Hello!
My name is Steve Reifman, and I am a National Board Certified elementary school teacher, author, and speaker in Santa Monica, CA.
SteveReifman.com is a resource for elementary school teachers and parents. My mission is to teach the whole child—empowering students to succeed academically, build strong character, learn valuable work habits and social skills, and take charge of their health and wellness.
Blog
Discover over 100 posts filled with teaching tips, links to YouTube videos, and other useful ideas and strategies for teaching the whole child.
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Teaching Resources
Explore these print books, e-books, courses, and other resources that offer effective, proven ideas and strategies that improve student learning.
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Chase Manning Mystery Series
Each book in this award-winning mystery series for kids 8-12 features a single-day, real-time thriller that takes place on an elementary school campus.
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Workshops
Looking for a presenter for your next conference or workshop? Check out these engaging, innovative sessions that address a wide variety of topics.
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This week I share photographs of some of the Planets Paintings my students have created over the past few years during our art-science integration project, in which they painted the planets and Sun in the unique style of Impressionist Claude Monet. Last week I introduced the project and described the day-by-day unit plan.
The California Earth science standards for third grade focus on astronomy. The primary standard reads as follows: “Objects in the sky move in regular and predictable patterns.†The five substandards that develop this idea further mention constellations, the lunar cycle, the definition of a telescope, the planets that orbit the Sun, and the Sun’s position in the sky.
For two of these five substandards, I have created week-long projects that integrate art and science. The first project begins when I present my students with an introduction sheet that contains the following scenario:
This week I share photographs of some designs my students have created over the past few years for our Symbol & Landmark Project, an engaging social studies unit that helps kids make a personal connection with important content. I introduced the project two weeks ago and described the day-by-day unit plan last week.
This week I describe the specific unit plan for the Symbol & Landmark Project, an engaging social studies unit that helps kids find relevance in their work and allows them to make a personal connection with important content. I introduced the project last week, and next week I will share pictures of some projects my students have created.
Here is the day-by-day sequence of activities. The unit typically takes two weeks to complete.
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