The first day of fall has come and gone, and October is here! We have collected several lesson plans and examples in Inspiration®, Kidspiration® and InspireData® this month that you can easily adapt for your classroom. This month is full of famous birthdays and historical firsts for the United States. Begin the month with a focus on safety and health while you celebrate Fire Prevention Week and Child Health Day. Finish off the month with some themed lessons around one of America’s favorite holidays – Halloween.
10/1 Computer Learning, Family History, National Clock and Energy Awareness Month
- Dive into Computer Learning Month with a Kidspiration activity on computer parts this October.
- Celebrate Family History Month this October by creating family trees in Inspiration.
- Learn how to tell time for National Clock Month in October with an activity in Kidspiration.
- Practice how time elapses in Kidspiration for October’s National Clock Month.
- Learn about thermal energy, nuclear energy and biofuel in Inspiration for Energy Awareness Month this October.
- Compare renewable and nonrenewable resources in Kidspiration for October Energy Awareness Month.
- Create an energy concept map in Inspiration for Energy Awareness Month in October.
10/2 World Card Making Day
- Create a vacation postcard in Kidspiration for World Card Making Day October 2nd.
10/4 Fire Prevention Week, Child Health Day and Sputnik I Launched
- Learn fire drill rules in Kidspiration for Fire Prevention Week the first week in October.
- Teach a student wellness plan in Inspiration for Child Health Day October 4th.
- Help young students understand why we sneeze, shiver, hiccup and yawn with a Kidspiration activity October 4th for Child Health Day.
- Play a planet jeopardy game or learn about the universe in Inspiration while learning about the launch of Sputnik I October 4th.
- Learn about the earth’s movements around the sun in Inspiration and Kidspiration on the anniversary of Sputnik I’s launch October 4th.
- Teach the difference between rotation and revolution in Inspiration October 4th in remembrance of Sputnik I’s launch into space.
10/6 Thomas Edison Shows First Motion Picture
- Write a movie review and film analysis in Inspiration on the anniversary of Thomas Edison’s first motion picture showing on October 6th.
- Learn about Thomas Edison and other famous inventors in Kidspiration on the day he showed the first motion picture, October 6th.
10/11 Teen Read Week, Columbus Day and Indigenous People’s Day
- Create a Moby Dick analysis exemplar in Inspiration for Teen Read Week the second week in October.
- Celebrate Columbus Day October 11th with Christopher Columbus and holiday activities in Kidspiration.
- Learn about the early Native Americans in InspireData for Indigenous People’s Day October 11th.
10/12 Farmer’s Day
- Celebrate Farmer’s Day October 12th with a “Farmer, What Do You See?” activity in Kidspiration.
10/13 First Aerial Photo in U.S.
- Introduce a photo analysis organizer in Inspiration October 13th, marking the anniversary of the First Aerial Photo in the U.S.
10/15 National Poetry Day
- Study an acrostic content poem in Kidspiration on National Poetry Day October 15th.
- Teach about cinquain, sonnet, clerihew or haiku poetry in Inspiration for National Poetry Day October 15th.
10/16 Dictionary Day
- On Dictionary Day October 16th, teach a lesson in word choice with Kidspiration.
10/17 Black Poetry Day
- Teach a lesson in literature with Langston Hughes’ work in Kidspiration for Black Poetry Day October 17th.
10/19 Thomas Edison Demonstrated Electric Light
- Incorporate a lesson on technology and invention with Kidspiration October 19th, the day Thomas Edison demonstrated electric light.
- Teach a lesson on light and shadow in Kidspiration the day that Thomas Edison demonstrated electric light for the first time on October 19th.
10/25 Pablo Picasso’s Birthday
- On Pablo Picasso’s birthday, October 25th, teach a lesson on color mixing in Kidspiration.
- Create an art response in Inspiration October 25th for Pablo Picasso’s birthday.
10/27 Theodore Roosevelt’s Birthday
- Write an analysis of a political cartoon in Inspiration on Theodore Roosevelt’s birthday October 27th.
10/28 Statue of Liberty’s Birthday
- Learn about immigration then and now with an InspireData activity October 28th in honor of the Statue of Liberty’s Birthday.
10/29 Black Tuesday
- Discover causes of the Great Depression in Inspiration on the anniversary of Black Tuesday October 29th.
- Use an activity in Inspiration on the anniversary of Black Tuesday October 29th to teach about The Great Depression.
10/30 John Adams’ Birthday
- Teach a lesson in Inspiration on notable people from the Revolutionary War on John Adam’s birthday October 30th.
10/31 Halloween
- Conduct a Halloween survey in InspireData October 31st.
- Celebrate Halloween October 31st with Jack-O-Lantern activities in Kidspiration: Activity 1, Activity 2, Activity 3 and Activity 4.
- Prepare for Halloween evening October 31st with a ghostly letter match in Kidspiration.
- Practice beginning letter sounds and positional words in Kidspiration with a Halloween activity October 31st.
- This Halloween, teach counting and identifying numbers with themed activities in Kidspiration.
- Compare traditions and cultures with a Kidspiration graphic organizer for Halloween.
Sarah Cargill
Thinkspiration Ambassador, Inspiration Software
Great ideas, Sarah. I like the computer parts lesson (of course–I’m a tech teacher!) and the Dictionary Day. I’m a hopeless bibliophile. Anything about words is exciting for my teaching.
Thanks for stopping by Jacqui. Did you end up using the example for Dictionary Day in your class?
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