Excellent Timing for Winter Rhyming! ELA practice
Rhyming Word Sort | This Month™ ❄️ Winter Rhyming Word Sort ⛄ Sort the words by their rhyming sounds! A This Month™ Activity K-1st Grade 2nd-3rd Grade 4th-5th Grade ❄️…
Read or Listen to’Twas the Night Before Christmas
‘Twas the Night Before Christmas – Interactive Reader | This Month™ 🎄 ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas 🎅 A Visit from St. Nicholas By Clement Clarke Moore (1823) A This…
New Year’s Eve: A Cultural Guide to Ōmisoka
Teacher’s Guide to Ōmisoka – Japanese New Year’s Eve 🎊 🔔 🍜 Teacher’s Guide to Ōmisoka Japanese New Year’s Eve Target Audience: K-5th Grade Educators Cultural Context: Japanese Traditions Timing:…
Memory Match Hanukkah Symbols and Foods!
If you enjoyed learning about Hanukkah symbols, check out our virtual dreidel game for more learning!
A Cultural Guide to Hanukkah
🕎 ✨ 🕯️ Teacher’s Guide to Hanukkah The Festival of Lights Target Audience: K-5th Grade Educators Cultural Context: Jewish Traditions Timing: 8 days beginning on the 25th of Kislev (November…
Portuguese Christmas Vocab Matching Game
Portuguese Christmas Vocabulary Matching Game 🎄 Brazilian Christmas Vocabulary 🎁 Match Portuguese words with their English meanings! K-1st Grade 2nd-3rd Grade 4th-5th Grade Matches: 0/5 Attempts: 0 Time: 0:00 New…
Cultural Guide to Christmas in Latin America & the Caribbean
Teacher’s Guide: Christmas Celebrations in Latin America and the Caribbean 🎄 ⭐ 🎅 Christmas Celebrations in Latin America and the Caribbean Traditions from Puerto Rico, Cuba, Mexico, and Brazil Target…
Discover Yalda: A Festival of the Solstice
Teacher’s Guide to Yalda – The Persian Festival of Light 🌙 ⭐ 🕯️ Teacher’s Guide to Yalda The Persian Festival of Light Target Audience: K-5th Grade Educators Cultural Context: Persian/Iranian…
Teaching about Kwanzaa? Here’s a Guide
Teacher’s Guide to Kwanzaa – The Festival of Family, Community, and Culture 🕯️ 🕯️ 🕯️ 🕯️ 🕯️ 🕯️ 🕯️ Teacher’s Guide to Kwanzaa The Festival of Family, Community, and Culture…
Christmas Through the Hollywood Lens
Christmas Through the Hollywood Lens – Teacher’s Guide 🎬 ❄️ ⭐ Christmas Through the Hollywood Lens How Movies Shape American Holiday Culture Target Audience: K-5th Grade Educators Cultural Context: American…
Calculate the Hours and Minutes of Daylight Across America!
Daylight Hours Calculator | This Month™ 🌞 Daylight Hours Calculator 🌙 Discover how daylight changes across America throughout the year! 🗺️ Choose a City to Explore Click on any city…
Teaching about Winter Solstice? Instant Guide
The Instant Guide to Earth’s Solstice and Equinox 🌍 The Instant Guide to Earth’s Solstice and Equinox Understanding Earth’s Tilt and the Science Behind Our Seasons Grades K-2 Grades 3-4…
Make a Salsa for the Winter Solstice! K-5th Math
The Solstice Salsa Party | This Month™ 🔇 🌙 The Solstice Salsa Party! ☀️ A This Month™ Winter Solstice Math Celebration Series K-1st Grade 2nd-3rd Grade 4th-5th Grade 🎯 Practice…
Spot the Difference FALL Coloring Pack!
This is a wonderful activity for preK-1st grade, or any age group and child who needs a mental break (something that calm coloring activities provide)! Kids can engage their observation…
Supporting Your Child’s Mental Health
World Children’s Day: A Parent’s Guide to Supporting Your Child’s Mental Health | This Month™ 📅 November 20 • World Children’s Day Supporting Your Child’s Mental Health: A Parent’s Guide…
This World Children’s DAY Better Family Conversations
Better Family Conversations – Interactive Guide | This Month™ Better Family Conversations Guide Transform everyday moments into language-building opportunities 🍼 Toddlers(2-3) 🎨 Preschool(3-4) ✏️ Pre-K/K(4-6) 📚 Grades 1-2(6-8) 🎒 Grades…
Black Hole Friday Vocab QUIZ!
Black Holes Vocabulary Game 🌌 Black Holes Vocabulary Game 🌌 Master the language of gravity and black holes! Choose Grade Level: Grades K-1 Grades 2-3 Grades 4-5 Choose Mode: 📚…
Don’t Miss BLACK HOLE FRIDAY!!!
Instant Guide to Black Holes Instant Guide to BLACK HOLES The Most Mysterious Objects in Space ⚛️ Physics Friday: Black Hole Edition Part of our ongoing Physics Friday series exploring…
Native American Heritage Month: The Cahokia Mounds and Solstice Traditions Practiced Today
Cahokia Mounds as they appeared in ancient times. This is now a An UNESCO World Heritage that can be visited at 30 Ramey Street Collinsville, IL. The location is only…
Physics Friday: GRAVITY & The Leonid Meteor
Leonid Meteor Shower & The Force of Gravity – This Month™ THIS MONTH™ Timely, Standards-Aligned Learning for K-5th Grade 🌠 The Force That Holds Everything Together Discover Gravity Through the…
Centering Native Voices: “Powwow Day” Book Review
‘Powwow Day‘ immerses readers in the sights, sounds, and emotions of an intertribal gathering. At the center of the story is River, a young girl recovering from an illness. She…
“Who Am I” Book Review Honoring Native American Heritage Month
For Native American Heritage Month, we’re highlighting stories told by Native voices. Who Am I? by Julie Buchholtz, a member of the Bay Mills Tribe of Chippewa Indians, is a…
Pie Making Party Math K-5th! Thanksgiving Fun!
Thanksgiving preparation meets math practice in this engaging multiplication game! Students become bakers calculating how many ingredients they need to make multiple pies for a holiday party. The fun part?…
A Science-Backed Guide to a Meaningful Thanksgiving Holiday
Beyond the Turkey: A Science-Backed Guide to Meaningful Thanksgiving Traditions | This Month™ Beyond the Turkey A Science-Backed Guide to Meaningful Thanksgiving Traditions Thanksgiving is more than a meal—it’s a…
Meet Wormly! Collect Letters, and Spell Words!
After spelling practice with Wormly, explore a story that builds emotional vocabulary.
World Origami Day Meets Kindness Week!
🎨 Kindness Fortune Teller 🎨 Building Your Kindness Toolkit Through Origami 📅 Origami Day – November 11 💝 Kindness Week 🎯 K-5th Grade ⏱️ 30-40 minutes Learning Objectives Develop practical…
Read-Aloud Story About a Creative and Kind Robot
ARTificial Intelligence by David Biedrzycki From his earliest days as “a little chip,” Robot knows something sets him apart. David Biedrzycki’s Artificial Intelligence is a tender, humorous exploration of what…
Military Mascot Memory Matching Game
Honor a Veteran with a gratitude card for their service, and by inviting them to a round of Military Mascot Memory Matching. Play digitally or download the full printable activity…
Instant Guide to Tsunami Science and Safety
Image: “The Great Wave off Kanagawa” (1830-1832) | Artist: Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849) | Collection: Metropolitan Museum of Art (JP1847) | Public Domain 🌊 Instant Guide to Tsunami Science & Safety…
Interact with our Tsunami Wave Simulator
Growing up in Japan shaped my deep respect for tsunami science and safety. In 2015, the UN General Assembly designated November 5th as World Tsunami Awareness Day, based on Japan’s…
Instant Guide to Supermoons & Moon Phases
Dear Teachers and Families: Have you ever witnessed a full moon? How about a Supermoon? This week marks the last chance in 2025 to see the Supermoon phenomenon! It’s also…
Quick Quiz: Lunar Vocab!!!
Boy stares up at the moon in Wonder: IN this interactive activity Learn moon phase vocabulary through interactive flashcards and quizzes. Kid-friendly lessons on New Moon, Full Moon, and more for elementary students.
Moon Phase Matching Game
Moon Phase Matching Game – This Month™ THIS MONTH™ Interactive Learning Games 🌙 Moon Phase Matching Game Click a moon emoji, then click its matching name! Match all 8 moon…
PLAY: Interactive Moon Phase Explorer!
Moon Phases Explorer 🌙 Interactive Moon Phases Explorer ✨ Explore How the Moon Changes Throughout the Month 💡 Tip: Click the Moon or use the buttons below to explore each…
PHYSICS Friday: Circular Motion with Fall Harvest Game
What is the best way to harvest apples, this picture of a baket flying through the air with apples falling to the ground may be a hint! Read through this lesson plan for inspiration!
MOTION Monday: Fall Harvest Challenge!
A tween reaches up to harvest apples whilst dropping her basket of collected apples. Has she been spinning the basket and aiming at the branch as she let’s it go?
Explore the Taurid Meteor Shower
💡 Tip: Click anywhere in space to create shooting stars!
A Sculptural Art Project with La Catrina
La Catrina Gallery La Catrina Art Process Gallery Honoring José Guadalupe Posada’s Legacy Through Student Sculpture A Step-by-Step Journey: Creating Día de los Muertos Art in the Classroom Learn more…
Exploring La Calavera Catrina: Día de los Muertos
La Calavera Catrina (see feature image above) was created by José Guadalupe Posada in 1910 as political commentary criticizing wealthy Mexicans who abandoned their cultural heritage. She has since become…
A Teacher’s Guide to Día de los Muertos
Día de los Muertos: A Cultural Guide for Educators Día de los Muertos A Cultural Guide for Educators Target Audience: K-5th Grade Teachers and Educators Purpose: To provide accurate, culturally…
Diwali Tabola Game
Printable Diwali Tabola Cards 🪔 🪔 🪔 Diwali Tabola Card Generator Create custom printable cards for K-2nd grade! 📋 How to Use: Choose how many cards you want (4, 8,…
Count the Diyas! Diwali Activity!
Count the Diyas! Interactive Math 🪔 🪔 🪔 🪔 🪔 🪔 🪔 🪔 🪔 🪔 🪔 Count the Diyas! Interactive Diwali Math for Grades 1-2 Worksheet 1: More or Less…
Teacher’s Guide to Diwali The Festival of Lights
🪔 🪔 🪔 Teacher’s Guide to Diwali The Festival of Lights Target Audience: K-5th Grade Educators Cultural Context: Hindu, Sikh, and Jain Traditions Timing: October/November (varies by lunar calendar) 📖…
Lesson Plan for Halloween Pattern Card Activity
Halloween Pattern Cards Lesson Plan – This Month™ 🎃 Halloween Pattern Cards Activity 🎃 A Standards-Aligned Pattern Recognition Lesson This Month™ – Connecting Learning to the Calendar 📚 Target Audience…
Halloween Pattern Cards Printable Sheet
Halloween Pattern Cards – Printable 🎃 Halloween Pattern Cards – Printable Sheet 🎃 What you’ll get: 24 cards total – 8 pumpkins, 8 bats, and 8 ghosts Instructions: Print this…
Honoring Hispanic Heritage with Good Books
Tíos & Primos Book Review Tíos & Primos is written and illustrated by Jacqueline Alcántara. In this story a girl travels with her father to Honduras. She’s nervous about her…
What to Read Aloud This Indigenous Peoples DAY: “Stand as Tall as Trees”
“Stand as Tall as the Trees: How an Amazonian Community Protected the Rain Forest” by Patricia Gualinga and Laura Resau, illustrated by Vanessa Jaramillo, tells the true story of how…
Halloween Memory Card Game PLAY now!
Memory Card Game Instructions – This Month™ 🎃 🧙 🧙 🧙 🎃Memory Card Game Instructions🎃 Setup Shuffle all 12 cards thoroughly Spread them face-down on a table or floor in…
Audio Book Review: “Our Moon Festival”
Teachers, looking for the perfect complement to your Mooncake Coloring activity or the Glowing Lantern Engineering Challenge? We highly recommend playing the audiobook of Our Moon Festival: Celebrating the Moon…
Light Up Your Harvest Moon Celebration with a Glowing Lantern Engineering Challenge!
The Harvest Moon Festival is a time for families to gather, share food, and enjoy the beauty of glowing lanterns under the autumn sky. Using everyday materials like jars, tissue…
To Roast or Toss: Lesson PLAN & Printouts!
Chestnut Harvest Sorting Activity – This Month Mathober Series This Month™: October Math Adventures “To Roast or To Toss?” Chestnut Sorting Mathober-Inspired Activities for K-5th Grade Classrooms & Families Fall…
Moon Cake Coloring Activity
We’d love to see your completed coloring pages! Send us snapshots to info@thence.us to be featured on our socials or tag us on Linkedin or Instagram!
What to Read Aloud on World Mental Health Day “This Will Pass: A Story of Mindful Resilience”
“This Will Pass: A Story of Mindful Resilience” by J. Donnini helps parents take a new perspective on children’s fears and worries. Parents and teachers take note that this book…
Halloween Hunt for Shape Detectives!
Shape Detective: 3D Halloween Hunt – This Month™ 🔍 Shape Detective: 3D Halloween Hunt 🎃 Find the 3D shapes hiding in Halloween objects! 🎯 How to Play: Choose a 3D…
Can You Follow This Halloween Pattern? Interactive Game !
Link Up! Halloween Chain Patterns – This Month™ 🔗 Halloween Pattern Cards 🎃 Create spooky repeating patterns for October decorations! 🎨 How to Play: Tap the Halloween emoji cards (🎃…
Share a Moon Cake Fraction Game
Moon Cake Fraction Fun – This Month™ 🥮 Moon Cake Fraction Fun 🌕 Harvest Moon Festival Learning Activity 🏮 Did You Know? During the Harvest Moon Festival, families in China…
Recommended Math Story: “Luna and the Case of the Missing Mooncakes”
Can math stories be culturally on point, revelatory and fun? The answer is yes! And that’s why we’re recommending “Luna and the Case of the Missing Mooncakes” by Natasha Yim,…
Interactive Meteor Shower Vocabulary Cards!
Taurid Meteor Shower Taken in Joshua Tree California
Lesson Plan: Rolling into Fall with Ramp Physics
This lesson plan accompanies out slope and ball simulator available here. Use this lesson plan with the appropriate age group. Hint you can click the grade grouping button at the…
“Speed Down the Slope” Physics Game!
How to use: experiment with making the slope steeper and watch how it affects the speed of the ball. Try it with a real ball and a plank of wood.…
Color, Count & Learn with Animal Backpacks!
For preschoolers and kindergarteners, we’ve created an educational activity featuring one of their favorite things—cute backpacks! This coloring pack takes children on a journey through animal-themed backpacks, each paired with…
Rosh Hashanah Apple and Honey Garden GAME
This digital drag-and-drop activity invites learners to pair apples and honey while exploring the tradition of wishing for a sweet new year! As students drag, drop, and match apples with…
Create Handmade Cards for World Gratitude Day
Celebrate World Gratitude Day with a hands-on activity! Children can print and decorate cards with adorable designs, then make them extra special by writing their own heartfelt messages inside. Great…
Learn to Teach Paper Engineering!
Paper Engineering Techniques Paper Engineering Techniques Interactive Guide for K-8 Educators 📚 Welcome ▼ Welcome to the world of paper engineering! This interactive guide introduces five fundamental pop-up techniques that…
Interactive Card Craft
Complementing Pop-Up Cards, interactive cards also blend science, math, and art through everyday materials. This construction process challenges learners to apply precision engineering skills, from exact hole placement to smooth…
Play it! Learn it! The 1978 Space Invaders Game and The Arcade Revolution Lesson Plan!!!
Parents and kids can have fun playing a version of this early 1978 game, then extend the experience with the interactive lesson plan below! After playing the game you and…
Step-by-Step Long Division and Multiplication Grid
Tackle big numbers with confidence using our Long Division and Multiplication Grid one-pager. This simple, reusable tool gives students a clear way to see each step of long division and…
2 Ways to Practice Multiplication: Digital or DIY!
Math only gets more challenging as the year goes on, so the start of the school year is the perfect time for learners to refresh their multiplication skills. We’ve put…
Back-to-School with a Braille Slate & Name Card Craft
The start of a new school year is all about introductions, building connections, and creating a welcoming classroom community. With this Braille Slate & Name Card Craft, students design their…
DIY Nature Windsock Craft
As summer break winds down and the school year approaches, try this colorful DIY Windsock craft perfect for the last days of camp or a fun afternoon at home. Using…
Disability Pride Month: Build a Model Wheelchair and Learn about Accessibility
This Disability Pride Month let’s educate our learners about accessibility by exploring one way that technology can support people with a physical disability. In this hands-on activity, students can build…
Honor World Snake Day with STEAM, Crafting & Cultural Learning
It’s still the Year of the Snake according to the Chinese Zodiac, and there’s no better way to mark World Snake Day than by making your own snake puppet! Check…
Try PONG! The 1972 Game That Started It All!
To play PONG is to play with history! Try it below! If you are on a mobile device this version of Pong works best if you turn your phone sideways…
Imagine Contemporary US Iconic Imagery Video Project
This animated film from the 1975 by Vince Collins is a montage of imagery associated with patriotism, culture and iconic symbols in the United States. How might your students reimagine…
Independence Day Patriotic Wind Sock!
Patriotic Wind Socks Craft 🖨️ Print Guide ✨ Patriotic Wind Socks ✨ Create Beautiful Flying Decorations for Independence Day! ⭐ Easy – Perfect for K-6 Students 🛠️ Materials Needed 🥤…
Will Using AI Help or Harm Student Cognition or Metacognition? Test Your Learning Objective!
Educators can input a lesson’s learning objective to determine whether using AI is a supporting tool for the type of metacognition or cognition you want to see in your students.…
Sea Jellies Aquarium Visit Interactive!
Can you draw something that is practically transparent? This first activity is a scientific drawing adventure and investigation into Sea jelly locomotion and shape-shifting. Three age-appropriate interactive activities available below…
Who Am I? Interactive Rivers Riddles & Coloring Activity!
Play with the interactive below or hit the button to get the PDF printable for offline riddles and coloring for all ages including adults and elders who love to color…
Book Review: Jellyfish Scientist!
We really enjoyed reading and reviewing this book Jellyfish Scientist, Maude Delap and Her Mesmerizing Medusas, about a self-taught scientist who made a breakthrough to uncover the secrets of jellyfish.…
African American Music Month: Learn about Jazz Instruments and Legendary Musicians!
Use the interactive button “Start New Game” to play this little educational jazz instrument and legendary musicians matching game! Jazz Instrument Matching Game 🎷 Jazz Instrument Matching Game 🎺 Honoring…
Honoring Black Music & Caribbean American Heritage Months with STEAM Activities
This June, we’re educating about Black Music Month and Caribbean American Heritage Month with engaging STEAM activities that explore musical heritage. Start by exploring our K–6 lesson plan, featuring age-appropriate…
Juneteenth Interactive (age calibrated) Timeline
You know best what children in this age group may need to best understand the complex history of the United States, however, guides with specific language and lesson plans can…
Stay-Home Summer Camp Choose Your Adventure!!!
Sometimes a stay-at-home summer camp is the only answer to filling the summer weeks. Whether it’s due to busy and conflicting schedules, accommodating differing needs, naps, and diets, here’s a…
Parent’s Survival Guide to the Summer Months!
The weeks and month of summer can be long for parents scrambling to keep their little ones happily occupied, active, reading and ready for the school year ahead without relying…
Jelly Fish or Sea Jellies? Create your own Wiggly Sea Creature!
Should we call them Jellyfish or Sea jellies? The answer from scientists who study them is: absolutely do not call them Jellyfish!!! The are not fish at all! A more…
Loving Day: Celebrate Love, Law, and Civil Rights this June
This is a review of The Loving Story, a documentary covering the Loving v. Virginia case, that takes viewers on a journey of an interracial couple simply fighting for the…
Caribbean American Heritage Month Geography Quiz!
Take this quiz to test you geographical and cultural knowledge of the Caribbean! Extend your learning by requesting our custom lesson plans about the region. Caribbean Islands Geography Game Caribbean…
Mindfulness Coloring Pack! Download Here👇
Every heard of mindfulness coloring? These detailed, often whimsical coloring activities encourage a different kind of focus—one that gently grounds you in the present moment. For grown-ups it could be…
Meet the Active Volcanos and Match Them! Game & Coloring Activity Pack!
As we continue through Volcano Awareness Month, here’s another engaging STEAM activity to spark curiosity in your learners! Volcanoes are a fascinating and often under-taught subject, and this activity introduces…
BANG the WONDERS of EARTH’S PHENOMENA Book Review!
Check out this joint book review by THENCE Founder and her young daughter. Reading together builds mutual interests and allows for special bonding time. Keeping it going even after children…
Shield Volcano Diorama: Volcano Month Activity
In Washington State, May was designated as Volcano Awareness Month after the eruption of Mount St. Helens in 1980. The deadly eruption was a watershed moment for volcanic monitoring and public…
Book Review: Abuela’s Letter
During Mental Health Awareness Month This Month will be sharing weekly book reviews that address topics that may be difficult for children to go through or discuss. This week’s focus…
Teacher Appreciation Activity!
As we close out teacher appreciation week and approach the end of the school year, let’s take time to show our educators some love! And what better way to let…
Cinco de Mayo Coloring Pack!
A coloring activity pack with drawing pages for each stage of the story. Send us snapshots of your completed work and we shall feature it! info@thence.us
Easter Egg Activities! Coloring & Egg Dyeing with Hidden Math Fun!
The Math fun by counting and coloring each festive item in the coloring sheets below. Expect to find eggs, bunnies, birds and more! For a more hands-on (and edible) activity,…
The Seder Plate for Passover Coloring Craft
It’s Passover, a time when Jewish families host or join a Seder dinner. We found a great source for families with young children: PJ Library offers a guide for parents…
School Library Month
Let’s honor National Library Week through book reviews! Watch below for a review of The Library Mouse, written and illustrated by Daniel Kirk. Dr. Katherine Schlatter, THENCE Founder, CEO, and…
A Day with No Words – Book Review
As we close out World Autism and Neurodiversity Awareness Month, Editor of This Month, Helina Seyoum, reviews one of her favorite illustrated children’s storybooks. Enjoy the book with your learners…
“MC Grammar” a British Rapper Who Believes Reading Matters…
Because it’s April and it’s also National Library Week what could be more fun than Celebrating in the Wonderful City of Oxford, England. This Month is at the World Literacy…
World Autism Awareness Day
In honor of World Autism Awareness Day and to kick off World Autism Month, we’d like to share a collaborative craft that you can do with your learners. This craft…
It’s Cherry Blossom Season in Washington DC, coloring activity, math problem and more!
The cherry blossom is the flower of trees in Prunus subgenus Cerasus. The Japanese word “Sakura” 桜 or 櫻; さくら or サクラ translates to both the tree or its flowers.…
“Blessed Pomegranates” Book Review to Crafts for Ramadan
This craft was inspired by by The Blessed Pomegranates: A Ramadan Story About Giving. Why not create your own “Giving Tree” filled with leaves of gratitude and pomegranate seeds of…
Move over St. Patrick! There’s competition!
In the United States many people mark St. Patrick’s Day with celebrations of Irish culture, parades and festivities requiring a lot of green costumes. So it may come as a…
Make a Word Portrait this Women’s History Month!
Students can identify any historical or contemporary woman they would like to study. She doesn’t have to be someone famous. She could be also a mom, grandma, aunt, teacher or…
Women’s History Month: Spotlighting Haben Girma
Haben Girma is a remarkable history-making woman whose work was born from the inaccessibility she had encountered throughout her life. Her extensive accolades and credentials include being the first Deafblind…
International Women’s Day
In 1977, the UN General Assembly invited their member states to recognize a day dedicated to Women’s Rights and International Peace by proposing the 8th of March which aligned with Italy’s honor day…
Moon and Star Mobile
Whether you observe or educate about the meaning and values around Ramadan, our team has created this wonderful craft to share with your classroom or home schooled children. Many thanks…
Carnival in New Orleans
The Carnival season in New Orleans, Louisiana starts on January 6 and culminates in a holiday called Mardi Gras that falls on the day before the Catholic holiday of Ash…
Carnival in Brazil
Similar to Carnival in New Orleans and Venice, Brazil’s celebrations also occur in the days leading up to Lent. And for many, when we think of Carnival, Rio de Janeiro…
Carnival Around the World
Did you know Carnival is celebrated in many regions, cities, and countries around the world? The origins of this celebration are blended and each place has its own unique expressions…
Love, Law, and Civil Rights this Valentine’s Day
In addition to classroom crafts and chocolate exchanges, Valentine’s Day provides a unique opportunity to discuss love in the context of Black History. There’s a chance to revisit it too…
Lantern Craft Completing Lunar New Year Education
Watch the full video below👇 Festival and tradition: On the fifteenth day of the first month in the lunisolar Chinese calendar, a lantern festival, marks the full moon, and the…
Lunar New Year 2025: The Year of the Snake
THENCE illustrator extraordinaire, Nikita Lai Jing Tse has created this timely craft to connect students to the cultural significance of the Lunar New Year, and this year’s zodiac animal: The…
Holiday Wellness: The webzine that supports families during the weeks and months of school holidays
In late 2023, THENCE launched a Webzine specifically designed to help families particularly with younger children think about activities and avoid moments of stress during the school winter break. This…
Indigenous Peoples’ Day
Interested in the meaning and origins of Indigenous Peoples’ Day? We share this video of Deb Haaland and Rodney A. Butler speaking on Indigenous People’s Day in 2019. We include…
The High Holy Days in the Jewish Calendar October 2024
New Jersey Public Schools recognize many days in the month of October, and you can see the List of Religious Holidays Permitting Pupil Absence From School here however, the high…
September is for Celebrating Literacy!
This year International Literacy Day fell on a Sunday, and we celebrated at home with… you guessed it… books! International Literacy Day is important to me because I think about…
What is Applied Theatre?
This article was originally written by Krysta Dennis for Libretexts and is republished here. The term “applied theatre” became popular in the United Kingdom in the 1990s to describe theatre…
Honoring Disability Book Week
ID: Black mother and daughter sitting side by side. Audiologist is fitting child with a hearing aid. This year I am honoring Disability Book Week with several book reviews. My…
Why not ask a parent?
Are you in the market for more children’s books that carry meaningful stories and introduce the children in your care to new concepts, ideas, people and situations that make them…
SABAR Books celebrates Deaf History Month!
Drumroll please! Dive into this great book review with a recommendations that centers Deaf identity as it intersects with women’s history, music and performance art.
A conversation about Deaf History Month
Two of our wonderful THENCE collaborators have deep personal ties to the Deaf and hard of hearing community and so we led a conversation about topics important to them this…
SABAR Books: Let’s talk book curation this Women’s History Month
Let’s discuss book curation, classroom pedagogy, and children’s literature from some of the most amazing women voices this Women’s History Month. Here we highlight amazing female scholars, Louise Derman-Sparks, Rudine…
Let’s talk about stereotypes and how to spot them in children’s books
One of the first things that Louise Derman-Sparks asked library curators to watch out for is books containing stereotypes which are unfair mischaracterizations and generalizations about a group. These two…
What is tokenism? The surprising prevalence in children’s books and media
Look closely at popular contemporary media, cartoons and many made for TV shows for our youngest viewers. Have you noticed that many shows feature four to six young heroes, all…
Invisibility: Who’s missing from the classroom library?
Recognizing invisibility is just as important as spotting stereotypes in children’s books. Here’s how to take a lens to what, or who is not represented in you classroom library.
Acknowledgment, wishes as we enter the holy month of Ramadan
On Monday March 11th, 2024 the month-long spiritual period of Ramadan began, and with it routines of fasting from dawn to dusk for Muslims who observe. In the school setting…
From Black History to Living HER-Story
Today I want to recognize and celebrate Andrea Patterson, Actor, Entrepreneur, Teaching Artist, and Mom of three amazing young daughters! On this last day of Black History Month we highlight…
What are you doing this LEAP year?
As we enjoy this bonus day of black history month, we are also intersecting and amplifying Her-story. Check out this amazing family activity brought to us by Partner company Afrocentric…
The Culture Tree: How might we explore it’s meaning
THENCE Collaborator and founder of Afrocentric Montessori, Ashley Causey-Golden, introduces us to the concept of “The Culture Tree”, a concept put forward by pedagogical expert and educator Zaretta Hammond. This…
Expanding the Culture Tree Metaphor
The THENCE Team recommends the book “Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain: Promoting Authentic Engagement and Rigor Among Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students” . The author, Zaretta Hammond, offers trainings…
What is the Culture Tree?
The THENCE Team recommends the book “Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain: Promoting Authentic Engagement and Rigor Among Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students” by Zaretta Hammond. In this book Hammond…
An redefined Valentine; Building community within community
At THENCE we think a lot about ways to shift the paradigm. Whether it’s through, expanding the lessons of Dr. King, or exploring school belonging within diverse communities. So this…
The Lunar New Year: Spring as a Symbol of Renewal & Growth 🌸
Featured maker: We present this craft video tutorial by THENCE Team member Nikita Lai Jing Tse. She styled, directed and filmed the making of this 3-Dimensional character for the Chinese…
What am I going to teach about Black History this month and every month?
Our social media feeds are filled with recommended lists and materials for Black History month, and had planning not begun sooner, many educators may feel that there is no time…
The How of “Identity Development” during Black History Month
“Many times we read or hear an amazing idea or strategy to use in the classroom but the lingering question becomes: How do I use this in my classroom?” -Ashley…
What to know about “Discovering and Uncovering Genius” especially during Black History month
In her recent post on THENCE.us, contributor Ashley Causey-Golden, not only introduced us to Dr. Gholdy Muhammad’s Book “Cultivating Genius: An Equity Framework for Culturally and Historically Responsive Literacy“, she…
From the reflective to the personal: Remembering and contextualizing our own narratives this BHM
Reading about Dr. Gholdy Muhammad’s pedagogies is beneficial in making our teaching practices more reflective. This is because Dr. Muhammad offers a specific framework with key questions through her Historically…
Activity: Making a box as a metacognitive exercise
Classroom activities that engage children in craftsmanship and analytical skills can stretch and expand learning beyond simple cognition into the realm of reflective thinking, or metacognition. This is especially true…
Asking Children who was Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
I like to start learners this question “who was Dr. Martin Luther King?