All AboutEnrichment

Enrichment should be much more than fun and games. It shouldn't be a bunch of random projects and activities. The goal of enrichment is to get kids analyzing, evaluating, and synthesizing. Here's a few resources for doing just that.

Reader Question: Unusual Animals

A reader asks how we can take the typical “look up facts online and then present with PowerPoint” task to an appropriate level of challenge.

Prime Number Explorations

Students learn about prime numbers early in their careers, but the true, quirky nature of these numbers isn’t really explored unless kids go on to become math majors. Here are three fun prime explorations suitable for even young students.

Vocab Puzzle: Antonym Paths

Begin with a small, simple word and identify its antonym. Then, take this second word and find its antonym. Many times, you’ll find that an antonym of an antonym isn’t always related the original word.

Quick Strategy Game: Domineering

Wanted to share another cheap, quick, and simple game that has interesting complexities and connections to math. This game is called Domineering. All you need are paper and a pencil. Graph paper would be a luxury.

Three Videos With Mind-Blowing Optical Illusions

Paradoxes and illusions are a great area of study to blow students’ minds. I recently discovered an amazing artist, Kokichi Sugihara, who creates and films optical illusions using just paper and balls.

Paradox: Does Majority Rule?

A quick, but challenging discussion topic for any age: “Is it always fair to make decisions based on a majority vote?”

Jabberwocky, Parts of Speech, and Context Clues

Let’s see how we can use a classic piece of poetry to enhance a lesson on parts of speech or context clues. This provides exposure to a great work and also increases the complexity of a typical task.