My puzzling adventure continues! I’m excited to introduce the Meta-Puzzle Mystery Hunt, a new kind of team challenge inspired by the MIT Mystery Hunt, the largest and most complex puzzle challenge in the world, attracting thousands of puzzle enthusiasts. My goal was to develop a puzzle “experience” for younger puzzlers that would incorporate some of … Read more
These engaging and mind-expanding videos are all less than 6 minutes in length and can be used anytime to spark imagination and conversation. I’ve included a few presentations, too, and all are tied to lessons and projects on the website. To see how you might use these in learning activities, click on the “more here” … Read more
The idea for this game came from The Power of Improv in the Classroom by Mel Paradis. It’s worth reading or revisiting! The game is my math version of “String of Pearls” or “Circle Equations,” a similar improv game found here. CHAIN LINK MATH For this game, each student needs an individual whiteboard (white cardstock … Read more
I’m excited to share this bundle, just in time for SPRING! It will soon be part of a larger unit for 2nd or 3rd grade, but can stand alone as a mini-unit. You can find this bundle of activities HERE. ZOO SCAVENGER HUNT. This is an offline scavenger hunt, a simulated excursion to Taronga Zoo … Read more
If you’ve never heard of KENNINGS, let me introduce you! A kenning is a literary device in which TWO WORDS are used to describe or name something. A compound word or pair of words is used as a poetic substitution for a noun. Here are some examples of KENNINGS: There is an interesting history behind … Read more
For even more inspiration and encouragement, read “this related post, Teachers With a Design Mindset, and join the SHARE and TELL conversations in our Facebook group! Thank you for all you do for students! January is an ideal time to get your kids excited about a meaningful project that contributes to the school or community, something they … Read more
Based on this puzzle for K-2, which I shared in an email a couple of years ago, GT Specialist Erin Griffith created a detailed lesson plan and student sheet with improved graphics! Thank you for sharing, Erin! Click HERE to see and download the lesson. Click HERE to retrieve the student page below. ENJOY!
Many meaningful projects incorporate visual art. This is a landing page for some very cool art projects with endless curricular connections. They are sure to inspire you and spark new ideas! I’ve also included a presentation for students about how creative thinking strategies can lead to innovations in art. S.C.A.M.P.E.R. in VISUAL ART The S.C.A.M.P.E.R. … Read more
Have you ever considered creating a choice board of contest entries and creative submissions? Recently, I was updating and revising this list of Contests and Competitions, and it brought back memories of years when my students went crazy submitting things to kids’ magazines and contests. They worked on these mini-projects during Genius Hour or as … Read more
Have you ever seen “How to Bartle Puzballs?” It’s an exercise in the first chapter of Kelly Gallagher’s book Deeper Reading and an illustration of superficial reading, It proves that you can read nonsense and still answer basic questions without comprehending a text at all. I loved sharing it with my 8th-grade ELA students at … Read more
A few years back, around this time of year, I saw the tweet below. I felt so validated because Lisa Van Gemert is an icon in gifted education, and I couldn’t agree more with her on this! “I’m concerned by the tweets and posts I’m seeing about how teachers are spending a couple of weeks … Read more
