroom disruptions rise, what are research-backed approaches that tackle the root causes of poor behavior? In this blog entry, you will find some strategies that introduce, as well as revisit, proactive strategies you can take to create calm classrooms and regain a sense of peace during your lessons.

An educational poster displaying eight classroom values, each paired with a Texas symbol. The values—Respect, Responsibility, Kindness/Friendship, Safety, Listening/Communication, Effort/Perseverance, Honesty/Integrity, and Teamwork/Collaboration—are illustrated with vibrant images: a bluebonnet, mockingbird, pecan tree, Texas flag, conch shell, the Alamo, Texas star, and longhorn cattle. Each section includes a short explanation in large, kid-friendly text, designed for a K-12 classroom setting. The layout is colorful, organized, and engaging.
ChatGPT. “Come up with an i…” A.I. Archives, 3 April 2025, https://aiarchives.org/id/JmXEaka5N6ZJk6LopdY4

My Experience Managing Behavior

A crock pot saved my sanity during my second year of teaching and helped me build a stronger relationship with tortured, inner city youth. After a few home visits, I started to understand why these children had so much anger and rebelliousness. But in time, it worked out. Thank goodness, because I found myself despairing that anything (e.g. books, technology) could make a dent on the hardened hearts of my students.

As a fifth grade Language Arts/ESL teacher working in Cotulla ISD and a third grade bilingual/ESL in Mt. Pleasant ISD, I had few students that required “managing behavior.” In both locales, East Texas and Central Texas, I found the students a delight to encourage and teach. Tasked with teaching these students how to write, in some cases in their second language, I found them willing learners whose personal life seldom interfered. That was not the case in urban city schools I found myself. In these locations, I had serious concerns about students raised in the midst of crime and abuse, who sought to exorcise the horrors visited upon them by passing them on to their classmates.

My experiences with those children were less happy, and I remember one Winter Break, wondering, “How can I quit my job or switch careers?” But the situation improved due to an act committed right before the Break. With seventy-two referrals under my belt in one urban district, I decided at the urging of my wife, to prepare a meal as part of a lesson. Since I barely knew how to boil water, I walked in with a crock pot, bowls, and utensils. I don’t know if I tapped into the cultural tradition of breaking bread, or a shared meal, but somehow, core elements of my class decided to welcome me into their community. Where the first half of the year had been as if I had been cast into a lake of fire, the second half saw serious academic work. That experience built a foundation for how to connect with students. It had a lasting impact in how I connected with students from that point forward.

That’s why I always keep an eye out for successful strategies like proactive discipline. Before exploring three pillars of proactive discipline, let’s clarify the larger framework of PBIS.

Defining PBIS

Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports are strategies employed by schools to effectively teach, encourage, and reinforce pro-social behavior in and out of the classroom (source). PBIS is an evidence-based framework for preventing problem behavior. It provides students with instruction and support for positive and prosocial behaviors. PBIS seeks to support social, emotional, and behavioral needs of all students. The PBIS framework allows for sharing a wide range of behavior strategies and prevention-based interventions at the universal (school-wide), targeted (classroom or group), and intensive (small group or individual) levels (source). The PBIS Framework includes three tiers. Those are illustrated throughout this blog entry.

Three Pillars of Proactive Discipline

“When we implemented school-wide PBIS frameworks, our office referrals dropped by 40% virtually overnight,” shares middle school principal Lisa Chen. Her experience reflects what many educators discover when shifting from reactive to proactive discipline approaches.

When I started teaching, the three pillars were never articulated in this way, or expressed with such specific examples. Instead, the advice was more like, “Here’s a book on classroom discipline. It has some good ideas you can apply.” Those texts never quite applied to the populations of students I worked with. That’s why I find proactive discipline strategies worthy of consideration and use.

1. Structure Prevents Escalation

Consistent routines and clear expectations significantly reduce anxiety-driven behaviors. The goal is to establish routines that take the mystery out of what students need to expect.

I can think of specific instances when I hadn’t set clear expectations with my urban school district students that created opportunities for unpredictability. Some ways to eliminate student uncertainty and confusion appear below.

In Practice:

  • Co-create classroom rules with students using visual anchors
  • Implement predictable routines for transitions
  • Employ non-verbal cues for subtle redirection

Classroom Scenario:
Mr. Thompson’s 5th graders practice “silent signals”—three finger taps mean “return to your seat.” During lab transitions, he flashes this signal instead of raising his voice, maintaining flow without disruption.

Classroom Management PracticeEd Tech SolutionHow it Supports the PracticeTexas Classroom ApplicationConsiderations
Co-creating Classroom Rules with Visual AnchorsCollaborative Whiteboard Platforms (Canva Whiteboard, Padlet), Google SlidesStudents participate in rule creation, visual anchors enhance understanding and memory, easy editing.Use Texas symbols to represent values, share digital rule charts with parents.Accessibility, simplicity, integration, teacher training, age appropriateness.
Implementing Predictable Routines for TransitionsDigital Timers and Visual Schedules (Classroom Timers, Google Calendar, visual timer apps), Music Playlists (Spotify, YouTube Music)Clear transition cues,** calming atmosphere**, reduces anxiety.Use music, include Texas landmark images in schedules.Accessibility, simplicity, integration, age appropriateness.
Employing Non-Verbal Cues for Subtle RedirectionDigital Visual Cues (Customizable GIFs, short video clips, displayed images), Sound Effects (tablet/computer)Discreet redirection, effective for distracted students, alternative to verbal cues.Use Texas nature sounds, create Texas-related GIFs.Accessibility, simplicity, integration, teacher training, age appropriateness.

2. Emotional Skills as Discipline Tools

SEL (Social and Emotional Learning) programs can reduce disciplinary incidents by up to 28%, according to CASEL research (source). One school district observed 31% fewer suspensions after staff training in trauma-informed practice.

Teach conflict resolution by:

Practical Applications:

  • Role-play using “I feel” statements during morning meetings
  • Introduce peer mediation programs
  • Utilize mood meters for regular emotional check-ins

3. Movement Breaks Reset Focus

As an academic, it’s easy to get stuck in the idea of sitting at your desk all day. Anyone who has taught children knows the benefits of getting children to move around. Recess isn’t a bonus, reward for students, it’s a means to an end that improves cognition. Boost engagement with movement in the classroom.The CDC recommends 20-minute intervals of activity to improve students’ cognitive control (source).

Quick Ideas:

ActivityDurationGrade Level
Desk yoga5 minsK-12
Hallway laps3 mins3-12
Chair aerobics7 mins6-12

If you have funding and support, consider taking advantage of these AI-generated suggestions. One of my favorites is the “free for educators” GoNoodle mentioned in the gamified movement apps row below.

Ed Tech SolutionDescriptionTexas Classroom ApplicationBenefitsConsiderations
Interactive Projectors & Whiteboards with Motion TrackingSystems with built-in cameras or sensors to track student movement.Integrate Texas history, geography, or math concepts into interactive movement games; interactive PE warm-ups.Highly engaging, promotes collaboration, adaptable to various subjects.Accessibility, cost, infrastructure, teacher training, safety.
Gamified Movement Apps and PlatformsApps like GoNoodle, Classcraft, and Cosmic Kids Yoga that incorporate movement into games and activities.Brain breaks, integrate movement challenges into lessons, mindfulness exercises.Fun, easy to use, tailored to different age groups.Accessibility, cost, curriculum alignment.
Virtual Reality (VR) & Augmented Reality (AR) ExperiencesVR headsets and AR apps that create immersive movement-based learning experiences.Simulate historical events, explore Texas ecosystems, create interactive scavenger hunts and obstacle courses.Highly immersive, engaging, unique learning experiences.Accessibility, cost, potential for motion sickness, safety, teacher training.
Interactive Floor ProjectorsSystems that project interactive images and games onto the floor.Interactive maps of Texas, math games, interactive storytelling.Encourages full-body movement, promotes collaboration, wide range of activities.Cost, space requirements, maintenance.

Sustaining Change

Want to learn more about how to implement proactive strategies for calm classrooms? Consider setting up monthly micro-PD sessions, encourage behavior tracking through parent portals, and explore resources such as the PBIS Implementation Guide and CASEL Playbook.

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Classroom ActivitiesEarth DaySeasonal Activities

Resource Roundup: Earth Day Activity Ideas

by Macee Hall
written by Macee Hall

Happy (almost) Earth Day! Earth Day 2025 is tomorrow (I know… I can’t believe it’s already the end of April, either…), so our TCEA team wanted to share our past Earth Day resources! We hope these resources might help inspire a young ecologist or conservationist somewhere out there in one of your classrooms. Take a look at these Earth Day activity ideas and fill us in on your Earth Day lesson plans in the comments below!

Earth Day Ideas to Inspire Young Eco-Heroes

This resource is great because it walks you through a fully-engaged Earth Day plan for your school or district. From hosting an assembly to working with students to plant trees around your campus, this wholistic plan is as evergreen as they come! And while it might be too late to call a full on assembly or plan a field trip this year, it’s never too soon to start planning for the 2025-2026 school year, which will be here before you know it!

Here’s an excerpt:

“For educators, Earth Day provides a unique opportunity to inspire students with the values of environmental stewardship, integrating educational activities that emphasize the importance of caring for our planet. Here are several ways K-12 schools can celebrate Earth Day and instill a sense of environmental responsibility.”

Six Resources for Earth Day

While our first resource focused on larger scale activities, these activities are more suited for last-minute lesson planning. Quizzes, eco-friendly tips, an Earth Day pledge, and even an Earth Day Breakout await you in this fantastic collection of Earth Day activity ideas!

Here’s an excerpt:

“There is a wide range of actions that we can take to make a small difference. If everyone participated, we could make BIG, positive change. Check out these five measures you can start today in your classroom and continue throughout the school year. Remember, taking care of the earth is an everyday occurrence, not just once a year!”

Earth Day Digital Breakout

Speaking of that awesome Earth Day Digital Breakout from TCEA’s own Peggy Reimers, you can access that directly by clicking the image above! Like Peggy’s other digital breakouts, this Earth Day activity is an interactive way for students to explore a variety of topics. The process involves using knowledge and reasoning to solve a series of clues that “unlock” digital locks, just as you might with a physical breakout box.

“The Earth Day Breakout has four digital locks, and just like all my breakouts, I can provide the four lock answers if you email me at preimers@tcea.org. This breakout is a good fit for upper elementary to middle school students. However, you know your students best.”

Older Resources

These resources may be a few years old, but they’re still jam packed with helpful resources and activity ideas for your classroom. Check them out!

Get Ready for Earth Day

Digital Resources for Earth Day

Resources to Celebrate Earth Day in Elementary

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Classroom ActivitiesCulturally ResponsiveEnglish Language Arts Reading (ELAR)ESL/ELLScienceSocial StudiesSTEM/STEAMTechnology Applications

Igniting Minds: The PRISM Framework for ELLs

by Miguel Guhlin
written by Miguel Guhlin

The PRISM framework offers a powerful and practical approach to supporting English Language Learners (ELLs). It assists you by facilitating simple to complex thinking through the use of meaningful learning experiences. In this blog entry, you will see three possible projects aligned to the TEKS that will help you incorporate the PRISM Framework for ELLs.

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These experiences match the acronym, which stands for Patterns, Reasoning, Ideas, Situation, and Methods:

  • Patterns: Identifying similarities and differences.
  • Reasoning: Explaining why things happen.
  • Ideas: Generating new ideas and possibilities.
  • Situation: Understanding the context of a problem.
  • Methods: Developing and testing solutions.

Combine PRISM with project-based learning to get benefits of:

  • Creativity
  • Critical thinking
  • Language development

Let’s explore these ideas via three example projects for grades K-2, 3-6, and 6-8. Before we do that, let’s get a big picture of each project.

PRISM in Action: Grade-Specific Ideas

First, let’s take a look at this organizer showing projects and each step of the PRISM Framework for ELLs. Notice how PRISM scaffolds students as they move from simple to complex.

  • Patterns: Students identify recurring features in their neighborhood (K-2), cultural symbols (3-5), and sustainable features (6-8), focusing on related vocabulary.
  • Reasoning: Students explain the purpose of neighborhood features (K-2), the significance of cultural symbols (3-5), and the benefits of sustainable features (6-8), practicing explanatory language.
  • Ideas: Students brainstorm improvements for their neighborhood (K-2), compare cultural traditions (3-5), and propose sustainability solutions (6-8), developing creative and comparative language.
  • Situation: Students discuss community cooperation (K-2), global traditions (3-5), and the global impact of local actions (6-8), focusing on social interaction and global awareness vocabulary.
  • Methods: Students practice conversational English through role-play (K-2), collaborate on presentations (3-5), and present their solutions with Q&A (6-8), enhancing spoken English and presentation skills.

With that big picture overview, let’s go a bit deeper into each project.

Project Spotlight: Engaging ELLs Across Grade Levels

Let’s take a closer look at each project idea and how the PRISM framework and TEKS alignment come together in practice. Each comes with an AI-aided TEKS alignment. Be sure to check to see if it applies to your own classroom and curriculum goals.

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Neighborhood Storybooks: A K-2 Adventure in Community Exploration

Young learners connect best with what they know. K-2 ELLs create storybooks about their neighborhoods to learn vocabulary, storytelling, and community.

PRISM Breakdown

Patterns: Students identify and draw recurring elements in their neighborhoods (e.g., houses, trees, stores).

  • TEKS Alignment: Mathematics §111.11.b.1.C – identify, create, and extend patterns of objects, pictures, and numbers.
  • Other TEKS: Visual Arts §117.103(b)(1)(A) – identify the elements of art, including line, shape, color, texture, and space, in their own artwork.

Reasoning: They use sentence stems (e.g., “My house has a _____”, “The park is for _____”) to discuss the purpose of these places.

  • TEKS Alignment: ELAR §110.4(b)(7) – express complete thoughts and ideas clearly.
  • Other TEKS: ELAR §110.4(b)(8) – share information and ideas that are relevant to the topic or text.

Ideas: Students imagine and draw new things they would like to see in their neighborhood (e.g., a playground, a library).

  • TEKS Alignment: ELAR §110.5(b)(4) – generate ideas before writing or speaking.

Situation: The class discusses how neighbors help each other and participate in community events.

  • TEKS Alignment: Social Studies §113.12(b)(1)(A) – identify the responsibilities of citizens.

Methods: Students role-play simple conversations related to their neighborhood (e.g., asking for directions, greeting a neighbor).

  • TEKS Alignment: ELAR §110.4(b)(5) – participate collaboratively in conversations with peers and adults in small and larger groups.
  • Other TEKS: ELAR §110.4(b)(6) – speak audibly and clearly using appropriate language for the situation.
  • ELPS Alignment: This activity strongly aligns with various aspects of the English Language Proficiency Standards (ELPS), particularly regarding speaking and listening skills in social and academic contexts. You could specifically reference the ELPS expectations for the students’ grade level related to expressing themselves and interacting with others.
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Cultural Quilts: Weaving Heritage into 3-5 Learning

For grades 3-5, the “Cultural Heritage Celebrations” project celebrates the diverse backgrounds of students. The “Cultural Heritage Celebrations” project for grades 3-5 allows students to design quilt squares representing their cultural heritage, celebrating diversity and building descriptive language skills.

PRISM Breakdown

Patterns: Students draw or represent cultural symbols, traditions, or celebrations that are important to them or their families.

  • TEKS Alignment: Visual Arts §117.106(b)(1)(A) – identify and describe cultural contexts expressed in art.
  • Other TEKS: Social Studies §113.15(b)(1)(B) – identify and describe customs, traditions, and celebrations of various cultural groups in the community and other parts of the world.

Reasoning: Learners explain the significance and meaning behind their chosen symbols or traditions.

  • TEKS Alignment: Social Studies §113.15(b)(2)(B) – explain the significance of various cultural celebrations.

Ideas: Facilitate classroom discussions where students compare and contrast different cultural traditions represented in their quilt squares.

  • TEKS Alignment: ELAR §110.9(b)(4) – compare and contrast information in texts and graphics.
  • Other TEKS: Social Studies §113.15(b)(2)(A) – compare and contrast customs, traditions, and celebrations of different cultural groups.

Situation: Students research global traditions and celebrations, exploring their origins and significance in different parts of the world.

  • TEKS Alignment: Social Studies §113.17(b)(1)(A) – identify customs and celebrations of various cultural groups.

Methods: The class collaboratively assembles the individual quilt squares into a class quilt, creating a visual representation of their diverse heritage.

  • TEKS Alignment: Social Studies §113.18(b)(1)(B) – work independently and collaboratively.

Enhancing the Project for ELLs:

  • Provide examples of cultural symbols and traditions from various cultures.
  • Encourage students to interview family members about their heritage.
  • Use bilingual resources and allow students to use their native language for initial brainstorming and note-taking.
  • Provide sentence starters for explaining the significance of their symbols.
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Eco-School Design: 6-8 Sustainability Showcase

Middle school ELLs engage in problem-solving and critical thinking with the “Sustainable Solutions Challenge” project. This activity combines research, design, and presentation skills. Students work to propose eco-friendly solutions for their school or community.

PRISM Breakdown

Patterns: Students research common features of sustainable buildings and practices (e.g., solar panels, rainwater harvesting, recycling programs).

  • TEKS Alignment: Science §112.18(b)(2)(A) – identify and describe the properties of natural resources.

Reasoning: Learners explain the environmental and economic benefits of these sustainable features using cause-and-effect language.

  • TEKS Alignment: Science §112.19(b)(1)(B) – analyze data to formulate reasonable explanations.

Ideas: Encourage students to brainstorm innovative and practical sustainability solutions tailored to their school or community’s needs.

  • TEKS Alignment:
    • Grade 6-7: ELAR TEKS 110.5(b)(4) – plan a first draft by generating ideas.
    • Grade 8: ELAR TEKS 110.6(b)(1)(A) – generate and organize ideas for composing clear, innovative responses.

Situation: Students connect their proposed solutions to broader global environmental challenges, understanding the importance of sustainability on a larger scale.

  • TEKS Alignment: Science §112.20(b)(1)(D) – evaluate the impact of human activities on Earth systems.

Methods: Students present their designs and solutions to the class, incorporating visual aids and participating in a Q\&A session to receive peer feedback.

  • TEKS Alignment: Technology Applications §126.16(b)(1)(A) – present information in a variety of formats.

To better enhance the project for English Language Learners, consider taking advantage of the SAVE process.

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SAVE Earth: Steps and Resources

It can be easy to forget second language learners need a bit more scaffolding. The SAVE process can assist language learners in these ways: offer visual and simplified information, provide tools to organize thoughts without relying on words alone, as well as give sentence support to clearly express their ideas.

SAVE Earth: Steps and Resources

S: See and understand easy-to-find information (e.g., websites, videos, diagrams)

A: Arrange your ideas using helpful tools (e.g., mind maps, charts)

  • Example: Create a mind map to brainstorm different ways to reduce plastic waste.
  • Resources:
    • Use a free online mind mapping tool like MindMeister or draw one on paper.
    • Create a chart comparing the energy consumption of different appliances (search online for energy consumption charts).
    • Develop a flowchart outlining the steps of recycling (search online for recycling process flowcharts).

V: Voice your thoughts clearly with support (e.g., sentence frames, prompts)

  • Example: Use the sentence frame: “One way to help the environment is by __ because __.”
  • Resources:
    • Sentence Frames:
      • “The impact of pollution is __ because __.”
      • “A sustainable solution to this problem could be __.”
      • “I think this is important because __.”
    • Prompts:
      • “Explain the difference between renewable and non-renewable energy.”
      • “Describe one way your school could become more environmentally friendly.”

E: Engage with others and learn together (e.g., group work, discussions)

  • Example: Participate in a group discussion about the pros and cons of different energy sources.
  • Resources:
    • Group Work Activity: Plan a school-wide recycling campaign as a team.
    • Discussion Prompts: 
      • “What are some of the biggest environmental challenges facing our community?”
      • “How can young people make a difference in protecting the environment?”
    • Peer Feedback: Share your ideas for reducing waste with a partner and get their suggestions.

Project-Based Learning and PRISM Framework for ELLs

PRISM and TEKS with SAVE create engaging, hands-on learning for ELLs, boosting language skills, critical thinking, and collaboration. These projects empower their academic and linguistic success in Texas classrooms.

Let us know how you plan to use the PRISM Framework for ELLs in the comments below!

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Classroom ActivitiesEnglish Language Arts Reading (ELAR)ReadingSocial Media

BookTok for Secondary Learners: How Social Media is Shaping Literacy and Reading

by Macee Hall
written by Macee Hall

Whether you love it or hate it (or fall somewhere in-between), social media is undoubtedly shaping the minds of today’s students. And, while there are proven downfalls associated with its use, there are also benefits that can come from using social media as a tool. With proper oversight and coaching, this modern-day information overload can actually yield positive results. Check out the benefits of using platforms like BookTok for secondary learners below!

BookTok for Secondary Learners

As an educator, you may have heard of — or even be an active participant in — BookTok. This subculture of TikTok users provides reviews, summaries, read-alongs, and recommendations for book lovers of all ages (see our “Awareness and Oversight” disclaimer below). 

As an avid reader and TikTok user, myself, I can comfortably say that I have discovered and read more books in the past few years than in the entire decade prior, largely due to the community BookTok provides. And while my BookTok focus is on YA and adult fantasy novels, I was shocked to learn just how vast the community actually is! From children’s read-alongs by actual authors to teacher and librarian guides to which popular books may not be appropriate for certain age groups, BookTok provides information and mentorship for all readers. 

But I was even more surprised to hear how BookTok can foster a love of reading and improve literacy skills in secondary students. Yes, you read correctly. There are measured benefits to using social media like BookTok for secondary learners! Crazy, right?

It’s been proven that teens are far more likely to use social media than pick up a book, but what about when that book connects them to an entire social network? That’s BookTok. 

BookTok in Your Classroom

So, what does that mean for your students? Students who use BookTok (properly and with supervision) may experience several benefits, including:

  • Increased Reading Engagement
  • Discovery and Recommendations
  • Positive Impact on Reading Habits
  • Improved Literacy and Critical Thinking

Not to mention a sense of community and belonging, founded on shared interests. 

Activities and Ideas

Ready to incorporate BookTok into your secondary classroom? Check out these fun ideas courtesy of my personal favorite AI tool, Perplexity!

Summer Reading or Favorite Book Pitches: Have students create 30-second pitches about their summer reading or favorite YA books. After each pitch, allow time for questions and discussions, mimicking the “comment” section on TikTok.

Book Recommendations: Use BookTok to deliver book recommendations in a creative way. For example, dress up as a character from the book or use themed music to make the recommendations more engaging.

Compare and Contrast Videos: Encourage students to create short videos comparing and contrasting books based on themes, settings, or characters. This activity promotes higher-order thinking skills.

Book Trailers and Excerpts: Have students create book trailers or read excerpts from books in a TikTok-style format. This can help pique interest in upcoming class readings.

Character Perspectives: Ask students to create videos from the perspective of a character from a book they are reading. They can dress up and share their character’s thoughts and feelings.

Author Interviews: Conduct mock author interviews where students prepare questions and either you or a colleague responds as the author. This can be done in a video format similar to BookTok.

BookToks Instead of Traditional Book Talks: Replace traditional book talks with short BookTok-style videos. This can be a more engaging and time-efficient way to share book recommendations.

Comparing Books to Other Media: Have students create videos comparing books to songs or other media forms. This encourages creativity and critical thinking.

Awareness and Oversight

While BookTok can be a great resource for students, it is also a tag used by adults to share more explicit novels that are not age-appropriate for middle or even high school learners. When you hear students talking about BookTok, or are discussing its use in your classroom, keep an eye out for any inappropriate titles and make sure to oversee or approve student’s selections. 

Do you use social media like BookTok for secondary learners? 

We’d love to hear about your experience! Whether you have an age-appropriate tool for similar video-formatted book reports or have used social media in your own reading lesson plans, let us know in the comments below!

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