Donna Lasher Many teachers who work with gifted students or teach STEM programs are familiar with the brainstorming strategy S.C.A.M.P.E.R. If you have not taught it or used it with your students, there is a very good explanation here and here is an introductory slide show you can use to introduce the strategy to your elementary students. … Read more
This virus simulation has been part of my 5th graders’ first-day experiences for years, long before the 2020 world pandemic. This post was written on February 4, 2020. This hands-on science and math lesson is an activity my fifth-grade GT students remember and one that seems to always be relevant. As I write this, the … Read more
I didn’t expect to encounter Socrates in the book #Do Not Disturb: How I Ghosted My Cell Phone to Take Back My Life (affiliate link), but it brought back to mind a powerful critical thinking exercise that should be a part of every 21st-century curriculum. Apparently, the ancient Greek philosopher was worried that the invention … Read more
I always say a little prayer before reading this story to my fourth and fifth-grade gifted students. It’s one that I’ve seen almost drive kids to tears. Fair warning! If you’re familiar with the Sideways Stories series, but unfamiliar with Sideways Arithmetic (affiliate links), you need to know that the latter goes beyond offbeat and … Read more
Logophiles and verbivores, this post is for you! Even if you’re not a word lover, you have many students who are, and injecting wordplay into your school day not only enhances the language arts curriculum, it adds fun and laughter to your day. Here are a few ways to leverage a little language levity (with … Read more
Because I love etymology, I’ve always introduced philosophy to my gifted students as a “love of wisdom” (Greek ~philos and sophos). We spent some time exploring words related to those roots. My students especially loved the origin of the word “sophomore!” (see also “A Greek Root is Worth 1,000 Words”) If you work with intellectually … Read more
Many years ago, I had the pleasure of hearing Marcy Cook speak. She is a well-known math specialist and presenter of seminars and workshops all over the world, and if you’ve never attended one of her sessions, I highly recommend it! In my district, the goal for our gifted students has always been to create … Read more
Metacognition: a big word and a powerful idea. People of all ages, from primary students to corporate CEOs, benefit from learning how to THINK about their own THINKING. Way back in the 1960s, Edward de Bono introduced lateral thinking and created strategies that enable people of all ages to intentionally think in organized ways in … Read more
My G/T students always LOVED solving calculator riddles similar to these, particularly the third graders! At some point, they noticed the square root key on the calculator and wanted to learn about it. So, I began teaching square numbers and square roots and over the years found a few great resources to accompany the lessons. … Read more
Here’s a research activity I used every year with my gifted kindergarten students, but it could easily be adapted for students in higher grades. The final product was always emailed home to parents at the end of the year and my students loved sharing it. If you’re looking for a more challenging literacy activity for … Read more
