(Finger Paints)
The Sun and the Moon used to live on the earth where the Sioux Indians had set their teepees. But things changed when the two came to realize that they were as different as night and day. They often argued until finally one day they had such a serious falling out that the Sun decided to move to the sky. When the Moon found out, it was beside itself with envy and decided to do the same thing. The Sun and the Moon never again exchanged another word and from that time on, the Moon follows the Sun where ever it goes, day after day.

(Mixed Media)
Tiddalik the frog was so thirsty, he drank all the water in the rivers and lakes of Australia, turning the land into a desert. One day, the wise old bat had an idea-if they could make Tiddalik laugh he would cough up all the water in his belly. Each of the animals tried to make Tiddalik laugh, but to no avail. At last it was the Eel's turn. He did a funny snake routine, but only when he got so close to Tiddalik that the tip of his tail tickled his belly did the frog laugh. He laughed so hard that water started pouring out of his mouth and soon the rivers and lakes filled up again. Australia went back to being as beautiful as it had always been.

(Watercolors)
Max wants to play ball with his father, but his father has to finish his work first. To teach Max that he should never put off until tomorrow what he can do today, he tells him the classic story of the Three Little Pigs, who leave home in search of adventure. They each build a house, but only the house of the eldest brother, the hardest worker, resists the attack of the big bad wolf. Moral of the story: sloth never pays off.

(Molding Clay)
For Christmas Margaret's Granddad gives her the figures of a ballerina and a one-legged tin soldier joined together on a base shaped like a heart and tells her the story of how they became united forever. A little boy with lots of toys and tin soldiers didn't know that they all came to life at night. His bravest soldier, his one-legged tin soldier, falls in love with a ballerina, but one night he is accidentally blown off the window sill and sets out upon a perilous journey through gutters, sewers and the sea until he ends up in a fish's tummy. The fish is caught and sold at the market to his former owner's mother. This is how he is reunited with the ballerina. But when she is blown off the mantelpiece into the flames, he dives in after her. The slow fire melts the two figures into one and is saved in the nick of time by the boy.

(Breakfast)

A long time ago, three little martian eggs cracked open. Two were beautiful, pale and yellow, but the other egg was not small and beautiful, he was 'the ugly martian'. Trying to find a friendly companion, the ugly martian went to the space monster, but the space monster was repulsed by the ugly martian's appearance. All the little ugly martian wanted was for someone to love him. Sometimes, though, something you want very badly doesn't happen. Will our little ugly martian find the love he so desires?

(Mixed Media)

Deep in the jungle, there was a brave jaguar who found himself trapped in a dark, large hole, and he couldn't get out. A black bull passed by and heard the jaguar's cries for help. The bull helped the jaguar out of his predicament, but once free, the jaguar turned on the bull and tried to take a big bite out of the bull. The bull decides the ungrateful jaguar needs to be taught a lesson. How will the bull convince the jaguar not to eat him? Will the jaguar learn how important it is to be grateful for favors?

(Sketch Painting)
It was eight in the morning and the underground was full of men wearing damp raincoats, women with umbrellas, children on their way to school, and old folks who couldn't sleep. Regina was with her mother and was a bit angry. She wished she could have slept in. Regina hated rainy days and hated the morning ride even more. Luckily, a man got on at the next step and started playing a musical instrument that Regina had never seen before. Regina couldn't help staring at the man as she listened spellbound to the music. The other passengers could only hear the gypsy melody. But Regina heard the strange instrument's voice as it spoke the following words, ?Close your eye's and listen to the violins story.

(Mixed Media)
Mr. Grisini decides to take up the violin. He buys an instrument and one day as he is practicing, a ghost appears. The screeching sounds of his violin always seem to conjure up the same gloomy specter, which always disappears through the same wall. One day, Mr. Grisini finally builds up the courage to knock a hole in the wall where he discovers a real treasure-a Stradivarius, the only one of its kind in the world. Ever since then, like magic, Mr. Grisini never again made that unbearable noise and became one of the greatest violinists of his times.

(Construction Paper Cut-outs)
Tiny Tom, who was as tiny as a grain of rice, always sang to avoid being stepped on. One day he begged his mother to let him go out alone and take his father's lunch to him at work, but on the way he had to take cover from a sudden downpour. He hid under a cabbage plant and was soon swallowed alive by a hungry cow. When his parents went out looking for him, they heard his voice coming from inside the cow's tummy. He'd soon fly out safe and sound as the cow passed gas.

(Crafts & Cut-Outs)
Tsar Saltan overhears three sisters talking. The youngest, Duchess Alexandra, says that if she were chosen to be the Tsar's wife, she would wish nothing better than to become the mother of a handsome son who would be the best king in the world. The Tsar chooses her to be his bride. While he is away at war, she gives birth to a beautiful, healthy baby boy. Her jealous sisters, green with envy, plot against the young queen, and as a result the Tsar orders Alexandra and her baby son Guidon to be sealed into a barrel and thrown into the sea. Years later, the barrel drifts onto an island. The boy, now a sturdy youth, saves a swan from a falcon. The swan turns out to be a magical bird and builds a golden palace for Guidon and his mother. Guidon becomes a wise king and his kingdom grows. When Tsar Saltan hears of the famous island he visits it and is reunited with his queen.

Students create math stories by first drawing, then writing, and finally using math symbols to show addition or subtraction.

It is our pleasure, our honor, our duty as citizens to present to you Duck for President. Here is a duck who began in a humble pond. Who worked his way to farmer. To governor. And now, perhaps, to the highest office in the land. Some say, if he walks like a duck and talks like a duck, he is a duck. We say, if he walks like a duck and talks like a duck, he will be the next president of the United States of America. Thank you for your vote.

An Observation and Inquiry Sheet guides students as they analyze and compare their reactions to the value, engagement, and credibility of three websites related to Anne Frank and the Holocaust.

Panelists, including Dr. Jan Hasbrouck, discuss key features of structured literacy within K-6 literacy systems. They highlight the importance of teaching systematically and explicitly to improve student outcomes.

Mexico’s Día de los Muertos, also known as the Day of the Dead, is dedicated to remembering loved ones who have passed. Learn more about this special day in the latest episode of YourClassical Storytime, featuring narration by Inés Guanchez, illustrations by Raul Villanueva and traditional Mexican music.

In partnership with the National Hispanic Cultural Center, the LAII developed a curriculum guide to provide hands-on art activities and literacy exercises to bring Día de los Muertos to the classroom. This is the Spanish version of the guide.

In partnership with the National Hispanic Cultural Center, the LAII developed a curriculum guide to provide hands-on art activities and literacy exercises to bring Día de los Muertos to the classroom.

This podcast interview with Drs. Piasta and Hudson discusses teacher content/pedagogical knowledge, phonological awareness instruction, and phonics instruction, why it all matters, and what it means for instruction.

Fluency is the ability to read words accurately and automatically with expression. Because fluent readers do not have to slow down in order to concentrate on decoding the individual words in a text, they can focus their attention on the text's meaning. In this way, fluency acts as a bridge between word recognition and comprehension, and this relationship is reciprocal. That is, when a student understands the meaning of the text he/she is reading, it is much easier to read that text with expression.

This lesson begins with an overview of the national women’s suffrage movement through a picture book read-aloud: Miss Paul and the President: The Creative Campaign for Women’s Right to Vote (or through an alternative voting simulation. Then, students will analyze primary source documents and suffrage memorabilia to identify arguments made by the anti-suffrage and pro-suffrage sides. Students will create their own pro- or anti-suffrage items.Students will consider how they can personally affect change and improve their communities. Teachers may choose to extend the lesson by staging a women’s suffrage debate or rally.