Today is Abraham Lincoln’s birthday, and we all know him for his history making achievements: leading our nation through the civil war and abolishing slavery. Presidential accomplishments aside, he was also just an interesting person. Check out these facts about our 16th president: Abraham Lincoln was 6’ 4” tall with a size 14 shoe! He…
In my opinion, February is less challenging than January. Why? January lasts FOREVER. It seems like it has 72 days instead of 31. Also, January is lacking in exciting celebrations, themes, and occasions. February is full of goodness! We’ve got Groundhog Day, Valentine’s Day, Presidents Day, National Children’s Dental Health Month, and Black History Month….
I taught in Michigan before moving to North Carolina to work for The Mailbox®. One of my southern coworkers once asked, “What did you do for recess on days when there was snow?” She seemed surprised when I told her we went out for recess every day unless the wind chill was more suitable for…
The new year sure does roll around quickly! Didn’t we just do this? Welcome, 2024. It’s time to reflect on the old year and look forward to the near year. With that in mind, this is the perfect worksheet for January: verb tenses (reflections and resolutions) for grades 4–5. Click here to print out the…
Tuesday, December 19 is Holly Day, a day set aside to celebrate that lovely and prickly bush we all associate with this time of year. The red berries and green foliage are a traditional Christmas time decoration, but holly also has interesting mentions in folklore. In the past it’s been used for everything from avoiding…
I’m about to tell you something you might find shocking: I’ve never made a gingerbread house—not even one from a kit! The realization was so startling I actually went online to see about ordering one, but I looked at the images and thought, “I don’t have time for that!” Also, I have four cats and…
Thanksgiving is a holiday stuffed with real-world math skills. I don’t say this with great joy because math has never been my strong suit. It’s not my husband’s either, and we usually cook Thanksgiving together for multiple friends and family. Fortunately, the wrapping on my turkey has a chart telling me how many people it…
I just returned from a vacation to Alaska, which was gorgeous and amazing! Before we left home, I wondered if we would see a lot of fall color. We definitely did, but to my surprise it was almost all a brilliant yellow. I looked up information on the yellow trees and they’re mostly birch,…
I recently shared a post on The Mailbox® Facebook page from a teacher who did a jack-o’-lantern craft with her students. The results ended up being unique and hilarious! If you give students instructions that are open-ended, the crafts are often distinctive —and that’s great! No one wants a cookie-cutter craft anyway. I looked in…
It’s October—my favorite month! Why? Because it’s cool, colorful, and a little bit creepy. I’ve already started preparing for this lovely month by decorating my house for Halloween and watching my favorite horror movies. (Each year, my husband and I create a list of movies that must be watched by October 31.) While looking through…