June Special Days

Special Days

June 6 D-Day-65th Anniversary-2009
June 6 Teachers' Day Varies by Country
June 7 National Chocolate Ice Cream Day
June 9 Donald Duck Day
June 14 Flag Day
June 19 Juneteenth
June 21 Father's Day
June 21 Summer Begins
June 28 Paul Bunyan Day
National Ice Cream Month
National Tennis Month
National Camping Month
National Safety Month
National Zoo Month

Theme Resources:
http://edhelper.com/June.htm June Theme Units

http://edhelper.com/DailyThemes_June_6.html D-Day Theme Unit

http://www.dday.org/index.php?page=education D-Day Memorial Info

http://edhelper.com/DailyThemes_June_28.html June 28th Theme Unit Paul Bunyan Day

http://www.theteacherscorner.net/monthly-resources/june.htm Bulletin boards, plans, activities, units, resources

http://www.theteacherscorner.net/calendars/june.php Calendar Activities

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/themes/ Themes-World Environment Day-June 5--U.S.Flag Day-June 14

http://www.instructorweb.com/lesson/flagday.asp Flag Day Lesson & History

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juneteenth Juneteenth History & Info

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teacher%27s_Day Teachers' Day by Countries

http://www.edhelper.com/DailyThemes_June_7.html National Ice Cream Day

http://www.education-world.com/learning/month/june.shtml National Zoo Month and Other June Calendar Themes

www.geocities.com/mrsjacksonsclass/summerfun.htm Summer Theme Resources

End-Of-School Year Themes and Resources

http://edhelper.com/end_of_school_year.htm End of School Theme Unit

http://www.teach-nology.com/themes/holidays/endofyear/ End of School Year Theme Unit

http://www.edhelper.com/Teacher_Appreciation_Day.htm Teacher Appreciation Theme

http://www.teachingheart.net/endoftheyearpage.html Year Ending Theme Unit

http://www.lessonplanspage.com/EndSchool.htm Lessons & Ideas

http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/collection.jsp?id=264 End of Year Wrap-Ups

http://www.teachersnetwork.org/NTNY/nychelp/Literacy_Management/endofterm.htm Procedures

http://www.worksheetlibrary.com/teachingtips/saygoodjob.html Say Good Job 50 Ways

http://www.worksheetlibrary.com/teachingtips/ Teaching Tips

http://www.worksheetlibrary.com/teachingtips/reportcardcommentselementary.html Report Card Comments

http://www.worksheetlibrary.com/teachingtips/lastdayofschool.html Tips Last Day

http://www.theteacherscorner.net/seasonal/end-of-year/index.htm Activities

http://www.vickiblackwell.com/endofyear.html End of School Year Resources

http://www.thevirtualvine.com/May-Summer.html Everything for End of School

http://www.pre-kpages.com/endofyear.html Books & More Ideas

http://www.theeducatorsnetwork.com/main/units/endofyear.htm End of Year Resources

http://www.teachnet.com/lesson/art/tshirts052199.html Custom T-Shirts

http://www.billybear4kids.com/graduation/memory/book.html School Is Cool Memory Book

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/books/schoolmemory/ Memory Book

http://www.vickiblackwell.com/templates/template_memorypage.pdf Memory Page

http://www.canteach.ca/elementary/songspoems56.html Poems & Songs

http://www.littlegiraffes.com/graduation.html Ideas & Poems

http://webclipart.about.com/od/msubgradaa/Graduation_Clip_Art_Links.htm Clipart

http://www.dltk-holidays.com/graduation/mgradposter.html Posters

http://www.abcteach.com/MonthtoMonth/poster.htm Blank Poster

http://atozteacherstuff.com/Themes/End_of_the_Year/ Theme Resources

http://www.teachnet.com/how-to/endofyear/052498.html Ideas

http://www.abcteach.com/Extras/studentcard.htm Card to Copy

http://www.hummingbirded.com/end-of-year.html Letter to Parents & Poems

http://www.teachnet.com/how-to/endofyear/certificates060399.html Certificates

http://atozteacherstuff.com/printables/cat_endyear.shtml Poems & Recipes

http://parentingteens.about.com/cs/graduation/a/gradparty.htm# Parties

http://www.allthedaze.com/summer1.html Games, Survival Kits, Awards, Ideas

http://www.fvsd.ab.ca/stm/end_of_the_year_and_summer_activ.htm Resources

http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/lesson/lesson184.shtml Lesson Plans

http://geocities.com/mrsjacksonsclass/endofyear.htm Resources

Inspiring Quote:“Once children learn how to learn, nothing is going to narrow their mind. The essence of teaching is to make learning contagious, to have one idea spark another.”— Marva Collins

Top 10 Teaching Tips--Last Day of School

Top 10 Tips for Teaching on the Last Day of School

For many teachers, the last day of school can be worse than the first. All of the worksheets are done, grading is finished, and the students are anxious to start their summer vacations. Any hope of getting in a last-minute lesson is dashed when you see your students' anxious glances at the clock. However, there are still some things that you can do to fill the time until that final bell rings.

1. Write letters: You can ask your students to each write a note to students who will be incoming in the fall. Have them talk about their favorite class activities, share jokes, or give new students important information for surviving the school year. You may gain some insights on your teaching style, and you can always use the letters as icebreakers the next school year.

2. Make some memories: Make some memories by creating class memory books that are easy. You can create simple printable worksheets for students to complete and staple together as a book. Have them write down favorite memories, draw pictures of the classroom, and sign autographs for each other. If you have time, you could even include a class picture on the cover.

3. Take out the trash: Quite literally! You can use the boundless energy that the students have to take down posters, scrub desks, shred old homeschool worksheets, or pack up books. To avoid the groans, consider making it a game or a race - divide the class into teams and see which team can complete its tasks first to win a prize.

4. Ad lib for laughs: Develop a list of silly topics, one for each child, and put them in a jar. Have each student pull a topic and give them a minute or two before calling them up. Encourage the students to get creative with fun topics like "what would you do if you were the president" or "convince us to buy your shoes."

5. Get outside: After all, your kids would rather be outdoors. Try some fun outdoor games that require teamwork, like relay races or water balloon tosses. It will allow your students to burn up some energy without tearing your classroom to pieces.

6. Play learning games: If your classroom is stocked with a variety of educational games, now is a good time to pull them out for entertainment. Organize game centers around the classroom and allow students to pick which ones they would like. Set a timer and have groups rotate from one activity to another periodically.

7. Focus on the future: Elementary school students in particular will enjoy imagining what the next grade will be like. Have them write an essay or draw a picture to share with the class. Or you can have students share their plans for the upcoming summer vacations.

8. Spelling Bee: Pull out all your spelling teacher worksheets from the entire year, and hold a class spelling bee. It will be an enjoyable way to spend time and refresh students' memories. Older children may enjoy a Jeopardy-style game involving facts that they learned throughout the year.

9. Say something nice: Pin or tape a thick sheet of paper to every child's back. Have students go around the classroom and write something nice on the back of their peers. If this is too rambunctious for your classroom, have your students make autograph books that can be passed from row to row and filled out by their peers.

10. Say thank you: Teach your kids to show their appreciation. Have them write thank you cards for their favorite school staff. This can be parent volunteers, the principal, even the janitor or the food service workers.

Taken from http://www.worksheetlibrary.com/teachingtips/lastdayofschool.html
More Resources at http://geocities.com/mrsjacksonsclass/endofyear.htm

Autographs & Summer Books

A New Look at Autographs

Many teachers at all grade levels use autograph books as a way to end the school year. Students sign yearbooks, self-published materials, and other kinds of materials. In the 1880s, autograph books had a different format. Seeing this format from the past can give your students new ideas on how to make autograph sessions more meaningful to both the author and the recipient. The site adds value to classes in history and writing. It also gives students a new perspective on the concept of autographs.

To see the html version of an 1880s autograph book, go to http://www.laurasnyctales.com/book/intro.html

Summer Books for Students

As the year winds down, students make plans for the summer, just like you do. Research shows that students lose ground during the summer months. Some research indicates that the drop will be lessened or eliminated if a young student reads just eight books during the summer. These next few weeks are a perfect time to promote summer reading to your students. Here are a few ideas from the International Reading Association:
Make sure students have library cards. If a field trip to the library isn’t feasible, consider bringing the public librarian to your classroom to help you. A librarian makes a great salesman for summer reading, as well.
Look to local businesses to help cover the cost of books for students. Students are much more likely to read a book that they own.
Have students set a goal to read at least 8 books during the summer.
Rather than reading a single book, use these last “Teacher Read-Aloud Times” to promote several books.
Make parents aware of ways they can help their child keep reading. Reading Rockets offers parents a wealth of suggestions. You can direct them to http://www.readingrockets.org/calendar/summer#parent to give them useful information.
Have students develop a written plan for their summer reading.
Taken from: E-newsletter from the Texas State Teachers Association May 2009 http://www.tsta.org/

Hubble Space Telescope

Hubble Space Telescope and NASA Pictures

http://www.cephasministry.com/BlaineHubbleFotos[1][1].pps+Apr+6++2009.pps Great!

http://www.guy-sports.com/humor/videos/powerpoint_presentation_hubble.htm Photos

http://terpsichore.stsci.edu/~summers/writings/hubble/ Hubble Presentations

http://www.strangecosmos.com/content/item/151124.html Hubble & NASA Pictures

http://hubble.nasa.gov/ History of Hubble Space Telescope

http://www.aerospaceguide.net/hubblespacetelescope.html Great Hubble Facts

http://hubblesite.org/the_telescope/ Track It & More Resources

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hubble_Space_Telescope Information & Resources

http://geocities.com/mrsjacksonsclass/spaceshuttles.htm Space Shuttles & More Resources

Memorial Day

Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May (on May 25 in 2009). Formerly known as Decoration Day, it commemorates U.S. men and women who died while in the military service. First enacted to honor Union soldiers of the American Civil War (it is celebrated near the day of reunification after the civil war), it was expanded after World War I to include American casualties of any war or military action.

Taken from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memorial_Day .

http://www.usmemorialday.org/ Resources
http://www.geocities.com/mrsjacksonsclass/memorialday.htm Theme Resources
http://www.teach-nology.com/themes/holidays/memorialday/ Teaching Theme
http://www.teacherplanet.com/resource/memorial.php Theme Unit Resources
http://www.vickiblackwell.com/memorial.html Resources
http://www.eduplace.com/activity/memorial.html Poster Poem Lesson
http://www.freekidcrafts.com/kid_memorial_day_craft_ideas.html Crafts
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/patriotic/ Crafts
http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/lesson313.shtml Lessons

Memorial Day lesson plans teach students the history of American wars and promote an understanding of how patriotism and sacrifice have contributed to U.S. freedom and liberty.Read more: "Memorial Day History Lessons: Student Activities to Commemorate America's Fallen Soldiers Suite101.com" -

http://curriculalessons.suite101.com/article.cfm/memorial_day_history_lesson

International Missing Children's Day

International Missing Children's Day is May 25th, 2009.

The main purpose of the International Missing Children’s Day is to encourage people to think about all the children who have been reported missing around the world and to spread a message of hope and solidarity on an international scale to parents without any news of their children and who do not know where their child is or what has become of him/her. The banners there show just a small number of missing children. If you can also spare the time to visit http://www.humpherlinks.co.uk/directory/Missing_Kids/index.html you can check out even more official sites round the world. These sites and the children they try to help need your help. You, or someone you know, my be the one person to help a child in need.Thank you.
http://www.humpherlinks.co.uk/missingkids.html
Copyright ©Larry Humphreys 2008 - 2009
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