Preparing for Remembrance Day commemorations are a great opportunity to talk not only about the sacrifices of the past but also to talk about our contributions to peace. Books are always a great way to introduce solemn topics while uplifting our students.
Although there are many books out there here is a list of our favourites.
A Poppy is to Remember by Heather Patterson – Learn how the poppy became a symbol for Remembrance Day.
Proud as a Peacock, Brave as a Lion by Jane Barclay – Explore the different sides of war through animal imagery in this creative look.
In Flanders Fields: The Story of the Poem by John McCrae by Linda Granfield – Read about the story behind the the most famous poem about war.
Bunny the Brave War Horse by Elizabeth MacLeod – Experience World War I through the story of a real life war horse.
A Bear in War by Stephanie Innes & Harry Endrulat – Introduce students to World War I through the story of a Canadian family that exchanged letters and a teddy bear during the war.
No! by David McPhail – This (almost) wordless picture book witnesses the terrible sights and sounds of war.
The Unknown Soldier by Linda Granfield – Look at memorials around the world to remember soldiers who died in war but were never identified.
What does Peace Feel Like? by Vladimir Radunsky – See what kids around the world say about how peace feels.
The Peace Book by Todd Parr – Who doesn’t love a Todd Parr book? Another book about peace that appeals to younger students.
Truce by Jim Murphy – A Christmas day truce during World War I between British and German troops is described.
The Enemy: A book about peace by Davide Cali & Serge Bloch – Get two perspectives on one war war in this picture book of two soldiers on opposing sides.
What is Peace? by Wallace Edwards – A series of questions are asked to children to explore what peace means.
We also have a small collection of short expository pieces in our Remembrance Day Reading and Activities package.
What are your go to books for Remembrance Day? Share the titles in the comments below.
Let’s be honest. Halloween is not one of the best days for teachers-even worse the day after. So unless the day lands on a weekend, chances are you’re going to be somehow involved. So, other than sitting and eating junk food while dressed in costumes, what other activities can a teacher do with their class while still celebrating Halloween? 
What do you do when you want to challenge students, but you also want them to learn? We give them critical thinking challenges. Critical thing requires many skills-problem solving, collaboration, design thinking, and perseverance. When a critical thinking question is carefully crafted, you can get students to explore learning outcomes while having fun and being engaged in their learning at the same time. 
Do your students suck at research? Do they just copy and paste? Can they find information on their own or do they all just end up at Wikipedia and cite Google Search as a source? Can they use text features or find an actual book? 
Our curriculum is such that health is taught as part of our physical education lessons. We’re required to have thirty minutes of movement activity. This means health rarely happens for most teachers because it’s shoved aside for more meaningful lessons like reading, writing and math.
We realized the importance of teaching critical thinking and fact checking one day on Facebook. One ninja-mother-in-law posted an article about an actor that had died-but the actor had died FIVE years earlier. Yet, there she was just a reposting like crazy. A dog with a piece of ham on its face was her next post and that when we started writing our digital citizenship product. 
Do you like to do logic puzzles? Some people like word searches and others like Sudoku, but logic puzzles is where it’s at. They require critical thinking, problem solving and deductive reasoning. And they are fun! Students learn to read for information in a way that is highly engaging. 
Orange Shirt Day is recognized each year on September 30. It is important to educate everyone about Canada’s wrongs so we can learn from it and begin to repair the damage that has been done. We have searched out some student friendly resources teachers can use in their classrooms to teach students about Residential Schools because Every Child Matters. 
You are in the home stretch! The school year is almost over. Maybe you’ve had the most difficult year of your career or maybe it’s been a highlight. Either way, you’ve made a difference in the lives of the children who’ve come through your classroom this year and so it’s time to celebrate. 
Are your students using your Makerspace and now you want to show off their hard work? Host a Maker Walk. Picture a science fair, but so much cooler because it’s filled with the creations your students made in your Makerspace!