Serving advanced learners (and their teachers) since 2012.
Students will encode and decode messages using a heart-themed code.
First, we fill in the code card.
Then, students decode my message.
Finally, they encode and decode their own messages.
Writing prompts, non-fiction analysis, and science topics related to Christmas and Hanukkah.
Crosswords, image analysis, and writing prompts for Halloween!
This pack includes writing prompts, a summer essay project, a science-based escape room activity, and image analysis prompts.
Earth Day themed reading, writing, and math… with a pinch of Depth and Complexity.
St. Patrick themed word searches, crosswords, REVERSE crossword, a math puzzle, and more!
Students will find patterns in New Year’s traditions, and then create some of their own.
First students will list their family’s traditions to celebrate the new year.
Next, they’ll write down traditions of their friends and classmates.
Now they’ll put those traditions into groups.
Finally, they’ll create new traditions that would belong to those groups based on a fictional civilization of people or creatures.
Students will encode and decode messages using the Path Cipher.
First students will practice encoding a message.
Then, they’ll try decoding a Path Zag Cipher.
I’ll reveal the true message and then students will figure out the punchline to my important joke.
Students will encode and decode using the Zig Zag cipher and then evaluate it compared to the earlier methods.
First students will practice encoding a message.
Then, they’ll try decoding a Zig Zag Cipher.
I’ll reveal the true message and then students will do some evaluating.
Students will encode and decode messages using the Pig Pen Cipher and compare it to the Shift Cipher.
First, we encode the name MUFFINS.
Next we decode a secret message about MY CAT.
Finally, students are free to play with the cipher and then compare it with the Shift Cipher.
Students will encode and decode messages using the Shift Cipher.
First, students will finish encode my message with a key of 3.
Next, they’ll decode the next message.
Finally, they’ll use a brute force technique to decode a new message without the key!
Students will re-write a nursery rhyme using increasingly difficult letter restrictions.
First, students rewrite “Mary Had A Little Lamb” without the letter O.
Next, they try without the letter A. Yep, that means four of the five words in the title are gone!
Now, students rewrite the poem without the letters T or S.
And finally, for an extreme challenge, students can try without half of the alphabet: B F G J K O Q U V W X Y Z.
Students will re-write a nursery rhyme using increasingly difficult letter restrictions.
First, students rewrite “Twinkle, Twinkle” without the letter A.
Next, they cannot use the letter E. Goodbye “twinkle” and “little”!
Finally, they’ll rewrite the poem without using A or E.
For a final, optional challenge, can students rewrite “Twinkle, Twinkle” without half of the alphabet: B F G J K O Q U V W X Y Z?
Students will decide which Big Idea best matches their study of Christmas Trees.
Students jot down as much information about Christmas Trees as possible. I recommend post-its or having them type this so that they can move this information around in the next step.
Then, they group that information into three to five groups of their choosing. The groups should stay unlabeled until the very end of this step.
Then, students pick from five Big Ideas (or write their own) that they think best fits the information about Christmas Trees. They explain their thinking and produce a paragraph, an essay, a presentation, or whatever you’d like!
Aaron Maurer explains how to build the Brush Bot, a simple and inexpensive introduction to robots.
Students will judge with criteria to decide which self-portrait of Van Gogh is the winner.
Students work their way through the first round.
Then they finish the tournament.
Students will write a sensory poem inspired by The Scream.
First, students simply notice interesting things in the painting. Encourage them to take their time and keep looking.
Students will answer a few questions about the painting to help to transition to writing.
Next, students write using a specific structure which I model.
Finally, they look for places they can add a bit more detail to make their writing sparkle.
Students will analyze examples and non-examples to deduce the topic of Cubism.
First, students get a set of examples and non-examples to analyze.
Then they get a set of ungrouped items. Which are examples and which are non-examples?
Finally, I reveal the topic: cubism vs more abstract art.
Students will create a self-portrait using adjectives that describe themselves.
First, students create self-portraits using words that describe them and their first names.
Next, students create self-portraits by tracing photos and writing descriptive words in different styles.
Students will create a self portrait using a black marker and a photo of themselves.
Students will use q-tips to create a self-portrait in the style of pointillism.
First, students learn about pointillism by zooming in on paintings to see individual dots.
Next, students pick a color and create a funky monochromatic painting using Q-tips.
Finally, students paint their faces using different shades of blue to create unique self-portraits.
Teach students to draw, and then build on, natural curves using the style of artist Andy Goldsworthy.
Terri Eicholz explains how she builds empathy in her students using the story of the Faberge Eggs.
Cindy Phan shares her method of introducing watercolor to students using a mosaic technique.
Students will create an impossible shape known as the Penrose Triangle.
First, your students will try to copy the shape by hand.
Next, we’ll sketch a structure using pencil.
Finally, we darken the essential lines and erase the pencil to reveal the Penrose Triangle!
Students will create the final, three-hole version of an impossible knot, inspired by Henri Matisse.
First, students will create a structure using pencil.
Then, they use a marker to create the real knot.
Students will create a more complex version of an impossible knot, inspired by Henri Matisse.
First, students will create a structure using pencil.
Then, they use a marker to create the real knot.
Students will create a simple version of an impossible knot, inspired by Henri Matisse.
First, your students will try to create the knot without any instruction.
Next, they’ll draw the structure (in pencil!)
Finally, we built on the structure to complete the knot in pen. Feel free to pause this third step as you go!
Students will compare two paintings, form a big idea, then identify a creator with a similar style.
Students begin by simply noticing details in this painting of two women.
Next, they find similarities in the painting of women ironing and this painting of women waiting.
Students then look at four more paintings (all in one file) and create a big idea about Degas’ style. Here are the four images as separate files: two dancers, many dancers on stage, a woman ironing, looking at camera, and a woman ironing in the shadows.
Finally, students will consider at least one other creator who matches the big idea they created for Degas. Here’s more of Julia flipping that potato.
Students will make several inferences based on the details in this painting.
First, we just notice details in the painting.
Then, students will make three inferences – one must be about what this man’s job is.
Finally, I reveal the painting’s title and challenge students to make the ultimate inference: write the poem that this man is writing!
Students will make inferences about this piece of art, back it up with evidence, and then adjust their inference based on new information.
First, students will simply note interesting details about this painting.
Next, they’ll try to make an inference about what is going on in this scene.
Finally, after I explain a little about the painting, they will refine or redo their inference – even writing a small story if they’d like!
Students will make inferences about this Vermeer painting, back it up with evidence, and then adjust their inference based on new information.
Students will notice details about the painting.
They’ll back up my inference that one woman is a servant to the other.
They make an inference about what that thing is in the seated woman’s hand.
Finally, after learning the piece’s title, students will make a final inference about what could be going on here.
Students will graph curves out of straight lines on x- and y- axes.
First, students create a simple curve with ten lines.
Next, then can expand their curve to fill two or four quadrants of a graph.
Finally, students can add more curves in at 45º to create more interesting shapes.
Students will look for patterns as they experiment with spirals on grid paper.
Students pick three small numbers and then draw lines with those lengths in clockwise order on grid paper. They’ll experiment and look for patterns.
Now they pick more than three small numbers and try again. Different numbers will generate differently shaped spirals. Encourage lots of experimenting!
Using an online tool, students play with one graph, changing numbers as much as they’d like to find strange and interesting graphs.
Students will create a piece of art based on their own tessellating shape.
Students watch an introduction to tessellations.
Next, they create their own tessellating shape.
Finally, they repeat that shape to create a piece of tessellating art.
Students divide equilateral triangles over and over to create a Sierpinski Triangle.
Students learn to create their own Sierpinski Triangle by starting with an equilateral triangle.
Then, they create Sierpinski Carpets by starting with a square.
Finally, they experiment with three-dimensional versions, perhaps creating a Menger Sponge using Lego or in Minecraft.
Students will create a fractal known as The Koch Snowflake.
Students first create a Koch Curve – a simplified version of the Koch Snowflake.
They’ll take their curve from step 1 and extend it to become a snowflake.
Finally, students will create new versions of the Koch Snowflake by experimenting with different starting shapes.
Students will learn to make simple drawings with realistic depth using one-point perspective.
Introduce perspective drawing with two vanishing points.
Introduction to two-point perspective with samples.
Drawing the cube!
More practice on paper.
Students will sum up their breaks using a one-syllable word and then rewrite the song Help! based on that word.
First, students will come up with a one-syllable word (like “help”) to sum up their experiences away from school. They’ll rewrite the intro to Help! using this word.
Next, each student will write about their own experiences around the one-syllable word and rewrite a verse of Help!
Then, groups will rewrite the chorus of Help! to be about their experiences.
Finally, students can create artwork, do a photoshoot, film a music video, or even learn semaphore!
Students decide which of these items will help them survive on the moon and which would be useless.
First, students decide which items are essential, helpful, and useless.
Then, they decide how they could actually use their “useless” items.
Finally, they can create a story (published however you’d like) about how they used the items to survive for three days on the moon.
Students will practice the tool of SCAMPER using a topic of their (or your) choosing before applying it to content.
We begin with practicing Substitute and Combine.
Then students will try Apply, Max/Minimize, and Put To Other Uses.
Finally, they use Eliminate and Rearrange.
Students pick two seemingly unrelated pieces of content (say volcanoes and the human body). Then they build analogies to connect the two ideas.
Students will learn about analogies and practice some simple ones.
They begin their creative analogies, choosing two seemingly unrelated topics. They brainstorm vocabulary for both and look for parallel ideas, building 3-5 analogies.
Then, they flesh out the connections between the vocabulary, writing definitions and connections.
They write a script in which the two seemingly unrelated topics meet each other and note how much they have in common. Students can go on to create a skit, comic, or short story (or anything else they might come up with).
Create a connection between two pieces of content that would work as a Valentine.
Students brainstorm several “you’re the [blank] to my [blank]” starting points for Valentines.
Then, they write an additional sentence to add a bit more information.
Finally, they write a short paragraph to explain each Valentine and then make their cards!
Students will create as many new uses for a cardboard tube as they can think up. Then, we’ll look for all of the unique uses your class generated.
First, students brainstorm at least ten creative uses for leftover cardboard tubes from wrapping paper.
Next, students will compare their lists of cardboard uses with classmates to find unique ideas and share them with the class.
Students will create as many new uses for a chair as they can think of. Then, we’ll look for all of the unique uses your class generated.
First, students brainstorm ten creative ways to use a chair beyond typical functions, like using it as a paperweight.
Next, students will count their ideas, cross off duplicates, and identify their unique and most unusual ideas with peers.
Students will create as many new uses for a pencil as they can think up. Then, we’ll look for all of the unique uses your class generated.
Students will brainstorm new ways to use a pencil.
Next, they’ll count how many ideas they came up with and compare with friends to find unique ideas.
Students will create as many new uses for a can as they can think of. Then, we’ll look for all of the unique uses your class generated.
First, students brainstormed ten new and creative ways to repurpose an aluminum can beyond its usual uses.
Next, students will count their ideas, remove duplicates with friends, and identify unique and unusual ideas from the list.
Students will create at least ten new ways to use a paperclip.
Students create 10 new ways to use a paperclip.
Then they pick their most surprising idea and expand on it.
Students start with the same squiggle and then draw on it, turning it into whatever they think it might be.
Students start with the same squiggle and then draw on it, turning it into whatever they think it might be.
Students start with the same squiggle and then draw on it, turning it into whatever they think it might be.
Students start with the same squiggle and then draw on it, turning it into whatever they think it might be.
Students will brainstorm the consequences of a town where the tap water becomes unreliable. Then they’ll expand their ideas into a piece of writing.
Students will brainstorm consequences of a world where everyone lives much longer. Then they’ll expand their ideas into a piece of writing.
Students will brainstorm consequences of a world where if no one has to sleep anymore. Then they’ll expand their ideas into a piece of writing.
Students will adapt their checkers strategy so that they lose.
Students will learn the basics of the ancient game Go.
Students will decide if it’s worth it to be able to move twice in chess but have much weaker pieces.
Students will develop a strategy for playing chess on a much smaller board with far fewer pieces.
Students will decide which side has the advantage – seven knights or three queens.
Students will decide which side has the advantage – a standard chess set or 32 pawns.
Students will adapt their chess strategies to work with four players.
Practice math fluency with this dice-based calculation game.
Learn the basic rules of Contig.
Now, let’s think about how to spice it up!
Students will work with negative numbers and a grid to get their car around a track first.
Students will quickly recognize whether a number is divisible by 3 or 5 (or both!).
Students will develop a strategy that will lead them to victory in this simple subtraction game.
Students will develop a strategy to break their opponents code based on limited information.
Students will develop a winning strategy for this simple math game.
Students learn the rules of the game.
Then, they develop a strategy guide.
Students will develop a strategy to help them win the mind-boggling Ultimate Tic-Tac-Toe
First, students play ultimate tic-tac-toe on a big board filled with smaller tic-tac-toe boards.
Next, students will create a strategy guide by writing down helpful tips for winning games.
Students will lean a Tic-Tac-Toe variant in which but both players can play as both X and O throughout the game.
Tic-tac-toe on a 15×15 board. Get exactly five in a row to win — six in a row doesn’t count.
Students will develop a strategy to win at this Tic-Tac-Toe variant in which both players can play as Xs and Os!
Students will develop a strategy for a version of Tic-Tac-Toe with only Xs and multiple boards.
Generate and print custom mazes for your students, with optional side quests built in.
Students will develop a strategy for this simple, but surprisingly fun, grid-based game.
Students will strategically connect dots, looking to be the last to add to the snake.
Students will learn how to play the abstract strategy game Chomp.
Students will learn how to play the intersecting shape game Col.
Students will learn to play Dots and Boxes.
Students will learn how to play the strategy game Sprouts.
Students will guess each other’s secret codewords through careful guessing.
Students will learn to play the word-building game Ghost.
Students will grapple with a 2,500-year-old paradox about a ship that gets rebuilt two different ways.
Students will grapple with The Barber’s Paradox about a barber who may (or may not) shave himself.
Students hear the barber’s paradox. Does he shave himself?
Students work out the contradiction, then write their own version using a different character.
Students will grapple with The Crocodile Dilemma, a paradox from Ancient Greece in which a set of parents negotiate with a tricky crocodile who has stolen their baby.
Students meet the crocodile dilemma: a crocodile will return a child only if the parents guess his next move.
Students work out why the parents’ guess creates a paradox.
Students puzzle through three variations on The Liar’s Paradox.
Students examine the statement “This statement is a lie” and find its contradiction.
Students analyze a more complex version with two conflicting statements.
Students consider Pinocchio’s claim that his nose is about to grow.
Vulcan Point Island is an island in a lake on an island in a lake on an island
It’s a car made out of Lego with a working engine.
Why does this dinosaur keep looking at me…
This optical illusion looks like a 3D staircase, but it’s all drawn on a plain piece of paper.
The only type of octopus that routinely wanders onto land!
A music video filmed on 64 phones and then displayed on 64 phones. What?
These two tables are the same size. But how!?
Can you shred paper using just Lego?
Shaolin kung fu students as seen from a satellite.
Watch oil paint float on water and become a familiar scene.
What patterns, unexpected details, and surprised can your students spot as they watch several kernels of popcorn explode in super slow motion?
Notice 100 details about cooking in zero gravity.
How many questions can we come up with about baby name trends?
Make predictions about and compare and contrast various melting desserts.
Notice details about these fascinating frozen bubbles.
Notice how a single object can cast three distinctly different shadows.
By grouping and re-grouping the same set of countries, students will discover new patterns and ideas about these places.
Students create 2-5(ish) categories of countries using a list that they generate or that you provide. They can use an criteria to form their groups, but no group can be called “other.”
Then they’ll start over and re-group those same countries into new categories.
Then, yes, they’ll re-re-group those countries into yet another set of categories.
Finally, students describe how looking at the same countries from different perspectives gave them some new insight or idea.
By grouping and re-grouping the same set of animals, students will discover new patterns and ideas about these creatures.
Students create 2-5(ish) categories of animals using a list that they generate or that you provide. They can use an criteria to form their groups, but no group can be called “other.”
Then they’ll start over and re-group those same animals into new categories.
Then, yes, they’ll re-re-group those animals into another set of animals.
Finally, students describe how looking at the same creatures from different perspectives gave them some new insight or idea.
Students will become familiar with the plot of Romeo and Juliet.
Students will become familiar with the basic plot of Much Ado About Nothing.
Students will learn the basic plot behind Shakespeare’s utterly ridiculous “Twelfth Night.”
Students will become familiar with the plot of Hamlet.
Students will learn the basic plot of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
