“I use Byrdseed TV to differentiate for my clustered students. I LOVE all the ideas!” ~ a teacher in Washington

Arizona ELA Standard: 3.W.2.b

Develop the topic with facts, definitions, and details.

Famous Structures

Famous Structures

The Eiffel Tower, the Colosseum, the Sydney Opera House — group them, pick the best from each group, then design your own.

Earthquakes – Mixed Up Paragraph

Earthquakes – Mixed Up Paragraph

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

Not Like The Others: Deserts

Not Like The Others: Deserts

Which of these deserts is not like the others?

Create A Civilization: Currency

Create A Civilization: Currency

What type of currency will your civilization use? What symbols will be on it? Why are they significant?

Create A Civilization: Design A Flag

Create A Civilization: Design A Flag

What makes for a good flag? What makes a bad flag?

Analyze Paragraphs: Cucumbers

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

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.

Art Lesson: Two-Point Perspective

Art Lesson: Two-Point Perspective

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

Change Leads to More Change

Change Leads to More Change

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

Invisible Power Can Have Visible Effects

Invisible Power Can Have Visible Effects

Can you think of times when power is unseen, but we can clearly see its effects?

Investigating Christmas Trees

Investigating Christmas Trees

Start with facts about Christmas trees. Group them. Label them. Can you boil it all down to one big idea?

Upgrading Compare and Contrast Writing

Upgrading Compare and Contrast Writing

Upgrade compare and contrast writing with just a couple of key words.

The Thinking Hats

The Thinking Hats

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.

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 2: Planning The Outline

Improving Presentations 2: Planning The Outline

After watching some great presenters, let’s outline your presentation!

Create A Civilization: From Hunter Gatherers to Farmers

Create A Civilization: From Hunter Gatherers to Farmers

What happens when your civilization suddenly has a surplus of food? Think of the possibilities!

Create A Civilization: The River

Create A Civilization: The River

The Nile, the Tigris, the Euphrates, the Seine, the Thames, and now… your river!

Content Imperatives: Contribuition

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: 🌻 Details

Depth and Complexity: 🌻 Details

Get kids focusing on the small, but essential, details of a topic.

Create A Civilization Introduction

Create A Civilization Introduction

Your students build a civilization from scratch — rivers, flags, calendars, currency, government. Social studies, science, and writing woven into one year-long project.

How to Play Go

How to Play Go

Ready to learn a 2,500-year-old Chinese board game? Let’s… Go!

Create A Creature

Create A Creature

Create a new creature based on the adaptations of existing creatures from the same biome.

Asynchrony: Developing At Different Rates (For Students)

Asynchrony: Developing At Different Rates (For Students)

For students! In some areas, a student may be shockingly advanced, while in others… surprisingly average. This is asynchrony in action.

Intellectual Intensity

Intellectual Intensity

Do you know someone who becomes a bit overexcited by ideas?

Engineering: Build A Bridge

Engineering: Build A Bridge

Using real bridges as their starting point, students will construct bridges out of straws and paperclips.