Classroom Calendar Connections – March 2020

• Jill Rockwell
• Mar 01 2020

• Positive Classroom Management

Pi Day, the Ides of March, St. Patrick’s Day, March Madness, the spring equinox…these are just a few of the many teachable events of March!

Pi Day: March 14

• If learning random digits to impress their friends is what your students are into, they’ll love learning and singing this catchy song “The Pi Song (Memorize 100 Digits of Pi)”. 
• Combine math and literature by reading aloud Sir Cumference and the Dragon of Pi to reinforce math concepts with Sir Cumference, his son (Radius), and Lady Di of Ameter. 
• Finally, play a simple, yet fun card game to celebrate 3.14 with your students.

“Beware the Ides of March”: March 15

Is the 15th of March unluckier than any other day? I guess it depends on who you ask – Julius Caesar would undoubtedly think so. Read about other unfortunate historical events that occurred on the Ides of March in this Newsweek article. Then, discuss Shakespeare’s famous play (Julius Caesar) and explore the historic and modern-day roles of superstitions and proverbs in our lives with this comprehensive Read Write Think lesson plan.

March 17: St. Patrick’s Day

There was an old man with a beard,
Who said, “It is just as I feared!”
Two owls and a hen,
Four larks and a wren,
Have all built their nests in my beard!
-Edward Lear (the “father” of the limerick)

Looking for fun and educational ways to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with your students? You’re in luck! 

• Share some laughs with students by writing limericks using these simple rules. Give it a try (I did…).

There once was a teacher named Jill, / Who got poked in the eye with a porcupine quill! / Given her condition, she couldn’t go to school. / So, she went to an indoor swimming pool, / Where the water turned her blond hair green as dill. 

• Get your students sorting, counting, graphing, recording, and analyzing by creating Lucky Charms bar graphs.
• Did you know…The color originally associated with St. Patrick was blue. The first St. Patrick’s Day parade in the world was held in Boston, Massachusetts. St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Dublin was constructed on an ancient well that supposedly was used by St. Patrick to baptize converts to Christianity. Read and discuss more interesting facts about the patron saint of Ireland and his special day here.  
• Make rainbows of all shapes and sizes in your classroom with these 25 hands-on science experiments. (Don’t forget the pot of gold!)

March Madness: March 17-April 6
Whether you and your students are basketball fans or not, these activities are sure to be a ‘slam dunk’ in your classroom. 

• Bring out students’ competitive spirits while fostering a love of reading by creating a March Madness book bracket. A printable bracket is available to download here. 
• Discover everything you and your students want to know about the history of basketball by taking a virtual visit to the Smithsonian. Did you know that the museum features artifacts representing college basketball (including ticket stubs, coach’s clipboards, and even President Obama’s completed NCAA tournament bracket)? 
• Based on the odds, you are more likely to become an astronaut, win an Olympic gold medal, and even become president of the United States than…predicting a perfect bracket in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament. Check out this video to get your students thinking mathematically about March Madness. 

The First Day of Spring: March 19
Thursday, March 19 marks the first day of spring (the spring equinox). Hello, longer and sunnier days! It’s a wonderful time of the year but maintaining students’ attention can be extra challenging. Check out this past blog post for ideas to celebrate springtime with students at all grade levels, without sacrificing learning.

Happy spring, educators! Please share your own ideas for March in the classroom.

• Share Post:

Share your thoughts