The Chalk Blog

When the first Earth Day was celebrated in 1970: 

• 10% of the U.S. population took to the streets to mobilize and protest “environmental ignorance.” 
• the environmental movement was launched, resulting in the Clean Water Act, the Clean Air Act, and the Endangered Species Act 

Now, at the age of 50, the Earth Day Planning Committee is preparing for campaigns that “will activate over a billion people” worldwide.  

There’s never been a more dire reason to participate. Evidence of climate changes are evident around the world. The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists recently stated that their Doomsday Clock, which has assessed threats to humanity and the planet since 1947, is closer to the end (their version of apocalypse) than ever. Species continue to go extinct rapidly, and changes in weather  (which affects everything else) are alarming. 

Using Instagram for Mother's Day Craft Inspiration

It’s a Mother’s Day tradition for students to create something crafty to celebrate their moms. From the traditional-tried-and-true projects that use pasta or popsicle sticks to the mason jar indoor herb garden trendy, we’ve got you covered!

St. Patrick's Day Celebrating & Learning

149 million people.

That’s how many celebrated St. Patrick’s Day in 2018 according to statistics from CNN.

If wearing green, instigating shenanigans and being Irish for the day means St. Patrick’s Day to you, you are not alone.

For those of us surviving living in the Bold North, St. Patrick’s Day becomes our beacon of hope. The celebration of St. Patrick’s Day means we are halfway through March and that much closer to spring.

Celebrations enrich our lives. They spark joy, teach gratitude, and can be used to create a sense of community in our classrooms.

In this short (and sweet) video, we get a glimpse of how Ms. Laurance creates a sense of community with her students:

In addition, this blog explains four strategies teachers can enlist to ensure a sense of community is established for students:

1. Having Morning Meetings
2. Establishing rules together
3. Greeting each student as they enter the room
4. Focusing on relationships from day one

Although these four strategies are right on the mark, we would like to suggest a fifth strategy for the list: Celebrations!

How is Your Class Celebrating?

We know it’s irrational, this never ending and constant love of pi(e).

Fortunately, there are plenty of other pi(e) lovers to unite with, and hundreds of ideas to be found to celebrate 3.14159265358979 – and pie.  

(And Albert Einstein, whose birthday auspiciously falls on this day.) 

For our part, Learners Edge will be enjoying a few different kinds of the tasty kind of pie. Check out the list below for some great ideas to celebrate pi(e) in your school or classroom! 

Get your class ready for February 1st!

What if there were a panacea for all that was broken in the world?

There’s one solution that could better our lives, advance our civilization, inspire innovation, and build bridges within our society. World Read-Aloud Day is a gigantic step in that direction.

We can overcome our divisions in a world that is more connected than ever by reading about one another, cultures, and philosophies unlike our own. The information is there. We just need to consume it! There are many layers to this, but truthfully, it can all start with reading.

Allow us to convince you!

Q: What is Samhainophobia?

Halloween comes with its own challenges and can cause educators STRESS! Harvest party planning. No time to bake your favorite pumpkin bars. Do we celebrate Halloween or don’t we? Organizing parent volunteers. Taking your own children Trick or Treating. Extremely hyper students one day, overly tired students the next. UGH!

But never fear, Learners Edge is here! We’ve developed this fun trivia game just for you.