Tara Blair 
| By Gale Staff | The American Civil War is a tragic chapter of our country’s history. Beginning on April 12, 1861, and ending nearly four years later in 1865, the Civil War claimed the lives of more than half a million Americans. More Americans died in the Civil War than in World War I … Read more
A Pew Research study found that 61% of people under 40 have an immediate family member who currently serves or has served in the military. Of those, 1.6 million children have a parent who is either an active duty serviceperson or in a reserve unit. Yet, many elementary students don’t understand why the last Monday … Read more
| By Gale Staff | When Ridley Scott’s sci-fi horror Alien hit theaters in 1979, audiences were horrified by the dripping maws and reproductive process of the Xenomorph. However, the depiction of Ash, an android loyal to the Wayland-Yutani Corporation at the expense of the rest of the crew, truly sent a shiver down our … Read more
| By Gale Staff | Falling on April 1 each year, April Fools’ Day is a playful occasion for harmless pranks and hijinks. Elementary educators no doubt have a little something up their sleeves already, but why not build a themed lesson plan around the holiday as well? April Fools’ Day is celebrated worldwide, with … Read more
| By Gale Staff | It can be particularly tough to be an educator between winter and spring break. Students are restless, the days are still bitterly cold, and there are far too few hours of sunshine, leaving everyone with a shortage of vitamin D and in serious need of some positive vibes. Teachers set … Read more
| By Gale Staff | As the tail end of winter drags on, with its chilly, gray days making everyone a bit stir-crazy, we’re all looking forward to the arrival of spring—and, with it, National Reading Month. This celebration of literacy is just what students need to shake off the winter gloom and spark their … Read more
| By Gale Staff | From muggy, late summer days to crisp, Friday night football games, the changing seasons serve as a backdrop to the passage of our school year. Of course, stark seasonal changes vary depending on where you live, but with spring on the horizon, elementary school teachers can build seasonal topics into … Read more
| By Gale Staff | Environmentalism is important to today’s university students. For some, campus sustainability initiatives factor into their overall enrollment decisions, and there’s been a significant increase in the number of environmental studies degrees awarded in the past few years. However, the sustainability field often highlights the same key figures, such as Rachel … Read more
| By Gale Staff | You have to have a particular kind of passion to be an ELA teacher. One that compels you to dig deep past the words on the page to find the soul of the story—the era in which it was penned, the societal norms that the author faced, and the personal … Read more
| By Gale Staff | It can be nerve-wracking to invite high schoolers to engage in discourse about controversial topics. You run the risk of sparking what Lee Warren of Harvard University’s Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning calls “hot moments.” However, it’s our job as educators to ensure that our classrooms are safe … Read more