How I’d Change this Question from my Textbook Here are a dozen ways to transform a not-so-critical-thinking question from one of my district's textbooks.
Inductive Thinking in Spelling and Vocabulary Let's look at a couple ways to bring inductive thinking into word studies. We'll examine simple plural rules all the way up to etymology of foreign words in English.
Creating Better Research Questions Once students have a topic they'd like to research, how do we help them form more interesting questions?
Details Should Lead To A Big Idea Here are two questions I’d ask students about a story What are three important 🌼 details about the main character? What is the story’s 🏛️ moral? Now, details naturally lead to big ideas. But in this case, I switched topics from “main character” to “big idea, ” which broke the natural movement. If I ask […]
An Image for Divergent Thinking Practice I think this is an interesting way to practice our students' divergent thinking skills. What else could this trash can's icon represent?
A Remix Library A list of stories inspired by older stories to teach your students about the history of reusing ideas.
Differentiating “Compare & Contrast” with Classics Here's how I differentiated the reading skill of "Compare & Contrast" for my students, who have been successfully comparing and contrasting since kindergarten. Students investigated artists, developed a haiku, and learned how to shade with pencils.
Writing Mother’s Day Similes Mother's Day is coming up, and it's the perfect chance to practice figurative language. Help your students create thoughtful cards, packed with rich similes and metaphors that relate directly to their mothers.
