Lessons from 2021
Engagement Isn’t The Goal
While “engagement” is fun, it shouldn’t be our main goal.
Beyond Identifying a Story’s Problem and Solution
So your students can identify a story’s problem and solution. Then what?
Comparing Strengths and Weaknesses
Go beyond merely explaining strengths and weaknesses and get students thinking in interesting ways.
Fancy Product? Simple Thinking – Wax Museum
A big, impressive product doesn’t mean that there was big, impressive thinking.
Comparing Fraction Strategies
Comparing fraction strategies? Let’s take it even further!
Aim High, Scaffold Down in Math
A high level of thinking in math also requires the support of thoughtful scaffolding.
Categorize and Re-Categorize Countries
Put these countries into groups. Then do it again. Then… do it one more time. How does re-re-grouping the same places reveal new patterns and give new insights?
Looking Closely at Holiday Photos
Let’s write from multiple perspectives using an old timey holiday photo!
Categorize and Re-Categorize Animals
Put these animals into groups. Then do it again. Then… do it one more time. How does re-re-grouping the same creatures reveal new patterns and give new insights?
Holiday Writing: Packing Crates
An old photograph. A holiday scene. Pick one object in the picture and write from its point of view.
Special Gifts with Special Requirements
Your special friends sure have some unique gift needs!
What’s In My Brain!? Japan vs Jamaica
Is it an island or an archipelago?
Depth and Complexity: Patterns and Quadrilaterals
Why just “identifying patterns” isn’t deep enough.
From “Identify” to “Analyze” – Famous Structures
Rather than just learning about one structure, let’s climb Bloom’s and think more deeply.
Not Like The Others: US National Parks
Four US national parks. One doesn’t belong. But which one? That depends on your argument.
Thanksgiving Photo Writing
Starting with an old-timey photo, students will write from a particular item’s point of view.
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?
Discussing An Important Decision from History
How would people with two different perspectives discuss a decision from history?
Famous Structures
The Eiffel Tower, the Colosseum, the Sydney Opera House — group them, pick the best from each group, then design your own.
Why I Don’t Use “Create” in Bloom’s Taxonomy
The word “Create” can mask low-level tasks. Here’s why I avoid using it in objectives.
What’s In My Brain!? Gold vs Wood
Some of these examples are conductors and some are insulators!
What’s In My Brain!? Walnut vs Clouds
Let’s look at living vs non-living things.
Notice, Wonder: Critter
A mysterious image. Reveal it slowly. Let your students wonder!
Creativity Beyond The Fluff
Just because a task is “creative” doesn’t mean students are at the top of Bloom’s Taxonomy.
What’s the Pattern? Fraction Addition
Can your students figure out how to add fractions by looking for a pattern?
Introducing Universal Theme of Conflict
So what could you do with a Universal Theme of Conflict? Well, here’s an introduction that will get your students’ brains sweating.
Notice, Wonder: A House
A mysterious image. Reveal it slowly. Let your students wonder!
Models of Instruction: Inquiry Training
Want your students to ask better questions? Why not train them to inquire!?
Back to School: Rewriting The Beatles’ “Help!”
Can your students come up with a one-syllable word to sum up their time away from school? And then rewrite The Beatles’ song Help!?
Find The Pattern: Multiply Fractions
What if you set the stage for students to discover how to multiply fractions?
Investigating Population Changes
How have the ages of three countries’ populations changed from 1950 to 2020? And what problems might that create?
Concept Attainment: Hornet vs Tiger
Can your class spot the vertebrates vs invertebrates?
Analyze Suffixes: -ly, -less, and -ful
What exactly does adding -less do to a word?
Olympics: Medals by Population
Do big countries always have the most medals? Which smaller countries rank surprisingly high in the Olympics?
Olympics: Winter vs Summer Medal Count
Which country has a great balance between their summer and winter Olympic medals?
Chess Variant: Monster Chess
What if you had really weak chess pieces, but you could always move twice?
Introducing Universal Theme of Change
Everything changes. But how does it change? Students brainstorm dozens of examples and boil them down to one big idea.
Introducing Universal Theme of Systems
So what could you do with a Universal Theme of Systems? Well, here’s an introduction that will get your students’ brains sweating.
Introducing Universal Theme of Power
So what could you do with a Universal Theme of Power? Well, here’s an introduction that will get your students’ brains sweating.
Making Depth and Complexity Posters
Why buy premade posters when you can show off your students’ thinking about Depth and Complexity?
Notice, Wonder: SLS Test
A mysterious image. Reveal it slowly. Let your students wonder!
Writing Concept Attainment Lessons
In a Concept Attainment lesson, we give students examples and non-examples of a concept — without telling them what that concept is!
Writing About Art: Burning of the Houses of Lords and Commons
Look closely at Burning of the Houses of Lords and Commons. What do you notice? Now turn those details into a poem you didn’t know you could write.
Not Like The Others: Types of Diseases
Four diseases. One doesn’t belong. But which one? That depends on your argument.
Not Like The Others: Birds of the Desert
Four desert birds. One doesn’t belong. But which one? That depends on your argument.
Not Like The Others: Penguins
Four penguins. One doesn’t belong. But which one? That depends on your argument.
Not Like The Others: Microstates of Europe
Four of the tiniest countries in Europe. One doesn’t belong. But which one? That depends on your argument.
Racetrack – Race Around A Graph
How fast do you get your mathematical car going without crashing?
Writing About Art: Impression, Sunrise
Look closely at Impression, Sunrise. What do you notice? Now turn those details into a poem you didn’t know you could write.
Mow A Lawn
How long would it take to mow a very large lawn with a push-mower?
Not Like The Others: Microorganisms
Four microorganisms. One doesn’t belong. But which one? That depends on your argument.
An Introduction to Models of Instruction
As a new teacher, I only knew one model of instruction: Direct Instruction. I was like a chef who only knew how to deep fry!
Notice, Wonder: Butterball
A mysterious image. Reveal it slowly. Let your students wonder!
Notice, Wonder: Ramses
A mysterious image. Reveal it slowly. Let your students wonder!
Automobiles – Mixed Up Paragraph
Can you use the context clues to get these sentences about automobiles back into the correct order?
Washington, DC – Mixed Up Paragraph
These sentences about Washington, DC got scrambled. Can you put them back in order using nothing but context clues?
Trains – Mixed Up Paragraph
Can you use the context clues to get these sentences about trains back into the correct order?
Earthquakes – Mixed Up Paragraph
Can you use the context clues to get these sentences about earthquakes back into the correct order?
Words Within Words: AIRPLANE
How many words can you find within airplane?
Words Within Words: LEOPARD
How many words can you find within “leopard”?
Words Within Words: SATURN
How many words can you find within Saturn?
Drawing An Impossible Triangle
Here’s how you can draw The Penrose Triangle, an example of an impossible shape.
Plant Adaptation Tournament
Who will win in a tournament of eight plants with Interesting adaptations!?
Notice, Wonder: Craters
A mysterious image. Reveal it slowly. Let your students wonder!
Notice, Wonder: Bloom
A mysterious image. Reveal it slowly. Let your students wonder!
Fizz Buzz: A Counting and Divisibility Game
Ready for a tricky counting and divisibility game?
Depth and Complexity Walkthroughs
You’re implementing Depth and Complexity, but how do you know if you’re doing it well? Five things to look for.
Notice, Wonder: Skylight
A mysterious image. Reveal it slowly. Let your students wonder!
My Top 5 Depth and Complexity Mistakes
I spent about a decade making some pretty major mistakes in my use of depth and complexity.
Microchess (Chess Variant)
What if we played chess on a board that’s only 4×5?
Charge of the Light Brigade – Chess Variant
What if one side played with THREE QUEENS and the other had SEVEN KNIGHTS!? What if?
Horde Chess Variant
What if one player had, say, 32 pawns?
Drawing Knots, Level 3
How to draw the final version of the twisty Henri Matisse knot!
Drawing Knots, Level 2
How to draw a more complex version of this twisty Henri Matisse knot!
Drawing Knots, Level 1
How to draw a simple version of this twisty Henri Matisse knot!
Tournament: 8 Wonders of the Solar System
Which location is the most wondrous place in the solar system?
Notice, Wonder: Krzywy Las
A mysterious image. Reveal it slowly. Let your students wonder!
Not Like The Others: Ants of the World!
Four ants from around the world. One doesn’t belong. But which one? That depends on your argument.
Notice, Wonder: Scales
A mysterious image. Reveal it slowly. Let your students wonder!
Sets of Idioms Related to Numbers
Two sets of idioms related to numbers.
Notice, Wonder: Vortices
A mysterious image. Reveal it slowly. Let your students wonder!
The 8th Wonder of the World Tournament
Which of these eight wonders deserves to become the Eighth Wonder of the World!?
Notice, Wonder: Swirls
A mysterious image. Reveal it slowly. Let your students wonder!
Notice, Wonder: Witch’s Fingers
A mysterious image. Reveal it slowly. Let your students wonder!
Five Sets of Bird and Bug Idioms
Five sets of idioms related to birds (and bugs).
Word Pyramid: P to PLAINS
Add a letter at each step to form a new word. Can you connect the starting point and ending point?
Word Pyramid: T to PLANET
Add a letter at each step to form a new word. Can you connect T and PLANET?
Word Pyramid: O to Stones
Add a letter at each step to form a new word. Can you connect the starting point and ending point?
Word Pyramid: I to LIONS
Add a letter at each step to form a new word. Can you connect the starting point and ending point?
Sets of Idioms Related to Body Parts
Five sets of five idioms, all related to body parts!
Sets of Idioms Related to Food
Five sets of five idioms, all related to food.
Exploration Technology Tournament
Which of these pieces of exploration technology is most important? Most underrated? Most long-lasting?
Word Pyramid: T to Patch
Add a letter at each step to form a new word. Can you connect the starting point and ending point?
Word Pyramid: H to CRASH
Add a letter at each step to form a new word. Can you connect the starting point and ending point?
Rethinking Extension Menus
Is creating nine, two-sentence tasks really an effective way to differentiate?
Greek and Latin Word Part Paths
How can we go from Biology to Immobile?
Precipitation Tournament
Eight types of precipitation battle it out in this tournament.
Parabolic Curve Art
Create mathematical art with curves that, well, aren’t curvy.
Tournament of Ancient Inventions
Which of these inventions of the ancient world is most influential? Least useful today? Most taken-for-granted?
Animal Adaptation Tournament
Which animal has the most interesting, most valuable, or strangest adaptations?