Alabama ELA Standard: 4.LF.23.a

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?

Gr 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

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?

Gr 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8

Order to Chaos: Dominoes or Dam?

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

Gr 2-8

Order and Chaos Hide Inside Each Other

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

Gr 3-8

Power – Blue Whale vs Krill

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

Gr 1-8

What’s In My Brain: Inventions vs Discovery

We’re looking at inventions vs discoveries.

Gr 1, 2, 8

What’s In My Brain: Paperclip vs Straw

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

Gr 1-8

What’s In My Brain: Lion vs Bear

We’re looking at carnivores vs omnivores.

Gr 1, 3, 6, 7, 8

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.

Gr 1-8

What’s In My Brain: Guinea Pig vs Potbelly

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

Gr 1, 2, 6, 8

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?

Gr 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8

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?

Gr 1-8

What’s In My Brain: Austin vs Los Angeles

We’re looking at capital cities.

Gr 1, 2, 3, 6, 8

What’s In My Brain: Italy vs Normandy

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

Gr 1-8

What’s In My Brain: Crocodile vs Tree Frog

Is it a reptile or an amphibian?

Gr 1, 3, 6, 8

What’s In My Brain: Narwhal vs Penguin

We’re looking at the arctic vs the antarctic.

Gr 1-8

Great Sloths – Mixed Up Paragraph

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

Gr 1-8

The Moon – Mixed Up Paragraph

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

Gr 1-8

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?

Gr 2-8

Rainclouds – Mixed Up Paragraph

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

Gr 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8

Coral Reef – Mixed Up Paragraph

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

Gr 2, 3, 6, 8

Create A Civ: Capital City

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

Gr 1-8

What’s In My Brain!? Japan vs Jamaica

Is it an island or an archipelago?

Gr 1, 3, 6, 8

Not Like The Others: Birds of the Desert

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

Gr 1-8

Automobiles – Mixed Up Paragraph

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

Gr 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8

Washington, DC – Mixed Up Paragraph

These sentences about Washington, DC got scrambled. Can you put them back in order using nothing but context clues?

Gr 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8

Trains – Mixed Up Paragraph

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

Gr 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8

Earthquakes – Mixed Up Paragraph

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

Gr 2, 3, 4, 6, 8

Plant Adaptation Tournament

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

Gr 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8

Not Like The Others: Branches of the US Government

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

Gr 1-8

Think Like A Historian

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

Gr 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8

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.

Gr 1-8

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.

Gr 1-8

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.

Gr 1-8

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.

Gr 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8

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.

Gr 1-8

Not Like The Others: Natural Disasters

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

Gr 1-8

Generalization: Change Leads to More Change

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

Gr 2-8

Paragraphs: Systems of Sentences

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

Gr 1-8

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?

Gr 2-8

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.

Gr 1-8

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?

Gr 1-8

Content Imperatives: Parallel

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

Gr 1-8

Content Imperatives: Contribuition

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

Gr 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

Depth and Complexity: 📈 Trends

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

Gr 2-8

Depth and Complexity: 🚦 Rules

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

Gr 1-8

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!

Gr 2-8

Depth and Complexity: Patterns

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

Gr 2-8

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…

Gr 1-8

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.

Gr 1-8

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.

Gr 1-8