by Mel Paradis. Mel Paradis is a GT teacher and coordinator for three elementary schools in Wyoming and also a member of an improv comedy troupe! I was thrilled when she offered to write a post about how she uses improvisation in the classroom to engage students, enhance their thinking skills, reinforce content, and so … Read more
Like previous scavenger hunts shared on this site, On the Hunt for Maggie O’Brady is an educational virtual field trip that includes a mystery element: Maggie goes on a trip around the world and is now missing. Students gather information as they retrace her journey via Google Earth, and then solve a puzzle and a … Read more
I’ve previously shared about Ed Zaccaro’s book The 10 Things All Future Mathematicians and Scientists Should Know (But Are Rarely Taught), and how I introduced and reinforced the BIG IDEAS in these lessons over a two-year span with my 4th and 5th grade GT students. You can read the first post I shared HERE. In this post, … Read more
See the KID-CREATED category for additional tutorials and projects that invite students to create original puzzles, presentations, events, and more. If your upper elementary or middle school students have enjoyed any of these Google Earth virtual scavenger hunts, it might be interesting to have them try to create their own as part of a unit … Read more
by Alicia Menchaca Recently, I asked teachers to share contests and competitions they love, and Alicia Menchaca, an Enrichment Coordinator in Uvalde, Texas, commented that her students had participated in – and won- the 90-Second Newberry. I asked if she would share more, and she generously agreed. I love the concept of dramatizing the entire … Read more
If you’re looking for a novel topic of study that involves exploring MYSTERIES and UNANSWERED QUESTIONS, you might like to introduce your students to the ocean’s twilight zone! Some are calling it the next frontier because so little is known about this ecosystem. What has been discovered so far will fascinate and perhaps surprise your … Read more
by Stefanie Schropp Stefanie Schropp is the Gifted, Talented, and Enrichment Coordinator on her pre-K through 8th-grade campus. In addition to teaching pull-out classes for 3rd, 4th, and 5th-grade G/T students, she also “pushes in” to teach whole-class enrichment lessons in all elementary and pre-K classes. On top of that, she teaches a G/T middle … Read more
The photo of my classroom shown here is one I took a few years back and I promise- I did not spend a lot of time or energy putting things on walls. As the year progressed, I added things, but here are some things you can put up very quickly that promote ongoing learning and … Read more
Here is a math activity that can serve as a quick brain teaser or an ongoing whole-class activity to use throughout the school year. First, if you aren’t familiar with what I call Triple-A Analogies, watch the video tutorial below, first shared in this post. It’s a great place to start and you’ll find ready-to-share … Read more
by Taylor Halliday NOTE (from Donna): Last year, I discovered Natalie Babbitt’s novel The Search for Delicious and immediately saw the potential for use with GT students. What a treat it was for me when Gifted Intervention Specialist Taylor Halliday shared her excitement and enthusiasm for the study. Even more thrilling were the fun activities … Read more
