“This website is my sub plans.” ~ a teacher describing Byrdseed.TV

Halloween Worksheets

Halloween Worksheets

Crosswords, image analysis, and writing prompts for Halloween!

Two Animals Switch Biomes

Two Animals Switch Biomes

What if a capybara and a kangaroo rat switched homes? Would their adaptations be helpful at all?

Not Like The Others: Rivers

Not Like The Others: Rivers

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

Not Like The Others: 19th Century Presidents

Not Like The Others: 19th Century Presidents

Four 19th century presidents. One doesn’t belong. But which one? That depends on your argument.

Van Gogh Self-Portrait Tournament

Van Gogh Self-Portrait Tournament

Who will win the tournament of Van Gogh self-portraits!?

Robot Writing: Acropolis

Robot Writing: Acropolis

One painting of ruins. Three robots. Three pieces of writing. Who wrote it best?

Robot Writing: The Bridge

Robot Writing: The Bridge

One painting of a bridge. Three robots. Who wrote it best?

Robot Writing: Orchestra

Robot Writing: Orchestra

Read three pieces of writing from three different robots based on a beautiful painting and decide who wins!

Animal Adaptation Tournament

Animal Adaptation Tournament

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

Not Like The Others: Stars

Not Like The Others: Stars

How is each of these stars not like the others?

Not Like The Others: US States

Not Like The Others: US States

How is each of these states not like the others?

Not Like The Others: Mountains

Not Like The Others: Mountains

Which of these mountains is not like the others?

Concept Attainment: Art

Concept Attainment: Art

Can your students tell the difference between cubism and abstract art?

Paradox: Rebuilding A Ship

Paradox: Rebuilding A Ship

What if we completely rebuild something slowly? What if we completely rebuild it all at once? Is it still the same thing?

Thinking With Art: Head Down

Thinking With Art: Head Down

One artist, two paintings. Notice details, compare, synthesize, then find a parallel in another creator’s work.

Art Lesson: One-Point Perspective

Art Lesson: One-Point Perspective

Let’s give our students an art history lesson while teaching them how to enhance their drawings using one-point perspective.

Art Lesson: Two-Point Perspective

Art Lesson: Two-Point Perspective

Let’s get students’ art really popping with two-point perspective!

Self Portraits: Pointillism

Self Portraits: Pointillism

Turn your students into a bunch of Monets with q-tips and some tempera paint.

Not Like The Others: Countries

Not Like The Others: Countries

How is each of these four countries not like the others?

Create A Civilization: Calendars

Create A Civilization: Calendars

Why 12 months? Why 30ish days? Why 7 days in a week? Your civilization could organize a year in any way you want!

Improving Presentations 1: Watching The Greats

Improving Presentations 1: Watching The Greats

Get better at giving presentations by studying the greats!

Academic Love Letters

Academic Love Letters

What if Kylo Ren wrote a love letter to Abe Lincoln or the Sahara Desert wrote one to the Moon?

Depth and Complexity: 📈 Trends

Depth and Complexity: 📈 Trends

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

Depth and Complexity: 📚 Across Disciplines

Depth and Complexity: 📚 Across Disciplines

No topic is an island! With the 📚 Across Disciplines prompt, students note connections within and across multiple fields.

Depth and Complexity: ⏳ Change Over Time

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!

Drawing Natural Curves Like Andy Goldsworthy

Drawing Natural Curves Like Andy Goldsworthy

Andy Goldsworthy turns leaves and stones into art. Your students will learn to draw his signature natural curves — then build on them.

Add Layers To Direct Instruction

Add Layers To Direct Instruction

For Teachers

Take direction instruction beyond a monotonous practice of the same skill over and over.

Better Stories Part 1: The Big Idea

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.