Teaching Strategies, Tactics, and Methods

ESL stands for English as a Second Language and refers to non-native speakers of English in countries where English might be less familiar. It means people who learn English as a secondary language to their own.

Students worldwide study English as a Second Language, from Japan to Spain. In addition, teachers from English-speaking countries such as the UK, the USA, and Australia often travel abroad to teach English. Countries such as Vietnam, Spain, China, South Korea, Japan, and the UAE are popular locations for ESL teachers.

ESL is taught as a subject in many schools with students who have a different native language. ESL teachers will help students speak, read, write, and listen.

ESL teachers can be ‘native language speakers,’ who often move abroad to teach English, or local teachers who are fluent in English. In many countries, ESL is a public subject but is commonly taught in private institutions, international schools, and after-school academies by private tutors and online learning platforms.

In practice, ESL education can happen in many different settings. For example, some students learn English by talking to friends, playing video games, or even on the radio.

Why do students study ESL?

Learning a second language is never a bad idea. English is widely spoken, with around 20% of the world saying it, so if you’re visiting England, the United States of America, Australia, or anywhere, it will come in handy.

As some of these English-speaking countries are so influential on media and how things are done, it’s a pretty good language to learn. So not only is it useful for holidays and watching movies, but learning English can open up many student life opportunities.

Learning ESL English as a second language can open up work opportunities worldwide. It’s seen as “the language of business,” so knowing English is essential for working internationally. In addition, many international companies expect people to be fluent in English to work there.

How is ESL taught in the classroom?

ESL is taught as a language subject to encourage students to be able to communicate with people from all around the world. Therefore, students can express themselves in English and speak and write in this second language.

ESL classes will focus on vocabulary and grammar in spoken and written forms, as well as pronunciation and intonation.

In modern-day classrooms, there is more emphasis on ‘real-life’ language and the kinds of phrases we use in different situations, from meeting friends to writing formal letters.

ESL students can learn in various ways, whether through discussing current events or by increasing their vocabulary in topics that interest them, such as animals, food, or the human body.

What’s the difference between ESL, EFL, and EAL?

While ESL stands for English as a Second Language, this is often used interchangeably with EFL, which stands for English as a Foreign Language. This is because ESL refers to students learning English as a second language after their native language. In contrast, EFL relates to students learning English in a country that does not have English as a first language.

EAL stands for English as an Additional Language. It’s usually used to describe English being taught to a non-native speaker in a country where English is the first language.

The difference between ESL and EFL, EAL is that ESL students usually will be taught English only in their ESL lessons, whereas an EAL student will be hearing and need to use English across all subjects. As a result, ESL and EFL students will have less exposure to an English daily, making it more challenging to practice and pick up new words and expressions.

1. Mammals feed their young milk.

All mammals give birth to babies, then feed on their mother’s milk. They don’t all give birth in the same way, though; they can be divided into two categories:

• Prototheria – these mammals lay eggs and incubate them until they are ready to hatch. There are only two species of mammals on Earth that lay eggs. They are the platypus and the echidna.
• Theria – these mammals carry their young in their womb until they are ready to give birth. Mammals such as koalas and kangaroos are called ‘marsupials’ because their young must be carried in a pouch after delivery to finish growing. However, 95% of mammals, including humans, cows, and bears, are ‘Eutheria’ because once they have given birth, their young doesn’t have to stay in a pouch and receive further nourishment.

2. Mammals give their young survival skills.

Mammals are brilliant at giving their young training and protection. Unlike lizards and snakes, who abandon their eggs as soon as they have been laid, mammals stick around, help their young survive, and learn how to find food and shelter.

A great example of this is one of the most cooperative mammals on earth – the meerkat. They teach their young how to protect themselves from being injured by their primary food source, scorpions. The parents will first bring their young a dead scorpion to show them how to eat it, then an injured one, and then an alive one, so they can learn the best technique to eat it while dodging the deadly tail!

3. They can be furry or hairy.

Mammals either have hair or fur. Even mammals you wouldn’t expect to have, such as whales, have some form of skin when they are born.

4. They regulate their body temperature.

Mammals are warm-blooded animals. It doesn’t matter if it is snowing or bright and warm; their body temperature will stay almost the same.

Warm-blooded animals can remain active in colder climates for longer than cold-blooded animals, but they have to burn more energy to stay warm. This means finding more food to eat!

Reptiles are cold-blooded animals; their source of heat energy is the sun. This means that even though they don’t require as much food to stay alive as mammals, they struggle to survive when they are out of the sun.

5. Mammals have big brains!

Mammals’ brains are more developed than most other animals, meaning their brains are much more signs a result, species. Species such as chimpanzees, dolphins, and humans are among the most intelligent animals.

6. They move on four limbs.

Nearly all mammals are classed as ‘tetrapods.’ This means that they move around on or have four limbs. Of course, humans no longer have to use all four of our limbs to walk, but if you think about a baby crawling, you can see how they learn to use fewer limbs as they get older.

What about dolphins and whales? Well, it is believed that they once had four limbs but lost their hind legs through the process of evolution because they didn’t need them.

7. There are thousands of different species of mammals.

There are somewhere between 5,000 and 6,000 different species of mammals on Earth. Some of the most common include cows, pigs, and rats. There are now a massive 7.8 billion humans in the world!

8. The biggest mammal lives in the sea.

The biggest mammal in the world is the blue whale. At it’s very heaviest, it weighs an incredible 160,000 kilograms. It’s also the loudest mammal on Earth; its call can be as loud as a bomb going off, reaching 188 decibels!

9. The smallest mammal will surprise you!

The very smallest mammal in the world is called the bumblebee bat, which weighs just 2 grams – like two skittles! They live in Thailand and Myanmar, but scientists have put them on an endangered species list as they are slowly dying out due to humans disrupting their habitat.

10. Mammals don’t have identical diets.

If a mammal only eats meat, like a tiger, they are called a ‘carnivore.’ They are called herbivores if their diet consists only of plants, like donkeys and camels. Mammals that like to eat a varied diet of meat and plant, like lots of humans choose to, are named omnivores.

10. Some mammals don’t even have teeth!

Mammals’ bodies have adapted to the needs of their environment, including what they eat. For example, the anteater and the Baleen whale species have given up on teeth altogether. Instead, their food source is insects and plankton – neither of which require much chewing.

On land, the mammal with the most teeth is the giant armadillo; they can have up to 100 teeth. In the ocean, the Spinner Dolphin has up to 252 in its jaws.

The only mammals with cavities in their teeth are humans, bears, and domesticated pets. It’s believed that this is because there is too much sugar in our diets – think about the bear that eats honey all day!

11. Mammals lived alongside dinosaurs.

The first kind of mammal was tiny, shrew-sized creatures humans named the ‘morganucodontids.’ Their size meant they could avoid the attention of the carnivorous dinosaurs, and it is believed that every mammal on Earth today descends from the surviving line of this mammal.

Mammals had to live safely in the shadows until the dinosaurs were extinct. Then, with the vast dominating animals gone, mammals could use as many of the Earth’s resources as they wanted and began to evolve into different species.

12. Only one mammal can fly.

Bats are the only mammal that can fly. Even though birds are warm-blooded like mammals, they belong to a group of animals called ‘aves.’ ‘Aves’ are characterized as warm-blooded vertebrates with toothless beaks, feathers and lay eggs.

13. Mammals stay in the womb for different periods.

When a mammal is pregnant with its young, it is called the ‘gestation period.’ All mammals have different lengths of gestation periods depending on the need of their species. For example, you may know the human gestation period is, on average, 40 weeks, but some mammals are pregnant much longer!

The elephant keeps its baby growing inside them for a massive 22 months – over double the time of humans.

Alternatively, the Virginian opossum is pregnant for just 12 days!

14. Shrews eat a lot!

Shrews have so little body fat they have to eat every two hours to stay alive.

15. Polar bears are black.

Can your child picture a polar bear? We see a white animal, but its hair is colorless and hollow. The sun reflects from the hair allowing them a degree of camouflage in their habitat. Their skin is black!

Jack and the Beanstalk is one of the most famous folktales ever told. It is a traditional tale that children have said at bedtime for generations.

Initially, it was an English fairy tale. The basis of the story might be more than millennia old! In 1734, the level of Jack and the Beanstalk appeared in print as “The Story of Jack Spriggins and the Enchanted Bean.” Eventually, though, people realized that it was a bit of a long name, and they trimmed it down.

What happens in Jack and the Beanstalk? Plot summary

You might already have a good idea of what happens in Jack and the Beanstalk. After all, it is quite a familiar story – you might have heard it at bedtime or school. There are a few versions of the story with some variations. Jack and the Beanstalk is also a pantomime favorite, so you might get a chance to see it performed one day.

Jack and the Beanstalk summary

Jack and his mother are very poor. Apart from their cottage, all they own is a cow.

One day, Jack’s mum tells him that he has to sell the cow because they have run out of money. However, she reminds Jack that he must get a fair amount of money in exchange for the cow.

However, on the way to the market, Jack bumps into an older man. The old man says he will give Jack some ‘magic beans’ in exchange for the cow. Jack thinks this sounds like a good deal, so he takes the beans and provides the man with the cow.

As you can imagine, his mum was displeased. She throws the beans out the window and goes to bed in a huff.

But these are magic beans. Overnight, a giant beanstalk grows in their garden. When Jack wakes up, he decides to climb the beanstalk.

It takes a long time, but Jack makes it up the beanstalk, through the clouds, and into the sky. At the top, he finds a gigantic castle. It is the home of a giant.

He hears the giant singing a creepy song:

“Fee-fi-fo-fum, I smell the blood of an Englishman!
Be he alive or dead; I’ll grind his bones to make my bread.”

Wisely, Jack decides to hide until the giant goes back to sleep. Then, when the coast is clear, Jack steals some gold coins and climbs back to his mother. She is, understandably, a bit gobsmacked.

Jack climbs the beanstalk two more times to steal from the giant. Some of his nicked goodies include a goose that lays golden eggs and a magical harp.

One day, Jack’s luck runs out. The giant hears him and begins to chase him.

Jack manages to get to the bottom of the beanstalk first. He shouts to his mum for an axe. Jack chops down the beanstalk. The giant falls out of the sky and dies.

For Jack and his mum, there is a happy ending. They still have coins and a supply of gold eggs from the magic goose.

So there you are, your Jack and the Beanstalk summary!

What is the setting of Jack and the Beanstalk?

There are several answers to the question, “what are the Jack and the Beanstalk summary?” This is along with “what is the setting of Jack and the Beanstalk?” One answer is that there is no natural setting – the story takes place in your imagination or wherever you happen to hear it.

You could also say that the setting is the market or the castle at the top of the beanstalk. The story has been told so many times throughout history that many different locations would make sense. One set could be the stage since the story is performed as a popular pantomime.

What do you think? What are the honest Jack and the Beanstalk summary and setting?

Moral lesson of Jack and the Beanstalk

Jack and the Beanstalk might have a moral lesson, but finding it isn’t straightforward. Jack does lots of naughty things, which no one should do. These include disobeying his mother when she gives him sensible instructions, stealing, and killing a giant.

However, some versions of the story say that the giant had killed Jack’s father. They also say that the giant’s harp and golden goose were stolen. In that case, the moral lesson of Jack and the Beanstalk is that Jack does something terrible to punish the giant.

However, that still isn’t a perfect moral lesson. It might be better to think of the story as telling people to make the most of opportunities, even though they are unexpected. You could also think of it as teaching people to believe in magic because amazing things can happen when we least expect them.

So, another Jack and the Beanstalk summary of morals would be about taking advantage of life’s opportunities. Jack is taking a massive risk when he exchanges the cow for the beans. Their only source of income was the cow, which would have fed the whole family for some time. However, he is courageous in his choices and is willing to take a chance – and believes in a spot of magic!

This could be an excellent topic to teach children about alongside your Jack and the Beanstalk pictures. Learning to take risks with young children helps them build their independence and ownership skills. Risky play helps them learn valuable life skills and move beyond their limits. This then provides room for further learning opportunities for them.

Taking risks in a safe environment builds confidence and helps youngsters to form resilience by bouncing back when those ‘risks’ do not turn out as they’d hoped.

Children who are risk-takers are usually more likely to believe in themselves and think positively about their decision-making skills.

Another moral symbol revolves around good versus evil. Jack is supposed to symbolize good, and the giant, evil. Good conquers evil when Jack rids the world of the giant.

1. Earth’s Movement Rotation and Revolution Game

Time: 5-10 minutes

Materials: Pencil, printer

Have your students take this sheet around the classroom, find a classmate who can answer one question on the page, and swap papers with this person. They will each answer a question on each other’s sheet and write their name in the box. Have them try to find a different person for each question; whoever gets the most answers filled in by their classmates at the end of the time wins!

2. Rocks and Soils Vocabulary Concentration Game

Time: 15-30 minutes

Materials: Printer, scissors, laminate

After you cut the cards out, shuffle them and place them face down in a grid pattern. Player one will start by flipping two cards. If the cards match the definition of a word, then they keep the cards. If the cards don’t match, then the player returns those cards to the original position. Each player takes turns flipping cards, two at a time, until all the matches have been found. The player with the most partners at the end of the game wins!

3. Earth’s Surface: Who Am I? Game

Time: 15-20 minutes

Materials: Projector

This PowerPoint has a series of riddles for your children to solve. The answer is always a feature of the earth’s surface, from islands to waterfalls to oceans to canyons and straits. First, your students are given ten “Who Am I” slides, followed by the answers.

Separate your class into groups and have them play this game jeopardy style.

4. Order of the Planets Card Game

Time: 15-25 minutes

Materials: Printer, scissors, laminate

Note: To play this game, you have to print out six pages of the game cards. This will give you a full deck.

First, your children will shuffle the deck of cards and deal out seven to each player. Make sure they don’t show anyone else their cards.

The cards are placed face-down in the “draw” pile. Take one card from the draw pile and put it face up. This is going to become the “planet” pile. Going around the circle, each player will try to lay down the next planet in order of their distance from the sun. They’ll lay this card face up in the planet pile. If the player doesn’t have the correct card to put down, they’ll pick a card from the draw pile.

If the cards in the draw pile run out, then shuffle the cards in the planet pile.

The first person to place their cards onto the planet file wins the game.

5. Rocks and Soil PowerPoint Quiz

Time: 10-15 minutes

Materials: Projector

This PowerPoint is a great way to help your children learn about rocks and soils. Separate your children into teams and have them compete to get the answers correct.

Questions include the following:

Which rock floats? Pumice, marble, or chalk?

Which is the best rock to tile a roof? Granite, slate, or pumice?

Why is marble used for statues? Because it wears away quickly, because it has attractive colors and textures, or because it doesn’t float

6. Heredity and Genetics Concentration Matching Game

Time: 15-25 minutes

Materials: Printer, scissors, laminate

Note: You’ll need to laminate these cards to use them more than once.

Shuffle the cards and place them face down in a grid pattern. The first player will begin by flipping two cards. If the cards contain a matching word and definition, they remove the two cards and keep them. If the cards don’t match, flip them back to their original position. Each player continues flipping cards, two at a time, until all matches have been found. The player with the most partners at the end of the game wins!

7. Ecology Concentration Game

Time: 15-25 minutes

Materials: Printer, scissors, laminate

This game is the same setup as the previous game. Your students will take turns trying to match the word cards to their definition cards by drawing them from a grid pattern. Once each card has been removed, have your children count them. Whoever has the most cards wins!

8. Mutualism Match up

Time: 10-15 minutes (20 – 25 minutes if you include coloring)

Materials: Printer, coloring material, scissors, a separate sheet of paper, glue

Have your students color in the pictures on this sheet and then cut them out. Each organism on these cards lives symbiotically with another organism on another card. Can your students match them up? An answer key is included, making grading this assignment quick and easy.

9. African Animals Mindfulness Coloring Sheets

Time: —

Materials: Coloring materials

These hand-drawn coloring sheets are a great way to give your children a break from the lesson. You’ll find seven different coloring sheets that include animals found in the African wild. From zebras to rhinos to lions, your children will love coloring in the details of these coloring sheets.

10. Pin the Muscles on the Body: Musculoskeletal System Activity

Time: 30-45 minutes

Materials: Scissors, laminate, glue, thumbtacks or tape, 2-3 extra-large sheets of construction paper

Note: This activity will take a bit of prep, but it is an excellent way for your children to have fun and remember where the body muscles are.

Print out these full-sized bones and muscles to play “pin the muscles on the body”!

Print out the bones, cut them out, and glue them on the construction paper, connecting more pieces as needed.

Cut the muscles out and distribute them to your students. Make sure you have your thumbtacks or tape ready.

With the skeleton hung up in the front of the class, have your students take turns placing their muscles where they think it goes on the structure.

11. States of Matter Crossword Puzzle

Time: 15 minutes

Materials: Printer and writing utensil OR digital tablet

This crossword puzzle is great because it can be used digitally and on paper! Your students will use the 12 vocab words in the box depending on the statement or question. Examples include:

When a liquid is heated, gas bubbles rise in the fluid to escape into the air:

State of matter in which particles are arranged close together but can slide over one another:

A solid begins to melt when the particles start to ____ faster.

How many states of matter are there?

12. Amazing Matter: States of Matter Maze Activity

Time: 15- 20 minutes

Materials: Printer, coloring materials that are red, green, and yellow.

With this activity, your children will use colors to fill in each of the squares and then draw a line guiding the mouse through the solid path.

They will color the squares depending on the type of matter referenced.

Liquids = red

Gases = green

Solids = yellow

13. Fortune Teller: Volume and Pitch

Time: 20-30 minutes

Materials: Printer, scissors

Follow the instruction to create your fortune-teller! This activity will help children determine the volume and pitch of popular instruments. This is a great game that children can continue to use during class. You can even have them bring it home after class.

1. Sound Vocabulary Concentration Game

Time: 20 minutes

Materials: Printer, laminator

After laminating and cutting, shuffle the cards. Place them face down in a grid pattern and have your children take turns picking two at a time and trying to match the word to its definition.

2. States of Matter: I Have, Who Has Game

Time: 10-30 minutes

Materials: Printer, laminator, scissors

With this activity, your students will each be given a card. They then have to find their classmate who has the matching card.

There are a few ways you can have your children complete this activity.

1. Distribute the cards to your students and have them stand up at their desks. They will take turns reading their card out loud. If a student hears a card read that matches their own, they raise their hand and read theirs aloud. If the cards do match, they both sit down.
2. Distribute the cards to your students, and give them five minutes to find their partner. Once everybody has a partner, have them read their cards out loud. If they make any mistakes, help them find their partner.
3. Distribute the cards to your students and have them read their cards out loud. Once they’ve all read their cards, go back to the beginning and have the class pair each student with their card’s matching partner.

Simply put, a compass is a tool that points out directions, such as North, South, East, and West. These are also known as the cardinal directions.

In more detail, it’s a magnetized metal that will turn towards the Earth’s magnetic north pole. The most common form is the pocket compass. It looks similar to a watch and will point out the Northern direction when held in your hand.

How does a compass work?

The Earth is a giant magnet with two centers of force; the North and South Poles. The core of the planet, mainly molten iron, creates a magnetic field as it spins around. This makes the north and south magnetic poles and how compasses work.

The needle in a compass is made of magnetized metal, usually iron, placed on a pivot or pin, and suspended in liquid (usually some mineral oil or white spirit) so it can freely turn. The compass needle can detect the Earth’s magnetic field and faces the Magnetic North when the held level is in your hand. The person using the device can then work out all the other directions.

Around the compass, you can also find little measurements. These are called degrees. The red end of the needle will always point North, and the white /black end will always mean south. On the outer case of the compass, there’s also usually an arrow at the top known as the ‘orientation arrow.’

What is a compass used for?

Maps were able to be created thanks to the compass. It even helped establish that the Earth is a globe, not flat.

The primary use for compasses was out at sea, as no landmarks could help with navigation. So instead, sailors used the stars, particularly Polaris, the North star, to help find their way. Though sometimes the sky could be cloudy or stormy, they couldn’t tell which way they were heading. This is why compasses are particularly important at sea.

Compasses today can be found in many modern appliances and are their own thing. YoIn addition, youan find them in smartphones, a

The History of the Compass

The earliest compass use recorded comes from the Chinese Han Dynasty and Tang Dynasty, around 200 BC. They discovered that some metal from the ground was naturally magnetic. They so could use these metals, known as lodestone, or magnetite, to magnetize iron needles in the first types of compass.

In non-European countries, magnets were used spiritually, such as for divination, geomancy, and, in particular, Feng Shui, to help maximize good fortune.

Very early compasses were made of the magnetized needle mounted on a piece of wood that floated in a dish of water. These were mainly used as backups when the sun or stars could not be seen in the sky. However, as more people learned how to use them and the understanding of magnetism grew, the tools became more popular and valuable.

In the 12th century, as early scientists discovered more about magnetism, the compass needle was placed on a pin, and in the 13th century added to the compass cards. At first, this compass card showed only the leading four cardinal directions, but over time this design evolved to offer 32 directional points.

By the 16th century, compasses and charts were commonly used by sailing ships.

What is a compass rose?

A compass rose is a figure found on maps, compasses, and nautical charts. It’s also known as a ‘windrose’ or ‘Rose of the Winds.’

During the 12th century, Europeans created the compass rose. It enabled the creation of the eight principal winds, which includes the four cardinal directions (North, South, East, and West) plus the new intercardinal directions; North-East, South-East, South-West, North-West.

These helped early sailors see where they were going during their sea voyages. You can also find compasses with roses with 16 or even 32 points. These include directions such as North-northwest, east-northeast, and south-southwest.

What is a compass bearing?

A bearing of a location is the number of degrees in the angle measured in a clockwise direction from the north line to the line. For example, the path of an object directly to the east would be 90 degrees.

Different types of compasses

There is a type of compass that always points to the True North as it uses the Earth’s rotation rather than its magnetic field. This is known as a gyroscope, and it was invented in 1906 by Hermann Anschütz-Kaempfe and is usually used by large ships and aircraft. It follows the Earth’s axis or rotation to find True North.

There’s also the solar compass. This version uses the shadow from the sun on the compass card to show direction. You can create one by placing a simple stick on the ground, placing stones around it, and using a string to follow the shadow. This helps to find the East and West cardinal directions.

Astrocompasses are aligned with fixed points in the sky, for example, stars. These are harder to use than the standard magnetic compass but are pretty helpful in polar regions where magnetic and gyrocompasses aren’t so reliable.

Nowadays, the GPS (Global Positioning System), which first began in the United States in 1973, is taking over from the traditional compass. GPS uses co-ordinates sent via satellites that are in orbit around the Earth. These signals are very accurate and reliable. Though many planes and ships still us advanced compasses for navigation.

Who could forget the compass that’s used in mathematics? A handy tool that helps with drawing circles and other geometric shapes and finding mid-points to help solve problems. Not related to Earth’s magnetic field, but still a compass worth mentioning.

Fun facts about compasses

• The magnetic and geographic poles are different. For example, the Earth’s Magnetic North Pole doesn’t align with the geographic North Pole, also known as the True North.
• True North always sits at the top of the Earth. Magnetic North is not a fixed point and changes over time in response to the changes in the Earth’s core. It’s thought that it is situated around 1000 miles away in Canada.
• The Magnetic North is said to have moved around 600 miles over time as the magnetic field has warped.
• The difference between the magnetic and true norths is called ‘Variation’ by pilots or mariners or ‘magnetic declination’ by land navigators.
• The Fleur-de-lis is often used to mark North on a compass. 1It is believed to have evolved from the original mark, a spearhead above the letter T, which stood for the Latin name for the North wind ‘Tramontana.’
• In Greenwich, London, in September 2019, True north and magnetic north were aligned for the first time in over 360 years.

The least common denominator (LCD), also known as the lowest common denominator, is the smallest number that can be a common denominator for a set of fractions.

The LCD of two fractions, then, is the least common multiple of the denominators of the two fractions. Therefore, it would help if you first found the least common multiple of the two fractions’ denominators to find the LCD of the two fractions.

How to Find the LCD of Two Fractions?

While finding the least common denominator can seem complicated, it is a straightforward process. You can use two methods to find the LCD of two fractions.

Method 1

The first method finds the least common denominator of two fractions by figuring out the lowest possible common denominators.

For example:

Find the least common denominator of 1/4 and 1/6:

The denominators of these two fractions are 4 and 6. The multiples of 4 and 6 are:

Multiples of 4:4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, 28, 32, 36, 40, 44, 48

Multiples of 6:6, 12, 18, 24, 30, 36, 42, 48, 54, 60

From this list of multiples, we can see that the least common multiple is 12. So, the least common denominator of these two fractions is 12.

Answer: The least common denominator of 1/4 and 1/6 is 12.

Method 2

To find the least common denominator using the second method, you must find the prime factors of the denominators. The second method of finding the LCD of two fractions can be laid out in these four easy steps:

1. Factor each of the denominators into its primes.
2. List all of the primes, noting down all of the matching primes.
3. Multiply the factors, and the product will be the lowest common multiple of the denominators.
4. The lowest common multiple of the denominators is the LCD of the two fractions.

For example:

Find the least common denominator of 1/8 and 1/12:

The denominators of these fractions are 8 and 12.

Now, we have to find the prime factorizations of these two denominators:

Prime factorisations of 8= 2 × 2 × 2

Prime factorisations of 12= 2 × 2 × 3

The most occurrences of the prime numbers 2 and 3 are two × 2 × 2 in 8 and 3 in 12.

Now we have to multiply all of the factors together.

2 × 2 × 2 × 3 = 24

Answer: The least common denominator of 1/8 and 1/12 is 24.

While soil is a term that different people use differently, topsoil is the recognizable crumbly ‘mud’ found in gardens and outdoor areas.

Soil is the top layer of the Earth’s crust, containing minerals, chemicals, and organisms that help support plant and animal life.

Soil scientists usually study the earth’s surface to a depth of about 1.2 meters.

Categories of Soil

Soil is generally classified into four categories:

• Clay — is the finest type of soil, with a diameter of fewer than 2 micrometers. A micrometer is a thousandth of a millimeter.
• Silt — this has a diameter of 2-60 micrometers.
• Sand — Soil of this size and above can be seen with the naked eye.
• Stones — particles larger than 2 mm are classed as stones, which can include grit and gravel.

Clay, Silt, and Sand are known as ‘fine earth.’

How is Soil Formed?

Soil is not formed overnight; it can take up to 1000 years for just an inch of ground to form! Therefore, time is a critical component in the formation of soil. Some other factors that aid the shape of the earth are:

• Living organisms like plants, animals, fungi, and bacteria.
• Topography is the slope of the land where the soil is forming.
• The climate where the soil is forming
• Parent material is the minerals and rocks that disintegrate to form the soil.

Why is Soil Important?

It can be easy to disregard soil and classify it as unimportant because it is often considered dirt. However, soil plays a crucial role in supporting life on Earth. Here are some of the ways that soil is so important:

• Plants: The majority of plants need soil to grow. Soil is vital for plants as it provides them with food and nutrients. Moreover, plants use the earth to anchor themselves to the ground using their roots.
• Atmosphere: Soil releases gases, including carbon dioxide, into the air, impacting the atmosphere.
• Living Organisms: Lots of living things, such as animals, plants, fungi, and bacteria, rely on the soil as a place to live.
• Nutrient Cycles: Soil is vital in cycling nutrients, including the carbon and nitrogen cycles.
• Water: The soil aids in the filtration and cleansing of our water.

Residual Soil

Residual soil is essentially soil material that has come about as the result of weathering and decomposition of rocks that have not been transported from their original place. Residual soil takes many years to form, as mechanical and chemical weathering transforms solid rock into soil.

The process of the formation of residual soil can be laid out in these steps:

1. The bedrock, the layer of solid rock beneath the soil, breaks due to weathering from various physical processes, such as ice wedging.
2. Water, oxygen, and carbon dioxide seep into the cracks of the bedrock and cause chemical weathering.
3. Plants become established and produce biological weathering.
4. Weathered materials collect and eventually form soil.
5. The soil slowly develops soil horizons as each of the layers of soil becomes altered. This is because the top layer of soil is exposed to the most weathering, and each of the soil layers is changed slightly less after this. This is because the top layer of soil is the first to come into contact with water and air.

Layers of Soil

There are many layers of soil, also known as horizons, which are all labeled in descending order from the top layer to the bottom:

O (humus or organic): This layer is mainly composed of organic matter, like decomposing leaves. This layer can be thin in some soils, thick in others, and not even present in others.

A (topsoil): This horizon is composed mainly of minerals from the parent material, with some organic matter incorporated into the mix. Topsoil is an excellent source of material for plants and other living organisms to live off.

E (eluviated): This layer of soil is leached of clay, minerals, and organic matter. After this, a heavy concentration of sand and silt particles of various resistant materials remains. This layer is not present in some soils but is often found in older and forest soils.

B (subsoil): The subsoil is rich in minerals that have been down or been leached from both the topsoil and the eluviated soil layers.

C (parent material): This layer of soil has little to no evidence of weathering or other alterations of the soil particles.

R (bedrock): This layer of soil is made up of a mass of rock such as granite, basalt, quartzite, limestone, or sandstone.

The focus is mainly on the three main horizons, which even the simplest of soils possess: the topsoil, the subsoil, and the horizon.

Let’s dive deeper into each of these layers of soil:

• Topsoil

The topsoil, known as the A horizon, tends to be the darkest layer of soil as it contains a lot of organic material. This layer of soil is home to the most intense biological activity, as many insects and small animals burrow through it. Plants also reach their roots down into the topsoil. These plant roots play a crucial role in keeping this layer of soil in place.

In the topsoil, minerals often dissolve in the fresh water that moves through this layer to be carried to the lower soil layers. Other tiny particles can also get transported to these lower soil layers as water seeps further into the ground.

Plant roots help to hold this layer of soil in place. In the topsoil, minerals may dissolve in the fresh water that moves through it to be carried to lower soil layers. Small particles, such as clay, may also get taken to reduce layers as water seeps into the ground.

• Subsoil

This layer of soil is located directly below the topsoil and is made up mainly of minerals and leached materials. In addition, the subsoil is home to humus, a dark, organic material that forms in soil from decaying plants, animal matter, and clay. However, the subsoil does not contain as many macroscopic and microscopic organisms that reside in the topsoil, making it rich in organic matter.

• Bedrock

This layer of soil, also called the C horizon, is a layer of partly altered bedrock. Some weathering has taken place in this layer of soil, but not so much so that the original rock cannot be seen.

It would be impossible to go into detail about all the different types of soil, as there are thousands out there, each of which has unique characteristics and features. Let’s instead look at a few common types of soil:

• Sandy soil

Sandy soil is characteristically dry and warm. This type of sand is also typically very acidic and low in nutrients. Sandy soils are also categorized as light soils because they contain a large amount of sand and very little clay.

One of the defining features of sandy soil is its excellent water drainage. However, this water drainage has downsides, so this soil struggles to absorb nutrients. It is much quicker to warm up in spring than more clay-heavy soils, but it is also more likely to dry out in summer.

Adding organic matter can improve this sandy soil’s nutrient density and water-holding capacity.

• Clay Soil

Unlike sandy soil, clay soil is very heavy and high in nutrients. In winter, clay soil stays pretty cold and wet, while it tends to dry out in summer. This is because clay soils comprise over 25% clay, with spaces between the different clay particles. These spaces allow clay soils to retain such a high level of water.

Clay soils are regarded as a gardener’s nightmare, as they drain slowly and take a long time to warm up in summer. This, in combination with the fact that they dry out in summer, makes them very difficult to work with.

• Silt Soil

Silt soil is very light, fertile soil with a high moisture retention level. Silt soil has such a high level of moisture retention as it is composed of medium-sized particles. However, these particles tend to get washed away with the rain as they are excellent. However, this can be stopped by adding organic matter, which helps the silt soil particles form into clumps.

• Chalk Soil

Chalk soil is pretty versatile because it can be either light or heavy. However, it always has a high alkaline concentration due to the calcium carbonate within its structure. As a result of its alkaline content, chalk soil does not support the growth of ericaceous plants, such as azaleas, blueberries, camellias, and rhododendrons. Such plants require much more acidic soils.

There are numerous rivers in the world. Rivers are essential for many reasons. They provide water for drinking; they give access to shipping and transport through waterways; they offer fertile soil for agriculture with their alluvial silt, which nurtures plant life and supports wildlife living in them or around them. Rivers are an essential resource for humans throughout the world. Here are some of the world’s most famous rivers:

The Nile River

The longest river in the world is the Nile River in North and East Africa. It runs through Uganda, Kenya, Sudan, and Egypt before ending in a large delta in the Mediterranean Sea. It is approximately 6695 kilometers long. The source of this mighty river was undetermined for many years until explorers proved that the ultimate authority was Lake Victoria.

The Amazon river

This is the second-longest river in the world and contains the most water. One of the types of fish that live in the Amazon, called Pirarucu, can grow up to 3m in length.  The Amazon River is in South America and is approximately 6,400km long.

Trickling out of Lake Mantaro in the Andes mountain range in Peru, the Amazon River flows through Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Bolivia, and Brazil until it enters the Atlantic Ocean.

The Yangtze river

The Yangtze river is the longest river in Asia and the third-longest river in the world. It is heavily polluted. This river is the lifeblood of China as it is its main waterway. It is 6300 kilometers long, and its basin covers 1,808,500 square kilometers. It is the longest river in a single country in the world.

The Ganges river

This is also one of the most famous rivers, 2525km long. It starts in the Himalayas and flows through Nepal, India, and Bangladesh before reaching the Bay of Bengal. It is one of India’s most sacred rivers, and Hindus bathe in its waters to cleanse themselves or pay tribute. Sacred fish swim in the Ganges, and turtles and alligators live there too.

The Mississippi River

This river is 3,766km long. It starts in Minnesota and ends in the Gulf of Mexico. It’s not just famous for being so long; it flows through or borders ten states, with Iowa and Missouri having their borders meet with the river at opposite sides. The Mississippi River also flows through or borders Louisiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Mississippi.

The Danube River

the Danube River is a major European waterway. It is 2850km long, making it the 2nd longest river in Europe (after the Volga in Russia). This river flows through or borders Germany, Austria, Slovakia,  Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Romania, Moldova, and Ukraine.

The River Thames

This river runs through London. Over 200 bridges cross the Thames.  It is tidal up to Teddington Lock near London. The Thames can be dangerous to navigate as it has whirlpools and strong undercurrents.

The Congo River

Another of the most famous rivers in the world is the Congo River, which is located in Africa and reaches up to 220m deep in places! The Congo River is 4750km long and is the second largest river in Africa (after the Nile). It is also the deepest river in the world.

Determiners, in English grammar, are a type of word that comes before a noun to introduce it and provide additional information about the quantity and proximity of the noun.

It helps give the reader or listener more context. For example, ‘this plate’ or ‘my house.’

Determiners can be used to describe an object in further detail, revealing additional information to help give the reader or listener a better understanding of a text.

Determiners can point out things like proximity, possession, and plurality. In simpler terms, determiners can point out:

• Proximity: i.e., how close or far away things are about the text’s narrative perspective and point of view. For example, the determiner ‘this’ in the phrase ‘this chair’ shows that the chair referred to is in proximity to the person referring to the chair. Using an alternative determiner like ‘that’ or ‘those’ chairs would indicate some distance between the chair and the person referring to the chair.
• Possession: i.e., who possesses the noun the determiner refers to. For example, ‘her shoes’ or ‘my.’
• Plurality: i.e., if a noun is singular or plural. The determiner ‘the’ in the phrase ‘the car’ refers to a specific, unique car. A determiner like ‘these’ or ‘those’ indicates the number of vehicles is plural.

Types of Determiners in English

Here are the different main types of determiners in English grammar:

• definite Articles (‘the’)
• indefinite Articles (‘a’)
• demonstratives (‘this’ or ‘that’)
• possessives (‘her.’ ‘his,’ or ‘my’)
• quantifiers (‘some’ or ‘many’)
• numbers (‘one’ or ‘two’)

Determiners Examples in Writing Composition

To understand the question ‘what is a determiner?’, it’s helpful to look at some examples.

Possessive Determiners

• Alison watched with sad eyes as they took the sofa away.

• Alison watched with sad eyes as they took her mother’s sofa away.

Here, the determiner is possessive, providing more clarification on who the sofa belongs to. This hints that the sofa has a deeper meaning to Alison and makes us wonder where her mother is and why her sofa is being taken away.

Demonstrative Determiners

Demonstrative determiners can be used for accuracy and to clarify specific things.

For instance, ‘Take a pen’ is an explicit instruction. However, ‘Take this pen’ is more specific and provides more information about which pen to take.

Number Determiners

Numbers can also provide a clearer picture to readers or listeners. For example, there’s a great deal of difference between the following two statements:

• Stuart came downstairs, balancing some large boxes in his arms.

• Stuart came downstairs, balancing ten large boxes in his arms.

1. Learn about World Kindness Day Lesson Plan

The first question your students may ask you is, “What is World Kindness Day?”

World Kindness Day was introduced in 1998 by the World Kindness Movement. It’s an event observed every year on November 13 and is celebrated in many countries, including Japan, Canada, and the United States.

The purpose of World Kindness Day is to remind ourselves that even simple acts of kindness can make this world a better place. And one of the best (and undoubtedly engaging) ways to teach your elementary school students about this holiday is to show them kindness.

2. Study a Story About Kindness

Not many stories or fables about kindness and friendship are more memorable than Aesop’s The Lion and The Mouse. So why not discuss this story in class?

One of the best and most simple Kindness Day activities, reading a story and completing an activity about the tale, will help children further understand the value of kindness. You can read the story aloud or encourage your students to act out the account.

3. Share a Kindness Book with a Buddy

Like the fable above, books are an excellent way to discuss the importance of kindness. Plus, they can be shared regularly and help children improve their language skills.

You can read the books to your class or encourage your students to read to each other. Below are a few kindness books that are favorites among teachers:

• What Does It Mean to Be Kind?  by Rana DiOrio (PreK to first grade)
• The Kindness Quilt by Nancy Elizabeth Wallace (PreK to second grade)
• Most People by Michael Leannah (PreK to third grade)
• How to Heal a Broken Wing by Bob Graham (PreK to third grade)
• Kindness is Cooler, Mrs. Ruler by Margery Cuyler (kindergarten to second grade)
• I Walk With Vanessa by Kerascoet (kindergarten to fourth grade)
• Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Peña (kindergarten to fifth grade)
• Under the Lemon Moon by Edith Hope Fine (first to fifth grade)
• The Invisible Boy by Trudy Ludwig (first to fifth grade)
• Those Shoes by Maribeth Boelts (first to fifth grade)
• The Quiltmaker’s Gift by Jeff Brumbeau (first to fifth grade)

You can also ask your students if they have any kindness books at home that they’d like to bring in and share with the class.

4. Craft a Kindness Quilt

If you read The Kindness Quilt or The Quiltmaker’s Gift to your class, this paper kindness quilt activity is a great follow-up.

In years gone by, families and friends would make friendship quilts to commemorate special occasions or give them as gifts to loved ones. Particular messages were often added to the quilts to show love and friendship.

5. Make Kindness Fortune Tellers

Most kids love playing with paper fortune tellers, and making ones about kindness can be just as fun!

6. Send a Compliment Card

Spread kindness and improve your writing skills with this easy-to-do classroom activity. It’s a win-win!

One of our favorite World Kindness Day activities, compliments and positive words are an excellent way to brighten someone’s day. In addition, writing a note or making a card is an activity that can easily be incorporated into a writing or morning work assignment.

7. Fill a Kindness Jar

If you have an empty jar at home, why not make a kindness jar and feature it in the classroom? Then, challenge your students to fill the pot by the end of the week, month, or year. Add a building block, pom-pom, handwritten note, or even chocolate for every act of kindness!

It’s an excellent way for students to visualize how every act of kindness adds up.

8. Make a Sweet Statement: Kindness Jar Banner

If you want to expand upon the kindness jar activity, why not make a banner that proudly shows your students’ acts of kindness?

For this World Kindness Day activity, please encourage your students to think of something they have done recently that has shown kindness to another person. Then ask them to write down the act of kindness.

9. Write a Poem or Story About Kindness

Get kind thoughts and creativity flowing with a writing activity to celebrate World Kindness Day. Encourage your students to write poems or stories with others in mind and then present the finished masterpieces to those individuals!

Writing about kindness is an excellent way for your students to refocus and think positively. But, of course, the person who reads the poem or story will also be in for a real treat!

10. Grow a Kindness Tree

Kindness is often compared to a seed.  It can grow and blossom into something incredible when nurtured and attended to regularly.

Students can then decorate and cut out their leaves before attaching them to the tree. One of the most creative and team-building World Kindness Day activities, this kindness tree task will brighten up your classroom for weeks to come!

11. Design a Hug Coupon

When it comes to kindness currency, hugs are the gold standard!

Kids can have fun and create hug coupons to give to friends and family as an act of kindness.

12. Share the “Words Are Like Toothpaste” Lesson

While many kids will be familiar with the saying, “actions speak louder than words,” it’s still important to acknowledge that words have an impact. They can be pretty potent!

You’ll need the following:

• tubes of toothpaste
• paper plates
• toothpicks or small spoons

Students can work in pairs or small groups. Please encourage them to squeeze the toothpaste onto a paper plate. Then, ask them to put the toothpaste back in the tube.

If your students give you funny looks, it’s not surprising. But, unfortunately, getting toothpaste back in the tube is tricky, if not impossible.

But this is an excellent example of how difficult it is to take words back. And why it’s important to show kindness and use positive words instead of negative ones. Of all the World Kindness Day activities, this one will surely stick in your children’s minds and have a lasting impact.

13. Paint Positivity Pebbles (or Stones)

Encourage your kids to get crafting and spread kindness with this fun (and popular) arts and crafts activity that requires little preparation. All you need are some small, smooth stones that can be gathered and brought from home. Plus, you’ll need some paint, markers, and glitter glue (optional).

Kids can have a blast decorating their rocks and adding positive messages. Once the stones are dry, your students can place their rocks around the school for others to find.

Yep, this activity truly rocks!

14. Or, Scrawl Surprising Positivity Pictures and Notes on the Playground

Get outside and share kindness with the entire school with just a bit of chalk and some creativity! Your students can write positive notes and draw pictures in the playground for other students and teachers to see.

There will undoubtedly be many smiles (and a few requests to borrow any left-over chalk).

15. An Act of Kindness Every Day Challenge

We want to think that an act of kindness daily keeps the negativity at bay. Or at least it certainly helps. So, why not get your entire class involved in a kindness day activity challenge?

The challenge is for your students to select a kindness activity. The challenge can last for a day, a week, or even a month! Each card outlines a new good deed for students to do.

16. Last But Not Least, SMILE!

What is likely your first reaction if someone genuinely smiles at you? On most occasions, we’d smile back. It’s pretty hard not to.

Even a smile can be a kind act that can make someone else feel better. Try this if there is one World Kindness Day classroom activity you’d like your students to attempt. They’ll be grinning non-stop by the end of the day!