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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Christmas Mad Libs Worksheets
Bring holiday cheer and plenty of giggles to your classroom with a set of Christmas Mad Libs activity sheets for kids!
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Jingle Jumble - Free Christmas Search-a-Word
Use this free holiday word search to build vocabulary and spelling skills in your classroom this Christmas season.
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Paired Passage Worksheets-Mammals vs. Reptiles
Compare mammals vs. reptiles and add to your reading instruction with leveled nonfiction, compare and contrast passages and worksheets.
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The Christmas Pickle - Paper Craft
Start a new Christmas tradition with a fun Christmas pickle ornament and poem!
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Elf Escape! - Digital Escape Room
Help Elfy, the classroom Elf escape the locked classroom and return to the North Pole with an exciting escape room!
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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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Christmas Writing Craftivity Pack
Download this Christmas writing craftivity, where students decorate adorable Christmas characters and then produce an accompanying piece of writing.
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Winter Writing Prompts
Engage your students with these winter writing prompts that inspire creativity and critical thinking throughout December, January and February.
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Literary Plot Elements - Graphic Organizer
Familiarize students with finding the 5 elements of plot in a literary text.
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Multiples and Factors Worksheet Set
Use this multiples and factors worksheet set to help your students identify factor and multiple number pairs.
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Christmas Collaborative Art Project - Coloring Mural
Create a beautiful whole class holiday bulletin board with this collaborative Christmas-themed classroom mural.
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Winter and Christmas Break Activity Grids — Choice Boards
Give your students a variety of fun activities to do during the Christmas season with a printable Christmas Choice Board.
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Observing Photosynthesis Experiment (K-2)
Investigate how oxygen is made with a hands on photosynthesis experiment.
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Percent Decimal Fraction Worksheet
Download this percent decimal fraction worksheet to give your students hands-on practice matching fraction, decimal, and percent equivalents.
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If I Could Create My Own Planet Craft Template
Explore planets and let your students get creative by developing their own planet.
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Should Smartphones Be Allowed in Class? Comprehension Worksheets
Decide if cellphones should be allowed in class and boost comprehension skills with a reading passage and comprehension test.
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A Day in the Life of a Water Droplet – Comic Strip Templates
Put your artistic skills to use as you illustrate a day in the life of a water droplet with these printable comic strip templates.
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Free Printable Graph Paper — Centimeter Grid Paper
A piece of centimeter grid paper to be used in a multitude of ways.
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10-100 Book Challenge Reading Log Bookshelf Template
Start and track progress through your reading challenge with a fun 100 Book Challenge reading log bookshelf template!
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The Christmas Pickle – Christmas Reading Comprehension Passage
Engage your students with this Christmas reading comprehension passage that explores the fun and quirky Christmas pickle tradition.
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Christmas Paragraph Editing Worksheets (2-3)
Practice correcting capitalization and punctuation errors with a set of Christmas-themed paragraph editing worksheets for 2nd and 3rd Grade.
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Printable Christmas Cards to Color
Print a pack of Christmas Cards to color and spread some Christmas cheer in your classroom this year.
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Ugly Christmas Sweater Design Project
Design an ugly Christmas sweater to earn your way into Santa’s Workshop with a printable Christmas STEM Project!
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Christmas Math Worksheets - Sums to 12 Activity
Practice finding number bonds and sums to 12 using printable Christmas Math worksheets for first grade.
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Weekly Behavior Tracking Sheet
Track and reward student behavior with a printable weekly behavior chart.
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Moon Phases – Cut and Paste Activity
Create a diagram showing the different moon phases and their names with this cut-and-paste activity sheet.
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Christmas Picture Inferencing Task Cards
Use this festive image of Santa to engage your students with picture inferencing this Christmas, helping them build critical thinking skills through fun, visual clues.
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Funky Christmas Gnome Craft Template
Get ready for Christmas with this popular gnome craft featuring a customizable Zentangle Pattern Christmas Gnome with funky glasses and holiday accessories.
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Amelia Earhart Constructed Response Worksheet
Use this passage, second grade writing prompt, and worksheet to help students write a constructed response paragraph about Amelia Earhart.
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Student Behavior Discussion Cards for the Classroom
Print free student behavior discussion cards to encourage your class to think about what a positive learning environment looks like, sounds like, and feels like.
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Goal Setting Mountain Worksheet
Use a goal setting mountain worksheet with your students to take them to new heights this school year!
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R-Controlled Vowel Phoneme Spotter Stories
Use this set of decodable texts featuring various graphemes that make r-controlled vowel sounds.