Brain Ninjas

Let us help you teach like a ninja!

Brain Ninjas

Foster Environmental Stewardship in the Classroom

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Teaching students about environmental stewardship comes easily in most science classes, but there are lots of other ways to encourage being a responsible citiizen throughout your day in your upper elementary classroom. Come learn some of the ways we teach students to take care of the planet on a daily basis.

Climate change is a real concern for most young people these days. We have used environmental stewardship lessons as part of our overall science lessons, but there are lots of things that you can do in the classroom to help foster a love of caring for our planet. Little changes can make a big difference over time. Environmental stewardship is more than just taking care of the planet. It is about being a responsible citizen and thinking about how we impact the world. Come learn about how we integrate these lessons directly into the classroom.

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5 Games We Love More Than Dodgeball

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Here is a whole bunch of games that aren't dodgeball. Come read the whole post.

As a student, I hated dodgeball with a passion. I wore glasses and could barely see without them, but I wasn’t allowed to wear them in case they were broken. So, there I would be, blind as a bat, wandering around, trying not to get pelted by those giant red rubber balls that always left a mark. I saw a pattern immediately. The few top athletes (usually the biggest boys) knocked everyone out, usually hurting them in the process and then continued playing amongst themselves while the rest of us sat bored on the sidelines licking our wounds.

I vowed, as a teacher, I would never let any of my students experience that. This means there is no dodgeball in any of my gym classes. These are some of the games we love to play instead.

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9 Things To Do During the First Month of School

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Getting back into the school year is an exciting time, but there is can be so much to do that it can be difficult to prioritize what needs to be done first. Come read through our must-do list during the first month of school in your upper elementary classroom and we'll help you out.

As a student, I never appreciated the first month of school. It always seemed like we didn’t get too deep into the content and spent a lot of time playing games and doing art projects. It wasn’t until I became a teacher that I recognized how much work teachers do during the first month of school. While we created a list with nine of the most important, there really are so many more that could be added.

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9 Spectacular Art Projects For a Pen and Paper

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If you are looking for some very simple art projects you can do in your upper elementary classroom with just a pen and paper. We've included all the instructions so you can create these beautiful but very simple art projects for elementary students. Come take a look and find the one you'll save when you need something in a pinch.

Quick art projects using only pen and paper are essential for busy elementary teachers. This post is especially for those who don’t consider themselves “art people” or who face budget constraints, classroom size limits or material shortages. Unlike complex art lessons requiring setup time and specialty supplies, these 9 projects can be done in 15–30 minutes with just a black Sharpie and printer paper. They’re classroom-tested, prep-free, and guaranteed to work in any upper elementary (grades 3–6) setting. Continue reading to learn more.

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5 Fascinating and Inspiring Canadian Trailblazers

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There are many interesting Canadian trailblazers who have stood up in the face of discrimination. Come learn more about Mary Two-Axe Earley, Viola Desmond, Elsie MacGill, Willie O'Ree and Abhayjeet Singh Sachal.

We teamed up with several Canadian teacher-authors to collaborate on different historical (and modern) Canadian trailblazers that you should be teaching your students about.

A trailblazer is the first to do something or to lead the way for others. This term is often used to describe someone who pioneers a new idea, creates a new path, or achieves something that has never been done before. Trailblazers are often seen as innovators or leaders who inspire others to follow in their footsteps. They create positive change in society. They may face challenges and obstacles along the way, but they persist in pursuing their goals and paving the way for others to follow.

How well do you know these Canadian trailblazers?

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How to Make Teaching Patterns Painless

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Patterns are everywhere! Use this set of activities and lessons to show your students where they can find patterns in nature, in math class and how patterns and math are connected. Come have a read and get your upper elementary patterns unit planned in minutes.

For younger grades, teaching patterns seems easier because the use of pattern blocks and colour makes it more fun and interesting. But older grades benefit from finding patterns, too. How do patterns help build math brains? They help teach number sense, develop numerical thinking, and help students make predictions based on what they know. Come learn some of the activities we use to make teaching patterns painless.

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Astronomy Lessons That Are Out of This World

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Are you trying to find lessons for your space or astronomy unit? We gathered up our best lessons that inspire your students to research, learn, create and inquire about all thing space including stars, planets, space travel and astronauts. Come take a look and get your science lessons planned for the whole unit!

Ever since I can remember, the objects in space have fascinated me. Whether learning about Halley’s Comet in science class or taking astronomy lessons while in university, it has always been exciting to learn about the different objects in the Universe.

As an adult, learning about the different ways cultures talk about objects in space has been even more interesting. During a trip to Australia, the stories of the people who lived in the Luritja lands were shared during an astronomy presentation. It was the first time I had an appreciation that the Greek-named constellations and the stories I had learned growing up weren’t the first stories to be told about the stars. At that time, I started seeking out the stories told by Indigenous People across North America.

That is when I decided there were many more astronomy lessons to be learned in the classroom. Read on to see some of the lessons we use in our classroom.

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Amazing Measurement Activities to Stretch Math

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Are you looking for measurement activities to spice up your math lessons? We collected all our favourite ideas for our upper elementary classroom and put it all together for you. Come have a read and get your math class class planned in minutes.

Measurement is one of those math strands that requires lots of hands-on activities and practice. While students can learn about the different measurements and units through learning about them, it essentially takes a lot of practice measuring to really understand how all the measurements work together.

We have found that a combination of book learning and reference materials supports students while they use units to measure different items. Read on to learn about some of the different measurement activities we use to help students master the metric system (and other units of measurement).

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15 Ways to Use Sticky Notes in the Classroom

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Are you looking for ways to use sticky notes in your classroom? We put together a list of some of the ways we use sticky notes because we love to use them. They are so easy to use, kids love them and there are endless possibilities. Come read!

Sticky notes are a versatile tool that can be used in a variety of ways to enhance classroom learning. It’s no secret that most teachers love sticky notes because they come in a variety of styles, sizes and colours. There are so many different ways to use them whether they have lines or are blank. We’ve collected our favourite ways to use sticky notes in the classroom and felt we had to share them with you.

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15 Simple Machines Activities that Will Hook Your Students

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If you are teaching simple machines in your science class, you need to read this post full of ideas.

Simple machines are basic tools that make work easier by changing the size or direction of a force. Here is our list of the six simple machines, with an everyday example of each: the lever (seesaw), pulley (flagpole), wheel and axle (bicycle), inclined plane (ramp), wedge (axe), and screw (jar lid).

One of our favourite science units to teach is about simple machines or wheels and levers (if you teach in Alberta). We love it because it provides many opportunities for hands-on learning and can be done inside regardless of the weather. Students love to build contraptions, and we can use up materials that would generally go in the recycling bin, so it’s also a very low-cost science unit. Which of these activities have you tried during your science lessons?

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How to Teach Students to Tell Time

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Teaching time can be a stressfull situation in math class. How do you teach your students to tell time? We've put together all our activities for reading clocks, understanding the 12 Hour and 24 Hour clock, AM/PM, elapsed time and calendars. Come add these activities to your time lessons!

Teaching students to tell time is a necessary and difficult challenge, but time lessons are a life skill.

Some people argue that reading analog clocks is a skill that is slowly disappearing. Perhaps one day, digital clocks will completely take over, but for now, they are still around, causing grief for teachers and students around the world during time lessons in math class.

Come learn some of the activities we use to help our students learn to read the time with these time lessons that will save you time.

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How to Thrive During Your Student Teaching

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Are you ready for your student teaching placement? Come read through some of our best advice to help get you started on the right foot. There are even some free resources to get you started.

Of course, you want to be a great teacher, so congratulations on getting the chance to be a teacher! Your student teaching experience is usually the first chance you’ll get to take control of the classroom. Many factors can come into play and you might have lots of “when I have my own classroom” moments, but use this time as a chance to learn and ask questions.

We’ve been lucky enough to have amazing supervising teachers when we began our careers and it was important to us to take on student teachers when we were ready for it. Passing on our knowledge is important. This is all the advice we have given to our student teachers over the years and we hope it can help you, too.

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