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
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
Who doesn’t love the beach, and this time of year who isn’t already dreaming about summer days? So, why not turn that into an opportunity for learning? Recently, 5th-grade teacher Jen Pillman reached out on social media asking teachers for “beach-themed” ideas. Through direct messaging, Jen shared she uses THEME DAYS as rewards in her … 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
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
Of all the mysteries of the world, the HUMAN BRAIN is one of the most fascinating, and it literally connects to all topics of study since it is the organ devoted to LEARNING. In my classroom, a study of the brain began in 3rd grade GT class as part of our year-long unit: SYSTEMS, which … Read more
Here’s an event you’ll want to share with your students before the holiday break! On December 21st, Jupiter and Saturn will appear as a double planet! Their orbits will bring them closer together than they’ve been in centuries. This phenomenon is called a conjunction, and when it involves the two largest planets in our solar … 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
Every year, on the first day of G/T classes, I showed Powers of Ten to my 3rd, 4th, and 5th-grade students. By the time my students reached fifth grade, many had seen this nine-minute video three times. They never complained; in fact, they loved telling new students, “Oh, wait ’til you see this; it’s so … Read more
Biomimicry is a fascinating and novel topic of study for younger students. Also called biomimetics, it comes from the Greek roots bios, meaning “life,” and mimesis, “to imitate.” It is observing “what works” in nature and mimicking it to solve problems, create, and innovate. Co-founder of the Biomimicry Institute, Janine Benyus calls it “innovation inspired … Read more
