Printable PDF Teaching Resources
Explore printable PDF worksheets, activities and thousands more teacher resources you can add to your lesson plans with just a few clicks — including free printables!
Thousands of Teach Starter's teacher-created resources are available in PDF file format, making it easy for any teacher to use anywhere — no matter what type of computer or software you have.
Curious about the advantages of PDF resources for teachers? Read on for a quick guide from our teacher team!
What Does PDF Stand For?
Before we dive into all the ways you can use a PDF in your classroom, it's worth looking at the meaning behind the acronym. PDF stands for "Portable Document Format."
It's a file format that was developed by the software company Adobe in the 1990s. The format was designed to protect the appearance and layout of documents across different platforms and devices.
That's exactly what makes it so easy for teachers to use. You can print a PDF worksheet on the school printer and send that same PDF via email to a student's parent, and the layout will remain exactly the same — even if you are using entirely different computers.
How Do I Open a PDF File From Teach Starter?
Most web browsers — like the one you're using right now to access our teacher resources — will allow you to open a PDF file directly in the browser.
What if you want to open the file without opening a browser? We suggest downloading Adobe's free Adobe Acrobat Reader software to easily display any PDF.
How Do I Print a PDF Document for My Students?
The ease of printing has made the PDF format a must for teacher resources, so how do you actually print your new worksheet or activity?
Simple!
- Open the PDF file in your browser or PDF viewer (like Adobe Acrobat Reader, mentioned above).
- Click on the "File" menu in the top-left corner.
- Select "Print" or use your keyboard shortcut "Ctrl + P" (Windows) or "Command + P" (Mac).
- In the print dialog box, choose your printer from the list.
- Adjust print settings like orientation, paper size and the number of copies you'll need for your students.
- Click "Print" to start printing.
Can I Edit a PDF File?
This is a common teacher question, and the answer is a bit complicated.
There's special software out there that will allow for some edits on a PDF, but you will typically need to have the original document to get the best results.
To make sure teachers can make the edits they need to adjust our resources for their lesson plans and their individual students, most Teach Starter resources are available in other (editable) formats, such as Google Slides!
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Hopes and Wishes Jar - Goal Planning Template
Have your students craft a hopes and wishes jar to set goals for the school year.
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Printable Wanted Poster Template Pack
Use a 'Wanted' poster template to encourage your students to research and write about historical figures and more!
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Arctic Fox Adaptations - Free Comprehension Worksheet
Read and learn about Arctic fox adaptations with a set of printable Reading Comprehension Worksheets for 2nd and 3rd grade.
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Mother's Day Card – Mindful Coloring
Practice mindfulness and make mom a Mother's Day card with a fun zentangle card template.
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Free Blank Story Board Template Pack
Use these storyboards to help your students visually represent the key events and changes within a story.
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Math Dream House Project
Introduce this math dream house project to your students to help them increase spatial skills while designing the home of their dreams!
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Subtraction using Place Value Disks - Worksheet
Subtract 3-digit numbers using place value disks with a printable 3rd-grade subtraction worksheet.
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I Love You to Pieces Card Template
Print a unique "I love you to pieces" card template for students to hand out Valentine's Day or to make a card for someone special on Mother's Day, Father's Day or Grandparents' Day!
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Spring Has Sprung Word Search Puzzles
Slide into a Spring with a pair of differentiated ‘Spring Has Sprung’ Word Search Puzzles.
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Intersecting, Parallel, and Perpendicular Lines Worksheet Set
Use this intersecting, parallel, and perpendicular lines worksheet set to introduce your students to basic line concepts.
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Personal Identity Activity (My Identity Wheel)
Explore personal identity by completing this personal identity wheel.
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Escape From the Alien Invasion – Math Escape Room (Basic Fractions)
Save the planet from the alien invasion by identifying fractions, comparing fractions, creating models, and more with an exciting digital escape room.
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The Lost Library Card – Whole Class Escape Game
Use inference and problem-solving skills to decipher the puzzles and uncover the hidden code.
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Make Your Own Paper Fortune Teller Template
Make paper fortune tellers with this multi-use template for teachers and students.
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Decimal Operations Worksheet
Get students applying the four operations to decimal numbers with this set of two math worksheets.
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My Ecological Footprint - Reference Sheet
Teach your students about the things we do that affect the Earth with an ecological footprint reference sheet.
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Ways to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint – Poster and Worksheet
Explore how to reduce your carbon footprint with this poster and accompanying comprehension worksheet.
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Narrative Plot Structure - Story Mountain Template
Use a story mountain template to help your students write narrative stories.
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Narrative Structure Escape Room - Lost the Plot
Teach narrative structure with this engaging escape room game where students learn about the orientation, complication, climax and resolution by rebuilding a broken story.
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Coordinate Plane Escape Room
Play this engaging coordinate plane escape room with your students to help them refine their coordinate grid skills.
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Fossil Coloring Pages
Use our free fossil coloring sheets to explore the different types of fossils.
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Design a Planet Project
Explore the different planets during this design your own planet project for kids.
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Free Blank Face Templates
Use these blank face templates to create fun back-to-school art celebrating the individuality and diversity of your new students!
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Fact Family Math Blast Off - Addition and Subtraction
Demonstrate an understanding of addition and subtraction fact families with a fun cut and sort activity.
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Mother's Day Pop-Up Card
Craft a special gift this Mother's Day with a pop-up card template.
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Earth Day - Acrostic Poem Template Pack
An acrostic poem template pack to use in the classroom to celebrate Earth Day and National Poetry Month.
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Metaphors Worksheet
Practice identifying and using metaphors with this differentiated metaphors worksheet.
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Environmental Awareness Flip Book - Earth Day Activity
Use this flip book to build awareness of actions that are good and bad for the environment.
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End of Year Project - Lemonade Stand Design
Reap the benefits of STEM education by inviting young entrepreneurs to develop a Lemonade Stand with a STEM education project.
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Elapsed Time Worksheet
Determine how much time has passed with this collection of elapsed time word problems.
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Addition and Subtraction Problem Solving Task Cards
Practice solving 1- and 2-step word problems by adding and subtracting 2-digit numbers with this set of 16 task cards.
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Goal Setting – Iceberg Template
Download a free goal setting template that helps students identify singular aspects that they need focus on to achieve a goal.