Welcome to March! This month we celebrate Women's History, St. Patrick’s Day, the arrival of spring, and much more! Make each day unique and relevant for your students by incorporating different celebrations into your classroom.
Sunday, March 1: Beginning of Women’s History Month
Try one of these 6 Women's History Month Activities for Students to get you started. And have you decorated your classroom or door with famous women from history? Here's some inspiration from other teachers to help inspire your creativity.
Monday, March 2: Read Across America Day
Let your students pick any book they want from the library and give them time to read—purely for the love of reading!
Tuesday, March 3: World Wildlife Day
Learn more about the African safari "Big Five"—the lion, rhino, elephant, leopard, and African buffalo—with this activity that incorporates problem-solving with teamwork and learning about wildlife protection.
Wednesday, March 4: National Grammar Day
Make learning grammar a treat for your students by using these two classroom activities.
Thursday, March 5: National Nutrition Month
Learning the importance of eating right, regularly exercising, and understanding nutrition terms can help students make decisions that can affect their health. Try one of these seven classroom activities to teach your students about nutrition.
Friday, March 6: National Speech and Debate Education Day
Students can hone their public speaking skills and practice debating by arguing for or against saying the Pledge of Allegiance in public schools.
Saturday, March 7: Women’s History Month continues
Brush up on your history by reading classic works from female Abolitionists of the 19th century.
Sunday, March 8: International Women’s Day
State standards may dictate what you need to cover, but to incorporate more women in your curriculum, try these tips for scaffolding and a list of inspiring women to get you started.
Monday, March 9: National Napping Day
Everyone can benefit from a little time to relax and rest. Give yourself and your students a nap break today. And here are some ways you can incorporate mindfulness into your classroom everyday.
Tuesday, March 10: Mario Day
Named for today's date—MAR10—gamers named today Mario Day to celebrate Mario from the series of video games. Fun fact to share with your students: The Mario series is the best-selling video game franchise of all time—selling more than 620 million copies worldwide. See if anyone can guess the next best-selling series! (By the way, it's Pokémon.)
Wednesday, March 11: Women’s History Month continues
Before Rosa Parks, there was 15 year-old Claudette Colvin who refused to give up her seat to a white woman on a segregated bus in Montgomery, Alabama. Students will likely be inspired to learn that a young person sparked the civil rights stand taken by Rosa Parks during the civil rights movement.
Thursday, March 12: Girl Scouts’ Birthday
Juliette Gordon Low officially began the Girl Scouts on this day in 1912! Celebrate by taking a page from Low's book and teaching students how to create the change they want to see in the world. On our Learning Moments podcast recently, current Girl Scouts CEO Sylvia Acevedo shared, "When Juliette Gordon Low started the Girl Scouts, she got a lot of heat because she did not have the organization take a stand on the suffrage amendment. She said our role is to get girls the skills and the tools so that they can create the change and I'm not going to tell them one way or the other. But what happened is many of the women who actually got that vote passed and that amendment passed were Girl Scouts. And then when women first went to vote, many women were not allowed to go vote because they brought in their child, and they said children weren't allowed. So Girl Scouts across the nation mobilized and provided babysitting services so that women could go and get out the vote. And to me that's a really great example of a very nonpartisan approach that strengthens our democracy."
Friday, March 13: Friday the 13th
Use this supposedly "unlucky" day to teach your students about superstitions! You might be surprised to learn that in other places in the world, Tuesday the 13th is considered unlucky!
Saturday, March 14: Pi Day
For those who might be reluctant math lovers, 3.14 is your opportunity to make math a party with pi(e)! This pie-slicing activity combines geometry with problem-solving for elementary students. Or for high schoolers, try one or more of these nine Pi Day activities.
Sunday, March 15: National Bubble Week begins
Timed to align with the coming of spring, national bubble week is the perfect excuse to get outside and relax while blowing bubbles!
Monday, March 16: Giant Panda Bear Day
Help teach your students about these beautiful but endangered animals. The pandas that live in the National Zoo in Washington, D. C. are named Mei Xiang and Tian Tian. Whenever they have babies, the baby panda moves to China at age four to become part of a the breeding program there in order to help protect the species from going extinct.
Tuesday, March 17: St. Patrick’s Day
Learn the real history behind this holiday—turns out it has nothing to do with snakes disappearing from Ireland!
Wednesday, March 18: Women’s History Month continues
Learn about the life and achievements of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg with Dissenter on the Bench.
Thursday, March 19: Spring begins
Welcome spring! Celebrate by giving yourself and your students some time outside today.
Friday, March 20: International Day of Happiness
What makes you happier than a good friend? Put a smile on everyone's face with this activity on how to be a good friend.
Saturday, March 21: World Poetry Day
Everyone can find a way to express themselves through poetry. Let poet Glenis Redmond teach your students how to write a praise poem using this free downloadable lesson plan.
Sunday, March 22: World Water Day
Science teacher Donna Gradel has traveled to Africa with her students to provide clean water and protein for orphans in Kenya. In the spirit of World Water Day, inspire your students to protect the earth—both locally and globally.
Monday, March 23: World Meteorological Day
Learn about one of the most powerful forces in nature—wind. Frank and Devin Asch's Like a Windy Day tells the story of a who goes twirling and tumbling through a windy day.
Tuesday, March 24: Women’s History Month continues
Fun fact: Malala Yousafzai was the youngest person to receive the Nobel Peace Prize for her activism to ensure all girls are able to receive an education.
Wednesday, March 25: Tolkien Reading Day
Did you know that Houghton Mifflin Co. first published The Hobbit in America? Learn more about J.R.R. Tolkien and download an event kit here.
Thursday, March 26: Make Up Your Own Holiday Day
Ask your students to come up with their own holiday and provide some examples of ways they would celebrate or traditions they could start for the holiday.
Friday, March 27: Women’s History Month continues
Trivia: It is estimated that Harriet Tubman helped 3,000 slaves escape.
Saturday, March 28: Earth Hour
Earth Hour is a dedicated hour without power. Turn off the lights (and everything else in your classroom that runs off electricity) for a dedicated Earth Hour with your students.
Sunday, March 29: Women’s History Month continues
Susan B. Anthony is one of the leading historical figures of the suffragette movement. But as we celebrate 100 years of women having the right to vote in the U.S., be sure to your history is inclusive of the work of African American women like Sojourner Truth who were also leading the movement.
Monday, March 30: National Take a Walk in the Park Day
This one is easy (if you've got a park nearby)! Take a walk in the park, or just get outside and take a walk around your school to enjoy the day.
Tuesday, March 31: National Crayon Day
Break out the crayons and enjoy some time to get creative with coloring!
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And here are ideas to celebrate February holidays. Check back next month for ideas to celebrate April holidays!
Find more lesson plans and classroom resources on Shaped.
