Here’s an event you’ll want to share with your students before the holiday break! On December 21st, Jupiter and Saturn will appear as a double planet! Their orbits will bring them closer together than they’ve been in centuries. This phenomenon is called a conjunction, and when it involves the two largest planets in our solar … Read more
When I think about the holidays in my classroom, many things come to mind: Snowflake Sudoku, The 12 Days of Christmas problem solving, and reading aloud the classic short story “The Gift of the Magi.” I bought the book shown here when my own children were little, but I used it more often in my … Read more
by Candace Coffee I first reached out to Candace Coffee back in the spring of 2020, when the pandemic hit and she generously shared some fabulous choice boards (find them HERE). Candace is the GT Educator/Specialist for Princeton ISD in Texas, and when she recently shared this holiday STEAM activity via social media, I reached … Read more
If you’re a fan of special “academic” days of celebration such as Pi Day, Powers of Ten Day, and Fibonacci Day, celebrated on November 23rd, then we have something in common! What student isn’t interested in anything that involves “celebration?” It can be a good thing to set aside whatever studies are happening at the … Read more
One of my favorite puzzles at Brainzilla is called LOGIC EQUATIONS. This type of puzzle combines algebraic equations with a logic grid, so it’s a fantastic complement to Hands-On Equations™! If you’re short on time, here’s a quick tutorial! In just over two minutes your students can learn how to solve these. You can find … Read more
Few language exercises provide as much bang for the buck as analogy challenges do! Students learn to think critically and logically as they evaluate word meanings, connotations, characteristics, parts of speech, and many other possible relationships connecting words and ideas. With more advanced analogies, students engage in verbal reasoning that requires an extensive vocabulary and … Read more
Students appreciate it when we set them up for success. No presenter- at any age- wants to see an audience looking bored or disinterested. Modeling and teaching students HOW to present to audiences in engaging ways should be a big part of what we do as teachers. One way to engage an audience is to … Read more
Grab a deck of playing cards and you have all you need to introduce dozens of fantastic higher-level activities that get kids thinking! Here are a few that complement The Primary Education Thinking Skills™ curriculum which addresses four main types of high-level thinking: convergent, divergent, visual-spatial, and evaluative thinking. You can find other PETS™-friendly activities … Read more
The other day I was thinking about the challenges of monitoring and assisting students virtually, especially as they complete independent studies. By any name (Genius Hour, 20% Time, Wonder Workshop), gifted and advanced students benefit in many ways when they are allowed to explore their own passions and interests, but they need guidance along the … Read more
My students and I first celebrated POWERS of TEN DAY in 2014. My 3rd-5th-graders see the film on their first day of class and we discuss it (see “POWERS of TEN and COSMIC EYE ~ Mind-Expanding for Students), but October 10th is the perfect day to revisit the film and introduce a few advanced math … Read more
