Make a 4th of July Banner

Print these banners out as large as you can on your printers, then cut along the dotted horizontal lines to create the streamers (leave the star band uncut).
http://everydayteaching.com/Holiday/Independence/July4th_banner.php

Cyberbullying at School

Cyberbullying: is it happening at your school?
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/28/style/28bully.html

4th of July Confetti Poppers

http://alphamom.com/family-fun/holidays/make-your-own-fourth-of-july-confetti-popper-rockets/

Here's a great way to celebrate the 4th of July with your kids - by making these confetti poppers, complete with beaded trap doors and pull cords. Decorate them with red, white, and blue stripes and tails, and get popping!

Show Me the Dinosaurs!

http://www.show.me.uk/topicpage/Dinosaurs.html
Whip up some dinosaur fun this summer - print out a Jurassic board game, make a dino mask, invent a new (!) dinosaur, or create some clay dinosaur models.

SchoolR

http://www.schoolr.com/
Customize your search with this academic search engine - for students and non-students alike - using Google, Wikipedia, Dictionary, Thesaurus, Wolfram, Images, and Acronym. Want more custom search features? Then click on "more stuff" for converters, citations, and translators.

NASA Space Science Resources for Educators

http://teachspacescience.org/cgi-bin/ssrtop.plex
Whether for summer learning about the stars and the solar system as you look out at the gorgeous night sky, or for planning ahead to an astronomy unit next year, NASA offers tons of resources here for educators. Search by grade, subject, or topic.

Geography Clipart

Need some geography clipart to go along with your summer learning themes? Click on the link above for numerous excellent pages of geography clipart options.

Science Videos for Schools

http://www.science.tv/videos.html

Want a user's guide for the human body? What about learning more about wind energy, or finding out if video games can actually be good for hand-eye coordination? Find numerous science topics explored through videos, for classroom use.

Stars and Stripes Hats

http://familyfun.go.com/4th-of-july/patriotic-parade-wear/stars-n-stripes-hats-668747/

Whether for the 4th of July parade or just celebrating that patriotic feeling - try making these appealing stars and stripes hats. 10" gift bags are suggested, but you can also pull in the edges of a larger grocery bag (on each side, match the insets and tape the sides to fit - it's like making a pleat or a dart). Proceed as directed here with pencils, rulers, paints, and stickers.

Monster Bugs!

http://www.scholastic.com/magicschoolbus/games/bugs/index.htm

Students will Build a Bug with this online learning game. Younger students will simply have fun trying to match up the parts, or mixing them for their own monster bug to print out. Third grade classes can read the information for each insect and try to assemble all of the correct parts.

Quote of the Day

"Sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.  ~ Lewis Carroll 

Monterey Bay Aquarium Printable Coloring Book

Are you learning all about sea life this summer? Even if you're not, you can visit the Monterey Bay Aquarium without ever leaving your classroom! Download the book cover and pages of all the various sea creatures to color, with this delightful printable book.

http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/lc/activities/coloring_pages.asp

Summer Clipart

We've added our own summer clipart images in a previous blog entry (see below), but if you need even more, try the three pages of free summer clipart offered here!

http://www.webweaver.nu/clipart/beach.shtml

Baseball: The Game and Beyond!

Why not study up on America's most popular game over the summer? Take a virtual walk around the stadium, visit the announcer's booth (and find out what the job requirements are), get behind the plate, vote for your favorite team, and of course, join the players in the bullpen. What are you waiting for? Play ball!
http://library.thinkquest.org/11902/index2.html

World Landmarks

Going somewhere special this summer? Take a preview of your trip with Google's Street View of World Landmarks. Visit the Golden Gate Bridge, Westminster Abbey, The Louvre or the Eiffel Tower... Zoom in and take a 360• turn to view your destination, or to simply travel around the world this summer without ever leaving the comfort of your favorite armchair!

http://www.google.com/intl/en_us/help/maps/streetview/gallery/index.html#world-landmarks

Figure This!

Four challenges will tempt your clever brain: figure out the time you have to wait in line; which shape will hold the most popcorn; when you would have the billionth beat of your heart, given a starting time; or why manhole covers aren't square... Ready? For even more printable challenges this summer, download 80 challenges at the 2nd link below and create your own challenge workbook.

http://www.figurethis.org/challenges/toc.htm

http://www.figurethis.org/challenges/challenge_index.htm

Amazing Magic Kit!

Why not plan your very own magic show this summer? From sleight of hand tricks, to a magician's hat, magic dice, and more, print out this magic kit from HP for summer fun.

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/acProjectproject=amazingmagickit&extcat=toysstickerspuzzles&extsubcat=games&lc=en&dlc=en&cc=us

How's Your U.S. Geography?

Where's that state? You'll have to locate all of the 50 states with this online American Geography game - great review before summer vacation!

http://www.lizardpoint.com/fun/geoquiz/usaquiz.html

Make an Ant Farm this Summer

Find out how to create your own ant farm - for classroom or home - with just a few supplies. It's a great summer science project!

http://www.kinderinfo.com/how-to-make-a-home-made-ant-farm/

P.E. Central

This site offers loads of lesson plans in physical education and health, with related classroom management issues, integrated lessons with other subjects, field day suggestions, best practices, and assessment all included. Lessons are organized by grade and level.

http://www.pecentral.org/lessonideas/pelessonplans.html

Dick Blick Art Videos

The Dick Blick art website has some fantastic art lesson plans, as well as its own You Tube video channel now. It currently features "glass" sculptures with an easy-to-work-with medium - and the results are stunning. Find step-by-step instructions, with links to the pdf lessons, at the URL below.

http://www.youtube.com/user/BlickVideos?v=IT3Bie8ixrg&feature=pyv&ad=5059273026&kw=middle%20school%20art%20lesson&gclid=CPjPluf52KECFR49gwodhVKVIw

20 Summer Art Activities

Need some creative, stimulating, fun - and inexpensive - summer art projects? Find some great ideas here to engage kids over the hot summer months, including Coffee Can Stilts and Magazine Houses.

http://www.kinderart.com/teachers/20crafts.shtml

Teacher Book Wizard

Whether you want to find some fantastic new books for the fall, or you want to send home a

book list for your students this summer based on a leveled search (based on reading and interest level,

subject, genre, etc.), this resource from Scholastic has loads of options for you.

http://bookwizard.scholastic.com/tbw/homePage.do

Fortune Teller Writing

Use the link below to create a folded paper "fortune-teller" - one of those paper games where students insert their fingers into the folds to open and close the different squares (a classmate selects a number on one of the flaps), and a fortune is revealed. The writing part of this exercise? Students will make up summer fortunes for their classmates - think of what they'll be doing during the summer, what will happen to students at camps, etc., and have fun with this writing exercise!

http://content.scholastic.com/content/collateral_resources/pdf/k/kung_fu_panda_take_home.pdf

Bird-Brained Pizza

This idea really is for the birds - fashioning a "pizza" from birdseed. Learn how to make these special pizzas for your feathered friends at the link below.

http://www.canadianliving.com/crafts/kids_crafts/pizza_thats_for_the_birds.php

Make a Bug Observation Jar

All you need for this project is a bit of paint and some old mason jars - and a nail to hammer through some holes in the lid. Let your students decorate it however they will with paint, then go outside and collect some specimens. Be sure to research their needs - and supply them with the habitat they need for observation. Of course you will be letting your bugs go free - all the better to find other bugs to study as well.

http://www.everydayteaching.com/Holiday/Summer/bugjar.php

Send a Classroom Volunteer a Thank You Card

Select from a variety of Thank You cards here to print directly onto cardstock, including a special note for your classroom volunteers this year.

http://www.everydayteaching.com/Forms/thanks.php

Summer Boredom Busters

Need some creative activities to send home with your students to share with their families? Print out this creative list of Summer Boredom Busters.

http://www.everydayteaching.com/Holiday/Summer/Summer_suggestions.php