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Science
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Depth and Complexity Icons
Introducing Depth and Complexity
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How Many Ways?
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How Many Will There Be?
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Printable List
A Lunar Survival Mission
A favorite of mine! This task is delightfully complex and ambiguous, forcing students to make choices without enough information and with no right answer. How will they survive on the moon for three days?
Create A Creature
Create a new creature based on the adaptations of existing creatures from the same biome.
Not Like The Others: Planets
Which of these planets is not like others? Well, it sure looks simple at first. But each option
could
be the one that doesn’t fit in.
Notice Wonder: Blood Falls
A mysterious image. Reveal it slowly. Let your students
wonder!
What’s In My Brain: Narwhal vs Penguin
We’re looking at the arctic vs the antarctic.
What’s In My Brain: Owl vs Eagle
Some of these animals are nocturnal and some are diurnal.
Notice, Wonder: The Cliff
A mysterious image. Reveal it slowly. Let your students
wonder!
Not Like The Others: Snakes of the Rainforest
Students will determine which snake of the rainforest is
not like the others.
What’s In My Brain: Ramp vs Bike
Students will deduce the topic of simple vs compound machines.
What’s In My Brain: Coral vs Water Lilies
Let’s look at saltwater vs freshwater organisms.
Not Like The Others: States of Matter
How is each of the states of matter
not
like the others?
The Pros and Cons of Producers and Consumers
Sure, students might know the difference between a producer and a consumer… but have they considered how they feel about each other? What, in a producer’s opinion, are the pros and cons of a consumer?
Concept Attainment: Walnut vs Clouds
Let’s look at living vs non-living things.
What’s In My Brain: Paperclip vs Straw
We’re looking at magnetic vs. non-magnetic materials.
Notice, Wonder: Kuiseb
A mysterious image. Reveal it slowly. Let your students
wonder!
Two Animals Switch Biomes
What if a capybara and a kangaroo rat switched homes? Would their adaptations be helpful at all?
What’s In My Brain: Lion vs Bear
We’re looking at carnivores vs omnivores.
Animal Adaptation Tournament
Which animal has the most interesting, most valuable, or strangest adaptations?
Notice Wonder: Turbine
Your students will be surprised by the size of this turbine… and by what’s hanging from it!
Notice, Wonder: Rosetta
A mysterious image. Reveal it slowly. Let your students
wonder!
Creating A Realistic Flower and Pollinator
Your students will create a
new
flower, designed to attract a specific pollinator.
What’s In My Brain: Guinea Pig vs Potbelly
What do guinea pigs, shooting stars, and seahorses have in common? They’re all misnomers!
Not Like The Others: Deserts
Which of these deserts is not like the others?
Not Like The Others: Rivers
Students will determine which river is
not like the others.
Notice, Wonder: Michael
A mysterious image. Reveal it slowly. Let your students
wonder!
Not Like The Others: Types of Volcanoes
Which of these types of volcanoes is not like the others?
Create A Civilization: The River
The Nile, the Tigris, the Euphrates, the Seine, the Thames, and now… your river!
An Under-Appreciated Planet
Students write from the point of view of the most under-appreciated planet.
Not Like The Others: Natural Disasters
Students will determine which type of natural disaster is
not like the others.
Notice, Wonder: Burton Island
A mysterious image. Reveal it slowly. Let your students
wonder!
Not Like The Others: Stars
How is each of these stars not like the others?
Concept Attainment: Japan vs Jamaica
Is it an island or an archipelago?
Notice Wonder: Z-Machine
A mysterious image. Reveal it slowly. Let your students
wonder!
Concept Attainment: Conductors
Some of these examples are conductors and some are insulators!
Notice, Wonder: Climber
A mysterious image. Reveal it slowly. Let your students
wonder!
Tournament: 8 Wonders of the Solar System
Which location is the most wondrous place in the solar system?
Not Like The Others: Birds of the Tropical Rainforest
Which of these four birds is not like the others?
Not Like The Others: Cephalopods
Students will determine which cephalopod is
not like the others.
What’s In My Brain: Grass vs Mold
Students will be working with examples and non-examples to deduce the topic of Plants.
Notice, Wonder: Swirls
A mysterious image. Reveal it slowly. Let your students
wonder!
Notice, Wonder: A House
A mysterious image. Reveal it slowly. Let your students
wonder!
Notice, Wonder: Skylight
A mysterious image. Reveal it slowly. Let your students
wonder!
What’s In My Brain: Crocodile vs Tree Frog
Is it a reptile or an amphibian?
Notice, Wonder: Scales
A mysterious image. Reveal it slowly. Let your students
wonder!
Notice, Wonder: Craters
A mysterious image. Reveal it slowly. Let your students
wonder!
Notice, Wonder: Vortices
A mysterious image. Reveal it slowly. Let your students
wonder!
Not Like The Others: Microorganisms
Students will determine which of these microorganisms is
not like the others.
Tournament of Not-So-Famous Inventors
Which inventor and invention will win the tournament?
Notice, Wonder: Bloom
A mysterious image. Reveal it slowly. Let your students
wonder!
Habitable Planets and Moons Tournament
Which object in the solar system is most habitable?
Not Like The Others: Flowers
Students will determine which flower is
not like the others.
Not Like The Others: Types of Diseases
Students will determine which of these types of diseases is not like the others.
Notice, Wonder: Barringer
A mysterious image. Reveal it slowly. Let your students
wonder!
Notice, Wonder: Akron
A mysterious image. Reveal it slowly. Let your students
wonder!
Not Like The Others: Rainforests
Which of these rainforests is not like the others?
Notice, Wonder: Tenzing
A mysterious image. Reveal it slowly. Let your students
wonder!
Notice, Wonder: Silver Torch
A mysterious image. Reveal it slowly. Let your students
wonder!
What’s In My Brain: Inventions vs Discovery
We’re looking at inventions vs discoveries.
Natural Disasters Tournament
Who will win the tournament of Natural Disasters!?
Notice, Wonder: Green Circles
A mysterious image. Reveal it slowly. Let your students
wonder!
What’s In My Brain: Tree vs Tree
Let’s look at deciduous vs coniferous trees.
What’s In My Brain: Ball vs Book
Let’s look at Kinetic vs Potential Energy!
Plant Adaptation Tournament
Who will win in a tournament of eight plants with
Interesting
adaptations!?
Notice Wonder: Electronics
A mysterious image. Reveal it slowly. Let your students
wonder!
Not Like The Others: Creatures of the Tundra
Students will determine which creature of the tundra is
not like the others.
The Tournament of Biomes
Want to move beyond memorizing the characteristics of biomes? In this lesson, students work through a Tournament of Biomes, explaining which biome wins in each round (based on criteria you choose). In the end, they crown a 👑 Champion Biome!
Concept Attainment: Hornet vs Tiger
Can your class spot the vertebrates vs invertebrates?
Notice, Wonder: Butterball
A mysterious image. Reveal it slowly. Let your students
wonder!
Engineering: Build A Bridge
Using real bridges as their starting point, students will construct bridges out of straws and paperclips.
Precipitation Tournament
Eight types of precipitation battle it out in this tournament.
Notice, Wonder: Plateau
A mysterious image. Reveal it slowly. Let your students
wonder!
Types of Energy Tournament
Which type of energy will win the tournament!?
Notice, Wonder: A River
A mysterious image. Reveal it slowly. Let your students
wonder!
Earth’s Layers: Who Contributes The Most?
Earth’s layers will disagree about which one contributes the most to the planet’s success.
Notice, Wonder: An Orange Thing
A mysterious image. Reveal it slowly. Let your students
wonder!
Not Like The Others: Types of Rocks
Which of these rocks is
not like the others?
Not Like The Others: US National Parks
Students will determine which US National Park is
not like the others.
Not Like The Others: Birds of the Desert
Students will determine which desert bird is
not like the others.
The Personalities of Rocks
What would an igneous rock
be like?
Would it get along with a sedimentary rock? Could they handle the
hot
personality of a metamorphic rock?
Notice, Wonder: Witch’s Fingers
A mysterious image. Reveal it slowly. Let your students
wonder!
Notice, Wonder: Fountain
A mysterious image. Reveal it slowly. Let your students
wonder!
How Renewable Is That Resource?
Which resource is
more
renewable? And which is easier to find?
Notice, Wonder: Forest
A mysterious image. Reveal it slowly. Let your students
wonder!
Not Like The Others: Penguins
Students will determine which type of penguin is
not like the others.
Notice, Wonder: Etna
A mysterious image. Reveal it slowly. Let your students
wonder!
A System Similar to a Cell
Which parts of a cell serve a similar job to the parts of a cruise ship, human body, computer, or other system?
Notice, Wonder: Krzywy Las
A mysterious image. Reveal it slowly. Let your students
wonder!
Notice, Wonder: Critter
A mysterious image. Reveal it slowly. Let your students
wonder!
Notice, Wonder: SLS Test
A mysterious image. Reveal it slowly. Let your students
wonder!
Notice, Wonder: Sombrero
A mysterious image. Reveal it slowly. Let your students
wonder!
Not Like The Others: Ants of the World!
Students will determine which type of ant is
not like the others.