CCSS ELA Standard: 3.W.2.a

What’s In My Brain: Ramp vs Bike

Two columns. One is an example, one isn’t. Can you figure out the hidden rule before the big reveal?

Gr 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

Notice, Wonder: Fountain

A mysterious image. Reveal it slowly. Let your students wonder!

Gr 1-8

Notice, Wonder: Burton Island

A mysterious image. Reveal it slowly. Let your students wonder!

Gr 1-8

Order to Chaos: Dominoes or Dam?

Sometimes outside forces turn order into chaos. But sometimes chaos comes from within.

Gr 2-8

Order and Chaos Hide Inside Each Other

Chaos can contain order. Order can contain chaos! Is chaos ever truly random?

Gr 3-8

Chaos Can Be Positive or Negative

Sometimes we want order, but sometimes we need chaos!

Gr 1-8

Introducing Order and Chaos

Introduce Order by exploring “written” vs “unwritten” rules.

Gr 1-8

Power Big Idea Worksheets

Your students will investigate statements like: Power leads to change, Power comes in many forms, Power can be used or abused.

Gr 2-8

Power Can Be Fast, Slow, Loud, or Quiet

Power may seem loud and fast, but it can also be slow and quiet.

Gr 1-8

What’s In My Brain: Paperclip vs Straw

We’re looking at magnetic vs. non-magnetic materials.

Gr 1-8

Improving Shakespeare’s Repetition

Let’s help William Shakespeare with his use of repetition.

Gr 1-8

Not Like The Others: Cephalopods

Four cephalopods. One doesn’t belong. But which one? That depends on your argument.

Gr 1-8

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?

Gr 1-8

What’s In My Brain: Italy vs Normandy

We’re looking at countries vs states (and other smaller regions).

Gr 1-8

What’s In My Brain: Tree vs Tree

Let’s look at deciduous vs coniferous trees.

Gr 1-8

Order, Chaos, and the Holiday Season

Let’s write a holiday song about order and chaos!

Gr 2-8

What’s In My Brain: Narwhal vs Penguin

We’re looking at the arctic vs the antarctic.

Gr 1-8

Greekymon Studies – Round 3

What might a creature named “Aquacornus Rex” be like?

Gr 3-8

Compare and Create New Year’s Traditions

Hey! Our New Year traditions have a lot in common.

Gr 2-8

Notice, Wonder: Silver Torch

A mysterious image. Reveal it slowly. Let your students wonder!

Gr 2-8

Categorize and Re-Categorize Countries

Put these countries into groups. Then do it again. Then… do it one more time. How does re-re-grouping the same places reveal new patterns and give new insights?

Gr 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

Categorize and Re-Categorize Animals

Put these animals into groups. Then do it again. Then… do it one more time. How does re-re-grouping the same creatures reveal new patterns and give new insights?

Gr 1-8

Famous Structures

The Eiffel Tower, the Colosseum, the Sydney Opera House — group them, pick the best from each group, then design your own.

Gr 2-8

Introducing Universal Theme of Conflict

So what could you do with a Universal Theme of Conflict? Well, here’s an introduction that will get your students’ brains sweating.

Gr 2-8

Notice, Wonder: A House

A mysterious image. Reveal it slowly. Let your students wonder!

Gr 2-8

Concept Attainment: Hornet vs Tiger

Can your class spot the vertebrates vs invertebrates?

Gr 2-8

Introducing Universal Theme of Change

Everything changes. But how does it change? Students brainstorm dozens of examples and boil them down to one big idea.

Gr 2-8

Introducing Universal Theme of Systems

So what could you do with a Universal Theme of Systems? Well, here’s an introduction that will get your students’ brains sweating.

Gr 2-8

Introducing Universal Theme of Power

So what could you do with a Universal Theme of Power? Well, here’s an introduction that will get your students’ brains sweating.

Gr 2-8

Notice, Wonder: Bloom

A mysterious image. Reveal it slowly. Let your students wonder!

Gr 2-8

Notice, Wonder: Skylight

A mysterious image. Reveal it slowly. Let your students wonder!

Gr 2-8

Notice, Wonder: Krzywy Las

A mysterious image. Reveal it slowly. Let your students wonder!

Gr 2-8

Notice, Wonder: Scales

A mysterious image. Reveal it slowly. Let your students wonder!

Gr 2-8

Notice, Wonder: Vortices

A mysterious image. Reveal it slowly. Let your students wonder!

Gr 2-8

Notice, Wonder: Swirls

A mysterious image. Reveal it slowly. Let your students wonder!

Gr 2-8

Ultimate (or Inception) Tic Tac Toe

What if each square on a Tic-Tac-Toe board had another Tic-Tac-Toe board inside of it?

Gr 1-8

What’s In My Brain: Owl vs Eagle

Some of these animals are nocturnal and some are diurnal.

Gr 2-8

Concept Attainment: Art

Can your students tell the difference between cubism and abstract art?

Gr 2-8

Analyze Paragraphs: Cucumbers

Three paragraphs about cucumbers. They all cover the same topic — so what makes each one different? Now combine them into one super-paragraph.

Gr 2-8

Notice, Wonder: An Orange Thing

A mysterious image. Reveal it slowly. Let your students wonder!

Gr 2-8

Cram

Try this a simple (but surprisingly strategic) grid-filling game!

Gr 1-8

Notice, Wonder: A Long Line

A mysterious image. Reveal it slowly. Let your students wonder!

Gr 2-8

Generalization: Change Leads to More Change

Can you think of a time in your life when “Change lead to more change?”

Gr 1-8

Order Can Be Natural or Constructed

When is order natural and when is it designed by people?

Gr 2-8

Generalization: Systems Are Made up of Other Systems

A clock is a system. So is a rainforest. So is your school. Once you see systems inside systems, you can’t unsee it.

Gr 1-8

Invisible Power Can Have Visible Effects

Can you think of times when power is unseen, but we can clearly see its effects?

Gr 2-8

Plurals: An Inductive Spelling Lesson

Plural nouns in English are deliciously fascinating. Yet most plural lessons are so dull! In this experience, students are given a pile of plurals and then inductively create groups and pull out rules and patterns.

Gr 3

Paragraphs: Systems of Sentences

Blow up a paragraph into individual sentences. Now reassemble it. The clues hiding in each sentence will surprise you.

Gr 1-8

Notice, Wonder: Forest

A mysterious image. Reveal it slowly. Let your students wonder!

Gr 2-8

Notice Wonder: Turbine

Your students will be surprised by the size of this turbine… and by what’s hanging from it!

Gr 2-8

Notice, Wonder: A River

A mysterious image. Reveal it slowly. Let your students wonder!

Gr 2-8

Notice, Wonder: Plateau

A mysterious image. Reveal it slowly. Let your students wonder!

Gr 2-8

Notice, Wonder: A Ship

A mysterious image. Reveal it slowly. Let your students wonder!

Gr 2-8

Student Introductions With Depth and Frames

Want to introduce the tools of Depth and Complexity and learn more about your students and introduce the Frame graphic organizer? Have I got the activity for you!

Gr 2-8

Building Creative Analogies

We’ll take two seemingly unrelated pieces of content (say volcanoes and the human body) and then build analogies to connect the two ideas. In the end, students can create a skit, comic, or story relating the two concepts.

Gr 2-8

Improving Presentations 2: Planning The Outline

After watching some great presenters, let’s outline your presentation!

Gr 2-8

Educational Valentines

Let’s make valentines with an educational twist!

Gr 1-8

How to Play Go

Ready to learn a 2,500-year-old Chinese board game? Let’s… Go!

Gr 1-8

Reduce Anxiety: Brain Plate (Tool 3)

When a student’s brain is full of worries, everything feels urgent. Brain Plate helps them sort what’s real from what’s noise — and actually do something about it.

Gr 1-7

Reduce Anxiety: Square Breathing (Tool 1)

Reduce anxiety by breathing in a square pattern.

Gr 1-8

Teach Non-Fiction Writing Structure With Fractals

Did you ever notice that the structure of an essay is very similar to the structure of a paragraph? Hmm…

Gr 2-8

Better Stories Part 1: The Big Idea

We open our unit on narrative writing with a big idea: “structure increases creativity.” I show how this is true by bringing in examples from across all disciplines.

Gr 2-8