Shaped

A community-driven blog supporting educators, building lifelong learners,
and shaping the future of education.* 

Latest Posts

WF1497401 Shaped 2021 100th Day Trail Mix Recipe Hero

100th Day of School Trail Mix Recipe Ideas

The 100th day of school can feel like a big milestone—both for students and teachers! Highlight this special day with a celebratory snack like trail mix. We have a few recipe ideas for you to create your own trail mix, including a nut-free version.

Zoe Del Mar
Shaped Executive Editor

12 Classroom New Year's Activities for Students

12 Classroom New Year's Activities for Students

Ready for a fresh start in your classroom? Say goodbye to the old and hello to the new with our fun New Year's activities for students.

Brenda Iasevoli
Shaped Executive Editor

Student proudly wearing future voter badge

Election 2021: How Can You Teach the Election Process to Elementary Students?

Discover helpful tips for teaching the election process to elementary students and how important voting is in a democratic society.

LaNesha Tabb
Kindergarten Teacher, Indianapolis, IN

Teaching solid figures triangular prism drawing hero

Teaching Solid Figures: Vertices, Edges and More

In this lesson, students will explore the parts that make up solid figures, including edges, faces, and vertices.

Richard Blankman
Shaped Executive Editor

Structuring the literacy block hero

Structuring the Literacy Block

The most productive literacy block schedules include various reading and writing activities and instruction to help build foundational skills.

Francie Alexander
Senior Vice President, Efficacy & Consulting Research

Dr. Amy Endo
Education Research Director, Supplemental & Intervention Language & Literacy

Renee Behring
Education Research Director, Core ELA

Dr. Terry Salinger
Institute Fellow and Chief Scientist for Literacy Research, American Institutes for Research

Wf1167613 Hero Image 1

90-Second Science: Quick and Easy Science Experiments

Watch these 90-Second Science videos of quick and easy science experiments for kids that you can do at home or in the classroom.

Shaped Staff

Teaching math to ells hero

7 Strategies for Teaching Math to English Language Learners

These ELL strategies for math instruction will help you with teaching math to English language learners and supporting math learning for multilingual students.

Richard Blankman
Shaped Executive Editor

911 memorial hero

9/11 Activities for Elementary Students

How do you teach younger students about the September 11, 2001 attacks and their impact? We've got you covered with these 9/11 activities for elementary school.

Brenda Iasevoli
Shaped Executive Editor

Teaching flat plane shapes circles squares hero

Teaching Flat Plane Shapes and Solid Shapes

Teach students about plane shapes, or closed, two-dimensional figures, and solid shapes, which include many of the everyday objects with which students are familiar.

Shaped Staff

teacher in classroom with students

Social and Emotional Learning Activities and Lesson Plans

Teach students the skills needed for success in and out of the classroom with these social and emotional activities and SEL lesson plans.

Shaped Staff

Math classroom routines talk moves hero image

How to Re-establish Math Conversations This Fall

Five routines are provided to help math teachers establish routines and promote mathematical discussions this school year. The routines consist of four Talk Moves and one language routine.

Richard Blankman
Shaped Executive Editor

iPad with image of Shaped blog content

Free Teaching Resources: Fun Classroom Activities and Lesson Plan Ideas

Find free teaching resources. Explore fun classroom activities, lessons plans, downloadables, and videos for Grade K–12 kids to keep learning and growing at grade level.

Shaped Staff

Girl smiling as she is writing in her classroom workbook

10 Tips and Tricks for Into Math

Here are inside tips from Into Math writers, coaches, and experts, on how to make the most of our core K–8 math program.

Shaped Staff

Culturally responsive books

Embracing Inclusivity with Culturally Responsive Books for All Students

Teachers should read or assign culturally responsive books with characters of different cultures, races, religions, genders, and other identities to help them understand themselves and each other.

Jaleel R. Howard, MEd
Educator and UCLA Doctoral Student

Sam Blanchard
UCLA Doctoral Student and Former Teacher

WF1289060 Shaped 2020 Revamp Elementary

Elementary School Learning Activities

Use these educational activities for elementary school to explore different topics in reading, math, and science and add an element of fun into your lessons.

Shaped Staff

WF1309635 Shaped 2021 Blog Post Math at The Met Hero

Teaching Math Through Art from the Metropolitan Museum of Art

Here are three specific ways that teaching math through art from The Met can enhance your students' learning experience.

Richard Blankman
Shaped Executive Editor

Bulletin boards presidents day

6 Presidents' Day Bulletin Board Ideas for Teachers

Check out these six Presidents' Day bulletin board ideas created by teachers to get your students learning about American presidents.

Alicia Ivory
Shaped Editor

WF1307903 Shaped 2020 Blog Post Reflections HERO2 word cloud

11 Most-Read Shaped Blogs of 2020

Before we say goodbye to 2020, we want to highlight the most-read Shaped blogs, written with you in mind as you navigated this most unusual year.

Christine Condon
Shaped Editor-in-Chief

*The views expressed in our blog are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of HMH.