UPDATED FOR 2025-2026 Here’s a fun activity to welcome students back after the winter holiday break. I think our students can always use more geography; so, as in Oh the Places You May Go and The Grinch Who Stole the Christmas Star, this virtual scavenger hunt will take your students around the world via Google … Read more
“‘Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house…” How much time do you have to dive deeply into this classic? “A Visit to St. Nicholas” is a work that can inspire lessons across disciplines for all ages. Rich in literary elements and vocabulary, it has an interesting history, it had great impact on … Read more
This is definitely a novel approach to literature and perhaps a bit controversial. Full disclosure: I’ve never tried it, but gifted ed colleagues of mine have shared positive experiences with this collaborative reading activity in which a book is cut apart and groups of students read assigned sections. The groups then report back to the … Read more
Like teachers, students love contributing to the world through what they are doing and creating. In my experience, when students contribute to the learning of others, they sense a greater purpose in what takes place in the classroom. No matter what is happening in your classroom, a connection can be made to the learning of … Read more
The two stories below are meant to serve as an inspiration to us all. I hope to highlight more of these positive stories in future posts. If you have a story to share about how your students have impacted their community or school, please consider leaving a comment below so we can celebrate it with … Read more
by Crystal Koenig Crystal Koenig is a Gifted Education Facilitator and SGE Robotics Coach with 21 years of experience in education. She also serves as an eMINTS Affiliate Trainer and Director of Gifted Association of Missouri Region 1. This post is the result of a conversation in the Big Ideas Facebook group, specifically our Summer … Read more
If your students have never tried this type of puzzle, the Alph-Griddle, or Alpha-Box puzzle is a logic puzzle that incorporates cardinal directions and use of a compass rose. So, as students read the clues and use logical thinking, a basic skill is also being reinforced. HOW TO SOLVE Here is a tutorial for this … Read more
In celebration of the month of May, here is a virtual scavenger hunt that will take your students to unique destinations around the world. As they journey, students will collect what they need to solve a paired puzzle. The solution to the puzzle will provide them with a ticket number for their flight home. Like … Read more
by Natalie Medolla Natalie Medolla is an elementary Enrichment Program coordinator in New Jersey working with students in grades K-5. We began exchanging emails when she sent me a video link she thought I might like to add to POWERS of TEN and COSMIC EYE: Mind-Expanding for All Students. She mentioned that she and her … Read more
In The Math Behind the Fun and Games ~ Lessons for Masterminds Who Love Wordle, the focus was on introducing students to combinatorics, the branch of math that is behind many popular daily puzzles. Here I’ll share three different ways to present daily math puzzles so that younger students can join in and older students … Read more
