Little kids love BIG WORDS. I remember learning to spell the word poinsettia in kindergarten. It was December, and my amazing teacher (aren’t all kindergarten teachers amazing?) had squeezed every bit of learning out of that flower incorporating science, language, and art! After teaching us all about the flower, our teacher challenged us to learn … Read more
Here is an idea that is fun to do at the end of October and there is so much you can do with this! If you’ve always wanted to introduce your young scholars to Shakespeare but didn’t know how to get started, I hope this will encourage you to try! Choose from all or just … Read more
At a gifted conference years ago, I was thrilled to get a seat in a session presented by Ed Zaccaro, author of Challenge Math, Primary Grade Challenge Math, and The 10 Things All Future Mathematicians and Scientists Should Know But Are Rarely Taught. Much of his experience was at the middle school level, and his … Read more
Here is a poetic tale that can be shared with students of all ages! It became a part of the first-day activities in my 4th-grade GT class every year. The focus of our studies was MYSTERIES, but not in the usual sense. You can find an overview of the year-long unit here, and in this … Read more
Here are five of my favorite activities to put students at ease when they walk into GT class on the first day. FIRST DAY TEACHER POEM (K-3) The idea behind this poem is to surprise and have a little fun with students as you introduce yourself and the GT class. Play through these slides in “present” … Read more
Do you like to send a welcome letter to your students before class begins? Here are some mini-projects and unique activities you can include with your letter to give students a preview of what’s ahead! BACK-TO-SCHOOL PROGRESSIVE PUZZLE / PAIRED PUZZLE If your students enjoy puzzles as much as mine, this would be a fun … Read more
These activities complement The Primary Education Thinking Skills™ curriculum, in particular the thinking skills associated with Yolanda the Yarnspinner and Isabel the Inventor! If you use P.E.T.S., you might also enjoy the activities found HERE. These language and wordplay activities are perfect for small group instruction and will delight younger students. They also fit in beautifully … Read more
As part of our year-long MYSTERIES unit in 4th-grade GT, we studied various sciences that solve mysteries and one was archaeology. The book Hands-On Archaeology was very helpful, but way too comprehensive for the time we had to devote to this mini-unit, so we focused on big ideas, the language of the discipline, and methods … Read more
If you’re looking for some new ways to showcase your students’ learning, whether on a bulletin board in the hallway, on a display out in the community, through a digital platform, or in a major showcase event, here are some ideas to consider. Posting student work for an audience beyond your classroom encourages students to … Read more
Our brains constantly seek patterns and connections, and it was my 3rd-graders’ study of the brain and the picture book ZOOM that inspired this unique research project as part of our SYSTEMS unit. By third grade, my students were spending more time reading and exploring topics on their own and this project allowed me to … Read more
