What’s In My Brain: Ramp vs Bike

Two columns. One is an example, one isn’t. Can you figure out the hidden rule before the big reveal?

What’s In My Brain: Grass vs Mold

Two columns. One is an example, one isn’t. Can you figure out the hidden rule before the big reveal?

Order to Chaos: Dominoes or Dam?

Sometimes outside forces turn order into chaos. But sometimes chaos comes from within.

Order and Chaos Hide Inside Each Other

Chaos can contain order. Order can contain chaos! Is chaos ever truly random?

Power – Blue Whale vs Krill

Sure, a Blue Whale is huge. But does a tiny krill have more power?

What’s In My Brain: Inventions vs Discovery

We’re looking at inventions vs discoveries.

What’s In My Brain: Paperclip vs Straw

We’re looking at magnetic vs. non-magnetic materials.

What’s In My Brain: Lion vs Bear

We’re looking at carnivores vs omnivores.

Halloween Problems and Solutions

When we try to solve a problem, sometimes we end up creating new problems. Which lead to new solutions. Which lead to new problems.

What’s In My Brain: Guinea Pig vs Potbelly

What do guinea pigs, shooting stars, and seahorses have in common? They’re all misnomers!

What’s In My Brain: Spain vs Germany

One column is an example. The other isn’t. Can your students figure out the hidden rule before the reveal?

A System Similar to a Cell

Which parts of a cell serve a similar job to the parts of a cruise ship, human body, computer, or other system?

What’s In My Brain: Austin vs Los Angeles

We’re looking at capital cities.

What’s In My Brain: Italy vs Normandy

We’re looking at countries vs states (and other smaller regions).

What’s In My Brain: Crocodile vs Tree Frog

Is it a reptile or an amphibian?

What’s In My Brain: Narwhal vs Penguin

We’re looking at the arctic vs the antarctic.

Great Sloths – Mixed Up Paragraph

Can you use the context clues to get these sentences about great sloths back into the correct order?

The Moon – Mixed Up Paragraph

Can you use the context clues to get these sentences about The Moon back into the correct order?

The Great Sphinx – Mixed Up Paragraph

Can you use the context clues to get these sentences about The Great Sphinx back into the correct order?

Rainclouds – Mixed Up Paragraph

Can you use the context clues to get these sentences about rain clouds back into the correct order?

Coral Reef – Mixed Up Paragraph

Can you use the context clues to get these sentences about the coral reef back into the correct order?

Create A Civ: Capital City

Every great capital is part geography, part human design. Research real ones, then build your own from scratch.

What’s In My Brain!? Japan vs Jamaica

Is it an island or an archipelago?

Notice, Wonder: A House

A mysterious image. Reveal it slowly. Let your students wonder!

Notice, Wonder: SLS Test

A mysterious image. Reveal it slowly. Let your students wonder!

Not Like The Others: Birds of the Desert

Four desert birds. One doesn’t belong. But which one? That depends on your argument.

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?

Plant Adaptation Tournament

Who will win in a tournament of eight plants with Interesting adaptations!?

Notice, Wonder: Vortices

A mysterious image. Reveal it slowly. Let your students wonder!

Not Like The Others: Branches of the US Government

How is each part of the United States Government not like the other parts?

Think Like A Historian

Here’s how effects be causes and causes can be effects!

Analyze Paragraphs: Baseball

Three paragraphs about baseball. They all cover the same topic — so what makes each one different? Now combine them into one super-paragraph.

Analyze Paragraphs: Cucumbers

Three paragraphs about cucumbers. They all cover the same topic — so what makes each one different? Now combine them into one super-paragraph.

Analyze Paragraphs: Empire State Building

Three paragraphs about the Empire State Building. They all cover the same topic — so what makes each one different? Now combine them into one super-paragraph.

Analyze Paragraphs: Tomatoes

Three paragraphs about tomatoes. They all cover the same topic — so what makes each one different? Now combine them into one super-paragraph.

Analyze Paragraphs: Wolverines

Three paragraphs about wolverines. They all cover the same topic — so what makes each one different? Now combine them into one super-paragraph.

Not Like The Others: Natural Disasters

Four natural disasters. One doesn’t belong. But which one? That depends on your argument.

Notice, Wonder: A Long Line

A mysterious image. Reveal it slowly. Let your students wonder!

Generalization: Change Leads to More Change

Can you think of a time in your life when “Change lead to more change?”

Paragraphs: Systems of Sentences

Blow up a paragraph into individual sentences. Now reassemble it. The clues hiding in each sentence will surprise you.

Notice, Wonder: Forest

A mysterious image. Reveal it slowly. Let your students wonder!

Notice Wonder: Z-Machine

A mysterious image. Reveal it slowly. Let your students wonder!

Notice, Wonder: Etna

A mysterious image. Reveal it slowly. Let your students wonder!

The Personalities of Rocks

What would an igneous rock be like? Would it get along with a sedimentary rock? Could they handle the hot personality of a metamorphic rock?

Notice, Wonder: A Ship

A mysterious image. Reveal it slowly. Let your students wonder!

Student Introductions with Complexity and Frames

How have you changed over time? Students introduce themselves through the lens of change — and learn a Depth and Complexity tool in the process.

What Would Poetry Think About Prose?

Poetry and Prose meet at a party. What would they say to each other? How would they feel about each other’s style?

Content Imperatives: Parallel

Get students thinking broadly by exploring similarities across multiple topics. Combine with Depth and Complexity for bonus points!

Content Imperatives: Contribuition

Pull on one thread and watch the whole topic move. Contribution asks: what single factor is quietly shaping everything else?

Depth and Complexity: 📈 Trends

Has something been changing recently? What might be causing that? What are the effects?

Depth and Complexity: 🚦 Rules

Is there a consequence for not doing something? You may have found a rule!

Depth and Complexity: ⏳ Change Over Time

Want to get students thinking about how a topic has changed or might change in the future? The ⏳ Change Over Time thinking tool is just what you need!

Depth and Complexity: Patterns

Can your students spot anything that repeats? Or that has stopped repeating?

Teach Non-Fiction Writing Structure With Fractals

Did you ever notice that the structure of an essay is very similar to the structure of a paragraph? Hmm…

Better Stories Part 5: Plot Structure

Ever read a student’s story that was just event after event after event and then a very sudden ending? They lack an understanding of a plot’s structure. With the help of Finding Nemo, I break down how to set up a well-structured plot.

Better Stories Part 1: The Big Idea

We open our unit on narrative writing with a big idea: “structure increases creativity.” I show how this is true by bringing in examples from across all disciplines.