Creative Solutions

The best way to motivate students to learn social studies is to make history their story. How do you do this? You involve students in the lessons in a way that is interactive and fun. No worksheets will be thrust at students to fill out in the name of Common Core. No fill in the blank tests or needless vocabulary cards will be pushed in this unit. No graphic organizers will be filled out. T-charts go in the trash. Let's reinvigorate your classroom. Let's are that you can now begin t

Start a talent show at your school. Included in this download are all the documents you can edit to, within minutes, create a talent show. These documents have been used and tweaked for the last 10 years to provide the optimal set of requirements for a smooth talent show that even the most skeptical principal will agree to. Included documents are: the sign up form, a rubric for the judges to initially bring the total amount of acts down to 25, the "congratulations" letter for those students w

Tired of boring worksheets that aren’t worth the paper they are printed on? How about a STEM project that is stimulating and applicable to the electricity lessons you are already teaching? Use this lesson plan to beef up your existing lessons, introduce electricity, or as a culminating activity. This activity is a one-day project that will guide your students to discussion and knowledge far beyond the lesson. I’ve used this project for 17 years and it has never come up short. Students will c

Silver Rush Day is an interactive day that involves students dressing up like silver miners. The day includes an authentic food station found at the General Merchandise Store, a jail, two mining areas, and a Saloon-gambling area. Students will be overjoyed to participate in this highly kinesthetic day of events. This whole day may cost the average teacher $10 to put on as parents will supply the lion share of materials. With a keen, step-by-step method listed in this interactive

There are times when a good old fashioned research report is needed to culminate a unit of study. Or, a research report can be used to promote the use of the internet to glean information while teaching students to put other people’s thoughts into their own words. At a time when Common Core dictates the path a teacher will take, nothing quite meets the standards for research quite like digging into information and finding what is valuable and of interest to your students, and what inf

“Long Multiplication Made Easy” is a systematic approach to introducing 2 digit by 2 digit multiplication. It is designed to use a step by step process that is predictable and effective. This system should be used as the first three lessons on long multiplication. Admittedly, Common Core has changed the way teachers do math. It seems that the algorithm is buried in a distributive property mud pit. Yet, at the end of the day, it may be the algorithm that makes more sense to your students.

This math resource is a tool that will help students learn how to do long division. For tactile learners, those with ADD and ADHD, they will find more success in division than ever before. Check out my preview for more information. The "Division Checklist" is a document sure to revolutionize the way you teach division. It will revolutionize the way students learn division. Its simplicity is the greatest strength. Tired of graphic organizers that are busy and confusing. Not so with the "Divi

Have you ever wanted to beef up your curriculum without using worksheets or books? Purchase "The Living History of Father Serra, Founder of the California Missions." This PDF document gives the instructions on its use and a valuable script to use when acting like your favorite padre, Father Serra himself. With a quick costume change and 10 minutes of preparation, you will transform your classroom or MPR into a 45 minute interactive experience that will captivate your listeners and catapu

The “Sunday School Lesson Planning Template” is a valuable tool to effectively plan out your next Bible lesson. What this lesson will do for the purchaser of this tool, is it will provide one with the template to organize materials and ideas to present a lesson that is well thought out and well-focused. You would be hard pressed to fail at presenting the material if you take the time to do the planning up front. There is nothing magical about this template, but as they say, “If you fail to pl

Want a great way to add some pizazz to your geography unit? Consider a California Regions Map. This map can be made of simple materials, but will have a dramatic impact on your student’s desire to learn and the overall feel of your classroom. Admittedly, this project has been done in many different ways. I am simply offering my spin on an ordinary project done in 3rd and 4th grade. Do you have Open House or Back to School Night anxiety? Well stop pacing around and wringing your hands. Try

The Gold Rush Review Game is a game that draws students in to review key concepts you teach in regard to your Gold Rush Unit. This game will immerse students in claiming mines that will yield gold the following morning. (See the preview for a picture of the game board.) Using fake gold you create, the students will "mine for gold" daily as you review with them key facts that they should know as "common knowledge." Students will be divided into four mining camps that will compete thro

Homework Tracker For those who love to use homework packets, consider purchasing the Homework Tracker. This editable document will allow you to give homework to your students each week with a predictable first page that provides parents with regular communication and the predictability of your homework cycle. Students crave predictability and so do their parents. I have used this tracker for many years. You can literally spend under 5 minutes per week tweaking this document to make professio

The “Bible Lesson Organizer” is designed to facilitate a comprehensive understanding of the Bible lesson, story, or Bible truth you are trying to teach. After many years teaching Sunday School, and as an Elementary School Teacher, I have designed this fully customizable worksheet as a tool that will not only help students comprehend the lesson you are teaching, but also keep them engaged in the process. Because you can make changes to the Word document, you are able to make it match the learni

Have students design their own circuit using hardware found at your local big box hardware store. This STEM activity will engage even the most reluctant learner. With a few supplies laid out for students to explore, learning will take place. Check out the preview to see what this lesson is all about. No worksheets to fill out. No boring textbook to read. Just “electrifying fun.” (Pun intended)

At Creative Solutions, you will find out of the box types of activities. "Gold Rush Project" is a matrix of projects students can create to further their understanding of the California Gold Rush of 1849. Point values are associated with the complexity of the project. keywords: California, gold rush, hands-on, unit, activity, 4th grade

Design your own Homework Packet Cover Sheet with this fully customizable Word document. Check out the preview to see the one page document that you can make your own. Regardless of your grade level, you can design your own page within minutes. Note: This is a one page document even though it shows as two pages on preview.

Tired of dull and lifeless worksheets? Try the “Conjunction Challenge.” This hands on, highly motivating, and effective lesson on common conjunctions will leave your students with a smile on their faces and the content embedded in their minds. With a few copies of the signs provided in this lesson, you are half way through the prep. This 30-40 minute lesson plan will give you all that you need to knock this lesson out of the park. New teachers… consider how you will shine for that upcoming

Tired of boring worksheets so overused and printed so often they have lost clarity and the respect of your students? You know the master you have that is so tattered and torn, that it won’t even go through the top loader of your copier. This is not another worksheet. The Fact and Opinion Challenge is an introduction into fact and opinion that is sure to wow the most skeptical student, parent, and principal. Stop boring your kids with pathetic fill in the blank busy work. Use this system to e