Hi Reader,

This week we are hopping across the Atlantic and heading straight for Scotland, and I have to tell you, this has been one of my favorite places to bring into our classroom. If you are looking for a simple, joyful, and engaging way to help your students “travel” there without ever leaving school, I truly think the best starting point is art, specifically drawing Highland cows, or as the Scots affectionately call them, hairy coos.

There is something so cute about these shaggy, long-horned animals that immediately captures kids’ attention. My kindergarteners absolutely loved learning that Highland cows have thick, double-layered coats to keep them warm in the chilly Scottish weather, that their long bangs help keep rain out of their eyes, and that they were originally bred in the rugged Highlands of Scotland.

This is the YouTube Short I came across that walks you through drawing a hairy coo. It was so simple that we just kept pausing the video as we went, and my wee students were able to follow along beautifully.

From there, we dove into one of Scotland’s most famous legends, the Loch Ness Monster, also known as Nessie. We talked about how people have claimed to see a mysterious creature in the deep, dark waters of Loch Ness for centuries. Some say it is a giant prehistoric animal, while others believe sightings are simply shadows, waves, or imagination at work. Regardless, the mystery of Nessie makes for incredible classroom storytelling.

And here is where our real-life classroom magic happened. One of my students actually traveled to Scotland last year, and she was absolutely convinced that she saw Nessie. She came in bursting with excitement, showing her classmates pictures and even bringing in her very own plush Nessie.

Her enthusiasm was so contagious that the rest of my class decided we needed to search for Nessie right here at our school. So we headed down to our campus pond and scanned the water. In the end, we did not find a legendary lake monster… but we did spot an iguana swimming around, which looked sort of like Nessie.

We also explored a bit of Scottish folklore beyond Nessie, including the legend of the Kelpies, shape-shifting water spirits said to appear as powerful horses near rivers and lochs. These stories sparked such rich conversations about imagination, culture, and how legends are passed down through generations.

If you would like to use the exact lesson my students did, my lesson is here below:

Switching gears just a bit, we are now almost two weeks away from the Lunar New Year. My free mini flipbook that teaches kids all about its traditions, symbols, and celebrations is ready to go. In the email, you will see a picture of it, and all you have to do is click on that image to download it for free.

And finally, later this week I will be crossing off my 50th state. I would love to hear your guesses, so hit reply and tell me where you think I am headed.

Have a wonderful week!

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