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Indiana ELA Standard: 1.W.2

Produce (when writing or speaking) logically connected sentences to make a proposal to a particular audience (e.g., a parent, classmate), and give reasons why the proposal should be considered. (E)

That Quote’s Not Quite Right: Albert Einstein

That Quote’s Not Quite Right: Albert Einstein

When I see a quote, I often think, “That’s not quite right!”

Holiday Shuffle – Day vs Date

Holiday Shuffle – Day vs Date

Wouldn’t some holidays be better on a certain day of the week? Should Thanksgiving have a set date?

Tournament of Mythological Creatures

Tournament of Mythological Creatures

Who will win the tournament of mythological creatures!?

Tournament of Not-So-Famous Inventors

Tournament of Not-So-Famous Inventors

Which inventor and invention will win the tournament?

Domesticated Animals Tournament

Domesticated Animals Tournament

Which domesticated animal will win the tournament?

Types of Energy Tournament

Types of Energy Tournament

Which type of energy will win the tournament!?

Plant Adaptation Tournament

Plant Adaptation Tournament

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

Tournament: 8 Wonders of the Solar System

Tournament: 8 Wonders of the Solar System

Which location is the most wondrous place in the solar system?

The 8th Wonder of the World Tournament

The 8th Wonder of the World Tournament

Which of these eight wonders deserves to become the Eighth Wonder of the World!?

Exploration Technology Tournament

Exploration Technology Tournament

Which of these pieces of exploration technology is most important? Most underrated? Most long-lasting?

Precipitation Tournament

Precipitation Tournament

Eight types of precipitation battle it out in this tournament.

Tournament of Ancient Inventions

Tournament of Ancient Inventions

Which of these inventions of the ancient world is most influential? Least useful today? Most taken-for-granted?

Animal Adaptation Tournament

Animal Adaptation Tournament

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

Habitable Planets and Moons Tournament

Habitable Planets and Moons Tournament

Which object in the solar system is most habitable?

Parts of Speech Tournament

Parts of Speech Tournament

Which part of speech is most useful? Interesting? Strange?

Tournament of Presidents

Tournament of Presidents

So who was the strangest of these eight presidents?

A Lunar Survival Mission

A Lunar Survival Mission

A favorite of mine! This task is delightfully complex and ambiguous, forcing students to make choices without enough information and with no right answer. How will they survive on the moon for three days?

Create A Civilization: A Change In Government

Create A Civilization: A Change In Government

It’s a great moment for your civilization! Power is moving from the hands of a few to a more democratic government.

The Tournament of Biomes

The Tournament of Biomes

Want to move beyond memorizing the characteristics of biomes? In this lesson, students work through a Tournament of Biomes, explaining which biome wins in each round (based on criteria you choose). In the end, they crown a 👑 Champion Biome!

Fraction Ordering Tournament

Fraction Ordering Tournament

Which set of fractions would be the trickiest to order from least to greatest? Let’s have a tournament!

The Resiliency Tournament

The Resiliency Tournament

Your students will set up a tournament to determine which person or character best demonstrated resiliency.

Propaganda and Logical Fallacies

Propaganda and Logical Fallacies

Let’s see how propaganda techniques can make even something great seem bad.

Persuasion and Packaging: Ethos, Pathos, and Logos

Persuasion and Packaging: Ethos, Pathos, and Logos

How does a drink’s packaging affect us emotionally and logically?

Teaching Criticism

Teaching Criticism

For Teachers

Ask students to go beyond “I don’t like it” and form critical opinions based on a set of criteria. Students can produce written arguments or turn their opinion into oral presentations.