Alabama ELA Standard: 4.LF.20.c

Sometimes power is concentrated in one place. Other times it is spread out.

Wouldn’t some holidays be better on a certain day of the week? Should Thanksgiving have a set date?

Which domesticated animal will win the tournament?

Which type of energy will win the tournament!?

Earthquake vs. hurricane. Tsunami vs. wildfire. Students set the criteria, argue their case, and crown a champion. Warning: it gets heated.

Which location is the most wondrous place in the solar system?

Which of these pieces of exploration technology is most important? Most underrated? Most long-lasting?

Eight types of precipitation battle it out in this tournament.

Which animal has the most interesting, most valuable, or strangest adaptations?

Want to move beyond memorizing the characteristics of biomes? In this lesson, students work through a Tournament of Biomes, explaining which biome wins in each round (based on criteria you choose). In the end, they crown a 👑 Champion Biome!

Nothing like a paradox to get your kids brains exploding 🤯! This one starts with five simple words: “This statement is a lie.”

So… do your students moan when forced to work in a group? Part of the problem is that lack the structure to work well with peers. Edward de Bono’s Thinking Hats are a perfect tool to help with this problem.

Let’s see how propaganda techniques can make even something great seem bad.

Ask students to go beyond “I don’t like it” and form critical opinions based on a set of criteria. Students can produce written arguments or turn their opinion into oral presentations.