Free
A few sample lessons for you to try out!
Ongoing Greek and Latin Word Part Activities
Rather than just memorizing word parts, students will use those word parts to create four possible products.
Showing A Character’s Trait
We tell students to "show, not tell" in their writing, but this advice isn't effective until they experience the difference. In this video, we'll put a famous character (of students' choosing) into a mundane situation and develop a fun scene to show off their main traits.
The Resiliency Tournament
Your students will set up a tournament to determine which person or character best demonstrated resiliency.
Holiday vs Holiday (from a Mascot’s Perspective)
Want something to do during the holiday season that is both fun and involves thinking? Get students writing about what a snowman would think about Halloween or what a ghost would think about Thanksgiving.
Math Curiosity: The Coloring Problem
No video gets me more email from students! How few colors can you use to color in any map so that no two, neighboring regions are the same color?
Building Creative Analogies
We'll take two seemingly unrelated pieces of content (say volcanoes and the human body) and then build analogies to connect the two ideas. In the end, students can create a skit, comic, or story relating the two concepts.
Writing A Story About Fraction Equivalence
When fractions take on a new denominator, it's as if they're wearing a disguise - same value, new look. So let's write a story about fraction equivalence starring a fraction who needs to fit in with a new group.
Place Value (Beyond Base 10)
Place value is something we cover in elementary school. It seems simple, but I'd wager that very few adults really understand the topic. I sure didn't until I worked with non-base-10 number systems in college. Your students can get a taste of this mind-boggling experience by imagining what it would be like if we didn't have the number 9. What would each digit represent then?
Parentheses: How big of a change can they make!?
Once students understand the order of operations, they often just get stuck doing increasingly difficult practice problems. That's a sure-fire way to squelch learning, though. Here, students determine where to place parentheses to make the greatest change in an expression.
Fraction Puzzlers: Add and Subtract Fractions To Reach A Number
You only have six digits to form three fractions. Can you combine them to get to 0?
Factors and Codes (Episode 1)
Let's use factors to encode and decode words.
A Calendar Math Project
Why are there 12 months? Why don't weeks fit into months evenly? Why don't weeks fit into the year evenly? What's going on with the calendar!
Reduce Anxiety: Square Breathing (Tool 1)
Reduce anxiety by breathing in a square pattern.
Intellectual Intensity
Do you know someone who becomes a bit overexcited by ideas?
Motivation and Moral Development
Can someone do the right thing, but for the wrong reason?
Random Emoji Prompt Generator
Click up an interesting, visual writing prompt suitable for any grade or purpose.
Fancier Figurative Language: Start with a Cliche
We'll start with the cliché "as cold as ice" and go somewhere much more interesting.
Reduce Anxiety: 5 Question Rule (Tool 5)
Adults can limit anxiety by implementing the Five Question Rule.
Famous Structures
Students explore famous structures from around the world, put them into related categories, pick some winners, and then design their own.
Ways to Start a Sentence – Level 2
We'll show students how to add more variety to their writing by starting sentences with a reason, a prepositional phrase, and a simile.
Reduce Anxiety: Brain Plate (Tool 3)
Take away some anxiety with the tool Brain Plate.
Reduce Anxiety: Change The Channel (Tool 2)
Reduce anxiety by learning to "change the channel."
Reduce Anxiety: Worry Time (Tool 4)
Adults can learn to help students reduce anxiety with the tool Worry Time.
Stories with the Same Problems and Solutions
Have you ever noticed that some stories have awfully similar problems? What if we looked for the most unusual way of solving a repeating problem?
Inferring With Art: A Couple
What's going on in this room? There are shoes everywhere! Are those… oranges? Let's make some inferences!
Discussing An Important Decision from History
How would people with two different perspectives discuss a decision from history?
Notice, Wonder: A River
A mysterious image. Slowly reveal it. Let your students wonder!
Notice, Wonder: Akron
A mysterious image. Slowly reveal it. Let your students wonder!
Running A Group Investigation Lesson
For TeachersLearn to lead a lesson that is built entirely on student curiosity.
Holiday Emoji Story 🚚
Students will create a story about 🚚🎁🤔🐶🫣
Halloween Emoji Story 🕷️
Students will create a story about 🕷️🕸️📩🔑🚪.
Creativity Beyond The Fluff
For TeachersJust because a task is "creative" doesn't mean students are at the top of Bloom's Taxonomy.
Halloween Emoji Story 🎃
Students will create a story about 🎃🕯️📖💥👻.
Holiday Emoji Story ⛷️
Students will create a story about ⛷️🌨️🌲🐻🤝
Emoji Stories 🏰
Students will create a story about 🏰📚🔍🔐🚪.
Writing Sample: Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
A passage from "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" to use as a mentor text, discussion starter, or writing prompt.
Halloween Emoji Story 🌕
Students will create a story about 🌕🌲👣😱💨.
Holiday Emoji Story 🍪
Students will create a story about 🍪🥛🔍🐾🦌
Holiday Emoji Story ☃️
Students will create a story about ☃️👑🏔️🔭✨
Holiday Emoji Story 🎅
Students will create a story about 🎅🛷🌀🚀🌍
Emoji Stories 🚗
Students will write a story about 🚗🗺️🌋🐉🌉
Emoji Stories 🤖
Students will create a story about 🤖💃🎵🕺🐔.
Emoji Stories 🐻
Students will create a story about 🐻🎩🎙️🐰🤣.
12 Phrases: Somewhere In Space
Given twelve random phrases, students will pick four and then write about the strange situation.
Emoji Stories 🦁
Students will create a story about 🦁👑🐗🎶🌄
Emoji Stories 🐌
Students will create a story about 🐌📬✈️🏛️ 📜
Emoji Stories 🚚
Students will create a story about 🚚🤖📻🛸🌌
Emoji Stories 🏟️
Students will create a story about 🏟️🏹🍞🐦🔥
Emoji Stories 🕰️
Students will create a story about 🕰️🎩🐀💎🕺
Emoji Stories 👁️
Students will create a story about 👁️🔮🌩️🚷🌲
Emoji Stories 🛥️
Students will write a story about 🛥️🏊🌊🐙🤝 .