Interactive Fact Folders have been a game changer in my classroom during social studies and science time. I am always looking for good ways to integrate these areas with reading and writing, and these Fact Folders have done just that.
These Interactive Fact Folder can be made on file folders or a 12×18 piece of folded construction paper. To save money, I always use construction paper with my students. 24 pieces of construction paper is more cost-effective than 24 file folders. Each folder comes with a cover page, graphic organizers, 4 fact sheets, a color section, vocabulary words, and writing pages.
Step-by-Step Guide to Using Interactive Fact Folders
Many people want to know exactly how I use these in my classroom. There is no right or wrong way, but this is what has worked best for me. I spread these out and complete a little portion each day of the week. Here is an example week:
Day 1: Pass out the cover page and 12×18 folded piece of construction paper. Students color the front page, cut out along the black line and glue to the front of their folders.
Day 2: Pass out the Fact Sheet Pocket and their folders. Students cut and glue their pocket together. Then, they glue it into the inside of their Fact Folder. Pass out the Fact Sheet Graphic Organizer. Students cut it out, fold it in half, and glue it under their Fact Sheet Pocket. Then, they take their scissors and cut up along the dotted lines. Pass out the first fact sheet to read. I read this to the class first. Then, I have them highlight any vocabulary words or important facts that I would like for them to remember. Next, the students flip up the first portion of the graphic organizer and write something they learned from the Fact Sheet.
Day 3: Pass out the folders and another Fact Sheet. Follow the same procedure as yesterday. Pass out the Color Page and Words to Know pocket. Have the students cut out the items and add them to their fact folders.
Day 4: Pass out the folders and the last two Fact Sheets. Follow the same procedure as the days before. Pass out the final graphic organizer for the top of the inside. Have students complete the graphic organizer and glue it into their Fact Folders. Pass out the vocabulary words. Go over these together. Have students cut them out and place them in their Words to Know Pocket.
Day 5: Review all of the information they learned throughout the week about the topic. Pass out the Writing Page. Students use their resources from the Fact Folder to write about the topic. Then, they cut it out and glue it onto the back of the folder.
When I created these, I knew that they would be a great resource for my students. However, I’m always pleasantly surprised in how much ownership they take in these and how excited they are each time to take them home and share with their families.
December Interactive Fact Folder Topics
I have created a Winter Holidays, Christmas Around the World, and Reindeer Interactive Fact Folder. They are all included in the December Bundle. Each of these can be purchased separately, or you can save money by purchasing the bundle of all three topics.
Which is your favorite December theme to teach?
As of right now, I have two units completed and available in my Teachers Pay Teachers store. 
Each unit includes 10 lessons for instruction along with many supplemental activities.
These Add and Clip cards make a great independent center activity for your students. Print them on colored cardstock or laminate for durability. I used 
Be sure to follow my 
I hung these from the ceiling. This was a great way to work on writing, while making a colorful craft for March.
I decorated my classroom the night before with some items that I picked up at Dollar Tree and Deans Party Mania, which is basically our version of Party City.
I covered each of the desks and tables with white tablecloths and then spread plastic, from the paint section, on the floor to represent ice floes. I also picked up some snowflake confetti and sparkly plastic confetti to sprinkle on the tables.
I attached snowflake décor to my lanterns that I have hanging from my ceiling.
For my door, I taped on a light blue table cloth and decorated it with snowflakes from the party store. I also found this sparkly door decoration at Dollar Tree.
I hung up a light blue table cloth on our dry erase board and attached this felt icicle decoration along the top.
I gave each student a bottle of “melted snow” to have for the day. You can download the water bottle cover 
I purchased the larger marshmallows for this activity. The students could work together or on their own to create igloos with the marshmallows.
While the students were working at their stations, I had one student at a time come to me to complete the Blubber Experiment. I placed vegetable shortening in a large bag. The student put on a latex glove and placed their hand in the shortening. Then, they placed their hand in ice water to demonstrate how blubber keeps arctic animals warm.
Later on in the day, we had a snowball throwing contest. I gave each students a cotton ball. They each took turns throwing the ball and then measuring how far they threw it.
Since we have been learning about place value and how to use Base-10 blocks, I incorporated that into our day. I gave students straws and marshmallows. These became icicles and snowballs. The students had to make numbers with their icicles and snowballs just like they would with Base-10 blocks.
We practiced spelling words and math facts with shaving cream (snow) on our desks.
We also used passages from my new 
I remembered at the last minute that I had this 
