Instead of the age old joke, How many ( ) does it take to screw in a light bulb, ask your students, "How many engineers does it take to make your favorite toy?" Their answers will surprise you! This PowerPoint program shows your students that at least five, and probably more, engineers were involved in the making of a toy truck. The last slide offers students the opportunity to think about all the engineers who were involved in making their own favorite toy!

This 144-page book contains nine original short stories and many more images to comfort and heal the tired teacher's soul. It is the perfect go-to escape after a long day. Envision yourself in the many places I have depicted in images and words. Or, keep this book in your desk drawer for a ten-minute trip to a different environment. You might even share these stories with your students. See if they can develop a different story for the pictures, or a different ending for the story I have written. My Peaceful Place is also perfect as a gift for a hospitalized friend or a grandparent in a nursing home... anyone who is unable to get out into the world and enjoy all that nature has to offer. ​Research shows that the healing effects of natural scenes are increasingly being understood as helpful in stressful environments such as hospitals, nursing homes, and even remote military sites. Simply seeing nature is important to people and is an effective means of relieving stress and improving well-being. Apparently, it is not necessary to actually experience nature, simply looking at it even remotely, provides a calming effect. Go to My Peaceful Place and I'm sure it will become YOUR PEACEFUL PLACE, too! Go to my primary website, www.reneeheissart.com for a sample story!