Text reads" Canadian Money games for kids"

No-Prep Canadian Money Games for Kids

March 16, 2021

Financial literacy is an absolutely fundamental math skill, so it’s so important to give students time to practice working with money all year long. One of my favourite ways to get some quick Canadian money practice in is with slap games. Slap games are probably the Canadian money teaching resources that I use most frequently. They’re a great way to practice concepts when you have a few spare minutes in your day. They’re also so easy to play – all you need is a projector and you’re ready to go! I also love that there is no set-up or clean-up required. I don’t know about you, but I find a counter or two on the floor every time we pull out our laminated math games!

When it comes to Canadian financial literacy, there are three kinds of slap games I play with my students and each one is for a different skill…

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Text reads: my top 3 children's books with biracial characters

Children’s Books with Biracial Characters

March 8, 2021

Since I’ve started teaching, I’ve been on the hunt for good books featuring mixed-race characters. Finding children’s books with biracial characters is even more difficult. Based on purely anecdotal evidence, it seems easier to find books featuring biracial characters with one Black and one white parent than mixed-race kids from other racial backgrounds. I’ll have to make a longer list of books with mixed-race protagonists later, but for now I just want to share three that I really wish I had access to as a kid. It’s probably no coincidence that all three protagonists are half-Asian and half-white like me.

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Text reads: The importance of diverse books for kids. Below, an Asian girl in sunglasses sips a pink drink in a forest.

The Power of Chloe Cho: The Importance of Diverse Books for Kids

February 23, 2021

A few years ago, I read Mike Jung’s Unidentified Suburban Object to my fifth-grade class for the first time. As always, I introduced the protagonist before I began. Her name is Chloe Cho, so I wrote that on the board. One of my students, who shared her last name, shoved his hand up in the air and asked why his name was on the board. “Because that’s the character’s last name,” I said…

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Top reads: Canadian money worksheets. There are three photos of Canadian money math worksheets below. Two are math stories and one is a rounding Canadian money coins.

Canadian Money Worksheets for Grade 5

February 13, 2021

I love, love, love when I can situate my math lessons in real-world contexts. Teaching financial literacy is such a great way to make math tangible and engaging. If you feel the same way and are looking for some fun Canadian money worksheets for kids, you’re in the right place! These Canadian money math worksheets will help students learn to count money, make change, and round amounts to the nearest coin or bill!

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Black History Month Freebie - black and white picture of the Colored Hockey League in the background

Black History Month FREEBIE!

February 7, 2021

February is Black History Month in Canada and the US, and I’ve got a free article with questions for you English and/or Social Studies teachers! The Colored Hockey League was founded in 1895. They were a huge hit in Nova Scotia, but they’re virtually non-existent in our history books. What caused their untimely demise?

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11 Things New Teachers Actually Need for their classrooms

11 Things New Teachers Actually Need for Their Classrooms

January 15, 2021

There are so many things you could spend your money on when setting up your first classroom. I know that I bought things when I first started teaching that I never ended up using… and there were things I wish I’d bought earlier to save myself so much time! Here are eleven things I feel were actually worth my money.

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5 ways to teach basic multiplication

5 Ways to Teach Basic Multiplication: A Multiplication How-to Guide

December 27, 2020

Before students start memorizing their multiplication facts, they need to understand how multiplication works. Math based on pure memorization will only get you so far! Here are five different ways you can introduce single-digit multiplication to your students. Even young students can engage with these math strategies and there is so much potential for making math visual, integrating music and the outdoors, and engaging in hands-on learning!

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Teaching Puberty: A Social Justice Approach

December 21, 2020

When I teach about puberty, I want all my students to understand that there is nothing to be ashamed of when it comes to how their bodies and their classmates’ bodies work. I especially want to push back against the stigma around discussing menstruation. The way I see it, puberty education and social justice are inextricably linked. This is what I do to bring in social justice perspectives when I teach my fifth-grade students about puberty!

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Hi, I'm Larissa!

I’m a grade five teacher in beautiful B.C. I love teaching fifth graders because they’re old enough to have big conversations but still eager to have fun and use their imaginations. In the classroom, I love talking about social justice, engaging in hands-on math, and sharing great books. At home, you can probably find me creating resources for teachers, reading in a chair by the window, or buying more books. 

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