Teaching Strategies, Tactics, and Methods

What is a Pronoun?

Pronouns can be used as a ‘placeholder’ for a noun; we can use pronouns instead of nouns.

What is a Possessive Pronoun?

A possessive pronoun shows that something belongs to someone – it shows ownership. Possessive pronouns simplify constructions that show possession of a noun.

It’s used to replace the subject of a sentence. It avoids repetition in a sentence and makes the sentences more concise.

For example, instead of saying, ‘Sarah said that the computer was Sarah’s,’ you would say, ‘Sarah said that the computer was hers.’

It sounds more natural and means you don’t have to repeat the name of the person or thing referred to in the sentence while conveying the same meaning.

In total, there are 13 different possessive pronouns. Basic possessive pronouns include my, our, his, her, its, and their. There are also independent possessive pronouns. For example, they have mine, ours, yours, his, hers, its, and theirs in their independent form. Independent possessive pronouns (also called absolute possessive pronouns) must be used without a noun.

Examples of Possessive Pronouns: Sentences

Mine, Ours, Hers, His, Theirs, and Yours.

These are all examples of possessive pronouns. They show possession for themselves and other people.

Take a look at these examples of using possessive pronouns in sentences.

• ‘Tom is a good friend of mine.’
• ‘The dress is beautiful, but it’s hers.’
• ‘What’s mine is yours.’
• ‘Do you like crisps? I’m personally not a fan of them.’

Common Possessive Pronouns Mistakes

A standard error while using possessive pronouns is using an apostrophe.

Possessive pronouns will never have an apostrophe.

For example, ‘it’s’ and ‘its’ are often mixed up when writing. We might think that ‘it’s’ is correct because the apostrophe tends to be used for possession, but in this case, it’s not.

‘It’s’ is an abbreviation of ‘It is.

• It’s raining outside = It is raining outside
• ‘Its’ is the possessive of ‘it.’

The camera is brand new. Its lens is so clean. We use ‘its’ because the lens belongs to the camera.

For ‘ours,’ ‘yours,’ ‘hers,’ and ‘theirs,’ we must remember that we never use an apostrophe for these possessive pronouns. For example:

• Incorrect: She’s taking her’s home.
• Correct: She’s taking hers home.

It can be confusing because ‘she’s’ does use the apostrophe. But remember that words such as ‘she’s’ are contractions of ‘she is – and there is no ‘her is’!

An irregular verb doesn’t follow the regular inflection or ending to the word; that happens when putting it into the past tense or past participle.

The expected ending to a regular verb when put into the past tense is either ‘-d’, ‘-ed,’ or ‘-ied’. For example, the verb ‘follow’ becomes ‘followed’ in the simple past tense.

The difference between regular and irregular verbs is all to do with these tricky spellings in verb tenses that don’t quite follow the pattern we expect.

These words often have to be learned with patience and practice, and this is perhaps best done through example. Below, you’ll learn about some examples of these irregular verbs and how they are used in sentences.

How many irregular verbs are there in English?

There are nearly 200 irregular verbs used in the English language.

Examples of Past Tense Irregular Verbs

Here are some examples of past simple irregular verbs (and their present and past particle counterparts) that are important for children to know when they’re learning to read and write in English.

Present (Infinitive)	Past Simple	Past Participle
be	was/were	been
dive	dived/dove	dived
fall	Fell	fallen
know	Knew	known
hide	Hid	hidden
speak	Spoke	spoken
take	Took	taken
begin	Began	begun
choose	Chose	chosen
do	Did	done
draw	Drew	drawn
drink	Drank	drunk
eat	Ate	eaten
give	Gave	given
freeze	Froze	frozen
get	Got	gotten
go	Went	gone
grow	Grew	grown
lie	Lay	lain
ride	Rode	ridden
rise	Rose	risen
ring	Rang	rung
see	Saw	seen
steal	Stole	stolen
show	Showed	shown
sink	Sank	sunk
sing	Sang	sung
swim	Swam	swum
tear	Tore	torn
throw	Threw	thrown
weave	Wove	woven
wrote	Wrote	written

Examples of Past Tense Irregular Verbs in Sentences

• I swam a whole mile during my last swimming lesson.
• I took a chocolate bar with me in my lunch box.
• She went to the library to read a new book.
• She grew sunflowers in her garden.
• He sang in the school talent show.
• He wrote past simple irregular verbs in sentences.
• They were having dinner with their friends.
• They rode on the rollercoaster.
• You took a shortcut on the way home from school
• You knew how to answer the last question on your homework task.

Verbs with Regular and Irregular Forms

Some verbs can be regular or irregular, depending on the form you decide to write.

Verb	Past Simple	Past Participle
burn	burned OR burnt	burned OR burnt
learn	learned OR learnt	learned OR learnt
dream	dreamed OR dreamt	dreamed OR dreamt
hang	hung and hanged	hung and hanged
spell	spelled or spelt	spelled or spelt
smell	smelled or smelt	smelled or smelt

 

While both are correct, the ‘t’ ending is most common in British English, and the ‘ed’ ending is most common in American English.

Irregular Verbs that Don’t Change

Some verbs don’t change form when we use them in the past simple or past participle. These verbs are:

• bet
• broadcast
• cut
• hit
• hurt
• let
• put
• quit
• read
• set
• shut
• spread

For an example in context, here are two past tense irregular verbs in a sentence:

I couldn’t let the door shut on the old lady.

When will children learn about irregular verbs?

Children are introduced to verbs and forming the past tense of regular verbs in year one and year two. It involves teaching children how to add the suffixes ‘-d’, ‘-ed,’ or ‘-ied’ to a regular verb to create the past tense.

Interestingly, irregular verbs aren’t included anywhere in the national curriculum for English and are mostly learned through everyday speech, as irregular verbs are so common in English.

What are lowercase letters?

Lower case letters are the shorter and smaller versions of upper case letters (also called capital letters). Some lower-case letters look entirely different from their upper-case counterparts, however.

For example, ‘a’ is the lowercase version of ‘A,’ and ‘w’ is the lowercase version of ‘W.’

Here are all the lowercase letters in the English alphabet:

A, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, i, j, k, l, m, n, o, p, q, r, s, t, u, v, w, x, y and z.

How are lowercase letters used?

When we write, most of the letters we use are in lowercase. We capitalize letters for special occasions, like the start of a sentence or for proper nouns.

All common nouns are written in lowercase. Writing common nouns in upper case is a mistake many people make when writing. Even nouns like ‘university’ should begin with a lowercase letter unless you name a specific university.

Here are some examples:

• This sentence is written in lowercase, except for ‘T,’ to start the sentence.
• We use lowercase for common nouns like ‘dog,’ ‘cat,’ or ‘chair,’ but uppercase letters for proper nouns like ‘London’ or ‘Mr. Dickens’.

Sometimes, changing a letter from lower to upper case (or vice versa) in a word can completely change its meaning.

For example, with a lowercase letter, ‘polish’ means to rub something until it shines. However, with an upper case letter, ‘Polish’ implies something or someone from Poland!

Another example is ‘apple’ and ‘Apple.’ Lowercase ‘apple’ means the red fruit, but with an upper case ‘A,’ ‘Apple’ refers to the tech company.

As you can see, using lowercase and uppercase letters is very important.

Where did the term ‘lowercase’ come from?

The term ‘lowercase’ has been used since as early as the 1680s! This is because both the words ‘upper case’ and ‘lower case’ come from printing.

Trays called’ cases’ were used when physically printing something using a printing press. These were divided into compartments that held different kinds of blocks with letters on them. The case on the top (the upper case) had capital letters, and the case on the bottom (the lower case) held lowercase letters.

When do children learn to write lowercase letters?

Typically, children learn the upper-case letters of the alphabet before the lower-case ones. This is usually because writing in block capitals is more accessible than writing in lowercase. As a result, many children learn to write by writing their names using only upper case letters.

Once children have mastered pencil grip and pencil control that they’ve learned from writing upper case letters, they’re ready to move on and start writing in lower case.

How to teach lowercase letter formation shapes

Before children begin writing in lowercase, they must be familiar with lowercase letters and their shapes. Here’s how you can introduce children to lowercase letters.

• Trace letter shapes in the air.

Using a finger to trace lowercase letter shapes in the air is an excellent way of introducing these letter shapes. (Plus, there’s no printing involved!).

Show your pupils or your child an image of a lowercase letter (perhaps starting with Ladder Letters) and ask them to trace it in the air.

This will introduce them to the movements needed to form the letter.

• Draw large lowercase letters.

Make things fun for children and encourage them to draw big versions of lowercase letters. Coloring them in afterward is not only great fun and relaxing, but it also helps to promote the fine motor skills that they’ll need to write the letters later.

• Point out lowercase letters.

When lowercase letters are used, take the time to point them out and say how different they are from uppercase letters. You could also ask children to trace the shape using their fingers.

Classroom rules are a set of rules and guidelines that the teacher imposes that the class must follow. These rules are designed to assist the teacher in behavior management and ensure a positive learning environment where all pupils feel comfortable and safe.

They are often drafted with input from the students so that everyone has a say on how they want everyone to behave in lessons.

These rules vary depending on the school, teacher, and class.

Classroom Rules Example

Below is an example list of school rules that represents the kind of rules found in a classroom.

• Be on time at the beginning of the day and after lunch and breaks.
• Come prepared with stationery, workbooks, and completed homework.
• Be kind and polite to others.
• Keep your hands and feet to yourself.
• Be respectful of classmates, teachers, and belongings.
• Listen to the teacher and follow instructions.
• Work hard and do your best.
• Raise your hand when you would like to speak in class or need the bathroom
• Obey all school rules.

Breaking these school rules may result in disciplinary action, such as staying behind after school.

How To Teach Classroom Rules

Now that you know a fair amount about what rules in the classroom are, it’s time to find out about putting them into practice. Here are a few helpful pointers about teaching your learners classroom rules.

1. Be clear about what your rules are. In the long run, this will make it much easier to teach classroom rules effectively, as children will have a clear understanding of your expectations. You can ensure this by setting aside a portion of time to explain your classroom rules and put up some posters to serve as reminders during children’s time in your classroom.
2. Come up with the rules together. At the start of the term, use our Editable Class Rules Poster with your class to create a list of rules which works for your class. That way, children are more likely to follow them as they are given a chance to voice their opinions, and they know the rules are built on mutual respect.
3. Continually reinforce your classroom rules while teaching day-to-day. Doing this ensures that your expectations become a matter of principle and routine for children in your classroom.
4. Decorate your classroom with our Respect in the Classroom Display Posters to remind children daily of the importance of showing respect. These posters focus on respecting classmates, the teacher, the classroom, and yourself.
5. If children don’t respect ‘rules,’ why not change the vocabulary to make them seem less threatening? We have resources that help you create a Classroom Pact, which sounds more friendly and cooperative, perfect for showing students that you respect them and they should respect you.
6. Role-play situations involving respect. You can use our Respect Scenario Cards to create discussions around respect and get children to act out each scenario to see how respect is shown in real-life scenarios.
7. If your classroom rules are broken, call attention to this as soon as it happens. That way, the child/children will learn where they’ve gone while it’s fresh in their memory. Ultimately, this will mean that the behavior is less likely to be repeated later.
8. Similarly, when rules are being followed, make sure that you reward and praise this. Positively reinforcing behavior is proven to be a very effective technique in behavior management and will incentivize your children to follow your classroom rules.

What Are Simple, Compound, and Complex Sentences?

A simple sentence uses just one clause, whereas a compound sentence uses two or more independent clauses. A complex sentence features at least a single independent clause and at least one dependent clause.

These can be combined into other sentence types, such as the compound-complex sentence. Find more information about this kind of sentence below.

A group of words with no independent clauses might be an incomplete sentence – often called a sentence fragment.

What Is A Sentence?

A sentence is defined as a group of one or more words. They begin with capital letters and finish with a punctuation mark – a complete stop, question mark, or exclamation mark.

Simple Sentence Examples

A simple sentence includes a subject and just one verb.

‘The boy ran away from the dog.”

“The dog barked.”

Compound Sentence Examples

A compound sentence joins two main clauses and a connective. The clauses are linked by connectives, such as ‘but,’ ‘so,’ and ‘and.’

“I like football, and I like rugby.”

“Paul can be loud, but he is funny sometimes.”

Complex Sentence Examples

A complex sentence is made when the main and subordinate clauses are joined with a connective. Subordinate clauses depend upon the main clause to make sense. A famous complex sentence example from literature is ‘The Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman stood up in a corner and kept quiet all night, although they could not sleep.’ (From The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum).

“I enjoy steamed vegetables, although my mother prefers roasted.”

“You need to practice your guitar if you want to be in a successful band.”

How to write complex sentences (examples provided)

Complex sentences can help present ideas that need layers of information and details. To understand complex sentences, it’s helpful to first look at simple and compound sentences. To know how to write a complex sentence, students will need to learn the different components of a complex sentence, including the main clause, connective and subordinate clause.

• Main clause: This is the primary message of a sentence; the main clause must make grammatical sense independently.
• Connectives: Connectives are joining words that children will be taught to use to connect phrases and clauses and improve the flow of their writing.
• Subordinate clauses: A subordinate clause usually begins with a subordinate conjunction. This part of the sentence follows a connective to add additional information.

Once you understand these components, you can start building your complex sentence examples using this formula:

Complex sentence = main clause + connective + subordinate clause

What is the Difference between Compound and Complex Sentences?

Let’s review their respective definitions to understand the difference between compound and complex sentences fully.

Compound Sentence: a compound sentence contains one independent clause and either one or more dependent clauses.

Complex sentence; a complex sentence contains multiple independent clauses but no dependent clause.

Characteristics of Compound and Complex Sentences

Now that we’re familiar with each of their definitions, let’s have a look at the key characteristics that show the difference between compound and complex sentences:

• Independent Clauses

On the one hand, a compound sentence always contains more than one independent clause. On the other hand, however, complex sentences only ever have one independent clause.

• Dependent Clauses

You will not find any dependent clauses in a compound sentence whatsoever. However, contrastingly, a complex sentence will always have at least one dependent clause.

• Conjunction

A compound sentence joins the two clauses together by a coordinating conjunction. Alternatively, a complex sentence joins the two clauses together by a subordinating conjunction.

Quick vocab check:

Coordinating conjunction: coordinating conjunction is placed between words, phrases, clauses, or sentences of equal rank.

Subordinating conjunction: a subordinating conjunction is placed at the beginning of a subordinate clause. A subordinate clause forms part of and depends on the sentence’s main clause.

• Beginning of the sentence

You cannot use a coordinating conjunction at the beginning of a compound sentence. However, a subordinating conjunction can e used at the beginning of a complex sentence.

What Is a Compound-Complex Sentence?

We know the difference between compound and complex sentences, but is it possible to combine them? The simple answer is yes! You can technically combine a compound and a complex sentence to make a compound-complex sentence.

A compound-complex sentence is defined as one that contains a minimum of three clauses. These clauses must include the following:

• two independent clauses
• one or more dependent clauses

This will result in three subjects and verbs within the compound-complex sentence.

Within a compound sentence, two or more independent clauses are joined together by coordinating conjunctions like ‘for, and, but, or, yet, and so.’ Alternatively, the independent clauses can be combined using a conjunctive adverb like ‘however.’ On the other hand, a complex sentence contains just one independent clause and at least one subordinate clause that will modify the main subject or verb of the sentence.

Compound-complex sentences are joined together using a coordinating conjunction, just like in a regular compound sentence. The comma should be placed straight after the coordinating conjunction.

Examples of Compound-Complex Sentences

• There were lots of people queueing to get into the park, so I used the secret side entrance and met Jenny for our picnic on time.
• The beautiful sunflowers were beginning to wilt, but Jeremiah wasn’t worried because he knew they would bloom again next year.
• Since Aisling is allergic to wheat, she couldn’t have any bread rolls, but she was happy to eat the delicious leek and potato soup.

How to Write a Compound-Complex Sentence

So, you know a compound-complex sentence, but how do you write one? Let’s break it down into a few simple steps.

When it comes to writing a compound-complex sentence, the structure is vital. If you neglect the structure of your compound-complex sentence, you can run into issues like sentence fragments and running sentences.

Here are a few simple steps you can follow to create an effective, well-thought-out, perfectly structured compound-complex sentence:

• Identify your main clauses

Compound-complex sentences are always split up into two independent clauses. Each of these clauses will contain a subject and a verb phrase, which allows them to stand alone (hence the name ‘independent’). So the first step in creating your compound-complex sentence is choosing what you want your two independent clauses to be.

• Identify your dependent clause

Attaching a dependent clause to your sentence transforms it from a compound sentence to a compound-complex one, so this step is crucial. Furthermore, your dependent clause has the power to modify the meaning or the tone of your independent clause, meaning it must be selected very carefully.

• Conjunctions at the ready

As previously mentioned, the clauses in a compound-complex sentence are joined together using a coordinating conjunction. There are many coordinating conjunctions to choose from, so you can browse through them to find the one that best fits your sentence.

• Last stop, punctuation!

The final step in completing the perfect compound-complex sentence is adding your punctuation. Typically a comma will be placed in front of the coordinating conjunction in your sentence. Moreover, if your sentence begins with a dependent clause, this should be followed immediately by a comma.

Subordinating Conjunction

Subordinating conjunctions (a word or a phrase) introduce a subordinating clause, such as ‘although‘ or ‘because.’ They link a dependent clause to an independent clause.

What are conjunctions?

A conjunction is a word that joins sentences, clauses, or other singular words together. It’s a type of connective (a term for any word that connects bits of text). In this case, conjunctions link two parts of a sentence together.

At this point, you might be wondering why we need conjunctions. They play a significant role by allowing us to form longer, more complex sentences that clearly express our ideas. Otherwise, we’d be limited to simple sentences made up of a single clause. For example:

“I like playing tennis. I like walking.”

“I like playing tennis, and I like walking.”

What are subordinating conjunctions?

Subordinating conjunctions include words like although and because. Take a look at this table to see how subordinating conjunctions can join the independent and subordinate clause

Independent/ Main clause	Subordinating clause	Subordinate clause
Sam wasn’t allowed in the car anymore	Because	he told James he wouldn’t wear a seat belt.
The teacher reads to their students	When	They have English reading lessons.

Now that we know a bit about this type of conjunction, let’s read on and take a quick look at another kind while we answer an essential question: ‘is ‘but’ a subordinating conjunction?’.

Is ‘but’ a subordinating conjunction?

Now that we have pretty good knowledge about these conjunctions, you may wonder if ‘is ‘but’ a subordinating conjunction?’.

The word ‘but’ is a coordinating conjunction. This is another type of conjunction with a critical difference; unlike subordinating conjunctions, where a dependent clause is linked to an independent one, a coordinating conjunction is where two clauses of equal rank are connected. For example:

• ‘I’d like a slice of that cake, but I’m on a diet
• ‘I left home late this morning, but luckily I still caught the bus.’
• ‘I like pears, but I’m not too fond of apples’

In each example, ‘but’ links two clauses of equal value to the reader. So now that we know the answer to ‘is ‘but’ a subordinating conjunction?’, let’s move on and look at some more examples.

What are the 12 subordinating conjunctions?

Your students will learn 17 common subordinating conjunctions in primary education. These include

1. After
2. Although
3. As
4. Because
5. Before
6. How
7. Once
8. Since
9. That
10. Where
11. Whether
12. While.

What are subordinating conjunction examples in sentences?

Perhaps the most common subordinating example is the word ‘because.’ For example, the sentence ‘Because her shoes were too tight is incomplete. On its own, a clause beginning with ‘because’ is incomplete.

To fix this, we need more information in the form of an independent clause for the sentence to make sense. Join us in improving this confusing and incomplete sentence. By adding the independent clause, ‘Samantha’s feet had been hurting all day, and the subordinate conjunction, we can create a much better sentence. Let’s combine the two clauses to create ‘Samantha’s feet had been hurting all day because her shoes were too tight.

Here are five more examples of subordinating conjunctions with their uses in a sentence.

• After
• Before
• Though
• Unless
• While

1. After finishing his dinner, James went to ride his bike.
2. This is the main clause before this subordinating clause.
3. It’s sunny outside today, though it might rain later.
4. Unless it rains, we’ll picnic by the river tomorrow.
5. Jonah likes rock music, while his sister likes pop ballads.

When will children learn about subordinating conjunctions?

Children will learn about different types of conjunctions during primary school English lessons. They’ll no doubt have plenty of questions to ask, from ‘what is a conjunction?’ to ‘is ‘but’ a subordinating conjunction?’. Luckily, there are also loads of handy methods for teaching conjunctions.

The mnemonic device ‘I SAW A WABUB’ is excellent for teaching children subordinate conjunctions and helping them to remember the main ones. It stands for:

• If
• Since
• As
• When
• Although
• While
• After
• Before
• Until
• Because

Equator

The Earth’s Equator is the imaginary line that runs around the globe’s center at 0 degrees latitude, at an equal distance between the North and South Poles. Like the other lines of latitude, it’s based on the Earth’s axis of rotation and its orbit around the sun. It is the longest of Earth’s five circles of latitude, the others being polar and tropical circles. This is because of how the Earth bulges around its center.

The Equator is just under 25,000 miles long, wrapping around the entire Earth. The Equator divides the Earth into northern and southern hemispheres, with both experiencing different amounts of daylight at other times. This weather, climate, and the seasons we experience result from the Earth’s tilt on its axis and its orbit around the sun. The northern and southern hemispheres are either turned toward or away from the sun depending on the Earth’s position while it’s orbiting the sun.

When the Sun is directly above the Earth’s Equator, sunlight shines perpendicular to the Earth’s axis, and all latitudes have a 12-hour day and 12-hour night. The Sun passes directly over the equator twice a year, on the March and September equinoxes.

Countries Near the Equator and Their Weather

Why is it So Hot Near the Equator?

On and near the equator, sunlight comes from almost directly above every day all year round; the equator, therefore, has a stable daytime temperature the whole year. In addition, due to the Earth’s natural bulge where the equator is located, the equator is closer to the Sun than any other place; this also results in higher temperatures all year round.

Countries on the equator experience the shortest sunrises and sunsets as the Sun’s daily path is perpendicular to the horizon. In countries on or near the equator, the sunrise and sunset take only minutes.

What Countries Does The Equator Pass Through?

The equator passes through 11 countries:

• Indonesia
• Gabon
• São Tomé and Príncipe
• Republic of the Congo
• Democratic Republic of the Congo
• Uganda
• Kenya
• Somalia
• Ecuador
• Colombia
• Brazil

Countries, The Equator, and Weather

What Type of Weather do They Have in Countries Near the Equator?

Countries on or near the equator don’t experience the same weather. While the temperatures remain high, some countries experience wet and dry seasons. Countries on or near the equator have high temperatures all year round due to Earth’s axis tilt. The average temperature in these countries is around 31 degrees Celsius.

There is very little temperature change. However, certain types of weather do change. For example, countries on or near the equator experience changes in humidity and rainfall. At one point on the equator, you’ll find snow. This is on the high slopes of Volcan Cayambe in Ecuador. This high humidity means that places on the equator are not the hottest in the world, despite being closest to the sun. This is because the water in the air cools the temperature.

Do Countries Near the Equator Have Seasons?

Countries near the equator don’t experience the four seasons like other places on Earth. As a result, countries on or near have the same amount of daylight and darkness throughout the year.

Generally, there are two seasons in equatorial countries, wet and dry. The wet season lasts most of the year. Along with the warmth, this creates tropical rainforests.

Lowland countries near the equator have a tropical rainforest climate. Depending on their distance from colder oceans, some countries near the equator have tropical monsoon climates.

Due to its hot, wet weather and climate, almost half of the world’s rainforests are located on the equator. These rainforests are located in Brazil, Congo, and Indonesia. Because of the equatorial countries’ weather and climate, many plant and animal species also thrive here. As a result, it’s a place of rich biodiversity.

While other countries experience changing daylight hours during the different seasons, the 12-hour day and night never vary in length in the countries on or near the equator.

If you live on or near the equator, you’ll experience the shortest sunrise and sunset in the world, as they take only minutes.

Facts About The Equator

• The name ‘equator’ comes from the Latin word ‘equator’ meaning ‘circle equalizing day and night
• The highest point on the equator is Volcan Cayambe in Ecuador, at 4,690 meters.
• Since it is located at the point where the Earth bulges its center, the gravitational pull is weaker as the distance from the center of the Earth is greater. This makes places on the equator ideal places for space launches.
• Space launching locations near the equator include the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Maldives, Shaba North, and Gan Island.
• Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania, is located close to the equator and experiences cool, dry weather and even has glaciers. This is because of its height.
• Sailors have many rituals and celebrations for crossing the Equator. This is known as ‘crossing the line. Pollywog is often a name given to a sailor who has never crossed the Equator.

Farm Animals

Farm animals are raised on farms for their meat and dairy products or to help out the farmers.

What are farm animals for kids?

Farm animals are animals that are raised and kept for agricultural purposes. They include cows, chickens, pigs, geese, and more.

Kids love farm animals – they’re a staple part of primary school learning, especially in younger kids, and seem to have transfixed children for generations.

It’s important to teach about farm animals for kids and how farms work for various reasons. For one, kids must know and understand where their food comes from. This can help kids appreciate their meals more, understand how it ends up on their plate, and have some awareness of the issues surrounding this – food doesn’t (all) grow on trees!

Teaching farm animals to kids is also a good way of introducing kids to wildlife and explaining that animals all require different types of care and have different needs. This is particularly the case when it comes to food, shelter, and care – you have to be patient and observant when dealing with animals and their needs, which is an important quality to encourage in children.

Helping kids understand the processes of where food comes from encourages them to be less wasteful and appreciate that food doesn’t all just come from shops and supermarkets. This level of understanding is beneficial and promotes a more significant curiosity for various foods.

Teaching farm animals to kids is also an excellent opportunity to teach kids about the importance of nature and weather since farming is affected by this every day, and farmers have to work with and around nature to make ends meet. Rain, temperatures, wind, and other elements are all hugely important in farming, and working with nature is vital.

Farms are also great for teaching about safety and being aware of your surroundings. Many animals and equipment exist, so farms can be potentially risky environments if not treated with respect. This is an excellent opportunity to help teach your kids to follow essential rules and keep their wits about them, behaving responsibly and maturely, as there’s no room for messing about on a farm.

Farms and farm animals can also teach kids about the circle of life regularly encountered on farms.

There’s also a considerable benefit in teaching young kids about farms, as it can aid their learning and development in plenty of ways. For example, when we’re teaching about farms, animals, and the noises they make, we’re also helping kids learn and master their language, phonics, and ability to remember names and associate them with correct animals.

Here, we’ll discuss some of the main farm animals and their features.

Cows

Cows are a favorite of many kids. They live on farms and provide us with milk to make dairy products like cheese, butter, yogurt, and ice cream! Cows might also be kept for their beef. Nowadays, farmers tend to keep dairy or beef cattle rather than use the same cows for both. Female cows are the ones that give milk, male cows are called bulls, and baby cows are called calves.

Horses

Horses also live on the farm and help the farmer with their day-to-day work. For example, horses can pull trailers, wagons, and plows. People also ride horses, and they can travel great distances. A male horse is called a stallion, and a female horse is called a mare.

Goats

Goats are also commonly found on farms. They can be milked like cows, and their milk can be used to make cheese, butter, yogurt, and even soap. A baby goat is cutely called a kid. They were one of the first animals to be tamed by humans, and historians think they were being herded over 9,000 years ago!

Chickens

Chickens are kept either for their meat or to lay eggs. Female chickens lay eggs. They are known as hens. They tend to lay 1-2 eggs each day. A male chicken is called a rooster – they’re responsible for the early morning “Cock-a-doodle-do”, one of the many fun noises kids will learn about from farms. Baby chickens are called chicks. It’s thought that they were domesticated in China around 8,000 years ago.

Pigs

Pigs are reared on farms for their meat – we get pork, bacon, and sausages from pigs. Pigs live in a peng, which is referred to as a sty. They’re often seen rolling around in the mud because it helps them keep cool as they can’t sweat like other animals. While many people see pigs as slow and lazy animals, they’re pretty quick and can run at speeds of up to 11mph, not bad! Female pigs are called sows, male pigs are called boars, and baby pigs are called piglets.

 

Geese

You might also find geese on a farm – female geese lay eggs like chickens. Male geese are called ganders, and baby geese are called goslings. On land or in water, a group of geese is called a gaggle. When they’re in the air, they’re called skeins. A mother goose will have around 4-5 goslings at a time.

What is Presidents Day 2023?

Presidents Day is a federal holiday honoring the presidents of the United States, both past and present. Celebrated as an official state holiday in the majority of the United States, Presidents Day originated as a day of commemoration for the first president, George Washington. However, in the 20th century, the event became a day of recognition for all presidents of the United States, including the current 46th president of the United States, Joe Biden.

When is Presidents Day 2023?

Presidents Day is held on the third Monday in February. In 2023, the event falls on Monday, February 20th.

What is the history of Presidents Day?

Presidents Day originated in 1879 as a day to honor President George Washington in the district of Washington, D.C. In 1885, this event expanded across the country, with all federal offices recognizing the holiday. Nearly 100 years later, in 1951, the Presidents Day National Committee was formed to choose a day of commemoration for all presidents. Initially, the date of March 4 was selected, as this was the date of the first presidential inauguration. However, the committee later settled on a date in February to be closer to George Washington’s birthday. Finally, in 1971, it was decided that the holiday would take place on the third Monday in February, and the holiday has been celebrated that way ever since.

What happens on Presidents Day?

Presidents Day is a federal holiday, meaning that public services such as the U.S. Postal Service will close, as well as schools and some public offices. Nevertheless, communities come together to celebrate with parades across the country. Some cities like Alexandra, Virginia (George Washington’s home city) even host month-long celebrations. Other locations hold festivals and special events like the annual “GeorgeFest” in Eustis, Florida. Many stores and businesses also offer memorable Presidents Day discounts to customers on this holiday. And we can’t forget the most delicious part of this day – the cherry pie! Cherry pie is traditionally eaten every Presidents Day due to the legendary story of George Washington chopping down a cherry tree.

How can I teach Presidents Day to my class?

Teaching your class about Presidents Day can be an opportunity to dive deeper into American history and learn about the pioneering presidents that have shaped the United States. Below are some top tips we highly recommend:

• Explore the history of Presidents Day with your class, starting with learning about the first-ever president, George Washington.
• Assign each student a different president, then ask them to complete a home learning project about them.
• Have your class write a letter to the president explaining what changes they want to see.
• Stage a mock election and choose a class president to oversee your day!
• Our favorite tip? Why not have a cherry pie tasting with your class? It would make a delicious twist on the holiday fun!

What is a Whole Number?

A whole number is a positive number that does not contain a fractional or decimal part. This means that, for example, the numbers 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 are whole numbers.

Numbers such as -3, 2.7, or 3 ½ are not whole numbers.

How can I tell if a number is a whole number?

There are 3 main factors to take into account when working out whether or not a number is a whole number:

1. A whole number has to be positive, not a negative number, also known as a minus number. This means it has to be of a value of 0 or higher. For example, 0, 1, 2, and 3 are all whole numbers. However, -1, -2, and -3 are not.
2. A whole number cannot include any fractional element. That means that numbers 1 ½, 3 ¼, and 7 ⅚ are not whole numbers, but 1, 3, and 7 are.
3. A whole number cannot include any decimal element. This means that numbers such as 3.4, 7.9, and 11.234 are not whole numbers, but 3, 7, and 11 are.

As long as a number meets these criteria, a whole number can be any number from 0 to however high you (or anyone else) can count!

What are counting numbers?

Counting numbers are whole numbers that are used to count things. These could be 1, 2, 3, 4, etc. They’re a type of number you can use to say how much you have counted off something. They are any positive number. However, you cannot have negative counting numbers. This is because you can’t have minus 1 or 2 or any other negative number of something. This also doesn’t include fractions or decimals. So counting numbers can only ever be whole numbers. See if you can count some objects and find out which counting number you get.

Regarding counting numbers, there’s been some debate around whether the number zero is classed as a counting number. While you can’t have a negative amount of something, you can have none. Which would be a zero amount of whatever you’re counting. For this reason, some think zero should be classed as a counting number. However, there is no specific rule declaring that zero isn’t a counting number, but it depends on each person individually. So what do you think about zero? It could be a class discussion to decide if zero is a counting number.

Rounding to the Nearest Whole Number

In year 4, students must learn how to round to the nearest whole number. This means finding the whole number that is most similar in value to a given non-whole number.

Here are some examples:

• The nearest whole number to 3.2 is 3
• The nearest whole number to 5.7 is 4
• The nearest whole number to 2 ¼ is 2
• The nearest whole number to 8 ⅚ is 9

This can get tricky with numbers such as 2.5 or 4 ½ because they are strictly between two whole numbers. In this case, either of the two nearest whole numbers is acceptable, but rounding up rather than down is generally the best practice.

Visual Aids to Explain Whole Numbers

When explaining the difference between whole numbers and non-whole numbers, visual aids such as counters and shapes can be helpful.

For example, you can show a whole counter representing a whole number and a part of a counter showing non-whole numbers.

You could also do this with money. Try using whole pounds to represent whole numbers and pence to represent decimal values between whole numbers. For example, £3 would represent a whole number, whereas £3.20, for instance, would represent a non-whole number.

A number line can also be a helpful tool.