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CCSS ELA Standard: 3.W.7

Conduct short research projects that build knowledge about a topic.

Holiday Worksheets

Holiday Worksheets

Writing prompts, non-fiction analysis, and science topics related to Christmas and Hanukkah.

Who has more power: the Queen Bee or the Hive?

Who has more power: the Queen Bee or the Hive?

Who really runs the hive: the queen, or the thousands of bees around her?

Power – Blue Whale vs Krill

Power – Blue Whale vs Krill

Sure, a Blue Whale is huge. But does a tiny krill have more power?

Founding The Colonies

Founding The Colonies

13 colonies activities including a word search and task cards packed with facts. Plus, students will create their own colony with a name, story, and map!

Hero or Not A Hero?

Hero or Not A Hero?

Students will determine what makes a hero a hero.

Two Animals Switch Biomes

Two Animals Switch Biomes

What if a capybara and a kangaroo rat switched homes? Would their adaptations be helpful at all?

Tournament of Mythological Creatures

Tournament of Mythological Creatures

Who will win the tournament of mythological creatures!?

Tournament of Not-So-Famous Inventors

Tournament of Not-So-Famous Inventors

Which inventor and invention will win the tournament?

Not Like The Others: Rivers

Not Like The Others: Rivers

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

Not Like The Others: Cephalopods

Not Like The Others: Cephalopods

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

Not Like The Others: Flowers

Not Like The Others: Flowers

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

Not Like The Others: 19th Century Presidents

Not Like The Others: 19th Century Presidents

Four 19th century presidents. One doesn’t belong. But which one? That depends on your argument.

Not Like The Others: 20th Century Presidents – Group B

Not Like The Others: 20th Century Presidents – Group B

Four 20th century presidents. One doesn’t belong. But which one? That depends on your argument.

Not Like The Others: 20th Century Presidents – Group A

Not Like The Others: 20th Century Presidents – Group A

Four 20th century presidents. One doesn’t belong. But which one? That depends on your argument.

Domesticated Animals Tournament

Domesticated Animals Tournament

Which domesticated animal will win the tournament?

Types of Energy Tournament

Types of Energy Tournament

Which type of energy will win the tournament!?

Natural Disasters Tournament

Natural Disasters Tournament

Earthquake vs. hurricane. Tsunami vs. wildfire. Students set the criteria, argue their case, and crown a champion. Warning: it gets heated.

Van Gogh Self-Portrait Tournament

Van Gogh Self-Portrait Tournament

Who will win the tournament of Van Gogh self-portraits!?

Create A Civ: Capital City

Create A Civ: Capital City

Every great capital is part geography, part human design. Research real ones, then build your own from scratch.

Not Like The Others: African Nations

Not Like The Others: African Nations

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

Not Like The Others: US National Parks

Not Like The Others: US National Parks

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

Famous Structures

Famous Structures

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

Introducing Universal Theme of Systems

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.

Not Like The Others: Types of Diseases

Not Like The Others: Types of Diseases

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

Not Like The Others: Birds of the Desert

Not Like The Others: Birds of the Desert

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

Not Like The Others: Penguins

Not Like The Others: Penguins

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

Not Like The Others: Microstates of Europe

Not Like The Others: Microstates of Europe

Four of the tiniest countries in Europe. One doesn’t belong. But which one? That depends on your argument.

Not Like The Others: Microorganisms

Not Like The Others: Microorganisms

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

Plant Adaptation Tournament

Plant Adaptation Tournament

Who will win in a tournament of eight plants with Interesting adaptations!?

Tournament: 8 Wonders of the Solar System

Tournament: 8 Wonders of the Solar System

Which location is the most wondrous place in the solar system?

Not Like The Others: Ants of the World!

Not Like The Others: Ants of the World!

Four ants from around the world. One doesn’t belong. But which one? That depends on your argument.

The 8th Wonder of the World Tournament

The 8th Wonder of the World Tournament

Which of these eight wonders deserves to become the Eighth Wonder of the World!?

Exploration Technology Tournament

Exploration Technology Tournament

Which of these pieces of exploration technology is most important? Most underrated? Most long-lasting?

Precipitation Tournament

Precipitation Tournament

Eight types of precipitation battle it out in this tournament.

Tournament of Ancient Inventions

Tournament of Ancient Inventions

Which of these inventions of the ancient world is most influential? Least useful today? Most taken-for-granted?

Animal Adaptation Tournament

Animal Adaptation Tournament

Which animal has the most interesting, most valuable, or strangest adaptations?

Habitable Planets and Moons Tournament

Habitable Planets and Moons Tournament

Which object in the solar system is most habitable?

Parts of Speech Tournament

Parts of Speech Tournament

Which part of speech is most useful? Interesting? Strange?

Not Like The Others: Types of Volcanoes

Not Like The Others: Types of Volcanoes

Which of these types of volcanoes is not like the others?

Not Like The Others: Types of Rocks

Not Like The Others: Types of Rocks

Igneous, sedimentary, metamorphic — and one that doesn’t fit. But which one? Depends on your argument.

Not Like The Others: Snakes of the Rainforest

Not Like The Others: Snakes of the Rainforest

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

Not Like The Others: Deserts

Not Like The Others: Deserts

Which of these deserts is not like the others?

Not Like The Others: Rainforests

Not Like The Others: Rainforests

Which of these rainforests is not like the others?

Not Like The Others: Stars

Not Like The Others: Stars

How is each of these stars not like the others?

Not Like The Others: US States

Not Like The Others: US States

How is each of these states not like the others?

Not Like The Others: Mountains

Not Like The Others: Mountains

Which of these mountains is not like the others?

Not Like The Others: Birds of the Tropical Rainforest

Not Like The Others: Birds of the Tropical Rainforest

Which of these four birds is not like the others?

Not Like The Others: Branches of the US Government

Not Like The Others: Branches of the US Government

How is each part of the United States Government not like the other parts?

Create A Civilization: Design A Flag

Create A Civilization: Design A Flag

What makes for a good flag? What makes a bad flag?

Tournament of Presidents

Tournament of Presidents

So who was the strangest of these eight presidents?

The Pros and Cons of Producers and Consumers

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?

Not Like The Others: Natural Disasters

Not Like The Others: Natural Disasters

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

Not Like The Others: States of Matter

Not Like The Others: States of Matter

How is each of the states of matter not like the others?

Not Like The Others: Countries

Not Like The Others: Countries

How is each of these four countries not like the others?

Holiday vs Holiday (from a Mascot’s Perspective)

Holiday vs Holiday (from a Mascot’s Perspective)

Want something to do during the holiday season that is both fun and involves thinking? Get students writing about what a snowman would think about Halloween or what a ghost would think about Thanksgiving.

Generalization: Systems Are Made up of Other Systems

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.

Not Like The Others: Creatures of the Tundra

Not Like The Others: Creatures of the Tundra

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

Not Like The Others: US Presidents

Not Like The Others: US Presidents

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

Not Like The Others: Planets

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.

The Tournament of Biomes

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!

Upgrade Research Questions With Depth and Complexity

Upgrade Research Questions With Depth and Complexity

Ever ask students to create research questions? Were their ideas a bit… blah? My own students had a very hard time writing questions they didn’t already know the answer to! This video is how I solved that problem: upgrade research questions with depth and complexity.

Create A Civilization: Calendars

Create A Civilization: Calendars

Why 12 months? Why 30ish days? Why 7 days in a week? Your civilization could organize a year in any way you want!

Creating A Realistic Flower and Pollinator

Creating A Realistic Flower and Pollinator

Your students will create a new flower, designed to attract a specific pollinator.

Historic Social Media

Historic Social Media

How would people from history have interacted online? Students will develop a conversation online between people involved in the same event from history.

Create A Creature

Create A Creature

Create a new creature based on the adaptations of existing creatures from the same biome.