Teaching in August: Lesson Plan Ideas for Elementary Teachers

The secret to teaching in August and keeping students engaged and learning is integrating holidays and special days into your instruction. There are so many holidays and special days in August to celebrate with your elementary students. They are great inspiration for August lesson plan ideas! Some of the more popular ones are National Inventors Month, National Friendship Day, and National Book Lovers Day. You’ll find the full list of August events, holidays, and special days teachers can celebrate and use as teaching topics and lesson plan ideas below!

August Holidays & Special Days for Lesson Plan Ideas

As you starting brainstorming August lesson plan ideas, add these August holidays and special days to your teacher planner.

Month-Long August Events

Below are month-long August events you can use as topics and themes for teaching in August. They are great inspiration for your August lesson plans!

National Inventors Month Activities

National Inventors Month is celebrated during the month of August every year! This month is dedicated to inventing and creating while acknowledging and recognizing all the incredible inventors who have created incredible things throughout history! This is the perfect time to explore specific inventions in your classroom like the pencil, eraser, or paperclip and learn more about the history of the invention and inventor behind the useful school tool to celebrate National Inventors Month! Check out the related activities below!

Week-Long August Events

Below are week-long August events you can use as topics and themes for teaching in August. They are great ideas and sources of inspiration for your August lesson plans!

World Water Week Activities

World Water Week is celebrated during the last week of August normally 8/23-9/1 but the date changes every year. This week is dedicated towards the many challenges our world faces and tackles the global water issue and focuses on transforming global water challenges as a team. This is the perfect week to appreciate water and explore these global water issues to better understand what’s going on in the world and how you can help! Check out the related activities below!

Authors with Birthdays in August

Below are authors with August birthdays you can use as topics and themes for teaching in August. They are great inspiration for your August lesson plan ideas!

Gail Gibbons’s Birthday (8/1) Activities

Gail Gibbons is an American children’s book writer and illustrator born on August 1, 1944. Gail is known for her incredible children’s picture books such as The Moon Book, From Seed to Plant, The Pumpkin Book, Ladybugs, and The Reasons for Seasons! Consider reading aloud one of these stories to your class.

Christian Robinson’s Birthday (8/2) Activities

Christian Robinson is an American children’s illustrator and artist born on August 2, 1986. You may know him for his illustrations in books like Gaston, You Matter, The Worst Teddy Ever, Last Stop On Market Street, and Another. Check out the related activities below!

Last Stop on Market Street book companion

Frank Asch’s Birthday (8/6) Activities

Frank Asch is an American children’s book writer born on August 6, 1946! Frank Asch is best known for his Moon Bear book collection which includes the books: Moon Bear, Happy Birthday, Moon, Popcorn, and Mooncake, along with many other adorable picture books! Consider reading aloud one of these stories to your class.

Barbara Cooney’s Birthday (8/6) Activities

Barbara Cooney is an American author and illustrator born on August 6, 1917. You may know her for her children’s books such as Miss Rumphius, Island Boy, Eleanor, and Letting Swift River Go. Check out the related activities below!

Rafael Lopez’s Birthday (8/8) Activities

Rafael Lopez is an American-Mexican illustrator and artist born on August 8, 1961. You may know his illustrations in books like Book Fiesta!, Just Ask Be Different, Be Brave, Be You, The Year We Learned to Fly, and The Day You Begin. Check out the related activities below!

Seymour Simon’s Birthday (8/9) Activities

Seymour Simon is an American children’s book author born on August 9, 1931. He is known for his educational science picture books such as Our Solar System, Super Storms, Mountains, Animals Nobody Loves, Earthquakes, Sharks, and Super Storms along with many other informative science books. Consider reading aloud one of these stories to your class.

Joanna Cole’s Birthday (8/11) Activities

Joanna Cole is an American children’s book author born on August 11, 1944! Joanna Cole is famously known for her classic Magic School Bus Series including: The Magic School Bus on the Ocean Floor, The Magic School Bus inside the human body, and The Magic School Bus at the Waterworks! Besides the popular Magic School Bus series Joanna Cole also wrote educational books about life topics such as I’m a Big Sister, I’m a Big Brother, and The Missing Tooth! Consider reading aloud one of these stories to your class.

Don Freeman’s Birthday (8/11) Activities

Don Freeman is an American children’s book author and illustrator born on August 11, 1908. Don Freeman was best known for his classic Corduroy picture book series which includes books like A pocket for Corduroy, Corduroy Lost and found, and Corduroy goes Shopping, along with many other adorable books in the collection! Check out the related resources below!

Steven Kroll’s Birthday (8/11) Activities

Steven Kroll’s is an American children’s book author born on August 11, 1941. Steven Kroll is well known for his holiday book collection including some of our favorites: The Biggest Pumpkin Ever, The Biggest Snowman Ever, and The Biggest Valentine Ever, along with many other festive books to get your students excited for the holiday seasons! Check out the related resources below!

Eileen Spinelli’s Birthday (8/16) Activities

Eileen Spinelli is an American children’s book author born on August 16, 1942! Eileen Spinelli is known for her popular picture books including: The Best Story, Thankful, Sophie’s Masterpiece, We’re Better Together, Silly Tilly, Someday, and some of our favorites… Somebody Loves You Mr Hatch and Thanksgiving at the Tappletons’! Check out the related resources below!

Somebody Loves You Mr. Hatch book companion

Eric Litwins’ Birthday (8/16) Activities

Eric Litwin is an American storyteller and children’s book author born on August 16, 1966. He is most well known for his popular children’s book collection, Pete the Cat! There are many books included in this collection such as Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes, Pete the Cat and his four Groovy Buttons, Pete the Cat Rocking in my School Shoes, and Pete the Cat I love My White Shoes. Consider reading aloud one of these stories to your class.

Melanie Watt’s Birthday (8/20) Activities

Melanie Watt is a Canadian children’s book author and illustrator born on August 20, 1975. She is known for her popular Scaredy Squirrel book collection including the books Scaredy Squirrel, Scaredy Squirrel at Night, Scaredy Squirrel Makes a Friend, Scaredy Squirrel has a Birthday Party, and Scaredy Squirrel in a Nutshell! Along with the Scaredy Squirrel collection Melanie Watt also has another adorable collection called Chester including Chester’s Masterpiece and Chester’s Back! One of our favorite’s by her is You’re Finally Here. Check out the related resources below!

Kwame Alexander’s Birthday (8/21) Activities

Kwame Alexander is an American writer and children’s book author born on August 21, 1968. Kwame Alexander is known for his inspirational books including The Crossover, Booked, Rebound, Solo, Swing, Out of Wonder and The Undefeated. Check out the related resources below!

Ian Falconer’s Birthday (8/25) Activities

Ian Falconer was an American children’s book author and illustrator born on August 25, 1959. He is best known for his popular Olivia collection. This book collection includes many adorable themed books such as Olivia Saves the Circus, Olivia and the Fairy Princess, Olivia and the Missing Toy, Olivia the Spy and Olivia Counts, along with many other entertaining books in the collection! Check out the related resources below!

Sarah Stewart’s Birthday (8/27) Activities

Sarah Stewart is an American author of children’s books born on August 27, 1939. Sarah Stewart is known for her children’s literature such as The Gardener, The Library, The Quiet Place, The Friend, This Book of Mine, along with many other books. Check out the related resources below!

Donald Crews’ Birthday (8/30) Activities

Donald Crews is an American children’s book author and illustrator born on August 30, 1938. He is known for his colorful illustrations and adorable stories such as Freight Train, Ten Black Dots, Bigmamas’s, Shortcut, School Bus, Truck, Flying, and Night at the Fair, along with many other incredible stories. Consider reading aloud one of these stories to your class.

Virginia Lee Burton’s Birthday (8/30) Activities

Virginia Lee Burton was an American children’s book author and illustrator born on August 30, 1909. She created many amazing stories such as The Little House, Mike Mulligan and His Steam Steam Shovel, Katy and the Big Snow, Choo choo, Maybelle the Cable Car and Life Story! Check out the related resources below!

Pat Zietlow Miller’s Birthday Activities

Pat Zietlow Miller is an American children’s book author born during the sunny month of August! Pat Zietlow Miller is known for her inspiring and kind children’s picture books teaching students valuable lessons to make them the best and kindest versions of themselves! Some of her adorable books include: Be Kind, Sophie’s Squash, Wherever You Go, Be Strong, When You Are Brave and Not So Small! Check out the related resources below!

August Special Days

Below are special days in August that you can use as topics and themes for teaching in August. They are great August lesson plan ideas!

National Respect for Parents Day Activities

National Respect for Parents Day is August 1st every year! This day is dedicated to celebrating and appreciating all the hard work parents do and promoting respect towards them! This is the perfect day to teach your students how important it is to respect everyone they interact with, especially their parents because they do so much for them! Check out the related activities below!

National Alpaca Day Activities

National Alpaca Day is celebrated on August 1st every year in the United States. This day is dedicated to celebrating and bringing awareness to the adorable fuzzy animals known as Alphas. This is the perfect day to explore the life of an alpaca and educate your students on these animals through videos and books to celebrate National Alpaca Day! Check out the related activities below!

National Coloring Book Day Activities

National Coloring Book Day is on August 2nd every year! This day appreciates the calming activity of the coloring book, which people of all ages, specifically children love to do! This is the perfect day to take a moment and color in a coloring book during your free time to celebrate National Coloring Book Day! Check out the related activities below!

The Day the Crayons Came Home book companion

National Watermelon Day (8/3) Activities

National Watermelon Day takes place on August 3rd every year. This is a day to celebrate the refreshing summer time treat! Watermelon is the classic summer fruit associated with its refreshing taste and iconic pink color, with little black seeds and a green rind! This is the perfect day to appreciate this delicious fruit and learn about the history of this melon! A fun way to celebrate this national day in your classroom is to have a watermelon party including a pink and green classroom transformation, a watermelon snack, and other watermelon decor.

National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day is August 4th every year! This is a day dedicated to the classic cookie made crispy or soft filled with yummy chocolate chunks… the chocolate chip cookie! This is the perfect day to eat a chocolate chip cookie and maybe bring in some homemade chocolate chip cookies for your students so you can celebrate National Chocolate chip Cookie Day as a class! Check out the related activities below!

National Sisters Day Activities

National Sisters Day is celebrated on the first Sunday of August every year! This is a day dedicated to showing appreciation and love towards your built in best friends and a celebration of the incredible thing being and having a sister is! This is the perfect day to express your appreciation by making your sister’s bed, giving her a compliment, or just saying I love you to celebrate National Sisters Day! Check out the related activities below!

National Friendship Day Activities

National Friendship Day is celebrated on the first Sunday of August every year! This is a day to appreciate all of our amazing friendships and a day to celebrate these special connections. This is the perfect day to spread kindness and appreciation through compliments and acts of kindness to express love and gratitude towards your friends to celebrate National Friendship Day! Check out the related activities below!

National Lighthouse Day (8/7) Activities

National Lighthouse Day is celebrated annually on August 7. This day is observed to honor the houses that shine out light towards the ocean to ensure safety to the boats on the water. This is the perfect day to explore the history of lighthouses and educate your students on the importance and functions of a lighthouse. A fun way to celebrate National Lighthouse Day with your students is to take a class field trip to a local lighthouse and take an educational tour.

National Dollar Day (8/8) Activities

U.S. National Dollar Day takes place on August 8th every year in the United States. This national day celebrates the important day in history when the monetary system was established. This is the perfect day for a math lesson about money, while also incorporating the history and the importance of money in your classroom. You can also read aloud the story Alexander, Who Used to Be Rich Last Sunday. Check out the related resources below!

Alexander Who Used to Be Rich Last Sunday

National Book Lovers Day (8/9) Activities

National Book Lovers Day is celebrated on August 9th every year internationally! This is a day filled with books, love and celebrates the incredible stories and information found in pages and pages of paper protected by a cover and a back. This is the perfect day to encourage your students to go to their local library and find a new book to read during independent summer reading time to promote a love for reading and to celebrate National Book Lovers Day! Check out the related activities below!

National Lazy Day (8/10) Activities

National Lazy Day is on August 10th every year. This day encourages everyone to have a restful day. Considering reading aloud Jory John’s popular book, The Couch Potato. It’s about a potato that spends all day on the couch, and doesn’t have to get up for anything. He loves his comfortable couch and is happy that he never has to leave. He has gadgets and devices that can do everything for him and he doesn’t have to meet up with friends in person. He can see them through the screens. The Couch Potato thought that this was the perfect life, but learns the importance of spending time outside after the power goes out. Check out the related resources below!

National Middle Child Day (8/12) Activities

National Middle Child Day takes place on August 12th every year. This is a day dedicated to the child that often gets overlooked! Consider asking your students if they’re the middle, oldest, or youngest child and discussing their experiences about their birth order.

International Left Handers Day (8/13) Activities

International Left Handers Day takes place on August 13th every year to celebrate the unique individuals who are left handed. Most people are born right handed and use their right hand to write and do everyday tasks such as eat with a fork or spoon, but some people naturally use their left hand instead. This is the perfect day to acknowledge the students in your class who are a part of the left handers community and celebrate their uniqueness!

National Roller Coaster Day (8/16) Activities

National Roller Coaster Day is celebrated on August 16th every year! This day celebrates the fun, yet scary amusement park ride that twists, turns and drops down really fast causing your stomach to jump! This is the perfect day to take a trip to the closest amusement park, face your fears and ride the scary roller coaster to celebrate National Roller Coaster Day! Check out the related activities below!

National Thrift Shop Day (8/17) Activities

National Thrift Shop Day takes place on August 17th every year. This is a day dedicated to supporting local thrift stores while also encouraging people to reduce, reuse, and donate to help prevent waste. Today is the perfect day to talk about what a thrift store is and why they are important with your students. You can show your students videos and encourage them to visit a local thrift store to search for a new treasure to celebrate National Thrift Shop Day. Check out the related resources below!

Never Give Up Day (8/18) Activities

Never Give Up Day takes place on August 18th every year. This is a day to remind people that hard work pays off and to never give up! A great way to remind your learners to never give up (especially in the classroom) is through motivational videos, read alouds, and lessons surrounding perseverance. Check out the related resources below!

National Potato Day (8/19) Activities

National Potato Day takes place on August 19th every year! This is the perfect day for a classroom potato party, where students can bring in some of their favorite potato items such as baked potatoes, french fries, potato chips, potato skins, and mashed potatoes! Read your class a fun and entertaining read aloud about potatoes while they enjoy their yummy snacks and meals to celebrate National Potato Day! Check out the related resources below!

Jamie O'Rourke and The Big Potato book companion

World Honeybee Day Activities

World Honeybee Day takes place on the third Sunday in August every year. This day celebrates the little yellow bees that provide us with sweet honey, while also appreciating the amazing bee keepers who are a big part of the honey process! This is the perfect day to have a bee-themed day with a bee classroom transformation, as well as bee read alouds, videos, and lessons. Check out the related resources below!

All About Bees non-fiction reading comprehension unit

National Bao Day (8/22) Activities

National Bao Day takes place on August 22nd every year. This is a day dedicated to celebrating and enjoying the delicious Bao also known as the ‘baozi’ or ‘hot Asian buns’, which are just fancy names for a famed dumpling! These yummy dumplings can be filled with pork, veggies, chocolate and many other fillings of your choice! This is the perfect day to learn about different cultures and some of their favorite dishes through videos, books (like Amy Wu and The Perfect Bao), and class discussions about what their family’s favorite meal is. This could also be a fun day to try these delicious dumplings in your class to celebrate National Bao Day while letting your students try a new food item that might become a new favorite! Check out the related resources below!

Amy Wu and The Perfect Bao book companion

National Dog Day Activities

National Dog Day is celebrated on August 26th every year! This day celebrates the adorable fluffy pets that we treat like family members known as dogs! This is the perfect day to spread a little more love towards our fluffy friends by giving them lots of belly rubs and treats to celebrate National Dog Day! Check out the related activities below!

National Beach Day (8/30) Activities

National Beach Day takes place on August 30th every year! This is the perfect day to do a beach classroom transformation and bring in beach balls and sand and water table stations using baby pools. You can also share beach-themed read alouds like There Might Be Lobsters. Check out the related resources below!