In the classic poem “The Skater at Ghost Lake,” William Rose Benet crafted an eerie picture with words, somewhat spooky but not horrific or frightening – perfect for late October. Here are a few ideas you can use to lure students into a closer reading of just four stanzas, with ideas for extensions. INTRODUCING the … Read more
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 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
Recently, GT teacher Julia Dweck (@GiftedTawk) posted on Twitter about her class competing in the math game 24 with a group of college students. One video she shared of her students competing in a Variables round was amazing! I confess: I was not aware of the many different versions of the game! I was inspired … Read more
Here is another virtual scavenger hunt, but this one is a bit different from previous ones I’ve shared on this site. With just ONE CLICK, your students will be off on their journey! The scavenger hunt experience is much the same- students “travel” from place to place around the world, via Google Earth, hunting for … Read more
