Our brains love and seek out experiences that are new and different. Learning and retention are enhanced when content is presented in a unique way or is something not encountered before. It’s why we love a good plot twist, magic tricks, and surprise parties (well, some don’t love those!). Novelty is when you experience something … Read more
A variety of topics have come up as my GT students and I read The Giver, a novel that fits in well with a study of philosophy and our year-long theme, IMPACT (read more about that here). Genetic science has always emerged in our discussions because of the role of genetic engineering in the story. … Read more
WHO NEEDS TO READ THIS BOOK? Teachers and parents of K-12 students. That’s really all you need to know. Here’s why I so highly recommend this book. I taught 8th-grade English and Literature for three years, and -hands-down- my students’ favorite activity was a mock trial we did after a reading of the story “The … Read more
Giggles, giggles, and more giggles. Students are often nervous the first time they circle up to participate in a formal Socratic dialogue. In a previous post, I discussed many different approaches to facilitating meaningful student dialogue including Shared Inquiry and Philosophical Chairs. Here are some ideas that can help you introduce student-led dialgoue, as well … 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
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
This is the second in a series of posts related to the study of CRYPTOLOGY for advanced students in grades 3-5. See also: Part One: The History of Codes and Ciphers ~ FIND A VIRTUAL SLIDE SHOW READY-TO-SHARE WITH STUDENTS HERE! In Part One, students were introduced to CRYPTOLOGY as the study of the history … Read more
Among the many recommended books and resources listed on this site, there are a few I feel compelled to tell you more about, to explain how I used them and how they impacted our G/T studies. The Story of Science: Aristotle Leads the Way (affiliate link) is one that connects math, science, art, and philosophy … Read more
Here are a few challenges and investigations that evoke wonder and fascination if students can get past the blunders and frustration! I call these “First-Day Challenges” because I used them to spark conversations that set the tone from the first day of school. Students learn that the seemingly impossible or unbelievable might actually be possible … Read more
Here are sample Scope and Sequence documents that may give you a starting place in year-long planning or spark some new ideas to add to your curriculum. These grade-level studies are built around universal themes. If you haven’t already, I encourage you to read these two articles about long-term planning for gifted students: PLEASE READ: Planning … Read more
