Fourth of July Freedom and Fun

Freedom--do your students know and understand what democracy means? Do they realize that people around the world are in daily struggles to defend or obtain freedom? These are difficult questions for students who have never experienced other cultures or who have not traveled outside of the United States. 

For a short introductory video and lesson on democracy, hop over to Ted Ed and

view "Democracy, a Short Introduction", which also includes free comprehension checks and discussions. If you have a free Ted Ed account, input your questions for comprehension checks or discussions. This will get students thinking and responding about what "democracy" and "freedom" means. 

Then, it's time for reviewing how our country fought for its freedom by having students create their own comic books on the American Revolution. Here's a few sample pages with corresponding fill-in-your-own-comic handouts to get students started:

If you teach younger students, try these unique July the Fourth Coloring Handouts to get in the spirit of Fourth of July:

Still didn't find what you need to help students celebrate and understand our nation's Independence Day? How about some Fourth of July: 24 Fun Activities?

Make understanding democracy and freedom easy and enjoyable! And, "Let freedom ring..."

from Educator Helper

More National Disasters Mean Student Preparedness Needed

If you need evidence that national disasters are on the rise, then view The National Association of Radio Distress-Signalling and Infocommunications (RSOE) that "operates Emergency and Disaster Information Service (EDIS)...to monitor and document all the events on the Earth which may cause disaster or emergency" (Google). The society's "main objective is to manage information about events endangering the safety of our own country" (1). Stay informed and know where disasters are forming by downloading the RSOE EDIS Notifier for tablets and smartphones at iTunes or Google Play.

The interactive world map is fascinating to watch because disasters unfold in real time. You can see how many people's lives are in danger! This affects students, their academic performances, and their stress levels. How can you help students?

Help students prepare, survive, and recognize dangerous weather, such as earthquakes, floods, and tornadoes, and their warning signals with Educator Helper's National Preparedness Month packet and activities! It might just save you and your students' lives...

For more national preparedness activities, visit Educator Helper's TpT storefront! 

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day to my dad and to all others who fill the role of "Father"!

Celebrate Dad today by making cards and memories!

Click here for more Educator Helper Father's Day activities!

It's National History Day This Week (and History Freebies)!

There's so many free ways to make history fun! The first thing to do is to visit the National History Day website at www.NHD.org. Each year a theme is chosen, and "Taking a stand in history" is the theme for this year. A free theme book is offered to teachers. Click here to get yours! Students can view projects, enter upcoming contests, and learn how to research history.

Another great free history project is the National Women's History Project with its goal of "writing women back into history". Information on the project can be found at www.nwhp.org. The theme for 2016 is: "Working to Form a More Perfect Union: Honoring Women in Public Service and Government". There are many historical women's resources and fun teaching ideas on this website.

Looking for free historical documents? Visit the U.S. History and Historical Documents website run by the U.S. Government at www.usa.gov/history. This website is like opening a treasure chest! It has timelines and descriptions of historical moments and famous speeches, as well as links to data, government branches, statistics, and much more. It is easy to navigate and loaded with interesting historical documents for students to explore and read.

Happy National History Day!

From Educator Helper

FREE History Handouts for National History Day:

Find other history projects, such as board games, historical comics, writing projects and more, at Educator Helper!