Playful Predictions: Two Prereading Activities for the Price of One (but FREE)

This is an activity you can do with students before they read or listen to a challenging chapter, poem, or text. If you know they will encounter some advanced words, this is an engaging and maybe a bit sneaky way to introduce the vocabulary. I call it “Playful Predictions” and it combines a fun prediction … Read more

To Infinity and Beyond? ~ Interactive Lessons Introducing NASA’s Artemis

Your students are being called “the Artemis generation.” The plans for NASA’s Artemis missions don’t include going to “infinity,” but they are bold and exciting and set the stage for missions to Mars. I’ve spent some time viewing videos and exploring NASA’s educational resources, and used a little of everything to create what I hope … Read more

How Can I Impact the World in a Positive Way? ~ 5th Grade IMPACT Theme

The two stories below are meant to serve as an inspiration to us all. I hope to highlight more of these positive stories in future posts. If you have a story to share about how your students have impacted their community or school, please consider leaving a comment below so we can celebrate it with … Read more

A 3-D Printer Student Business!

by Crystal Koenig Crystal Koenig is a Gifted Education Facilitator and SGE Robotics Coach with 21 years of experience in education. She also serves as an eMINTS Affiliate Trainer and Director of Gifted Association of Missouri Region 1. This post is the result of a conversation in the Big Ideas Facebook group, specifically our Summer … Read more

How To Think About a Number ~ Let Us Count the Ways!

A MIND-STRETCHING SET OF CHALLENGES THAT REQUIRES ZERO PREP! How many tasks can be inspired by a simple two-digit number? When I began playing around with this idea, my brain exploded. This is just the kind of task we want for our students, right? mind-blowing and brain-stretching? And the best part? The challenge sets below … Read more