On April 8th, the moon will totally eclipse the Sun, and its shadow will sweep across the U.S. Knowing that many of us will want to capitalize on this stellar event (pun intended), I’ve shared some unique and novel activities and resources that can be used as small group or whole-class experiences. AN ENGAGING HOOK … Read more
In the post All the World’s a Stage ~ Spotlight Your Students’ Learning, I shared some of my favorite ways to spotlight student work either throughout the year or at an EOY showcase event. In this post, I’ve elaborated on three ways to make a showcase more exciting for your students to create and more … Read more
by Krista True Krista True is a gifted K-12 facilitator in Ottawa, Kansas serving students of all ages across her district. After teaching in elementary education for a decade, she moved into GATE and is currently working on a master’s in gifted education. I’m so grateful she agreed to share about this creative holiday project! … 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
by Taylor Halliday NOTE (from Donna): Last year, I discovered Natalie Babbitt’s novel The Search for Delicious and immediately saw the potential for use with GT students. What a treat it was for me when Gifted Intervention Specialist Taylor Halliday shared her excitement and enthusiasm for the study. Even more thrilling were the fun activities … Read more
We’ve come a long way from the annual EGG DROP Challenge, Design and engineering challenges are ubiquitous and for good reason. Students love them, they promote the application of academic skills and concepts, they connect to things happening in the world, and they introduce students to the roles of engineers, logisticians, research and development teams, … 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
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
Here are three brain breaks I’ve used when I sensed the need for a little stress reduction. They help kids relax and usually induce some laughter, always a good thing in the classroom. QUESTION CONVO In this game, student pairs compete to keep a conversation going the longest. The catch is that the conversation must … 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
