Top Mother's Day Actions and Lessons to Savor

As Mother's Day approaches, teachers and students alike can find a wealth of resources to make the celebration educational and engaging. Here are some of the best resources to help you teach about the history, significance, and cultural aspects of Mother's Day in the classroom.

For a detailed account of Mother's Day's origins, Encyclopedia Britannica's extensive history provides a comprehensive overview. It traces the holiday's roots back to Anna Jarvis in the United States, her mother Ann Jarvis's promotion of reconciliation after the Civil War, and its establishment as a national celebration in 1914. The article also delves into interesting cultural traditions such as the symbolism of red and pink carnations [1].

Cultural Symbols and Customs

Understanding the symbols and customs associated with Mother's Day is crucial for a well-rounded lesson. Google Arts and Culture offers an assemblage of great works of art featuring mothers, providing material for an art lesson [2]. Additionally, Mother's Day online quizzes, games, and worksheets are available for youngsters and English Language Learners [3].

Moral and Faith Perspectives

Incorporating moral and faith perspectives on motherhood can foster deeper reflection on the role of mothers. Faith-based stories and sermon ideas that highlight biblical and inspirational examples of motherhood, such as Elisha’s widow and Hannah, can provide valuable insights [4].

Engaging Classroom Activities

Creative and seasonal educational activities can help students connect with the theme of Mother's Day. Writing poetry for Mother's Day cards, for instance, can tie into lessons about gratitude and cultural traditions [5]. Crafty STEM activities for Mother's Day offer fun projects like making a family portrait mobile or a thaumatrope [6].

Appreciation and Diversity

Articles focusing on the appreciation aspect of the holiday can help students understand how Mother's Day provides an occasion to honour and recognise mother figures in diverse families and communities [7]. A Plant Evolution WordSearch Puzzle focuses on plant anatomy terms, offering a unique approach to the celebration [8].

Digital Resources

For a small fee, a digital resource guides teachers and students in creating adorable digital Mother's Day greetings [9]. Tynker allows kids to hone their coding skills while creating digital stories and cards for Mom [10]. Teachers Pay Teachers offers a collection of classroom-tested Mother's Day resources [11].

A collection of 15 memorable mothers in literature is available, suitable for an advanced literature class [12]. A high school lesson idea involves researching and writing about different societies' attitudes toward mothers over the past two millennia [13].

Art Lessons

An art lesson based on Mary Cassatt's portraits of mothers with children can be found, requiring a free account [14]. The U.S. Census Bureau offers a Mother's Day Fun Facts and Teaching Guide for engaging lessons [15].

Storytelling

StoryCorps offers a collection of genuine and touching stories to celebrate the relationships between mothers and kids [16]. Code.org provides customizable Mother's Day cards and a music quiz for moms as part of their reliable and free activities [17].

By combining these resources, educators can provide a well-rounded approach to teaching both the history and meaning of Mother's Day in the classroom. Happy Mother's Day!

[1] Encyclopedia Britannica. (n.d.). Mother's Day. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/topic/Mothers-Day [2] Google Arts & Culture. (n.d.). Mothers in Art. Retrieved from https://artsandculture.google.com/exhibit/mothers-in-art/X9CdZn7g_jqXQw [3] Mother's Day Online Quizzes, Games, and Worksheets. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Browse/Mother's-Day [4] Faith-based Stories and Sermon Ideas. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Browse/Mother's-Day [5] Articles Focusing on the Appreciation Aspect. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Browse/Mother's-Day [6] Crafty STEM Activities for Mother's Day. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Browse/Mother's-Day [7] The Science Buddies Lesson "How Does a Chick Breathe Inside Its Shell". (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project_ideas/Birds_p031/life-sciences/how-does-a-chick-breathe-inside-its-shell [8] Plant Evolution WordSearch Puzzle. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Plant-Evolution-WordSearch-Puzzle-3932303 [9] A Digital Resource Guide for Mother's Day Greetings. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/A-Digital-Resource-Guide-for-Mother's-Day-Greetings-3932304 [10] Tynker. (n.d.). Mother's Day Coding Projects. Retrieved from https://www.tynker.com/projects/mothers-day [11] Teachers Pay Teachers. (n.d.). Mother's Day Resources. Retrieved from https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Browse/Mother's-Day [12] 15 Memorable Mothers in Literature. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/15-Memorable-Mothers-in-Literature-3932306 [13] High School Lesson Idea: Researching Societies' Attitudes Towards Mothers. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/High-School-Lesson-Idea-Researching-Societies-Attitudes-Towards-Mothers-3932307 [14] Art Lesson Based on Mary Cassatt's Portraits of Mothers with Children. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Art-Lesson-Based-on-Mary-Cassatt-s-Portraits-of-Mothers-with-Children-3932308 [15] U.S. Census Bureau. (n.d.). Mother's Day Fun Facts and Teaching Guide. Retrieved from https://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/publications/2017/education/2017-fact-sheet-mothers-day.pdf [16] StoryCorps. (n.d.). Mothers. Retrieved from https://www.storycorps.org/participate/search/?q=mothers [17] Code.org. (n.d.). Mother's Day. Retrieved from https://studio.code.org/courses/course-13/mother-s-day/unit/mother-s-day-music-quiz